Course Syllabus

Ringling College of Art and Design

 

Course title:  4D Design

Course Prefix:  DSNA    Course number:  114    Sections: 5   

Instructor:  Allen Harrison    Office hours/location:  By appointment

Phone:    Email:  aharriso@c.ringling.edu

Building: AC

Meeting rooms, days, and times:

Sec 5  -  AC419  -  M/Th 8:30- 11:15

Credit hours:  3.0

 

Course Description

An introduction to sequential design and time-based media. Students begin to explore how to create meaning and communicate ideas in "4D space" using various techniques including drawing, photography, video, audio and animation. Focus will be placed on transformation, timing, rhythm, and motion.  The course will include introductions to relevant, industry standard software including the Mac OS and Adobe's Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects.

 

Course Goals

Students will become aware of, and begin to apply...

Various image making techniques and technologies

Basic principles of 2D and 3D visual design and communication

Basic principles of animation and 4D design


Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to...

Utilize stop motion photography and digital imaging to create looping animations

Design and animate a communicative motion graphic animation focusing on typography and the expressive use of color

Light, shoot, and composite live action video with animated graphics to communicate design principles

 

Required Materials/Equipment

Drawing Utensils; pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, color pencils

USB Flash Drive

Sketchbook


Strongly Recommended Materials/Equipment

DSLR Camera

Video Camera or DSLR Camera capable of taking 1080 HD video

External Hard Drive  1TB w/USB 3 + Thunderbolt recommended

Headphones or earbuds

Tripod


Library and Learning Resources

Lynda.com: Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, and many other software tutorials

Library resources available for stock photography, video, and audio for use in student projects

 

Projects / Grading Opportunities

1  -  20% of final grade  -  Animated Gifs  -  Using stop motion photography and Adobe Photoshop to create looping gifs

2  -  15% of final grade  -  Time & Technology  -  A series of exercises exploring the principles of design, time-based media, and animation while learning Adobe Premiere and After Effects

3  -  30% of final grade  -  Title Transformation  -  Creating an animated title sequence in Adobe After Effects

4  -  35% of final grade  -  Principles of Persuasion  -  Creating a persuasive message using original video footage composited with animation

 

Grading Policies


Attendance


Attendance is mandatory! You are to be on time for class, and be prepared with all materials needed to work constructively and to stay for the duration of the class time.  Late arrival and/or early departure is considered tardy.

However, it is at the discretion of the instructor to determine if too much class time has been missed, resulting in an absence, rather than a tardy.

Attendance consequences on final grade

3 tardies = 1 absence

3 absences = 1/2 letter grade drop

4 absences = full letter grade drop

5 absences = failure of course

 

The reason for this is that too much class time will be missed to complete the necessary requirements of the course, since lectures, critiques, and demonstrations are impossible to make-up or recapture.

Students with documented serious medical or serious family emergencies should consult with their instructor and your Academic Advisor.

Lectures, demonstrations, and handouts are all given in class, if you miss any of these or lose materials, YOU are responsible for obtaining the information and material from your classmates!

  

Adherence to deadlines

All daily assignments and final projects must be submitted on the scheduled due date at the specified time.

Completion of daily assignments leading up to a final project deadline will be counted toward the final project grade.

Daily assignments turned in late, never turned in, or turned in incomplete or at an excessively low level of quality will receive a 0.

The instructor has full discretion to determine what "an excessively low level of quality" means for any given assignment or project.

Final projects not turned in on time but submitted by the beginning of the next class meeting will receive a failing grade of 60 points, projects turned in after that recieve 0 points.

 

Work delivered by proxy

The final critique for each project is included as an integral part of the deadline.

Students must plan on being present to both deliver their work and to speak during the critique.

Work delivered by proxy is never critiqued or graded unless arrangements have been made in advance.

 

Technical difficulties

Technical problems will happen during the semester.

Students must make their own arrangements for overcoming these difficulties and submitting their work on time.

Unless there is a complete system failure in a computer-related course, technical difficulties are never an acceptable excuse for not meeting a deadline.

Students should plan their time and works so as to anticipate the technical hurdles that are a part of this profession.

Working at home is not supported, and technical failures of home-based equipment will not be accepted as an excuse for accepting late work.

 

Professional Practice and Behavior

Because a level of professionalism is mandatory in this course, students will not receive additional points for demonstrating it.

However, students who do not exhibit adequate professional attitude & behavior will lose up to 10% of their final course grade.

"Professionalism" includes a student's participation and attitude during critiques, class activities, and lab times, as well as professional and respectful behavior towards faculty, staff, students, facilities, and equipment.

 

7th Week and Midterm Assessments


All freshmen receive 7th week midterm grades

For unsatisfactory performance (C- or worse), they must meet with their academic advisor, and then their instructor, to write up a development plan.

It is the student's responsibility to address any shortcomings or problems that they are having in the course at this time.

