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MAT-120 Schedule (FALL)

Chronological Timeline

Jump a to class session to see what we are doing:

8/22 … 8/29 … 9/5 … 9/12  … 9/19 … 9/26 … 10/3 … 10/10 … 10/17… 10/24  …10/31… 11/7 … 11/14 … 11/21 … 11/28 … 12/5 … 12/12 FINAL

WEEK 01 -(8/22)

IN-CLASS

  • Day 1
  • Roster (15 min)
  • Syllabus (30 min)
  • Introductions (60 min)
  • –BREAK (15)–
  • Assignment Introduction
  • Write Stream of Consciousness prose (15)

ONLINE HOUR

  • Read the Project-1 outline thoroughly.
  • You can start thinking about how you might want to make a second version of your free-association writing for more focus or coherence.

HOMEWORK

  1. Get Multimedia: Making It Work textbook (optional, recommended only). NOTE: Any reading assignments on this schedule are optional and from this book!
  2. Read pp.19-56 (Text)
  3. Read pp.71-99 (Images)

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WEEK 02 -(8/29)

IN-CLASS

Lecture:

  1. Swap your writing sample with someone to share, and discuss with your partner ways you could envision his or her writing in a video clip.
  2. Raster Images (23MB):
    • bit depth,
    • channels (0-255) and relationship to bit depth,
    • aliasing,
    • compression,
    • artifacts,
    • screen image formats vs. print and where they overlap
    • additive v. subtractive color (screen v. print)
  3. Vector Images:
    • Brief discussion on how they differ

BREAK 

  1. Demo 1:
    • Ways of grabbing images, understanding their resolutions, and how they display on the screen
    • Open images in Photoshop to explain resolution, histogram, levels, color and contrast correction tools, sharpening filters, and other important basics. You can use this file to play around.
    • Creative Commons and copyright discussion.

ONLINE HOUR

HOMEWORK

  • Upload all of the images you collected to server before start of next class, along with a text file that lists all attributions (sources, credits) for the images.
  • Read Ch.4 of Multimedia: Making It Work (Audio)
  • Bring headphones to next class.

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WEEK 03 -(9/5)

IN-CLASS

  1. BRING HEADSET TO CLASS.
  2. Audio lecture and audacity demo.
  3. Explain how to transfer recordings from Apple devices using AirDrop. (PDF demo: iPhone Voice Memo and Air Drop)
  4. Explain Android voice recording tool and sharing options (PDF Demo: Android Voice Recordings and Sharing)
  5. Practice recording into Audacity and editing test files.
  6. Show students how to record on their iPhones, share, and edit in Audacity.
  7. Discuss LAME and ffmpeg encoder plugins
  8. Show students links for Public Domain and Creative Commonsresources. The following are terrific sites for collecting copyright free, creative commons, or public domain audio resources:

ONLINE HOUR

  • Find audio files (minimum 9  additional) that you think could work well in your piece. Remember the you can layer and overlap sound. You don’t have to know exactly how to use all of them right now, but think of them as materials that you might gather to make a painting. You’d want all of your paints there in case you needed as little bit of a specific color, even if it isn’t used much
  • Review and test different ways you can transfer/share files you capture on your phone to computers.

HOMEWORK

  1. Record/capture the reading of your prose piece into an audio file. Check the run time and figure out if you need to edit it down to meet the max time requirements of 120 seconds. Conversely, figure out if you need to gives dramatic pauses to stretch it to meet the minimum time (50 seconds). Even if you choose not to use this in your final piece, it is a required part of your collection materials.
  2. Upload all of these files to the server in your “project1/audio/” folder, along with the text files with attributions to all resources.
  3. Read Chapters 5 and 6 of Multimedia: Making It Work (Animation, Video)
  4. Bring Headphones to next class.

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WEEK 04 -(9/12)

IN-CLASS

  1. BRING HEADPHONES TO CLASS.
  2. Video lecture:
    • Persistence of Vision
    • Frame Rate
    • Cel Animation (persistent keyframes) v. Tweening (event change keyframes with in-between computational translation)
    • Analog (PAL, NTSC, VGA cables) v. Digital (HDTV, HDMI, DVI, Firewire)
    • Digital Video Containers (file formats) .ogg, .mov, .flv, .mp4, .wmv, .webm, .rm
    • Codecs (compression coders/decoders) H.264, QT, etc.
  3. Show students how to create Youtube account and upload videos from computer.
  4. Show students “We Transfer” app for sharing large videos.

