Assignments & Tutorials

January 24, 2008 — cynmccune

Required Readings, Media, Audio Presentations

Assignments, Projects & Links to Tutorials

  • Blogging (200 points): Write a weekly post. Your blog posts should be related to class readings, lecture/discussion, speakers, assignments, events, First Amendment issues, media industry trends and to the impact of new media on the field. You should pick a blog related to the media field of your choice to follow for the semester; this will be another source of information for potential blog posts.
    • Instructor will periodically post/assign a topic question for you to address on your blog, or to post as a comment on the class blog.
    • Establish a links list in your blog’s sidebar. See this blog post for details.
    • You will also write three reflective blog posts about your final multimedia project. The first one is due 4/24 (10 pts.); the second one is due 5/8 (10 pts.); the final one is due by 5/15 (20 pts.).
    • Use AP style when writing your blog posts; also double-check spelling, punctuation and grammar before publishing your blog posts. Errors will result in a lower grade.

  • Class Participation (50 points): Your participation counts. This includes participation in class discussions of readings, project presentations, etc.
  • Photoshop Labs & Project (50 points): You’ll complete three Photoshop labs and a Photoshop header project (see class schedule for class dates and due dates), as follows:
  • InDesign Project & Labs (60 points): Complete two InDesign labs and use your Photoshop and InDesign skills to complete an InDesign project, as follows:
    • InDesign Lab 1: Intro to newsletter production, including placement of text and images. Download ID Lab 1 tutorial (PDF) and Lab 1 files (ZIP)
    • InDesign Lab 2: Newsletter production, con’t. Use InDesign templates and output to PDF for Web distribution. Download ID Lab 2 (PDF) and Lab 2 files (ZIP).
    • InDesign Project: Create four page designs with text and graphics. Choose from the following: advertisement, newspaper front page, newspaper inside page, newsletter front page, newsletter back page (mailer page), magazine cover, magazine inside page, photo spread for newspaper or magazine, book cover or poster. At least three of the pages must have different formats (e. g., you can do only two advertisements, only two newspapers pages or only two photo spreads). Save as IDD files (for future editing) and as PDFs (for Web distribution).
  • Web page project (100 points): Use Dreamweaver to create a simple web page for this class. You will add content and new hyperlinks to your web page throughout the semester. Your web page should include:
    • Header or header elements of your own design.
    • Hyperlinks to your blog, the class blog and to your class projects (including your blog header, one or more sample InDesign layouts [jpg or pdf], an iMovie project, a podcast, and your final multimedia project).
    • A 110×110 photo should accompany/illustrate each hyperlink on your web page [take screen shots of your projects, resize in Photoshop, save for the web].
    • Follow FTP directions to upload your web page and all associated files to your folder in the class web site.
  • Flash project (50 points; 5% of grade): Use flash to prepare a simple animation and post it to your web site.

  • Video projects & labs (150 points; 15% of grade): To prepare for your video project, you will complete two lab exercises, as follows:
    • iMovie tutorial #1 (pdf) — Create a simple Quicktime movie using the iSight cameras in the iMac computers in DBH226. (20 pts.)
    • iMovie tutorial #2 (pdf) — Combine skills learned in previous labs (Photoshop, Fetch, iMovie #1) with the screen capture utility Grab to create a video and post it on your blog. (30 pts.)
    • iMovie project — Create a story board; shoot and edit a 2- to 3-minute video with audio using iMovie; add a title slide and transitions; upload it to the class server; link it to our class blog and your class web page. (100 pts.)
  • Podcasting project & labs (50 points): In addition to completing the lab exercises listed below, create two 5-10 minute podcasts at least one podcast or audio piece as part of your final multimedia project. You may post it on the class server with an RSS feed, or use a podcast hosting service such as PodOmatic.com. Be sure to include a link to your podcast/audio file on your blog and on your class web page.
    • Audacity Lab 1 (pdf): This lab introduces audio editing using Audacity, a free open-source audio wave form editor. In this lab, you will download this sample audio file in WAV format and use Audacity to edit the audio file and export it in MP3 format. (20 pts.)
    • Telling Stories with Sound, a News U tutorial. To complete this tutorial, log in to News U, click on the Courses tab > Course List > Online/Multimedia > Telling Stories with Sound; when you’re done, email me a course report. You must submit a course report to receive a grade for this tutorial.
    • RSS Lab 1 (pdf): This lab introduces the use of RSS feeds to subscribe to changing online content. For this lab, you will use Google Reader to subscribe to an RSS Feed.
    • Apple’s resource page on making a podcast includes all the information you need to set up your audio files as podcasts and make them available through iTunes.
  • Social media (50 points): Review the Getting Linked blog post for details.
    • Try out a form of social media that you haven’t tried before. Put a link to your social media site of choice on your blog. Some candidates include:
      • Networking/media-sharing sites like MySpace, Facebook, FriendFeed, Virb
      • Messaging/sharing services like Twitter
      • Photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa, Shutterfly and Snapfish, etc.
      • You might also want to check out
    • Establish a Linked In page. Put a link to your Linked In page on your blog. Add some of your classmates as Linked In contacts. (Due by 5/6)
  • Multimedia project (200 points; 20% of grade; individual or small team): Plan, develop and tell a serialized/multi-part story online using multimedia. Submit a storyboard to the instructor for review and approval prior to proceeding with this project. This project should include the following elements:
    • A web site (home page, plus at least one support web page) or blog (use WordPress for its “pages” feature) or wiki that is devoted to your project. Be sure to link your project home page to your blog and your class web page.
    • Episodes/segments consisting of:
      • web pages or blog posts/pages or wiki pages
      • podcasts (or audio files linked to your project home page/blog)
      • video(s) and/or slideshow(s)
      • photos and/or illustrations
    • Photos on your main page representing (and linked to) the episodes of your story.
    • A related RSS feed that is compliant with podcast reading tools so people can subscribe to your story (note: blogs come with RSS feeds).
    • You will also complete three reflective blog posts about your final project. (See Blogging category near the top of this page; also click on the link above for a full description.)

Multimedia Lab/Tutorial:

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