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DPS2 Syllabus v1.0

Art 4930C

 


Course Overview

Final projects from the previous semester will be viewed at the start of the semester. This serves as a refresher for those continuing on in DPS2, and provides an opportunity for new faculty to see a starting point for the students in the course.

DPS 2 is an interdisciplinary course, it is expected that the projects balance computational skills with aesthetic considerations. The instructor is the “client” for projects presented and defended by the student. The projects must be challenging and designed to hone particular skills of interest to the student. These projects should be thought of in terms of inclusion in a portfolio, whereby they show off that particular skill

The course will cover more advanced versions of what the students completed in DPS 1. The students are encouraged to introduce procedural or basic programatic practices in their projects.

The projects for DPS 2 will cover

1.     2-D digital imaging advanced Photoshop techniques , DBN (design by numbers). Those who feel more adventurous can try Processing which is an evolution of DBN.

2.      Video. Composition techniques. Structure and syntax. Students will create their own soundtracks using audio generating scripts. No canned music will be permitted except as samples for their own compositions.
 

3.      Time-based Interactivity Introduction to Director and  to tools such as MaxMsp or PD (Pure Data), which are state of the art (PD is free) interactive audiovisual composition tools.
 

4.     Animation. (2D traditional, Flash, or 3D animation, digital or analog.)

Objectives 

It is anticipated that DPS2 student projects should be encouraged for public dissemination. In this fashion, selected projects may serve future generations of students, as well as informing the public at large about the diversity and quality of projects possible in Digital Arts and Sciences.

Although specific skills and tools are introduced, DPS courses are primarily about "process”. A very important aspect of the course is the proper and detailed documentation of every project. Failing to do so will adversely affect your grade.

Projects Due: April 18

Public Presentation at the REVE: April 19

Post-mortem: April 20

 

Instructor

Name

E-mail

Office

Office Hours

Phone

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Arturo Sinclair

arturos@ufl.edu

FAC 119

Wed/Fri  9-12

352 392 0201 ext 258

 

 
 
Required coursework
1. readings (see participation below) 
2. in and out of class-assigned exercises
3. 3 individual projects
 
Grading

Grading Scale:

90-100
86-89
80-85
76-79
70-75
66-69
60-65
59-
below

A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D

F

 

Overall Components: 

Participation/preparedeness:
Excercises (non term-related):
Project:

Quizzes

10%
10%
60%
20%

 

Participation components: 

Reading, responses/discussion
Notebook: exercises/journal
(Blog, web)

Project components:

Brainstorming,
Sketches, Proposal
Storyboard/Visual

Prototyping
Final Product



Note
: If a student changes a project he/she is required to complete all phases (brainstorming/proposal/storyboard etc.) for the new project.

Project Evaluation Students will be evaluated through studio assignments based on technical proficiency with the various software applications, aesthetic application, problem solving and critical thinking, and participation in class discussions.

Required Texts These books are available at Goerings or can also be bought via Amazon.

The Language of New Media
by Lev Manovich (Author)

MIT Press; ISBN: 0262632551; (March 7, 2002)

Design By Numbers
(this is optional since the documentation is online, but I  strongly recommend getting a hard copy)
by John Maeda

The MIT Press; Reprint edition (October 1, 2001)
ISBN: 0262632446

Philosophy

How should I approach this course?

Try to define and create a production worthy of your considerable talents. Because you will be devoting so much time and effort, you are strongly encouraged to choose something that is not only educational, but with which you'll have fun.

What type of production?

Examples of productions include, but are not limited to, hypermedia fiction; information, model and scientific visualizations; semi-automatically generated physical sculptures, paintings, and sketches, that are in some way created or treated differently than they would be in a traditional art studio course; computer music software; musical compositions; multi-media theatrical performances; interactive 3D games.
The content can be digital media, but also might be a software program; a non-digital physical artwork; a research paper, based on research and explorations that are outside the traditional mode; or any other physical result stemming from interdisciplinary discipline. The Digital Arts and Science programs offer diversity in content as well as process, and the content of DPS productions is not limited to digital media.

