New Media 3520 – Net.Art
Session:
Instructor:
Web:
Office:
Office Hours:
Phone:
Fall 2005
Christopher Moore – christopher.moore@uleth.ca
www.learnmegood.ca
W888
Tuesdays 13:00-16:00; Thursdays 13:30-16:00; or by appointment
380-1885
Section A – Room B519
Tuesdays 9:25 am – 12:05 pm
Thursdays 9:25am – 10:40 am
Section B – Room B519
Mondays 2:00 pm – 3:50 pm
Wednesdays 2:00 pm – 3:50 pm
"I hear there's rumors on the Internets…"
—George W. Bush, second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004
Internets. The Internet. The net. Art on the net. Net art. Net.art
Initially conceived as a general packet switching communications tool, the Internet has become a
contested territory, which has alternately been hailed as a democratic tool for fulfilling utopian
desires, or as an Orwellian global brain with a conspiratorial agenda. From early experiments in
MUDs, MOOs, and BBS systems to multi-user virtual environments, artists have adopted this
space as a critical locus to enact social change, tell stories, exchange ideas, share, hack,
manipulate, and play with this new medium of distribution.
Net.art will explore the dominant themes, mythologies, and strategies, which have characterized
network-based art practices. Through a quasi-historical lens, students will begin to develop a
language and context for producing works within the emergent fields of interactive arts.
Theoretical concerns will form the conceptual basis for applied projects that integrate production
techniques in three major software packages: Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX,
and Macromedia Flash MX. Instruction and development of technical skills will be primarily
addressed during the scheduled Lab sessions.
Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be conversant with aspects of the
historical, theoretical, political, ethical, cultural and technical dialogues which
frame the field of interactive arts. Students are expected to complete all
assignments, including reflective documentation, which articulates their concepts
and demonstrates their processes. The assignments are designed to afford
students creative flexibility in applying the core technical skills outlined in the
class sessions.
Required
Texts:
McFarland, David Sawyer. Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual.
O’Reilly, 2004. ISBN 0-596-00631-4.
Pucknell, Hogg & Swann. Flash MX 2004 Demystified. Peachpit Press, 2004.
ISBN 0-7357-1397-9.
All books are available from the U of L bookstore. Additional materials are
located online at www.learnmegood.ca.
Optional
Equipment:
It is recommended that you bring a set of headphones to each class session, as
the workstations are not equipped with speakers. While personal storage space
exists on the network, it is subject to down-time and regular maintenance. For
this reason, you should always backup data on a CD-RW disk or a portable USB
drive.
Attendance & What and how much you learn in this class is directly related to your participation
Participation: in every lecture and lab session. The studio environment is an important tool for
learning about methodologies and processes, and for developing critical and
technical skills. Your most important contribution to this learning environment is
your interest and creative imagination. Engage – use all your experience,
knowledge and natural creativity to develop your skills and those of your peers.
Your engagement will be directly proportional to your learning and success in this
course.
An attendance sheet will circulate during each class. At the end of the term, you
will receive a grade based on your attendance record, mature and considerate
conduct in class, questions and comments made during class, etc. Appropriate
conduct includes arriving on time, returning promptly after break sessions,
respecting individuals who have the floor during a presentation or discussion,
turning off monitors when asked, providing assistance to colleagues requiring
help, and avoiding idle chatter unrelated to the focus of a given lecture or lesson.
I realize that not all students are as comfortable as others in speaking regularly
during seminars, therefore, I will accept other activities as evidence of
participation. For example, you can bring an interesting handout to class, or
provide an interesting link or media sample to share with your colleagues. I am
always looking for new resources to update and refine the course delivery in
subsequent iterations.
If you are unable to attend a class session, as a courtesy, please advise me of
the situation via email. If you miss more than three classes and/or three labs,
you may be asked to withdraw from the course. Please be advised that NMED
3520 is a required course for completion of your degree and that withdrawal from
it could seriously impact your ability to graduate.
Assignments: Any project that may be designated an exercise or which is part of the
coursework must comply with university guidelines related to human and animal
ethics as well as should comply with Canadian laws. If you have questions about
risks, please consult with the instructor.
