The
Creative Arts option comprises three profiles. All three share
a common first semester. As of the second semester, students specialize
in a profile of their choosing. In the third and fourth semesters,
students in each profile are permitted to take an optional course
in profiles other than their own, thereby giving each student
a well-rounded exposure to various media used for expression.
The
profiles are:
1. Digital Imaging & Studio Arts
allows students to learn to work with traditional art-making techniques
such as drawing, painting and sculpture, and also with digital
imaging in both 2D and 3D applications. They will learn how the
computer can be an artist's tool, how the screen is a kind of
canvas, and how sculpture can be designed in both real and virtual
space. In this profile, students learn traditional art-making
techniques concurrently with the newer digital methods.
2.
Film/Video/Communications
is designed to educate students about film and video from a variety
of perspectives - aesthetic, historical, technical, and theoretical.
Students learn to analyze the dynamics of how film and video achieve
their unique and dramatic impact on audiences as well as how to
produce works in various genres combining elements of writing,
cinematography, editing, writing, audio and so on to tell stories,
explore social issues and convey ideas and emotions.
3.
Photo/Design teaches students
about photography and design - expressive media which are strongly
related. Students will learn design principles through the use
of the camera, along with darkroom skills which allow the expression
of their ideas. In this profile, students will also work with
related media such as digital imaging.
COURSE
DESCRIPTIONS
The
following courses are common to all profiles
502-101-LA
Art & Ideas
This
course focuses on the inherent human urge to express knowledge,
emotions, values and beliefs artistically. By looking at works
of art from different cultures and historical periods, students
will explore a wide range of artistic expression in different
fields including the visual arts, litterature, music and dance.
502-201-LA
Art & Media
This
course is a continuation of Culture I. Emphasis will be placed
on languages and gesture, models and modes of communication, ethical
concerns affecting culture including content regulation and censorship,
and identifying various media of communication and tracing their
roots to other art forms.
510-101-LA
Intro to Digital Imaging/Studio Arts
This
course allows the student to become familiar with the basic tools
and techniques of both digital imaging and studio arts. In the
digital imaging section of the course, students are taught how
to work in the computer environment. They are introduced to the
Macintosh computer platform and its file management system before
experimenting with graphic applications for creating digital art.
In the studio art portion of the course, students will study drawing
methods that explore qualities of line, 2D design concepts of
positive and negative space, and sculpture using a direct approach
- working from observation. Students will be taught to appreciate
the differences and the connections between digital imaging and
studio arts.
511-101-LA
Intro to Photo/Design
This
course introduces the principles and practices of design through
the medium of photography. Students will be able to produce black
and white photographs by going through all the steps from loading
film into the camera to making enlargements in the darkroom. Students
will develop good printing skills which will enable them to control
the interpretation of the final print. This course will also cover
the basic concepts and design elements of colour photography.
The main objective of this course is to enable students to turn
ideas into visual images.
530-101-LA
Intro to Film/Video/Communications
This
introductory course teaches students about the grammar of film
and video (shot types, angles, etc.) and the specialized vocabulary
and roles associated with video and film production. Students
will be exposed to all phases of production (i.e., writing, preparation,
planning, shooting, editing, presentation, and self-review) and
will create short productions in small teams using single- and
multi-camera continuity techniques.
Courses
Specific to the Digital Imaging/Studio Arts Profile
510-201-LA
2D & 3D Design
Building
on skills acquired in the introductory Digital Imaging/Studio
Art course, this course will introduce the practical and conceptual
considerations fo 2D and 3D design. Through experimentation, students
will gain an understanding of line, colour, symmetry, positive
and negative space, shape, mass and contrast. They will explore
how the manipulation of these elements enables an artist to create
an image which can be read and understood. Students will develop
skills in drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. This
course is given concurrently with 510-202 (2D Computer Imaging)
and 510-203 (Drawing and Painting). In both of these courses,
students will integrate the skills and concepts learned in 2D/3D
Design.
510-202-LA
2D Computer Imaging
In
this course students will work on and experiment with the canvas
(bit-mapped surface) and create Bezier curves (mathematically
configured vectors) Projects will introduce specific features
: collage using Floaters and Masks: Duplicating Shapes: Image
Layering and Cloning: Scanning and Image Manipulation. The recording
and playback of all the steps in making an image will be done
as a final project through the use of Scripts. Students will be
graded on their mastery of technical skills and their creativity
at finding solutions to 2D design problems.
510-203-LA
Drawing & Painting
In
this course, students will use drawing and painting to express
what they see around them, what they feel, and what they think.
