FLASH is a flexible multimedia authoring tool conceived for internet delivery. Flash offers a variety of means of production, ranging from the simple arrangement of elements in time through a Graphical User Interface (GUI), to the abstract orchestration of events through Object Oriented Programming (OOP). Technically, this class will evolve from the concrete point & click, drag & drop interface, to the logical interfaces of scripting.
This class will explore a wide array of multimedia forms, from animations in linear time, to event-driven branching structures, to real-time responsive systems. We will explore diverse dimensions of representation and expression available in an interactive multimedium.
As we gain the technical know-how to create with Flash, we will also develop a vocabulary for discussing the wider significance of this phenomenon. We will read and write about the works and words of artists and cultural critics actively engaging multimedia, placing it in its social, historical, political context. We will connect theory with making to develop a critical multimedia practice.
Assignment Sequence #01: ((TEXT + IMAGE) + TIME) + CHOICE
Assignments and readings will be announced as the semester progresses.
Consumer Culture and the Technological Imperative: The Artist in Dataspace by Simon Penny.
The Aesthetics and Practice of Designing Interactive Computer Events by Steve Wilson
Generation Flash in Lev Manovich | Texts
Meshworks, Hierarchies and Interfaces by Manuel De Landa
The Materiality of Informatics by N. Katherine Hayles
Conceptual Interest, Creative Excellence, Aesthetic Quality, Technical Proficiency, Overall Coherence, Effort.
Participation: complete all reading and writing assignments and actively participate in discussions.
Late assignments will be down-graded by One Grade Point. No assignments will be accepted after semester ends.
Three absences (without instructor approval) will result in an overall grade reduction of One Grade Point. Coming late to class three times will count as one absence.