Over the next week we will be creating a frogger type game using PowerPoint.

Try a version of the original game first:

Frogger made by Neave Games

Assessed Task 4

Magnificent Bowl – Soundtrack

You work as an assistant sound recordist at a local radio station preparing sound materials for use in adverts and jingles.

The local ten-pin bowling alley, Magnificent Bowl, has approached the radio station to produce a series of adverts to promote the facilities at the bowling alley.

You have been asked to prepare the following sound materials to be used in this advertising campaign:

•Appropriate background music
•Sounds of people laughing and enjoying themselves
•Appropriate sound effects
•A short voice over giving at least the contact details of the bowling alley

You only thing you need to record yourself is the voice-over. This must last between 15-30 seconds. The advertisement should last between 15-60 seconds.

Do the task first. We will consider the planning afterwards!

Use www.findsounds.com

Assessed Task 3

iMedia – Assessed task 3 – Explaining basic computer procedures to a specific audience (S.Miles\iMedia\How_To_Max)

For this task you will meet Max. Max does not know very much about computers and he needs some help.

Listen to Max's questions and then complete this presentation explaining how Max should solve each one of his problems. You should use screenshots to help explain what Max has to do. You may have to find some of your screenshots using google images due to school restrictions. After you have created the presentation you need to save the slides as JPG’s and export them to movie maker to create a short film with appropriate backing music of your own choice. This must be posted to your blog.

Remember Max hardly knows anything about computers. You need to explain everything in very easy terms with lots of pictures. You can use more than one slide if you need to.

For this task you are assessed on the following:

•Your ability to carry out simple procedures on a computer
•Your ability to consider a particular audience when creating multi-media
•Your ability to use a number of software packages to create a piece of digital video

Assessed task 2

Task 2 - Label the picture below. You need to identify the computer devices, parts and hardware. You also need to say if they are input or output devices (or both).

When you have finished save the diagram as a Jpg and post it to your blog as task 2.

Assessed Task 1

Task 1 - The picture below represents some common computer software and hardware. Create your own montage of any items of computer hardware and software you use. Some of the images appearing in my montage might appear in yours.

Post an entry to your blog listing and briefly describing each item of software and hardware you have used in the last year or so (do it in Word first).



Hardware
Computer base-unit - Contains ROM, RAM, CPU, Fan, Hard Disk etc. Main guts of home computer.
Lap-top - portable computer, self contained
Printer - used to print out documents onto paper
Monitor - used to visually display information
Keyboard - used to input information into computer
Memory stick - storage device used to transfer or back-up files
Digital Camera - used to take pictures and store them digitally
Headphones - mini speakers you attach to your head
Microphones - used to input sound into computer
MP4 player - used to play music, pod casts, can also display images and films
Mobile phone - used as a communication device, some also have blue tooth, pocket office, mp3 facility, digital camera
XBOX 360 - used to play games, can connect via the internet to play online
Web Cam - used on messenging services to view the person you are talking to
Sound mixing deck - used to record, sample and mix sound effects
Sat Nav - Used to navigate
Washing Machine - Used to wash clothes - various programmes
Digital Alarm Clock - Wakes you up at a certain time to the sound of big men
CB Radio - One to many communication device

Software
Blogger - online diary recording software
Windows XP - operating system, interface between user and computer
Dreamweaver - industry standard web design software
Word - word processing software, used to create documents
Flash - industry standard, web design, game design, animation software
Excel - Spreadsheet software to carry out calculations
Internet Explorer - Web browsing software
Anti-virus software - used to protect the user from internet based threats
MSN - Messenging software used to communicate - one to one or one to many
i-tunes - online database of music, available for download
Video Games - digital entertainment

Famous films from the last 80 years

So how many of the films do you recognise from the stills (answers in the session)?

This week you get to view and review a selection of famous movies clips from 1925 to 1993 (S.Miles endorsed!)

When reviewing the films you might want to discuss:

What are your immediate thoughts? What do you notice about the filming techniques used? What messages do you feel the film maker is trying to convey? Did you enjoy it? Does it make you want to watch the whole film? Why do you think this film or scene has become one of the most famous of all time

These are the films you will be watching clips of:

Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
King Kong (1933)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Psycho (1960)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The French Connection (1971)
Rocky (1976)
The Shining (1980)
Schindler's List (1993)

Half way review

This is what you should have completed to date.

I'll be asking you to fill in these forms next week. I'll then discuss progress to date with you individually.

How flash are ya?

