Assessment 1 - Visual Narrative

Aim

The aim of the project is to apply design principles to develop a three part Visual Narrative (storyline) and develop skills manipulating imagery in Photoshop within the context of print industry standards.

Objective

As a result of this project, students will be able to develop a simple concept for a Visual Narrative over three panels (files) designed to be viewed as a series, creating visual interest by applying their understanding of

design principles. They will be able to produce the Visual Narrative design by manipulating pixel information in Photoshop utilising a limited number of their own photos/images, at a resolution, size, colour mode and    file type suitable for offset printing, and present their final Visual Narrative and Week 1 Activities in Indesign   as a Packaged and Compressed .zip file ready for assignment submission.

Method/Approach (read these instructions, and also follow the weekly sections on the course site)

Overview:

Working from a maximum of 3 images photographed/created by you (copyright compliant stock images are also permitted) plus any effects created by you in Photoshop, design and produce a Visual Narrative

(storyline) in Photoshop spanning three‘panels’, following the steps below (also refer to Lecture 1 and

Lecture 2, plus Weeks 1 to 4 instructions on the course site). Look through the previous student work PDF

to get a sense of what can be achieved by manipulating imagery in Photoshop. You can use images of

your own drawings, illustrations, product design, interior design or architecture (depending on your area

of specialisation) for your narrative if desired. Text is not permitted on the Visual Narrative - the message

should be conveyed in visual form only. You are also required to complete the Week 1 Activities (these will be presented along with your Visual Narrative at the end of the project, and they will be assessed).

1) Working on the Week 1 Activities (assessed as part of Assignment 1) (Week 1 and Week 1 homework)

Complete all the Week 1 Activities (they will introduce you to Photoshop) - see Week 1 of the course site.

2) Setting up the blank Photoshop working file/s for the Visual Narrative   (Week 1 or Week 1 homework )

Follow the class demonstration or view online resources to set up a working file in Photoshop at the correct resolution, colour mode and size. Each panel of the Visual Narrative is a Photoshop file measuring 100mm     wide by 200mm high, with a temporary colour mode of RGB (so that we can use filters if desired),and a

resolution of 300dpi (standard image resolution for offset printing). This file will become the first of your   three panels that make up the narrative. You can choose whether you create all three panels as separate   documents or all in one document as separate Layer Groups. Care should betaken to save your work and make a back-up copy of it at the end of each session (for example, use OneDrive for your back-up copy).

10mm gap                           10mm gap

Each panel is a new Photoshop file set to ‘Print’ output, with dimensions of 100mm wide by 200mm high, and an image resolution of 300dpi (dots per  inch). After the visual narrative imagery is complete, each file will be saved  as a .tif file (which is suitable for offset printing) - with flattened layers

and colour mode converted from RGB to CMYK. Each.tif file will be placed into the Indesign presentation to appear side by side with a 10mm gap

between each image/panel (see diagram to the left).

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Method/Approach (continued)

3) Drawing your concept sketch  (Week 1 homework)

Draw ideas on paper as thumbnails at roughly the correct proportions (shape). Where possible, take into

account the degree of difficulty of what you are proposing to do - if you are new to Photoshop, be guided by   what you’ve learnt in the Week 1 Activities. Sketch your final idea on an A4 print-out of the template provided in the Assessment 1 section of the course site, ready to discuss with your instructor in Week 2.

4) Sourcing the images you’d like to use  (Week 1 homework)

Take your own digital photos or scan your own artwork - see Lecture 1 pages 5 and 6. Online stock photos  may be used, as long as the licence is suitable (non-commercial is fine) - see Lecture 1 page 7. Use images    that are consistent in clarity/quality and have a high enough resolution and size (or pixel dimensions) to be used on the panels without enlarging (see Lecture 1 pages 8 and 12). Save the images onto your back-up    device and bring to class with you in Week 2 ready to begin work (online students see course site Week 2).

5) Putting the images into your Photoshop working file/s  (Week 2 class)

In Photoshop, open the images you want to use, then drag and drop them into your blank Photoshop

working file (each image will convert to the colour mode and resolution of your working file). Check if the image is large enough to do what you want without enlarging it in Photoshop. Note: DO NOT ENLARGE

any of your images in Photoshop! If it’s not big enough,find a larger image to use, or use restoration tools to extend the imagery as part of your image manipulation workload (eg clone more sky or more grass).

