SART 2700 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER GRAPHICS SELF DIRECTED PROJECT # 2 PREPRESS PHOTOSHOP CREATE AN IMAGINARY SCENE
The research for this self directed Photoshop project requires that you create a constructed image that has a strong, symbolic narrative. The image may be an interior or exterior scene. The narrative that is conveyed may suggest a dramatic still from a film. This should not be a literal translation of an actual film, more to convey the lighting and drama of a movie. You must determine how to enhance the scene using figures, furniture, landscape or invented elements to create a new narrative. The finished ‘construction’ should suggest a story of the event that you are depicting. The transformation of the scene must appear seamless; that is you will scale and transform, edit and color balance all objects that are inserted into the scene. Pay particular attention to the direction of the light source in the image and therefore, the correct placement of the shadows underneath the people, cars and all the new objects. All the cast shadows, which suggest how an object relates to the ground, must be oriented to the same direction. By creating the scene or event, you will invent an imaginary world that dislocates our sense of reality. Start with a new document, 8.5
X 11 inches at 300 dpi. This is the standard paper size that most printers use.
Before the file is sent to the large printer, you should be able to proof what you have on a smaller, regular printer. All your initial collection of images to compose and collage the image must be scanned at the same dpi. In order for this work to be printed out on a 42-inch wide plotter, the digital information must be high. The rule of thumb for prepress work is to scan the image at twice the dots per inch of the final output. This means that if the work is to go to press and the halftone screen used to make the film is 150 lines per inch then the file should be at 300 dpi or resolution. When you are working with this sort of resolution, the file quickly becomes very large as you start adding layers to hold different sections of the image. Make sure that you name your layers, and keep all the separate smaller images in the same working folder. This project is also about file management and organizing your images. A short, typewritten proposal for the assignment should be prepared and handed into the instructor to outline the intention and subject matter of the scene. The instructor will discuss the proposal with each student and suggest further research possibilities on the topic, direction and complexity of the work. • The project will be available for grading in a new folder within your name folder, titled PREPRESS. The project will also be handed in as a large- scale print out. Allow time for the printing. Grade Points will be awarded for these attributes. • • • • • Originality of the image Complexity of the image and imported elements. Control of lighting effects, such as shadows. Color control. Layer organization.
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Use of layer masks to isolate elements. Seamless control of the imported elements in to the background. Overall technical expertise.
Project must be finished by first week of November 2008 in order to have time for Paul to print all the work. The project is worth 25% of the grade for this course.