Today you attempt to recreate the movie below from scratch using Flash. I'll give you the basic instructions. You have two hours. Help each other.

Save your finished work at the end of the session as a Windows AVI file and publish it to your blog. If you get finished early finish your radio ad.

Radio ads

This week

After you have posted all of your flash tasks and digital art entries onto your blog…

Listen to the Apache Pizza radio ads found here:
ICT\Mr_S.Miles\iMedia\Radio_Ads

You have been tasked with creating a 20 second radio ad for Apache Pizza using audacity. You have 3 hours. First create a plan/storyboard.

You can use sound effects/music you get from the Internet. There are lots of websites. Try:

http://www.stonewashed.net/sfx.html

You must speak at some point on the ad (you can disguise your voice)

If you get finished quickly create a banner ad for Apache Pizza using software of your own choice.

Intro to Flash

This week you need to complete 4 Flash tasks that are outlined in the videos and publish them to your blog. The 4th task will form part of a iMedia group digital art display. If you get all tasks completed you can enter another piece of work into the digital art competition. Try a search for 'digital art' on Google for inspiration and/or ideas.

Task 1 & 2 website tutorial: www.entheosweb.com/flash/default.asp
Task 3 website tutorial: www.teach-ict.net/software/flash/animation/bouncyball.html
Task 4 website tutorial: www.smartwebby.com/flash/photo_masking_effects.asp

Instructions for setting up your e-portfolio

Digital Video Task

This is what you need to do for your digital video module:

Video Project Brief

You are employed as a video editor with a government task force who are employed to advise people on health issues. You earn 35K a year. Your manager has approached you to produce a public service announcement to increase awareness amongst teenagers of the dangers of smoking.

You must present a concept public service announcement for the above issue and produce a rough cut of your final idea. It must last 20 seconds and is aimed towards an audience in the 13 -19 age group. It should take the form of either an animatic or real-time footage.

The public service announcement must include:
− A minimum of three edits, one of which should show camera movement (eg zoom, angles, close ups)
− Simple voice-over with sound effects and/or music
− A final summary message at the end backed up by some sort of stop smoking logo you create yourself.

Week 1 - TASK 1: Plan pre-production
Create a stop smoking logo. Identify the hardware and equipment needed to produce the public service announcement. Use the Planning and Review Form provided to:
a) Identify the required hardware and equipment.
b) Produce a storyboard and script for your chosen public service announcement with consideration given to timings, shot details, lighting, camera angles, backgrounds, sound effects, props, sets and camera angles/movements.

Week 2 - TASK 2: Record footage and sound
Using your storyboard and script of the public service announcement as a guide:
a) Record the video footage for production of the public service announcement, considering camera movement and lighting settings.
b) Create and record the audio for use in the public service announcement based on the storyboard and script.

Week 3 - TASK 3: Capture and edit footage and sound
Using the video footage and audio recorded in Task 2, carry out the following:
a) Select and use appropriate software to capture and save the video footage and audio digitally.
b) Create a draft rough cut of the planned public service announcement, importing the video files created previously.
c) Use at least three basic editing tools on the video clips and timeline to construct the rough cut to specification.
d) Render and export the rough cut for presentation in an appropriate format.

Week 4 - TASK 4: Review the video against the original brief
You must review the finished product to make sure it meets the client’s requirements.
Using the Planning and Review Form provided:
a) Provide a review of the finished video stating how it meets the original brief.
b) Include feedback from others.

Frogger in PowerPoint

Over the next week we will be creating a frogger type game using PowerPoint.

Try a version of the original game first:

Frogger made by Neave Games

Animation - What you need to do for this unit

TASK 1: Plan and prepare a non-digital animation

Produce a plan for this work, using the Planning and Review Form provided at the back of the assignment.

You must prepare a non-digital animation in line with the brief. This is to demonstrate what animation is and how it can easily be achieved in its simplest form and without technology. You must create a simple animation from one of the types listed below. A minimum of 15 frames will be sufficient:

• Flip book
• Cut out animation
• Cell animation
• Time lapse photography
• Computer animation
Use animation features as appropriate.

