I. Required Texts
- Derek Franklin and Brooks Patton, Macromedia Flash 5! Creative Web Animation
- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen
- Janet Murray, Hamlet on the Holodeck
- Additional handouts supplied by instructor
II. Readings
There are two types of reading in this course: technical and theoretical. The former consists of practical exercises and explanations designed to teach you production skills you will need for assignments. The latter includes reflections about various multimedia texts, and an example of such a text (Watchmen).
Because this is not simply a software training course but an exploration of ideas and design principles, I expect you to pay full attention to both types of reading.
III. Assignments
These are brief, preliminary descriptions meant to give you some idea of the practical work planned for this course. The actual assignments will be given out in class and posted on this Web site. Later postings will contain more detail and specific requirements.
- 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 Crow.
- Assignment 2: Banners
- Create a series of banner advertisements, including at least one in
which you demonstrate a strategy for eliciting further engagement
(a "through-click"), and another in which you do as much as you can to
break with the usual conventions of banner ads.
- Assignment 3: Multimedia Narrative
- Create a Flash piece that tells a linear story using words, images,
sound, and animation.
- Assignment 4: A Navigable Site
- Construct a Flash piece with several points of interaction or variation
dependent on user input. This may be either an instrumental (business) or
aesthetic (creative) project.
- Assignment 5: Final Project
There will probably be three options for this assignment:
- Propose a project that applies or tests a theoretical
proposition put forward by Janet Murray or one of the other theorists we will encounter this term; or that proves some interesting point of your own about interactive multimedia;
- Build an ambitious proof-of-skill or proof-of-concept project for your professional
portfolio;
- Undertake special project whose nature will be announced.
- Propose a project that applies or tests a theoretical
proposition put forward by Janet Murray or one of the other theorists we will encounter this term; or that proves some interesting point of your own about interactive multimedia;
IV. Peer Response
For assignments 2-5, you will respond to your peers' work and receive their responses. 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 becomes due. For the moment, note that this is a major requirement of the course.
V. Deadlines
In last year's class, no student who finished the course missed any major deadline. I expect the same performance this year. Except in case of illness or legitimate emergency, 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 Crow.
I will not accept work on floppies or Zip disks.
Likewise, files not properly named and linked do not count
even if they are on the server in some form.
It is essential that you finish work on time so that your classmates can
perform 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.
VI. Grading Formula
| Assignment 1 | 10% |
| Assignment 2 | 20% |
| Assignment 3 | 20% |
| Assignment 4 | 20% |
| Assignment 5 | 30% |
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 it comes in late, you will not be penalized.
VII. Lab and Software Policies
The lab fee you paid for this course entitles you to schedule time in the Graphics Lab and to use machines in the Hypermedia Room whenever it is available. Copies of Flash 5 are installed on all Windows machines in the Hypermedia Room and are accessible from all the Macintoshes in the Graphics Lab. You do not need to purchase Flash, but I encourage you to do so. Good academic discounts are available from Technology Resource Center, Software Showcase, and JourneyEd.
You may not turn in assignments produced with earlier versions of Flash--use the current versions in the Lab. Flash 5 has been substantially upgraded from its predecessors. Any flaws deriving from use of outdated software will count against your grade.
VIII. Platform Recommendations
Here are some suggestions if you plan to work on your own computer:
- Minimum PC
- Intel Pentium or equivalent at 200 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 5 GB hard disk, sound card
and speakers, Windows 95/98/NT; Macintosh PowerPC at 200 MHz or faster, 64 MB RAM, 5 GB hard disk, MacOS 8.0 or later.
- Storage
- I strongly recommend buying a Zip drive (100 MB will do).
You will need at least one Zip disk
to back up any 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
- Microsoft Internet Explorer is preferable to Netscape Navigator.
(This is probably the result of illegal business practices, but it's nonetheless true.)
At this writing, the current version of MSIE is 5.5 for Windows and 5.0 for Macintosh. The latest Navigator is 6.0 for Windows and 4.7 for Macintosh.
- You must download and install the latest plugins for Shockwave from Macromedia. You should also install Quicktime 4 from Apple (and yes, it works just fine in Windows).
IX. Getting in Touch
My office hours this term will be Thursdays noon till 4:30 PM, Thursdays again from 8:30-10:00 PM, and Saturdays after class as needed. My office is 508 Charles Royal. Reach me by phone at 410/837-5301 or by e-mail at samoulthrop@ubmail.ubalt.edu. E-mail is always best.
X. Other Policies
A complete statement of general academic policies can be found on my Web site. I will assume you have read it.
