DDSGN Animation for the Web with Adobe Flash

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1 1 of 5 6/29/2009 3:08 PM Instructors Info: DDSGN Animation for the Web with Adobe Flash Spring, 2009 Room: Sunrise 121 Prereq's: CIS 121 or permission Section: 1823 AS 5 Credits 3/30-6/8 (Finals due 6/10) Brian Martin Office: Olympic 313 Office Hours: M 3:30-4:30 pm; T, W, Th, F 11:30 am -12:30 pm bmartin@pierce.ctc.edu Telephone: Course Description: Development of a variety of techniques to create Web animations using Adobe Flash. Student will create Web banners, interactive photo galleries and character animation. Course explores different animation theories and techniques and analyzes their impact on an audience. A PDF of this syllabus is available here. Course Help: Since this is a virtual classroom, there are no set meeting times (duh.) I am available during office hours as mentioned above, but for those of you that work, I can stay late on any Monday and most Wednesdays. All you have to do is make an appointment by calling or ing. Appointments need to be scheduled at least one day in advance and if done by , do not assume it's scheduled until you receive an acknowledgement from your instructor. Online Lessons: The class lessons are all online at the LESSONS tab above. Each of the online training modules is broken down into smaller parts for better pacing. The average segment is minutes in length with 2-4 segments comprising one complete lesson (they are listed as part one, part two, etc.) The lessons are fairly condensed as to not be too long winded, so don't feel bad if you need to listen to one more then once. It is recommended to view the modules on a high speed connection as the files sizes run 4-12 megs, with some later modules being upwards of 20 megs. For those that don't have a high speed connection at home, the Pierce College computer labs have over 40 hours of open lab time during the week and on the weekends. Here's a link to the Fort Steilacoom lab hours and the Puyallup Computer Center web site. Responsibility: Each student is responsible for having a working account that does not filter out instructor and is checked by the students regularly if they submit questions to the instructor via . The instructor will check the above address a couple times a week for potential student questions. Any s sent to the instructor on a weekend will be responded to when the work week commences again. No, we are not a 24/7 service bureau. Web Site Responsibility: Each student will be given 100 megs of space on a live internet server for use during this class and are required to use it for uploading all assignments. Students are reminded that anything placed on their web site is required to follow all of student conduct rules required of all Pierce College Students. It is in your best interest to read this document and ask your instructor if you have questionable content on any of your web assignments. Students are also reminded that 100 megs will be large enough for twice the size of all of the assignments due this quarter and should police themselves if they run out of space. Lastly, any malicious computer content

2 2 of 5 6/29/2009 3:08 PM uploaded to the class server will result in disciplinary action. Web site addresses and login information will be sent out at the end of the first week of the quarter Class Materials: 1) Brain 2) Adobe Flash CS4 - You can do most all of the assignments with any version of Flash MX or above but there will be a couple where CS4 is needed. The lessons will all be presented in Flash CS4, but using the classic layout. 2) Book Recomendations (this class does not use a book. Below are some recomendations for those that want extra resources.) Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator White Focal Press ISBN: A requirement if you want to be an animator and not just because my name is on the back cover. How to Cheat in Flash CS3: The art of design and animation in Adobe Flash CS3 Georgenes Focal Press ISBN: Just a fun little book that this class is gleeming a lot from, though it has a really stupid title. Foundation Flash Cartoon Animation Jones friends of ED ISBN: More on the production side of webisode type animations. ANY basic Flash book by the guys from friends of ED is worth the cash you'd pay for it IMHO. 3) 2-3 (dozen) CDRs/DVDRs, Thumb drive, etc. Back stuff up - OFTEN 4) An FTP program to upload your files to the web. Filezilla is a free one here. 5) Patience. Animation takes time to make stuff that doesn't suck. Course Outcomes:

