[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Bill Moore

I stopped directing our students to follow the "Award Criteria" when Discreet stopped following them.

The first year I worked as a mentor to the animation sub-team, we turned in an animation that was not highly Technical, but satisfied the Creativity and Content components highly. Discreet judged our effort to be worth 6 points out of 100 total. Devastating for the amount of work and focus we placed on achieving what the criteria were. That year at Orlando, we went to hear Ted Boardman speak, and he said "We look at dozens and dozens of these animations all at once, and often they are the same story. For goodness, sake, put some humor in it."

The next year, I told the students, do anything you want, just make it funny. And they did. We had GeroniMOE breaking out of its' build area and running around the world like a stacking fool (cows, pyramids, Great Wall of China). Last year, the student animation followed the electrical spark from the robot controller through the electrical wiring to the point where GizMOE hung on the bar.

The students pick the topic they want to animate. We might not be following the details of the Award Criteria, but the students learn and have fun, and whether Discreet agrees or not, they are putting out some nice animations.

I remember that animation. Weirdest thing I ever saw in my life. More teams should do animations like that.