Feld's Digital Applications Classes

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Third Quarter

One of the most important projects we have to complete in our Digital Applications Classes is the "Alumnae Reunion Movie." This year the reunion is scheduled for March 19th (Saturday). Which means that the whole project has to be ready before March 11, 2011. We have to take in consideration that in February we're having our "Winter Break" (No Classes from 2/17/11 - 2/21/11). Kairos XXI will take place from 3/15/11 - 3/18/11. I need your cooperation to make this happen! Sister Carla has entrusted us with this assignment and we cannot let her down, nor let down the Alumnae and Sisters of Saint Basil attending the reunion.

The idea is to create a short movie (3 - 4 minutes long) with the scanned pictures of the years you were assigned. The "Title Slide" will be the first slice in your movie - make sure it's at least 8 seconds long (you can trim it down later). You will add a title (moving title of your choice), e.g. "The 70's." The add the picture you scanned and change the Ken Burns effect on every other picture. Pay attention to the timings, you don't want the slides to move too fast or too slow. The have to have the right amount of time to add transitions. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld. You will also add music of your choice, corresponding to the years you were assigned (music of the 80's for the 80's music, etc.).

This year the Alumnae Reunion is for Alumnae that graduated in the years ending in "1" and "6," e.g. 1981 and 1986. We will scan pictures of former SBA students from the following years: 1931, 1936, 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006. I already divided the class in groups of two and three and you will create this iMovie with the scanned pictures (and other pictures from yearbooks and in the envelopes Mrs. Bilotta gave us). When completed, the group movies will be converted to Full Quality QuickTime movies (best quality) and I will put all of them together to create the final project.

I need you to be very organized when you scan these pictures. Please create folders for each year. Also, you may have to fix or enhance some of these photos (ask Mrs. Feld if you have any questions). These pictures have to be available for everyone in your group, in case some of you are absent. After scanning them, I need you to put them in the Digital Applications Folders so that I can move them to the iLife06 folder in the Server. To save time in your movies you may also want to create a few collages with 4 or 6 pictures.

You are creating a "Title Slide" in Photoshop for your movie with important events, and things that represent your group's year(s). When completed please convert into a JPEG (if not it will look all red in your iMovie). Save it as both a PSD file and a JPEG and put these titles slides in your DA-3rd Quarter Folder in the Server. Then, organize the pictures in iMovie to your liking and insert transitions and visual effects. The pictures should move fast (but not extremely fast). Take in consideration that the visual effects reduce the timing of your photo clips. The transitions should be set to about 0:14 (no more than one second). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me.

You should also add some titles and a few quotes from the yearbooks of your years in your iMovies. Get creative!

This project will be the biggest grade during this Third Quarter. Instead of giving you Tests and Quizzes, I will take in consideration the work you do for this project, your interest, your dedication and care. You should delegate responsibilities carefully between group members and accept responsibility for your final product. Thanks for your understanding!

Also, the Textbook Exercises No. 2, 3 and 4 will be included in the Third Quarter Grade; so if you haven't done these ones, please do so before the end of the quarter. If you didn't do the Second Quarter Magazine Cover Exercise you can also complete it this quarter for Extra Credit. You should also do the Photoshop Exercise "Like Magritte." It is a very creative exercise. I'm hoping that you get inspired to create at least two of these "Magritte Exercises." The idea is to look at some of Rene Magritte's paintings and try to imitate one of them - your own version. Any questions? Please ask Mrs. Feld.

Remember: Look in the PHOTOSHOP Folder in iLife06 > 3rdQ Exercises. You can also put in your folder any of the exercises we did in class. Make sure you have a "Best Digital Art" folder in your Digital Applications folder in the Server - the work we will print for the Digital Art exhibit. I appreciate your cooperation!

Friday, January 07, 2011

Midterm - January 2011

As you know, this month you are having your Midterm Exams. Next week we will review for your Digital Applications Exam.

For the Midterm please study from the Tests, quizzes and puzzles you had the First and Second Quarters. You should study from your notes and the PowerPoint Presentations I showed and explained in class (iLife, iMovie, About Copyrights, Digital, Photoshop Review, Resolution & File Formats and Digital Cameras). If you need to print the outlines of these presentations, you can find them in the iLife06 Folder (under MIDTERM) in the Server. You should know the following:

1. What is “digital”? What is the “etymology” of the word
“digital”?

2. What is a “digital system”? What does the term “digitize" mean?

3. What are “binary numbers”?

4. What are “bits,” “bytes,” “kilobytes,” “megabytes,” and “gigabytes”?

5. What is a “digital camera”? What are the main parts of a digital camera?

6. What are “pixels”?

7. What are “bitmaps”?

8. What are “picture files”?

9. In digital technology, what is the meaning of “resolution”? Why is good resolution important?

10. What is a “megapixel”?

11. What does the word “multimegapixel” mean?

12. What are “file formats”? Name at least four and define.

13. Which are the three most popular digital file formats used in the Internet?

14. What is the name of the file format ideal for storing “photorealistic” pictures with high color definition - which is mostly used in the printing and publishing industries?

15. Which format do we use to compress digital movies and acts as a container for many different types of multimedia?

16. What is “Photoshop”?

17. What are “filters” in Photoshop? Why do you use them?

18. What are “layers” in Photoshop? Why do you use them?

19. What are “LCD” screens? What does “LCD” stand for?

20. What does it mean that computer files are “platform independent”?

21. What is “interpolation”?

22. What is “compression”? What is “lossy” compression? What is “lossless” compression?

23. How do you “desaturate” an image in Photoshop?

24. How do you “deselect” a command in Photoshop?

25. What are the following Keyboard Shortcuts? Command-Z, Command-A, Command-J, Command-U, Command-N, Command-Shift-U, Commant-T, Command-C, Command-V.

26. What does the term “pixelated” mean?

27. Mention at least six of the tools we use in Photoshop and describe them.

28. What are “Copyrights”?

29. What is “iLife”? Which applications form part of the iLife Suite of Products?

30. Define these “iLife” programs. What are they?

31. What is the “Ken Burns Effect”?

You will also have a Photoshop Exercise. Please review: how to use the different tools in Photoshop (especially the Move Tool, Rectangular and Elliptical Marquee Tool, Magnetic Lasso Tool, Crop Tool, Paint Bucket Tool, History Brush Tool, Eraser Tool - the ones we used in class), how to create a "Feathered Vignette," how to add a frame to an image (using Edit > Stroke), how to change the color of an image (using Hue/Saturation), how to change the Brightness/Contrast of an image, how to add filters, how to desaturate, how to duplicate layers, how to add an image to a picture or new document. Basically, review how you created the exercises of the First and Second Quarter.

Please check the MIDTERM folder in iLife06 in the Server to review the information that will be included in your exam. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.

Monday, January 03, 2011

January 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday Vacation! This month we will continue with the Second Quarter Photoshop Exercises, including some Textbook Exercises. Please check the 2ndQ Exercises Folder under PHOTOSHOP in iLife06. You can find the instructions for the Textbook Exercises in the "Textbook Exercises" Folder. We will also have our Midterm this month. We will review the week before exams.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Mrs. Feld.