Introduction to Digital Video

Location:

Class Schedule: 

Instructor:  John Sappington - john@basearts.com

Overview
Schedule
Resources

Course Syllabus

Online Syllabus:  http://www.basearts.com/DigitalVideoII.htm

DESCRIPTION:

This is an introductory course for students interested in digital video.

Students will learn how to capture, edit, and create digital video for Tape, CDRom, DVD, interactive computer presentations and the Internet. Students will learn video techniques using QuickTime movies, stills and sound files. Students will learn to record and edit video materials. Students will learn to use and apply transitions and special effects in their video projects. Students will have to critically analyze their movies for content, sequence of events, design and timing.

Recommended Technical TEXTS:

Adobe Premiere 6.5 Visual Quickstart Guide, Anthony Bolante


Purchase Direct from the publisher:
http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product/0,4096,0321130081,00.html

From Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/

REQUIRED SUPPLIES:

Students are required to obtain backup media to store class example files and work in progress. In addition class projects will require at minimum, 1/60 minute Digital Video Cassette (Premium).

Optional media types are:

- 250MB Zip disks

- CD ROM, Write-once or Re Writable: Approx. capacity 700+MB 

- DVD ROM, Write-once or Re Writable: Approx. capacity 2-4 GB.

Students are also required to have an e-mail account.  This can be accessed through the lab and may be a free account like those available from Hotmail, Yahoo, Freemail, Excite, etc.  The instructor will assist students in obtaining an e-mail account if necessary only on the first day of class.  Students will be expected to check this e-mail account at least once a week.  General class announcements will be reported via e-mail.

EVALUATION:

50% of student grades will be based on class participation.  Students must attend class in order to effectively participate.

50% of student grades will be based on the completion of assigned exercises and one final project.  Incomplete assignments will be considered undone. 

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Students are expected to attend all of every class meeting unless they have received prior permission from the instructor. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. Anyone absent when attendance is taken will be assumed absent from the class.   If you are late to class it is your responsibility to make sure your attendance is acknowledged by talking to the instructor. 

If you are intending to drop the class, it is your responsibility to drop the class.  You should not assume that the instructor will automatically drop you because of absences.  If you stop attending classes and you do not drop the class, and the instructor has not dropped you from the class; the instructor may be required to give you a grade of F for the class.


Introduction to Digital Video
Schedule
(subject to change)

 

 

Internet Resources-Links

Adobe Digital Video Primer
http://www.adobe.com/motion/events/pdfs/dvprimer.pdf
Adobe - Digital Video Main
http://www.adobe.com/motion/main.html
Adobe Premiere Expert Center
http://studio.adobe.com/expertcenter/premiere/main.html

Week 1
 

Syllabus Overview - Announcements, Policies, Expectations, Requirements and Objectives

Best Practices - File Backup and Use

Digital Video - Introduction
Analogue Video/ DV
Camera Capabilities
Still Image Issues
Digital Audio


Camera Operation

Assignment:

Email account exchange - email my account (john@basearts.com) with DVC-Digital Video in the subject line for the purposes of a class email list.

Review Internet Resources
http://www.basearts.com/resources.htm


Check out camera and begin shooting for submission next week.

 

Reading:

Introduction, Chpt. 1 and 2. - Visual Quickstart Guide

 
Week 2
 

Introduction to Adobe Premiere

Settings, Workspace, Project/Program
Timeline Window
Preview Modes / A/B and Single

Capture


Composition - Basic framing and arrangement of visual elements in an image.

Assignment:
Capture - working footage for use in demonstration.
Setup a test project - settings, workspace mods, editing mode and import video (audio, stills as desired) sample footage available on Video Drive and Materials Directory.

Set a minimum of two in / out points.

*Designate in *personal folder within the Video Drive for following week.

*Clarification will be provided.

 

Reading:



MPEG and Adobe Premiere (6.x) - http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/29ad2.htm

Chpt. 3, Chpt. 8 pgs. 209-221 - - Visual Quickstart Guide

LINKS:

http://www.indiewire.com/

http://www.triggerstreet.com/gbase/Trigger/Homepage
http://stupidvideos.com/
Week 3
 


Timeline Editing
Trim Mode:
Ripple, Rolling, Slip and Slide
Track
Transitions



Submit project / film proposal.

SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT !

 



Excellent article by local independent filmaker Sam Green on getting a film shot and out into the world...
http://mediarights.org/news/article.php?art_id=00073
more on Sam Green
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/sam-green.shtml

http://www.channel.creative-capital.org/project_249.html

Reading:


Chapters 4 and beginning 5 - - Visual Quickstart Guide



Week 4
 

Transitions
Effects
Superimposition

Storyboarding

Assignment:

Review/Edit Project outlines / proposals

 

Reading:
Chapters 6, 7, 8 - 16 (Capture, Device Settings

Week 5
 

Audio
Audio Mixer

Assignment:


 

Reading:
Chpts. 10, 11, 12

Week 6
 

Preparing for Final Capture and Edit




 

Reading:
Chpts. 15,16


Search Artists:

Nam June Paik
Woody Vasulka


Week 7  
LAB
Week 8  

Output Settings and Exporting Final
  Reading:

Codec Central - Index of Codecs
http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/video/codecs/Default.htm


General Information regarding Compression / Codecs / Data Rates

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/9a86.htm
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/779a.htm

DVD Authoring / MPEG - MPEG-1, 2, 4

Jim Taylor's DVD Demystified site
http://www.dvddemystified.com/

Adobe Encore DVD
http://www.adobe.com/products/encore/main.html

Adobe Media Encoder Support
http://www.mainconcept.com/adobemedia.html

Adobe DVD FAQ
http://www.mainconcept.com/adobemedia/dvd_faq.html

Adobe MPEG General
http://www.mainconcept.com/adobemedia/mpeg_general_faq.html

Apple's MPEG-4
http://www.apple.com/mpeg4/

Apple's Quicktime FAQ
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/faq.html

Week 9
 

Guest Lecture and presentation by independent filmaker.

Submit/Critique Final Projects