Course Title: Produce Writings - Desktop Publishing

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2011

Course Code: COMM5399

Course Title: Produce Writings - Desktop Publishing

School: 345T Media and Communication

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4171 - Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing

Course Contact : Program administrator

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4368

Course Contact Email:Brendan.lee@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Teacher: Mr Don Porter
Telephone: 03 9925 8089
Email: don.porter@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 105

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

At RMIT, Produce Writings – Desktop Publishing is delivered and assessed along with the following competencies:
• CUSRAD01A – Collect and organise information
• CUVCOR03A – Develop, refine and communicate concept
• CUVCOR11A – Source information on history and theory and apply to own work

Course Description

This course introduces you to desktop publishing through the use of industry standard software packages. The course covers the knowledge and skills required to manipulate text and images to create a range of professional documents.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

VBP552 Produce Writings - Desktop Publishing

Element:

1. Analyse the purpose of the writing task

Performance Criteria:

1.1 The purpose of the work is confirmed with relevant parties
1.2 The form, media and technique most appropriate to the purpose of the writing task is selected
1.3 The stylistic and cultural context of the writing task is proposed to meet the writing objective

Element:

2. Investigate the scope of the writing task

Performance Criteria:

1.1 The purpose of the work is confirmed with relevant parties
1.2 The form, media and technique most appropriate to the purpose of the writing task is selected
1.3 The stylistic and cultural context of the writing task is proposed to meet the writing objective
2.1 The level and scope of the writing task is analysed to determine the length and style of the work
2.2 The level of research required to fulfil the agreed outcome to the required style and standard is analysed
2.3 The resources necessary to retrieve or generate the relevant information is determined
2.4 The type and level of information required to suit the context of the writing task is planned

Element:

3. Plan the writing task

Performance Criteria:

3.1 The writing task is planned to reflect the media, scope, structure and content of the work
3.2 Ideas are organised and developed into an ordered sequence
3.3 All resources required to deliver the writing task are organised
3.4 A timeline for the completion of the writing task that reflects the critical milestones is determined

Element:

4. Create the writing task

Performance Criteria:

3.1 The writing task is planned to reflect the media, scope, structure and content of the work
3.2 Ideas are organised and developed into an ordered sequence
3.3 All resources required to deliver the writing task are organised
3.4 A timeline for the completion of the writing task that reflects the critical milestones is determined
4.1 Components of the information required and the form in which the writing will be developed, constructed and presented is resolved
4.2 The intention of the writing task and the characteristics of the audience are reflected in the writing
4.3 Appropriate processes and research are utilised to retrieve the necessary information
4.4 The particular characteristics of the media are analysed to inform the writing in a way that is appropriate for the purpose of the writing
4.5 Relevant information sources are employed to generate and inform the writing task
4.5 Common literary devices and the metaphoric function of language are integrated into the writing task
4.6 Writing task is produced in accordance with writing goals

Element:

5. Realise the writing task

Performance Criteria:

5.1 The writing task is appropriate for the media, the context of the brief and the style of the subject matter
5.2 The language in which the writing task is written is suitable for the intended audience
5.3 The writing task is proofed and edited to the standard required for presentation
5.4 A draft is presented, if required, to the client to confirm that the work is acceptable
5.5 Work is adjusted as required and presented in the agreed manner and timeframe


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course, you will be able to manipulate text and images to create a range of professional documents.


Details of Learning Activities


In this course you learn through -
In-class activities:

  • lectures
  • practical lab work
  • field trips
  • teacher directed group activities/projects
  • peer teaching and class presentations
  • group discussion
  • reflection and discussion
  • creative exercises

Out-of-class activities:
  • independent project based work
  • writing and reading assignments
  • online and other research
  • independent study


Teaching Schedule


Teaching schedule
Please note: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the weekly order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability of speakers and resources.

