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Digital Arts: Interactive | ADA385-01 | Spring 2005 | Thurs. 5:30 – 9:00 pm

This course develops the student's understanding of electronic art. We explore various output formats such as digital distribution systems, digital video and 2D animation. Students develop a final independent project in their chosen area. The class is a studio/seminar course, which includes a combination of lectures, presentations, demonstrations, discussions, critiques and studio work.

Instructor: Robert Carlsen
Office Hours: Room 374A
Meetings: by appointment.
E-mail:

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course develops the student's understanding of electronic art. We explore various output formats such as digital distribution systems, digital video and 2D animation. Students develop a final independent project in their chosen area. The class is a studio/seminar course, which includes a combination of lectures, presentations, demonstrations, discussions, critiques and studio work.

Attendance Requirements :
Students need to spend a minimum of 6 hours per week in the lab outside of class. Class attendance is necessary; more than 2 unexcused absences can result in a grade penalty. Please contact me at least a day before class if you will be absent for consideration for an excused absence.

Course Work:

1. Formal documentation of the process of creating interactive multimedia for your projects that includes written and visual components. Weekly journal/sketchbook covering ideas, sketches, source materials, storyboards, flowcharts, character/scene/story development, production techniques, readings, videos and discussions. OR WWW site on same materials. OR research paper on topics to be arranged. Documentation is turned in at midterm and final classes. Examples include Leonardo da Vinci, Wired magazine, your favorite informational Web site [even a blog].
2. Several studio projects and one final project. Final project may be output to CDROM, DVD, WWW.
3. Regular studio exercises and class participation. Final review of class and studio assignments.

Grading Policy

All assignments must be presented on due date; assignments not handed in receive an "F"; assignments handed in late, without a proper excuse, will receive a grade penalty. Projects may be reworked and re-submitted, after initial critique and grading, for regrading. Re-submission does not guarantee a higher grade. Assignments will be collected on CD at mid-term and at semester end. You are responsible for archiving and backing up your work.

FINAL GRADES for this class will be based upon the following:

1. Overall quality of assignments and projects both in idea and execution (60%)
2. Participation in class discussions and critiques (15%)
3. Effort and attendance (25%)

Requirement
You must already have a TCNJ email/Unix computer account. If you don’t already have an TCNJ email/Unix account: Go to http://account.tcnj.edu/. Fill out form to find your network name and password. Follow the on-line instructions.
Activate an Art Graphics Lab account. Get form from Richard Mylowe's office mailbox, fill out and attach amount due as check or money order, deposit in drop box on door of Richard Mylowe's office: Rm. 340, Holman Hall, 3rd Floor.

SCHEDULE

[Note: this syllabus is largely adapted from Phil Sanders' class]

Week 1: January 20
INTRODUCTION: Overview of course. What constitutes multimedia? Overview of media: slide
shows, animation, video, multimedia, interactive formats. Projects. Artistic statements.
Origination: Digital imaging.

STUDIO: Painting vs editing. Review of Photoshop image production for Director.

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Week 2: January 27
DISCUSSION: Instances of current multimedia. Compositing/layering vs sequencing - space vs time.
Authoring interactive multimedia.

STUDIO: Review still images. Creating a Director slide show or animation.

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Week 3: February 3

IMAGING PROJECT PRESENTATION DUE.

DISCUSSION: Archaeology of an image or series = digital time + process. Producing a digital media project. Time based media. The interrelationship between animation, video, and interactivity.

STUDIO: Review Photoshop/Director slide show or animation. Camcorder demonstration - shooting video. Using Final Cut Pro for digitizing audio and video.

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Week 4: February 10

DISCUSSION: Visual story telling. Criteria for successful digital video / animation

STUDIO: Review digitizing audio and video. Using Non-Linear Editors [Final Cut Pro] for editing video.

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Week 5: February 17
DISCUSSION: Digital video in multimedia production and animation. 2D and 3D. Planning effects.

STUDIO: Review storyboards. Creating special effects for digital video. Video image processing and
compositing.

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Week 6: February 24

DIGITAL VIDEO PROJECT PRESENTATION DUE.

DISCUSSION: Designing for interactivity - user experience and choices, interface design, levels of interaction, games, simulations, and virtual reality.

STUDIO: Critique digital video projects. Authoring interactivity in Director.

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Week 7 March 3

HAND IN documentation - sketchbook/journals, web sites, papers.

DISCUSSION: Designing for interactivity: concepts, storyboards, scripts, flowcharts, timetables. Interactive procedures - looping, branching, decisions, menus and other procedural structures. Project design, workflow, production considerations.

STUDIO: Introduction to Director interactive procedures - program flow: looping, branching, decisions. Using Photoshop and Director to create buttons.

Spring Break: March 7 - 11

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Week 8 March 17
DISCUSSION: Scripting for multimedia. The role of programming in interactive projects.

STUDIO: Scripting with Lingo. Workshop on Director Lingo scripts.

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Week 9 March 24

DISCUSSION: Vision in motion & temporal images. Time-based design. 2D animation using Director. Hold and modify vs cel animation.

STUDIO: Critique interactive presentations. Using Director to create animations.

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Week 10 March 31

INTERACTIVE PROJECT PRESENTATION DUE.

DISCUSSION: History and techniques of cel animation. Evaluating presentation media and platforms. Sound: 50% of multimedia presentations.

STUDIO: Animation production techniques. Digitizing and working with sound. Animation workshop.

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Week 11 April 7
DISCUSSION: Transformations. More time-based techniques - rotoscoping and compositing.

STUDIO: Rotoscoping.

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Week 12 April 14

TIME BASED PROJECT PRESENTATION DUE.

DISCUSSION: Artistic statements. Producing a multimedia project; project design and management.

STUDIO: Critique time-based projects. Final project formulation.

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Week 13 April 21
DISCUSSION: Distribution options.

STUDIO: Director projectors. Review individual work on final projects, workshop on final presentations.