Posting Zip Archives of your Sketches

Resubmitting Homework

As announced last week, I will accept resubmissions of any homework assignments assigned before today provided they are posted before class on 3/12. Resubmitted work will be docked 1 point (“A” work will receive a “B”). Resubmitted work will never lower your existing grade for an assignment. Resubmitted work should be posted to your blog post for that week as a zip archive. Note on your blog post that it is a resubmission.

Midterm Assignment

Choose one of the following assignment structures for your midterm project.

Interactive Narrative

Create an interactive experience that combines interactive storytelling with a simplified traditional dramatic arc.

Your project should have four scenes, each scenes should include at least one interaction that the user can perform, and a way to advance to the next scene:

Exposition
In this scene the setting, the protagonist, and other characters are introduced.

Rising Action
In this scene the plot is established, this is usually a problem or conflict involving the protagonist.

Climax
In this scene, the confict is resolved.

Resolution or Dénouement
This scene concludes the experience.

Often interactive artworks have no defined beginning middle or end, but our experiences with them do. This assignment is about exploring the intersection of traditional storytelling with interactivity. In creating your story be especially mindful of the role of the user. Are they an outside observer who’s actions have little influence over the story (a less interactive approach)? Are they in the role of the protagonist, and must find a way to address the conflict (more interactive)? Do they take the role of a god, influencing the world of the characters, but not participating? How do their interactions change their experience?

For this assignment you should create an original story with original characters. Your story will probably have words, but this is not a requirement if you can convey a clear narrative arc using image and interaction alone.
Creative Tool
This assignment is in two parts. First, create an interactive creative tool, a piece of software that you (and others) can use to create an element of a larger work. Second, use that tool in the process of create a separate work that showcases what your tool can do. This is similar to the typographer’s tradition of creating type specimens For example: you might make a tool that generates abstract graphic compositions based on mouse input and then use elements you generate in a poster to promote an upcoming lecture. Your project must be interactive or parametrized, so that it could potentially be used by others to create different elements.

Designers and artists frequently work with new technology. Almost all commercial design work done today is created with digital tools with a work-flow completely unlike that used even twenty years ago. Tools like Photoshop and Illustrator allowed for the exploration of forms previously unseen. Today a great deal of studios employ custom built tools in the production of their work. This is especially true in motion and 3D projects, where scripting languages like Python are commonly used to control and automate tools like After Effects and Maya.

Grading Criteria

You will receive three grades related to this project. The first grade will be for the initial proposal. The second grade will be for the prototype. These will be counted towards your weekly assignments. You will also receive a grade for your finished project, which will count for 25% of your final class grade.

To a significant degree you will be setting the difficulty of this assignment for yourself in your initial proposal. A major portion of your grade will be based on following through and completing the goals you set for yourself and a major emphasis will be on craft and attention to detail. This is longer term assignment so you have time to get it working first, and then really polish the details. Because follow through and polish are so important, be careful to set goals you are confident you can achieve.

40% Follows through on goals and spirit from project proposal
40% Production craft, code craft, and attention to detail
20% Creative and technical exploration

Milestones

Planning and Proposal
Due 3/11

Start with a plan. The more clearly you think out what you are going to do, the easier it will be to do it. Take the time in the first week to fully plan out a project you feel will challenge you, but that you are confident you can complete. If you have a complete and detailed plan the first week, you will have plenty of time to execute and polish your project. If your plan is vague or incomplete, you will have to stop to figure out what you are doing and are likely to waste time on work that doesn’t make it into the final cut.

Create a proposal document that describes your project and goals. Make sure your writing is clear and well edited. Consider your tone and style as well, dry writing is less likely to be read and unprofessional writing is less likely to be taken seriously. Take some time to design your proposal, it should be a simple and clean showcase for its content. Export your proposal as a PDF (InDesign is a good tool to use for this, but you may use what you know) and post it to the blog for next week.

Think of the proposal as an assignment in itself, it is.

Your proposal should include the following:

Intro Write Up
Start with a short (about 200 words) written introduction to the project. This introduction should cover which assignment you are pursuing and why, and explain the functionality of your project. For the Interactive Narrative, you should discuss the theme and tone of your story and the opportunities for user interaction. For the Creative Tool you should discuss both the tool and the specimen.
Creative Reference
Find examples of other art and design projects with functionality, aesthetics, or themes similar related to those of your project. Include a short (about two sentence) written not on each project that explains how they relate to your project. Be sure to credit the creators of these works clearly and prominently. You should include at least two creative reference projects.
Mock-ups
Include a set of sketches showing what your project will look like and do. For the Interactive Narrative, you should include a draft of your story copy and a storyboard that shows the composition and elements of all four scenes. Annotate the story board with notes about user interaction. For the Creative Tool include a mock-up of the interface, a sketch suggesting what the tool will generate, and a mock-up of your Use Specimen.
Functionality Checklist
Create a bullet list of individual features that your project will include. For the Interactive Narrative this will primarily be a list of interactive elements in each scene and how the user will interact with them. For the Creative Tool, this will include a list of user configurable parameters or options, a description of how it is used, and a description of what will be generated.

Prototype
Due 3/19

Create an interactive prototype that demonstrates the core technical aspects of you project. This prototype can use unfinished assets, dummy content or data, and include a limited set of functionality. Creating a prototype first helps you discover unexpected technical challenges early so that you have time to address them. Based on your prototype you may make adjustments to your project design. Adjustments made at this stage are easier than adjustments made after full production.

Final Crit
Due 4/9

We will not hold formal presentations of this project, but be prepared to introduce and discuss your project for the final crit. You will need to post your final project to the blog before class.

References

The following are examples of projects related, closely or broadly, to our assignment. This is nowhere near a complete list, just a few examples to talk about in class or to look at after.

The Art of Creative Coding

Some Interactive Narratives, Puzzles, Games:

Machinarium
You have to burn the rope
Vector Park

Image Processing:
Golan Levin – Flong

Data Vis:
US Gun Killings
Ben Fry – Shop Activity

Production Tool:
Rasterbator
Stipplegen

Generative Design:
.gif melter
Tartan Maker
Beowolf

Custom Drawing Tool:
Mr. Doob – Harmony
Weave Silk
Toby Schachman – Recursive Drawing

Music Tools:
Seaquence

Some more to look at:
http://blog.natzke.com/
http://mrdoob.com/
http://www.joshuadavis.com/
http://blog.blprnt.com/
http://benfry.com/projects/