Section 01 - Schedule

JAN 29: 01 - introduction

  • digital media - what is it?
  • computer basics - hardware, software, peripherals, i/o
  • mac operating system - how to find your way around [desktop, files, commands, tips]
  • how to find digital materials - google, MMC resources, library of congress, obiblio.org

read:
- "Overture" from Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality by Randall Packer & Ken Jordan
- "Chapter 1 & 4" from The Reconfigured Eye by William J. Mitchell

assignment:
- download 10-20 online (digital) images for self-portrait project
- collect 1 physical (analog) image of your favorite celebrity that is scratched/damaged [you can provide the scratches]

FEB 05: 02 - photoshop is a hammer [ - digital imaging - ]

  • basic concepts - digital vs. analog, pixels, resolution
  • scanning demo
  • Photoshop basics: selection strategies - shape, edge, color, brightness, etc
  • image manipulation - curves, levels, brightness, contrast
  • tools - smudge, clone, etc

read:
- "Chapter 8: Computer Collage" from The Reconfigured Eye by William J. Mitchell

assignment:
"cosmetic surgery" : scan, repair and enhance a scratched/damaged image of a celebrity - be prepared to show all 3 stages

FEB 12: 03 - photoshop is also a kitchen [ - digital imaging - ]

  • layers, filters, adjustment layers
  • discuss strategies of collage and composition
  • in class exercise - play photoshop ping-pong

read:
- "Chapter 9:" from The Reconfigured Eye by William J. Mitchell

assignment:
"self-portrait" : create a collaged representation of yourself using the images you collected in week 1 and/or scanned images/objects

FEB 19: NO CLASSES - President's Day

FEB 26: 04 - text as sound [ - typography - ]

  • basic concepts - types [serif, sans-serif, mono], screen issues
  • typographic design issues - flow, spacing, color, contrast, weight → readability
  • in class exercise - sound interpretations

read:
- "The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin" from The New Media Reader by William S. Burroughs
- "The Future of the Novel" from Multimedia: From Wagner to VR by William S. Burroughs

assignment:
"Propaganda" : Manipulate an image to change its meaning. You should do this by incorporating text and/or adding/removing visual information. Your aim is to influence the opinions of people, rather than impartially providing information.

MAR 05: 05 - web web web [ - HTML - ]

  • Hey, what is the World Wide Web and how does it actually work?
  • hand coding HTML - basic tags, basic text formatting
  • 'view source' in class exercise - code sharing: Frankensite.

read:
- "Chapter 10: Identity Crisis" from Life on the Screen by Sherry Turkle

assignment:
"cut-up" : Use what you know of HTML to format the text of a poem or song lyric into an interesting web page layout

MAR 12: NO CLASSES

MAR 19: SPRING BREAK

MAR 26: 06 - web web web web web web [ - HTML - ]

  • incorporating images and links [still hand coding]

read:
- "Chapter 2: The Vocabulary of Comics" from Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

assignment:
"false identity" : Develop a false or fictional identity for an online dating service. Your web page should use only "shared" images and incorporate links to external sites.

APR 02: 07 - image optimization and animation [ - digital imaging - ]

  • concepts - image types [JPG, GIF, PNG], transparency, browser safe, anti-aliasing
  • optimizing images for use on the web [ImageReady]
  • creating animated GIFs [ImageReady]

assignment:
"exquisite corps" class project - create 3 animated GIFs: head, torso & legs

APR 09: 08 - web authoring [ - HTML - ]

  • basic tour of Dreamweaver
  • how to set up and organize a project
  • text formatting, images, links the Dreamweaver way
  • some basic approaches to layout - tables

assignment:
"mini-portfolio" - create a simple webpage with links to the previous weeks assignments

APR 16: 09 - web authoring part 2 [ - HTML - ]

  • layout continued
  • navigation, architecture, sitemaps
  • imagemaps

assignment:
"Sitemap" - Develop a sitemap and 1 page written proposal for your final project

APR 23: 10 - turn up the volume [ - SOUND - ]

  • basic concepts - sampling rate, frequency, file formats
  • how to capture/record/digitize/download audio & sounds [Audio Hijack Pro]
  • basic sound editing, loops, and FX [Garage Band]

assignment:
- "Rant or Rave" - see 'Assignments' section of the syllabus [due in 2 weeks]

APR 30: 11 - lights, camera ... [ - VIDEO - ]

  • basic concepts - frame rate, aspect ratio, CODECs, file formats
  • how to capture/record/digitize/download video
  • basic editing, effects, transitions, audio [iMovie]

assignment:
- work on final project

MAY 07: 12 - open lab [ - WORK - ]

  • work on your final project in class

MAY 13: 13 - Final Class

  • in class critique of final projects
  • wrap-up and what comes next! Flash teaser [brief tour]