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The Hitchhiker's Guide to Animation
Welcome to the Bachelor of Animation at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts!
(In an ongoing process, we are translating this guide into English. Please have patience... )
If you count all currently studying students, the teachers and co-workers, then in total we are a team of more than 100 people who are working together in the Animation Department. This is about the size of a medium company!
So that great work can be created, we count on each other to take care and follow certain rules to make things easier.
The most important rule is: stay informed & ask questions!
Although we try and keep you as up-to-date as possible, you also have the responsibility to regularly consult your E-mail, the student calendar, and the notice board in the entrance hallway.
Contents
- 1 The Hitchhiker's Guide to Animation
- 2 Accomodation
- 3 Aniwiki
- 4 Anwesenheitspflicht / Mandatory attendance 80%
- 5 Apéro-Verein and TAFFEI
- 6 Bergli / New Logo
- 7 Blackbox- & Workshop rules
- 8 Blog Animation-Luzern
- 9 Bulletin board
- 10 Computerrooms
- 11 Credits
- 12 Data Protection
- 13 Deadlines and server uploads
- 14 Discord
- 15 E-Mail Policy
- 16 Eating, Drinking, Cooking
- 17 Facility Management / Hausdienst
- 18 Festivals
- 19 Finances
- 20 Gotte / Götti
- 21 +Colabor Module - Interdisciplinarity in Design and Arts
- 22 Infotage / Info Days
- 23 +Fokus-Modul - Interdisziplinäre Studienangebote
- 24 Kitsu
- 25 Kunst- und Designbibliothek
- 26 Coaching in your 1.BA Year
- 27 Mentors in your 3.BA Year / Practical Thesis
- 28 Helpers Market (Helping out on Graduation Projects)
- 29 My Campus
- 30 Nachteilsausgleich / Disadvantage Compensation
- 31 NAKUs - "Niveau-ausgleichende Kurse"
- 32 Online Visibility
- 33 Opening hours Viscosi 745
- 34 Plenum / Assembly
- 35 Psychologische Unterstützung / Psychological help
- 36 Printing
- 37 Projekt NEPTUN
- 38 Praktikum & Austausch / Internships & Exchanges
- 39 Rental
- 40 Rooms – Overview & Reservation
- 41 Semester Overview
- 42 SEP - Semester end presentations
- 43 Server
- 44 Social Media
- 45 Software
- 46 Student Calendar (iCal)
- 47 Student Council
- 48 Student Jobs
- 49 Technical Recommendations
- 50 VPN
- 51 Werkschau
- 52 Wording and Logo
If you work next to your studies, please make sure you take the necessary measures so that your working hours don't collide with school hours.
Accomodation
If you are currently looking for accomodation in Lucerne, check out the following websites or write a message on our Ani-HSLU discord server saying what you have/are looking for.
Aniwiki
This is what you are looking at right now. Our AniWiki. It is a living, constantly changing organism. We welcome you to create or (responsibly) modify articles. You can use your HSLU-Login for this (login button at top right).
Important AniWiki entries for you are especially:
- Template for Studentpage
- Template for Studentfilm
- Project Submission (mandatory for every film made during your studies!)
Anwesenheitspflicht / Mandatory attendance 80%
Modules must be visited in person for at least 80% of their duration in order to pass. Some have an even higher attendance regulation, so be sure to check the exact module description on https://mycampus.hslu.ch. If you missed class due to health reasons, you must submit a doctor's note/medical certificate to your head of module. If you know in advance that you will miss certain classes, always inform your head of module so you can negotiate the consequences.
Apéro-Verein and TAFFEI
We are very proud that, over the years, our students have initiated some very fun extra-curricular teams and activities, and are keeping them alive to this day! They are always happy to welcome new members:
- The "Apéro-Verein" is a team of students that don't only like to party, but also enjoy MAKING the parties! They are the masterminds behind most of our larger school events (Ani-ween, Ani-Xmas, the Welcoming Party for our new students, etc...) and also coordinate the setup and cleanup procedures.
