Syllabus

Course Description

Digital and interactive media permeate virtually every aspect of our society from information delivery and product marketing to education and entertainment. In this course you will learn practical and critical skills necessary to become a technically proficient and thinking digital media maker. Literacy in any medium is the ability both to access (read) materials created by others and to generate (write) materials for others. In this course you will learn to "speak" the language of digital media and to become conversant with the computer as an expressive medium. Through hands-on training, you will be introduced to creative approaches to media production and to a range of software. The format of this class is designed to bridge practice and theory. Topics will include digital imaging, typography, animation, video, sound and web design. We will concern ourselves with "how" and "why" the digital world is constructed the way it is. Students will be challenged to deconstruct this world and to develop an ability to analyze and critique the cultural implications of digital media in our lives. Prior computer experience is not required, but students are expected to take the initiative to become comfortable operating a Macintosh computer.

Learning Goals

• You will be able to understand the function and relationships of computer hardware and operating systems, input and output peripherals and the Internet.
• You will be able to use Macintosh-platform digital media software including Adobe Photoshop (for image manipulation), and Macromedia Dreamweaver (for web design).
• You will be able to present and articulate your creative ideas to others.
• You will be able to give and receive constructive critical feedback in a group setting.
• You will read, write, and think about the roles computers and media play in your life, in your creativity and in society in general.

Textbooks and Materials

materials:
USB Flash Drive (256MB or bigger) - OR - portable Hard Drive - OR - ZIP Disks

required texts:
all required readings will be available online or handed out in class

optional technical texts:
Adobe Photoshop CS2 for the Web Hands-On Training by Tanya Staples
Photoshop CS2: Visual QuickStart Guide by Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas
HTML for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide by Elizabeth Castro
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Hands-On Training by Garo Green
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004: Visual QuickStart Guide by J. Tarin Towers

optional history/theory texts:
The Reconfigured Eye by William J. Mitchell
Multimedia - From Wagner to Virtual Reality edited by Randall Packer & Ken Jordan
The New Media Reader edited by Noah Wardrip-Fruin & Nick Montfort

Grade Weights

Participation: 20%

A large amount of class time will be dedicated to group critiques, team projects and class discussion. I encourage you to take an active role in contributing to make our class a fun and dynamic place to be.

Weekly Assignments: 50%

This is where its at - you can't learn HTML by osmosis or wait until the end of the semester to cram for an exam. Multimedia production involves a complex spectrum of techniques and software. If you do the assignments each week you will do well. If not, you will fall behind rapidly. Weekly exercises are due at the beginning of class the week after they are assigned unless noted otherwise.

Rant or Rave: 5%

This 2-3 page paper will be assigned later in the semester. You will select a website, CD-ROM, multimedia technology or media phenomenon that interests you and make an analysis or critique. Your paper should address the following:
* describe the product/service - what does it do and for what purpose?
* who is the intended audience? who is the actual audience?
* what media elements are used and how do they contribute to or detract from the product/service's effectiveness
* place this product/service in the context of other media - does it extend a previous technology, what future impact will it have on society?
* offer your evaluation (critical or positive)

Final Project: 25%

This project will be self-initiated and should integrate many of the skills you will learn this semester. When the time comes I will suggest possible topics and approaches. You will have the option of working individually or collaborating with other students.

Tips

• Warning - this course demands substantial work outside of class time to complete the projects. Unless you already own an Apple computer with the relevant software, you should plan on coming into the Digital Media lab for an additional 3 hours every week.
  Attendance is essential to succeed in this class. The skills and techniques taught are cumulative - they build upon previous ones. Missing just one week can make it very difficult to catch up. You will also note that class participation makes up a sizable percentage of your final grade - if you are absent you cannot participate and your grade will suffer.
• Save different versions of your projects and save often. Make back-ups of your files.
• Work in the lab with a friend - when learning new technology, 2 brains are usually better than one. You are welcome to work on your assignments at home but many students use the Multimedia Lab in room 556. Lab hours will be posted after the first week of classes. Students may not use the lab when another class is in session. If the lab is locked during regular lab hours you may get a key from the Security Desk.

Attendance Policy

Attendance will be taken in each class. You are allowed one unexcused (no questions asked) absence, after which your final grade will drop substantially with each absence. In the event that an extraordinary circumstance will require you to miss a class, please let me know ahead of time, by calling me, or by email.

Disabilities

Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must either enroll in the Program for Academic Access or register with the Office of Student Support Services. For any accommodation, the instructor must be presented with either a letter from the Assistant Director of the Program for Academic Access or an Accommodations Card from the Office of Student Support Services during the first week of classes.

