Course Title Thesis
Course # AD 450 A
Credit Hours 6
Semester Spring, 2012
Prerequisites AD425
Class Meetings M/W 9-11:50AM, T/Th 9:30-12:15
Instructor Ezra Cove
Office Hours T/Th 1-2:30PM
Contact ecove@mountida.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
All College Curriculum Objectives
AD 450 supports the All College Curriculum by teaching the following skills and/or perspectives:
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Technology Competency
- Professional preparation
- Oral Communication
Description
Final semester of a year-long course of study during which each student will complete a short animated film to be put to video and included in a public show of Thesis projects. The completed animation must be ready for faculty review by late April to qualify for inclusion in the show at the end of the semester. During this spring semester students will animate, render, and complete postproduction for their Animation projects. Students will prepare distribution and publicity materials for their work. Visiting professionals will be brought in to provide input.
Note: Work will be shown to an audience of guests as part of a special occasion in a format chosen that year by students and advisors.
In addition to the Thesis project itself, class time will be set aside for producing, assembling and critiquing a portfolio, including formats for presenting the work, printing, and display.
Course Objectives
- To complete a long-term computer graphics/animation project suitable for presentation to the community
- Work through aesthetic and technical hurdles to create a “polished” piece
- Participation in an animation/design exhibition after the final day of class
- Outputting a completed portfolio to print/web
Student Learning Outcomes
- Management of time with an eye towards completion of a long-term, ambitious CGI project
- Ability to determine the correct production tool for the job
- Selection and editing of appropriate music and sound effects
- Advanced understanding of one or more 3D CGI applications
- Demonstration of competence in at least one CGI specialty (e.g. character animation, modeling)
Instructional Methods
Primarily a self-directed course, project-related demonstrations will be presented as needed. Comparable student CGI works will be screened, analyzed and discussed for their strengths as well as weaknesses.
Evaluation of Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be completing their capstone projects begun in AD425. Through milestones already determined by each of you, as well as weekly updates, steady progress over time will be evaluated, not just a finished product. The final milestone will include both the preproduction (i.e. storyboards, sketches, animatics) as well as final piece for comparison and assessment of ultimate progress.
Following the final class will be a required public exhibition of work done in AD425/AD450, as well as portfolios. Selected process pieces (e.g. high-quality printed stills) of the Thesis project may be included.
Final projects will then be critiqued to determine aesthetic achievement and growth, along with demonstration of technical knowledge covered in class lectures and exercises during your time in the program.
Grading will be determined as follows:
| 2 milestones: | |
| date TBD | 20% |
| date TBD | 20% |
| Weekly updates | 20% |
| Demo reel/thesis process pieces | 10% |
| Final Project (i.e. presentation at show) | 30% |
Attendance
Up to ten excused or unexcused absences are allowed with no penalty. If you accumulate more than five absences before midterm, you should withdraw from the class, as this is advantageous to receiving an F. I don’t care why you miss classes – it doesn’t concern me. It does concern me, however, if you miss more than five.
All classes will have one 7-minute break at the end of each hour (so two 7 minute breaks for a typical studio class).
Beyond these breaks, if you are more than 10 minutes late, leave more than 10 minutes early, or are gone from class for more than 7 minutes for breaks, you will receive a “late”
Three “lates” = one absence
Projects
Projects are due on the date posted. For every class after the due date that the project is late, the project grade will be reduced by 5%. For example, if Project X is due on Monday the 15th, and you pass it in on Wednesday the 17th, the best possible grade you could get for that project would be 95 out of 100 (95%).
Week 1: Introductions, laying out of expectations for the semester
Week 2: Individual meetings
Week 3: Classwork
Week 4: Classwork
Week 5: Credits
Week 6: Classwork
Week 7: Classwork
Week 8: Audio, music
Week 9: Spring Break
Week 10: Classwork
Week 11: Classwork
Week 12: Classwork
Week 13: Classwork
Week 14: Classwork
Week 15: Classwork
Week 16: Classwork
Week 17: May 8, last day of class
May 8, show
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance and Class Participation
Up to ten excused or unexcused absences are allowed with no penalty. All students are expected to participate in group discussions and critiques.