Assignments are to be completed by the beginning of the class on the date which
they are due. All students must be prepared to present each project during the
face-to-face session. All completed assignments are to be submitted on a nonreturnable CD or DVD, and must also be uploaded to the student’s personal
webspace on the Uleth server. Assignments posted on alternate servers with
pop-ups and spyware (i.e. geocities) will not be considered.
Academic
Integrity:
You must correctly document in your assignments all ideas and media that have
been incorporated in your projects, but have been borrowed from outside
sources or from your colleagues. In the case of teamwork, the bounds of what
was contributed by each student must be clearly delineated. Failure to do so is
considered as academic dishonesty and treated accordingly. For written papers,
all sources used in the development of your work must be cited as references.
Where text is borrowed from another source, quotation marks must indicate the
citation and the source must be acknowledged appropriately. (A Turbian citation
guide is available in pdf format at:
www.uleth.ca/~christopher.moore/SampleCitations(Turabian).pdf)
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Late Policy:
Projects submitted late will receive a deduction of 5% per day, unless prior
arrangements have been negotiated. If you are struggling with the content, or
having difficulties managing your time, please advise me. I am a compassionate
individual, and am most often able to accommodate requests, if you provide a
reasonable alternative.
Personal
Security:
This course will strive for consistency with the University’s policy on personal
security, where it is acknowledged that freedom of expression and frank
discussion of controversial issues are kept in balance with an individual’s rights
not to be subject to discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation
or other forms of intolerance.
Sexual harassment is a serious offence that includes but is not limited to sexual
advances, unwanted requests for sexual favours, and other unwanted verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature. Behaviour need not be intentional to
constitute harassment. Harassment occurs when an objective person in the
position of an individual claiming harassment would find the conduct or
comments would have the impact of creating a hostile environment.
Evaluation:
10% Readings / Participation / Attendance
0% Assignment #1: Data.Body
Due September 12 / September 13 (one week project)
10% Assignment #2: Hyper.Play
Due September 19 / September 20 (one week project)
10% Assignment #3: Cyber.Atlas
Due September 26 / September 27 (one week project)
10% Assignment #4: Mirror_Site.Hack
Due October 12 / October 13 (two week project)
10% Assignment #5: Terrorvision
Due October 17 / October 18 (one week project)
20% Assignment #6: Exquisite.Corpse
Due November 7 / November 8 (three week project)
30% Assignment #7:Networked.Narrative
Due December 7 / December 8 (four week project)
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Class Schedule:
Please note that this is a tentative schedule of class activities. Current information and syllabus
updates may be viewed on the course website at www.learnmegood.ca.
Week One – September 7 – 9
Weaving the Web: A Brief History of the Internet
Introduction: Course structure, philosophy, expectations, policies
Topics: History and evolution of the Internet
Readings: Chapters 1-3, Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual
Skills: Introduction to Dreamweaver, HTML
Assignment #1 Introduction: DataBody
Week Two – September 12 – 16
The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Co-opting and Shaping the Net
Topics: Co-optation of technology by artists, evolution of net.art, net.art versus art on the net
Skills: Compression, graphics, formats, hyperlinking, directories
Readings: Chapters 4-5, Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual
Assignment #1 Due: Data.Body (no presentation or critique)
Assignment #2 Introduction: Hyper.Play
Week Three – September 19 – 23
The Aesthetic of Crashing Browsers: Mapping and Structuring User Experience
Topics: Mapping the Internet, Visual Browsers, Data Visualization
Skills: Layout and design basics, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), integration of images into HTML
Readings: Chapters 6-8, Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual
Assignment #2 Due: Hyper.Play – presentation and critique
Assignment #3 Introduction: Cyber.Atlas
Week Four – September 26 – September 30
White Hats: Hacking, Open Source, and Peer-to-Peer Networks
Topics: Open Source movement, Hacker Ethics, Information Sharing
Skills: Frames, HTML basics
Readings: Chapters 9-10 & 12, Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual
Assignment #3 Due: Cyber.Atlas – presentation and critique
Assignment #4 Introduction: Mirror_Site.Hack
Week Five – October 3 – October 7
Utopian Promises – Net Realities: Culture Jamming and Hacktivism
Topics: Tactical Media, Web-enabled activism
Skills: Advanced HTML, Basic Javascript
Week Six – October 10 – October 14
Terrorvision: Security and Democracy on the Internet
Section B: The session scheduled for Monday October 10 will be cancelled due to the statutory
holiday.
