Skills in effective verbal and written communication are essential to any industry, and especially important for design professionals. This course focuses on foundational communication skills crucial in the digital media industry, including time management, effective written communication, storytelling, script formatting, and basic presentation skills. Through group discussion, individual projects, and in-class presentations, students examine their own time management and writing abilities, and apply tools for improving those skills. They learn to properly format scripts and professional emails, develop creative storytelling abilities, and practice live presentation skills.
Building on concepts learned in Communications 1, students will continue to develop key communication skills needed for the digital media industry, with focus on script writing and presentations. Through class discussion, individual projects, and in-class presentations, students will create scripts for information delivery and promotion, make persuasive presentations that incorporate research, and self-reflect to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The goal is to improve skills in basic storytelling, professional communication and presentation skills, as well as become more in touch with individual strengths and passions within the digital media field.
In this class, students will learn the fundamentals of 3D Computer Graphics with the use of Maya. From learning to navigate around the program interface and project organization, to the basics of polygon modeling and animation principles, this course will cover all the 3D basic tools.,
This course focuses on the basics of 3D sculpting using Pixologic ZBrush. Students will be introduced to 3D sculpting techniques and workflows. Lectures will cover the application of these tools in the film, television and game industries.
This course is an introduction to programming concepts used in a variety of fields, including web and game development. Boolean operations will be explored, with concentration on the student's ability to analyze, interpret, and re-write word problems as Boolean expressions. Students will explore other core concepts such as assignment, sequence, iteration, decision, modular abstraction, arrays, and strings.
In this class, students will continue learning the fundamentals of 3D Computer Graphics with the use of Maya. The focus will be on project organization, the basics of polygon modeling, animation principles, and camera setup within 3D space.
In this class, students will continue to learn the fundamentals of 3D sculpting with ZBrush. Building off of their foundation from Term 1, students will expand on previously learned techniques and principles.
Design 1 is a study of the elements of design. Students will develop an understanding of point, line, plane, and texture in imagery, and page composition. Spatial relations in visual design will be investigated. This course serves as a foundation for the studies of both Graphic and Interactive Design that occur further in the Digital Media Design Program.
This course introduces students to the field of UX design. Focusing primarily on User Experience, testing and research methods, students will learn how to write User Experience documents, evaluate pros and cons of product experiences, and develop effective user and brand profiles. Students will explore the impact of some of the UX research methods, evaluation tools and techniques through practical exercises such as website analysis, writing personas, and conducting interviews.
Web Design 1 introduces students to building websites using CSS and HTML. Some of the techniques taught include: how to modify a page's fonts and colours, add images, lists and tables, as well as how to create simple layouts. Students will become familiar with web standards and validation.
Media Production 1 teaches students the basics of video and audio production. Emphasis will be on editing techniques using non-linear software; students will also learn to shoot with DSLR and/or mirrorless cameras. Different audio and lighting techniques will be introduced, and an overview of various video and sound formats will be presented as well.
This is an introductory course to the four main components found in the principles of drawing. Students will concentrate on revisualizing (learning to examine the world around them), and developing basic rendering skills. They will become acquainted with drawing media and support surfaces. Students will develop an awareness of structure in natural and man-made forms. They will study and apply the four main components of drawing: edges (line), spaces (positive/negative), relationships (perspective), and light and shadow (volume). The course will have a final gestalt project that will bring all four skills together.
This course expands on the design foundations explored in the Design 1 course, and is an introduction to visual design using tonal relationships and colour. Emphasis is placed on the understanding of colour theory, colour mixing, and the application of colour to visual statements. Other areas of study will include creative web typography, grid development, and content-lead design principles.
Web Design 2 expands on the knowledge gained during Web Design 1. The focus is on advanced web page layout with grids, CSS frameworks, responsive web design, and advanced CSS techniques.
Media Production 2 expands on knowledge gained from first term. Students learn professional videography and 2D animation, and advanced post-production techniques using Adobe Premiere, After Effects, and DaVinci software. Using DSLR and High Definition digital cameras, this hands-on course covers a variety of software and storytelling techniques, with particular emphasis on colour correction and 2D animation. Through in-class theory, and practical assignments in class and outside the classroom, students will become proficient in professional media production, gaining skills that will be useful in a variety of applications in the media industry and corporate communications. Students will also learn tips on working as a producer, and how to freelance in the industry.
Drawing and Illustration 2 expands on the skills learned in the first term, and is composed of two parts. In Life Drawing, students study human anatomy, and are introduced to drawing the human figure from direct observation of models in the drawing studio. Drawing for Illustration is an introduction to conceptual illustration, using the four components of drawing. Students will work with colour and mixed medium, with a focus on digital media (especially Photoshop), and they'll apply their drawing skills to rendering and illustration problems presented by the instructor. Studies will focus on the reality of the subject area, and students will be encouraged to develop a more personalized and interpretive approach to applied drawing and illustration.