Late Work
Projects are due on the date posted. For every class after the due date that the project is late, the project grade will be reduced by 5%. For example, if Project X is due on Monday the 15th, and you pass it in on Wednesday the 17th, the best possible grade you could get for that project would be 95 out of 100 (95%).
Missed Assignments
The final grade is computed as a sum of the semester’s projects, exercises, and participation. Any part omitted by the student will get zero credit and will contribute to a decrease in the final grade.
SCHOOL SUPPORT SERVICES
ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER (ASC)
The Academic Success Center (ASC), located on the first floor of Hallden Center, next to the rear entrance to the campus, offers free tutoring for students of all skill levels across a wide range of subjects.
For the tutors’ schedule and further information about the Academic Success Center, go to the college website and select Resources and Services and then select Academic Services.
Contact Christine McLaughlin, Director of the ASC and the Writing Center, at 617-928- 4709 or cmclaughlin@mountida.edu if you would like additional information about the help the ASC can provide.
WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center provides free, professional writing tutoring; it is located on the third floor of the Academic Technology Center (ATC306).
For the writing tutors’ schedule and further information about the Writing Center, go to the college website and select Academics Resources and Service, and then select Academic Services.
Contact Ylce Irizarry, Supervisor of the Writing Center, at 617-928-7322 yirizarry@mountida.edu if you would like additional information about the help the Writing Center can provide.
FACULTY ADVISORS
To help ensure your success, you will be assigned a faculty advisor in your first semester. Usually within your major, this advisor will provide you with guidance on course selection, as well as long term academic planning and advisement to help you successfully reach your career goals.
All students have been assigned a Faculty Advisor in their program or major area. You need to keep track of your Faculty Advisor’s telephone number, office hours, and office location so you can contact your advisor.
Contact Alyce Curtis, Dean of Academic Services, at x 4556 or acurtis@mountida.edu if you have general questions about the advising system or who your advisor is.
WADSWORTH LIBRARY
The Reference Librarians will help you find the information that you need for assignments, class presentations, projects and co-curricular activities. You can request reference support in person in the Wadsworth Library or on-line.
You can link directly to the Library’s electronic databases and the Library’s online catalog, from the College website – go to www.mountida.edu, select Library. You can ask a Librarian a question online – select Ask the Librarian.
The Wadsworth Library is open every day of the week. Mon. through Thurs. – 7:30 am to 11:00 pm; Friday – 7:30 am to 5:00 pm; Sat. – 10:00 am to 5 pm; Sun. – 1 pm to midnight. Library Hours are extended during exam periods and change during holidays.
If you have any questions about Library services, please contact Judy Harding, Coordinator of User Services, 617-928-4552 or jharding@mountida.edu.
MEDIA SERVICES
Students may borrow a wide range of audiovisual equipment to gather information, document and present information, e.g. a digital camera. Notebook computers and data/video projection systems are also available for classroom presentations. The Media Specialist instructs students in the use of AV equipment and classroom presentation materials, including PowerPoint.
To request AV equipment or support, you must submit a request online. Go to the College homepage and select Resources and Services and then Media Services, choose Online AV Request Form – fill it out and submit it. Manouche Madanipour, Coordinator of Media Services, will respond to your requests. Requests must be submitted one week in advance of the scheduled event.
ACADEMIC COMPUTING
The College has two open access computer lab areas: Shaw and the Wadsworth Library. Instructional computer classrooms are available for student use when classes are not in session. Schedules are posted on the doors of the computer labs and on the College website – select Resources and Services and then select Computer Labs
If you have questions about accessing or using the College’s computer labs please contact Wallia Wright, Campus Computer Lab Manager, at 617-928-4066 or wwright@mountida.edu.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Mount Ida College is committed to arranging reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. Any student with a documented disability who is seeking accommodations in the classroom should speak with me at the earliest opportunity. Students who have not yet presented their documentation to the college should schedule an appointment with Dean Curtis at 617-928-4556 or acurtis@mountida.edu to arrange for appropriate support services and reasonable classroom accommodations.
The schedule and material in this syllabus may be updated or changed upon the instructional needs of the course and any changes in College schedules.