- TAFFEI (yep, legend has it that the name comes from "tough eye") is a student film club which screens animated or live-action films in the REX cinema. The posters are often made incollaboration with illustration/art/video students.
Bergli / New Logo
Our mascot the "Bergli" was created by Jane Mumford and Jürgen Haas to give the family of animation-luzern an icon. It is now slowly being faded out to be replaced by our so-called "Oinimoition" Logo. Everyone is asked to implement the Animation logo to their work as long as it is conform to our ci. You can get the eps-files on our server.
Blackbox- & Workshop rules
Blackbox
If you need access to the workshop- and blackbox- cupboards and locked areas: contact your head of module, the artistic assistance, or the current student blackbox & workshop helper.
Before leaving the blackbox
- Disassemble all the partitions/moveable walls and lean them against the walls
- Clean all used tables
- Store all colour-filters, moltons (big black cloth) and green-screen cloth in the cupboard
- Sweep the floor around your used area
Workshop
Tool rental
If you are borrowing tools, please write your details into the rental-list in the workshop.
Labelling
Projects that will stay in the workshop or blackbox over multiple days, are to be labelled with the correct project-form.
Working materials
- Using small amounts of work materials is free.
- Please contact the artistic assistant in case you intend to use larger amounts, so we can re-stock.
Contact and questions: Artistic Assistant
Before leaving the workshop
- Put away tools, paints, glue and working material, put all caps and lids back on containers, give your working area a quick dust
- Put any small wood or styrofoam in the bins or bring them to the rest-material depot
After your Module
- The heads of modules are in charge of organizing the cleanup process.
- Order large trash containers 2 days ahead with the current facility manager.
- All tools belong back in their place.
- Working areas and tables are cleaned (cleaning materials are in the 1st floor, in the passage between the main hallway and room 145)
- STOP-MOTION SETS WILL NOT BE STORED: Students are required to take their sets home, dismantle them and recycle the material, or take the entire sets to the Ökihof.
Blog Animation-Luzern
We have our own blog in which our students and co-workers can write short articles and post pictures. We're very open to any suggestions for topics and articles! Write to our artistic associate or tech support if you're interested in writing your own article, it's even payed $$$
Bulletin board
At the entrance to the main atelier 155 in the corridor you will find our bulletin-board. On both sides of the wall you will find:
- the curriculum overview of the current semester
- class lists
- theory lesson plans
- group-lists for the various modules
- NAKU- and extracurricular activity offers
- notices for guest lectures
Please do not hang up non-animation-studies-related advertisements here. There will be a special area for this.
Computerrooms
We have one small computer-room and one large one (with a flexible room divider) in which lessons take place, but you can also work on your own projects outside of teaching hours. The rooms have air-conditioning, but please note:
- The temperature should be set at a constant 24°C
- If the temparature or the air circulation is not pleasant, you can tell our artistic assistant. They will request the required changes via the school's caretaker.
- Doors must be kept shut, or the air-con does not work correctly.
Credits
We think it's great if you want to share your work online! Just please remember to always credit us, so people know where they can do the same great work as you do:
On Vimeo/Youtube www.hslu.ch AND – more importantly – our special sub-site: www.animation-luzern.ch
On Insta: our account @animation.hslu and always also tag #hsludk
On Facebook: our account Animation Luzern
On Twitter: mention #animationhslu #hsludk #animationluzern
If you release self-edited videos, a further bonus is to add the official HSLU Logo (to be found on the server in > students > Vorlagen > Logos) to the end of the video.
Please be loyal and let people know where you've been working! And please remind your fellow students if one of them forgets.
Data Protection
Personal information voluntarily made available to us is used only for the intended purpose and is not shared outside the HSLU or made accessible to third parties.
Deadlines and server uploads
When you start working in the animation industry, deadlines are binding - some even existential! That's why they are important to us, too.
