Course Syllabus MOORPARK COLLEGE Course Title: Interactive Design Course Number: MM M50 Section Number: 70401 Semester:

Fall 2008 Thursday 6:00pm - 10:50pm Instructor: Tim Rosdahl tim@turbocurl.com trosdahl@vcccd.net cell 805.402.8259 Class website: http://www.turbocurl.com/moorpark/mm50
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Required Text: None

Course Description: This course focuses on the total design of web and interactive media applications. Topics include design issues and methodology, design and implementation of audio, video and 3D elements, production processes, teamwork, compatibility issues, optimization, and testing. Working in teams, students will participate in a directed design and implementation of an interactive media application using Cinema 4D, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Flash.

Course Objectives: Think critically about current trends and developments in Interactive Media. Apply the visual design principles to interface and navigation design. Gain an understanding of the steps involved in the design and production of an Interactive Media Application. Gain an understanding of the technical constraints of designing interactive applications for various deployment options including: Web, Kiosk, Handheld Devices, Game Consoles and large scale installations. Think critically about usability vs. user experience. Develop a complex web based project that utilizes multimedia elements in a team environment. Produce flow charts/mapping during the design phase for a multimedia concept, organizing a body of information for both linear and non-linear presentation. Learn how to adapt the project content, including organizing, editing and synthesizing materials from pre-existing media sources. Incorporate sound, graphics, animation, and video into interactive media projects. Create Interactive Video elements for enhanced functionality. Produce and interactive/multimedia web site project.

Course Procedure: This class meets on a weekly basis. Hour 1 open lab & Q&A (6:00 6:30 pm) and exercise grading (6:30 7:00 pm) Hour 2 and 3 lecture/lab Hour 4 and 5 open lab and group project discussion. During the course, if you find yourself staring at a blank page, stumped, or overwhelmed - ask for immediate help, express your problem and one or more of your classmates, or me will come to your rescue. We will be doing quite a bit of ActionScript coding, its critical that you get feedback from your classmates during this process. A second pair of eyes will go a long way towards writing efficient code and reducing de-bugging headaches. Have fun!

Required Course Materials: The following materials are required for the course. Portable storage at least 1 GB. Photoshop files, high resolution photos, audio and video assets get big fast. A portable hard drive is recommended. Blank CDs. Each group will need to have their own domain name and web hosting space for the final project. The cost for both should be less than $20.00 from many providers. Check out:
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www.godaddy.com
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www.1and1.com
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Access to working copies of the software we are using in class (Flash, After Effects and Dreamweaver) on Mac or PC. Adobe has free trial versions (30 days). The Mac and PC labs will nd be open outside of class (hours posted 2 week). If you are planning on purchasing the software, California Community College students get a significant discount. Check out:
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www.collegesoftware.org
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Course Outline: Week One August 21 Topic: Class Introduction | Working In the Lab | Intro to Flash Class Exercise: Animated Logo Week Two August 28 Topic: Intro to ActionScript 2.0 Class Exercise: Basic Interactivity Final Project - Discussion & Group and Project Selection Week Three September 4 Topic: Intermediate ActionScript 2.0 Class Exercise: Building a simple Flash game Final Project - Project Concept and Blog Setup Due

Week Four September 11 Topic: Intermediate ActionScript 2.0 Class Exercise: Building a simple Flash game Final Project - Team Member Description and Duties Due Week Five September 18 Topic: Designing the framework | Asset Management Week Six September 25 Topic: Intro to ActionScript 3.0 | Planning and Getting Ready Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Final Project - Project Framework Due Week Seven October 2 Topic: Setting up the Timeline | Creating Navigation Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Week Eight October 9 Topic: Working with Text Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Week Nine October 16 Topic: Loading Content Dynamically | Loader Object Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Week Ten October 23 Topic: Creating a Gallery | Working with Data Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Week Eleven October 30 Topic: Working with Video Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Final Project - Work In Progress Week Twelve November 6 Topic: Creating a Pre-Loader | Exporting | Studio Time Class Exercise: Building a Flash Website Week Thirteen Topic: Studio Time November 13

Week Fourteen November 20 Topic: Alternative Input Devices | Using a Webcam to capture motion | Studio Time Final Project - Work In Progress Week Fifteen Holiday - No Class Week Sixteen Topic: Studio Time November 27

December 4

Week Seventeen December 11 Final -- Final Presentations Submit: CD or DVD with your working site folder/files and all related pre-production docs. -- this schedule subject to change --

Assignment Descriptions: There are three types of assignments: Homework - assignments to be completed outside of class. These will usually consist of researching a particular topic, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating pre-existing multimedia projects or gathering content for class projects. Class Exercises - assignments to be completed during class. Final Project - multi-faceted team based project that will span the semester and have multiple deadlines. Students are required to build and maintain a blog that will include the group's weekly activity report. Daily Class Exercises will be graded during the 1 hour of class the following week. Homework will be submitted in hard copy on the due date unless otherwise noted. Final Project evaluation will include weekly progress reports via the project Blog, submitting hard copies of production docs on the due dates, readiness and participation during scheduled WIP crits, and Final Presentation Your group must also submit a CD/DVD containing your working project site folder/files and all related pre-production docs on the final class meeting.
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Grading: There are 1000 points to be earned by participating and completing the following homework, exercises, and final project on schedule: Homework and Participation 200 points Class Exercises 300 points Final Project 500 points The evaluation of the final project is based on the following rubric: Team Organization and Participation BLOG / Deadlines Meeting Project Guidelines and Requirements Technical Design Overall Visual Design Including: - navigation - typography - overall sense of unity - overall use of form, color, composition - 10% - 20% - 20% - 20% - 30%

Each student is expected to participate in discussions by sharing their findings from exercises, following up on requests for more information, asking questions, and commenting. Extra Credit points may be earned throughout the course from special assignments announced periodically. Discussion of related events, articles, websites, etc. is always welcome and appreciated.

Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact ACCESS as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Authorization, based on verification of disability, is required before any accommodation can be made. The phone number for ACCESS is 378-1461 and they are located in the building just to the right of the Campus Center.

Recommended Readings: Books Learning ActionScript 3.0, A Beginner's Guide - by Rich Shupe Essential ActionScript 3.0 - by Colin Moock ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook - by Joey Lott, Darron Schall, and Keith Peters Adobe Flash CS3 Professional HOW-TOs, 100 Essential Techniques - by Mark Schaeffer Best Practice, The Pros on Adobe Flash - by Douglas Easterly Creating a Web Site with Flash CS3 Professional - by David Morris Nintendo Wii Flash Game Creator's Guide - by Todd Perkins Beginning Game Programming with Flash - by Lakshmi Prayaga & Hamsa Suri MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer - by Hillman Curtis Adobe Classroom In a Book - series (software training) Peachpit Press Visual Quick Start Guide - series (software training) Magazines Computer Arts - magazine from UK Photoshop Creative - magazine from UK Imagine FX - magazine from UK Communication Arts - magazine Online www.lynda.com - (software training) www.vtc.com - (software training)
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