Beginning Electronic Media Studio I ART3612C Fall 2006
FAH 279 Monday/Wednesday 9:00am-11:50am Professor: Anat Pollack
Phone: 813/ 974-9307 Email:
Office: FAH 253 Office Hours: Monday, 12-1, and Tuesday Afternoon By Appointment
Beginning Electronic Media
Statement of Student Outcomes
Beginning Electronic Media is designed to introduce students to the rapidly expanding potential of the Macintosh computer as a tool for communication and of artistic practice. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have experienced first hand an aesthetic, technical and theoretical introduction to the challenges and possibilities that the computer brings to the realm of visual culture. Likewise, the student will have been exposed to examples of electronic art, video, performance, digital media, and installation, and have learned to put their work into a broader context.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will have developed the skills to create and edit audio/sound, video, digital images, and developed interactive-media authoring skills useful in creating self-running animations, movies and interactive projects that integrate image, and sound.
Through a series of workshops, projects, discussions and critiques, students will have gained exposure to a range of Apple Macintosh based tools and working methods. Although students can expect to gain a measure of “hands on” familiarity with a number of key software packages, this is essentially not a technical class. This is a studio class in which the computer is used as a tool for making innovative and challenging art. It is also a class within which the discussion and critique of that art will be informed by broader debates around contemporary creative practice.
How to be successful in this course:
Be disciplined
Be self-motivated
Your success is dependent on your own efforts
Be on time
Learn the technical material
Ask questions
Do the projects
Present proposals
Be involved in the discussion and critique
Attendance:
It is critical that students arrive to class prepared and on time. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what you have missed and if the schedule or assignments have changed. For each absence after your 3rd, you will lose one letter grade off of your final grade. 3 Tardies are equivalent to one absence. Attendance and presentation of projects at Critiques are mandatory.
If you intend to miss class due to religious observance, you should inform Prof. Pollack by the second class meeting of the term.
Materials:
Texts: Readings will be made available as handouts or on the web.
Supplies:
-Firewire drive, minimum 10 gigs - REQUIRED!! This must be formatted to be used on a Mac. Please talk with Anat if you have questions.
- Blank CDs and or DVDs for backing up digital files.
- Mini DV videocassettes.
- Stereo headphones with ear cups large enough to completely cover ears
Critiques:
Critiques are fundamental to the artistic and learning processes. Critical thought is a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the devices of communication employed, a forum for discussion and opinion, and a place to discuss formal technical and design considerations. During critiques, we will follow the “safe place model” which assumes that we are all here together to help each other learn and grow as artists- this includes being constructive and not cruel, to be articulate in why something is or is not working for you and to participate in the dialogue. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on due dates/critique. Computers are turned off during crits.
Treat critique like an exam. All Critiques are mandatory; missing a critique will result in your project grade be lowered by two letters. If you do not have your project ready as specified for critique but are in class, you have one week to turn it in with one letter grade deduction. If you have already earned a failing grade on an assignment due to your tardiness in turning it in, you will still be required to submit that completed assignment in order to pass the course. If you are not present at the ‘final critique’ during exam week, you will fail this course.
Assignments:
You will be expected to be self-motivated, to take the initiative to learn the software on your own, and to apply critical thinking and discussion to the topics and content of this course.
Out-of-class work is expected: a minimum of 6 hours per week.
There will be 7 major projects, and 2 small projects over the semester. Homework assignments will include reading, response to the reading, and other small projects, We may also have short in-class quizzes to test your knowledge of the software. Throughout each assignment, I will expect you present your work during class, often without warning. Be prepared, and don’t procrastinate. Your midterms and final “exams” are critiques. Treat them as exams- arrive on time, come prepared, and do not miss them.
Make sure to back up your work frequently and in different formats (CD, backup harddrives or USB devices.) You will invariably lose, corrupt, or overwork a piece. Make sure to keep old and current copies of your files. Your projects are due on-time, regardless of technical problems.
*All projects should be submitted on CD-ROM/DVD at the end of the semester for your final grade. These projects should be functioning and in their final form. It is expected that all projects are of professional quality in technique and content, suitable for a job interview or gallery exhibition. Professor Pollack will keep these disks.
You should keep a sketch book / notebook for your ideas and your notes.
**Note: All work must be original work completed this semester for this class. There can be no appropriated imagery, sounds, video, html, web, or flash files. Any appropriated imagery will be considered plagiarism, and will be treated as such.
Assignments are due at and by the beginning of class on days of critique. (if class begins at 9am, the work must be completed and uploaded to the server by 9am).
You do not have permission to sell class notes or tapes of class lectures for this course.
Grading:
A 90-100 = Artwork that is portfolio or gallery ready. This work is strong in content and idea, exhibits technical fluency and mastery, and went above and beyond the expectations for the project. Exceptional! Good problem solving and risk taking.
