Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Follow Up for 8/27

Dear Class,

Thanks for a very full first day of class! It was great getting to meet you through your brief video introductions—from Pulp Fiction to crabby patties, love stories, and french subtitles and much more in between. I'm excited for us to get to know each other better through the things we make and bring to class. We had a lot to get through today, so thank you for your attention an thoughtful questions.

As a reminder, your class blog address is TRM153.blogspot.com. Please bookmark this website address, as a lot of information we cover will be posted there. Please also familiarize yourself with blackboard. Readings and .pdfs will be posted on blackboard.

I, for one, am excited to get busy making and talking about work. Below is a list and description of everything due in class next week. I hope that, in addition to our in-class conversation, this will help to clear up any remaining confusion. Please contact me if you have questions. As we get to know each other and our respective communication needs and styles, this should only get easier (and the emails shorter).

For those of you with Technology questions, I will get back to you with an update as soon as I have one. You will not need any specific computer software this or next week, so you are ok for now. If you already have Photoshop and Premiere on your computer, you are in good shape!

Sincerely,
Jessica


FOR NEXT WEEK:
We will meet next Tuesday at 8:35am in the library cafe. We have appointments with librarians, so please be punctual. I will send you an update early next week with what to bring to class.

HOMEWORK DUE NEXT WEEK IN CLASS:
  1. Finish setting up your blog. Please email me your blog address ASAP. Thank you if you have already sent them.
  2. Read The Medium is the Massage. The .pdf is on blackboard. Please look through the entire document, paying particular attention to how the images, graphics, layout, and design work to communicate ideas visually. Additionally, please select 5 text-heavy pages to read thoroughly, respond to on your blog, and be prepared to talk about in class. Your blog response should include 3-5 questions or comments you would like to share, discuss, or investigate further. POST DUE BEFORE START OF CLASS.
  3. SURVEIL YOURSELF:
    1. PART ONE: Make a list of everything you do, for 24 hours, within 10 feet of your cell phone. You are collecting data of the things you do, every day. These small gestures make up the routine and meaning of our daily lives. I am asking you to pay attention to this.
    2. PART TWO: Choose one gesture from your list (example: eating a meal, punching a time clock, weighing yourself, brushing your teeth, walking through a door,etc.) and document it for an additional 24-72 hours. For inspiration, refer to the artists we viewed today in class. They are listed under the “Surveillance” tab on the class blog. You can document this gesture through photo, video, drawing, making a map, making another list, etc. You can take it from your point of view (First Person), from the perspective of someone looking at you, or another perspective entirely. Be bold and creative in what and how you choose to document.
    3. Post your list from PART ONE and your documentation from PART TWO on your blog. Be prepared to talk about your decisions in class. We will share during class time. POST DUE BEFORE START OF CLASS.

Monday, August 26, 2013

HOW TO: AN EASY GIF








HOW TO MAKE AN EASY .GIF:
  1. Open Photo Booth
  2. Select the "4-up" button in the gray control panel area. The "4-up" button looks like a square divided into 4 quadrants.
  3. Hit the Camera Button.
  4. Vogue.
  5. Select your 4-up panel from the line up below. 
  6.  File > Export > Save as (.gif)*
*Pay attention to where you save this! To make your life easier, I would suggest creating a folder specifically for TRM 153. Save this there--along with everything else you do for this class.



Sunday, August 25, 2013

WELCOME

Welcome to your class blog for TRM 153! This blog, in addition to blackboard, will serve as an important portal of information and activities for this class. Blackboard will house all of your formal assignments, readings, syllabus, other documents, and things I need to communicate to you. As an interactive platform, the blog allows us to be a little more dynamic. Please be sure to regularly check both of these locations for important information, resources, assignments, and announcements.

During our first week, each member of our TRM 153 community will set up a personal blog to be used exclusively for this course. Your blog will serve as an archive of your work; provide a platform for you to turn in some assignments; and engage with each other's ideas, work, and resources. We will follow each other, building a community of generous support and exchange as we go through this semester together.

I'm very excited about getting a chance to work with you, and to getting to know you through your work. Looking forward to a great semester!

Sincerely,
Jessica, your TRM 153 Instructor