4D Foundations
Instructor: Dr. Dahye Kim
Course Description
Introduction to technical, formal, and conceptual use of four-dimensional art practices including time and space, sound, moving images, performance and interactive projects. Emphasis placed on development of ideas by exploring strategies for artistic thinking, creative process and problem solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Course Overview
Students will be introduced to the elements, techniques, and theory of 4D art. This course explores principles of contemporary practice that have extended the fields of fine art and design. Time-based media, such as film, animation, video and sound are included, as well as performance art and social practice. This course will address issues of duration, ephemerality, interdisciplinarity and collaboration.
Through exercises designed to develop ideas from concept through production and presentation, students will learn practical skills for developing, editing, revising, and refining their ideas. Students will gain experience in Adobe Creative Cloud software for basic video and sound editing. Students will develop technical skills alongside conceptual development, creative problem solving and the ability to integrate these skills within traditional art practices.
Project 1: Not So Still Life (Video/Film)
Description:
This project involved multiple learning activities. 1. After watching a series of video art and film in art history, students did extensive discussions and learned how to appreciate time-based art. 2. Students learned camera techniques: camera angles, shots, and movements from the instructor, Dr. Kim’s lecture with a variety of time-based art including film trailers and music videos. 3. Then, students learned how to create a storyboard. 4. Based on the storyboard, students created a short video/film using the subject matter of the video, objects in a still life, or moving subjects, to define the camera angles and camera movements. In the process, students considered how the end of one shot will lead to the next, which is called a transition. The end result was a 2 min video/film in which the Field of View (FOV), camera angles and camera movements reflect or define the character of the subject matter.
Learning Outcomes:
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Demonstrate ability to accurately plan for the project including all conceptual planning, choosing, and arranging still life objects and storyboarding of scenes and shots.
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Demonstrate ability to transition from one shot to another through camera angles and movements as well as with imagery.
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Demonstrate ability to export project in correct format as defined by the instructor.
Project 2: Sound Art
Description:
After participating a series of in-class activities: discussion, idea sketch, and sound mapping from a field trip to conceptualize this genre, students created a 2 min video with sound art that includes a mix of: appropriated audio, audio recorded, or created themselves. Students considered the use of natural sounds, ambient sounds, and any unexpected but appropriate experience around them. Students exercised the tried-and-true techniques of: alternating audio elements, along with adjusting audio levels, and applied collage techniques to audio. In the audio montage, students considered these: 1. Each audio clip must connect from the previous one. 2. If the audio clips are all mashed together, not flowing, the listener has trouble following along sounds “choppy” in general sounds confusing. 3. Required to extend edits, so they overlap and fade in and out and weave in and out smoothly for a good flow of sounds. The final version of this project included the visual/video to match the sound they edited.
Learning Outcomes:
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Experience with audio multi-track editing process.
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Ability to arrange, edit and record audio clips.
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Mastery with various audio settings and functions such as transitions, fades, etc.
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Skills with Adobe Premiere/Audition software.
Project 3: Animated Text
Description:
Inspired by the graphic design + video art lecture from the instructor, Dr. Kim and a series of “text art” examples shown in class, students created an interdisciplinary text-based graphics animation. Under the direction of Dr. Kim, students researched the contents in the science area referencing the “Scholarly Journal Articles” and “Scholarly Books.” In the process of researching, students also learned how to cite scholarly/academic texts for their artwork. Students edited the texts for 100-200 words. Then, using the adobe software, students created a 1-2 min animated video with the texts and matched the visual with a popular song.
Learning Outcomes:
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Understand the graphic design context in Time.
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Apply contemporary video art skills in graphic design and animation.
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Apply elements and principles of 2D, 3D, and 4D.
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Apply interdisciplinary approach in time-based media.
Project 4: Zoom Background and New Performance (Group Project)
Description:
Part 1. Inspired by contemporary design works shown in class, students worked collaboratively in a group and created zoom backgrounds using Photoshop or Illustrator. Each group picked the keywords for their background designs. Corresponding to the keywords, students created 4-5 background designs in a group. Students considered the flow of the designs which should be related to each other in terms of color, shape, or pattern, etc.
Part 2. After watching a series of dance and performance art in art history, each group created the zoom performance with the background designs from part 1. Performance can be simple as daily tasks, improvisational movements, or performance based on the script they created together in a group. The zoom performance was held in classroom, AJ 150.
Learning Outcomes:
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Gain experience with digital technology (zoom and adobe software) to create a new performance.
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Rethink the relationship between body as object and subject and the technology we use every day to connect people.
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Maximize creativity from collaboration in a group.