Gif Challenge

Gif Animation Challenge:

Choose one of the subjects below to animate in the most awesome way evar. You will be graded on the sheer AWESOMNESS of your animation:

• A cat is typing on a computer keyboard and knocks the computer off the table in frustration
• Ronald Reagan is riding on an ostrich at full gallup and shooting jelly beans out of his eyes
• Godzilla/King Kong/Mechagodzilla is a DJ spinning records on a turntable in a dance club
• A celebrity of your choice removes their face as if it were a halloween mask to reveal a reptilian creature beneath
• A giant ferret/raccoon/beaver begins to wreck a city, knocking over skyscrapers
• Find a short video clip of a sword fight and replace the swords with Light Sabers (WARNING: The shorter the better, trust me on this one... 1 second of video has 30 frames and you have to draw red and blue lines on each frame 1 by 1, this subject is not for the newbies)
• Add LAZER EYES to any video clip (aka cyclops effect)

LASER CAT COMPELS YOU TO COMPLETE THE GIF CHALLENGE!

Examples:

Design Animation for the Gif Format

Hello Students,

Your new assignment is an introduction to making animated Gifs, and harnessing your skills to create a more elaborate animation or a cinemagraph style gif.

What is an animated Gif?:

A Gif file is a web safe file format that has a cool feature, it can have different frames like a video, you can also change the playback speed and duration per frame. Unfortunately they can't have sound.You can do some really cool stuff with Gif's!

More examples:
 http://fluxmachine.tumblr.com/

What is a Cinemagraph?:
A Cinemagraph is just a fancy digital media term for an animated Gif that has the appearance of a still image (graph) with small portions of the image appearing to be moving or appear to be animated (cinema) usually in a seamless or near seamless loop. Some Cinemagraphs will loop the animation constantly, some repeat with a delay to give the viewer a surprise when the photo they are looking at suddenly turns and looks back at them or blinks like the example below.

Credit: Brandon Keener
This cinemagraph was created from a video, shortened, repeated and reversed in order to loop.

Gif Assignment: Part A - Create a Gif

Simple animatics can be made as gifs, and they are also small in file size. Get 5 bonus points on your assignment for emailing each person/character in the cartoon above to your instructor.

• Create a simple frame by frame animation, use your creativity!
• Create an animated gif, use the layers to frames method to create a simple frame by frame animation. Create at least 10 frames of animation.
• Use of found imagery is allowed for Part A only
• Follow the instructions below as a rough guide only. There are several ways to make animated gifs in photoshop
• This is just a quick project to get you used to creating gifs. The final gif must display on your blog full size in order for animation to work, so make sure the image size is small enough, perhaps around 500 pixels wide
• When the animation is complete use the Save for Web feature in Photoshop. Set the file type to gif, adjust your colors and looping options and post to your blog when done

This gif was created from video. A camera on a tripod was used. The motion was repeated. In photoshop a mask was created to isolate the body while letting the arm show motion.

Gif Assignment: Part B - Create a Cinemagraph 

Gif Challenge: Design an animated gif that loops seamlessly using video/photography sources created by yourself

• Create a longer animation this time that loops perfectly with a series of photographs or video footage. 
• Use original content for this part of the assignment
• For photos, use the Continuous Shooting mode on a camera for rapid fire shooting of frames. A Video camera on a tripod may also be used, photoshop can read video files although working with frames and video is different with photoshop
• For a Cinemagraph style animation Try to create an effect where just one part of the image is moving, such as eyes moving/blinking or the head turns and looks at the camera. Think of actions or motions that are repeatable for your cinemagraph to loop properly
• Check out Cinemagraph Tutorial for tips on making cinemagraph style images.

How to make an animated Gif with Photoshop CS5:

• Launch Photoshop
• FILE / OPEN a new document at your desired size, I made mine at 200X180 Pixels. It's a good idea not to make Gif files too large, otherwise they can take along time to load over an internet connection.
• Your animation can be a series of images, photos etc. You can hand draw each frame the animation also. The key is to set up separate layers that you will turn into frames of animation. Im using some pictures I took of my dog.

• Click your top Layer, then while holding SHIFT click on your bottom Layer to select all layers
• On your Animation Palette Sub-Menu select Make Frames From Layers
• If you don't see individual frames in your Animation Palette, go to the Sub-Menu and select Convert To Frame Animation
• You can now designate individual durations on each frame.
• Go to FILE / SAVE FOR WEB AND DEVICES to export your animation as an animated Gif file. Make sure to set your looping options to forever.

