(this is an outline of the first part of the "Taxonomy of Digital Creatures" course)

Suppose you're asked to create a T-rex -- what do you need to know? Fundamentally: what does the creature look like? And what does it need to do?

Questions of Look
- what is the design style of the creature and the work into which it is set?
- what kind of body does the creature have?
- what is the visible part (skin) of the creature?

Questions of performance
- how will the creature be intergrated into the work?
- what sort of interactions will the creature have with its surroundings?
- what will be the creature's relationship to the camera?
- what will be the scope of the creature's use?

It is as important to determine what is not required das it is to determine what is required.

Course Goals
- codify a widely used process
- promote designer oriented development of digital creatures

Concept Art
- Defines the form and material of the creature -- very good for defining form, esp orthos
- Defines elements that are visual cues to the creature's character
- Helps define the creature's contextual tone

Questions of Look
- Design Style
- Body Style
- Skin Style

Design Style
- Determine the "tone" of both the project and creature designs
- Dissection art work is based upon identifying key element -- invariant perceptual cues
- Want to determine levels of importance for visual elements

Primitive Design Style
- typically cartoon aesthetic
- simplified forms
- in live action work: dissociates creature from world
- Examples: Casper, Mars Attacks Aliens

Abstract Design Style
- Composed of physically plausible elements
- Proportioned and combined in a unnatural ways
- Physical believability
- Examples: Edgar bug from Men in Black, The Hulk

Naturalistic Design Style
- modeled after a real creature or person
- proportionally and behaviorally correct
- heavy reliance on reference photography
- Examples: Sunny Baby from Lemony Snicket, crocodile from Eraser

Production Design Style
- what is the feel of concept artwork?
- is there congruity btw the creature and its env?
- what is the level of physical realism?

(the course went on, but I left about here due to another appointment)