Academic Honesty Policy

MMC fosters an academic community where students and faculty work together to create a learning experience that imparts knowledge and forms character. To achieve this, the College requires all members of the community to adhere to the policy of Academic Honesty that can be found in the Student Handbook, the College Catalogue and on the College website.

Section 02 - Schedule

SEP 05: 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]

SEP 12: 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

SEP 19: 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

SEP 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.

OCT 03: 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

OCT 17: 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.

OCT 24: 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

NOV 07: 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

NOV 14: 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

NOV 21: 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]

NOV 28: 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

DEC 05: 12 - TBA

DEC 12: 13 - open lab [ - WORK - ]

• work on your final project in class

DEC 19: 14 - Final Class

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

Syllabus

Course Description

In this second semester of the multimedia course sequence, students will develop, design and produce their own advanced interactive projects. Media theorist Lev Manovich claims we are living in 'Generation Flash'. Low bandwidth Internet connections created a demand for lightweight vector graphics software spurring a new aesthetic sensibility. Flash is an authoring environment that allows artists to weave together traditional linear animation, user interactivity, object-oriented programming and multimedia (video, sound, etc) blurring the lines between art, design and computer programming. In this class we introduce the fundamental principles of Flash animation and basic Action Script. Prerequisite: COMM 225.

Learning Goals

• You will be able to integrate many forms of digital media into cohesive multimedia projects using the Macromedia Flash authoring environment.
• You will use basic principles of computer programming to add interactivity to your projects.
• You will be able to present and articulate your creative ideas to others.
• You will be able to take ideas through a complete design process from concept to production.

Textbooks and Materials

materials:
USB Flash Drive (256MB or bigger) - OR - portable Hard Drive - OR - ZIP Disks

required texts:
all required readings will be available online or handed out in class

Optional texts:
Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Visual QuickStart Guide by Katherine Ulrich
Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Hands-On Training by Rosanna Yeung
Adobe Illustrator CS Hands-On Training by Jeff VanWest
Illustrator CS: Visual QuickStart Guide by Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas

Grade Weights

Participation: 25%

A large amount of class time will be dedicated to group critiques, team projects and class discussion. I encourage you to take an active role in contributing to make our class a fun and dynamic place to be.

Projects: 50%

You can't learn multimedia passively or wait until the end of the semester to cram for an exam. To learn this stuff you have to make things! Multimedia production involves a complex spectrum of techniques & software. If you do each project you will do well. If not, you will fall behind rapidly.

Final Project: 25%

This project will be self-initiated and should integrate many of the skills you will learn this semester. When the time comes I will help to suggest possible topics and approaches. You will have the option of working individually or collaborating with other students.

Tips

• Plan ahead! Multimedia projects can be incredibly time consuming and occupy a lot of time outside of class. Don't leave things for the last minute.
• Attendance is essential to succeed in this class. The skills and techniques taught are cumulative - they build upon previous ones. Missing just one week can make it very difficult to catch up. You will also note that class participation makes up a sizable percentage of your final grade - if you are absent you cannot participate and your grade will suffer.
• Save different versions of your projects and save often. Make back-ups of your files.
• Work in the lab with a friend - when learning new technology, 2 brains are usually better than one. You are welcome to work on your assignments at home but many students use the lab in room 556. Lab hours will be posted after the first week of classes. Students may not use the lab when another class is in session. If the lab is locked during you may get a key from the Security Desk.

Attendance Policy

Attendance will be taken in each class. You are allowed one unexcused (no questions asked) absence, after which your final grade will drop substantially with each absence. In the event that an extraordinary circumstance will require you to miss a class, please let me know in advance by email.

Disabilities

Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must either enroll in the Program for Academic Access or register with the Office of Student Support Services. For any accommodation, the instructor must be presented with either a letter from the Assistant Director of the Program for Academic Access or an Accommodations Card from the Office of Student Support Services during the first week of classes.

Academic Honesty Policy

MMC fosters an academic community where students and faculty work together to create a learning experience that imparts knowledge and forms character. To achieve this, the College requires all members of the community to adhere to the policy of Academic Honesty that can be found in the Student Handbook, the College Catalogue and on the College website.

Schedule

Sep 07: 01 - introduction - Setting the Stage

• tour of the Flash authoring environment
• using text - static, broken, dynamic
• the Stage - movie properties

read:
- "Intro, Chapter 1" from No Logo by Naomi Klein

assignment:
" t e x t " - Pick one word to use as your "raw material" - and create a short animation that incorporates broken text & static text. The animation should have a beginning, middle and an end.

