Courses in Digital Arts
the Digital Arts minor
The minor in digital arts consists of five courses: the Digital Arts Workshop (Art/Music 377) and four other courses, including at least two from the digital arts studio course list. Courses counted toward this minor cannot also be counted toward another concentration or minor. For further information, see the Digital Arts section of the College Catalogue.
Art
116F,S Introduction to Photography.
Fundamentals of photography through the use of both analog and digital SLR cameras, black and white darkroom techniques, film scanning and digital printing. Emphasis on development of technical and aesthetic skills, and the potential of the medium as a tool for artistic expression. Cameras will be provided by the College. (Oral Presentations.) Not open to seniors. Maximum enrollment, 16. Knight.
213F,S Introduction to Video.
Exploration of traditional and non-traditional uses for video. Emphasis on developing ideas and conveying meaning through video work. Fundamentals of camera and editing for videography. Introduction to theory and history of experimental video. Not open to seniors. Maximum enrollment, 12. Gant (fall); Stephens (spring).
221F Introduction to Animation.
An introduction to the history, tools and language of basic animation styles. This course will trace the history of experiments in animated imagery from 19th Century photography through 20th Century film into 21st Century digital works. The class will cover basic techniques in Photoshop, Adobe Premier, and illustration and animation software interfaces. No pre-requisite. Not open to First Years. Maximum enrollment, 12. Ella Gant.
[313] Advanced Video.
Advanced investigation and study of video production. Special topics such as video history, activism, censorship, installation work. Advanced exploration of personal vision with emphasis on social and cultural contexts for video. May repeat for credit at increasingly advanced levels with permission of the professor. Prerequisite, 213. Maximum enrollment, 12.
Music
277F Music for Contemporary Media.
Experience with the aesthetics and techniques of the modern recording studio, including the uses of sound synthesizers, digital samplers and MIDI. Creative projects using these techniques. Prerequisite, ability to read music in at least one clef. Three hours of class and three hours of studio. Maximum enrollment, 14. Department.
377S Digital Arts Workshop.
Emphasis on collaborative work among computer musicians and videographers in the creation of visual/sound works. Projects will include fixed media works, installations, and/or performance art pieces. Prerequisite, Art 213 or Music 277. (Same as Art 377 .) Maximum enrollment, 16. Gant, Pellman.
Theatre
[214] Sound Design.
Students will learn how a designer develops, communicates and executes an effective and creative soundscape for a theatrical production. The basics of sound technology will be discussed and the student will have the opportunity to record, engineer and execute their own creative content. Focuses on sound as an artistic medium and explore how it can be used alongside other production elements to create the world of the play and convey thematic, emotional and environmental information. (Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning.) (Oral Presentations.) Prerequisite, 105 or 108. Maximum enrollment, 12.
314F Meisner One; Transitions.
Through exercises, performance activities, and presentations, this course provides an introduction to Sanford Meisner’s approach to actor training and its requirements for successful transitions to camera and voice over work. The student who has already studied and practiced foundational approaches to acting/performance will expand and deepen her knowledge and pradctice. Students learn to demonstrate understanding and practical proficiency in executing the exercises and theoretical concepts of Meisner’s approach to actor training, as well as learning to maintain connections with others during practical activities, presentations and performances. (Oral Presentations.) Prerequisite, 102 and 201. Maximum enrollment, 12. Cryer.
Cinema and Media Studies
335S Media and Production.
Students in this course will produce digital media projects that explore the aesthetic, educational, and technological issues of using media to communicate human experience. They will learn how to make choices that reflect the history of audiovisual media production in combination with convergent digital culture and their own creative ideas. Students will engage the language of film, the functions of scripts and storyboards, and production management. They will understand the conceptual underpinnings of multimedia technologies and use of digital technologies and equipment. Prerequisite, ARTH/CNMS/CPLIT 120, Art 213, or permission of instructor. This class has a humanities working lab session requirement. Maximum enrollment, 20. Janet Simons.