The IRC’s partnership with the Baltimore Ravens allows UMBC students to create 3D animated mascots to rally fans during home games.
The IRC was commissioned by Art Modell, owner of the Baltimore Ravens football team, to create a 3D animated version of the team’s logo and symbol, the Raven. The IRC started with 2D images of the Raven’s logo and photographs of birds to create an expressive figure. An elaborate skeleton and facial expression control system was created to easily animate the Raven in a variety of moods.
These animations of the Raven are used on the team’s new state-of-the-art SMARTVISION video screens in their new stadium. More than ten short sequences were produced, each depicting the Raven acting out a type of emotion (anger, triumph, aggression, etc.) that could be displayed instantaneously on the scoreboard in reaction to the particular play of the game.
Researcher and Creators
| Client: | Baltimore Raven Football Team, Art Modell Owner |
| Animation Supervisor: | Alan Price |
| Technical Director: | Tim Best, Erik Dillinger |
| IRC Graduate Research Assistant: | Paula Durette |
| UMBC Interns: | Tracy Corder, Jon Fiebelman, Jeremy Jackson, David Johnson, Scott Jung, Peter Lindberg, Brian Resurreccion, John Roemer |