Sep 14: 02 - drawing a Tween - Branding/Culture Jamming

• The Timeline - layers, framerate, keyframes
• Shapes - properties, grouping, ungrouping breaking apart
• Tweens - shape, motion [position, scale, color, alpha]

read:
- "Chapter 4: Time Frames" from Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

assignment:
"Little Black Boxes" - assignment description will be handed out in class

Sep 21: 03 - creating a Mask - Thinking about Time

• importing artwork from illustrator/photoshop
• creating masks
• using motion paths and guides

read:
- "Mythinformation" from The Whale and the Reactor by Langdon Winner

assignment:
"Ad Banner": Think about the ad banners on websites as public spaces similar to billboards, posters, signs & other advertisements. Plan & design a 468x60 Ad Banner in flash that utilizes images and text. The file size of your banner (the swf file) should be 32k or less. The banner can advertise your love for something or someone, can express a political message, can be humorous - keep in mind that this is meant to be presented in a public place.

Sep 28: 04 - playing with Sound

• Finding sounds online
• Importing sound, recording sound in the classroom
• Event sound, streaming sound

Assignment:
"Little Black Boxes Redux" - assignment description will be handed out in class

Oct 05: 05 - animation Tricks

• Animation techniques: easing, blur, gravity
• Working with MovieClips

read:
- "Generation Flash" by Lev Manovich

Assignment:
"My Life" - Animate your life story in 30 seconds or less (bunnies optional). For next week have a storyboard and at least 10 seconds of animation. [Final piece due in 2 weeks]

Oct 12: 06 - the Loop - Generation Flash

• nested MovieClips
• making animated loops
• programming loops

Assignment:
continue working on "My Life"

Oct 19: 07 - make it Interactive

• Creating buttons
• Using Behaviors

read:
- "Diary: Audience 1966" by John Cage

Assignment:
"How To": Develop an interactive Flash movie that illustrates/teaches your audience how to do something. This could be anything from how to make a PB&J sandwich to how to knit to how to make a Flash movie. It must have at least 5 different scenes; at least 1 voiceover and it must utilize buttons for your audience to interact with. For next week have a sitemap and at least 2 of the 5 scenes. [Final piece due in 2 weeks]

Oct 26: 08 - make it even more Interactive

• Approaches to navigation

Assignment:
Continue working on "How To"

Nov 02: 09 - podcast 101 - part two

• Planning
• Field recording sound for digital media

Assignment:
In class we will identify 1 city block, which will provide the source material for everyone's podcast project. This week you should spend some time at the block: talk with people, walk around, and take some pictures. Prepare a script for next week.

Nov 09: 10 - podcast 101 - part two

• Enhancing sound quality
• Digitizing and editing sound for digital media
• Incorporating artwork/visuals into the podcast

Assignment:
Podcast: record all of the audio for your podcast assignment
Final: create a one page proposal and flowchart/sitemap for your final project

Nov 16: 11 - podcast 101 - part three

• In-class editing of the final podcast (bring headphones)
• Workshop final project ideas

Assignment:
Podcast: polish it, make it shine
Final: rough draft of final project

Nov 30: 11 - TBA

• tba

Dec 07: 12 Open Lab

• Work on your final project in class

Dec 14: 14 - Final Class

• In class critique of final projects and wrap-up

Syllabus

Course Description:
The purpose of this class is to explore the social, political, and economic implications of new media technologies. First, we will study specific technologies and trace the growth of some major ones, such as digital television, satellites, computers, and the Internet. Next, we will examine the development of regulating agencies and recent laws that impact and control these technologies. We explore how life in the digital age will affect our conceptions of privacy, copyright, and relationships. We will then turn to examine media conglomeration, ownership, and globalization.

Course Objectives:
By the end of the semester you should:

• Be able to critically assess the impact of new technologies on society.
• Understand the impact of media conglomeration, and how new regulations will impact society.
• Understand the global interconnectedness of media systems, including the effects of American media abroad as well as the effects of globalization on local media
• Have first-hand experience exploring new technology. In particular, have participated in an on-line community and analyzed your experiences doing so throughout the semester.
• Have completed an extensive research paper and gain a special knowledge of a particular contemporary issue or phenomenon within society.
• Developed your critical analyses skills, writing skills, research skills, and have increased your interest/knowledge of our changing media environment.

Academic Honesty
MMC fosters an academic community where students and faculty work together to create a learning experience that imparts knowledge and forms character. All work submitted should be done by the student in preparation for this specific class (for example, you may not hand in a paper for this class that you are also preparing for another class). Plagiarism and cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Students will jeopardize their grade not just for the assignment but also for the entire course. If a student has difficulty understanding how to cite sources or has questions concerning the above, contact the professor as soon as possible. The College requires all members of the community to adhere to the policy of Academic Honesty that can be found in the Student Handbook, the College Catalogue and on the College website.

Class Website
The class website is located at: http://sodacity.net/courses

You will need to login in order to download readings and post to the discussion forums. Please do this by the end of the week to make sure you can access the site.