Week Starting Class Content Assessment Competency and Elements
Week 1
Feb 7
Introduction
•What is Text and Pictures
•A place for a pencil and brush
•Why InDesign?
•Why not Quark Xpress?
•Outline of course structure
•The keeping of a production diary
 Exercise 1:
Basics of the Illustration
Development of hand artwork using found natural materials.
And Digitise the image on a scanner and
digital camera


To be completed in class
CUSRAD01A -   1
CUVCOR03A - 1
CUVCOR11A  - 1
VBP552 - 1
Week 2
Feb 14
Introduction to the Artist
•The group experiences “The Exhibition”
•The class is introduced to the artists visual diary
 Exercise 2:
The importance of the visual diary
Using the images of the last class write your feelings down of the “artist” experience both before and after the exhibition experience.
Include images of your artwork

To be completed in class
CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR03A - 1
CUVCOR11A -1
VBP552 - 2
Week 3
Feb 21
Design
•The art production process for Publishing and Advertising (Power Point presentation)
•Typography
•Type manipulation

•Introduction to InDesign
•Setting-up a new job, a new page.
•Using the basic tools and the Type Selector reproduce your hand art composition
•(Tracking and kerning
•Horizontal and vertical scaling
•Leading
•Baseline shift
•Small caps
 Exercise 3:
The Letter is the Message
Select a number of letters supplied on the table use a mixture of weights, sizes and styles. From you selection make a “composition” on a square with 20cm sides.

To be completed in class
 CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR03A - 1/2
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 2
Week 4
Feb 28
Introduction to Photoshop
•The Photoshop toolbar
•Selecting areas with the Marquee tool
•Feathering
•Background and foreground colours
•Fill and stroke
•Brush size and hardness
•Using layers
•The type tool
•The lasso tool
 Exercise 4:
(Photoshop 1)
Using your artwork and the scanner make a copy, save and send you picture to your file in the server
Open image and make basic changes to brightness, contrast, etc.



To be completed in class
 CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR03A - 2
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 2

 Week 5

 Mar 7

 InDesign
•Opening a new InDesign File and setting-up a 4 column layout.
•Inserting a single Picture Box in the middle of the page

Integrating text and image

Photoshop
•The cloning tool
•Image adjustments – brightness, contrast, hue/saturation
•The cloning tool
•Resizing a graphic in Photoshop
•Image resolution
•Increasing canvas size
•Image colour modes RGB versus CMYK


 Exercise 5: (Photoshop 1)
Sepia imaging/extra canvas
Take a portrait photo of one of your friends with a digital camera
and down load the image into I-Photo. Transpose the images to your photo file on the server.
Convert the image into a sepia image, add extra canvas at the bottom of the image, clone the image into the blank space and introduce a type head. Save as EPS.
In InDesign
Open InDesign page and insert sepia image into Image box. And save file

To be completed in class
CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR11A 2/3
VBP552 3/4
Week 6
March 14
Writing (MS Word)
•Saving and transferring writings into InDesign

Integrating text and image

Photoshop
•Layer styles – outer glow, inner shadow, drop shadow, stroke
•Load Selection
 
Exercise 5
Prepare in your own words the complete sequence of the Photoshop / InDesign processes (Sepia toning, canvas extension and “Integrated Image”) you went through to get this image on this page.

Exercise 6 (Photoshop 2)
Integrated image
Taking the two images you have on file and working through the “Integrated Image” process, join the two images together. Save as TIFF file on the server
InDesign
Add three (3) pages to the InDesign layout making four (4) pages now.
Go to the second (2nd) page and import the “Integrated Image” into that page

To be completed in class
ASSESSMENT 1 DUE
<style type="text/css">@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }@font-face { font-family: "Calibri"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }h1 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }span.Heading1Char { font-weight: bold; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSectio</style>
 CUSRAD01A - 1
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 3/4

 Week 7

 Mar 21

Short visit to National Gallery of Victoria or Ian Potter Gallery: Composition topic

Concept presentation:
•Using Drawings or found pictures from magazines, choose an object to plan a product set-up to photograph in studio conditions.
•Utilise transparent type



 Exercise 7 (Photoshop 3)

Transparent Type

In relation to the your concept work to you ideas light, capture and store your photograph as a Tiff file.
Prepare a back-ground which is either totally blank or of a found or made-up textured image.
Combine and transfer to a new InDesign page
Add a Transparent Type head in Indesign

To be completed in class
CUSRAD01A - 4
CUVCOR11A - 2

 Week 8

 Mar 28

Quark Xpress
•Introduction to Quark Xpress
•Transitioning between InDesign and Quark


 Exercise 8 (Photoshop 4)
Postcards

ASSESSMENT 2 DUE
CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 5

 Week 9

 Apr 4

Photoshop
• The magnetic lasso
• Layer Masks

InDesign
•Principles of poster design
•Following a brief
 Exercise 7 (Photoshop 5)
Layer masking - Clouds
To be completed in class
CUSRAD01A -
CUVCOR11A

 Week 10

Apr 11

 Begin A3 poster. External research into poster design and layout from observation and use of the www. web.
Also examining previous PWE students poster

Exploration of using text in design

 Commencement of the A3 Poster assessment.

