Winter/Spring 2010

Jump down to: classes for Children and Teens

Jump down to: classes for Adults

This introductory photography class will meet the needs of students who have their own digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. The rising popularity of digital SLR cameras has created a revolution in the photography world. Using Adobe Photoshop software and working with RAW images on Apple computers, students will be in command of the many features of these advanced cameras while creating photographs ready for framing.
 

This introductory photography class will meet the needs of students who have their own digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. The rising popularity of digital SLR cameras has created a revolution in the photography world. Using Adobe Photoshop software and working with RAW images on Apple computers, students will be in command of the many features of these advanced cameras while creating photographs ready for framing.
 

Advanced darkroom studio is for experienced darkroom users who would like to refine their technique. Half of the eight week class will be open lab, the rest of the class will consist of one-on-one instruction and critique with and veteran photographer and darkroom instructor Richard Hurst. Chemistry is provided but students provide their own paper.
 

This class will familiarize students with the unique functions of their digital still cameras and provide an introduction to Adobe Photoshop software. Digital and traditional photography will be compared and the class assignments will allow students to develop and improve their aesthetic and technical skills through practice and in-class discussions. Students should bring their own cameras to class.
 

This traditional black and white photography course is for students who want to learn about photography using film and manual 35mm cameras. Film types, exposure, lenses, movement, composition and depth of field will be covered, along with processing black and white negatives and printing in the darkroom. Bring your own camera to class. Black and white chemistry is provided. Students provide their own film and paper.
 

This darkroom course is for students with basic knowledge of traditional photography. Participants can improve their black & white film processing skills and fine-tune printing and enlarging skills. Includes an introduction to the zone system. Bring a camera and one unexposed roll of 24-exposure black-and-white film to the first class. Chemistry is provided but students provide paper.
 

Photoshop software is a creative tool that offers limitless possibilities for image manipulation. In this course, designed for students with little or no knowledge of Photoshop, students will use Apple computers and obtain a clear understanding of the Adobe Photoshop workspace through familiarization of the most commonly used features including the toolbox, palettes, sizing options, layers and preparing images for print and web publication.

Photoshop software is a creative tool that offers limitless possibilities for image manipulation. In this course, designed for students with little or no knowledge of Photoshop, students will use Apple computers and obtain a clear understanding of the Adobe Photoshop workspace through familiarization of the most commonly used features including the toolbox, palettes, sizing options, layers and preparing images for print and web publication.
 

Take a creative approach to the tools and methods for building effective web sites. Emphasis will be on creating sites that have an effective visual style and clear navigation. At the end of the course each student will have completed a simple website.
 

This class offers an introduction to the equipment and principles that lie at the mysterious roots of Electronic Music. Using the classic Arp Odyssey and a complement of auxiliary equipment, students will gain a hands-on understanding of the voltage-controlled synthesizer and basic studio technique including filters, oscillators, modulators, and “effects”. Emphasis will be placed on basic principles, rather than on specific equipment, encouraging self-sufficiency and resourcefulness.

This more advanced circuit-building course is for students who want to delve deeper into making their own electronic music instruments. This class will clearly guide you through the steps of making or modifying guitar effect pedals, building electronic synthesizers and circuit-bending electronic toys. The basics of soldering, construction, and schematics will be covered. Participants will leave with a device/processor/instrument of their own design and a good foundation for further electronic tinkering.

Nurture the creative spirit of young children by allowing them to experiment with animation. Focusing on the manner in which younger children exhibit curiosity regarding the moving image, they will be guided through a step-by-step process leading to a final animation project burned onto a DVD. All children will work with paper materials, digital cameras and computers, while being encouraged to let their young minds explore the imaginative possibilities of animation.
 

