Final Portfolio

The final portfolio for this class will be in both digital and physical form

All digital images should be flattened jpegs (high quality), measuring 1200 pixels in the longest direction.

I will show you how to use image processor to automate this.

Physical objects (essentially, your book) should be handed in last day of class. You will be able to retrieve them within 1-2 days.

All digital files are due in the drop box (in designated folder(s)) by 1pm, Friday 4/30.

The portfolio provides me with an opportunity to assess your growth and development as an artist during this time I've had you in my class. While not a separate assignment per se, it allows me to make a better final evaluation of your work in the course. The portfolio shall consist of images from the following categories. These can be drawn from images already shot for the assignment, or redoes. If you have revised your images, please indicate so in the filename (e.g.: asign1_jordan_resht1.jpg). Again, I will show you a useful techniques to speed up the file naming process.

• Project 1; digital photographic images. Submit strongest three (edit wisely)
• Project 2; digital book (turn in book -- don't worry, you'll get it back ASAP)
• Project 2a; photo-to-movie sequence (.mov file)
• Project 3; false history hoax project
• Project 4; Video project (I have them already; no need to turn in unless revised)
• Project 5; Movie Poster (I have them already; no need to turn in unless revised)
• Project 6; Digital Art Project. Turn in Layered photoshop file and written component.

Open project

Due dates:

2-3 Initial design variations: 4/22

Final piece: 4/29 (last day of class). Print + file. Or other appropriate format (video, for example).

Print specs.: RGB, 8.5 x 11 or 11 x 14; 300 dpi.

Identify an artist or work from the textbook that you find intriguing. Research as much as you can about that artist, specifically what you find interesting. Can be with regard to techniques, concepts, visual strategies, style, etc. You decide. Just be as specific as you can. Write a short description of these aspects. Can be in list form. I will even accept mixed notes/drawings (we are, after all, visual thinkers)! Plan to turn this in with your piece.

Using inspiration* from what you've learned from your "artist friend" above, create a digital art piece. The subject matter, concept, approach/technique is entirely up to you, but it should be something you can be proud of; something that could be displayed in public.

It might also be helpful to think about what we've covered in the class so far and expand on it:

• photo
• photo manipulations
• photo montages
• sequences
• photo to movie
• vector art; hand drawn, live-trace (Illustrator)
• vector and raster together (Illustrator)
• video
• design and layout

also... try scanning objects or textures. This is called a scanogram... using the scanner as a camera. Try layering scanned elements over photos, drawings, etc.

Feeling adventurous? Try a 3-D application like sketch-up or blender, or...? (Entirely up to you)

*Studying the work of an artist you admire can be one of the best ways to learn and stretch into new territory. Talk to any artist and most likely they have their heroes. The idea is not to copy this person's work (although I've seen it done), but to allow yourself to respond to it, be engaged, be provoked or challenged by it. Whether you are responding to their technique, concept, formal concerns, or simply their level of ambition, that's fine. Just be able to identify some sort of connection. And then make art of your own.

Video Due Dates

Tuesday 3/30 initial edit due for preliminary critique screening

Thursday (4/1) Final videos due

Video Promotional Poster

Initial 2-3 comprehensive layouts (“comps”) due Tuesday 4/6. These can be roughed together in Photoshop. Its okay to set type in Photoshop at this stage.

Final poster due: Tuesday, 4/13. Turn in final PDF, PSD (with layers), and Print

Imagine that your video is being screened at national short film festival. Create a movie poster to promote it. Think big. Your final design should consist of imagery, typography, and layout that compellingly sells your video. Think about the genre of your video (comedy, horror, drama, experimental, etc.) and how you might create a design that reflects that. Are there distinctive visuals from your video that you can riff on? What kind of typography will work best? Layout? It will be helpful to look at examples of existing posters within certain genres. A great place to do this is the website:

http://www.impawards.com/

Check out the categories "best" and "worst" from each year. You can learn a lot this way.

Your design should include all the appropriate details for a movie poster, such as title, tagline, actors, credits, images, etc., and should be as believable as possible. Use any and all of the techniques we have covered so far (and perhaps others you invent) to produce your final design. The image content should be created in Photoshop and/or Illustrator, using best practices, such as layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, etc. The final design and typography will be set in InDesign. Don’t work… we’ll go over that soon.

You will have three weeks to create this poster, so your final design should be appropriately developed. Think big!

Critique Questions for Hoax Project Draft 1

Within your groups of three or four, view and discuss the work of each group member.

1. Which of the two comps seems the most convincing, so far?
2. Which design / concept seems to hold the most promise, as a whole?
3. Do the image(s) support the concept in a plausible way?
4. Why or why not? Technical, photoshop reasons? Photographic reasons? Lighting, scale, focus, etc? Design concerns? Other?
5. How could either of the two be improved?
6. Are there positive elements from each that might be combined -- drawing strength from both?
7. Do you think it will "go viral"? What might help?