To be completed in class
<!--EndFragment-->CUSRAD01A -3
CUVCOR03A - 1/2
CUVCOR11A -2
VBP552 - 3
  Mid-semester Break    

 Week 11

Apr 25

Photoshop
•The pen tool



 Exercise 10  (Photoshop 6)

Layer masking – Clipping Paths and Logo

Using the Pen tool to create paths

To be completed in class

CUVCOR03A - 1/2
CUVCOR11A -2
VBP552 - 2/3

 Week 12

May 2

InDesign
- Designing a DL brochure
- Begin DL brochure
- Outlining text for brochure
- External research into brochure design and layout from observation and use of the www. web


 
 
Commencement of the
DL brochure assessment
CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR03A - 2/3
CUVCOR11A
VBP552 - 2/3

 Week 13

May 9

•  External research into brochure design and layout from observation and use of the www. web

Continue work on A3 poster and DL brochure
 
CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR03A- 2/3
CUVCOR11A - 2
VBP552 - 4

 Week 14

May 16

Continue work on A3 poster and DL brochure
 
   CUSRAD01A
CUVCOR03A - 4
CUVCOR11A
VBP552 - 4

 Week 15

May 23

InDesign/Photoshop
•The A3 poster and DL brochure assessments must be completed by the end of this class, then exported to PDF format and taken to a printing shop for colour printing.
  CUSRAD01A - 4
CUVCOR03A - 4
CUVCOR11A -2
VBP552 - 5

 Week 16

May 30

 Student presentation via the data show.

 All work reviewed to be submitted in PDF format.


 The following items must be submitted in this class:

  1. Colour printouts of the two InDesign assessment items.
  2. Your production diary for the two assessment items.

The following items must be in your folder on the server:

•All the computer files for each assessment item – InDesign documents, any graphics you have used, and PDFs of the finished items.
The files for each assessment item should be in a separate folder.
•All Photoshop exercises, clearly numbered and placed in a ‘Photoshop exercises’ folder.
•Your research assignment, as a Word document.
<style type="text/css">@font-face { font-family: "Courier New"; }@font-face { font-family: "Wingdings"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }@font-face { font-family: "Calibri"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0cm; }ul { margin-bottom: 0cm;</style>
 CUSRAD01A- 4
CUVCOR11A - 2
VBP552- 5

 Week 17

June 6

 Assessment Week - No Classes
   
  Semester 2     

 Week 1

July 4

Explanation of the semester’s work and assessment. Discussion of possibilities for assessment project and how to form the proposal.

Digital Photography
What’s so different?
A run down on what is so different between the Brownie Box Camera and a Digital Camera.

  CUSRAD01A - 1
CUVCOR03A - 1
VBP552 - 1

 Week 2

July 11

Lighting
Daylight to Dark
The influence of the Renaissance
The Reflector
The Tripod
The Portrait / the Product

 
  CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR11A - 1

 Week 3

 July 18

Speed
What you see could be what was there
Stopping action
Producing movement
In the camera
In the computer
Looking at Photoshop

 
 
CUSRAD01A - 1/2
CUVCOR03A
CUVCOR11A - 1

 Week 4

July 25

The Close-Up
From Copying to Forget-Me-Nots
How to use the close up facility of the digital camera.
How to combine sharpness from foreground to background
(Integrated Image)
 Proposal for main assessment due
CUVCOR03A - 2
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 2/3

 Week 5

Aug 1

 The Camera and how to use it
 Designing with Photography
The design process and how to use it
 
CUVCOR03A - 3
CUVCOR11A

 Week 6

Aug 8

 Designing with Photography
The design process (cont.)