The activities in this course will nurture the creative spirit of young children by allowing them to experiment with the art form of animation. Focusing on the manner in which younger children exhibit curiosity regarding the moving image, they will be guided through a step-by-step process leading to a final animation project burned onto a DVD. All children will work with paper materials, digital cameras and computers, while being encouraged to let their young minds explore the imaginative possibilities of animation.

Build and create worlds and stories using simple materials. Then watch your stories come to life with clay animation. In this class students will collaborate to create video animations using small objects, hand-drawn images, and modeling clay to create their animated stories. Storyboarding, stop motion video, armatures and designing backgrounds are concepts that will be used in this class. After completion of the class, students will receive a DVD of the animated projects.

This class will expose students to the foundations of a variety of stop-motion styles including 2-D, object and pixilation (animating people). Drawing talent is not necessary to make animations in this class. Students will use digital video cameras and Apple computers to create finished projects. Essential animations will be screened as a lead-in to each technique. Students will receive a DVD of their completed projects.

This fun class will get students started making their own creative movie productions using kid-friendly technology. Students will learn the basics of visual language used in movies, proper use of a camera and editing with Apple computers. Students will collaborate on short productions during class and receive a DVD of their project. All equipment is provided during class time.

This class will familiarize students with the unique functions of their digital still cameras and provide an introduction to Adobe Photoshop software. Digital and traditional photography will be compared and the class assignments will allow students to develop and improve their aesthetic and technical skills through practice and in-class discussions. Students should bring their own cameras to class or may choose to borrow a camera from the lab for an access fee of $25.

This black and white photography course is for students who want to learn about traditional photography using film and manual 35mm cameras. Film types, exposure, lenses, movement, composition and depth of field will be covered, along with processing black and white negatives and printing in the darkroom. Bring your own camera to class, black and white chemistry is provided, but students provide their own film and paper, available for purchase from the instructor.

This class offers a solid foundation in the key aesthetic and technical skills essential to creating digital movies. Composition, cinematography, audio and editing are some of the concepts that will be covered. In-class screenings and discussion of narrative, documentary and experimental films and videos will enable participants to gain command of the language of filmmaking. Using digital video cameras and Final Cut editing software, students will collaborate on in-class projects and make a short (2 - 4 min) film of their own. Outside-of-class time will be necessary to complete your short film.

Flash Animation will help students develop the fundamental Flash skills necessary to confidently create your own animations. Covering the basics of Flash animation, this class uses Adobe Flash CS4 to teach the techniques need to create a variety of animation styles, providing the foundation to publish games, web sites and cartoons. This project-based class is ideal for students with little or no Flash experience.

Real Time 3D graphics has endless possibilities for creating interactive content. This introductory class will explore concepts and creation of content for Real Time graphic using the Blender Graphic Engine. Student should take Introduction to 3D with Blender as a prerequisite to this class or have previous experience working with Blender.

This course offers an introduction to digital illustration and its applications in animation. Students will use Adobe Illustrator and Flash CS4 and familiarize themselves with drawing using a stylus and graphics tablet. Students will explore various animation methods using a digital illustration including character animation and ‘rotoscoping’ (an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame-by-frame).

Explore several different traditional animation styles in this cool class. Paper shapes, 3D objects, and even classmates will be animated into unique movie projects using various materials and themes. Digital cameras and Apple software will be used to create finished projects.
 

Immerse yourself in clay while taking advantage of all our ceramics has to offer for young sculptors. From handbuilding to experimenting on the wheel, explore the possibilities of working with clay. Discover techniques used for preparing clay, using tools, and glazing and decorating pieces.
 

Design imaginative characters and bring them to life as hand, finger, stick, string, and shadow puppets. Work together to create original stories and stage your own puppet show. Stretch the limits of your imagination and learn a host of new skills while delving into painting, sculpture, collage, storytelling, and performance.
 

Explore several different traditional animation styles in this cool class. Paper shapes, 3D objects, and even classmates will be animated into unique movie projects using various materials and themes. Digital cameras and Apple software will be used to create finished projects.