Awesome FREE Stock

This great list came across my Twitter stream this afternoon and I thought I'd share with you presenters out there.

It's a collection of the 15 best FREE places for designers and presenters to get stock photography and graphics. Consider this resource as you prepare your web page portfolio for final grading and presentation –you may find some exciting imagery to jazz up your site.

http://sixrevisions.com/resources/15-best-places-for-designers-to-get-free-stock-photos-online/

~mrc

X-Mas Miracle!

Estudiantes!

Can you believe we have just FOUR classes left?! Hopefully, this semester has challenged you to grow, to stretch, and to learn by doing. As the semester draws to a close, I've been thinking about the work you've done and the work still to be done, and you will all really need to knuckle down and focus to bring your various assignments to completion. In order to help you, I'd like to propose that we do some selective paring of items from your final portfolio requirements.

If you have already begun or completed the items below, I will take them into account for additional credit towards your final grade, but if you have not, I have decided that the following items will not be required for your final web page portfolio:

1. Technology review
2. Blog page
3. Instructional podcast
4. Photography portfolio

For many of you, these components are already part of your self-directed 20% Project. For others, I am hopeful that this will give you time to really refine your remaining work, and to revisit and polish as necessary any previous assignments you might have given short shrift.

~mrc

High Noon This Evening

Learning by copying the work of others is a long-established tradition. In this activity, you're challenge is to make as close a copy as you can of a section of this classic trailer for High Noon, a great film from 1952 starring Gary Cooper. Try your best to reproduce the time from 27 seconds in to 117 seconds out. You don't need to buy props or wear costumes –unless you want to! You'll work in teams, and you can enlist additional help as needed.

This is due by the end of our next class, Wednesday the 18th.

~mrc

Art + Design Table Friday

Just a reminder:Art + Design Table meets this afternoon at 4PM at Caffe Peroni's in downtown SoBo. This is an informal social event for all students in Art & Design courses at the SVHEC - adult and high school. The more the merrier, and all are welcome.

~mrc

eBook Skirmish!

Hey, Amazon! Responding to the Barnes & Noble Nook much?

Cheaper price equal to the Nook's debut. Promoting the 3G Wireless and taking pot shots at B&N for free WiFi at their brick and mortar storefronts...

Competition is good.

~mrc

Extra Lab Hours!!

Simple, Brutal, and Brilliant

Who says you need a big production studio and complex effects to make a good commercial?

~mrc





PS - The "Making of" video is equally brilliant!

Homework Due Monday, 10/26 - Read/Watch This, Then Respond

What do you think of Nook, the new e-reader from Barnes and Noble?

Check out this article/review from engadget and post your thoughts in the comments below; specifically:

• Would you use an eReader? Why or why not?
• How does this change things? or book publishers, sellers, writers, and readers?
• Have you heard of or seen other e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle? How does the Nook seem to compare?

~mrc

The Flood Tide

Estudiantes,

Now that we've turned the mid-point in the semester, the end will be here before you know it. There are 12 projects we tackle in this class and from here on, there will be fewer and fewer short-term due dates (i.e. "This project is due next wednesday...") as you work more independently to create and corral the various digital assets produced by your assignments.

As you look to the Course Documents and Support section to the right, you can see the assignment list populating:

Assignment #6 - Photography

Assignment #7 - Portfolio Web Site

Assignment #8 - Interactive Map

Assignment #9 - One-Minute Video

Assignment #10 - Instructional Podcast

Assignment #11 - Technology Review

Assignment #12 - Multimedia Research Project

We'll be adding links to all of these in the coming weeks as you begin building your iWeb website and adding and linking together all the digital assets you've created in class this semester. More to come, so stay tuned!

~mrc

Podcasting!

Konnichiwa!

As you know from class, I am a HUGE fan of podcasts and I hope you will be too! That there is SO much information, analysis, and even entertainment available so easily and so FREE really is a technological marvel. I regularly listen to Macbreak Weekly, The Week in Technology, and This Week in Photography. But what are your favorite podcasts? What are you listening to? What have you found that sounds good, is holding your interest, or that you can't wait for the latest episode to arrive? Post your answer with a link to the iTunes URL in the comments section below and we'll see what the class is listening to.

~mrc

Pre-"Zen"-tation Help

Students,

Below are some AWESOME resources developed by Garr Reynolds, the man behind the website Presentation Zen. We'll be looking at more of his work (AND advice AND guidance) over the course of the semester, but I wanted to bring these few items from him to your attention as you head into the long weekend preparing your SVHEC orientation presentation (see homework due for Wednesday, 9/9).

This first one (immediately below) is a presentation Garr developed to summarize the points in John Medina's (amazing!) book, Brain Rules, that are of particular interest to anyone needing to make a presentation –and that's each of you! Brain Rules is all about how your brain learns, processes information, pays attention and even how it remembers presentations; don't miss this one!