Topics: Surveillance, freedom and control, access to information
Skills: Integrating Flash into HTML, introduction to Flash interface
Readings: Chapter 13, Dreamweaver MX 2004: The Missing Manual
Chapters 2-4 + 6, Flash MX 2004 Demystified
Assignment #4 Due: Mirror_Site.Hack – presentation and critique
Assignment #5 Introduction: Terrorvision
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Week Seven – October 17 – October 21
Ghosts in the Machine: Disembodied Voices on the Net
Topics: Online identities, avatars, collectives
Skills: Basic animation techniques, tweening, behaviours
Flash Basics – Symbols, drawing, text, keyframes…
Readings: Chapters 6-7, Flash MX 2004 Demystified
Assignment #5 Due: Terrorvision – presentation and critique
Assignment #6 Introduction: Exquisite.Corpse
Week Eight – October 24 – October 28
Who Am We?: Cyberfeminism and Identity
Topics: Feminism and technology, cultural and individual identity
Skills: Introduction to ActionScripting
Readings: Chapter 8, Flash MX 2004 Demystified
Week Nine – October 31 – November 4
The Garden of Forking Paths: Foundational Narrative Structures
Topics: non-linear narrative, multiform stories, non-narrative, ambient narrative
Skills: Image formats and editing, working with audio
Readings: Chapters 14-15, Flash MX 2004 Demystified
Week Ten – November 7 – November 11
Crossfade: Aural Literacy and the Convergence of Media
Section A: The Lab scheduled for Thursday November 11 will be cancelled due to the statutory
holiday.
Topics: Soundscapes, terminology, musical structures, synchronization of media
Skills: Integrating video with Flash
Readings: Chapter 16, Flash MX 2004 Demystified
Assignment #6 Due: Exquisite.Corpse – presentation and critique
Assignment #7 Introduction: Networked.Narrative
Week Eleven – November 14 – November 18
Mutation and Permutation: Algorithmic and Process-Based Art
Topics: Generative and procedural art
Skills: Publishing and exporting
Readings: Chapter 23, Flash MX 2004 Demystified
Week Twelve – November 21 – November 25
The Trouble With Net Art: Collecting and Exhibiting Web Based Art
Topics: Institutionalization of net.art, development of a canon, commodification
Week Thirteen – November 28 – December 2
New Media Graveyard: Conserving Net.Art
Topics: Issues related to preservation of outdated software and hardware systems
Skills: Troubleshooting and in-class project development
Week Fourteen – December 5 – December 9
Presentations
Assignment #7 Due: Networked.Narrative – presentation and critique
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Assignments:
Assignment #1: Data.Body
A self-portrait study generated through information sharing
Value: 0%
Duration: One week
Due: September 12 / September 13
Your first assignment is to provide the instructor and the rest of the class with information related
to your interests, goals, and media preferences. This data mining will be directly incorporated
into the class sessions on a week-by-week basis.
Deliverables:
You are asked to submit a CD containing the following components:
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A short bio about yourself:
o Where are you from?
o How old are you?
o What do you do outside of school?
A statement of aspirations:
o Why have you chosen this program/school?
o What kind of goals are you trying to achieve?
o What are your career aspirations?
o What do you wish to achieve in this course?
An indication of your existing technical skills:
o What level of experience do you have with
Dreamweaver, HTML and JavaScript?
o What is your proficiency with Flash?
A photograph of yourself
5-10 of your favorite MP3s, or a selection from your current
playlist
A list of 5-10 websites which you enjoy or frequent on a regular
basis (include URLs and brief descriptions of content)
A list of your 3 favorite films
A list of your 3 favorite books
A list of your 3 favorite magazines
This assignment will not be evaluated, however, it will be reflected in your participation grade.
