Multimedia Class Syllabus and Disclosure
Statement
David Black
Fall, 2011
Walden School of Liberal Arts
Overview of course:
As the word implies, multimedia is the combination of multiple types of media (images, video, sound,
animation, text, interactivity, etc.) to convey a message to an audience. In this class, you will develop
skills for creating many types of media using professional software (mostly the Adobe Creative Suite
and Apple’s iWorks and Final Cut Studio) and how to put them all together to express yourself and
create original works of art.
You will learn skills that will help you find jobs; many students who come out of a multimedia
program are able to find good jobs right out of high school. Those who go on to study multimedia or
digital media in college are among the most in-demand graduates around.
Like learning any skill, digital media skills require practice and commitment. You will need to be to
class on time every day and commit to finishing each assignment on your own even if you don’t get it
done all the way in class. We mostly won’t have homework, but will do everything in class. Therefore,
if you miss class, you won’t learn, you’ll fall behind, and your grade will suffer.
For each software package we learn, you will start with basic assignments that everyone will do in
order to learn foundation skills, then you will move on to more advanced projects that will allow for
more personal choice. The goal is to learn enough of each program that you can continue to learn on
your own as you practice further.
You will learn image manipulation with Adobe Photoshop and GIMP, computer illustration with
Adobe Illustrator, desktop publishing and layout design using Adobe InDesign and Apple Pages,
vector animation with Adobe Flash, web design with Adobe DreamWeaver, and video production
with Apple Final Cut or Adobe Premiere. We may also look briefly at other packages, such as Corel
Painter or Daz3D Bryce.
Assignments and Grading:
Your assignments will be graded on the basis of 10 points per day. If a project takes most people one
class period to complete, it will be worth ten points. If you don’t complete the assignment with all
required components or if it shows a lack of effort, then your score will be reduced. At the end of each
software unit, we will have a unit test that combines multiple choice, matching, true/false, and short
essay with a practical test. For each software package there are terms and processes that you will
need to learn (such as how computers handle color, the different ways a computer can create an
image, the multimedia development process, etc.) as well as skills.
Tutorial Project: There will also be an overall individual project which you will work on all year. You
will choose a software package such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, develop a technique of your
own or modify an existing tutorial, and create a lesson for teaching that process during first term. For
example, in Photoshop, you could create your own process for making letters that look like etched
steel. It must be mostly original, since we will be publishing these to the Internet. You would practice
this process and write up a step-by-step tutorial with screen shots that you lay out using Adobe
InDesign or Apple Pages during second term. You will use Flowscreen software to capture your
computer screen and mouse movements as well as your voice as you work through the tutorial and
narrate the process. You will edit the captured video and audio and add captions and other elements
fourth term using iMovie, Adobe Premiere, or Apple Final Cut Studio. This tutorial video will then be
uploaded to YouTube and TeacherTube along with your written lesson in PDF format.
Utah Multimedia Arts Festival:
In May, the high school multimedia students throughout Utah compete in a statewide competition in
several categories, including digital photography, 2D imagery, 3D animation, digital video, audio,
webpage design, and interactive programming. Students are encouraged to submit their best work
(due in mid-April), and winning entries receive awards and prizes at the festival. We will plan on
submitting and attending the festival, so start thinking now about projects you can do that show
creativity, artistic talent, and software expertise. Those that submit projects will receive extra credit
and their projects will be shown in Walden’s annual art show.
Multimedia Course Outline, Fall Semester
Unit 1: Photoshop and Image Editing
1.) Mon., 8-29: What is multimedia? What skills are needed? What careers are available?
Discussion: Multimedia definition, process, skills, and jobs
Course requirements and grading
Photoshop Project 1: The Art Critic
2.) Wed., 8-31: Computer Graphics Terminology
Discussion: Color usage, pixels, resolution, bit-depth, compression, etc.