Texts:

All reading materials will be made available through the class website.

Grade Weights - details below

Participation 10%
Reading Responses 25%
Peer Reviews 15%

Final Project
Research Proposal 5%
Literature Review 10%
Interview Analysis 10%
Final Paper 25%

Participation 10%
Attendance and participation are essential for you to do well in this course. Attendance will be taken in each class, and more than 2 absences will result in a drop in your final grade. More than 3 absences (excused or unexcused) will jeopardize your ability to pass this class. It is also necessary for you to participate in each class. Vibrant participation allows all members of the class (including the professor) to benefit from the exchange of ideas, questions, and criticism of the readings. If you find that you are uncomfortable, you need to see me during my office hours to discuss alternative contributions to the class.

Reading Responses 25%
One-page Essays - you will write 5 one-page essays over the course of the semester. Each essay will be based on one or more of the assigned readings and is due no later than one class after the reading was due.

• topics: You will decide what to focus each essay on. Each essay must have both a thesis and evidence (data, quotes, examples, etc from the readings)
• format: Your essay must fit onto one page of an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper - you can use any legible font (10, 11 or 12 pt) and any spacing (single, double or 1.5)

Quick Writes - occasionally I will give "pop" in-class writing assignments, in which you will be asked to make critical reflections on the day's readings.

Peer Reviews 15%
This course has a peer review component. You will be part of a team of 3 students. For the three stages leading up to your final paper (Research Proposal, Lit Review, Interview) you will be required to provide written and verbal feedback of your classmates work.

Final Project
During the semester, while we as a class explore new technology and how changes in communication technology impact society, you will be working individually to further examine an aspect of the new media environment. You will pick a subject to focus on and conduct a research project where you analyze this topic in a number of ways. You will examine research already completed on this subject (secondary research) and you will incorporate an interview with a person relevant to your topic (primary research). Your sources should be wide-ranging and varied, including books, articles from scholarly journals, newspaper and magazine articles, technology blogs and trade journals for communication professionals.

You will have a significant amount of flexibility in choosing this topic so you should pick one that interests you or could help you learn more about new media in a field that you are considering for your career. In other words, this paper will be as useful to you as make it. In previous classes, students have used the paper they wrote to obtain a job, an internship, or to apply to graduate programs. You should plan to spend time in the next month looking over our entire course schedule and thinking deeply about what you would like to investigate to ensure that the topic you take on is sufficiently interesting to sustain a semester-long focus. Sample topics and areas will be discussed in class and I encourage you to engage me in discussions about possible topics well in advance of the prospectus due date.

To aid you in deciding upon a topic and developing your paper in a timely manner throughout the semester, I have broken the process down into several specific assignments. Note that these assignments are mandatory and failure to complete them will jeopardize both your final grade and also the quality and success of your final essay (since you will deny yourself feedback from your peers and me.)

note: The final essay should be submitted in no larger than 12pt. type, double-spaced, number pages and STAPLED in the upper left hand corner.

note: Papers that are one class session late will lose one full grade. I will not accept papers past one class session beyond the due date.

Research Proposal 5% - due September 25
In a two-page document present your project as you are currently thinking about it. The first section should be a narrative of what brought you to your subject, what interests you about it and why you want to investigate it further. The next section should pose the issue you are going to research further and the various areas you will explore as you work towards the creation of your essay. This section should include at least six questions through which you will approach your topic. The last section should discuss your research strategy. Indicate possible readings/sources and possible candidates for the interview component of the final paper.

Literature Review 10% - due October 23
In this 5-7 page paper you will review secondary sources relevant to your field of inquiry. Your research should include a minimum of 8 sources, 2 of which may be readings assigned from class. This paper should do more than simply summarize the sources you select. Rather you should attempt to draw connections between them and how they relate to your research topic. We will discuss the form of this paper in more detail during class.

Interview Analysis 10% - due November 15
You will conduct an interview with an individual relevant to your field of inquiry and then write a 5-7 analysis paper. We will discuss the form of this paper in more detail during class.

steps:

• Identify and contact the person you would like to interview.
• Prepare a set of questions around your research focus.
• Conduct and record a live interview.
• Prepare a transcript of your interview and write up your analysis.

Be sure to turn in the raw transcript of your interview.

Final Paper 25% - due December 6
Your 15-20 page paper with a complete list of works cited.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must either enroll in the Program for Academic Access or register with the Office of Student Support Services. For any accommodation, the instructor must be presented with either a letter from the Assistant Director of the Program for Academic Access or an Accommodations Card from the Office of Student Support Services during the first week of classes.

Schedule

Week by week course schedule:

Resources

Resources for COMM 400