Thursday, September 4, 2014

Wayfinding Systems - Welcome back Year Fours!

Welcome back Year Four CyberARTS Digital Media students.

Good luck on your first project to improve/create a usable and clear wayfinding system for LCI.

Here is some additional information that you might find helpful.

Simple. Clear. Reduced to basic function and visual understanding across cultures and language.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Artist Statement for Culminating

Your artist statement for your video self-portrait should cover the following:

Conceptual ideas, visual symbolism and meaning
Technical aspects (pace, timing, composition and camera shots, editing, sound)

Discuss the choices you made in style of imagery (still, video, animation...), types of shots (close-up, wide shots, focus/blur, depth of field), pace, soundtrack and choice of words (text vs. spoken).
Explain and justify your choices both in terms of technical quality AND meaning - expression of you.
Explain any visual symbolism or meaning you intended by using particular imagery or any of the above visual and audio choices you made.

Artist statement must be typed 1-2 pages


Monday, June 2, 2014

Video self-portrait

The Self-Portrait
VAN GOGH. (1853-1890)

THE IMPULSIVE AND TEMPESTUOUS FRIDA KHALO (1907-1954) . “I PAINT MYSELF BECAUSE I AM SO OFTEN ALONE AND BECAUSE I AM THE SUBJECT I KNOW BEST.” SHE ALSO STATED, “I WAS BORN A BITCH. I WAS BORN A PAINTER.” ROCK ON!


GUSTAVE COURBET (1819-1877). THIS SELF PORTRAIT IS ENTITLED “THE DESPERATE MAN”. COUBET WAS A REALIST GENIUS IN 19TH CENTURY FRANCE. FROM THE MASTERS MOUTH: ” I AM FIFTY YEARS OLD AND I HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN FREEDOM; LET ME END MY LIFE FREE; WHEN I AM DEAD LET THIS BE SAID OF ME: ‘HE BELONGED TO NO SCHOOL, TO NO CHURCH, TO NO INSTITUTION, TO NO ACADEMY, LEAST OF ALL TO ANY RÉGIME EXCEPT THE RÉGIME OF LIBERTY.’ CAN YOU SENSE HIS UNFLINCHING COMMITMENT TO EXPRESSING HIS ARTISTIC FREEDOM IN THIS PIECE?

(images and text from 

Some examples of Video Self-portraits


Visual poetry - Inferior

Visual poetry - No I.D.

Design Yourself

Dissimule - Hidden


Monday, May 12, 2014

Written instructions for Kinetic Typography Assignment

Since most of you lost the handout, here are the instructions:

Technical and Artistic Reflection (T&AR)

You will produce a piece of writing that will be one to two pages long. It must be in proper paragraph form and must address the following issues:
-        State the title of the work
-        List the medium (or media) and applications used.
-        Describe the content of the work.
-        What do you like about the final product? What would you change on reflection?
-        Describe your design choices. What did you do to make it look the way you did?
-        What technical or implementation challenges did you find most difficult?

-        Which technical or implementation solutions were most satisfying or successful?

And just so we're clear, here is the marking scheme as well:

Marking Scheme for Kinetic Typography Assignment

Technical Knowledge                                                                                                 /10
-        clean library (no unnecessary symbols, tweens, or objects)
-        all layers labelled
-        no invisible layers
-        correct implementation of all tweens (classic and motion)
-        use of actionscript ‘stop’ to prevent looping

Application                                                                                                                             /10
-        timing of animation is synchronised with soundtrack
-        meets time requirements (~30 sec)
-        aesthetic choices match the soundtrack
-        effective use of fonts (i.e., changes in font and colour are done for good reasons)

Thinking                                                                                                                                 /5
-        final product matches storyboard
-        storyboard is legible and clear

Communication (T&AR)                                                                                                       /10
-        4 marks for complete coverage of the required elements (see above)
-        3 marks for the thoughtfulness and insightfulness of your analysis and conclusions
-        3 marks for clarity, organization, style, spelling, and grammar




Thursday, May 8, 2014

Missing work!!!

Dear CyberARTS year two students who work so hard...

Please refer to the previous two posts - particularly the one about OCAD. I had asked you all to post about your three areas of interest that you wished to explore. This was to be done BEFORE the trip.
As well, upon your return, you were to post some of the most inspiring work you found in your favourite department area.
Only 3 people in the entire class actually did this assignment.
I'm very disappointed.

Due tomorrow is your ten best photos in the drop off folder AND posted on your blog.

If the OCAD trip response isn't posted by MONDAY at the beginning of class - you will receive a ZERO. No exceptions.

Oh and please be sure to include photos of the work you liked the best!!!

Thank you to those who did the assignment.

Ms. Silverman

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Post and drop off your 10 best photos

Based on the photos you took on our field trip and/or others you take after signing out a camera, select your best 10 - they could be of anything - portraits, landscapes, close-ups, street photography etc.
I'm looking for 10 great photos that apply some of the rules and tools of composition.

You may choose to shoot 10 photos of one subject (a photo collection) or you can choose to submit a variety that will demonstrate a range of skills.

Either way I am looking for good clean photo editing (adjustments - white with detail, black with detail), dynamic compositions, interesting perspectives and camera angles and wow factor!

DUE FRIDAY MAY 9, 2014


Thursday, May 1, 2014

FIELD TRIP PREP

PART 1 - OCAD U
On Friday May 2nd we will be going to OCAD for their annual student grad exhibition. The building is huge and is littered with many programs and departments. Before we go please do the following research:

1. Go to the website http://www.ocadu.ca/ and click on academic programs to find the undergraduate programs within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Design and Bachelor of Fine Arts

2. Explore the ones that seem interesting to you. Narrow it down to 3 areas that interest you the most to research. Learn about the areas of study within that program and be able to explain it in your own words.

3. In a blog post, write briefly about each of the three areas you'd like to explore. YOU MUST do this BEFORE FRIDAY!!!

4. ON FRIDAY - You should arrive at OCAD knowing which areas of study you'd like to check out. We only have 2 hours there, so use your time wisely. Visit each of the three areas you've researched. Take a few photos of the things you find the most interesting or inspiring and make some notes about what excites you about what you've seen. (BE SURE TO WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF THE ARTISTS SO YOU CAN CREDIT THEIR WORK!!!!)

5. For homework - Due: Monday - Choose either the ONE area that interested you the most and post a few photos that demonstrate some of the things you found inspiring. Discuss what you found interesting and inspiring OR write about 2 or 3 areas and what you found interesting about each.

Do any of these programs seem like something you'd like to study further? If so, why? If not, why not?


PART 2 - Street Photography and/or Portrait Photography

After OCAD

Check out these websites for inspiration.
http://www.street-photographers.com/
http://torontostreet.hardmonochrome.com/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/14/the-beauty-of-street-photography/
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/


On the history of street photography


And then there's portrait photography - Plan B (interior portraits using window light and graphic interiors of the building)
http://portraitinspiration.com/famous-portrait-photographers/
http://www.lightstalking.com/22-portraits-make-wonderful-use-natural-window-light

http://camerasim.com/apps/camera-simulator/