False History Hoax Project

Due:

Initial 2 comps due 2/23 for class discussion and review

Final image: 3/2

Create an image "documenting" a historical event that never took place , or radically alter the consensus of a well-known event. Requirements:

• Image must combine at least three separate photographic sources
• The event must be easily discerned -- we should be able to "get it"/understand
• All source material must be of good image quality (not pixelated on screen)
• Source images may be appropriated from the web, scanned, or shot
• Images must be combined in a convincing fashion that suspends disbelief in a photo-realist way
• To do this, take into account lighting, scale, color, masking, context
• Photoshop selection and masking techniques *as demonstrated in class* must be used and evident in files.
• Two initial comps, one refined image
• If you can make the image "go viral" on the web (and prove it!), you get extra credit. It might be useful to choose a timely subject to do this.

Project II; Digital Book / Sequence

Due dates:

2/9; most of the shooting should be completed

2/16; review of final sequences in critique

3/2; last date for handing in physical books (this should provide ample time for production, delivery, etc.)

Plan, shoot and assemble a creative photographic sequence. The subject matter is entirely up to you, but strive to create something meaningful. Go beyond one-liner laughs and try to engage on multiple levels. The sequence of photographs can illustrate a narrative or theme. It can be helpful to story-board this or plan it out some in advance. There should be some sort of logic behind the order of the images so that meaning unfolds from image-to-image.

The final sequence will be assembled into a digital book using iPhoto (or Blurb, or some other application). The final assignment needs to be in printed book form. Alternatively, if you are interested in book arts and already have these skills, you may certainly create your own prints/book/binding.

Project I, update and critique

Some updates to this project:

All due on Thursday 1/28

• Never mind the flicker! We'll just use Bridge for critique.
• At critique time, all your images must be on your class computer.
• Edit your images down to top 10-15 to show to the class for critique. Filter and flag them accordingly. Please review your choices with instructor today in class (1/26)
• 5 of the above images must be refined in Photoshop using the skills as we've covered them in class. These include:

1. Tonal range curves
2. Brightness curves
3. Contrast curves
4. Local adjustment strategies (dodge and burn, etc.)
5. Sharpening layer

• Label all layers
• Turn in 10-15 files into the drop box. They should all be .psd. Five of them should have the adjustments.
• Only correctly labelled files will be graded: (Lastname_project#_file#.psd). Use batch rename in Bridge to make this easier.

Food for Video Thought

Its time to reserve your equipment now. All your footage / clips need to be shot/generated by March 11 (the last class before spring break). This will give you ample time for editing/reshooting/producing. We will talk about story-boarding and planning over the next few weeks.

Remember that you can use video cameras from the Sanford Media Center. Also acceptable: if your camera phone does video, that's a low-fi option, but make sure you use good production techniques (some kind of stabilization like a tripod or beanbag support). Also, you can create a video completely out of still images (photos, drawing, etc.). Using something like photo-to-movie (which we have) is a neat tool for this.

Get creative!

All of these come from the One Minute video site. You guessed it... your video project will clock in at 1-minute. Check out these links to get you going with some possible approaches. Others can be found at the site (link located on the bar to the right)... some ranging from profound to clever, to downright odd.

Dramatic narrative

Extended moment

Time Lapse Typology

Performance Art

Weird

Resolution Slides

File Types

• PSD; Photoshop file. Native to Photoshop, the optimal file type for Photoshop work
• Tiff; Tagged Image File Format. Most universal, widely supported file type. Can support layers and wide functioning in Photoshop. Lossless compression (no loss of quality with file size reduction)
• Jpeg; Joint Photographic Experts Group. Common image type from digital cameras, widely used on internet for photographs, due to small file size. Excellent for web use. Lossy compression; varying degrees of quality loss and file size reduction. Limited editing headroom.

Project I

Final Images Due 1/28; Images uploaded to flickr.com by class time; Layered photoshop files to drop box.

All images must be shot by Tuesday 1/26

Plan to shoot 50-100 images. Edit down to top 5 to turn in.

Choose one of the following topics:

1. In search of human emotion. Capture the four archetypal emotions photographically, in a way that conveys the power of these emotions. Sad / mad / glad / scared.
2. The decisive moment. Taking a cue from the famous street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, create a group of images that operate within the decisive moment. Put yourself right in the crux of the moment, when time seems to slow down and see if you can nab those elusive events, gestures, expressions that express volumes.
3. Create one photograph per minute for a whole hour (or more). Basically you have one minute to find, compose, shoot and move on... (If you're wondering, I *will* be checking those time stamps!). Where does this bring you, visually? Find an interesting place to begin the exercise.

Some useful links:

Susan Lakin: Scream

Elinor Carucci

Bettina von Zwehl

Arno Rafael Minkkinen

Diane Arbus

Nan Goldin

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Weegee

Jacob Aue Sobol

Podcast 2

Podcast 1