ONLINE HOUR

  • Watch the tutorial that shows you how to get started with importing your video and audio files into Premier. Bring ALL resource files to next class on flash storage device for in-class work, along with headset.

HOMEWORK

  1. Find a minimum of five videos (or better yet: shoot them!) that you can use in your first project. Download them and create an attributions file. Upload those files to the server in your “project1/video/” folder before next class.
  2. Read Chapter 7 (Making Multimedia)

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WEEK 05 -(9/19)

IN-CLASS

  1. Demo using Premier basics:
    • Setting up folder structure correctly (IMPORTANT)
    • Importing media
    • dropping media instances into the timeline
    • navigating the timeline
    • show “Workspace” options and the layout of different windows
    • Show how to rename layers
    • Explain Keyframing
    • Show how to apply opacity changes and filter effects using keyframes
    • Show audio changes with keyframes
    • Show how to make titles and place text
  2. Storyboard in class. Work on compositing your files in Premier.

ONLINE HOUR

  • Review Demo using Premier basics tutorial.
    • Videos 1-4 cover editing demo project within Premiere Pro (much of this covered in class)
    • Video 5 covers add movie titles (credit roll, text, etc.)
    • Video 6 covers specifics about motion, scaling, and positioning.
  • Work on bringing your video assets into Premier an start compositing.

HOMEWORK

  • Continue working on compositing your files in Premier.
  • As you begin compositing, you might find that you need additional footage or audio. If you need additional assets, find them and/or capture them to bring into Premier.
  • Create a first draft of your work, RENDER IT AS .mp4, and bring to next class for an in-progress peer review/critique.

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WEEK 06 -(9/26)

IN-CLASS

  1. Demo on how to apply titles and credit rolls.
  2. In-progress peer review/critique break-out groups. (groups of 5 in the order of the words on the list)
  3. Also as part of that group, discuss possible layouts that the group could employ to make an intuitive user interface to present all of the work in one presentation. Consider different formats where you have multiple videos showing on a page at once, vs. clicking buttons that swap videos out of a designated container area. Consider what clicks, mouseovers, mouseouts, double-clicks, and gestures can do to activate buttons, video controls, and full screen changes. Do group brainstorming, sketching, and storyboarding to come up with a rough layout idea.
  4. In-class work on your projects. These are due next class for a class critique! Attendance is mandatory next class even if you haven’t completed the project by then.

ONLINE HOUR

  • To Be Announced

HOMEWORK

  1. Complete your own clip based on feedback. Be sure to add attributions to the end of your clip in the form of a credit role/crawl/screen. RENDER IT as an mp4. Upload to server for backup. Bring work to next class on thumb drive.

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WEEK 07 -(10/3)

IN-CLASS

  1. DUE / CRITIQUE: At the start of class, we will have a critique of your individual final clips.
  2. Announcements

ONLINE HOUR

HOMEWORK

  1. Did you fill out the survey???? If not, fill it out now.

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WEEK 08 -(10/10)

IN-CLASS

  • Leigh will assign groups for project-2.
  • During group meeting: Create a Slack account for group communication and collaboration. You should also invite me to the meeting, using my email address: lcotnoir@miracosta.edu
  • Also during group meeting: divide immediate design responsibilities up as follows:
    • Movie asset management: the person in charge of this task will collect and organize everyone’s mp4 videos,. Based on group decisions, this person might also create smaller and lighter weight excerpts or animated gifs for interface interactivity.
    • Typography study to collect a minimum of ten type samples from which to decide. Be sure to only use fonts available on class computers (Adobe, MS Office fonts, etc.).
    • Imagery collection and texture study to find patterns and textures that could be used in the interface design. This could be anywhere from textural images of rust to a uniform repeating pattern. Be sure that your images are of a high resolution.
    • Develop the interface wireframe in Photoshop or Illustrator along, mapping out the interactive behavior of every element on the screen (all videos, all buttons, etc.). These notes need to all be written down in a clear fashion.

Future tasks to consider as a group:

  • Individuals will use Flash in a minimal fashion to create his/her own feature ‘page.’ This is non-negotiable and is par of your responsibilities.
  • Main interface coding: This should ideally not be left up to only one individual, unless that is really what the code leader want and what the group wants.
  • Groups can have one person collect personal snapshots and output standardized layout elements from Photoshop or Illustrator.
  • Groups can have a person dedicated to working on the interface graphics if everyone is contributing unique elements that need to be assembled or organized.
  • BE SURE that if you are the person in charge of group asset files of any kind that you back them up to the server before the end of any given workgroup session or long individual design sprint! Do not rely on a usb or laptop as your only form of back up!

