course calendar

Below are:

A month-by-month calendar with important dates and deadlines
A class schedule with specific reading assignments, deadlines and topics to be covered.

Please note that this both these items are guides and not comprehensive lists. Additional assignments and readings will be distributed and added to this site throughout the semester.

If assignment dates/deadlines change, the changes will be announced in class and updated on this calendar.

Quick link to specific weeks:

Week of: Aug. 18 | Aug. 25 |

Week of: Oct. 6 | Oct. 13 | Oct. 20 | Oct. 27 |

Week of: Nov. 3 | Nov. 10 | Nov. 17 | Nov. 24

Week of: Dec. 1

Final exam period

• Week of: Aug. 18
Lecture/discussion/lab work:
• Introduction to the course of study
• Orientation to the multimedia lab
• Setting goals
• Server space sign-up
• Review presentations in link handout
• Overview of the Flash interface
• The Flash artist
• Flash drawing tools
• Complete student survey by 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22

• Week of: Aug. 25
To prepare for class:
• Watch/review free access files in Getting Started and Drawing Essentials on the Lynda.com Online Training Library
• Read section titled "excerpt" at this link.
• Review "Flash Basics" and "Flash Glossary" in handout packet
• Review "Wild Horses and Celebrations" story on The Ancient Way site
• Read through shape tween tutorial at webwasp.co.uk
• View How to Critique presentation
• Read "Sample Critique" in handout packet

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
• Hand-in procedures for assignments
• What Flash brings to journalism
• Overview of the Flash interface (continued)
• The Flash artist (continued)
• Flash drawing tools (continued)
• How to write a critique
• Distribute critique one assignment

Deadlines:
• For Tuesday/Wednesday class, complete cone exercise.

NO CLASS, Aug. 28
MUST ATTEND SND JUDGING FOR TWO HOURS

Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Dates: Friday, Aug. 29 and Saturday, Aug. 30
Place: Carroll 60

** Be sure to sign in when you arrive. **

To volunteer to help with the SND blog while you are there, contact Phil Daquila: phidaq@gmail.com.

• Week of: Sept. 1
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read/review Chapters 1-10 in textbook one
• Review "Sample final project proposal" in handout packet

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Types of animation and their uses
Simple animation

Deadlines:
• For Tuesday/Wednesday class, complete cone_story exercise
• For Wednesday/Thursday class, complete critique one

• Week of: Sept. 8
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read/review Chapters 11-12 in textbook one

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Buttons
Frame labels
Motion guides
Actionscript basics
Understanding the Flash library

Deadlines:
• For Monday/Tuesday class, complete drinkstory exercise
• For Wednesday/Thursday class, complete explode exercise

• Week of: Sept. 15
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read/review Chapters 1-12 in textbook one
• Review all material learned so far this semester

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
In-class practice exam (Monday/Tuesday)
Return critique one (Wednesday/Thursday)
In-class exam (Wednesday/Thursday)

Deadlines:
• For Monday/Tuesday: Complete exercise move_stop.
***In-class exam one on Wednesday/Thursday***

• Week of: Sept. 22

To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read/review Chapters 12 and 13 in textbook one
• View sample final projects at: http://www.unc.edu/~lruel
• View online: Drawing and animating in Flash
• View online: Movie clips tutorial

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Review final project requirements, proposal
Return exam one
Movie clips

For Wednesday/Thursday: complete clip_story exercise.

• Week of: Sept. 29

To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read handout about putting Flash online
• Complete final project proposal
• View online: Drawing and animating in Flash
• View online: Movie clips tutorial
• Look over final project ideas

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
More on movie clips
Putting your animations online

Deadlines:
• For Monday/Tuesday: Complete "exam_redo" exercise
• For Wednesday/Thursday: Complete "credits" exercise
• For Wednesday/Thursday: Complete final project proposal

• Week of: Oct. 6

To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read/review Chapter 14 in textbook one
• Review online: Photoshop basics tutorial

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Distribute take-home exam (Monday/Tuesday)
Introduction to conditional statements
Controling the visibility of buttons and movie clips
Scripting buttons from the "actions layer"
Working with photos
Bitmaps and masking

• For Monday/Tuesday: Complete clip_in_clip exercise

• Week of: Oct. 13
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Gather information to work on take-home exam
• Complete take-home exam

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Lab time for take-home exam

Deadlines
• For Wednesday: Complete take-home exam, due 5 p.m. on Oct. 15

• NO CLASS, Thursday, Oct. 16 -- Fall break

•Week of: Oct. 20
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
Read/review Chapter 15 in textbook one
• Watch/review Online Training Library (for Dreamweaver): Getting Started, the Interface
• Review online: Counterspace (typography information)
• Read online: How I use sound in a story by Jim Metzner

Lecture/discussion/lab work:

Review of Flash "best practices" by Mindy McAdams
Sound in Flash
Introduction to variables
Conditional statements

Deadlines:
• For Wedesday/Thursday: Complete canyon exercise

• Week of: Oct. 27
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read/review Chapter 16 in textbook one
• Read handout on Storyboarding in handout packet
• View ActionScript review presentation (.ppt)

Lecture/discussion/lab work:

********
Return final project proposals
Distribute critique two
********
Text in Flash
Links in Flash
Video in Flash
Flash components

• For Monday/Tuesday: Complete pause_me exercise

• Week of: Nov. 3
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Complete critique two
• Read ActionScript roundup handout (.doc file) in handout packet
• Review ActionScript review presentation (.ppt)
• Re-read handout on storyboarding
• Review presentation on storyboarding

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Storyboarding questions
More on ActionScript
More on external loading
Preloaders

Deadlines:
• For Wednesday/Thursday: Complete critique two

• Week of: Nov. 10
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Read in textbook two: Chapters 1 through 8
• Complete final project storyboards
• Review The Bare Bones Guide to HTML

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Drop down menus and other things you already know how to do, but may not know that you do!
More on external loading
HTML code
Site construction
Master SWFs

Deadlines:
• For Monday/Tuesday: Complete final project storyboards

• Week of: Nov. 17
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Review readings in textbook two

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Review and practice exam
Exam three (in-class)

*** In-class exam
Wednesday/Thursday, Nov. 19/20

• Week of: Nov. 24
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Work on final project

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Final project work days

• Week of: Dec. 1
To prepare for this week's classes (due BEFORE class begins):
• Work on final project
• Go over final project requirements

Lecture/discussion/lab work:
Final project work days

Links for reference

• FINAL PROJECT DEADLINE/PRESENTATIONS
Come prepared to present and hand in your project at the START of the exam period:

• Noon, Monday, Dec. 8 (section ONE) Note: Extension given from scheduled exam time. Please see instructor if you cannot make it to this class meeting.

• Noon, Friday, Dec. 12 (section TWO)