Course Syllabus

CS74.21C, Digital Video Post Production Techniques 3
Section 5223, Spring 2019

 

Course Description

This advanced class will teach industry quality, non-linear video editing and post-production techniques. Students will work with professional visual effects software to apply 3D (three-dimensional) animations and high-level visual effects to their video projects.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Produce professional quality videos, with 3D animations.
  2. Correct and mitigate color, sound and other quality problems in video productions.
  3. Build sophisticated video compositions using several media sources and blending techniques.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Edit footage using advanced transitions, video effects, titles, and compositing.
  2. Mix and repair audio, apply special effects, and create a musical bed using audio software.
  3. Combine and composite moving imagery, still images, graphics, text, and sound in 2D or 3D space and then animate virtually any aspect of each element.
  4. Use visual effects that stylize and distort images and video, and generate new elements.
  5. Animate text in 3D space along a path.
  6. Apply effects and objects to automatically tracked motion paths.

Class Meetings

Location:

2920 Maggini Hall, Third Floor, Santa Rosa Campus

Days/times:

Tuesdays, 7:00-10:00PM

Instructor Contact

Randy Hall

Email: rhall@santarosa.edu

Phone: (707) 596-8596

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 6:00-7:00PM, CS Faculty Office, 2942 Maggini Hall

I respond to email within 48 hours.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting some assignments, sharing resources and viewing grades.

Textbook

Due to the up-to-date nature of the software used in class, this class uses Lynda.com video tutorials as a video textbook. Sonoma County Library provides free access to Lynda.com videos by way of their library card, which is free for Sonoma County residents.

Completely Optional But Handy Additional Texts

Some of the tips and techniques revealed in this class can be found in the following books from Adobe Press. Be aware that they are more than two years out of date and refer to older versions of both Premiere Pro and After Effects. If you are so inclined, these can be purchased online in dead tree or e-book formats.

Materials and Supplies

Students will need to provide their own (minimum) 32GB USB Flash Drive or a Portable External Drive for storing and transferring files for editing. It is strongly recommended that students have and consistently bring an external 1TB or larger USB 3.0 hard drive for media and project storage.

As mentioned above under "Submitting Homework," separate individually-labeled 32GB USB Flash Drive are provided for uploading and turning in homework assignments.

Labs

As a student of this course, you have access to the open labs on both the Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses. In addition, if there is no class in session, and the classroom (2920 Maggini) is open with a faculty or staff member present, you can edit there with their approval.

Consult the schedule diagrams inside and on the outside door of 2920 Maggini for more information.

Required Software

  • Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018
  • Adobe Audition CC 2018
  • Adobe After Effects CC 2018

Important Dates

  • First Class Meeting: Tuesday, January 23, 2018
  • Last Regular Class Meeting: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
  • Last Day to Add without instructor's approval: Sunday, January 21, 2018
  • Last Day to Drop with refund: Sunday, January 28, 2018
  • Last Day to Add with instructor's approval: Sunday, February 4, 2018
  • Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: Sunday, February 4, 2018
  • Last Day to Opt for Pass/No Pass: Sunday, February 25, 2018
  • Last Day to Drop with a 'W' symbol: Sunday, April 22, 2018

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it. A student may be dropped from any class when that student's absences exceed ten percent (10%) of the total hours of class time. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact the instructor to avoid being dropped from the class.

Attendance

For face-to-face courses, students who fail to attend the first class meeting may be dropped by the instructor. For classes that meet online, students who fail to log on and initiate participation by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of the first day of the class may be dropped by the instructor.

Pass‐NoPass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online with TLC or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.

You must file for the P/NP option by Sunday, February 25, 2016. Once you elect for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.

Instructor Announcements and Q&A Forum

The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences. A “Q&A Forum” is also available as a pinned Discussion to ask for assistance of your classmates or of the instructor.

Expectations

Each week's assignments will be due at the following class meeting and cannot be accepted late.

Emails to Instructor

When sending an email to the instructor, your subject line should read: 5223 Help - your last name (for example: in the unlikely event the instructor would send himself an email, the subject line he would use would be “5223 Help - Hall). The instructor has email automation that will help make sure those subject lines are seen and responded to in a timely manner.

Weekly Assignment Questions

Each class session (with the exception of the last class session) has a required question, which will be submitted via a link at the bottom of the this class page. These are to be submitted by 3PM MONDAY the day before class is scheduled. Be sure to send required questions even if you will miss class to receive points.

Whether working from home or in one of the SRJC labs, you will need basic skills for navigating web sites and the ability to send and receive email. The email address you submitted to SRJC (which is editable via your student portal) is the email address used for all class announcements and messages. Please be sure that the email address you provided is an account you check regularly.

Submitting Homework

All assignments will be submitted by uploading them to a department-provided USB flash drive. This is separate from, and in addition to, a student-provided flash drive or external storage drive that you will need for the semester. The flash drives furnished by the department are expressly to be used for uploading and submitting homework assignments.

Each student will be assigned a specific flash drive, that can be picked up and dropped off during class time. It is not generally available outside of class time (with the possible exception of office hours), you will need to contact your instructor or the CS department for any exceptions to this policy.

Details of submitting files using these USB flash drives will be covered on the first class session.

Be sure to log in to your grade book every Tuesday before class to verify that all your assignments are recorded each week.

Completion of the Final Project and Final Quiz are required to receive credit for this class. No notes or books will be allowed during tests. If you are not able to make the last class, it is your responsibility to reschedule taking the final quiz and submitting your project on time. The project will be an accumulation of the homework and hands-on assignments throughout the class.

Exams

There will be online midterm and final exams, as well as two online quizzes. The material comes from the textbook, class lectures and supplemental materials. If any exam or quiz is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the exams by the due date.

Grading Policy

Any online assignments are due at 11:59pm Pacific Time on the listed due date, unless otherwise noted on the assignment. In-person assignments (those that need to be turned in on class meetings dates) must be in the instructor's possession before he leaves the campus in order to be counted as "on-time". Late assignments are not accepted. Any exceptions to this policy are at the instructor's discretion.

Click the “Grades” link in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade once a week and post grades and comments in the Canvas grade book.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

A 100%–90%
B 89%–80%
C 79%–70%
D 69%–60%

If taking this class as Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the midterm exam and the final exam to pass the class.

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. Students are encouraged to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's statement on Academic Integrity

Special Needs

Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials. Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278).

Weekly Topics

  • 01 - Jan. 23: Course logistics, review & media management
  • 02 - Jan. 30: Advanced Audio w/ Premiere & Audition
  • 03 - Feb. 6: Sound Design in Audition CC
  • 04 - Feb. 13: Advanced Effects in Premiere CC 2015
  • 05 - Feb. 20: Color Work in Premiere
  • 06 - Feb. 27: Intro to After Effects
  • 07 - Mar. 6: Compositing in AE
  • 08 - Mar. 13: 2D Animation in AE and Midterm Exam
  • Spring break week of Mar. 20
  • 09 - Mar. 27: 3D Animation in AE, Part 1
  • 10 - Apr. 3: 3D Animation in AE, Part 2
  • 11 - Apr. 10: Advanced Animation Tools
  • 12 - Apr. 17: TBD AE
  • 13 - Apr. 24: TBD AE
  • 14 - May 1: TBD AE
  • 15 - May 8: TBD AE
  • 17 - May 15: The Vimeos and YouTubes
  • 18 - May 22: Final Exam (tentative schedule)

List of assignments

Note to students: the assignments listed below are in alphabetical (not chronological) order. To see them listed by due date, go to Modules.

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due