Latest 2 weeks after the SEP you must put your finished (and only the finished!) projects onto the folder communicated by your teachers. These files are what will be looked at when you are graded. Jean First is responsible for the archiving, and ONLY archives correctly labelled and saved files. Consult the Project Submission page for details on how to correctly upload files, or ask Jean if you have questions!
Discord
Don't let the name fool you, we like harmony! And harmony involves communication. During the Corona-lockdown we established a chat-server using the program Discord which worked so well, that it has become a staple of our communciation. Especially during SEPs, where you can comment your friend's presentations live and sometimes watch other classes' special guest inputs. Learn all about Discord in this hilarious 2 Minute How-To video!
Download Discord here, and then ask Jean First or your local artistic associate or... ANYONE from the upper years for a secret invite code.
E-Mail Policy
When you start your studies at HSLU, you receive your own HSLU e-mail address. Here are the rules to use:
- Check your inbox and read your e-mails at least twice a day.
- Important e-mails are sent via our assistants with subject headers like: "1.BA: xyz..." or "EVERYONE/ALLE: xyz..."
- Circulars (i.e. "mass mails"/Rundmails) are only to be sent by assistants, your module teachers, and in exceptions Jürgen Haas.
- Please don't "answer all" when replying. Check who really needs to know your information!
- Please don't send „undisclosed recipients“ Emails (BCC)
Eating, Drinking, Cooking
Eating is prohibited in all classrooms, especially in the computer rooms. There is a strict cooking ban in the atliers. No kettles, hot dog machines or microwaves. Capsule coffee machines are allowed at the workplace.
Please eat in the reception hall at the kiosk, in the kitchen, in the sofa corners or outside.
IG Arbeit runs the great Kantine NYLON 7. On Thursdays there is a Japanese food truck on the main road.
Please take drinks into the rooms only in bottles and dispose of them afterwards. We maintain a very good relationship with our housekeeping.
Facility Management / Hausdienst
If your power outlet all of a sudden does not work anymore, get in thouch with the Facility Management.
Festivals
No animation without its festivals! We pay for your accreditation (festival pass) for the following two festivals in the spring semester, which are an integral part of the curriculum. Participation is compulsory in each case. The festival passes will be paid by us, travel and stay have to be organized and financed individually.
1 BA: Annecy in mid-June (see module plan)
2 BA VFX Module: Stuttgart FMX / ITFS, end of April, beginning of May, see module plan
In Switzerland we also recommend FANTOCHE (beginning of September), the Short Film Festival Winterthur (November) and Animatou (October).
Finances
Sometimes life sends us through rough patches. Some of you might not come from a home that is able to support you financially during your studies. If you're struggling, please feel free to get in touch with our artistic associate anytime if you need help or just want to talk. We will gladly help you make a plan and assist you in the process. Here are a few options to check out:
- student jobs, such as taking care of the rental system, helping with updating excel lists, labeling and categorizing material/projects etc... contact our artistic assistant to find out if there's a job opening soon.
- The HSLU's "Unterstützungsfonds" (support fund) can give up to 2000.- for special acquiries or short-term help in exceptional cases
- Check out this list of stipends, which you might be eligible for as a student: https://www.hslu.ch/en/lucerne-university-of-applied-sciences-and-arts/campus/living-in-lucerne/stipendien-und-preise/
- Or contact the HSLU official student counselor to a solution for you: https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/design-kunst/studium/informationen-fuer-studierende/studierendenberatung/studierendenberatung-finanzen/
Gotte / Götti
In der ersten Woche deines Studiums entscheidet das Los an der Willkommensfeier, welche Studentin oder welcher Student deine Erstehilf-Begleitung in der Anfangszeit ist. Deine Gotte/dein Götti bietet dir Unterstützung in der räumlichen Orientierung und steht dir Rede und Antwort zu allem was dir betreffend Studium unter den Nägeln brennt.