ONLINE HOUR

HOMEWORK

  1. Communicate as a group to work on the collaboration together and make progress.

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WEEK 09 -(10/17)

IN-CLASS

Work in class to complete the Animate CC group collaboration. Be sure to back up the work-to-date on the server since it is a group project.

ONLINE HOUR

  • Work on project and review tutorials as necessary.

HOMEWORK

  1. Work on group projects.

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WEEK 10 -(10/24)

IN-CLASS

  • Work in groups

ONLINE HOUR

  • Work on project and review tutorials as necessary, and collaborate with group members on project

HOMEWORK

Work on group projects.

Start on the next project by brainstorming and coming up with three pitches to give to the class for your project scope, goals, and content. Each pitch requires that you write a project proposal to turn in next class (three written proposals per student).

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WEEK 11 -(10/31)

IN-CLASS

  1. Final day for in-class group work.

ONLINE HOUR

HOMEWORK

!!!Complete the group project

  • Explore your Final Project topic in greater depth by doing research. Take notes and begin writing a more solid outline of the project based on your findings. Your research will help shape and inspire your project’s direction.
  • Consider whether or not you will want to interview people for this project, and if so, find out if they will be willing participants before putting all of your eggs in one basket.
  • Create the “logline” for your project to give your pitch. “A logline is a one (or occasionally two) sentence description that boils the script down to its essential dramatic narrative in as succinct a manner as possible.” Read more about writing loglines on Raindance.com. It can also be described as “… truly an art form of its own. It’s the one or two sentence summary of your film that not only conveys your premise, but also gives the reader emotional insight into the story as a whole.” – Indiewire. For a very good article on loglines, check out this article on scriptologist.com.

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WEEK 12 – (11/7)

IN-CLASS

  1. DUE: Group projects uploaded to server before start of class.
  2. We will take time in class to look at everyone’s completed collaborations.
  3. You will make a pitch to the class and turn in your written proposals. Students will give feedback on your ideas.
  4. Pitch your ideas to break-out peer groups and get feedback.
  5. Turn in your written proposals.
  6. Discuss storyboarding and storyboard assignment. Review the Digital Storytelling site that gives good examples of how to develop storyboards.
  7. Decide on what you want to do and start working on storyboards in class.
  8. Work on story boards in class: start collecting/shooting materials (images, audio, video) to use.

ONLINE HOUR

HOMEWORK

Work on storyboards: start collecting and shooting materials (images, audio, video) to use

Storyboards DUE next class.

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WEEK 13 -(11/14)

IN-CLASS

  • Storyboard presentations.
  • Show different types of gear students have access to and discuss when to use what where.
  • Discuss different audio mic input types
  • Gear setup demo (tripods, mics [lavs, shotguns, remote lav], basic light kits).
  • Start developing the interface for your project (if nonlinear)

ONLINE HOUR

HOMEWORK

Start developing rough draft

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WEEK 14 -(11/21)

IN-CLASS

  • Equipment demonstration and checkout. Learn to use/do the following:
    • tripod setup
    • check and set all camera resolution settings to match each other
    • test audio and mics
    • discuss and demonstrate lavs, shotguns, and audio recorders
    • demonstrate and explain different audio input types (XLR, TRS, TRRS, 1/8″, 1/4″, mono, stereo, etc.)
    • explain how to clip mics, advise about tape
    • explain audio syncing with multiple audio sources
    • lighting setup and demo
    • camera demo
  • Continue developing work.

ONLINE HOUR

  • To Be Announced

HOMEWORK

Complete a rough draft ready for review next week.

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WEEK 15 -(11/28)

IN-CLASS

Get peer review feedback from draft and work toward completing assignment.

ONLINE HOUR

  • To Be Announced

HOMEWORK

Incorporate feedback and continue development.

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WEEK 16 -(12/5)

IN-CLASS

Decide on critique method. Work in class on project.

ONLINE HOUR

  • To Be Announced

HOMEWORK

Complete assignment.

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FINAL CRIT – 12/12 (5pm-6:50pm)

NOTE: THE START TIME IS EARLIER THAN OUR NORMAL CLASS MEETING!

Have everything for your final up on the server before class, as well as ON A THUMB DRIVE TO TURN GIVE INSTRUCTOR IN CLASS.

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Digital Art, Design, and Communication Education