TODAY

1)McCloud on Comics2)Activity: sequential art3)Thinking toward the next

assignment: visual-verbal-aural4)Some thoughts: mid-term5)Homework

McCloud

I had you read a little bit of Scott McCloud, and listen to him speak a bit, today. There are two pieces of what he talks about that are important to our understanding of digital writing as we move toward the potential for animation and sound…

Resemblance/what you see

In the big triangle, McCloud talks about how we see ourselves in abstractions– in cartoons. That is important, first of all, to our understanding of cartoons and comics.But it’s also key to thinking through simple animation.

Sequential storytelling

The second important aspect of what McCloud offers us is the idea of sequential storytelling. A comic is, essentially, a storyboard with more details. The frame-by-frame presentation mimics what we would do with animation, giving us a literal “frame” for what one piece of action might look like.

And for kicks…

Let’s add in McCloud’s sense of what a composition requires…

In just a few minutes…

We will do an activity based on sequential art. But first I want to cover a few other things.

To the 224Mobile!

A quick introduction…

I want you to start thinking about your visual-verbal-aural argument assignment. We’re not going to go into a great deal of detail today (we will talk much more about it a week from today), but I want you to start thinking.

VVA Argument

The major differences for the visual-verbal-aural argument are:1)We add sound2)We add the issue of “time” (and through that, the idea of motion and progression)

Next week…

We will spend some time looking at what the addition of time and motion can mean. But basically…

This could mean…

1) Video2) Animation3) Moving slide-shows4) Etc. ?

Also next week…

On Tuesday, you will have a mid-term examination.

I know, I know… booo!

Generally speaking…

I had planned to say to you that the mid-term exam wouldn’t be difficult at all.

But then I quizzed you a few times.

The idea of the midterm…

..and the idea of the quizzes, was not to punish you, or to make you feel bad/ill prepared/etc.

But you need to be reading and engaging the material. I know people get busy, but…

So…

Some things to prep you for the mid-term. First, don’t freak out. You might need to re-read, but don’t freak out.

Do…

1) Look back at what we discussed each class. The PowerPoints are there on the website

2) Look at your notes, and think through the stuff I’ve had you write

3) Think about the activities we’ve done

Don’t…

1) Expect anything obscure. I’m not trying to trick you

2) Think that your answers should be short, or that there is always one specific, right-or-wrong response (there will be to some)

3) Freak out. It will be okay.

And now, our activity.

I want you to think more about sequential art. So I’ve put up an image that is a set of sort of grungy but functional word bubbles on Niihka (bubbles.png). Grab that.Then find some photos online and build yourself a sequential comic-like chain of photos that tells a story.

As you work

Save your panels individually, but also create one large document with all of them.

If you don’t get through at least six panels in class, finish up to six for homework.

On Tuesday

You’ll take your midterm, and you’ll get grades on everything to this point.

We’ll talk about the typography assignments, and we’ll check in on the visual-verbal arguments.