+Colabor Module - Interdisciplinarity in Design and Arts
In den +Colabor-Modulen bearbeiten die Studierenden spezifische Themenfelder und erweitern im Austausch über die Disziplinengrenzen hinaus ihren Gestaltungs-, Methoden- und Erfahrungshorizont. Dabei werden sie von einem fächerübergreifenden, internationalen Dozierendenteam begleitet.
Zur selben Zeit ist es möglich, ein Austausch oder ein Praktikum zu machen! (Siehe Punkt «Praktikum / Austausch»)
Infotage / Info Days
Your help is needed here! On the info days in November (usually the last Friday and Saturday), curious prospective students come to the animation department and want to know one thing above all: How cool is it to study animation? Can you see current work? What is the atmosphere like, etc.? That's why you will have to be here to provide information, chat, inspire, and prepare.
Passion should be authentic - the info days are not paid.
+Fokus-Modul - Interdisziplinäre Studienangebote
In den +Focus-Modulen (bis 2021: SPA) können Studierende praktische Fertigkeiten rund um die Werkstätten und darüber hinaus erwerben und vertiefen. Für die Werkstätten gilt der erfolgreiche Besuch eines entsprechenden Moduls als Qualifikation für die selbstständige Nutzung.
Kitsu
We track student projects with cg-wire kitsu on our kitsu server. Talk to technical support to get an account.
Kunst- und Designbibliothek
Die Bibliothek befindet sich praktischerweise neu im Erdgeschoss der Viscosi. Im Theoriekurs erhältst du eine kompetente Einführung, wo und wie Bücher auszuleihen sind und wo sich die Animationsecke in der Bibliothek befindet. Bücher können im Buchrückgabekasten jederzeit zurückgegeben werden.
Öffnungszeiten: Montag – Freitag 10-17 Uhr
https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/design-kunst/ueber-uns/kunst-und-designbibliothek
Coaching in your 1.BA Year
In your 1st BA year, you will receive a coach (a lecturer or core member of our staff) to guide you through your first steps. You will meet them in loose intervals to talk about how you're doing and how the studies are going so far. You can also pro-actively ask for a meeting, if there is something on your mind or questions you would like answers to. Although the official coaching ends after the 1st BA year, you are very welcome to keep in touch generally!
Mentors in your 3.BA Year / Practical Thesis
The mentors have the task of advising the student in his or her thesis. This can relate to the thesis as a whole or to individual areas (e.g. technological topics). This is defined in advance. The mentors are primarily to be chosen from the extended team of Animation-Lucerne lecturers. In the case of special requirements, external persons from the field of animation can be requested in consultation with the head of the study programme. The mentors are in contact with the study coordinator and the line producer and coordinate with them regarding the timetable and status of the project. From a critical size of a project or group, two mentors can also be called in; this is done in consultation with the head of the degree programme. Mentors receive a lump-sum compensation of CHF 1,500. In the event of unforeseeable additional work, this compensation can be increased. The amount of time spent is at the discretion of the mentor; it is also a commitment to the next generation.
Helpers Market (Helping out on Graduation Projects)
Working professionally in the animation industry means one thing above all: teamwork. We want and encourage collaboration across the different years of study. In the spring, we hold a staff exchange where each final year project presents its staff needs. If you are a crack in a particular field, you can dock onto one or more projects, as long as the time commitment and your energy levels remain balanced or your credits for the enrolled modules do not fall by the wayside. This is also an opportunity for our younger alumni to gain further experience and even earn a little extra. The Helpers Market takes place at the end of February.
My Campus
Here you can find the most important documents of your studies. For which modules/courses did you register? Where do you still need ECTS points and how many? On My Campus you can also find your proof of admission, proof of studies and the contact addresses of your module teachers.
Nachteilsausgleich / Disadvantage Compensation
Disadvantage compensation ensures equal opportunities for successful and discrimination-free studies for students with and without an impairment. All students must be given the chance to acquire and display the same skills and granted equal admission conditions.
Supportive measures typically take the form of adaptations to the study or examination setting and/or infrastructure.
