NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Game Design & Interactive Media Skills Lab
MTEC 1001-OL00
Spring 2022 –  Online

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Tuesdays 2:30 – 5:00 pm – Online through Zoom and Open Lab.
Professor: Hector Canonge
Course Site: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/hcanongemtec1001sp2022/
Email: hcanonge@citytech.cuny.edu
Slack: MTEC 1001-OL00
Virtual Office Hours: Tuesdays 5:15-6:00 pm Through Zoom (Appointment Necessary)

Course Description:
This lab-based course offers supportive instruction and training for digital media design and content delivery using a variety of software programs and platforms. Topics covered include but are not limited to raster graphics, vector graphics, 3D modeling, digital audio, and digital video production and editing. The class offers comprehensive theoretical and practical instruction of the tools and techniques for digital imaging, graphics, video, sound, and interactive design. Specifically, students will be introduced to Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, WordPress, Audacity, Audition, Premiere, and Unity. In addition, workshops have been designed to foster a culture of collaboration and sustainable learning community.

Implementation:
This semester the course will be conducted online through Zoom. You need to download the application. OpenLab will be used as our main virtual learning environment platform.

Course Goals:
To give students an introduction to:
– the field of digital media technologies.
– conceptual frameworks and digital media skills.
– diverse design & production across various digital media platforms.
– the use of fundamental tools and techniques of digital production and online culture.
– develop online research skills associated with a digital culture.
– collaboration between people with different skills and backgrounds.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course students will be able to:
– to use the fundamental tools of digital production and online culture.
– identify multiple references, resources for problem solving and trouble-shooting.
– incorporate a design process into their projects.
– explore different methods of interdisciplinary collaboration.
– understand the importance of staying current with-in a field, which is constantly developing.
– clearly communicate ideas using contemporary methods and critique work of their peers.

Expectations:
Students are expected to do the following:
– To be logged in by 2:30 PM to start the online sessions timely.
– Complete guided assignments and post them by the deadlines.
– Participate in online discussions, critiques, and timely completion of assignments.
– Present work in-progress and final projects for online critique and evaluation.
– Upload weekly HW (reading responses & exercises), mid-term & final project on due dates.
– Back-up work every week

Grading Policy:
– 30% Projects and Practices
– 25% Mid-term
– 25% Final Project
– 20% Attendance & Participation

Grading Rubric:

VALUES Excellent (90-100) Good (80-89) Fair (70-79) Poor (60-69) Unsatisfactory (0-59)
Concept Core concept is intriguing, original, and well-explored Core concept is intriguing but lacking in examination Core concept is present and supported by the work Core ideas are scattered without consideration No clear concept, or work doesn’t reflect it
Progress Clear and consistent progress from ideation to execution Progress was made, but was not consistent Evidence of procrastination, “last minute” pushes or crunch Lack of progress in 1-2 areas resulting in project deficiencies Little to no progress shown on the project
Presentation Concept is clearly presented and strongly supported through audio, visuals, interaction, and narrative (if applicable) Concept is supported through presentation, but 2 or more areas of the design are lacking or distracting Concept is weakly supported through presentation, project requirements met at a “bare minimum” level 1-2 presentation requirements are not met. 3+ presentation requirements are not met.
Skills Clear demonstration of skills in all development areas (visual, text, audio, interaction, programming) Clear demonstration of skill in 2+ development areas Demonstrates skills, but omits topics covered in class. Evidence of skills, but underutilization of techniques learned in class Does not use any techniques learned in class.
Collaboration Consistently provides honest, supportive feedback to peers, responsible in meeting team goals, communicates effectively. Generally supportive, responsible, and good communication, with a few issues Multiple issues/problems with collaboration, meeting goals, or communicating Little to no evidence of communication, goal setting, and collaboration in a team setting. Disrespectful to fellow students work, with negative impacts to class/team dynamics.

 

Communications:
– To contact your instructor with a brief, private question or message, send a DM (Direct Message) through Slack and Email.
– If you have a question that may be relevant to the group, post in the #general channel on Slack for all to see and comment on.
– Use Slack for easy communications with your classmates as well—you can DM individuals or selected groups.
– To discuss a longer matter with your instructor, make an appointment.
– If you have a tech question, post in the #techsupport channel or DM our CLT for assistance.