Where do project ideas originate?

Students will propose their own projects. If instructor assistance is needed in the proposal phase, the instructor, and other colleagues as appropriate and desired, will assist students in brainstorming project proposals. Students may work alone or in teams to produce their project. Part of the project proposal will include outcomes for display and review. The instructor will serve more as resource, guide, to provide assistance and expertise as needed rather than as overseer of projects.  

What are the deliverables?

During the semester you will submit material to the instructor for my approval. Some deliverables may require presentation to the entire class.

·       log-book: throughout the term you will keep a log detailing your activities. You shall bring it to all meetings and upload your notes to your project website.

·       the pitch: a one page written project idea, which the student will present and defend orally

·       the formal proposal: a researched project proposal detailing exactly what is to be done and the resources/technologies that will be used. It shall include a contract defining milestones and associate them with concrete due dates.

·       intermediate milestones: from the proposal's contract

·       the final productions: from the proposal's contract

·       post-mortem paper: a retrospective analysis of the production. It should reflect upon what went right, what went wrong, what you would do differently, what you learned, etc.

Final grades

Due to the diversity of possible productions, final grades will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Factors that will be considered shall include:

·       risk/difficulty: ambitious projects shall be viewed with favor

·       quality: give us your best

·       timeliness: failure to meet deadlines and attend class meetings / appointments will affect your grades

·       (perceived) effort: hard work shall be rewarded

Administrivia

Credits: 3

Meeting time & place: FAC 306 Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 to 11:40

Homepage: http://plaza.ufl.edu/arturos/DPS/DPS2/

Prerequisites: DPS 1

Final production due: 12/02

Final production crits: TBA

Policy

Attendance

You are expected to attend all class meetings. You are responsible for all materials covered and announcements made in the class meetings. Should you miss class, it is your responsibility to determine what you missed from your fellow students -- lectures will not be repeated. We will be glad to help you resolve any question you may have, but only if you have first studied the material you acquired from another student.

Deportment

To foster a positive learning environment, you are expected to behave in a professional, courteous manner during class. Arrive on time. Turn off cellphones and other disruptive devices. Stay focused on class activities--engaging in non-class related activities (e.g., checking e-mail, IMing, surfing the web, having non-class related conversations) is prohibited. Failure to abide by these guidelines will--without further warning--adversely affect your grade.

Make-ups

As a rule: there are no make-ups. In certain unusual cases approved by the instructor -- e.g., jury duty, military service, documented illness, etc. -- accommodations will be made. It is the student's responsibility to immediately contact the instructor and supply documentation in a timely manner.

Accommodations of students with disabilities

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodations. Students who will be requesting accommodations must notify the instructor during the first week of class that they shall be making the request and provide the documentation in a timely manner.

Academic dishonesty

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, assignments are individual projects. You are expected to do your own work; individuals who misrepresent work as being their own, submit fabricated data, or otherwise engage in anti-intellectual behavior will be dealt with severely and reported to the Office for Student Judicial Affairs. You may freely use any code presented in the textbook, provided by your instructor, or authored by yourself. You are prohibited from using code from any other source without written permission from the instructor. Remember, sharing your work with another student is a violation of the honor code. For more information consult the Academic Honesty Guidelines section of the University of Florida's Student Guide at http://oss.ufl.edu/STG/

Closing comments

After completion of this course, students will have gained deeper understanding of time management and will have achieved the following:

* Real world deadlines
* Multiple, staggered projects
* Professional experience
* Portfolio quality work

My goal is simple: to help you learn -- both inside and outside the classroom. If you have questions, there is no excuse for not getting help. I hold office hours just for the purpose of helping you, either one-on-one or in small groups. No matter how busy I may look, during office hours, you have priority over everything else. If you have a problem or question, come by and we'll talk about it -- don't put it off.

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