NAKUs - "Niveau-ausgleichende Kurse"
Nach dem Prinzip „Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe“ organisieren fortgeschrittene Studierende Hilfestellungen in folgenden Programmen: After Effects, Maya, ZBrush, ProTools, MARI...je nach Bedarf auch andere, wenn eine ausreichende Anzahl Interessiert zusammen kommen.
Die NAKUs finden nach Ankündigung normalerweise dienstags und donnerstags um 17.30 Uhr statt (Ort wird bekannt gegeben). Die Teilnahme ist freiwillig und lohnt sich! Die Anzahl Workstations definieren die max. Teilnehmerzahl.
Wenn du selbst ein Crack in einem Programm bist und dieses den Mitstudierenden näherbringen möchtest, meldest du dich bei der künstlerischen Mitarbeiterin.
NAKU-Leitende werden mit 25 CHF/h entlohnt.
Online Visibility
Having online portfolios is important for animators-in-spe. Whether it's an oldschool facebook page, an instagram profile for your work or a "real" website or blog: let us know where you're posting your work! We often repost our student's work (especially in our Insta-stories). Tagg @animation.hslu in your stories and let us know what you're up to, or hit us up if we should repost something!
In the first semester we gladly support you in creating your own online presence and encourage you to keep an archive of everything you create. This is an important step to professionalising your work. How can studios out there find out about your talent, if it's not documented?
Opening hours Viscosi 745
With your badge you have 24 h access to the building and to your respective allowed working rooms.
Plenum / Assembly
Jeweils zweimal im Semester - am Anfang und am Ende - treffen wir uns alle zum Plenum, der Vollversammlung. Dann informieren wir über wichtige anstehende Ereignisse, heissen z.B. Austausch-Studierende willkommen und jene, die im Erasmus waren, berichten von ihrem Auslandsemester.
Der Besuch des Plenums ist Pflicht und wird per Mail angekündigt. Bitte bring Notizmaterial mit.
Twice per Semester we will meet for a general assembly. There, we will inform you of important events, welcome/say goodbye to exchange students, and hear from those students who were in an Erasmus semester.
Taking part in the assembly is mandatory and will be announced by E-mail. We recommend you take notes during the assembly.
Psychologische Unterstützung / Psychological help
Animation ist Bewegung. Bewegung kann in alle Richtungen gehen und manchmal auch nach unten. Wenn ihr merkt, dass es jemandem sichtlich nicht gut geht oder ihr dies an euch selbst feststellt, sucht jederzeit das Gespräch mit Kat, Elena, Jürgen oder euren Mentoren. Die Luzerner Hochschulen bieten auch psychologische Beratung an: siehe Link unten.
Animation is movement. Movements can go in all directions, and sometimes downwards too. If you notice that someone is not feeling well or you realise that you are feeling bad yourself, you can get in touch with Kat, Elena, Jürgen or your mentors at any time. There is also the option of seeking official on-campus help:
https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/hochschule-luzern/campus/beratung/
Printing
Read the hslu printing manual. In order to print from the LAB Network, you need to login to the VPN and send your print to the print_public_dk queue or copy your prints to a FAT32 formated usb drive and connect it directly to the printer.
Projekt NEPTUN
Twice a year, at the start of the semester, the ETH Zürich makes a large batch order of computers, laptops etc. Students receive special discounts. It's worth having a look, if you're looking for something new:
Praktikum & Austausch / Internships & Exchanges
It's in your and our best interest that you gather experiences outside our school, too. You can do this during a school exchange or through an internship. Both options are suggested to take place in the 4th semester. You will find more information to internship studios and to our List of International Animation Schools here in the Aniwiki. The ASO is your go-to person for any wishes concerning internships/exchanges.
Rental
The Rental is similar to the "Videowerkstatt", a place to rent equipment, hardware and software licenses. You can rent and bring back equipment in room U138 every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 - 13:30. The rental service is staffed by students from our department and count as a student job.
When you rent something, you will receive an e-mail. If you are late in returning it, you must pay a fee for every late returned object. Spontaneous rentals outside of opening hours are not possible. So please plan ahead when you need to have or give back a camera for example!
