Mo-Graph

Tuesdays, Thursdays 6:30-9:20, Gabriel Barcia-Colombo

Email: gabebc@Gmail.com

Class Blog Links

CLASS FILES

Office Hours: By appointment. (Please send an email at least 24 hours in advance to the address above)

Course Description: This course offers an introduction to motion graphics. Students work with 2d photoshop imagery and animation in after effects. The course focuses specifically on graphic design, typography, interstitial animation and video graphics for the web and/or broadcast. Throughout the summer session students experiment with masking, image manipulation, and video effects in order to create an original portfolio of work. No previous experience is required and experimentation and creativity is highly encouraged.

Grading is based on the following: successful completion of all assignments, class webjournals, class participation and attendance. Don't be late to class. It makes me mad. Also no cellphones, beepers, pagers, alarm clocks, or sirens.

Laptops may be used in class to take notes, however when one of your fellow students is presenting their work please make sure to close all computers. No Facebook eyes. (I can tell)

This syllabus will be updated weekly with links and notes.

Class 1: Tuesday, July 5th

• Class introductions
• Overview of Course
• Demonstration
  • Creating a Quick and Easy blog header graphic
  • Photoshop Intro-Pixels, selection tools, cut and paste.
  • Easy Lower Thirds in Photoshop
  • Disussion: History of Photomanipulation
  • Demonstration: The Infinite Canvas in photoshop, resizing the canvas, shape tools, layer styles.
• Assignment:
• Create a basic wordpress blog for yourself. This will be where all your assignments will be kept, so you'll want to consider the overall structure. Each week, assignments will be documented and posted here.
• In class exercise: Replace the basic header image of your blog with an simple image you create in photoshop.
• Post your url in the class blog links above.
• Assignment:
• Create a digital photomontage that distorts a location or tells a brief story
• Due next class.
• Create a vimeo account if you don't already have one.

Class 2: Thursday, July 7th

• View Photo Montage assignment
Discussion/Demonstration Photoshop, Image Capture/Manipulation
• You Suck at Photoshop
• Demonstration Photoshop Lower Third: Smart Objects, Shape layers, Clipping Masks, textures.
• Demonstration Photoshop: Filters, Image Adjustment layers, Curves, Hue/Saturation,
• Homework Assignment: Create a NEW poster for a film assigned to you randomly in class.
  

Class 3: Tuesday, July 12th

• Critique poster assignment
• Intro to Type: Serif vs Sans-Serif, X-height, Font Weights, Style
• Typography for Video part 1: Title saef, The Character Pane, Broadcast-safe colors, SPELLING,
• Fonts and Shoe sizes.
• Typography for Video part 2: Repoussé Effect, Text on a path, Extruding and Inflating type
• Assignment: Create a layered character in photoshop

Class 4: Thursday, July 14th

• Principles of animation: squash and stretch, keyframing, old techniques and new.
• View: after effects examples
• Intro to after Effects: Transform menu: rotation, size, position, anchor point.
• View interstitial animations for Mtv, Comedy Central, Adult Swim
• Assignment: Animate your character from week 3 in an interstitial animation sequence Due Thursday July 21st (10 sec) This character should inhabit a world completely created by you in photoshop with scanned or found imagery.

Class 5: Tuesday, July 19th

• After Effects: 3d Objects and Cameras
• In class exercise: push and pull cameras within a scene.
• Assignment: continue working on your interstitial animation sequence.

Class 6: Thursday, July 21st

• Review interstitial animation sequence animations
• Watch title sequences: Weeds, Herbst, Dinner for Schmucks, The Borgias
• Demonstration: Masking, Rotoscoping and Multiplicity.
• In class assignment: TOO MANY VANS!
• Assignment: Design a 20-30 second title sequence for a television show based on a genre. Due July 28th.
• Read: http://www.artofthetitle.com/

Class 7: Tuesday, July 26th

• After effects: Null Objects, lighting, puppetry tools.
• Work on title sequence.

Class 8: Thursday, July 28th

• Review Title sequences.
• Discuss lightsabers, blood, guts and smoke.
• In class assignment: Create a lightsaber.
• Assignment: Create a visual effect using masking and the graphics package I gave you in class. Due August 2nd

Class 9: Tuesday, August 2nd

• Review Visual Effects.
• Keying, Speed, Text effects
• Animatics
• Final: Create an original short animation (less than 3 minutes) ((longer than 1 minute)) This piece is due August 11th as part of an online reel of work created in this class.
• Assignment: Storyboard final and bring to next class.

Class 10: Thursday, August 4th

• Present animatics
• Guest Speaker

Class 11: Tuesday, August 9th

• Work on final portfolios in class.

Class 12: Thursday, August 11th

• Present final portfolios.