NOTE: This course is cross-listed as IDIA 619 and PBDS 668. The U.B. Bookstore has filed books only under PBDS.
I. Course Objectives
- To explore the difference between presentational media typical of the mass-production era (print, radio, cinema, TV) and the so-called new media that emerge with networked information systems.
- To introduce what Janet Murray calls "procedural composition"--the control of media elements through scripting--as the foundation of multimedia design.
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To investigate the structural and aesthetic possibilities of interactive software.
- To acquaint visual and information designers with Macromedia Flash, a powerful and accessible authoring tool.
II. Required Texts
- Janet Murray, Hamlet on the Holodeck (MIT)
- Chrissy Rey, Macromedia Flash MX (Macromedia)
- Russell Chun, Macromedia Flash MX Advanced (Peachpit)
- Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Nick Montfort, eds., The New Media Reader (MIT)
- Additional handouts supplied by instructor
The New Media Reader may not be available in time for this class. If you find it in the bookstore, purchase a copy. If it is not in stock there, wait for further information.
All other books should be available in the UB Bookstore. If you do not find them, try another local bookstore or order online.
III. Readings
There are two types of reading in this course: technical and theoretical. The former will offer practical exercises and explanations designed to teach production skills you will need for assignments. The latter provide conceptual, historical, and cultural background that will allow you to understand multimedia work in a context that goes beyond immediate demands of the market.
Because this is not a software training course but an exploration of ideas and design principles, I expect full attention to both types of reading.
IV. Assignments
The following are brief, preliminary descriptions meant to give some idea of the practical work planned for the course. The actual assignments will be given out in class and posted on this Web site. I reserve the right to alter these assignments as we go. However, while the number and scope of assignments may go down they will not increase.
- Assignment 1: Index Page
- Produce a simple Web page that will serve as index for all further
assignments.
Upload this page by FTP to your account on the student server.
One week.
- Assignment 2: Banner Advertisement
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Create an animated banner advertisement designed to elicit viewer engagement or
click-through.
Two weeks.
- Assignment 3: Handhelds
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Produce a simple multipage information browser for export to a multimedia-capable handheld computer or PDA. (This project will be done in emulation; you do not need to own a handheld device.)
Three weeks.
- Assignment 4: Arcade Game
- Using animation and scripting techniques, produce an arcade-style computer game for either desktop PC or handheld.
Three weeks.
- Assignment 5: Virtual Tour
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Using animation and visual transitions, create a multi-path tour of an information space.
Visual content may come from photographs, video capture, hand drawings, or 3-D renderings.
Transitions may involve wipes or dissolves as well as sequential animations or embedded video.
Three weeks.
- Assignment 6: Emergent Structure
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Create a project that uses random or programmed selection from a range of component Movie Clips to create complex, unpredictable behavior.
Three weeks.
V. Peer Response
For assignments 2 through 5 you will respond to your peers' work and receive their responses in turn. I will take peer responses into account when assigning your grades.
For these assignments I will ask each of you to look at the work of three classmates, giving brief comments and a numerical score. You will receive your peer responses, minus respondents' names, along with my evaluation of your work. Your grade does not depend in any formal way on the peer responses, though I do consider both scores and comments.
More detailed information about peer responses will be given out as the first round comes due.
Because of the late due date of the final assignment no peer response is required.
VI. Deadlines
Except in case of illness or legitimate emergency, or as otherwise allowed in the assignment, the following rules apply:
- All assignments are due at the beginning of the class meeting
listed on the syllabus. "Due" means accessible from your index page on the student server.
I will not accept work on removable media (e.g., floppies, Zips, CD-ROMs).
Likewise, files not properly named and linked do not count
even if they are on the server in some form.
You must finish work on time so your classmates can
write their peer reviews.
- Late work will not receive peer reviews. In order to receive a grade
above B+, a project must be available for peer response.
- You may not submit any assignment later than 48 hours after deadline.
- Peer responses are due at the beginning of the class following the assignment due date. They may not be submitted late.
VII. Grading Formula
| Assignment 1 | 5% |
| Assignment 2 | 15% |
| Assignment 3 | 20% |
| Assignment 4 | 20% |
| Assignment 5 | 20% |
| Assignment 6 | 20% |
There is no grade component for peer reviews, but you will be penalized if you do not turn them in. For each peer response not submitted the negligent reviewer loses one-half grade step on the assignment under review.
If you are assigned to respond to a project but your classmate misses the deadline, you will not be penalized.
VIII. Lab and Software Policies
The lab fee you paid for this course entitles you to schedule time in the Graphics Lab. Copies of Flash 5 are installed on all Lab machines. Please note that no Windows machines are available in the Graphics Lab. You do not need to purchase Flash MX but I encourage you to do so. Good academic discounts are available from Technology Resource Center, Software Showcase, and JourneyEd. I have had excellent service from all three suppliers in the past.
You may not turn in assignments produced with earlier versions of Flash--use the current version in the Lab.
The version of Flash used for this course is Flash MX (Flash 6).
IX. Platform Recommendations
Here are some suggestions if you plan to work on your own computer:
- Minimum PC
- Intel Pentium 3 or equivalent at 500 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 10 GB hard disk, sound card
and speakers, Windows ME; Macintosh G3 at 500 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 10 GB hard disk, MacOS 9 or later.
- Storage
- I strongly recommend buying a Zip drive.
250MB drives are preferred.
You will need at least one Zip disk
to back up work you do in the Lab.
I recommend two or three for redundant backups.
- Internet Service
- It is possible to do most of your coursework on an isolated machine, but
you will run into problems in two areas: downloading software such as plugins,
and transferring files via FTP. You can do both these things from the Lab
if necessary, but I recommend an inexpensive, dial-up account with
CharmNet
or some other reasonably priced provider.
- Software
- Recommended browsers are Internet Explorer 6 for Windows and Macintosh. Netscape 7 or Mozilla 1.0 are fine alternatives.
- You must download and install the latest plugin for Shockwave Flash from Macromedia. There is no charge.
XI. Class Web Site
This Web site is an important class resource. If you do not have an Internet connection at home, use the Lab to check this site at least once a week. I regularly post updates, news, and other useful materials. Some materials may be available only on the Web site.
All assignments will be distributed on paper. Early versions of the assignment may be posted on the Web site for your information, but they are subject to change until the paper copy is distributed in class.
XII. Appropriated Material
You may borrow graphic elements and sample sounds from professional sources such as stock photo and audio CDs. However, you are responsible for integrating borrowed material successfully into your work. Crude, low-quality scans and samples will limit your results. Also be aware that while students are generally allowed to borrow freely, professionals have no such privilege. Copyrighted materials must be paid for in the real world.
You should look at the code and architecture of multimedia projects whenever you can. You may adapt other people's code on two conditions:
- You acknowledge any relationships in the notes section of your assignment;
- You understand borrowed code well enough to assure that it works without detectable hitches. Problems caused by poorly understood code are your responsibility.
Projects that represent only trivial modifications of borrowed code are not eligible for any grade higher than B.
XIII. Getting in Touch
I will announce office hours after the start of the term. My office is 508 Charles Royal. Reach me by phone at 410/837-5301 or by e-mail at smoulthrop@ubalt.edu. E-mail is always best.
XIV. Other Policies
A complete statement of general academic policies can be found on my Web site. I expect you to have read it.
XV. Course Name
Because of the vagaries of catalog copy this course is incorrectly identified in various places as "Multimedia for the Internet." The actual and more accurate name is "Interactive Multimedia."