Brain Rules for Presenters

View more documents from garr.

Next up is a very basic, very excellent blog entry, also from Presentation Zen, on using images in slides. If you followed item #1 (above) you'll know how important images are for conveying information and making an impression. A picture truly is worth a thousand words, so read Garr's article for some pointers on how not to abuse these powerful presentation elements.

Lastly, design considerations can often throw non-designers for a loop; an especially damning reality when bad design can sink an otherwise great presentation while good design can buoy a mediocre one. For some guidance, check out Garr's presentation on How to "Think Like a Designer" also on Slideshare. For more details beyond the slideshow, you can read his blog entry on the same topic.

Think Like a Designer

View more documents from garr.

This is a big project, so don't hesitate to ask questions.

~mrc

The Future of Books: A Multimedia Opportunity

Students,

Check out this fascinating article from Fast Company magazine on Amazon, Apple, and the possible future of books. As we begin to consider content and delivery methods in multimedia, the evolving landscape will be shaped by innovative companies like Amazon and Apple. For instance:

• "Publishers could team with authors and multimedia producers to forge a new channel for dynamic e-books that go far beyond linear prose; they may provide a blend of text, video, audio interviews, 3-D maps -- an entire ecosystem of content built on top of the book. For Twilight, the teen-vampire novel by Stephenie Meyer, the multimedia might consist of a video game within the book, mini bios of characters, maps, music, and discussion threads. An interactive element would allow readers to create their own stories, or even their own animated short movies, using the characters in the book. Inevitably, the experience would also include links to products based on the game: T-shirts, action figures, vampire toothbrushes. Suddenly, a book with mere words on a page seems so limited. And not just books. Magazines and newspapers too."

Read the article here. It's a good time to be in multimedia.

~mrc

Weekend Reading

I read two interesting articles from Fast Company magazine over the weekend of interest to this class. Check out Tyler Cowen's article on "Creating your own economy" at:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/137/create-your-own-economy.html

And also the interview with Terminator Salvation director McG, and his predictions for media in the next 36 months at:

http://www.fastcompany.com/terminator

In a nutshell: "Thirty-six months, predicts Terminator director McG: By then, any content you want will be available on your choice of screens, from the one in your pocket to the 100-foot-long version at your local multiplex."

Looking forward to your presentations Monday night.

~mrc

Homework Due Monday 8/31

Multimedia-ists!

Don't forget your homework due Monday, 8/31:

In 10 slides or less design a presentation on "How To Change A Lightbulb." Use whatever slideware you're comfy with (and that's available to you); Powerpoint is common on most PCs, while Keynote is its equivalent on the Apple side, and there's the free browser-based Google Docs. Feel free to use the computer stations at the SVHEC, though the Earp Lab Macs are not always available.

Remember, there is no single "right" answer for this assignment. Don't be intimidated, and consider focusing on a few key things:

1. Be clear
2. Be interesting
3. Be effective

We want to see how you put together a presentation now, because it's likely to be very different from how you will put one together after you've completed this class. So come Monday prepared to present and discuss. 'Can't wait to see 'em!

~mrc

Additional Apple Resources

We realize that virtually everyone in the class is new to the Apple Macintosh Operating system. To help you along then, when neither Mr. McGhee nor myself are available, you can always Google your question (we are big fans of this technique) or you could check out the TONS of information that's available from the Apple support pages.

There are LOADS of short videos and tutorials there to help you figure things out, covering everything from basics for "switchers" to in-depth coverage of specific apps like the iLife suite. So explore and learn something new!

~mrc

Failure and Technology

Wow!

I saw Henry Jenkins speak at Princeton last summer for a conference and he was SUPER engaging. His comments here are particularly relevant to our emphasis on technology, trial-and-error learning, and digital literacy.

I recommend this short video to each of you. Does he suggest things you'd like for us to incorporate into this class? How? Let me know what you think by posting in the comments!

~mrc

* For those who worry about these things, this is NOT a graded assignment; it is purely for your own edification.

Welcome

Welcome to ART 130: Introduction to Multimedia!

This class is taught by Terry McGhee and myself, Ben Capozzi, and it is our first time offering this class at the SVHEC. We are delighted that you are part of our inaugural semester.

Our aim for this class is to help you establish a baseline of digital literacy, from moving files to publishing online, producing audio and video to taking better photographs, and bundling it all together into superior and effective presentations.

For more details, check out the course syllabus link at the top right of this page, and come to the first day of class, Monday August 24th at 630PM in the Earp Lab. We look forward to seeing you there, and to making outstanding multimedia portfolio items this semester!

~mrc