Photoshop Project 2: The Frame Up
3.) Fri., 9-2: Using Digital Cameras, Filters in PS, Selection Tools
Photoshop Project 3: Self-Portrait
4.) Wed., 9-7: Channels and Masks
Photoshop Project 4: 3D Class (red-blue anaglyph)
5.) Fri., 9-9: Scanning and Cleaning Up Line Art
Photoshop Project 5: Digital Coloring Book
6.) Mon., 9-12: Textures and Photographic Effects
Photoshop Project 5 continued
7.) Wed., 9-14: Cleaning up Photographs
Photoshop Project 6: Restoring Damaged Photos
8.) Fri., 9-16: Colorization, Modes, Curves and Borders
Photoshop Project 6 continued: Adding color and borders
9.) Mon., 9-19: Spot Color and Advanced Selection Techniques
Photoshop Project 6 continued: Adding spot color to areas
10.) Mon., 9-26: Spot Color, continued
Photoshop Project 6 completed
11.) Wed., 9-28: Composite Photos A
Photoshop Project 7: Panorama
12.) Fri., 9-30: Cleaning up Internet Images and Composite Photos B
Photoshop Project 8: You Are There – finding and preparing images
13.) Mon., 10-3: Composite Photos B continued
Photoshop Project 8 continued: You Are There – Adding the pieces and lighting effects
14.) Wed., 10-5: Composite Photos B continued
Photoshop Project 8 completed: You Are There – perfecting masks and adding more images
15.) Fri., 10-7: Face Swapping and Photo Blending
Photoshop Project 9: You Are Them
16.) Mon., 10-10: Text Effects
Photoshop Project 10a: Text using layer effects
Photoshop Project 10b: Plastic Letters
Photoshop Project 10c: Metallic Letters
17.) Wed., 10-12: Text Effects B
Photoshop Project 11a: Fire Letters
Photoshop Project 11b: Carved Wood Letters
Photoshop Project 11c: Advanced Metal Letters
18.) Wed., 10-19: Tutorial Project Preparation
Choosing and practicing a tutorial
19.) Fri., 10-21: Tutorial Project Preparation
Practicing and writing steps
Photoshop Unit Test
End of Term 1
Term 2
Unit 2: Adobe Illustrator
20.) Mon., 10-24: Vectors vs. Pixels
Illustrator Project 1: Basics – shapes, fills, strokes, curves
21.) Wed., 10-26: Using the Pen Tool and Symbols
Practice: Types of curves (linear, C, S, and 3 curves) and corners (sharp, smooth, and
scalloped corners). The pear practice project.
Illustrator Project 2: Field of Flowers
22.) Fri., 10-28: Practicing the Pen Tool
Illustrator Project 3: The Vine
23.) Mon., 10-31: Pathfinder Commands
Illustrator Project 4: Illuminated Capital Letter
24.) Wed., 11-2: Symmetrical Paths and Gradient Meshes
Illustrator Project 5: The Goblet
25.) Fri., 11-4: Radial Replication
Illustrator Project 6: The Shield and Jewels – Goblet and Shield scene complete
26.) Mon., 11-7: Text Effects and Masking Shapes
Illustrator Project 7: Logo Design
27.) Wed., 11-9: 3D Effects in Illustrator
Illustrator Project 8: Package Design – Boxes, Cylinder, and Chess Piece
28.) Fri., 11-11: One-Point Perspective
Illustrator Project 9: The Archway
29.) Mon., 11-14: Converting Images into Vectors
Illustrator Project 10: Clip Art
30.) Wed., 11-16: Vector Photographs
Illustrator Project 10: Clip Art, cont.
31.) Fri., 11-18: Vector Photographs
Illustrator Project 10: Clip Art, completed
32.) Mon., 11-21: Tutorial Project Part 2
Write up step-by-step process and create images
Test 2: Adobe Illustrator
Unit 3: Adobe InDesign, Apple Pages, and Desktop Publishing
33.) Mon., 11-28: Principles of Good Design
Activity: Finding good and bad examples of design and developing list
34.) Wed., 11-30: Intro to Adobe InDesign and Apple Pages
InDesign Project 1: Poem
35.) Fri., 12-2: Corporate Branding
InDesign Project 2: Business Card and Letterhead
36.) Mon., 12-5: Typography
Discussion: Principles of typography (13 Telltale Signs and “Helvetica”)
InDesign Project 3: Type Design
37.) Wed., 12-7: Layout Design
InDesign Project 4: DVD Label and Sleeve
38.) Fri., 12-9: Multi-Page Designs
InDesign Project 5: Brochure of You
39.) Mon., 12-12: Multi-Page Layouts, cont.
InDesign Project 5: Brochure, cont.
40.) Wed., 12-14: Tutorial Project A: Basic Layout and Master Pages
InDesign Project 6: Your Tutorial – write up and layout, style sheets
41.) Fri., 12-16: Tutorial Project B: Images and Captions
InDesign Project 6: Your Tutorial – jump lines, end graphics, page numbers
42: Mon., 12-19: Tutorial Project C: Final Touches and Exporting
InDesign Project 6: Your Tutorial – final editing and PDF export
Discussion: E-books and online publishing
Test 3: InDesign and Pages, DTP, Principles of Design, Typography
“Farmer Hoggett knew that little ideas that tickled and nagged and refused to go away should never be
ignored, for in them lie the seeds of destiny.”