3 3 of 5 6/29/2009 3:08 PM Understand the Adobe Flash working environment and its terminology. Gain a working knowledge of all the Adobe Flash tools and their functions. Explore and implement the different types of animation Flash supports. Use Flash's ActionScript to create interactivity in a project. Create Flash banners for websites that will capture and hold viewers attention. Create animated photo galleries for the websites that include user interactivity. Learn to create storyboards and animatics in preparation to make a webisode. Incorporate audio and video and learn how to edit it within Flash. Draw simple characters, prepare them for animation and add expression and motion. Animate a sequence with a soundtrack. Understand different export settings for animations and static images. Evaluate the quality and design of a variety of web animation projects. Outcomes Assessment: All projects and quizzes assigned in and out of class will be assessed on a 5 to 20 point scale, except for the final project which will be worth 50 points. The following table illustrates the assessed attributes and their corresponding point values: Attribute Emerging (1 point) Competent (3 points) Exemplary (5 points) Uses appropriate composition techniques. Uses correct technical attributes. Project makes a intended point. Project follows the class topics for the individual assignment. Grading Scale: Animation suffers from bad composition. Headroom and Leadroom are seldom correct. The rule of thirds is forgotten. Project is hard to see due to bad contrast. Images or parts of images (incl. textures, etc.) disappear. Movement detracts from the presentation. The viewer is confused as to what the project is trying to show. The idea is lost among bad planning and worse execution. few of the requirements of the assignment. Those included detract from the project. Animation has good headroom and leadroom. The rule of thirds is somewhat followed. Objects maintain correct contrast attributes throughout most of the project. Animation flows with few problems that detract from the presentation. With little effort, the viewer is able to understand and follow what the creator is saying. The project is at times disjointed. the requirements of the particular assignment. The elements don't fit well as a whole. Animation consistently maintains good headroom and leadroom. Subjects are constantly aligned and balance well for the subject matter presented. Project has good contrast. The colros and textures are visible with correct attributes for the given scene. Animation is smooth and fluid, fitting within the context of the presentation. The viewer is clearly able to understand what the creator is trying to say. The project idea flows well. all the requirements of the particular assignment. The elements fit well into the project. The following grading table is based upon the submission of all the assignments. Please note that the completion

4 4 of 5 6/29/2009 3:08 PM of ALL assignments is required to earn a passing grade. Having even ONE missing assignment will eliminate the possibility of earning credit in this class. Yes, assignments can be turned in late at a 50% reduction of score. Failure to complete the CIS 121 prereq for this class will result in a 0.0 final grade unless you have prior instructor permission to be in this class. Percentages: Under (Special circumstances will be determined on an individual basis.) Assignment Schedule: Each week the class will have one to two animation assignments that will be available for viewing each Thursday morning by noon. These assignments will be due by midnight the following Wednesday. The final project is due by midnight after the last day of the quarter, Wednesday, June 10th. Deadlines are not extended due to holidays. The last day late work will be excepted for grading is Wednesday June 10th. Each assignment after that will need to be uploaded to your assigned web space. If you have connection issues, you may archive that weeks lesson in a zip format file and it to the instructor to get "on-time" credit. The current assignment will still need to be uploaded to be graded. Students having problems should plan on scheduling time for individual help. Each assignment usually be uploaded in 4 files - The FLA, the HTML, the SWF and the javascript js file. Each group of files will need to be placed in the correct uploaded folder (There will be a lesson on this.) Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a zero grade for the quarter. If you do not understand this, please take your ball and go home. Special Needs: Students with disabilities who believe they may need academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services to fully participate in course activities or meet course requirements are encouraged to register with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) Office in the Sunrise Building. You may also call the ADS Office to make an appointment to meet with the ADS Coordinator at (253) or Students requesting accommodations must obtain the Approved Quarterly Academic Adjustments, Auxiliary Aids or Services (green) form provided by ADS. Emergency Management Plan: Call 911 and then Campus Safety in response to an imminent threat to persons or property. In the event of an evacuation (intermittent horns & strobes), gather all personal belongings and leave the building using the nearest available safe exit. Be prepared to be outside for one hour and stay a minimum of 200 feet from any building or structure. So long as it is safe to do so students are expected to stay on campus and return to class after evacuations that last less then 15 minutes. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed by

5 5 of 5 6/29/2009 3:08 PM an Evacuation Director (identified by orange vests) or by three horn blasts or bell rings. Please notify the nearest Campus Safety Officer or Evacuation Director of any one left in the building or in need of assistance. Phone: Fort Steilacoom Campus Safety (253) or Puyallup Campus Safety (253) Special Rules: For those that just can't get enough: 1) All rules and regulations of Pierce college apply (duh!) 2) The last day to withdraw from class without a failing grade is Friday, May 15th. 3) The instructor (me again - hello) reserves the right to remove any student who is interfering with and disturbing the learning environment and not on task. This can be on a short term or long term basis. *NOTE: This schedule and syllabus as a whole is subject to change at the whim of the teacher. He will tell you of changes though, so you are not expected to read minds. If you miss class, the chance of you catching up easily is about as good as getting a McD's Big Mac that looks like the picture.