Communications Lab - #H79.2004
Wednesdays 6:30-9:00, Instructor: Michael Dory
Course Description: An introductory course designed to provide students with hands-on experience using various technologies (online communities, digital imaging, audio, video, animation, authoring environments and the World Wide Web.) The forms and uses of new communications technologies are explored in a laboratory context of experimentation and discussion. The technologies are examined as tools that can be employed in a variety of situations and experiences. Principles of interpersonal communications, media theory, and human factors are introduced. Weekly assignments, team and independent projects, and project reports are required.
Grading is based on successful completion of all assignments, class webjournals, class participation and attendance.
Required Texts: Orality and Literacy by Walter Ong, Understanding Media by Marshall Mcluhan, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Recommended Texts: Film Directing Shot by Shot by Steven Katz, Digital Foundations: Introduction to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Suite by Michael Mandiberg, Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML by Eric and Elisabeth Freeman
Office Hours: Monday 7-8:30* or by appointment (email: mjd [at] doryexmachina [dot] com)
* please do let me know if you'll be coming by, else I may reschedule and/or wander away.
Class Urls
Class 1: Wednesday, September 9
- Class introductions
- Overview of Course
- Discussion / Demonstration
- Assignment:
- Install Wordpress and create a basic blog for yourself. This will be where all your assignments will be housed, so you'll want to consider the overall structure. Each week, assignments will be documented and posted here. In addition to posting each week's assignment, you will also post a paragraph summary of your process to the blog.
- Read Walter Ong - Orality and Literacy Chapters 1 - 4 (The Orality of Language, The modern discovery of primary Oral Cultures, Some Psychodynamics of Orality, Writing Restructures Consciousness.) and:
- Post response to Ong on your site. Be prepared to discuss in class.
- Email me the url. (please send it one day before class so I have time to look at everyone's work before we meet)
Class 2: Wednesday, September 16
- Discussion of Ong Reading
- Review blogging process
- Discuss video sharing/reposting
- Demonstration: Xacti Cameras
- Demonstration: Editing in Quicktime
- In-class Exercise: The 30-Minute Film Festival. In teams of three you have 45 minutes to create a short video that contains a simple narrative arc. Create a blip account. Upload your video. Embed it into your blog. We'll have a short film festival.
- Assignment:
Class 3: Wednesday, September 23
- Discussion/Demonstration:
- Assignment:
Class 4: Wednesday, September 30
- Discuss Benjamin reading
Discussion/Demonstration Photoshop, Image Capture/Manipulation
- Demonstration Photoshop Techniques
- Disussion: Sequential Imaging and modern day examples, Alien Loves Predator , Demain5
- Assignment:
- Before you begin working, read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. It is important that you read this prior to beginning. It will inform your work.
- In teams of two, tell a story in 4-10 sequential images. Upload to your blog.
Class 5: Wednesday, October 7
- Critique Sequential Images
Discussion: Pixilation & Stop Motion
- View: Norman McLaren's "Neighbors" Michel Gondry/White Stripes The Hardest Button to Button
- Demonstration: Pixilation using digital stills and StopMotion using iStopMotion
- Demonstration: an Introduction to Final Cut
- Assignment:
- In teams of 2 create a 30-second time-lapse or pixilation animation.
- Upload version to your BlipTv account and embed in your blog.
- Bring high quality Quicktime file to class.
Class 6: Wednesday, October 14
- Critique pixilation and stop motion animation
- Discussion of digital audio - sampling and distribution
- The story of DJ Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album" (http://www.illegal-art.org/audio/grey.html) and Negativland v. U2 (www.negativland.com) et al.
- Demonstration: Collection of sounds and the M-Audio recorder
- Assignment:
- In teams of two, begin the collection of sounds for a 1-minute sound piece (due in 2 weeks) This piece can be environmental, create space or mood, tell a story through sound.
- Read Marshall McLuhan's "Understanding Media"Chapter 1: The Medium is the Message and Chapter 2: Media Hot and Cold
- Listen to Radiolab: Making Radiolab
- Bonus (non-required) listening: Radiolab: Making the Hippo Dance
- On your blog, post response to the readings.
Class 7: Wednesday, October 21
- Discussion: Review readings and responses
- Demonstration: Basic digital audio: Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
- Demonstration: Soundtrack Pro
- Putting it all together.
- Assignment:
- In teams of two create a 1-minute sound piece in any of the environments we looked at. Again, this piece can be environmental, create space or mood, tell a story through sound. Upload it to your site in mp3. Bring either the audacity or soundtrack files with all tracks to class.
Class 8: Wednesday, October 28
- Critique audio pieces
- Discuss storyboards, their function and use
- View: Robert Castillo's "SPIC, The Storyboard of My Life"
- Assignment:
- Read Steven Katz "Film Directing Shot by Shot" chapter on storyboards.
- Break into teams of four to plan for video project. Create storyboard in preparation of videoshoot. Be prepared to discuss in class. Upload to blog.
Class 9: Wednesday, November 4
- Review storyboards
- Demonstration: The video camera and the basics of shooting video: audio, composition, lighting.
- Assignment:
Class 10: Wednesday, November 11
- How did your shoot go?
- Discussion: logging your footage and the paper edit - Edit Worksheet
- Demonstration: FinalCut Pro
- Assignment:
Class 11: Wednesday, November 18
Class 12: Wednesday, November 25
- Review storyboards
- Demonstration: Basic AfterFx
- Assignment:
- In teams of two, create one-minute animation.
- Upload web version to BlipTV account and embed file into your blog.
- Bring high quality QuicktimeDV file in class
- Helpful: Adobe Video Tutorials
- Helpful: 3d Camera Tutorial
Class 13: Wednesday, December 2
- Critique animations
- Assignment:
- Review all your past assignments. Was there one particular area that really interested you? Was there something you wish you could do over again? Pick one area or assignment and do it over. By yourself. For next week.
Class 14: Wednesday, December 9
- Critique final individual works.