Course Materials:
– We will be using OpenLab, Google Drive, and Zoom.
– Software Programs: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Audition, Premiere.
– Flash drive & other portable drives or DropBox account to back up files
– Sketch Book

Required Textbook:
* Multimedia Foundations
Author: Vic Costello
Publisher: Focal Press, Edition: 2nd. ISBN: 9780415740036, 0415740037 (Digital or Printed)

Participation Policy:
– The class meets in Zoom. Check Open Lab and Slack for the meeting link and password.
– It is critical for everyone to be fully present, participating, and engaging in the course.
– Your absences and lateness will have impact your grade. If late or absent, contact instructor.
– Absences may be excused in the following cases: illness, religious observance with advanced notice, and on a case-by-case basis for other critical events and extenuating circumstances.
– If you are absent, it is your responsibility to catch up on what you missed.

Academic Integrity Policy:
Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalogue.

Instructor’s note: all borrowed text, code, or media used for this course must be attributed to the original creator. Any direct text quotes from another source must be specified with quotes and appropriately cited. Code borrowed from another source at more than four lines in length must be attributed as a //comment within the code itself. If you are unsure of whether or not your work may constitute plagiarism, please check with your instructor before submitting. Any instance of plagiarism will be reported to the MTEC Program Director as well as the Chair of ENT.  

 

Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities:
In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations, students must first be registered with the Student Support Services Program (SSSP). Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with Ms. Linda Buist, the program manager of SSSP (Phone: 718-260-5143, email: lbuist@citytech.cuny.edu). If you have already registered with SSSP, please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with him/her.

City Tech’s Counseling Center:
The Counseling Services Center supports the educational, emotional and career development of City Tech students by providing opportunities for skill development, counseling and referrals that address obstacles to success. The Center is currently available to students remotely. For questions and appointments, contact the Center at counseling@citytech.cuny.edu or 718-260-5030.

Inclusivity:
This course consists of individual work and group discussion. We must therefore strive to create an atmosphere of inclusion and mutual respect: all students will have their chosen gender pronoun(s) and chosen name recognized. If the class roster does not align with your name, gender, and/or pronouns, please inform the instructor. It is the intent of City Tech, the department, and this course to well-serve students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that the students bring to this class be viewed as an asset, resource, strength, and benefit, rather than a checklist item or worse, a hindrance. Materials and activities presented in the course will respect diversity: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture. Your suggestions and feedback are encouraged and appreciated. Feel free to reach out to the instructor.

OUTLINE OF TOPICS:

Week 1: Tue 02/01 – INTRODUCTION & PRINCIPLE DEFINITIONS

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Foundation of Multimedia and Game Design.
    – Overview of Communications Media and Technologies.
    – Brief History of the Internet and the Web.
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Working with Open Lab
    – Send an email to discuss your goals for working in the class.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Introduction and Chapter 1 (pg 3-37)

NO CLASSES Tue 02/08 – Classes follow a FRIDAY Schedule

Week 2: Tue 02/15 – HARDWARE / SOFTWARE

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – The Computer: History and Evolution, Hardware and Software.
    – The Interface.
    – Managing and Saving Digital Files.
    – Digital Storage
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Search Engines, Web Browsers, Applications, and Sub-applications (APPS).
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 2 (pg 39-75)

Week 3: Tue 02/22 – VISUAL COMMUNICATION

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Principles of Visual Communication.
    – Elements of Design.
    – Image Properties.
    – Color Theory
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Introduction to Adobe Photoshop.
    – Working with images in Adobe Photoshop.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 4 (pg 109-141).
    – Lab: Postcard Design (Print and Web).

Week 4: Tue 03/01 – TYPE AND GRAPHICS

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Principles of Visual Communication.
    – Elements of Design.
    – Image Properties.
    – Color Theory
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Introduction to Adobe Photoshop.
    – Working with images in Adobe Photoshop.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 4 (pg 109-141).
    – Lab: Postcard Design (Print and Web).

