OVERVIEW
This course introduces the form, techniques, concepts, and aesthetics present in interactive media. We will explore a range of media including websites, cinema, games, mobile computing, performance, and emerging forms. As a class, we will utilize social networking, publishing, and distribution websites as support for research, production, and dissemination of multimedia projects.
OBJECTIVES
- Build an understanding of interactive media and create a foundation for research and project development. This will be assessed through the design and maintenance of a media blog.
– Fundamentals of media design and production, gain skills using technology such as video cameras, lighting, microphones, software for image, video/audio editing/mixing and for the creation of websites. Learn how to be a problem-solver and self-educator in the on-going use of emerging technologies. The class as a whole will act as its own technical support. This will be assessed through the creation of your projects.
- Development of web community and social bookmarking network. This will be assessed through constructive commenting on each other’s blogs and posts to class network.
- Importance of team work - The entire professional world revolves around working with other people in teams; the final multimedia project will provide you with skills that can be applied to all aspects of the professional world. This will be assessed through role planning and peer reviews of your team members.
- Present artistic and critical evaluations of what constitutes good website practice. This will be assessed through a presentation of a website analysis as well as verbal critiques of other’s works.
- Excellence comes from within, not from a grade. Success is measured by quality. Does the project work? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Did the project push you to overcome new challenges? These kinds of questions are far more important than, did I get an A? You should be doing work to excel creatively and intellectually for yourself, not to please your teacher, for it is by your excellence that doors open. Excellence and achievement comes from hard work, persistence, communication, as well as inspiration. If you show up late, miss classes, fail to communicate with your team and professor, engage in procrastination—or have an inability to manage your time well—then you most likely won’t succeed in the professional world. This will be assessed primarily through class attendance and behavior.
GRADING
MEDIA BLOG 20%
Create a multimedia journal/research blog using either Blogger or Word Press that you post to a minimum of 2 times per week. Design and develop this site and add content to it throughout the duration of the course. Topics can included: responses to class reading, project research and updates (sketches, ideas, models, samples, videos, final works), media issues and news, and inspiring interactive websites and projects. Reading classmates’ blogs is also required. Please leave constructive comments at least twice per week.
NARRATIVE PROJECT 20%
Create an interactive web-based narrative using theannotation feature in YouTube’s editor. Create a Preproduction Plan including description, storyboard, script, flowchart, and production schedule. Planning is essential, as well as overall storytelling and production quality. This project will be critiqued in class.
REPORT ON WEBSITE 10%
Present a 10 minute report examining a cutting-edge website. This multimedia presentation should include visual material such as photos and/or videos as well as text. Spend time on the research and development of your report and be sure to practice your oral presentation. Presentation materials (Powerpoint, research, videos) are to be turned in the same day as the presentation is given.
FINAL PROJECT AND PRESENTATION 30%
As individuals, brainstorm ideas and create a Project Proposal that you turn in and present to your group (everyone creates a unique proposal). In production teams of 3 or 4, choose one of those interactive media projects to create. Include strong aesthetic value and critical thinking, excellent writing (engaging a style), clean video (proper exposure, focus, and lighting), clear audio (recorded properly with microphones), images (strong composition and use of proper lighting). Preproduction/planning is crucial. Define the role of each team member and create a detailed production schedule. The final group proposal has to be approved by the professor before production can begin.
Teams will meet with the professor to receive feedback on their projects-in-progress. The final will consist of teams giving a 15 minute presentation about their completed projects. Each team will turn in a final project package - including proposal, team members names and description of roles, storyboards, documents and all materials (flowcharts, maps, sketches, script), video/audio files, website files, statement. You will also email the professor a self and peer assessment.
Projects possibilities include: Fiction or documentary film and a website, website for local organization/community project, video and music performance with web documentation, a series of shorts distributed on web, web broadcast channel, narrative web story, video or computer game, electronic interactive installation.
