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Unit of study_

CAEL2101: Digital Effects for Film and Video

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Digital Effects are increasingly important in screen arts production. This unit of study will equip you with a conceptual understanding and technical expertise in the use of digital effects for film and video projects. You will be introduced to the use of compositing software such as Adobe After Effects to explain how moving images can be transformed over time in combination with text, masks, animation, filters, effects, and sound. You will learn how to work with After Effects through an intensive series of tutorials, film/video screenings and practical studio workshops, and use this knowledge and skills to complete a substantial creative project.

Unit details and rules

Unit code CAEL2101
Academic unit Sydney College of the Arts
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level in the Visual Arts major or 12 credit points at 1000 level Studio Foundation units in the Bachelor of Visual Arts
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Simon Bare, simon.bare@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Joshua Belinfante, joshua.belinfante@sydney.edu.au
Chris Yee, christopher.yee@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Creative assessment / demonstration Motion Graphics / Composited Video Project
Video Project due in Formal Exam period.
50% Formal exam period
Due date: 06 Nov 2022 at 23:59

Closing date: 30 Nov 2022
1-3 Minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Creative assessment / demonstration Creative Project
AE Video Project
25% Week 06
Due date: 03 Apr 2022 at 23:59

Closing date: 01 May 2022
1-2 minutes (maximum)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Creative assessment / demonstration Project Proposal and Presentation
Submitted Video Proposal and Presentation with AE tests
25% Week 08
Due date: 24 Apr 2022 at 23:59

Closing date: 14 May 2022
4-5 Minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO2

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

PLEASE NOTE: You must attempt all assessment tasks in order to pass this unit!

Assessment criteria

Assessment grading  

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

This unit uses standards-based assessment for award of assessment marks. Your assessments will be evaluated solely on the basis of your individual performance You need to satisfy requirements as determined by academic staff, including attendance, communicated to you through the Sydney College of the Arts Handbook, unit of study outlines, other written notifications and/or verbally through tutorials or seminars. All requirements must be met in order to be eligible for an assessment.

Your work will be assessed according to the following criteria, based on: attendance; participation and responsiveness to the unit of study and academic direction; written work; studio work and other unit of study work; tutorial and seminar team discussion. These criteria apply to studio-based learning and to theory units of study.

1. Competence
Demonstration of the development and application of practical and intellectual competency and skills appropriate to the unit of study.

2. Development
Demonstration of the ability to initiate and realise your own objectives for studio practice and theory work within the requirements of the unit of study and of your developing knowledge of the historical and theoretical context of your practice. You are expected to improve your abilities, competency and understanding over the course of a semester, and over successive semesters.

3. Critical Awareness
Demonstration of developing a critical awareness and knowledge of the unit of study and the ability to objectively evaluate your own work, select appropriate methods and materials and to formulate and evaluate ideas/methods.

4. Commitment
Demonstration of commitment and self-motivation in respect of the unit of study. The level of commitment to study in the academic program is reflected in; the development of self-motivation applied to individual, group or assignment-based work; the degree of participation in all units of study including group work, project submissions, essays and discussions; the development of a consistent work pattern; and the regularity and punctuality of attendance and submissions.

5. Innovation
Demonstration of innovative and imaginative thinking, appropriate to the unit of study, evidencing the quality of ideas underlying your work and development in your studies.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1. Orientation and overview of program; 2. After effects, interface, project management, media management; 3. Basic transform controls key frames solids Seminar (1 hr)  
1. Understanding assets and file types; 2. Simple motion graphic; 3. Composition with graphics and solids Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 02 1. After effects basics 1 2. Animating from Photoshop + Illustrator (PS + AI) Puppet Pin Tool; 3. Screening: Beastliness (2011) By Deborah Kelly, Screening: Colonial Grab (2015) By Joan Ross. Seminar (1 hr)  
Puppet Pin/simple character animation Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 03 1. After effects basics 2; 2. Project workflow nesting compositions; 3. Editing in AE + PR Seminar (1 hr)  
Building a presentation video and animatic (moving storyboard/) Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 04 1. Using the alpha channel 1; 2. Colour keying; 3. Introduction to masks; 4. Screening: Heath Franco – selected works and green screen use in major production Seminar (1 hr)  
Compositing imagined scenes using colour keying and static masks Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 05 1. Using the alpha channel 2; 2. Rotobrush animating masks Seminar (1 hr)  
Compositing imagined scenes using rotobrush and animated masks Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 06 1. Using the alpha channel 3; 2. Track mattes, colour mattes, filters and effects Seminar (1 hr)  
1. Compositing shapes onto colours using track mattes; 2. Double exposure effect Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 07 In class presentations Seminar (2 hr)  
Critical discussion of projects and feedback session Seminar (1 hr)  
Week 08 1. 3D camera tracking image, stabilisation, time and speed; 2. Manipulation, frame blending and pixel motion; 3. Screening: The Was (2016) By Soda_Jerk and The Avalanches Seminar (1 hr)  
1. Compositing video into a tracking shot; 2. Time manipulation Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 09 1. Working in 3D space 1; 2. The z-axis animating cameras Seminar (1 hr)  
1. Screening: Phantom Landscape (2010) By Yang Yongliang; 2. Create a basic matte painting Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 10 1. Working in 3D space 2; 2. Animating lights importation of 3D objects Seminar (1 hr)  
Creating shadows and importing 3D objects into a 3D tracked footage Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 11 1. Working with audio, importing and previewing audio, adjusting audio levels in AE + PR; 2. Audio effects, converting audio to keyframes Seminar (1 hr)  
Animating mouth movement to dialogue Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 12 1. Outputting codecs and containers; 2. Render settings 3. Exporting your project Seminar (1 hr)  
Work in progress, critique and final project feedback session 1 Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 13 Work in progress, critique and final project feedback session 2 Seminar (3 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

  • Additional requirements from Sydney College of the Arts

  • Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for this unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Unit Coordinator.
  • All assignments are compulsory and must be attempted. 
  • You must attend scheduled assessments to be eligible to pass. Non-attendance at assessment on any grounds insufficient to claim special consideration will result in the forfeiture of marks associated with the assessment. 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Conceive, plan and realise 2 short video works that demonstrates competency in compositing and engages with the contemporary media culture using Adobe After Effects and the Adobe Suite
  • LO2. critically analyse, conceptualise and problem solve through the production process of a digital composited moving image work
  • LO3. demonstrate appropriate and proficient use of Adobe After Effects to realise the moving image project
  • LO4. critically evaluate aesthetics, information & narratives in an ethical and culturally sensitive manner
  • LO5. critically understand a range of different approaches to moving image practice and engage with related theoretical and cultural debates.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit is being run for the first time.

Please note this unit uses Adobe Creative suite as the primary editing software, not Final Cut pro.

In this class, you will use Adobe Software called Creative Cloud Suite (CC suite). You will be able to access this software at a reduced price through the university. The software we use as part of this suite is called Premier Pro. The suite also gives you access to Photoshop, After Effects, Audition, and a whole host of other animation, desktop publishing, design, and web design applications.

We recommend that you use your own external hard drive to work with during the semester, where you will store your media and editing work

Additional costs

It is recommended that you purchase the Adobe Creative Cloud through the university at a reduced cost compared to Adobe Student. (more information on Canvas).

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.