They will learn the process of drawing and painting through the
use of paper, canvas and a variety of drawing and painting materials.
At the same time, they will apply and reinforce the notions of
spatial organization that they are simultaneously learning in
the 2D portion of the 2D & 3D design course.
510-301-LA
Sculpture
Building
on the experiences of the 2D/3D Design course, students will develop
a practical understanding of sculpture as a contemporary practice
in art. Students will learn traditional techniques of sculpture,
interpreted in a contemporary fashion, which they will be able
to apply to the 3D Computer and Advanced Studio courses in their
fourth semester. They will also learn how to analyse and critique
their own process and production.
510-302-LA
2D Computer Animation
The
rendering of motion through the repetition of images is at the
base of this course. Because animation involves a long process
students will learn to follow a solid work methodology.
Students
will develop and submit a storyboard identifying keyframe images
along with a written proposal to develop a suggested theme.
Sequential
linear drawings will be created with the use of a traditional
light table or directly into the digital environment to develop
image motion.
Finally,
students will learn to use appropriate software to edit their
animation. Sound editing and sound/motion synchronization will
be included.
510-401-LA
Advanced Workshop: Studio Arts
In
this advanced Studio Arts course, students will be asked to produce
a personal body of work in response to thematic parameters established
by the instructor. The themes introduced will attempt to address
issues pertinent to contemporary art as a fluctuating entity in
the post modern era. Materials and techniques will be dictated
by the students interpretation of the theme, and should not be
limited to those previously learned. In addition to the studio
work, the student will be required to do readings to aid in situating
their interpretations in relation to current art discourse.
510-402-LA
3D Computer Imaging
The
student is introduced to the construction of simple three-dimensional
(3D) graphic images, the use of elementary rendering techniques
to provide realistic presentations and the basics of 3D animation
of computer images. The course includes creation and editing of
material mappings and light settings for 3D digital worlds.
Several
themes are explored including assembled objects, modular elements,
scene composition and metamorphing. Students will be graded on
their mastery of technical skills and on their creativity at finding
solutions to 3D design problems.
In
this advanced course all notions acquired in the Digital Imaging
and Studio Arts profile will be integrated. Drawing, Sculpture,
2D Computer Graphics and Animation will be important assets in
the development of a more personal body of work.
510-403-LA
Integrated Project/Portfolio
In
this course, students integrate the skills and knowledge acquired
in the program. They prepare a portfolio for application to university
programs, technical schools, or related employment. The portfolio
will consist of slide documentation and examples of work completed
in previous courses, a statement of intent, a letter of application,
properly formatted lists of slides, contents, etc. Students will
propose and execute an artwork of their own design, which will
be worked on over an extended period of time (8 weeks). The written
proposal for the extended studio project must include a rationale
on how the artwork will include themes, theories, and techniques
that the student has identified as being present in their work
to present.
Digital
Imaging/Studio Arts option courses for students enrolled in the
other two profiles:
Courses
Specific to the Photo/Design Profile
511-201-LA
Colour Photography
This
course explores the subjects and techniques appropriate to colour
photography, highlighting the differences between black and white
and colour. The use of colour in design is an important component
of the course, which also covers technical topics such as colour
theory, conversion and light balancing filters and different films
and formats. Students will use this technical foundation to more
effectively express their ideas in colour photography. The use
of colour photography in advertising, photojournalism and stock
images will also be examined. Critiques of students' work will
be supplemented with studying the work of well-known photographers
in order to facilitate the development of self critical and analytical
skills.
511-202-LA
Black & White Photo Workshop
This
course is a bridge between technique and creative photography.
Techniques covered will include using different films and lenses,
controlling contrast through film development, using filters,
advanced printing methods, and print spotting. The course will
introduce a thematic approach to photography with individual attention
paid to each student's project. There will be opportunities to
explore areas of personal interest while relating projects to
historical context. Students will learn to use black and white
photography as a means of creative expression, as well as to analyse
the structure of images and develop a critical vocabulary.
511-301-LA
Studio Photography
The
primary goal of this course is to develop a sensitivity to the
shaping power of light. Students will explore an extensive range
of interior lighting techniques, matching those techniques to
appropriate subjects. Students will develop the skills necessary
to light almost any interior photographic situation, however the
emphasis will be on the creative use of light rather than merely
commercial techniques. A variety of other studio techniques such
as backgrounds, table-top photography, and the use of the view
camera will be covered.
511-401-LA
Advanced Photo Workshop
By
the end of this course, students will be able to produce a coherent
body of work which utilizes and extends the techniques and the
analytical and critical skills learned in previous semesters.
