Massive collaborative animation projects: changing paradigms in animation education

MCAP (The Massive Collaborative Animation Projects) is a unique intercollegiate, multi-year, global animation production currently entering its third year of production. Initiated during SIGGRAPH 2016 (Anaheim, CA), by Dr. William Joel (Western Connecticut State University), MCAP's purpose is to allow students and faculty from institutions around the world to join together in the creation of an original computer animation [Aoki et al. 2017]. An animation/visual effects production is a highly collaborative effort that utilizes multiple, interconnected teams [Alley et al. 2006], and industry needs workers that have experience with the intricacies of team-based projects. Many schools have animation components in their curricula, but may not have either the resources or student numbers to engage in the creation of extensive animation projects. By creating a platform for such schools to work together, sharing their resources and expertise, MCAP provides a mechanism to enrich these students' educational experiences. In this Talk, we will discuss the current development of the project and what we have learned during the first two years.