DIGITAL MEDIA WORKSHOP II

JRL365Z

Spring 2003 semester, University at Albany

Instructor: David Washburn

Room: Digital Workshop 3, Science Library

Time: Mondays, 7:15-10:05 p.m.

Phone: 469-7157 (cell), 242-8934 (work)

e-mail: canadaeh@nycap.rr.com

Office: Social Sciences 138-A (442-2647)

Course overview

Digital Media Workshop is split into two parts. DMWI, taught in the fall, focuses on online journalism. DMWII, taught in the spring, focuses on print journalism.

This course explores the science and art of editing and design required in today's evolving world of digital journalism for print, aka newspapers and magazines. This class is intended for anyone who is interested in the process, design, presentation and implementation of message-making through text, images and computer screens and software. This class is conducted in a hands-on workshop atmosphere. Four major projects – two individual and one each two-person and three-person -- together with two small-scale individual assignments, class participation and attendance, count toward the final grade.

Books and supplies

The text is only $18.95, but there are other associated costs.

Text: QuarkXPress for Windows 4 by Elaine Weinmann; $18.95

In addition, you will need to buy:

· a zip disc for file storage (do this in the first week)

· newspapers and magazines

· film and developing costs (if you don’t have a camera, then you’ll need to buy a disposable one)

· printing costs (such as Kinko’s, if you don’t use university LC printers)

Goals

To provide students with an overview of desktop publishing and to enhance students’ editing, design and computer skills. You will also be graded on your journalism skills – choices and use of headlines, writing, reporting and, yes, spelling and grammar.

Grading

Each of four major projects is worth 20 percent of your final grade. Each of two smaller, individual assignments is worth 5 percent. The other 10 percent is based upon attendance. Perfect attendance equals 10 points; one absence equals 9 points; two absences equals 6 points; three absences equals 3 points; more than three absences equals 0 of possible 10 points and means you will struggle to achieve a passing grade and hurt your teammates in the workshop atmosphere. Please be considerate. If you are late, make sure you see me before class is over to make sure I have not marked you as absent; the mark I include when taking attendance is the official record.

This is a journalism class, so a late assignment is the equivalent of missing a deadline. For each week an assignment is late, one full letter grade will be deducted.

WEEK 1 Monday, Jan. 27

• Welcome and syllabus overview.
• Guidelines for computer use and file storage.
• Principles of print layout with attention to typography, graphics and headlines. We’ll look at layout and design rules, including modular design (think in terms of rectangles), use of headline sizes and fonts, use of boxes, use of rules and lines, use of multiple pictures on a page, package design (many elements for the same topic) and filling the space. Designing a page often can be like putting together a puzzle.
• Review chapter 1 in text during class with some hands-on introduction to QuarkXPress.

• Assignment: Read chapter 2, “Startup”, chapter 4, “Text input” and chapter 9, “Pictures”.

• Assignment: Buy and draw samples of newspapers and design. (See assignment details.)

WEEK 2 Monday, Feb. 3

• Newspaper collection and sketches due.
• Turning thoughts into objects on the computer screen. Using QuarkXPress, you’ll make newspaper templates for yourself. You'll learn how to draw and position text and photo shapes.

• In-class workshop on chapters 4 and 9.

• Drawing text and photo boxes and inputting text and photos. Moving, reshaping and scaling the boxes and the contents. One shape per element.
• Set up CD cover template during class.
• “Save file as EPS” feature.

• Assignment: Design a CD cover and back featuring a mythical musical artist. (See assignment details.)

Note: Tuesday, Feb. 4, is last day to add/drop a semester-length class.

WEEK 3 Monday, Feb. 10

• CD cover/back due.

• PhotoShop – creating and using images.

• Set up tabloid newspaper cover/back during class.
• Assignment: Read chapters 6, 7 and 8.
• No class next Monday. Read text and work on tabloid newspaper.

No class Feb. 17 -- Holiday

WEEK 4 Monday, Feb. 24

• GUEST SPEAKER Tom Palmer, art director of the Times Union newspaper
• Work on tabloid newspaper cover/back during class.
• Chapter 6 in class: Indent the first line of a paragraph (p.79), horizontal alignment (p.82), drop caps (p.88-9), paragraph rules (p.92)
• Chapter 7 in class: Font size and type and color
• Assignment: Read chapters 10 and 11.
• Assignment: Design your own mythical tabloid newspaper cover or back. (Due March 17; see assignment details.)

No class March 3 – Spring break

WEEK 5 Monday, March 10

• Chapter 8 in class: layering.
• Chapter 10 in class: pictures and text.
• Set up magazine template. Assignment due April 7.
• Assignment: Bring to class next week at least two of your favorite magazines and photos that could be scanned or digital images to used for the magazine assignment. In-class workshop time on magazine project next week.
• Assignment: Read chapter 15, “Color”

WEEK 6 Monday, March 17

• Tabloid newspaper cover/back due.

• Announcement of partners for newspaper assignment. (See assignment details.)
• Chapter 11 in class: lines.
• Chapter 15 in class: color.
• Magazine cover development in class.

WEEK 7 Monday, March 24

• Individual work on magazine cover, which is due April 7.
• Team work on newspaper project, which is due April 21. Good time to ask questions.

WEEK 8 Monday, March 31

• Team work on newspaper project.

WEEK 9 Monday, April 7

• Magazine cover assignment due (in-class presentations)
• Team work on newspaper project.
• Three-person teams announced. (See assignment details.)

WEEK 10 Monday, April 14

• Team work on newspaper project.

WEEK 11 Monday, April 21

• Two-person newspaper assignment due (in-class presentations)

• Team work on pamphlet project.

WEEK 12 Monday, April 28

• Team work on pamphlet project.

WEEK 13 Monday, May 5

• Three-person pamphlet assignment due (in-class presentations)

WEEK 13 Monday, May 12

No final exam, but we’ll use this as class time if we are snowed out during the semester. If that happens, all assignments and class schedules on syllabus will back up one week.