Assignment #2: Hyper.Play
A text-only hyperlinked narrative experiment
Value: 10%
Duration: One Week
Due: September 19 / September 20
This brief, one week assignment is designed to introduce you to the application Dreamweaver,
which allows for WYSIWYG HTML editing. You are asked to apply the skills learned in class and
through the assigned readings to the creation of a text-only hyperlinked narrative. You may use
any of the features within Dreamweaver, but you may not integrate images, videos, animations or
sounds. The narrative should consist of phrases, sentences, or paragraphs, which are assigned
to at least ten separate pages with links connecting each component. The text may be original or
quoted, but please try to avoid obvious clichés or song lyrics. You may simply guide the viewer
through each of these pages in a linear fashion, or preferably, assign two or more links to each
page to allow the user an opportunity to weave their own narrative path. If you have previous
experience with HTML and Javascript, you might wish to experiment with random navigation.
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The narrative need not be direct in its presentation, but it should have a sense of cohesion
through its content, references, and visual design. Consider the tone of voice – you could
incorporate multiple characters, voices or personae engaged in a dialogue. The text could also
be an internal monologue, or that of a small child, an autocratic commander, or the deceased.
Consider the content of each passage of text, and develop a strong correlating visual
interpretation. If you are experiencing difficulties with finding a concept, consider the user’s
potential experience – lost, fragmented, confused, isolated, etc. – and develop a strategy for the
text and design. Consider text size, colour, weight, and overall placement on the screen. Think
of these elements in terms of visual punctuation. You may use tables or layers to organize your
content or to create graphical elements, but avoid centred text on the screen, as it suggests a
very neutral position and creates a dull composition. Make use of the entire screen areas –
sides, top, bottom, and edges. Consider the pacing and unfolding of your narrative, and how this
can be achieved with a static page. For example, you may have long breaks between phrases or
words, which will require the user to scroll, thus implying pauses or lengths of time. Volume can
be suggested through text size, weight, and capitalization. Large, capitalized words, which highly
contrast with background appear louder than small, uncapitalized words which fade into the
background suggesting whispers or distant voices.
Deliverables:
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10+ HTML pages, each containing a passage of text
at least one link per page to direct the user to different passages
provide a title for your project
upload the site to your personal webspace before the due date
be prepared to present your work during the following class
provide a copy of the project on CD, as well as the URL for your project
Evaluation will be based upon the following criteria:
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Does the project make sophisticated use of a hypertext narrative structure?
Has the student met the minimum thematic and technical requirements?
Do the visual design choices effectively illustrate each passage of text?
Does the project demonstrate cohesion, both in narrative and overall design?
Does the project establish a clear tone through use of text properties and
colour choices?
Has the student invested an adequate level of energy and engagement to
create a compelling narrative?
Assignment #3: Cyber.Atlas
A hypertext map of the World Wide Web
Value: 10%
Duration: One Week
Due: September 26 / September 27
Having studied several artists’ and theorists interpretations of the World Wide Web, you are
tasked to create your own unique visualization map. You may use any means available to do so,
including Photoshop, Illustrator, or other static image programs. If it is crucial to your project
development, you may integrate video, animation, or 3D modeling. The final result should take
the form of a hypertext site which applies Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and other formatting
considerations, as presented during the class sessions. There are no maximum or minimum
page guidelines for this project, as this will be dependent upon your concept. However, there
should be at least one page which briefly summarizes your illustration.
In devising your concept, consider some of the dominant issues presented in the artist examples
– collapse of space and time, immediacy, indeterminacy, reconfiguration of information, paths,
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clusters, nodes, communities, among others. You need not tackle all of these issues, but your
project should indicate a significant level of exploration in at least one of these areas. Try to
approach this project from a personal, experiential point of view. What was your first experience
using the Web? How did you imagine that this system was organized? Was the experience of
online communication alien or confusing? What are your online habits, and what aspects of the
Web do you experience? Just as in life, we rarely move beyond our local communities, or tend to
understand a fraction of the world around us. Can this be conveyed visually as a metaphor for
the Internet? The web can also accommodate varying levels of communication from individual to
individual, within small communities, or broadcast at large. The Web can also create cliques and
restricted areas of access to prevent us from full attainment or knowledge or experience. This
project need not be an academically viable illustration of the Internet, but can be highly creative
and subjective.
Deliverables:
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HTML site that applies CSS formatting (minimum 2 pages)
an illustrated interpretation of the Internet in any medium
a brief paragraph describing your concept/philosophy for the piece (on
separate page with link)
provide a title for your map
upload the site to your personal webspace before the due date
be prepared to present your work during the following class
provide a copy of the project on CD, as well as the URL for your project
Evaluation will be based on the following:
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Does the project demonstrate a unique approach to visualizing the Internet?
Has the student met the minimum thematic and technical requirements?
Is the visual design effective in illustrating the intended concept?
Does the written description clearly articulate the student’s concept?
Is there attention to detail with respect to grammar, spelling, style and voice?
Has the student invested an adequate level of energy and engagement to
creating a personalized approach to the project?
Assignment #4: Mirror_Site.Hack (teams of 2)
A code hack and critical response to a contested website
Value: 10%
Duration: Two Weeks
Due: October 12 / October 13
“Any elements, no matter where they are taken from, can be used to make new
combinations. The discoveries of modern poetry regarding the analogical structure of
images demonstrate that when two objects are brought together, no matter how far apart
their original contexts may be, a relationship is always formed. Restricting oneself to a
personal arrangement of words is mere convention. The mutual interference of two
worlds of feeling, or the bringing together of two independent expressions, supersedes
the original elements and produces a synthetic organization of greater efficacy. Anything
can be used.”
- Guy Debord and Gil J. Wolman, “A User’s Guide to Détournement”
Guy Debord and the Situationists used the term détournement – translated loosely as deflection,
diversion, rerouting, distortion, misuse, misappropriation, or hijacking – to define a new means of
artistic creation based upon changing the contexts in which elements were viewed. In this
project, you are challenged to apply this strategy to web based media.
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The Mirror_Site.Hack project is a collaborative team site intended as a critical response to a
website of your choosing. Through this work, you are asked to question the messages,
language, tone and rhetoric espoused by the source site. You must then manipulate, hack,
replace, distort and rework the site to become an oppositional mirror site. The visual design
should be consistent, and virtually indistinguishable from the original. However, on second
glance, the true content should be revealed to the user. You need not replace all pages on the
site, but you should have a minimum of five pages, with at least 2 containing significant amounts
of rewritten text. As a rule, most of the images should be replaced with modified versions or
original photography/illustrations. Additionally, you may wish to embed hidden comments within
the HTML code, which are only viewable to knowledgeable browsers.
In choosing your site to hack, you might consider what angers you, frustrates you, or something
with which you disagree. This is an opportunity to empower yourself in a productive, non-violent
way. Another suggestion is to adopt a comical or farcical approach to the assignment by mocking
the products or services provided by a business or organization. This parody would subvert the
dominant mythology surrounding the target entity – i.e. Martha Stewart Living handcuffs. Have
fun, be brave, and enact a little bit of mischief.
Deliverables:
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HTML site that mirrors the layout and design of a source site (minimum 5
pages)
at least 2 pages must contain a significant amount of rewritten text
provide a title for your project
upload the site to your personal webspace before the due date
be prepared to present your work during the presentation class
provide a copy of the project on CD, as well as the URL for your project and
for the source site
Evaluation will be based on the following:
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Does the project convincingly mirror the design of the source site?
Is there a clear and thoughtful response to the original site?
Have the students met the minimum thematic and technical requirements?
Is the visual design effective in illustrating the intended concept?
Have the students invested an adequate level of energy and engagement to
creating a personalized approach to the project?
Assignment #5: Terrorvision
An animated public service announcement that plays into the culture of fear
Value: 10%
Duration: One Week
Due: October 17 / October 18
Our contemporary culture has become increasingly monitored, surveyed, and controlled under
the guise of public protection and national defense. Just 45 days after the 2001 terrorist attacks
on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the United States congress passed the Patriot Act,
with the goal of protecting citizens from possible future security breaches. However, this act has
been challenged by many defenders of civil liberties as a threat to the fundamental freedoms of
US citizens, by granting the government free access to medical and tax records, information
about books bought or borrowed, as well as the right to break into homes to conduct secret
searches. Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security developed a colour-coded
system to define the relative level of threat aimed at the country – green being low, and red
representing severe. Such initiatives have been criticized as unnecessarily contributing to a
“culture of fear” that is intended to keep individuals passive and largely uncritical of the current
US administration.
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This culture of fear is logically extended to the Internet, with the current hysteria over identity
theft. Technologies have both the ability to encrypt and protect confidential information, as well
as prey on the naïve or unschooled. Key-loggers and other spyware systems record information
so that another party can abuse or sell your private information. While it is necessary to be an
educated and vigilant web user, the media has recently taken this hysteria to exaggerated levels.
The imposition of comparatively minor threats of all sorts is a classic device for psychological and
ideological control.
In this assignment, you are asked to create a brief, 30 second public service announcement that
plays into this culture of fear. You might perhaps develop or exaggerate a common fear and
present it as a national crisis. Maybe you have an alternate code system to alert others of
imminent threats. Feel free to use humour and parody to get your point across, and to reach the
emotional core of your audience. At a minimum, you should select an audio track, and use
tweened imagery, alpha transitions, and text phrases to convey your message. If you wish, you
may narrate original dialogue and/or use advanced features in Flash, but this is not expected at
this stage of development. Consider this as a test of your basic Flash knowledge and, as always,
I am looking for an original approach to the theme of the project.
Deliverables:
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a fully functional .swf file
a complete Flash MX working file (.fla) demonstrating the functionality of your
project
upload the .swf file to your personal webspace before the due date
be prepared to present your work during the presentation class
provide a copy of the project on CD, as well as the URL for your project
Evaluation will be based on the following:
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Is there a clear and thoughtful message presented in the project?
Has the student met the minimum thematic and technical requirements?
Is the visual design effective in illustrating the intended concept?
Has the student invested an adequate level of energy and engagement in
creating a personalized approach to the project?
Assignment #6: Exquisite.Corpse
An interactive assemblage of body parts based upon the Dada game (teams of 4)
Value: 20%
Duration: Three Weeks
Due: November 8 / November 9
“Exquisite Corpse: Game of folded paper played by several people, who compose a
sentence or drawing without anyone seeing the preceding collaboration or collaborations.
The now classic example, which gave the game its name, was drawn from the first
sentence obtained this way: The-exquisite-corpse-will-drink-new-wine."
- André Breton
The Exquisite Corpse game, devised by Andre Breton and the Dadaists has been played by
generations of children and adults alike. However, its initial conceptual followed the major tenets
of Dada philosophy, including the infusion of chance and indeterminacy into artistic practice. You
are asked to translate this game into an interactive Flash projector file, which allows for the user
to recombine various body parts in a seemingly infinite series of combinations. Working in teams
of four, you will divide the body into four sections of your choice – i.e. head/shoulders, upper
torso, pelvis/thighs, lower legs/feet, etc. – and then each member will create 5 image variations
for each section. This means that there are 160,000 potential body configurations. You may
incorporate original photography, drawings, graphics, scanned objects, patterns, or nonsensical
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images. Be creative, and try to present a wide array of media, colours, tones and levels of detail.
The greater the variety, the more visually interesting the final result will be.
The Flash file will be divided into 4 zones, each representing the selected body parts. Each of
these zones will be occupied by a movie clip containing each of the team members’ versions of
this body part – 20 frames, in total for each movie clip. Two buttons will be placed on the stage,
one to start the mixing, and one to stop. The start button will call up a random frame from within
each movie clip to display. The mixing will continue until the stop button is pressed, telling each
movie clip to remain at the current frame. The user may then inspect their image, and print/save,
as desired.
In preparing to create your images, your team must decide the overall movie size, as well as the
size of each individual body part movie clip. It is essential that each team member stick to this
guide to avoid discrepancies in the final work. Ensure that all of your image files are cropped and
resized to these dimensions, and that they are saved at 72 dpi. It may also be useful to define
‘joining’ locations to create smoother transitions between each body segment. What will make
this project successful is the imaginative qualities of each image – be wild and take risks. It may
be easier to create 5 separate full-body images and then slice them into the appropriate
segments. This would limit your workload sufficiently, as opposed to creating 20 distinct images.
