Assignment · Project 4: Mixed-Media VFX Spot + Template

The capstone: integrate everything into live footage and package it for reuse.

Weeks 12–16 · 5 weeks (incl. break) · Runtime 30–60 seconds · Worth 20 points

Skills: 8. AI-Assisted Compositing, 9. Match-Moving & Mixed Media, 10. Expressions, Rigging & MOGRTs

Brief

Your portfolio capstone — a mixed-media spot that integrates 3D and graphics into live footage, driven by expression rigs and delivered as a reusable, editor-friendly template. This is what you grade against the rubric.

What you'll do, week by week

Week 12 — AI-Assisted Compositing
Week 13 — Match-Moving & Mixed Media
Week 14 — Thanksgiving break — work time
Week 15 — Expressions, Rigging & MOGRTs
Week 16 — Final — Capstone Showcase

Must deliver

A solved track with 3D/graphics convincingly integrated into footage
At least one AI-matte composite and one working expression rig
Packaged as a MOGRT or template; graded, sound-synced, 30–60s

How it's graded

Scored on the full 8-criterion rubric (0–100) × 20 points — the portfolio centrepiece. Portfolio-ready is 80+, and your capstone should put at least 6 of the 10 advanced skills to meaningful use. See the Homepage for the complete rubric.

Submitting your work

Render your final movie to spec (QuickTime · H.264, or H.264 MP4, at the project's resolution and frame rate).
Upload the rendered movie only — do not upload the project, AE files, or source files.
Archive your project (collect files) into a single compressed ZIP for your own records.
Also submit your reusable template / exported .mogrt alongside the master movie.

See the course's Rendering and Submission pages for the exact steps.

Capstone rubric (score 1–4 per row)

Criterion (weight)	1	2	3	4
Animation Craft & Timing (15%)	Mechanical, evenly-spaced motion with no weight.	Some easing; timing uneven or generic.	Confident spacing and weight throughout.	Polished, purposeful timing with anticipation & follow-through.
Technical Execution & Cleanup (15%)	Jitter, chatter, broken rigs or messy mattes.	Mostly clean with a few unstable moments.	Clean keys, tidy mattes/roto, stable tracks and rigs.	Flawless — no chatter, slip or stray keyframes anywhere.
3D & Compositing Integration (15%)	Elements look pasted on; wrong scale or light.	Readable, but edges or lighting give it away.	Believable integration; matched light and grounding.	Seamless — 3D, graphics and footage read as one shot.
Color, Look & Finishing (15%)	Flat or clashing color; no deliberate look.	A grade exists but is inconsistent.	Cohesive, intentional grade; scopes legal.	Distinctive, controlled look that elevates the piece.
Concept, Design & Art Direction (15%)	No clear idea; random effects strung together.	An idea exists but design choices are generic.	Clear concept with coherent type, layout and palette.	Original, memorable, with strong art-directed taste.
Systems & Reusability (10%)	No structure; flat timeline, nothing reusable.	Some pre-comps, but fragile and ad hoc.	Clean architecture; Essential Properties or rigs used.	Robust, documented rig/template another editor could drive.
Technical Breadth (10%)	Fewer than 4 of the 10 advanced skills used.	4–5 skills used, some only superficially.	6–7 skills used meaningfully in service of the idea.	8+ skills woven in naturally, each earning its place.
Delivery & Craft (5%)	Wrong settings, render errors, audio out of sync.	Plays back, but codec/runtime/sync need work.	Correct export, resolution, frame rate; audio in sync.	Spec-perfect master + clean template, ready to hand off.