Rooms – Overview & Reservation
An overview map of the buildings 744 & 745 (kind of a Marauder's Map).
If you need a room outside the animation department's locality for a specific event, for example a cinema evening in the REX cinema, tell our ASI. You can find an overview of the room's free slots on mycampus.
For reserving the sound studio, please contact Thomas Gassmann who has a separate calender with an overview of who needs it when.
Semester Overview
You usually receive your semester-overview by E-mail shortly before the end of the last semester. The most up-to-date version can also be found on our Bulletin Board. In it, you will see the duration of the modules, heads of modules, and the rooms they will take place in. Make note of the important events such as the SEP, the Werkschau, Festivals, etc... We also keep a version of the semester overview online, see: Programs and courses.
SEP - Semester end presentations
The SEPs take place at the end of the 1st - 4th semester. Every student presents for 8 minutes with a following 2-minute Q&A/feedback round.
Content: With the goal of not only showing the audience your work process and selected results but also offering an entertaining presentation, you should make a short, sweet and visually appealing summary of your past semester! Of course you can include animation-related work from your spare time in the SEP, for example if you were sketching during travels or made visuals for a friend. You must, however, show and give context to at least 1 example from each practical module.
Technical: The SEPs are divided into blocks of ca. 1h, separated by breaks. Use only one computer per block unless absolutely necessary! Decide with the other students from your block who will offer their computer and check one day beforehand that all your files can really be opened on that computer. (i.e. does the computer have Keynote/Powerpoint? Does all the music/sound within the presentation work? Are the videos linked correctly etc...) Prepare your presentation in keynote/powerpoint, as they are the most reliable. No clicking through folders to find the right files, please!
The heads of the modules are present and can, on request, give a short personal feedback to your presentation. Taking part in the SEP is mandatory! If you can't come because you are still in an internship or abroad in an exchange semester, let Jürgen Haas and the ASO know and send them a digital videopresentation (deadline 1 day before the SEP). If you can't take part for health reasons, you must let them know too and bring a letter of proof from your doctor.
Server
On the server you can work with your teammates and you can find useful files for your projects: f.ex Logos, Sounds etc.
Credentials
- Username: hslu
- Password: [The usual animation password. (ask an older student if you don't know it yet)]
OSX / Linux
On OSX open a finder window hit command + k and use the address below:
smb://10.180.128.20
Windows
On Windows open the "File Explorer" (not the "Internet Explorer") and enter the following url into the address bar (use back slashes):
\\10.180.128.20
Mount Points and Naming Convention
We have multipe mount points:
- bermuda: this is the place to quickly transfer data to another person, the data here could disappear at any time!
- tonarchiv: our sound library
- animation: the archive of all our films, and a student server with lots of information for you (have a look!)
- projects: the place you can work with your teammates.
- Name your folders on "projects" and "bermuda" according to the following pattern:
- "[YEAR]_[PROJECTNAME]_[RESPONSIBLE]"
- f.ex: 2018_My-very-important-film_Juergen-Haas, 2018_I-Like-Cake_Jean-First
- Avoid using any special characters (umlaut, accents, etc.) or spaces if you need maximum compatibility.
- Use one folder per project and do not put multiple projects or backups in one folder. The space on the server is limited and it should be used for projects currently in progress.
- Do not use the server as a backup - it should only be used for projects that are in a work in progress state and not abandoned for more than two weeks.
- Backup your projects on a weekly basis to an external hard drive.
- Attention: We will delete any folder not following the naming convention and if we run out of space we will also delete folders that were not touched for a certain time. Normally we notify the responsible person before deleting any folder.
Responsible for the server: Jean First
Social Media
We obviously encourage you to follow us and like our posts on our Facebook and Instagram pages, where you can find news of exciting events happening at school, which of our student/alumni films wins a prize, or what our students are up to in general!