• Open your Gif file in a web browser to test it. Here's my result:

Cinemagraph Photoshop Process:

This is my Cinemagraph. My first frame of animation pauses for 5 seconds before animating.

• Setup your frames of animation as Layers from the bottom up. The bottom Layer will be the first frame of animation

• You should have 1 layer as the "still image" background and then your other animated layers above
• On the Animation Sub-Menu choose "Convert to Frame Animation"

• You can set durations here, but if you want to animate your layers go to the Animation Palette Sub-Menu and choose "Convert to Timeline"

• Your layers are animated across the timeline, you can select a layer and change its opacity to be visible for a longer duration.  Open a layer in the Animation Palette to see its animation attributes. You can adjust when certain layers are visible in your animation frames here. Look at the keyframes in the Opacity value.

• Play your animation to test
• Resize so Gif file can display on your blog at 100% size

Previous Student Work Samples:

 

How to Write a Good GREAT Letter of Introduction

Hello Students,

Your next assignment is to create a "Letter of Introduction" that describes you! Your special traits, qualities, hobbies, and personal, educational and career goals. List your top 5 skills and abilities. It should consist of at least one page. Make sure to use correct spelling and grammar.

Letter of Introduction Assignment:

• This is an introduction letter, about you, written to people that may be viewing your portfolio.
• Should be about 1 page long.
• Letter should be free of typo's, spelling and grammar errors.
• Follow the examples in the Portfolio Handbook and include the information listed below...

You letter should include:

• Who you are
• Where you are currently attending school
• What courses you are currently enrolled in aside from standard courses (such as this ROP class your in right now)
• Your top 5 work related skills
• Special acknowledgments from employers/instructors
• Future education plans
• Hobbies or other activities you enjoy
• Discuss what is contained in your portfolio
• Discuss the type of work/projects/activities you enjoy the most in school

Sample Introduction Letter:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John Star

242 Crest St.

Capitola, CA 95010

(831) 553-2323

jostar@yahoo.com

Date

To Whom It May Concern:

 (Paragraph 1: Who you are, what you are good at, what are your top five work skills?)

I am currently attending Santa Cruz High School where I will be graduating this year in June. I have enrolled in CTE classes, which are business-oriented. CTE classes have given me a closer look at the business world and I have learned excellent work skills. 

My top five work skills are:

• Excellent communication skills with strong listening skills
• Responsible and reliable with attention to detail
• Strong team player who thrives in teamwork situations
• Good computer skills
• Excellent time management skills

(Paragraph 2: Long and short term goals and hobbies)

I have received special acknowledgement from my employers for strong skills and work ethics.

I recently was accepted to CalPoly and plan to go there in the Fall and pursue a degree in Agribusiness. After receiving my degree, I plan to work in my family’s strawberry farming business. Eventually, I hope to be the president of the business. I have many hobbies including surfing, skiing and playing baseball but most of all, I enjoy riding my horse up in the hills. It gives me a sense of freedom and independence.

(Paragraph 3: Work experience, technical skills, awards and honors)

My portfolio shows some of the skills and abilities I have acquired in while attending Santa Cruz High School and throughout my work experience. I have always enjoyed landscaping and have enrolled in the Horticulture class for my last semester of high school. From my past experience you will notice that I enjoy working especially when I leave the job better than it was when I first got there. I have been doing tree work for three years and have worked for commercial and residential customers. Thoroughness and safety are some of my favorite qualities.

(Paragraph 4: Refer to what is included in your Career Portfolio)

Included in this portfolio, is my resume summarizing my schooling, work experience, and skills. In addition I have a list of references, letters of recommendation, and samples of my work. I hope you enjoy reviewing my portfolio.

Sincerely,

John Star

- Complete your letter of introduction and add it to your Portfolio project!

 - Mr.W

How to Write a Good Great Resume and List of References

Hello Students,

Having a solid resume is the cornerstone developing your career. A well written and well designed resume is what sets you apart from other job applicants. A perfectly written job application, a quality resume and a list of positive references is the job seekers trifecta. In this class we will teach you these skills to help in your search for employment. Below is a list of resume writing tips, read over it before finalizing your own resume.

