Independent Projects

What can I choose?

• If you have completed and tested out on all of the Premiere lessons, you can make and edit movies

• If you have completed and been tested on all of the Photoshop lessons, then you can choose any of the picture projects.

I haven’t completed either

• If you have not completed the Premiere or Photoshop lessons, you need to start with the Photoshop lessons.

• Each day after we do class activities we will work on independent projects.

What’s Expected

• Work time is just that, not time to play games, chat, surf, play with the cell phone etc.

• If you decide not to work, then at least 2 points per correction will be deducted.

• Discover- if you are trying to do something and don’t know how, look around and see if you can find it, read the help section, ask a classmate. If you tried all those, ask me.

Keeping Track

• All of the projects will take different amounts of time.

• You will use the Task Manager to keep track of all the time you spend on each project.

• On the Friday of each week or when you have completed a project you will submit a Project Worksheet with the work, or a tell me where the work can be located.

Time

• If you turn in a master piece and only have 20 minutes logged for it, then you didn’t do it or your not keeping track of time. The accuracy of the time will be your responsibility and will factor into the grade.

• Likewise if you turn in a very mediocre picture and say you worked on it for five hours, there’s a problem.

Project List

• This will be a list of all the projects you can work on, if there is something not listed that you would like to work on please see me.

• You can work on two projects at one time. For instance Portraits and maps. This will enable you to be flexible with time and weather conditions.

Digital Collage

• Main Idea- Create a digital Collage about any theme that you choose.

• The project should be at least 8.5 X 11” and cover the entire page

Digital Collage

Digital Collage

How will it be graded?

• Theme- it needs to have a standard theme or message.

• Quality of pictures, not quantity.

• Blends- Do the pictures blend well together.

• Placement- Are the pictures placed in a way that makes them aesthetically pleasing.

Map Pictures

Map Pictures

Map Pictures

• Main Idea- take a map, real or not and of any place you desire.

• Place pictures along the edges or highlight certain areas of interest.

How will it be graded?

• Quality of work- the pictures should blend in with the map.

• Placement is very important, the pictures should be placed in such a way that balances the map out.

• Relevancy- the pictures should 100% be relevant to the area of the map.

Movie Posters

• Main Idea- You are the star of a movie that exists or hasn’t been made yet.

• Your classmates, friends or family can also be co-stars.

• You need to be the main attraction of this film.

• Look at real movie posters and copy the general look and feel of them.

How will it be graded

• Originality- This is to me all your work, don’t copy a real poster and stick your head on one of the bodies.

• Aesthetics- Is the poster pleasing to eye? Attention to detail, blended, clear, text is appropriate size, font and color.

• It should be 8.5 X 11”

Product Change

• Main Idea- Take a candy bar and change the name of it so that it looks authentic. You could do this with a box of cereal, cookie package or anything else with a name on it.

How will it be graded

• Realism- The name change should not be evident. You will need to use text and placement carefully. Watch the colors of the package, they should compliment each other. The font itself is very important, using the wrong font will be a dead giveaway.

Head Switch

• Main Idea- Have fun, take a photo and switch everyone’s heads around.

• Put your head on a super muscle man or actor in a movie scene.

How will it be graded

• Again Realism- If you blend the lighting, pose and flesh tones you can make a photo that cannot be discerned as fake.

• Look at the photo you wish to put yourself into, look at how the persons head is pointed. Have someone take a photo of you in that pose.

Portraits

• Main Idea- Practice taking portrait shots. Find volunteers to be the subjects.

• Some students may need senior pictures, we could find persons from other classes.

• Some of the staff may volunteer to help.

How will it be graded

• Pictures should be aligned with the principles of good photography.

• Lighting is essential, outdoor light is far superior then indoor.

• Watch merging, complicated backgrounds, subjects position and expression.

Outdoor Pictures

• Main Idea- Take pictures of outdoor landscapes, plant life, objects etc.

• Perhaps you find still photography to your liking.

• Try taking a still and modifying it into a masterpiece.

How will it be graded

• Pictures should be aligned with the principles of good photography.

• Quality not quantity, the one good photo out of a hundred is what we are looking for.

Brochures

• Main Idea- Take any product, research it and make a brochure for it.

