Animation Collaboration and Groups

Animations due Wednesday, October 12th!!! Here is how to proceed.

1) I've sent an email with accessible emails for the entire class.
2) Contact the person in front of you and after you on your list.
3) Meet with those persons and brainstorm/collaborate on how best to animate the transition between your works to create a smooth and aesthetically pleasing flow.
4) Those who are first and last on the lists, you will make the intro titles and closing credits respectively (we will come up with a title next week in class!). For credits use the list of names below and copyright 2010 Digital Media Studio UNR
5) If your name is NOT on the list you did not post a video.
6) Sound! We will be making our own, collective soundtracks for this project, stay tuned for details!

Animations due Wednesday, October 12th!!!

Andrew Ardans
Danielle Redlin
Nikki Greene
Allie Erger
Alyssa Waday
Tim Darney
Elvina Darmawan
Tanya Gayer
Michael Pugh
Kristen Cooper
Leann Stokes
Charlene Gey
Billy Durden
Marcus Cowan
Kyle Walker
Beverly Colgan
Marie Bennetts
Alli Williams
Lindsay Pastrell
Aaron O’Brien
Courtney Laubacher
Amanda Moore
Jake Garrett
Brandon Cox
Angel Contreras
Dan Conroy
Megan Maghsadi
Amanda Carroll

On Posting Videos to your Blogs...

For posting your videos to the blog, links as promised:

http://www.youtube.com/t/howto_makevideo
http://www.squidoo.com/youtubehd

On embedding youtube videos to Wordpress:
http://wordpress.tv/2009/01/05/embedding-youtube-videos-into-your-wordpresscom-posts/

On embedding youtube videos to Blogger:

Please note, you don't need to go through the "embed" process I described yesterday in my thwarted demo! Thank you Michael for pointing out the feature on youtube - see the image below, if you click on the "share" button you can post your videos directly from youtube to Blogger.
http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=80767

Assignment #3 Animation and Reading!

(Chapter 3 The Electronic Era and Postmodernism Next Reading Lecture/Discussion Tuesday September 28th - NO QUESTIONS DUE - rather I want each of you to research one of the artists mentioned in the 3rd Chapter, write a short paragraph in your own words about your research, provide references please!)



Animation Samples: (find many more on youtube, vimeo, etc.)
http://www.tinkin.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLlJfGybBcc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7MdpwNvhkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIPgWlE2Ybs&feature=related

Create a minimum 10 second long animation from one or more of your triptych images (feel free to make these longer if you like, this is a minimum requirement although you will find 10 seconds is a long time!).

DUE Tuesday, September 28th!!! as assigned today in class, you are to create an animation using Adobe Photoshop. Since CS3 was introduced Photoshop now includes some rather simple yet effective animation tools similar to those available in more sophisticated animation programs such as Flash.

IMPORTANT SIZE INFORMATION!!!
Everybody, work at the following resolution: 1280x720 at 72dpi!!!
This is the standard HD 16:9 format for youtube - see here for more info.

Here are some video tutorials that should help get you started.

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

From this link, go to the window on the left, scroll down and select "Photoshop CS3 Extended".

Then select in the window to the right "Animation".

Click on the video title "Animating Layers Pallette" and "Using the Animation Pallette" both of these are really good tutorials!

Pay particular attention to the brief tutorial using frames for animation and the timeline.

This next one is really good too! - watch the whole thing and use as a reference!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WdYqPx_SFU

These tutorials and others available online have some great information for you! They go through the process pretty fast, don't stress, watch over and over again and try the steps as described on your work.

Most important is to figure out the basics of animation using photoshop for the project. You will want to know how to place your layers in the frames, tweening, durations, movement, etc. Essentially the animation tool allows you to use your layers in an image to animate between them - it is really that simple - the complexity is in figuring out the various tools and using them effectively. Watch these tutorials as many times as it takes to figure out how to animate something. Have fun and get started immediately! If you put this off until the last minute you will not succeed in mastering these tools and creating an interesting animation!

Workshop Thursday at 2pm in the Digital Media Studio CFA 207!!!

Assignment #2 Triptych Digital Montage

Maodonna
Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung
Check out this artist's work at his website! http://www.tinkin.com/


triptych (ˈtrɪptɪk) — n 1. a set of three pictures or panels, usually hinged so that the two wing panels fold over the larger central one: often used as an altarpiece 2. a set of three hinged writing tablets

Image Size for each of the three images:


















Objective:
Create a series of three works of digital photographic montage in Adobe Photoshop from specific source material. You must use as your subject matter for each of the three works at minimum the same 25 scanned images. Yes 25 source images! These 25 source images are to be comprised from some combination of the following: scanned objects (flatbed scanned), images appropriated from books and magazines (flatbed scanned), and images downloaded from the Internet. At least one of the images you use must be of a word.