Week 5: Tue 03/08 – TYPE AND GRAPHICS

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Principles of Typography
    – Vector Graphics vs. Bitmap or Pixel Graphics.
    – Digital Imaging.
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Introduction to Adobe Illustrator.
    – Working with Vector Graphics.
    – Creative Tools in Illustrator: Templates and Blueprints
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: (MF): Chapters 8 to 7 (pg 235-292)
    – Research: Barbara Kruger and her work.
    – Lab: Poster Design inspired by Barbara Kruger

Week 6: Tue 03/15 – PAGE LAYOUT

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Organizing Content.
    – The Grid System.
    – Page Templates.
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Working in Illustrator for Page Layout.
    – Creation of Templates in Vector Based Graphics.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 5 (pg 143-166).
    – Lab: Web Templates Design.

Week 7: Tue 03/22 – WEB DESIGN and IMPLEMENTATION

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – HTML and CSS (Markup vs Code)
    – How to make a webpage from scratch
    – Search Engines, Web Browsers, and HTML Editors.
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Creating Webpages (Working with Brackets.)
    – Working with CCS and customizing CSS.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 7 (pgs. 201-232).
    – Lab: Creation of a Mini Website for a sport of your choice.

Week 8: Tue 03/29 – TIME BASED MEDIA: Formats and Settings

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Analog and Digital A/V Technology.
    – File-Based Recording Formats.
    – Video and Audio Encoding and Proprietary A/V Formats.
  • MIDTERM PROJECT
    – Proposals and Review

Week 9: Tue 04/05 –  MIDTERM PROJECTS

  • PRESENTATION: Critique and Evaluation

Week 10: Tue 04/12 – SOUND PRODUCTION

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Sound: History and Development.
    – Sound Theory (Fundamentals.)
    – Analog vs. Digital.
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Working with Adobe Audition.
    – Creating and Editing sound.
    – Finding sounds (freesounds.org)
    – Making songs: How to extract beats and loop them
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 11 (pgs. 331-370) and Chapter 12 (pgs. 371-402).
    – Lab: Make a song, a sound effect, ambient sound.
    – Lab: Working with Website for favorite musician.

Friday 04/15 – Friday 04/22 Spring Recess – NO CLASSES

Week 11: Tue 04/26 – POLITICS OF DIGITAL SPACE

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – What is piracy? How does it happen? What is hacking? How is it done?
    – Attempting to have more privacy online.
    – Copyright and Creative Commons (CC).
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Being Digital (BD): Chapters 13-15 (pgs. 163-195).
    – Read: Weaving the Web (WTW): Introduction + Chapters 10–11.
    – Lab: Integrating Elements on Music Website

Week 12: Tue 05/03 – THE MOVING IMAGE – ANIMATION

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – Theory of the Moving Image.
    – Understanding Analog and Digital characteristics in film and video.
    – Working with Animation: Basic Concepts
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Working with Frames and Keyframes.
    – Digital Animation programs – demonstration.
    – Introduction to Adobe Premiere.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 14 (pgs. 441-471).
    – Lab: Lab: Creation of an Animation: Musical Character / The Interview: The 1 min. video interview.

Week 13: Tue 05/10 – TIME BASED MEDIA: Video

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    – History and Development of Computer Generated Imaging.
    – Understanding Timeline, Frames and Keyframes.
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Working with Adobe Premiere.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Multimedia Foundations (MF): Chapter 13 (pgs. 403-440).
    – Lab: Experimental Short Video using your favorite soundtrack.

Week 14: Tue 05/17 – GAME DESIGN

  • ONLINE LECTURE:
    Foundations of Internet Game Design
  • ONLINE LAB:
    – Overview of Unity.
    – Skyboxes, objects, sound assets and components.
    – Workflow and best practice.
    – Finding resources on line.
  • ASSIGNMENT:
    – Read: Hand-out by instructor.
    – Lab: Creation of a Solar System. The earth and other planets should rotate and orbit around the sun. Or create your own Solar system.

Tue 05/24 – FINAL EVALUATION
* Online Attendance is Mandatory *

  • PRESENTATIONS:
    – Final projects Presentation and Evaluation.