 

Grading and Evaluation

In a professional course of study, the only way the student's progress can be evaluated is on the physical result of the work produced. It is the instructor's policy to evaluate the student's performance on the basis of current projected professional standards and in comparison with the best work of students at the Ringling College of Art and Design and other schools, colleges and universities.  At the time each problem is presented, you will be informed of the performance specifications of the process and end product, which form the basis for evaluation of your work. Submission of projects and physical presence in class do not necessarily insure a passing grade. Evaluation of student work will be conducted by the instructor on a per project basis and will be ongoing throughout the project via rough critiques and assignments. Students should have a very good indication of evaluation from these critiques.

In general, evaluation is based on the following criteria:

Process  -  Development and execution of a methodology as a way of arriving at a concept that is both appropriate to the project and brings to the viewer a new, unexpected or unusual way of perceiving the message. Sketches, storyboards, reading, research and writing are all elements of process.
 
Product  -  Expressing the correlation between concept and realization. Skill in the expression of an idea through technical excellence, craft and presentation.
 
A  =  Extraordinary work, far beyond the expectations of the assignments. Sound work that shows an extraordinary understanding and use of process as the source for work rich in form and content. Work is free of technical errors.   Portfolio worthy as is, or may need a minor adjustment.
 
B  =  Good work. Shows a better than average understanding and use of process in executing the assignment. The form and content of the work is good, but not extraordinary. Work is also free of technical errors.   Portfolio worthy only after few corrections.  
 
C  =  Average work. This grade is issued when all of the requirements of an assignment are met, but the resulting work does not exceed the departmental standards in content and/or production value.   Maybe Portfolio worthy after numerous corrections.
 
D  =  Barely fulfills requirements of assignments. Shows a poor understanding and use of a work process and, as a result, a work with poor form and content. 
Segments may be use in portfolio, but entire piece is not strong enough for inclusion in portfolio.
 
F  =  Does not satisfy requirements of assignments. Shows little to no understanding or use of process as the source for creating work with good form and content, and/or a product with very little production value- most likely rife with aesthetic and technical errors.  Nothing in this work is strong enough to be portfolio worthy.

 

Grading System

*Scores above .5 will be rounded up to the next full point

These grades are not computed in the GPA P    Credit But No Grade N    No Credit W    Withdrew Passing I       Incomplete (see policy below)

 

Incompletes

Incomplete grades are rarely given...possibly only in relationship to a life-threatening illness or death in the family. See the Student Handbook for more information. 

 

Course Schedule

Week 1  -  Animated Gifs  -  Intro to course / Photoshop basics

Week 2  -  Animated Gifs  -  Photography basics / Start Animated Gif Project

Week 3  -  Animated Gifs  -  Work on Animated Gifs

Week 4  -  Animated Gifs/Time & Technology  -  Complete Gifs / Intro to Premiere

Week 5  -  Time & Technology  -  Intro to Premiere / Intro to Ae pt. 1

Week 6  -  Time & Technology  -  Intro After Effects pt. 2-3

Week 7  -  Time & Technology/Title Transformation  -  Intro After Effects pt. 4 / Start Title Transformation Project

Week 8  -  Title Transformation  -  Pre visualization for Titles

Week 9  -  Title Transformation  -  Pre visualization and animation for Titles

Week 10  -  Title Transformation  -  Complete Titles

Week 11  -  Video Principles  -  Intro Video Principles / Continue basic videography

Week 12  -  Video Principles  -  Pre visualization and production for Video Principles

Week 13  -  Video Principles  -  Production and Post Production for Video Principles

Week 14  -  Video Principles  -  Post Production for Video Principles

Week 15  -  Video Principles  -  Complete Video Principles and Compilation Reel

 

Additional Policies and Information 

Disabilities Accommodations

The Ringling College of Art and Design makes reasonable accommodations for qualified people with documented disabilities. If you have a learning disability, a chronic illness, or a physical or psychiatric disability that may have some impact on your work for this class and for which you may need accommodations, please notify the Director of the Academic Resource Center (Room 227 Ulla Searing Student Center; 359-7627) preferably before the end of the drop/add period so that appropriate adjustments can be made.

 

Health and Safety

Ringling College of Art and Design is committed to providing students, faculty, and staff with a safe and healthful learning and work environment and to comply with all applicable safety laws and regulations and safe work practices. Rules and safety guidelines for maintaining a safe working environment in this shop/studio/class will be provided to you at the beginning of the course (i.e. students must wear close-toed shoes, students must wear protective eyewear, students may not eat or drink in the studio, etc.)

 

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity is the process of openly acknowledging the sources of your ideas and creations in the building of your personal and public identity as a practitioner in the artistic community. Ringling College expects students to acknowledge their sources of ideas and images in a manner consistent with best professional practices in their field. Your instructor will inform you of appropriate ways to document and acknowledge sources for this course.

 

Professional Behavior in the Classroom

Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom or studio environment which is conducive to learning. In order to assure that all students have the opportunity to gain from time spent in class, unless otherwise approved by the instructor, students are prohibited from using cellular phones, or other personal electronic devices; from eating or drinking in class, making offensive remarks, sleeping, or engaging in any other behavior that is a potential distraction. Inappropriate behavior in the classroom shall result in, at a minimum, a request to leave the class.

 

Note To Students

Please check on your grades, attendance and performance periodically on Self Service https://selfservice.ringling.edu/SelfService/Home.aspx  throughout the semester to avoid any misunderstanding at the end of the term.