The Helga Project

Goals
The Helga Project is an open-source software project geared towards digital artists and film makers, especially those making animated films. Helga has three main goals:


 * 1) To provide a content-management system that hierarchically organizes all assets within a Helga install - multiple projects, sequences, shots, or anything else, arranged the way you want it.
 * 2) To facilitate collaboration between a crew of any size or proximity, by letting users communicate quickly and comment on each other's work.
 * 3) To provide a standard for making available additional software tools for either command line use, web use, or both. Users will be able to make tools available to a subset of users, their site, or the entire Helga community.

History
Helga was started at Hampshire College in the Fall of 2005 as a Division III project by Chris Morell. It was called AniManage back then, and was created solely for one film under production at Hampshire, "The Incident at Tower 37", a film directed by Chris Perry. In the Spring of 2007 the project was inherited by then second-year student Brian Cipriano. That Spring it underwent a name change and version 2 of the software was completed, this time supporting multiple films. It has been steadily improved and heavily tested since then, having been used in all stages of production for the 10-minute, HD "The Incident at Tower 37" and by several Division III animation projects.


 * Helga @ Hampshire College

Current Status
Helga is now undergoing a ground-up redesign in preparation for its version 3 release, the first public release. Helga will be properly released under an open-source software license and installed at up to two professional studios, one of which is Anzovin Studio in Florence, MA. The planned release date is 2/1/09.

For more information on development status, see the following links:


 * The Helga Project Trac
 * Subscribe to the Helga mailing list at lists.hampshire.edu

EPEC Jan-Term '09
In January 2009 an EPEC course will be taught by Brian Cipriano and fellow Division III student Adam Sax. Adam's Division III project is also an open-source project. The course will aim to create an environment in which open-source development can flourish, by giving less experienced students unlimited face time with project leads, who will teach them the skills necessary to contribute independently by the month's end. By putting several open-source projects together the project leads can also learn from each other. Visit the EPEC page for the official description of the course, and contact Brian at [mailto:bgc05@hampshire.edu bgc05@hampshire.edu] with questions or to get involved.