White Board, Camera, Action!

Have you ever seen the UPS White Board commercials? You know the ones where the guy draws on the board to illustrate how packages travel from place to place? Well, our class decided to tell their own White Board stories, except, they added a technical element (after all, this is Digital Arts)!

The students worked in groups of two or three to make a stop animation video! They took hundreds of photos and pieced them together to create action and movement, which you will see in the clips provided below. Even though our movies are only 30-45 seconds long, the students can tell you all of the work they put into this assignment to make their story come alive. Take a look and talk to some our class members if you want to learn how to make your own stop action video!

We're Heading to Hollywood!

We now have seven serious movie producers in our class! For assignment #3, students were asked to create a "How-To" video containing orignial photography, title slides, video transitions and effects, and scrolling credits. This project seemed to be a big hit with everyone because the finished products look fantastic! Some incorporate still shots, rolling film, and quite a bit of humor. Enjoy our productions below!

Project #2 is Ready for Your Viewing Pleasure!

For our second project of the semester, students were asked to develop an advertisement for placement in a magazine. We discussed the basics of a grid and how to design an ad using lines and bounding boxes as guides. The main idea behind grid-based designs is to keep your text and imagery balanced and organized. Professional designers begin every project by setting up a grid, and our students are becoming quite the professionals themselves! We used Adobe InDesign to create the project and even used Photoshop to edit some of the artwork. Take a look at our work below!

Keep checking back with us! Our third project is nearing completion. Students created a "How-To" video using photographs they took themselves. We used Windows MovieMaker to create a story line with transitions, video effects, and music!

Project #1 Is In the Books!

Our class just completed their first assignment. After several rounds of peer reviews and revisions, the projects look fantastic! Mrs. Frederick and I were very impressed with the creativity and attention to detail that our students showed throughout the course design process. Take a look at the samples below! We are now printing these projects on our large-scale plotter. All pieces will be displayed in Room 203 of the Middle School.



We look forward tackling the next project which will involve designing an advertisement or a magazine spread.

Assignment #1: Illustrate a Phrase Typographically

When you hear the word "illustrate," you probably think of using images to paint a picture of a thought or idea. Well, in Digital Arts, we're going to use that word a bit differently.

Students will illustrate a phrase of their choice using type ONLY! We can't wait to see the creativity flow for this exercise. A few examples are below, but we encourage you to be original and stretch your designs to the limit. You can consult a phrase or quote reference book or discuss this with your family. Choose a phrase carefully and be certain you truly understand its meaning before you decide to typographically interpret it. The goal is to come up with an interpretation that explains the phrase, adds a new level of meaning to it, or makes the audience think about it differently than when it is simply spoken. Be creative and have fun!

Shout it out! With Typography!

Over the past few class periods, we've been discussing how to look at typefaces (or typography) with a critical eye. Why did Home Depot choose to make their logo look like it does? Was the ccolor choice of orange on purpose? Does it convey a specific message? Does it effectively reach its target audience? As part of the homework assignment, students were asked to collect samples of typography and were then told to write a brief analysis about their selected pieces. What does the typeface say to you? Consider the hierarchy of information (where does your eye travel first). Was the color choice effective? Students did a phenomenal job as we shared our examples in class.

One of the class favorites was the logo for "Cheerios." This is a typeface that everyone recognizes and many of us see it each morning on our breakfast table. One of our students writes, "The typeface is classic, like the cereal. Sometimes, 'Cheerio' can be written in a differnent color (yellow for Honey Nut Cheerios, green for Fruity Cherrios), but comsumers always know the familiar look of the logo."

Our First Day

We are excited to welcome you to Digital Arts: a class that promises to teach you new and innovative ways to express yourself creatively. We plan to have plenty of fun along the way, so get ready for the experience!