 
CUVCOR03A - 3
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 3

 Week 7

Aug 15

•Chasing Shadows
Using shapes in photographs
Varying your angle of view
Adding Drama to your subject

Photoshop Image – Adjustments – Brightness/Contrast
 
CUVCOR03A - 3
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 3

 Week 8

 Aug 22

 The Flexible Ozzie
An Australian view - Australian
Athol Smith and Rennie Ellis comparison

 
CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR03A - 3
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 3

 Week 9

Aug 29

Fashion
Fashion and ArtHelmut Newton and Sarah Moon comparison



 

CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 3
Week 10

 Sep 5

Photojournalism
What is it?

   CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 1-5

Week 11

Sep 12

A World at War
Photojournalism (cont.)

History Link
Photographers
Photography in conflict
Robert Capa
W Eugene Smith
   CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR11A - 1
VBP552 - 1-5
Week 12

 Sep 19

Nature and landscape
What is the “essence” of a “Subject”
Capturing the moment of a preselected theme that will give the complete story
   CUSRAD01A - 2/3
CUVCOR11A - 1
  Mid Semester Break    

 Week 13

Oct 10

 Working on Major assessment Item
 

 


CUVCOR03A -3
CUVCOR11A -2
VBP552 - 4

 Week 14

Oct 17

Working on Major assessment Item  
CUVCOR03A- 3
CUVCOR11A -2
VBP552 - 4

 Week 15

Oct 24

 Working on Major assessment Item<!--EndFragment-->  
CUVCOR11A - 2
VBP552- 4

 Week 16

Oct 31

 Presentation of publications
 




Publication to be submitted.
 CUSRAD01A - 5
VBP552 - 5

 Week 17

Nov 7

 Assessment Week    


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

There are no prescribed texts for this course


References

You are advised to look at the course Blackboard site for ongoing updated information.


Other Resources

You require access to a computer and to the internet for this course


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral presentations, a research assignment and through the application of learned skills and insights to your practical desktop publishing projects.  


Assessment Tasks

To demonstrate competency in this course, you will need to complete the following pieces of assessment to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback on all assessment.

Semester 1
1. Hand Artwork Assignment
Using found items, leaves and pigments from the surrounding environment experiment with a random start to a series of illustrations  Due March 14 (10%)

2. Photoshop Assignment
Using two images, one from the typography and photography presentation and the other from the portrait shoot (PhotoShop). Prepare an “Integrated Image” in PhotoShop. Due March 28
 (10%)

3. An A3 Poster for a “Farmers Market”
Create an A3 Poster for a “Farmers Market” Due June 2 (30%)

4. A4 DL Size Leaflet
Creste an A4 DL size leaflet for a “Country Fair.  Due June 2 (30%)

5. Production Diary
Production Diary for Assessment 3 and 4. Due June 2 (10%)

6. Class Exercises (10%)


Semester 2
5. Publication Proposal
Proposal for the Final Assessment. Due July 29 (15%)

6. DTP Publication
Self directed “publication” of your own choosing in the medium of your choice. Due Nov 4 (75%)

7. Drafting and workshopping of publication (10%)



Assessment tasks in this unit are graded.

80 – 100% HD High Distinction
70 – 79% DI Distinction
60 – 69% CR Credit
50 – 59% PA Pass
Under 50% NN Fail

For further information on the criteria used, please refer to the course blackboard site.


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant
Unit of Competency. These are available through the course contact in Program
administration

Other Information

Submission of assessments
Submit all assessment tasks in hard copy with a completed School of Media and Communication cover sheet. You are expected to keep a copy of all assignments submitted.

Feedback:
You will receive spoken and/or written feedback from your teacher on your work. Where appropriate, this feedback also includes suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your projects.

Late Submissions
Please refer to the course blackboard site for policy information on late submissions and plagiarism

Plagiarism
RMIT has a strict policy on plagiarism. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy.

Special consideration Policy (Late Submission)
All assessment tasks are required to be completed to a satisfactory level. If you are
unable to complete any piece of assessment on or by the due date, you will need to
apply for an extension.
Please refer to the following URL for extensions and special consideration:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=qkssnx1c5r0y;STATUS=A;PAGE_AUTHOR=Andrea%
20Syers;SECTION=1;

 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview