Examples from Georgia Tech’s
CS 1315: Introduction to Media
Computation
Class examples and student work
def clearRed(picture):
for pixel in getPixels(picture):
setRed(pixel,0)
def greyscale(picture):
for p in getPixels(picture):
redness=getRed(p)
greenness=getGreen(p)
blueness=getBlue(p)
luminance=(redness+blueness+greenness)/3
setColor(p,
makeColor(luminance,luminance,luminance))
def negative(picture):
for px in getPixels(picture):
red=getRed(px)
green=getGreen(px)
blue=getBlue(px)
negColor=makeColor(255-red,255-green,255-blue)
setColor(px,negColor)
Chromakey
def chromakey(source,bg):
for x in range(1,getWidth(source)):
for y in range(1,getHeight(source)):
p = getPixel(source,x,y)
# My definition of blue: If the redness + greenness < blueness
if (getRed(p) + getGreen(p) < getBlue(p)):
#Then, grab the color at the same spot from the new background
setColor(p,getColor(getPixel(bg,x,y)))
Putting a jellyfish on a wall
Chromakey
Chromakey
(for green)
def chromakeyGreen(source,bg):
# source should have something in front of green, bg is the new background
for x in range(1,getWidth(source)):
for y in range(1,getHeight(source)):
p = getPixel(source,x,y)
# My definition of green: If the greenness > redness AND blueness
if getGreen(p) > getBlue(p) and getGreen(p) > getRed(p):
#Then, grab the color at the same spot from the new background
setColor(p,getColor(getPixel(bg,x,y)))
SlowFadeout Movie:
Background subtraction and a jungle
Creating a fade-to-sunset:
By reducing blue and green
Lauren
Duke
Jennifer
Blake
Cynthia
Aubrie Lee
Rebecca
O’Donnell
Rachel
Cobb
Bradley
Butler
Miereille
Murad
Alex
Alderman
Uzma
Ansari
Hannah
Gailey
Does the class work?
Success
Rate
• 60% of students
surveyed at end of
course say that they want
a second course.
• We are getting transfers
into the CS major.
Average
GT’s CS1
72.2%
(2000-2002)
Media
Computation
Spring 2003
88.5%
Fall 2003
87.5%
Spring 2004
90.5%
Quotes from students’ surveys
• “I think that we're doing things that I could actually use
as an architecture major—I like dealing with pictures and
sounds.”
• It was interesting/surprising to learn... “Adjusting pictures
and sounds because it is something that I will be able to
use far into the future.”
• It was interesting/surprising to learn... “About how
Photoshop works because now I understand what it is
doing and I can use it better.”
Quotes from Interviews with
Female Students
• Did we make it:
•
•
•
Relevant?
“I dreaded CS, but ALL of the topics thus far have been
applicable to my future career (& personal) plans—there
isn't anything I don't like about this class!!!”
Creative?
Social?
How did Women Respond to the
Course?
• Did we make it:
•
•
•
Relevant?
Creative?
“I just wish I had more time to play around with that and
make neat effects. But JES will be on my computer forever,
so… that’s the nice thing about this class is that
you could go as deep into the homework as you wanted.
So, I’d turn it in and then me and my roommate would do
more after to see what we could do with it.”
Social?
How did Women Respond to the
Course?
• Did we make it:
•
•
•
Relevant?
Creative?
Social?
“Actually, I think [collaboration] is one of the best things
about this class. My roommate and I abided by all the
rules... but we took full advantage of the collaboration. It
was more just the ideas bouncing off each other. I don’t
think this class would have been as much fun if I wasn’t
able to collaborate.”
Next steps…
A second course
• CS1316 “Representing structure and behavior”
to be offered in Spring 2005
• Present a second course that meets national
standards, but still in a media context
• The first course is about surface level features
• Professional media manipulation also represents
structure: Tree of verses/chorus, scene graph
• If we represent behavior, too, can make stampedes
(Lion King) and villagers (Hunchback) by simply
filming the simulation.
Next steps…
An alternative path and a minor
• The two courses (Introduction to Media
Computation and Representing Structure and
Behavior) will become a pre-req to our traditional
computer science courses.
• Creating an “alternative path” into CS
• We are now getting transfers into the CS major
• We have now created a minor in CS
• Creating a BS in Computational Media
• Joint with School of Literature, Communications, and
Culture
Next steps…
Moving beyond GT
• Versions of Media Computation appearing
at other institutions
• Gainesville College (two year school in
Northern Georgia) has offered the course three
times
• Georgia Perimeter College, DePauw,
Brandeis, U. California Santa Cruz, U. IllinoisChicago, Florida Atlantic U., and U. Maryland
at College Park teaching their own versions
using our materials.