B 80-89 = This work has satisfied all of the required expectations, has developed good creative content and exhibits technical proficiency.
C 70-79 = This work is average. You have completed the criteria necessary for the project. Lacks creativity or content, did not explore or experiment technical skills beyond basic demonstrations.
D 60-69 = Well below average. Project does not meet project criteria or is poorly executed. Lacks creativity or content, failure to grasp technical skills demonstrated in class..
F = Incomplete projects, and /or fails to meet requirements of project.
Grading Policy:
Quality of studio/projects: idea and execution 60%
Class participation: Class Discussions and Critiques 20%
Attendance, Effort, Homework 20%
Project Breakdown:
Project #1: Sound- Single Channel5%
Project #2: Utopia: Sound- Multi-Channel10%
Project #3: Photoshop: Connection btwn 3 images5%
Project #4: Video5%
Project #5: Exquisite Corpse: AfterEffects5%
Project #6: Dreamweaver Linking Page5%
Project #7.1: Flash animation: Ball2.5%
Project #7.2: Using Symbols2.5%
Project #8: Exquisite Corpse Flash 810%
Project #9: Final Project: Self Directed10%
NOTE: The schedule may change in response to class progress and needs. It is your responsibility to update your schedules as it is modified over the semester.
Class Schedule (Subject to Change)
**********You are required to attend all Visiting Artist Lectures ***********
M 1/8 Introductions; Get Acquainted with your computer, Art 21
SOUND
W 1/10Intro to Sound; flash recorders and recording voice; work day; Art 21
Project #1- Create a single channel audio work; one minute in length using only 2 clips (maximum length of your voice.
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M 1/15Martin Luther King Day, No School
W 1/17Work Day
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M 1/22Critique Project # 1; Multi Track Editing demonstration;
Project #2 Utopia, in Sound: 2 Minute in length
W 1/24More on Multi-Track Editing; Work Day
Th. 1/25 7pm, Visiting Artist Lecture: DJ Spooky/Paul Miller
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M 1/29 Podcasting
DIGITAL IMAGING
W 1/31Critique Project #2; Intro to Photoshop
Project #3 Create 3 digital images using digital photos and scanned images that are somehow connected: graphically, thematically.- you are required to use Photoshop tools. Save file as a photoshop document with all layers.
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M 2/5Photoshop Demo: Photoshop Tools; Collage: Intro to scanning and digital photography; Work on Project 3
W 2/7Critique Project #3
VIDEO
How to use video camera; Final Cut Express: Capturing and Importing Video; Demo Timeline, Browser etc., adding sound; Work Day
Project #4 Video (Final Cut Express)
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M 2/12Individual meetings with Anat
W 2/15 Quicktime Demo; Work Day
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M 2/19
W 2/21 Critique Project # 4
7pm Dave Hickey Lecture
2/22 9am Dave Hickey Workshop
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M 2/26 Project #5 Exquisite Corpse (AfterEffects)
Create a 10 second video out of still images (frame by frame) about a body part assigned to you in class. There should be no titles, credits, or any matte black longer than 1 second at the beginning or end of the video. AfterEffects Demo, Quicktime Demo: Making a video out of still images
W 2/28 5
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Animation and Interactivity
3/1 7pm Miwon Kwon Lecture
M 3/5 Combine Video, Critique Project #
Dreamweaver Demo
Project #6 Create a linking page for your work created for this semester- you will link up the incomplete files later in the semester
W 3/7 More with Dreamweaver, work day
Taste of the Arts- Class will end at 11am today
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W 3/12 Spring Break
W 3/14 Spring Break
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M 3/19 Intro to Flash; Demo Animation: Tweening, Symbols
Project #7.1 Bouncing ball that squashes, stretches, explodes into many small balls that animate across stage
Zoe Beloff Lecture 7pm
W 3/21Critique Project #6; More with Flash, graphic symbols, movie clips, etc.
Project #7.2; Animation: create an animation that is at least 10 seconds long in length, although only has a single frame on the main stage.
Friday 3/23 Arthouse, 31st Annual Juried Art Show
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M 3/26 Critique Project #;7 Interactivity: Demo Buttons; Work Day
Project #8: Exquisite Corpse
W 3/28 Scroll Over Animations,
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M 4/2 Sound in Flash, more with Interactivity
W 4/4studio Day
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M 4/9Critique Project #8
Final Project: Self Directed
W 4/11 Studio Day
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M 4/16Studio Day
W 4/18Studio Day
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M 4/23Critique Project (#9): Hand in Final CD or DVD: Not turning this in will result in an Incomplete or an “F” for the semester.
W 4/25Critique Project (#9): Hand in Final CD or DVD: Not turning this in will result in an Incomplete or an “F” for the semester.