6) Constructing your Visual Narrative   (Week 2 and Week 3 class)

Create your visual narrative in your Photoshop working file/sby selecting/transforming/manipulating/   adjusting/flipping etc your images in any way that enhances/clarifies your narrative/storyline, but don’t enlarge any images, and avoid distorting/stretching images. Use filters only if they help illustrate the

storyline. Keep in touch with your class instructor for help/feedback, and refer to the course site for Lecture 1 and Lecture 2 and additional resources. Back-up your work regularly (eg on OneDrive).

7) Finalising your project for submission   (Week 3 homework and Week 4 - first half of class)

• Organise the Photoshop Layers logically, remove unwanted Layers and do a final save of the three Photoshop (.psd) Visual Narrative files into a folder on the computer.

• Take a screen photo (MAC: Shift Command 4, then click and drag; PC: Print Screen button) of each Visual Narrative panel, with the Photoshop Layers Panel open next to the image.

• For each of the panels and Week 1 Activities - flatten layers, change to CMYK mode and ‘Save As’ a .tif file.

• In an A3 landscape document in Indesign, place the images as follows (go to the File Menu > then Place): Page 1: Visual Narrative concept sketch (scan or digital photo converted to 300dpi with resampling turned off, image adjusted for visual clarity, Greyscale mode or CMYK if colour used, flat Layers, saved as a .tif file)   Page 2: Final Visual Narrative (300dpi, CMYK mode .tif files) 100% scale, carefully aligned with 10mm gaps   Page 3: The images used to create the narrative (resolution, colour mode and file type unchanged)

Pages 4, 5 and 6: Screen photos of each panel of the final visual narrative and corresponding Layers

Pages 7, 8 and 9: The three Week 1 Activities (flattened Layers, CMYK mode and saved as .tif files - note that the creature/object must have a resolution of 300dpi)

• Add contents list, name and student ID number to each page utilising Master/Parent page.

• Ensure there are no missing or modified links (images) in the Indesign file, then Package it onto the

computer’s desktop (File > Package, include a PDF when Packaging and name the packaged folder: ‘family    name_first name_network user name’).  Convert it to a .zip file for submitting (see details on the next page).

Sessions and review schedule

Refer to the course site for weekly details of assignment work. Note the following key dates: Week 1 - Assignment brief and Week 1 Activities

Week 2 - Concept sketches due start of class - discussed with instructor

Week 4 - Assignment submission during class in Week 4.

Keeping in touch with your Class Instructor

• See the Class Times and Instructors section of the course site to find your Class Instructor’s name.

• Remember to click on the Dialogue link on the course site to chat one-on-one with your Instructor about your assignment progress, including requests for help and feedback along the way.

• If you are unwell pleasedon’t attend class, but instead click on the Dialogue link on the course site to send a message to your Class Instructor to let them know you won’t be attending class.

• Keep medical certificates and Covid Positive test results throughout the duration of the course, just in case you need to apply for an Extension (apply via the Extension button on the course site).

• If you don’t have an approved extension, it’s essential to submit whatever you can by the due date.

Assessment and submission

Assessment 1 forms 25% of your total grade for the course - refer to the due dates, assessment criteria and learning outcomes below, and view the feedback sheet on the course site.

You will receive feedback for Assessment 1 online in Week 7.

• Concept sketches are due at the start of class in Week 2

Develop a pencil or pen sketch on paper of your proposed concept/s (see Page 2 for details). Bring your sketches to class (via Zoom/Dialogue for online students) in Week 2, to discuss with your instructor.

• Final electronic submission of Assessment 1 is mid class in Week 4

Ensure you have followed the correct procedures for finalising your project for submission (see page 2 and follow item 7). Then, do the following:

1) Move your Packaged folder onto your computer’s desktop (or easy to find folder on your computer), and ensure your folder is named: ‘family name_first name_network user name’. This must be named before    creating the .zip file (see next step).

2) Create a compressed ZIP file following the instructions below:

Note that.zip is the only file type permitted for submission of this assignment.

How to create a zip file on a MAC:

With the folderselected, right click the folder (Control click on a MAC), select‘Compress.(’)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQvV8TXH2pI

How to create a zip file on a PC:

With the folderselected, right click the folder, select ‘Send to’then select‘Compressed Zipped folder’,

press Enter. If that option is not available, try the following: with the folderselected, click on Share tab, then select ‘Zip’, press Enter.

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-to-zip-files-windows-10

3)  Go to the Assessment 1 submission link (in the student portal, or on the Assessment 1 section of the course site). Drag your ZIP file to the submission area, read and Agree to the notice and press submit.   The .zip file size limit is 1GB - (check with your instructor if your folder size exceeds the limit).