syllabus
UWM DEPT. OF FILM
COURSE TITLE: Intro to Visual Effects
COURSE #: Film 420
MEETING TIMES / LOCATION: Tuesday 5pm–8:50pm, MIT B56
INSTRUCTOR: Bobby Ciraldo
OFFICE HOURS: Before or after class (Tues. 4pm–5pm or 9pm–10pm) in room B55B, by appointment only.
E-MAIL: 
For full schedule, tutorials, downloadable syllabus and projects, go here:
https://ciraldo.stream/uwm-vfx1
Course description
This course focuses on the use of After Effects (aka, “AE”) as a powerful digital tool for producing and applying animation and visual effects to individual creative exercises and projects.
Over the course of the semester students will learn how to perform essential functions in AE including Masking, Keyframing, Sub-composition, Parenting, 3-D space, Lighting, Basic Motion Tracking, and more.
Course objectives
By the end of the semester each student should develop a comfortable working relationship with a pretty dense post-production app. We’ll complete a handful of homework exercises as well as four short, stand-alone works. Successful time management, idea generation, and economical use of AE will be crucial.
Grading policy
Your grade will be based on your attendance, the homework exercises and projects we’ll do, and general participation.
Here’s the breakdown I will use:
10% — Project #1
20% — Project #2
22% — Project #3
28% — Project #4 (Final Project)
10% — Homework Assignments
10% — General Participation
By general participation I mean: participating in class discussion about new or old topics, emailing me with questions outside of class, discussion about student projects we’re critiquing as a class, and overall engagement level.
Attendance policy & your grade
In general, Don’t Be Absent. Stuff comes up though, in which case here’s my policy:
After the 1st absence, each additional absence diminishes your final grade by 1/3.
So for example, a final grade of an A along with 2 total absences will result in a final grade of A-, while 3 total absences would be a B+, and so on. This is regardless of excused vs unexcused. We only meet once a week, and you need to be here to go over the relevant course material and make good use of the lab time. Talk to me if you think you have extenuating circumstances.
Grading scale
Your work will be graded using the 4-point scale:
| A+ | 4.330 | Excellent |
| A | 4.0 | Great |
| B | 3.0 | Good |
| C | 2.0 | Ok |
| D | 1.0 | Not So Good |
| F | 0.0 | Uh Oh |
Generally speaking, Excellent means that one has transcended the expectations of the project and delighted all. Great means that the work meets all requirements and feels thorough, rich and interesting. Good means one has gotten pretty close to all requirements with a few exceptions. Ok means the work was a good effort but is somewhat incomplete. Not So Good means the work fails to meet the project description in several ways, and to boot, the work is sloppy, rushed and not thoughtful. Lastly, Uh Oh means the work never found its way to the instructor (or was turned in too late, see below.)
Final grades are always capped at 4.0, but projects earning A+‘s can still contribute the 4.33towards the final average almost like extra credit.
Each assignment comes with its own objectives and challenges (technical, formal and conceptual) and each assignment will be graded in relation to achievement in meeting those objectives and challenges.
[ Graduate students enrolled in the course will produce a final project of greater duration than that of the undergraduates. We can discuss this more as the semester moves forward. ]
Late assignments
I accept late assignments, but the grade will be reduced.
All assignments are due at the beginning of class. If turned in within 24-hours after that, the grade will be reduced by a whole letter grade (so e.g., an A becomes a B). Within the next 24-hours, the grade is reduced another letter grade (an A becomes a C), and so on. A late project, upon being graded, will be returned without comments, and in fact may not be graded until the end of the semester.
When you come to class on project due dates, come prepared WITH YOUR PROJECT FINISHED AND EXPORTED – NO exporting or finishing up during class time!
Back up your own work!
You are responsible for backing up your own data. Back up your data to a Flash USB drive, external hard drive, DVD, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, etc.
Losing your data (for whatever reason!) does not excuse late work — without exception.
Conduct, distracting devices, other stuff
Respectfulness is paramount. In all matters of conduct, ask yourself, “Am I being respectful of others?” Nearly every action can be measured against the latter question. This applies to attitude, speech, action, etc.
No distracting devices or behavior (vaporizers, cell phones, work from other classes, etc.) is allowed during lecture. All comments, critique, and all other engagement with others in the class is to be conducted respectfully and fairly.
Required Supplies
You will need a flash or thumb drive or portable hard drive for turning in work to me on days when work is due. I will transfer the files at the beginning of class while you wait. No old USB 2.0 drives–they are too slow.
Course Book(s) / Recommended Texts / Readings
No texts are required for this course. Tons of additional tutorials exist online (e.g., at sites like creativecow.net and videocopilot.net or simply youtube) and all that you’ll need to know for your productions in this class will be online at our class site.
Schedule
Our schedule is subject to change according to the ebb and flow of the course. All changes will be updated on the class site, and all updates will be sent via email.
The full schedule can be found at the URL below:
https://ciraldo.stream/uwm-vfx1/schedule/
Equipment / Facility Access and Work Permits
There will be several class sessions set aside for production, but in no way will you be able to finish your projects by utilizing this time alone. You’ll need to supplement your work time in MIT B56, B68 or CRT 187.
After-hours access to Mitchell Hall (MIT B68 or MIT B56, our AE labs) is available for all students enrolled in the “hand reader” lock system, via the northwest entrance (below the loading dock). Students register for a “hand reader” at the PSOA Box Office on the 1st floor of the Zelazo Center.
Drops and Incompletes
Incompletes will be considered ONLY for situations in which you are maintaining a “B” or better grade at the end of classes, and you are unable, because of illness or other circumstances beyond your control, to complete your course work. You must provide written documentation indicating that you were prevented from completing your course requirements. You must complete course work for an Incomplete during the first 8 weeks of the next semester of enrollment (excluding summer sessions). Access to department facilities for the purpose of completing course requirements is extended 5 weeks into the next semester.
Here is a link to information about drops and withdrawals:
http://uwm.edu/onestop/dates-and-deadlines/important-dates-by-term/
Special Needs and Questions
If you will need accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please contact me as soon as possible. Feel free to visit me during office hours to discuss assignments or any questions or requests you have. The Department of Film follows UWM academic policies which are posted on the departmental bulletin board, or available online at http://uwm.edu/arc
Use of Copyrighted Material
Use of copyrighted material is strictly prohibited unless the images, sounds, texts, etc. are being significantly altered and it is clear in the opinion of the instructor that the original material is being studied, analyzed and commented upon by the student. Grades for work failing to satisfy this requirement for copyrighted materials will be significantly lowered. The instructor reserves the right to determine what constitutes fair use of copyrighted material. A helpful resource concerning copyright and fair use is available at http://uwmltc.org/?p=6212
The campus Learning Technology Center, located in the east wing of the Library, can also provide consultation and resources concerning these issues.