Graphic/Comic Short Story: Outline
April 6, 2010

Objective:
Standard 3: Students will apply principles and elements of visual design while creating multimedia projects.

Standard 5: Students will participate in individual and team (group) activities.

Standard 6: Students will produce various forms of media.

Learning Outcomes:
Students will achieve a moderately to highly skilled status by showing proficiency in the following:

• Demonstrate the ability to make effective decisions about digital imaging.
  • Recognize and apply the size guidelines for photographic composition such as mergers, simplicity, leading lines, rule of thirds, balance and framing
  • Demonstrate the ability to manipulate and enhance a digital photograph
• Demonstrate the ability to work individually in the completion of multimedia projects.
  • Demonstrate oral, written, and/or technological communication skills.
  • Apply management skills in personal problem solutions.
  • Demonstrate personal initiative in problem solutions.
  • Complete projects according to specified deadlines.
• Create 2D graphics using a variety of formats and techniques.
  • Create, manipulate and appropriately use bitmap (raster) graphics
  • Create, manipulate and appropriately use vector graphics
  • Effectively manipulate the resolution of graphic and photographic files

Coursework Procedure:
The future of print is dead. Well, maybe the future of print is questionable considering the availability of news online and what is happening to newspapers, the popularity of the Kindle and other eBook readers, and our tendency to forego reading for gaming, etc. Well, maybe it's not that bad, but it's going that way. Witness the amount of comics and graphic novels (some so popular, they're made into movies) viewed by many of us online, and the availability of TV shows and movies online through iTunes and other avenues.

So what's the best way to learn about publication/publishing? How about making our own comic/graphic novel? Let's call it a "Graphic/Comic Short Story". This assignment is rather involved and will take most of the term to complete. Therefore we will handle it in stages. The stages for this assignment are: The Story Outline/Storyboarding, shooting Images, Converting Imagesby creating composite images and modifying them to look like comics, and then Assembling Into A Digital Publication (PDF) for distribution. This assignment can be done as an individual or as a group assignment.

The Story Outline:
Before you can create a publication, there needs to be a story. Since the eventual outcome will be in the format of a comic or graphic novel, and because the next step will be storyboarding your idea, you will only need to write the story in outline format. Feel free to write an entire narrative if you prefer. In the narrative format you will need to describe your characters, in the outline format you will need to write character descriptions to attach to your outline.

Keep in mind that the final product is the equivalent of a graphic novel or comic book in the form of a PDF file. Your story will be told in "panels" that have boxes with description or plot along with "balloons" with dialogue.

The Storyboard:
Next you will need to storyboard your outline so you know which images you will need to take with a digital camera in order to transform into cartoon-like images. Storyboard sheets: 4:3 and 16:9 (yes, you can use the same ones you used for video).

Due Date(s) and Submission Instructions:
You must turn in your typed outline or narrative along with your storyboard by Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

Multimedia I - Design & Development
Grade Levels: 10-12
Units of Credit: 1
CIP Code: 11.0210
Prerequisite: Keyboarding Proficiency and Computer Technology (Computer Literacy)
Skill Certification Exam: #801

Multimedia is the process of planning, instructional design, and development. Multimedia I is the first-year multimedia course where students will create interactive computer applications to be delivered on CD-ROM, over the Internet or other delivery media using the elements of text, graphics, animation, sound, video, and digital imaging. These skills can prepare students for entry-level positions and other occupational/educational goals.