• Example- Gibson guitars. Look on the web for you’re the model or models you want to highlight. Find material about its strong points, what makes it the best and who use’s it. Find pictures of the guitars and famous person playing them.

• Build the brochure in Publisher.

How will it be graded?

• Realism

• Highlight of product

• Information about the products strengths

• Pictures- quality and compliment product

• Layout, symmetry

• Should be front and back 8.5 X 11”

CD Covers

• Main Idea- Make a custom CD cover for your fabulous mix CD.

• Use Photoshop to design the insert.

• It will need to be exactly 4 ¾ inches square.

How will it be graded?

• Layout and design

• Custom fonts and font placement

• Pictures- detail work and modification

• Quality of project versus time for completion

Movie Preview

• Main Idea- make a preview for a movie that has been made or one that doesn’t exist yet.

• If the movie has been made the clip will need to follow the plot of the original.

• If the movie has not been made, the clips need to follow a general plot.

• Script and storyboard need to be approved prior to shooting.

How will it be graded?

• Project needs to be anywhere from 1.5 to 3 minutes in length.

• Quality of camera work- steady, smooth, proper lighting and audio.

• Quality of editing- cuts, transitions, sound effects, sound track, titles and credits.

• Acting- Persons in the film need to put forth their best acting skills.

• Students will be graded on the portion they contribute.

Short Film

• Main Idea- Make a short film in the genre of your choice.

• Adapt a book or play, better yet write your own original composition.

• Script and storyboard need to be approved prior to shooting.

How will it be graded?

• Project needs to be anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes in length.

• Quality of camera work- steady, smooth, proper lighting and audio.

• Quality of editing- cuts, transitions, sound effects, sound track, titles and credits.

• Acting- Persons in the film need to put forth their best acting skills.

• Students will be graded on the portion they contribute.

Scary Movie

• Main Idea- Create a short film using things not normally scary and make them frightening.

• For instance- Invasion of the pink elephants, Carnivorous Peeps, Slippers from the Abyss.

• Script and storyboard need to be approved prior to shooting.

How will it be graded?

• Project needs to be anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes in length.

• Quality of camera work- steady, smooth, proper lighting and audio.

• Quality of editing- cuts, transitions, sound effects, sound track, titles and credits.

• Acting- Persons in the film need to put forth their best acting skills.

• Students will be graded on the portion they contribute.

Website

• Main Idea- Create a website about your favorite hobby or subject on an outside server.

• This project could be simple or elaborate.• There has to be a purpose! A site about nothing

is not worth making. Cutting and pasting existing material is not an original site.

• We haven’t covered a great deal of the information required to produce a complex site. Students will need to take initiative to find solutions on their own.

How will it be graded?

• Quality of Work- Layout design, easy to read and navigate.

• Information- does it provide useful information about the subject matter.

• Pictures- Do they provide more information and insight into the subject.

• Links- Useful and relevant to the subject.• Quantity and Quality versus time on the

project.

Movie without edit

• Main Idea- Make a short film without any editing.

• The only tool you have is the video camera.

• This will challenge the entire team to get it right the first time

How will it be graded?

• Project needs to be anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes in length.

• Quality of camera work- steady, smooth, proper lighting and audio.

• Final Presentation- Does the film flow smoothly. Can you see any rewind attempts, best use of props and environment.

• Acting- Persons in the film need to put forth their best acting skills.

• Students will be graded on the portion they contribute.

Portfolio

• Main Idea- Put together your pictures in either a digital or paper format that displays your best work.

• This project is better completed near the end of the year so you have more material to choose from.

• A portfolio is an organized collection of a student's work that exhibits to others the direct evidence of a student's efforts, achievements, and progress over a period of time

How will it be graded?

• Layout and Design

• Quality of chosen pictures

• Exhibition of knowledge, technique, progress and achievement.

Replay

• Main Idea- Take any project the class has already done and do it again, this time your way or improve it.

How will it be graded?

• The projects will be graded in the same fashion in which they were originally.

Greeting Cards

• Main Idea- Make some birthday, anniversary, get well or seasonal cards ahead of time.

• There will be a cost per card cost to cover materials and printing.

• Please see me about the number of cards you would like to produce.

How will it be graded?

• Layout and design

• Custom fonts and font placement

• Pictures- detail work and modification

• Quality of project versus time for completion