FIT9028 Digital media authoring - Semester 1, 2010

Berwick

Caulfield

Prerequisites

Prohibitions

Teaching approach

Lectures will be used to present and explain programming principles and practices within the context of the authoring environment of Flash.

Laboratories will be used for practical experience in the development, coding, testing and debugging of the functions specific to the authoring environment.

Timetable information

For information on timetabling for on-campus classes please refer to MUTTS, http://mutts.monash.edu.au/MUTTS/

Tutorial allocation

On-campus students should register for tutorials/laboratories using the Allocate+ system: http://allocate.its.monash.edu.au/

Unit Schedule

*Please note that these dates may only apply to Australian campuses of Monash University. Off-shore students need to check the dates with their unit leader.

Prescribed text(s) and readings

Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers
By Tom Green, David Stiller
Friends of Ed (2009)
ISBN-10: 1-4302-1093-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4302-1093-1

ActionScript - Your Visual Blueprint for Creating Interactive Projects in Flash CS4
Rob Huddleston
Wiley Publishing Inc (2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0-470-48194-3

See also: "Recommended Reading" below for a list of recommended references

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Recommended text(s) and readings

Learning ActionScript 3.0 - A Beginner's Guide
By Rich Shupe with Zevan Rosser
O'Reilly (2008)
ISBN-10: 0-596-52787-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-596-52787-7

Required software and/or hardware

The software used in this unit consists of:

• Adobe Flash CS4 Professional
• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Illustrator CS4

30 Day Trial/Evaluation versions of the named software can be dowloaded for personal use if neccessary from the following websites:

•  http://www.adobe.com/

Equipment and consumables required or provided

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

Overview

Faculty assessment policy

To pass a unit which includes an examination as part of the assessment a student must obtain:

• 40% or more in the unit's examination, and
• 40% or more in the unit's total non-examination assessment, and
• an overall unit mark of 50% or more.

If a student does not achieve 40% or more in the unit examination or the unit non-examination total assessment, and the total mark for the unit is greater than 50% then a mark of no greater than 49-N will be recorded for the unit.

• achieve no less than 40% of the possible marks in the exam
• achieve no less than 40% of the possible total marks for the assignment
• achieve no less than 50% of possible marks

Assignment tasks

Assignment coversheets

Assignment coversheets are available via "Student Forms" on the Faculty website: http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/
You MUST submit a completed coversheet with all assignments, ensuring that the plagiarism declaration section is signed.

Assignment submission and return procedures, and assessment criteria will be specified with each assignment.

• Assignment task 1

  Title:

  Portfolio Development Project

  Description:

  Students will use skills and techniques covered in the weekly labs to develop a Flash-based Portfolio. It is important that students complete each week's lab activities and implement the techniques used in each activity in their portfolio as relevant skills will be covered during this time.The interface design must give the user multiple ways to access the various content sections. The visual and technical design components must make use of a variety of Flash skills. In addition to any personal portfolio categories, the following pages must be included as a bare minimum:

  • Splash screen introducing your portfolio, etc.
  • About page with details of yourself - qualifications, job aspirations, areas of interest, etc.
  • Contact page including a functional e-mail link 
  • A "gallery" page presenting examples of your work including thumbnails with links to larger images

  It is important that you identify additional information screens immediately because the Portfolio Design Specifications will be required by Week 3 and a complete navigational and graphical prototype will be required by Week 6. This is to ensure that you have an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement the functional aspects of the portfolio, and to assist in time management of the project.
  
  The functional aspects of your project must demonstrate your skill using different tools and techniques of the Flash authoring environment. They must include the following:

  • Appropriate level of graphic design showing a combination of text and graphics presenting your content on each screen
  • Include at least 2 "skins" for your interface (eg: different colour scheme / background, artistic style, corporate vs artistic, etc.)
  • Demonstrate 3 different ways of navigating through your portfolio (eg: main buttons, branching menus, sliding menu, thumbnails, < and >, etc.)
  • Thumbnails, when clicked, will display larger images as draggable pop-ups (as per week 6)
  • An example of an original short video using the *.flv format (funny home video, past assignment, anything as long as it is original)
  • An example of a short animation (eg: Splash animation)
  • Appropriate use of background music and sound effects

  The Portfolio Design Specification documentation is designed to outline and organise the development process of the project. Appropriate headings are provided as a guide to what you should include in the design specifications for your selected game project. Be aware that part of your final assessment will include how well you develop your project in accordance to what you stipulate in this document. In other words, a small but completed project will score very well as opposed to a large incomplete one!
  
  The Navigation/GUI Prototype will demonstrate how you have structured your portfolio and show the majority of your interface design. The portfolio components DO NOT have to function for this prototype as dummy data and/or portfolio components can be used to show the overall look-and-feel if the portfolio. The prototype should include a clearly defined internal structure on the time line (as demonstrated in labs), clearly show the main screen elements of the portfolio, and an example of each major screen of the portfolio. [NOTE: the individual screen elements are only there to show their position on the screen and DO NOT have to function at this stage. All that is required is a complete screen layout with appropriate design suited to the portfolio you are developing.]
  
  The final part of this assessment is the submission of a functional portfolio, developed according to the specification documents submitted in Week 3. There are 5 common components that must also be successfully integrated into the final application. These will also be covered in the weekly lab tasks conducted throughout the semester and will be assessed separately but are an integral part of your final mark. These are the basic functions or features required to make the portfolio have at least an elementary level of interaction. Additionally, you must successfully demonstrate various Flash features including animation, appropriate use of different symbol types, application and use of different types of media (eg: images, audio), and Flash components.
  
  Weekly tasks will be available to download from MOODLE. It is expected that students will download the materials relevant to each week's activity. Working through each activity will give students an understanding of various techniques and their suggested application, however it will be up the each individual student to determine how to best implement these techniques to best suit their needs.

  Weighting:

  60%

  Due date:

  By 4pm Thursday of the specified week

  Remarks:

  Full details are available in the FIT9028 Unit Outline 09 document that is available for download from the MOODLE site.

Examination

• Weighting: 40%
  Length: 3 hours
  Type (open/closed book): Closed book
  Remarks:

  The examination has 2 parts:

  1. A ONE hour on-line Exam administered in Week 8 at the beginning of the scheduled Lab including Multiple Choice / True or False / Definitions / Short Answer question formats drawn from the lecture / lab notes (15%)
  2. A TWO hour Scenario Design and Development administered during the normal exam period questions drawn from principles and practices covered in lectures (25%). Examples of these questions formats will be provided in the final lecture and as quizzes on MUSO in Week 13.

Due dates and extensions

Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are not regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Students requesting an extension for any assessment during semester (eg. Assignments, tests or presentations) are required to submit a Special Consideration application form (in-semester exam/assessment task), along with original copies of supporting documentation, directly to their lecturer within two working days before the assessment submission deadline. Lecturers will provide specific outcomes directly to students via email within 2 working days. The lecturer reserves the right to refuse late applications.

A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

Refer to the Faculty Special consideration webpage or further details and to access application forms: http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/equity/special-consideration.html

Late assignment

Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not be accepted for assessment unless prior (alternate) arrangements have been made with the unit Lecturer due to special circumstances.

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.