Deliverables:
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a fully functional .swf file (one per team)
a complete Flash MX working file (.fla) demonstrating the functionality of your
project
your .fla file should demonstrate a good understanding of file and asset
management, with proper use of labelling, assets, and layers. It should be
produced in such a way that another Flash author could extend the work with
little difficulty
upload the site to each of your personal webspaces before the due date
be prepared to present your work during the presentation class
provide a copy of the project on CD, as well as the URL for your project
Evaluation will be based on the following:
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Is there an interesting interplay between elements?
Have the students applied innovative, exploratory strategies in generating the
body part imagery?
Have the students met the minimum thematic and technical requirements?
Has the project file been built according to standards for file and asset
management?
Have the students invested an adequate level of energy and engagement to
creating a personalized approach to the project?
Assignment #7: Networked.Narrative
A multimedia interpretation of a linear narrative (individual or pairs)
Value: 20%
Duration: Four Weeks
Due: December 8 / December 9
The final assignment is a four week team-based exploration of interactivity and narrative. Your
team will select or create a poem, myth, story, event, or experience to illustrate through a
branching, non-linear narrative. You will use digital photography and/or video, illustrations and
text with any combination of real or synthetic sets, costuming, and/or characters to produce a
work with a moderate degree of interactivity and sound. You must also consider the navigational
interface, which will allow the story to unfold. A successful project will combine as many sensory
elements as possible in a variety of media formats to guide the user through the narrative. If your
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story is well known or has been executed in a similar time-based medium, you are challenged to
apply your own interpretive strategy. It would be wise to consider how the narrative will by
interpreted by the user, given that the cohesive story will be broken down into segments, which
may be reconfigured in a variety of ways. Due to this fact, you may wish to avoid a narrative that
is too linear or chronological, and focus on vignettes or memories, which are fundamentally selfcontained.
Consider what elements are best illustrated in a particular medium, and begin to develop an
overall structure to the project. Some elements might be heightened through duplication of the
source – i.e. written text that is also narrated aloud to aid in comprehension – whereas others can
be communicated more clearly and efficiently through a single medium. Consider the emotional
power of a facial expression or a tearful violin solo – there is no need for a voice-over stating
“she’s sad.” Too much redundancy can prove distracting to a viewer. Having given thought to
the media to be used, your team should also consider the format – square, tall/thin, short/wide,
masked, multiple windows, etc. – as well as the colour scheme, visual approach and soundscape
design. Having sketched out a preliminary plan, you should have a reality check and contingency
plan, in case the project proves too extensive. While big ideas are exciting, an unfinished project
comes off more unprofessional than a modest one, which is complete. With some estimation of
the work required for the project, begin to decide what parts of the project each member will focus
on. Perhaps you will share the photography and video work, but will work individually on different
parts of the production. Do you have a team member who is especially good at scripting or
audio? Try to utilize the invested knowledge of the team in the most efficient manner, while
exchanging advice and solutions to problems.
The final project will be displayed on the web, so give some consideration of bandwidth
restrictions. You can assume the user will have a broadband connection, but there are still some
basic limits for reasonable file sizes.
Deliverables:
-
-
a fully functional .swf file (one per team)
a complete Flash MX working file (.fla) demonstrating the functionality of your
project
your .fla file should demonstrate a good understanding of file and asset
management, with proper use of labelling, assets, and layers. It should be
produced in such a way that another Flash author could extend the work with
little difficulty
upload the site to each of your personal webspaces before the due date
be prepared to present your work during the presentation class
provide a copy of the project on CD, as well as the URL for your project
Evaluation will be based on the following:
-
-
Does the project make sophisticated use of communication and control
between the user and the computer? How much control does the user have?
Is there an interesting interplay between elements?
Is there creative and suitable application of interactivity, graphics, and
sound?
Have the students applied innovative, exploratory strategies in generating the
narrative to a new media environment?
Have the students met the minimum thematic and technical requirements?
Has the project file been built according to standards for file and asset
management?
Have the students invested an adequate level of energy and engagement to
creating a personalized approach to the project?