All images are to be found or otherwise appropriated (including the word – scan text from an original print source). Use Adobe Photoshop to creatively combine your image elements into three cohesive image compositions that will exist as a triptych. Remember, each of your images MUST include all of 25 of your source images in each composition! Consider the conceptual link between image, object and word that will be created by their combination.

Very important! Save your images with layers intact as we will be further using your image for the next project.

Examples:
The content of your work is up to you. Consider the possibilities of Adobe Photoshop to cut, paste, resize, etc.. Scan photographs from family albums, magazines, etc.. Bring in various found objects to scan - junk, a meaningful keepsake, etc.. Pick a word or words, either scanned from text, handwritten or otherwise created outside of the computer, scan it and include the work in the image. Think about how the creative unexpected associations of disparate images and texts functions to establish new and multiple readings of the works.

Techniques:
Much of this you will learn by doing – some basics will be covered in class - Adobe Photoshop, image scanning, image sizes, resolution, etc.

Project due:
VERY IMPORTANT!!! Monday, September 20th by 7pm, (posted to your Blog which you will create next week!)

Photoshop Tutorial:
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

Assignment #1 DADA - MONTAGE

EXAMPLES AS PROMISED:
These projects were created by past digital media students.
(click on images to enlarge)
































































































Links to Montage Artists:
John Heartfield
Hannah Hoch
Raoul Hausmann
Winston Smith

Assignment:
Art 245 Digital Media I Tuesday 1-3:30pm DeLappe Assignment #1: Found Art/Found Magazine/Montage – DADA - Traditional

Montage The art, style, or process of making a pictorial composition by closely arranging or superimposing many pictures or designs.

Objective:
Using an artwork found and purchased at a thrift store or garage sale as your starting point, create a new work of photo montage entirely from appropriated imagery from magazines or books of your choice. All the imagery used for this piece must be found and appropriated – no original photographs are to be used. Manually cut and paste your found imagery to create an original, new work upon your existing found art picture/painting. There is to be absolutely no computer usage for this project! All imagery and/or texts incorporated into your piece are to be cut and carefully assembled by hand using your Xacto knife and “Yes” paste. Completed works are to be presented as framed, completed works – you may either choose to use the existing frame purchased with the piece or place the image into a new frame – I will consult closely with you regarding this matter as you work in class on these projects.

Examples:
Start by exploring local thrift stores and/or garage sales to find the work of art that speaks to you. Your piece can be inspiring (or un-inspiring) – an original painting, a fake painting, a photograph, poster, print, etc. Pick a magazine, or magazines, and/or books that you want to work with. Remember, you are specifically limited to found images from print – choose carefully. Images can be from a variety of sources, including: contemporary news publications, vintage magazines from the 1950's, text books, instruction manuals, etc. . The content of your image is up to you. Check out the magazine and book sections of the thrift store – you might surprise yourself. Visit the "Book Nook" of UNR's library which sells used library items. Finally, consider how you would like to approach your found artwork. You may choose to carefully relate your cut and pasted imagery into the composition and structure of the work or totally ignore and obliterate the found background image.

Tuesday August 24th
Assign first project/demo lecture montage.

Tuesday August 31st
Reading Discussion:
Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age
Introduction and Chapter 1

Tuesday Sept 7th
1st Critique, projects due
Introduce project 2/demo

Art 245 Digital Media 1 Fall 2010 Syllabus

picture by drawing machine, 1960
Desmond Paul Henry

Art 245 Digital Media I
Instructor: Joseph DeLappe
Fall 2010 – room MIKC 107
Tuesdays 1-3:30pm
Office: CFA 207 Digital Media Studio
Office Hours: TW 11am-1pm or by appointment
Email: delappe"@"unr.edu

Prerequisites: At least one art studio course, such as Visual Foundations, Beginning Photography, Drawing, etc. No computer experience required.

Course Objectives:
The primary objective of Art 245, Digital Media I is to provide an introduction to the critical studies of digital media. Students will learn how to analyze the foundations, cultural forces and context that are synthesized in contemporary media art and technology. This will be accomplished through a balanced investigation of both the history and theory surrounding digital media while at the same time being involved in the creation of visual art through the conceptual utilization of the computer and related technologies. This course emphasizes the personal development of critical thinking, artistic and technical skills using controlled experimentation with a variety of materials and approaches towards visual art production. The course presents students with opportunities to work with digital imaging, sound, time-based, 3 dimensional media and social media, including creative explorations in the online community of Second Life. This course is the introductory course to the Digital Media program and is a prerequisite for all other course offerings required for the studio major and minor.

Course Philosophy:
The Digital Media program exists as part of the larger Art Studio program for the Department of Art – all studio programs currently focus on the development of a contemporary approach to studio art practice and theory. Digital Media emphasizes an artistic, experimental and technical approach to learning to utilize media systems for the creation of art. The intent is to provide an intensive learning environment that considers the computer as a broadly flexible tool or medium available to the contemporary artist. Specific project assignments will also push you to consider the conceptual use of such tools. Our emphasis is on ideas and the incorporation of concepts through new media into art product.