Software
You can get most of your required software here: https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/helpdesk/software/ Software for animation-specific courses can be received either through your module leader or by contacting technical support.
Some Software, f.ex. Adobe, can be activated using your school email and password. If you are not sure how licensing works, ask someone form technical support.
If you are interested in buying your own TVpaint licence (as an enrolled student, you receive a special discount!) please also contact technical support or ASI / ASO.
Student Calendar (iCal)
In our Students Events Calendar you'll find special events, deadlines and extracurricular modules from our department, as well as festival-dates and important milestones. It's read-only, to avoid any confusion.
Click the above link to see it in your Webbrowser or copy+paste the following link directly into your Google Calendar to stay up to date:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=YW5pbWF0aW9uaHNsdUBnbWFpbC5jb20
Copy this link to subscribe to the calendar using the Calendar App on Apple devices:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/animationhslu%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics
Student Council
It's important to us to be in constant exchange with our students and to address any problems that might arise during the semester. Each BA-year is represented by 4 reliable and socially involved students. 2 of these members from each year are chosen by the department, and 2 further ones are nominated by their peers.
We aim to have at least one meeting per semester, in which the head of study and the ASO take part. In these meetings, you can address any issues that are relevant for the department. The goal is to find solutions together. The student council members are tasked with informing their year about the solutions decided upon.
Student Jobs
There are many opportunities to work in and around the animation department. From taking turns at the school's official stalls at festivals, supporting teachers, to cleaning up the kitchens... If you are tasked with a job, write down how many hours you worked for it. You will then receive a student-fee form to fill in. However, we are very grateful and rely on your spontaneous and good-will help for spontaneous events and tasks!
Technical Recommendations
Backups
If your work is important to you: buy an external harddrive and backup your files on a daily basis. Make it your end-of-day routine. If you plan on working in the field professionally, also get a second harddrive which is kept in a different location for weekly backups. We are not responsible for lost data which was only saved on the "projects" or "bermuda" folder of the Server! (hence the name: bermuda)
Adapter
Get a good DVI/HDMI adapter for your laptop. You'll need this to connect our Cintiqs in case you borrow one for at home.
Laptop / Workstation
In school we run a fleet of Linux and Mac Workstations that you can rent for heavy workloads or special tasks and we have an expertise to support those operating systems.
You should have a personal Laptop that is adapted for artistic/graphic work. We do not give specific general recommendations because it depends heavily on the technique you choose to specialize in. As long as your laptop is less 5 years old (and cost more than ~1'500 CHF to begin with), you can start working with that here, and then see whether you really need a more expensive one once you choose a technique.
Keep in mind: not all software works on all operating systems (Linux / MacOS / Windows) but there are always workarounds or alternative applications we can help you with. Easiest thing to do is: come see our IT team once you are on campus!
VPN
If you want to work with our server or our program licenses from home, be sure to read how to do it on the HSLU IT Helpdesk Website.
Werkschau
The Werkschau ("work exhibition") is the grand finale of your studies, together with our animation department's premiere. Every year in June, the graduation works of all the bachelor and master degrees are presented in a public exhibition. All students can enjoy the exhibition and Premiere as guests. 1.BA and 2.BA students will be asked to help during the Premiere with constructing and catering. 2.BA and 3.BA students will be asked to help setting up the iMac/ Filmstations in front of the Rex, hanging up the film posters and to help with the deconstruction. The Artistic Assistant is responsible for the planning and organisation of helpers.
Wording and Logo
When you publish your work online or mention us in your credits or CVs, it's important for us that you use the correct wording.
The correct name of our department is:
Animation Lucerne
The correct name of our school is:
DE: Hochschule Luzern – Design Film Kunst (langer Bindestrich sowie das & Zeichen), Studienrichtung Animation.
EN: Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art, Animation Department
The use of "HSLU" is not recommended, unless you are writing a text with a frequent use of our name. (like in this AniWiki)
The use of the school's logo and our "Bergli"-Logo is defined in the CI-information on the server. (studierende > Vorlagen > Logos)