TASK 2: Plan and prepare a digital animation

You have to plan the second version (20 – 30 seconds). The development of animation must be shown using the latest digital animation software program. Save the animation for inclusion in a web page.

a) You must plan this animation according to the brief, you must use all of the following planning methods:
1. Visualise
2. Conceptualise
3. Storyboard

b) You must then create the animation using a digital animation program. You will have to:

1. Launch the program and create a new movie

2. Navigate the interface

3. Use a selection of tools:
• drawing tools (eg lines, fill, paint, erase, pen, stroke, applying colour ink bottle, paint pot)
• selection tools (eg select, multiple select, lasso, eyedropper)
• text

4. Use a selection of features:
• symbols (eg graphic, button, video)
• instances
• Libraries (eg Button, graphics, document, movie)

5. Use a selection of animation techniques (eg shape tweening, motion tweening, colour tweening)

TASK 3: Review the animation against the original brief

Review your work against the criteria and assess how you have met them.
Evidence of your review could include feedback from others (tutors, colleagues, peers, etc) on the finished product.

The review must be recorded using the Planning and Review Form at the back of the assignment. The review could be carried out as a discussion between the candidate and the tutor acting as client.The history of animation and its different forms (LO2, 4, 5)

As well as creating two animations for this unit you also need to produce a piece of work that reports on the history of animation and the different types of animation.

This report can take any format. For example you might produce a PowerPoint presentation, a Word document, a movie or a magazine article.

You must include the following in your report:

Task 1 – Allow 60-90 minutes - A history of animation - using the Internet (some links below) find out what you can about the history of animation. Write a brief summary of what you discover (200-500 words) and include lots of diagrams! Don’t copy and paste without quoting sources, you will be disqualified from this course and possibly others.

Task 2 – Allow 60-90 minutes – Types of animation – using the Internet (some links below) find out what you can about (at least 3) different types of animation. These could include; flip books, cut out animations, cell animations, time lapse photography or computer animations. You might discuss techniques used, equipment required, examples of work, animated films using the technology. Don’t copy and paste without quoting sources.

Useful links

History of animation

A brief introduction to the history of animation
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow5/may99/History/history.html

The history of animation before Disney
http://www-viz.tamu.edu/courses/viza615/97spring/pjames/history/main.html

The history of animation on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animation

When you are finished print it out and pop it in your folder.

I you get finished quickly finish off your photography coursework and make sure your diary is up to date.

Final Brief - Unit 1

iMedia @ Barnwell
ASSIGNMENT 1 BRIEF (Submission Date: 22nd October 2008)

You work for a photography magazine as a photographer. You also take care of a lot of the desktop publishing for the magazine. At Christmas every year the magazine includes a section for photographers who are just starting out in photography. Lots of people get cameras for Christmas. You have been asked to produce a 4-8 page guide on the basics of Photography, Digital Graphics and Obtaining and Editing images.

You will be creating the guide for inclusion in the January issue of the magazine. You should consider how magazines typically set out articles such as these and you should also consider your audience and their ability. The content that you will be required to create will be a simple guide which will split naturally into two sections:

Part 1 (2-4 pages) Digital Cameras – taking and saving digital images to include rules of photography

You need to explain to new users:

- what a digital camera is
- how to set up a camera
- components of the camera
- taking creative photographs hints, etc.
- transferring pictures to a computer
- typical file formats with explanations for use.

You should explain these concepts by means of edited version of images you obtain and some narrative by way of explanation.

Part 2 (2-4 pages) Basic image editing and software features

Use a range of editing techniques, and explain briefly these techniques within the guide. You will edit photographs that you have taken alongside the explanations, to ensure they are suitable for the purpose you have identified within the guide. Edited and original versions of the images may appear in your guide along with a brief narrative as to how the editing is carried out within the chosen software application. Keep clearly labelled copies of the original and edited versions of the images in the selected formats.

Note: This is NOT aimed to be a complete software training manual.

TASK 1: Create a plan
Assessment objective 3a, 3b
You will need to:
a) Complete the provided plan to ensure that you achieve your identified objective and are not distracted by other areas.
b) Review the plan regularly to ensure you are still on track.

TASK 2: Take photographs using a digital camera
Assessment Objectives: 1a, 1b
You will need to:
a) Explain what a digital camera is, its features and facilities
b) Explain different file formats, how they are used and why
c) Take a series of photographs using a digital camera
d) Include examples of frames or composed photographs to demonstrate the basic rules of photography
e) Transfer the images to the computer using file names and locations and details of the process for users
f) Identify and briefly explain why you used the particular format

TASK 3: Carry out basic editing on the photographs you have taken and transferred to your computer
Assessment Objectives: 2a, 2b, 2c
a) Locate and launch an image manipulation program
b) Open your photographs using the software application
c) Using the tools and features of the interface and workspace, edit the photographs you have taken – this editing could include - resizing, cropping, scaling, altering brightness, colour balance, etc

TASK 4: Edit the photographs accordingly to suit the purpose
Assessment Objective: 3a
a) Locate and launch an appropriate software application.
b) Open your photographs within the application and use the tools and features to demonstrate the functionality to users.