This is a thoroughly hands-on course. You will be expected to learn how to use the tools at your disposal – this is not a software-training course. You will learn in this class by doing – students will be given broad introductions to a variety of applications and devices as incorporated into their project assignments. Learning to use these complex graphics programs, online technologies and computer peripherals takes much dedication of time and a flexible attitude towards experiential practice and learning. Learning to become proficient utilizing new technologies is accomplished through both individual and shared experience. What you derive from this class in terms of technical learning will largely be defined by the amount of time you spend exploring and experimenting.

Finally, you will be challenged constantly to consider just what you are doing with these new tools - the true challenge of this course is to engage in the creation of critical, challenging, thoughtful, meaningful and conceptually sound creative experiments.

Techniques:
You will be introduced to the following basic programs and systems:
Adobe Photoshop
Soundtrack and/or Audacity
Final Cut Pro
Second Life
Website/Blog Development
Flatbed scanners
Digital cameras
Laser printer
Color inkjet printers, small and large format
Etc., etc., etc.,

Course Requirements:
1) Each student will complete a total of 4-5 regular class projects followed by the creation of a general studio atmosphere for the investigation of individual and/or group projects. All projects will be uploaded and accessible to the Professor and students on individual student blogs that will be created in the first two weeks of the course. Each project posted online will also feature a brief artists statement describing your approach to the specific assignment.

2) Critiques. Selected projects will be discussed and critiqued in open sessions. Talking about your work and others is a crucial aspect of creating art. Learning to articulate verbally and in writing, just what your work is about, is just as important as the actual making of the work. The ideas shared in an open critique will help us all learn from each other and greatly increase our ability to understand our creative practice.

3) Readings: “Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age” by Margot Lovejoy will be available through the UNR Bookstore. Specific Xeroxed articles, tutorials and other online source material will be assigned as the course progresses. For each reading you are required to create two questions for discussion based on that weeks reading. These are to be type written and printed out for credit.

4) Attendance is mandatory at all class sessions. More than two un-excused absences will affect your final grade.

5) Supplies:
External Storage Device – we will talk about this further in class.
You will also need to purchase supplies or materials depending upon the nature of your work in the course. This will likely include paper, matt board, adhesives, etc. As this may be defined as we go, it is difficult to anticipate. All prints made in this facility are to be paid for according to the pricing information posted at each printer station. Prints are only to be made in class or when a lab monitor or faculty/staff are present. At all other times the printers are locked down.

6) Grading: Students will be graded according to how well their participation in reading discussions and creative projects reflect an understanding and willingness to engage with the techniques, issues and practices covered in class. Students should expect to spend at least six hours a week outside of class on their work. The final grade is broken down as follows: 50% projects, 20% final project, 30% class participation, (including readings and critiques). I will meet with each of you individually at the midterm to discuss your progress in the class and provide advising regarding the Digital Media program.

7) Each student is REQUIRED to attend two approved lectures and one exhibition or film screening, that are regularly announced in class. I will provide you with a list of approved lectures/screenings/exhibitions both on campus and off. You are required to write a short, one page critical summary of the event and two questions to ask the speaker (extra credit will be given to those who actually ask their question at the event!). There are several specific events oriented towards the digital media area that I will recommend you attend this semester - I will go over these in class.

8) Website portfolio: Each student will be creating a website/portfolio as an archive of all projects created in this course – this site will serve as the repository for all of your class projects created in this course and any future courses taken through the Digital Media Program. We will go over the creation of your website within the first three weeks of the class.

9) Laboratory Workshops: Clint Sleeper, Digital Media area tech, will be scheduling one-hour workshops out side of class time related to specific technical issues surrounding individual projects. It is highly recommended that students take full advantage of these workshops! Sleeper’s general availability as a daily lab assistant and to be there to assist students with projects is between 1-5pm, Monday through Thursday, 8am - 1pm Fridays (one Friday per month he is off for State mandated furlough). Laboratory Workshops will generally be from 1-3pm Thursdays.

Computer Access:
Due to the ongoing financial crisis and resulting budget cuts to the University, the Digital Media Studio has recently faced a drastic re-organization of our facility. Funding has not been made available to replace our aging, 20-workstation laboratory. As such, we have created a streamlined, smaller laboratory with a limited number of student workstations. In light of this situation and specifically in recognition of the fact that we cannot provide a workstation for each student during scheduled class times, we will be working from a lecture/lab model that requires all student work to be completed outside of our scheduled class period. All student projects are to be completed during available lab hours in the Digital Media Studio, on your own computers or in the Knowledge Center’s Dynamic Media Lab.

The media lab of the Knowledge Center’s Dynamic Media Lab as well has capable staff on site to assist students.

You will be assigned a digital access code for after-hours access to the Digital Media Studio by the end of the second week of the term.