Week 3 - Digital Imaging

The third week in my Digital Media class was probably the most anticipated week for me. Before attending Ryerson University, I would spend a lot of my spare time on Adobe Photoshop. When I found out on the course syllabus that we’d be learning it, I was ecstatic. Thankfully, the lecture and lab did not disappoint.

Laurie Petrou’s slideshow was a great way to introduce this artistic program, because it started with a presentation on colours in elaborate detail. Of course, I know my yellows from my blues. However, learning about analog and complementary colours was quite an eye-opener. I’ve never quite taken the time to realize the importance of dominant colour schemes and models, along with their advantages. With many examples shown, the class got me very excited to begin Photoshop.

Despite having previous knowledge of the different filters, overlays, tools, and effects Photoshop has to offer; finally being shown by an instructor was a definite help. I taught myself the basics at home on my PC, but this was the first time I learned on a Mac, and it was quite different. Apart from learning a new layout of the program, the lab also went into how to format images correctly.

I was aware there were three types of image formats: bitmap, .jpeg, and .gif. What I didn’t know was the differences and their uses. The bitmap format (usually images taken from a digital camera or scanner) depends on the quality of the original image. The file is made up of pixels on a grid, so when you expand or extrapolate the image, quality is likely to change due to the computer having to create more pixels. JPEG files are basically lower-quality bitmap files. Eliminating details that aren’t easily recognizable reduces the size of the image, lending its usefulness to digital photography. Lastly, GIF files are simple images that are compressed to reduce the size. Web designers prefer this format for their websites due to the excellence in line drawings and text-based images.

Recently I have purchased my own copy of Adobe Photoshop for my Mac, based on my interest of the third week’s material. Although the poster/CD cover assignment is completed with this program, the main purpose of having my own copy was simply due to my enjoyment of creating digital media. That enjoyment will certainly continue to grow in the upcoming weeks.

Here are a few examples of past Photoshop creations I crafted on my PC:






Additional Sources
Petrou, Laurie. Digital Imaging. Ryerson University, Toronto. Lecture. 22 Sept. 2009.

Week 2 - Design Principles

Who knew that my second lecture in Digital Media would be about crap? Thankfully, however, it was interesting crap as I learned about the principles of design for formats such as magazines, the Internet, posters and billboards. This lesson will surely come in handy for the upcoming assignment when I create my own poster in Photoshop.

The principals of C.R.A.P. are quite clear. Contrast is used when two or more items aren’t the same, creating variety for the viewer due to objects appearing different from each other. Repetition occurs when you repeat a design throughout the final image. Having text or pictures centered or neatly lined is called alignment. Lastly, having related items organized together on a page, with less related items farther apart; is labeled as proximity.

I’ve been trying to decide lately if I should create a poster based on a fictionist movie, so I browsed the Internet and found some great examples that use Robin William’s C.R.A.P. Principles for Design. Here’s what I came up with:


The first poster I came across was for the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull’. I think the designer did a pretty effective job showcasing what this movie entailed. Having Indiana on the left of the image, as apposed to the centre, allows the background to appear less aligned and more entertaining for the viewer. With that being said, centering the bottom text makes the title of the film and release date very easy to navigate on the page. Having the main title slightly slanted on an angle allows the focus to become even easier. The designer also uses proximity with the font style used in the subtitle and the release date, creating a connection between the two, allowing the fonts to be two different colours yet still be able to match with the finished product.


‘Gran Torino’ was the second movie poster I discovered on the Internet. This design is the simplest out of the four I chose. The main focus here is the alignment that was made with the text. With the words all being displayed to the right, Clint Eastwood’s character can be easily seen covering up the left side of the page. Although using repetitive font does make the letters seem great together, I personally believe choosing something less dull could have made this poster more pleasing to the eye.


The next poster is a classic among movies. ‘Casablanca’ seems to have a pretty appealing poster by following the principles of design. Using contrast for the title text from everything else in the poster allows the red in Casablanca stand out perfectly among the rest. You can also witness repetition on the right side of the design, with all the characters faces in the same blue colour; create a simplistic border from complex profiles. Aligning the actors’ names at the top and the bottom of the poster allows the text to be easily read and organized from all the rest. To wrap it up, the designer then uses proximity by placing certain aspects into groups (ie. the main actors’ names at the top and the blue faces on the right).


My final poster, ‘300’, is my favourite design I managed to find. Using the bright red of the font on top of the dark brown of the cliff allows the colours to contrast effortlessly for everyone to read. The repetition of the soldiers on the left not only creates a nice border for the poster, but allows the alignment to seem effortless as well. Having text on angles and in capitals also helps the overall look to this amazing poster design. Keeping the font all on the right side of the cliff shows great proximity with the soldiers as well, making the poster not appear too cluttered.

Having these C.R.A.P. principles, as a design aid will benefit anyone who wants a powerful display, whether it’s on a poster, CD cover, magazine, or billboard. Simply by referring back to these four rules will definitely make anyone’s designs better. Knowing these principles in advance to my first project will help quite a bit!


Oh, and by the way, I made this.

Additional Sources
Petrou, Laurie. Design Principles: Colour Theory And Composition. Ryerson University, Toronto. Lecture. 15 Sept. 2009.
Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer's Type Book. Peachpit Press, 1998.

Images
Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull. 2008. (Movie Poster)
hhttp://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/12/am_poster_post_indiana_jones_a.php
Gran Torino. 2008. (Movie Poster)
http://uncinema.wordpress.com/2009/03/
Casablanca. 1942. (Movie Poster)
http://welovetypography.com/3/tag/connected/
300. 2007. (Movie Poster)
http://www.reviewstl.com/300/

Week 1 - What Is Digital Media?

Honestly, I had no idea what this Digital Media course entailed as I walked into the lecture hall early Tuesday morning. Of course I read the class description many times as I waited patiently during the summer for university to start, however, actually experiencing BDC 192 in person was like nothing I could of imagined. Being in a room full of hundreds of students was a lot different than my usual 20-30 to a class. Laptops everywhere, huge projector screens and speakers- what was I getting myself into?

As I sat there watching Laurie Petrou's entertaining and informative slideshow, I began to feel like university wouldn't nearly be as frightening or as stressful as I made it out to be. My first impression of the term "digital media" seemed challenging and intimidating as I envisioned very technical programs and instructions to create graphic design, animation, interactivity, and web media. Thankfully my impression changed after the first lecture, for although the course still seemed challenging, the programs we would be using were familiar to me. Thank God for that.

It is no surprise as to why an RTA student should take this course. Although not all of BDC 192 is needed to acquire a job in the radio and television field, there are many aspects that can surely assist. There are many programs to be learned during the semester, however I feel the "assessing and giving constructive feedback for others" as well as "understanding the importance of the target audience" are the two most important skills that can be taken from this course. Knowing what your listeners/viewers want to see or hear means everything in this competitive industry.

The medium is definitely the message and Marshall McLuhan could not of been more right. The medium does affect society through the content and the characteristics of it. So by creating a medium that people want to actually be engaged by and choose to listen helps carry your message across. Being enrolled in the Digital Media course will surely help me develop those skills, and although the course may be intimidating and challenging at times; I feel I have nothing to worry about. It's going to be a fun year.

Additional Sources
Petrou, Laurie. Introduction: BDC 192 Digital Media. Ryerson University, Toronto. Lecture. 8 Sept. 2009.