Link(right click to download): ROP PORTFOLIO HANDBOOK

Resume Writing Tips:

Put your typography skills to work:

Never use comic sans, zapfino or anything difficult to read or is more "expressive" than "rational". Use sans-serif for headers and section titles, pick a complementary serif font for all other text. Limit your fonts to 2, with 1 or 2 modifiers (bold, italic, etc). Also, refer back to our rules on typography in our introduction to typography and utilize those guidelines in your resume. Choose fonts that are complimentary to each other and assist in creating information hierarchy, this helps the reviewer find the information they need quickly. Choose a good sans serif font for your section titles and a complimentary serif font for the rest.

Have an objective:

Know the purpose of your resume and edit it for different job scenarios. Having a focused job objective listed on your resume will help you with attaining an interview and getting hired.

Back up your special skills with job experience:

List your skills but make sure your listed job experience, training or education reflects those skills. Are you really good at making websites? Let them know how and where you learned that skill.

Research and use the right keywords:

Every industry has its own language, research job offerings and pay attention to the keywords that are used. If you put your resume online with a job placement service they will often use certain keywords to search their database for potential hires.

Be descriptive with job experience:

A job title will communicate your role, but not the details of your work experience. List the duties, tasks, activities, skills and achievements that were part of your job.

Format your text:

Use bold text to start each section. Use bullets for lists. Make the document easy to quickly scan and read. Clarity of format is crucial, you have ten seconds before the employer will move on to another applicant.

List most recent job experience first:

This also goes for education, list the most recent first. If your still in High School you can say "future class of 2012", or "Currently attending HS".

List most important skills first:

When writing out your skill list make the most important skills the first ones on the list. If you are applying for a web design job, list your web skills first. Change and edit this for different industries/jobs.

Leave out the obvious:

It is not necessary to add "available for interview" or "references available upon request". References are standard and expected, and of course you are available for an interview. Thats the whole point!

Avoid negativity:

Don't trash talk past employers or state that you didn't like a past job. Simply state that you were looking for future opportunities.

Go with what you got:

If you haven't had work experience yet, just list any summer jobs, volunteer experience etc. If you have hobbies that are relevant to the job you can list those. If you don't have a diploma or degree then just list your estimated date for completion.

Proofread your resume:

Have your neighbor or classmate read your resume. Sometimes the spellchecker doesn't catch typos. The more eyeballs that see your resume before it gets in the hands of the employer the better.

Although these resumes contain similar information, styles do vary. Focus on what makes a resume readable, identifiable and effective. It should be unique to stand out from the rest, but not overly expressive as that can make legibility difficult.

Resume Writing Assignment:

Read:
Check out these links to get some tips from the pros
Practical Resume Writing Tips
20 Best and Worst Fonts for Resume Writing
More Best and Worst Fonts for Resume's
Resume Tips: Avoid These Typography Mistakes

Create:

• Download the ROP Career Portfolio Handbook and follow the template to write your own resume from scratch
• Create a 1 page resume that meets the handbook requirements for all included information
• Use any program or online tools of your choice to write your resume
• Demonstrate good typography, spelling and accuracy! 
• Make sure your resume shows good information hierarchy so it is simple to read and each section is listed clearly
• Email or print and turn in your resume  and list of references for credit - DO NOT POST YOUR RESUME ON YOUR BLOG! It contains sensitive information!
• Due Wednesday

List Of References Writing Assignment:
It is incredibly important to develop a great list of references. These references will help you obtain jobs, college admissions or acceptance into special programs.

Who makes a good reference?

• Teacher
• Coach
• Counseler
• Present or past employer
• Family friend
• Anyone that can speak highly of your abilities, skills and worth

References to avoid:

• Anyone under 18
• Personal friends
• family members
• Anyone who cannot speak highly of your abilities or skills

Important Tips:

• The format of your references should match your resume exactly, same header, same fonts.
• Do not include references on your resume
• Include at least three references
• All references should be responsible adults who know you well and can speak to your character and skills
• Always ask whether or not someone is willing to be a reference before including them in your list
• Verify the contact information before handing over to an employer

Format:

Use the following format for your references, using your own accurate information of course:

Persons Name:   Bob Smith

Address:            123 Fake Street

                          Santa Cruz Ca, 95060

Phone #:             (831) 555-4321

Title and              Business Owner

work place:         Moland Spring Bottled Water

Grading:

Your resume's and reference lists are graded assignments. For a total of 10 points, grading is as follows:

2Pts - Resume and List of References is complete per Handbook Guidelines

2Pts - Resume and List of References is well formatted and easy to read

2Pts - Resume and List of References contains no typos or errors

2Pts - Resume and List of References are two separate documents with consistent style, font and header

2Pts - Resume and List of References are emailed to me as PDF files with descriptive file names (don't send a file called "untitled.pdf")

Have fun!

- Mr.W

Logo Design Capstone Project: Creating an Identity Kit

Hello Students,

An identity package is a corporate communication standard. It helps a company or organization present a uniform appearance to the world in its correspondence and communication. Being able to design a logo and then enhance it for an ID package is a strong design skill and one that is readily marketable to your potential clients. This assignment is due Friday.

Identity Kit Assignment Details:

• When you have consulted with your instructor and your final logo design is complete, create an identity package that expands on your logo design style and color usage. Look for elements you can play with such as color, shapes, graphic elements, typography use them in the design of your identity package assets. Above all make the kit have consistency and adhere to the graphic "DNA" in your logo design.
• Create a business card, letterhead, envelope design and a Shirt design + 2 promotional items of your choice (cd/dvd label, usb drive, pen, pencil, notepad, keychain etc).
• Use the tutorial if you wish as a guide to creating your Business card, letterhead and envelope elements. You will have to do some research and use your imagination to complete the other assets in your ID kit. Look up the sizing and specifications of each asset before creating them, for instance the CD label, you can find a template to use through a quick google image search.

Link: How to create an identity package

Identity Kit Assignment Deliverables:

• Your final logo applied to and expanded upon in the creation of a cohesive identity kit
• A mockup of all designs applied to:
• Business card (front and back)
• Letterhead
• Envelope
• T-Shirt
• 2 Promotional items of your choice that are brand appropriate (DVDs, CDs, pens, pencils, usb-drives, water bottles, etc.)
• Design mockups assembled and presented in an appealing visual manner in 1 final image
• Designs and final work are expected to show quality and craftsmanship and to utilize the principles and elements of design in deliberate ways to produce compelling and effective work. Please read the class rubric for grading expectations.

Resources:

• Link: ID Package design samples

Examples of student work: High Performing
These designs all show quality logo design and good application to promotional and print elements. A quality mockup can sell the idea to your client so our expectations are high.

Examples of student work: Medium Performing

Missing promotional items. Logo design was copied from prior works.

Examples of student work: Low Performing

The final logo design in this assignment was not reviewed with the instructor. The  application lacks detail and does not adhere to design principles and elements or the class rubric. Missing additional promotional items.

Have fun!

- Mr.W

Logo Development Project Phase 2: Final Design and Production Art

Hello Students,
For this project you will review the 15 examples you created in the prior project. Identify the strongest example(s) and further develop them, resulting in a single logo rendered as final production art. This assignment has multiple deliverables, so focus on reading and understanding the expectations laid out below before beginning.

Final Logo Development Project:

• Take the strongest example of your previous project and develop it further, explore it's design, create 3 strong variations of your final design, explore layout and graphic options, choose the best version and render it as final production art meeting the deliverables below.
• To evaluate your best designs, email the finished results of your previous project and or the current state of your designs to me as JPG's and I will email feedback and offer suggestions on how to progress and refine your design.
• For final production art you will create and post a version in black and white and one in color, you will also post your 3 pencil sketches alongside your final vector artwork. Presentation and quality counts. Show the versatility of your logo design with different sizes, colors and how it might be used against different backgrounds, white on black, black on white etc.

Deliverables:

• 3 Logo design variations based on strongest design(s) from previous project. Email these to me for feedback before proceeding.
• When given feedback, render your 1 final logo rendered vector art, in both color and black and white/white on black and in 3 sizes from large to small (64X64 pixels or 1"X1"). Alter or edit smallest version if needed for clarity
• To clarify: Final Logo is posted as...
• Full Color
• Black on white background
• White on black background
• 3 sizes from Full size, to small (think business card size) to Icon size (64X64 Pixels, unique pixel art modifications may be needed)

Grading:

Refer to the grading rubric for the expectations and methods I will use to evaluate your work.

3 Logo Variations are due by Tuesday, Final Logo artwork is due Wednesday

 - Mr.W

Previous Student Examples: Low Performing:

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This design shows poor execution and failed to meet assignment deliverables. There is no attention paid to the quality of the line work. The logo is not describable. The logo is not expressive of it's organizations purpose.

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Medium Performing:

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This logo shows good craftsmanship but received a poor rating as it was appropriated from a pre-existing design

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High Performing:

These examples showed strong design skills, good craftsmanship and students met required deliverables for the assignment. Strong original designs can be a shining example in a young designers portfolio.

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