TASK 5: Review the editing
Assessment Objective: 3b
When you have completed the guide, review your work against the original plan to ensure that all the objectives have been achieved, how appropriate the guide is for new users, and any areas where you could have improved.

That's Unit 1 all finished! Well done! If you have been entered at level 3 you will also need to complete the tasks below:

Level 3?

You have been asked to create a poster advertising the Christmas issue of the magazine to be displayed in newsagents. You have also been asked to create a banner ad to appear on websites promoting the January issue of the magazine. You must use at least one scanned image.

Level 3 - TASK 1: Plan, visualise and use digital sourcing to obtain the bitmap, digital graphics material
Assessment Objectives: 1a, 1b, 3a
You will need to:
a) Visualise and plan your poster and banner ad in accordance with the client’s brief using a separate planning sheet
b) Draft up the advertisements in any way you want (pencil, paint, computer, etc)
c) Make a list of the resources you will need
d) Set up the digital scanner and scan materials in
e) Set up the digital camera and take photographs
f) Save everything to computer in a suitable file format and naming.

It is important that you plan these two tasks well and identify the sources as well as showing how you carried out all these tasks, using the Planning and Review Form provided.

TASK 2: Create the advertisements and save your work
Assessment Objectives: 2a, 2b
a) Using the digital imaging software create the two advertisements according to the brief, manipulating images to produce a professional result.
b) Create the advertisements according to your plans and your storyboards.
c) Use the source materials you have obtained to create and save the advertisements.
d) Use the tools and features of the software to meet the requirements of the brief. These tools should be used according to your planning.
e) Use a variety of editing and manipulation techniques when creating these advertisements
f) Save the final images in a format suitable for print and for the Web.

TASK 3: Evaluate the posters
Assessment Objective: 3b
When you have finished the editing, you must evaluate your work against the company’s criteria and assess how you have met them, using the Planning and review form provided at the back of the assignment.
a) Carry out a check of the finished images against the brief, identifying areas for self-improvement
b) Review how you have met the brief. Use the same criteria you used in (a).

Thats it - Well done!

Digital Diaries

Get ready to publish your diaries! You publish your diaries electronically next week.

Remember each week you should be keeping a record of what you get up to with reference to the iMedia course. Each week you also have a small task to include:

Week 1 - A picture of a flower plus an explanation as to why you chose it
Week 2 - A picture of your favourite cartoon character and a sentence explaining why they are your favourite
Week 3 - A link to a website with imaginative design and a short explanation as to why you picked it
Week 4 - A link to an online game you have played for longer than 10 minutes
Week 5 - A link to a you tube video that made you laugh
Week 6 - Another picture of a flower (given your new found knowledge as to what constitutes a 'good' picture)
Week 7 - A link to an animation that you think others in the group will appreciate
Week 8 - The South Park Character you created
Week 9 - A review of your favourite film of all time (copy and paste as necessary)
Week 10 - A picture of your favourite computer game character of all time
Week 11 - Play Second Life (free!) Create your character and post a picture here
Week 12 - Play second life some more and tell us what you think
Week 13 - Tell us what art is
Week 14 - Make us smile

Paint aint that bad

I wouldn't ask anyone to do anything that I wasn't happy to do myself. I got a bit longer though!

Get a voki!

Get a Voki now!

Hunting doughnuts...

I'm off hunting doughnuts...

Your first deadline is approaching. You must submit this 1st task by Monday 29th September.

See the post below and/or handout for instructions on what you need to complete on Wednesday.

You have plenty to do but if you do get finished and need something to do create a doctored image like those on the wall. The best out of year 10,11 & 6th will win a prize (Tip - The best will contain a number of elements). Find some inspiration here:

http://www.worth1000.com/default.asp?display=photoshop

But don't cheat!

Week Ending 26th September - Task 1

This week you need to finish practice task 1 detailed on the sheet (click on it to enlarge it). I will not be here on Wednesday so it will be up to you to carry out your own research for any sections you are not sure of. Don't forget the prepared resources/presentations found on the school network:

2003\ICT\Mr_S.Miles\iMedia

This work must be submitted by Monday 29th September (including new students!) to demonstrate your commitment to the course and decide which level you will be entered at.

For more information on level 2 and 3 of the iMedia course visit the official iMedia website at:

http://www.imedia.ocr.org.uk/