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Evaluation Scale
The following scale range will be used in all course assessments:
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
90%-100%
85% - 89%
80% - 84%
77% - 79%
74% - 76%
70% - 73%
67% - 69%
64% - 66%
60% - 63%
57% - 59%
54% - 56%
50% - 53%
0% - 49%
Evaluation Criteria
In creative disciplines, the evaluation process is not always transparent or clearly stated.
Multiple-choice and automated tests are easy to administer, but they cannot replicate the
qualitative assessment necessary to judge a work of art or design. It is the instructor’s role to
determine the relative merit based upon multiple factors – some technical, some ethical, and
others, aesthetic:
-
Does the project meet the requirements, as stated in Assignment criteria?
How much effort or engagement was involved in completing the project?
Does the final work thoughtfully or provocatively comment on the chosen subject?
Has the student progressed technically or conceptually in the development process?
Does the work demonstrate an understanding of the creative and compositional
principles discussed in the class sessions?
Did the student make incremental progress on a week-to-week basis?
Does the project demonstrate innovation, challenge, or take risks?
Has the student exceeded the instructor’s expectations?
How closely does the work mirror professional/industry standards?
Having considered these factors, among others, the instructor must determine where the project
should be placed within a given range for each criteria. The cumulative assessment of these
factors is translated into a letter grade. For further granularity, please review the following
general grade range descriptions:
D-range:
The work is unsatisfactory. The student has unsuccessfully completed the
project and/or has met only the most basic requirements. The work may exhibit
only a passing resemblance to the criteria laid out for the project. The student
may have diverged from the criteria without previous discussion with the
instructor. The student may have submitted a project from another course or
situation, and claimed it to be new work. The work is rife with mistakes, or is
possibly unplayable/unreadable without expert technical intervention and/or a
very forgiving eye. The work is incoherent or does not successfully or
meaningfully communicate a concept or theme. The student is not progressing in
their development. The work is below average in the opinion of the instructor.
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C-range:
The work is acceptable. The student has made an earnest attempt to fulfill the
criteria laid out for the project. The student is not progressing well in their
development. The student has not taken sufficient time to internalize,
understand, own, and interpret the criteria for the project. The student may be
unclear on the criteria for the project and has not asked for clarification from
colleagues or the instructor. The student may have diverged substantially from
the criteria without previous consultation with the instructor. The student has not
referenced secondary sources of information or experience outside the
classroom. The work contains too many technical errors – i.e. poor transitions,
inappropriate pacing or conceptual structure, failure to acknowledge quoted
material, scripting errors, audio problems, grammatical or spelling mistakes, too
short or substantially too long. The work is average and acceptable in the
opinion of the instructor.
B-range:
The work is good. The student has made an earnest attempt to fulfill the criteria
laid out for the project. The student is progressing in their development. The
student has taken sufficient time to internalize, understand, own, and interpret
the criteria for the project, with notable success. The student may have
referenced a few secondary sources of information or experience in an
interesting way. The student’s interpretation of the criteria may be somewhat
lacking. The interpretation may lack sufficient personal voice or originality; it may
be unsubtle. The work may experiment earnestly without huge success. The
student may have diverged slightly from the criteria without previous consultation
with the instructor. The work may contain a few technical errors – i.e. poor
transitions, inappropriate pacing or conceptual structure, failure to acknowledge
quoted material, scripting errors, audio problems, grammatical or spelling
mistakes, too short or substantially too long. The work is generally good in the
opinion of the instructor.
A-range:
The work is excellent. The student has fulfilled the criteria laid out for the project
through active engagement while demonstrating a personal voice. The student
has referenced many secondary sources of information or experience in an
interesting way. The student has internalized all project criteria and offers
supplementary ideas that support the criteria, or skillfully deconstructs the
established criteria in a creative way. The student is progressing at an aboveaverage rate. The project is at least almost totally free of technical errors. The
project probably demonstrates earnest and successful experimentation.
A+:
The work is outstanding. The student has fulfilled all criteria worthy of an A mark
and has excelled beyond the instructor’s expectations. The work approaches or
attains the capacity of a professional in the field. The work approaches suitability
for publication or professional broadcast. The work represents substantial,
innovative experimentation.
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