Students will produce a portfolio of photographs which are thematically
cohesive, printed to high standards, and well-presented. Students
will design a project, write a project proposal and explain it
in class, analyse and solve problems on an on-going basis, and
be able to usefully criticize both their own work and that of
other students. At the end of the semester, students in this course
will present their work in a year-end exhibition which allows
them to complete the production cycle from concept to public presentation.
511-402-LA
Digital Photography Workshop
This
course focuses on using the computer to digitally manipulate photographs.
This course will use Adobe Photoshop on the Macintosh to edit,
create and manipulate photographic images. Students will learn
how to scan images, use editing tools, work with layers, understand
resolution concepts, manage file formats and prepare files for
output. Emphasis will be placed on using digital techniques for
the creation of expressive digital artwork.
511-403-LA
Portfolio: Photo/Design
This
course is the culmination of four semesters in the Photography/Design
profile; students will integrate the skills and knowledge learned
in the other courses they have taken by producing a coherent and
finished portfolio of their work as well as a letter of intent
or artist's statement related to the portfolio. The portfolio
is the key to admission to pertinent university programmes and
to employment in the field - it is therefore the central core
around which this course is built. The course will also emphasize
interview and presentation skills, including the use of audio-visual
support, and will offer the opportunity to practise public speaking.
Photo/Design
option coursesfor students enrolled in the other two profiles:
Courses
Specific to the Film/Video/Communications Profile
530-201-LA
Electronic Filmmaking I
Building
on skills acquired in the introductory Film/Video/Communications
course, this course will use small format video equipment to allow
students to experiment with basic and advanced narrative filmmaking
techniques. The course will cover the technical and theoretical
aspects of telling a story using images, focusing on the specifics
of narrative shooting and editing, such as matching action, maintaining
screen direction, exposition, point-of-view, cross-cutting and
manipulating time.
530-202-LA
Television Studio
Building
on skills acquired in the introductory Film/Video/Communications
course, students will use the TV studio to create a video production.
Students will learn how to create electronic graphics, artwork,
set design, audio mixes, and sound effects, while gaining a sound
understanding of TV studio production and operations. Students
will learn the importance of teamwork and planning.
530-203-LA
Screen Studies
Screen
Studies focuses on the vocabulary and concepts necessary for analysing
moving images from film, television and new digital image technologies.
Students are taught the "nuts and bolts" of image construction,
ways of categorizing images, issues in representation, the effects
of various media on images, and the politics and economics of
moving images.
530-301-LA
Electronic Filmmaking II
This
is an extension of Electronic Filmmaking I. In this course, students
will develop a portfolio of electronic film work via three projects:
an animated film, a cut-to-sound video and short sync-sound video.
Students will be exposed to the fundamental techniques of animated
film and will explore electronic production and post-production
techniques. By the end of the course, students will be expected
to be able to assess creative work.
530-302-LA
Film History: Selected Topics
This
course is an introductory survey of developments in cinema from
its invention to the present. Using works from the silent era
through the present, including fiction, documentary and propaganda
films, this course explores how filmmakers have observed and commented
upon social issues, and how films reflect the times in which they
were made. The intent of this course is to introduce the student
to the development of forms and techniques of film-making while
examining how the historical, political and cultural contexts
of films relate to style, content and aesthetics.
530-401-LA
Electronic Filmmaking III
This
course simulates working in a film/video production company. The
instructor will act as owner of the company and executive producer
of all productions. Students will learn to work both on their
own and in teams to write or adapt, direct, shoot, and edit productions
using both regular linear video cameras and editing and digital
video cameras with non-linear digital editing.
530-402-LA
Canadian Film and Television
This
course is an introduction to the history of film and television
production in Canada. Content will be examined in the context
of recurring themes, including the role of the Canadian government
in fostering and supporting the film and television industries,
the similarities and differences between the development of film
and television in Canada and Québec, and the influence
of foreign media on Canadian film and television. Alternative
practices and forms, including the animated film and the documentary,
will be discussed.
530-403-LA
Creative Arts Portfolio: Film/Video/Communication
This
course synthesizes the knowledge and skills learned in the other
courses in the profile. Students will inventory, review, evaluate
and edit their own work, producing a portfolio that best represents
their mastery of the program material. Students will also research
various university admission requirements and deadlines and they
will draft a letter of intent or artist's statement for the university
programs of their choice. Students will also survey students from
previous years to track their experiences both in university and
otherwise.
Film/Video/Communications
option courses for students enrolled in the other two profiles:
