Policy Statement and Syllabus: FA 3200 / Film 3790- Experimental Animation,Video and the Web.
Arts Technology Program – University of Utah
Semester: (Fall 2006)
Instructor: Kent Maxwell
Email: kent.maxwell@utah.edu
Office Hours: By appointment.

Online Information & Server Address:
Class Web site: http://home.utah.edu/~klm6/3200/3200.html. Or go to home.utah.edu/~klm6 click on the FA 3200 Home Page link.  Other useful sites: finearts.utah.edu - help.finearts.utah.edu - webct.utah.edu - www.artstech.utah.edu
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Server address:  fileserver.artstech.utah.edu

Course Description:     This course is designed to help students establish an aesthetic and evolve a form that speaks of a personal vision. The spirit of this hands-on course is exploratory.  Students are offered an introduction into the aesthetic, techniques, and historical evolution of experimental media.

Prerequisites:  You will be expected to have basic computer (Macintosh) skills (FA 2000 or instructor's permission is the prerequisite for this class).

Reference Manual or Textbook:  Recommended books :
                    Visual QuickPro Guide: Final Cut Pro 5 (or HD): Visual QuickStart Guide  by Lisa Brenneis
.                     Photoshop Cs2 for windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide by Peter Lourekas and Elaine Weinmann

Class  Meets:Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:45 am until 11:35 am, in AAC 258, August 23 through December 6, 2006, except Monday, September 4 (Labor Day), Thursday, October 6 (Fall Break), Friday, and November 24 (Thanksgiving).
    Your Final Project (and all late work) will be due on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, at 10:45 am in AAC 258.

Materials:We will be using Macintosh computers and various software applications (various applications from free ware off the web to Final Cut Pro),  scanners,  DVD burners,  digital video input devices and cameras (fire wire).   You will also use several DVD±Rs during the semester and it wouldn't hurt (but it isn't required) if you had some type of portable hard drive (like a fire-wire drive).
    In the second half of the class you will need access to a video camera  (almost any format will do) or a digital camera ( it will help if it will take several seconds of movie) or a web cam. 
     For your assignments you may use the Macintosh computers in the Multimedia Center and Labs at the Marriott Library during posted hours and  (possibly) room 258 as a lab-I will let you know 258's lab hours if and when they happen.  Many of the assignments can be done on any of the networked Macs in the Multimedia  or in the art department.  Some of the assignments may require specific machines.   If you have your own computer, obviously you can use it--if you have the same or similar software.  But if you insist on using a PC, I may have a hard time giving you technical assistance,  I will admit to having a strong Macintosh preference.  You will be required to turn in your work in a form that I can open on a Mac.

Course Requirements
         This class is a Fine Arts studio class.  It will require a decent amount of time, 10 to 15 hours or more a week out side of class.   Generally you will be working on projects,   Several assignment (each with multiple parts) including: animated gifs and quicktime movies that you will post on the web; several short digital videos (animation and experimental audio/video/dvds), etc. At least one of these projects will be a group/class project. There will be web readings, and some simple research.  There will be several pop quizzes on the reading material, and/or on use of applications with the computer.
    You can get a good idea of what the class will entail by looking at the website for the last time I taught this class at: http://home.utah.edu/3200/3200f05.html
    Turn in your assignments on time. This is especially important if you want feedback. Late work will be accepted but it will be docked.
    There will be demonstrations every session.  So come to class. Successful completion of this course will depend on good attendance. A great deal of technical information will be covered in class.    If you are absent from class you will be responsible for following-up on missed work and obtaining any missed handouts or information. Students are also expected to participate in class discussions and assignment critiques.
     I grade each assignment on a 10 point scale: 10 is excellent; 7 is good, this is the average grade; 5 is fair, below 5 is poor, usually for really late assignments or work that has little to with the objective of the assignment.    I will post assignment grades on a page accessed from the class web page.  Grades will be posted after we have critiqued each assignment. You may rework any on time assignment and turn it in to improve your grade.  But, your time and grade may be better served by concentrating on the current assignment.

Additional Information
    The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that reasonable accommodation be provided for students with physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning, or psychiatric disabilities. Students requiring such accommodation should speak with the professor at the beginning of the semester in order to make appropriate arrangements for this course. The Center for Disabled Student Services (Olpin Union, 581-5020) will also need to be informed. See the following link for more information: http://www.sa.utah.edu/ds/
     The registrar cautions students that withdrawing from a course and other registration matters, including tuition, are the student's responsibility. See the following link for more information: http://www.sa.utah.edu/regist/pages/Fall2006.htm
    In accordance with university policy (as articulated in the Student Code), academic misconduct—including cheating, fabrication of information, and plagiarism—is not tolerated in this course. A student found engaging in this behavior will receive a failing grade. If at any time you are unsure whether your actions constitute academic misconduct, please see the professor in order to clarify the matter. See the following link for more information: http://www.sa.utah.edu/code/
    Activities and materials assigned for this class have been carefully scrutinized and selected. Some students may find some of the materials, presentations, lectures, or audio/visual materials controversial or in conflict with their core values. It is your responsibility to review the syllabus, readings, assignments, and materials to be sure that this is a course you wish to take. Should you have questions or concerns, please see me immediately. Details on the university's accommodation policy are available at this link: http://www.admin.utah.edu/facdev/accommodations-policy.pdf