PARTICIPATION, PROFESSIONALISM, QUIZZES & EXERCISES 20%
Participation in this course is a requirement and is mandatory. You are expected to assume an ACTIVE role in class. It is your responsibility to engage and participate in the entire duration of every class. Participation can include and is not limited to expression of original ideas in class discussions and throughout the production of your projects, constructive criticism during critiques, asking questions, and contribution to the class’s web network.
Professionalism means that you communicate clearly and respectfully with your professor and classmates. And that you are committed to producing high quality work, even if that means you have to cover for someone else and regardless of circumstance. In addition, it also means you must coordinate your work and personal business around your production schedule.
There will be reading quizzes to prove your knowledge of course content.
There will be exercises to prove your knowledge of course content.
GRADING CRITERIA
A: exceptional performance in all areas, consistent and excellent progress in areas of concept development, technique and creativity close to a professional level. Reads the assigned readings and eager to share insights and ask questions. Exceptional critique performance, thorough understanding of course issues, completion of all work.
B: above average performance in all areas listed above - solutions are unique, noteworthy and beyond competent, but not consistently excellent. Reads the assigned readings and willing to share insights and ask questions.
C: average performance and acceptable progress in areas of concept development, technique, creativity and critique performance, understands basic course issues, completion of all work and acceptable attendance, does most of the readings and sometimes is willing to share insights and ask questions.
D: below average work and progress, does not attempt to further one’s level of technical abilities, poor development and research of project concepts, marginal creativity, very little critique interaction, poor understanding of course issues, not all assignments completed, haven’t done the readings and rarely participate in class.
F: failing performance and progress, fails to grasp course concepts, failure to complete assignments, poor attendance
Total is based on 100%
A 100-90 (Exceptional)
B 89-80 (Above Average)
C 79-70 (Average)
D 69-60 (Below Average)
F 59-50 (Failing)
**Your attendance will affect your final grade (refer to attendance portion of syllabus below). Based on your attendance, points will be deducted from your final percentage.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Roberts-Breslin, Jan. Making Media. Focal Press, 2008.
Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future. Riverhead, 2006.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
External, portable, FireWire/USB2 hard drive to store your files for editing
Headphones for recording and editing
MiniDV tapes for recording
GENERAL INFORMATION
Equipment
The use of all school equipment, outside classroom exercises, will require a signed request and policy form. You are responsible for replacement and repair costs of all damaged or lost equipment.
Emails
Communication will occur through email. Be sure to check your email daily. You are responsible for emails sent by the professor.
Assignments
In addition to the required texts, there will be listening, viewing and reading assignments made available through the course website or handed out in class.
Late Work
Plan ahead for this intensive class, there will be no late assignments accepted (unless you have arranged an alternate date with me in advance).
Incompletes and withdrawals
Any request for an incomplete or withdrawal from the course needs to be substantiated by documentation of hardship: accident, illness, death.
Attendance
Attendance in this course is a requirement and is mandatory. You are expected to attend every class and stay for the entire duration. Tardiness, early departures, lack of being prepared, or lack of awareness or attention during class will count as absences--two incidents of any of previously stated will equal one absence and will accumulate and impact the final grade. A student may be absent from class two times during the semester without his or her final grade being affected. There are no excused absences beyond those two. Any further absences will result in a 10% deduction for every missed class-–upon the 5th absence the student will receive a failing grade.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the intended or unintended use of someone else's language and/or ideas without revealing the source of that material, leading the audience to believe that the work is original. So attribute all your sources. Minimum penalty for plagiarism is a zero on the assignment (and possible course failure); I will also follow College rules and report any instances of plagiarism to the administration.
Copyright
You must receive copyright permission for all non-public domain media used in your projects. Public domain material can be found at www.publicdomain.org and www.creativecommons.org. Documentaries (but not fiction) may follow the “Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices.”
Accommodations
If you need course adaptation or accommodation because of a disability (physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.), please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.