Digital Media
Digital (New) Media Class - Mr. Stevens
Media 10
Offering opportunities for students of the digital arts, New/Digital Media at Foothills Composite / AHSFA caters to the aspiring young creative professional. By providing authentic production environments, team-building and problem-solving in a project-based modular curriculum, students are able to explore a wide variety of passions within the digital arts. From raster, 3D, web, and vector-based graphic design to audio recording, video game programming, broadcast journalism and film production. Students in New Media (NWM) also work collectively to produce content for the Falcon News Network, an in-house school and community news show, and FNN Live, our daily news stream.
At all grade levels, Media is composed of five mandatory modules worth 1 credit each. These can fluctuate depending on students’ co-curricular choices. At the onset of grade 11, students will undertake a focus in Graphic Design, Broadcast / Film Production, or college prep Game Design and Development.
Students begin the semester with an introduction to sprite sheet creation, creating five individual sprites (or five in series (animation)) in Photoshop. They then combine the sprites onto a single sheet for the deliverable before moving into the creation of a presentation on the fundamentals of elements and design principles. Using these fundamentals, they will craft Photoshop posters using at least five extant assets.
After the introduction and exploration of Photoshop basics, students will receive on-hands training with Canon DSLR camera kits and tripods including live demos of how to use IOS, shutter speed, F-stop/Aperture, rule of thirds, and golden ratio during an involved photography scavenger hunt which challenges students to consider focus, lighting, and composition as they hunt to solve multiple thematic photography quests and create a presentation of their work. Students then begin an introduction to Adobe Premiere Pro and will be tasked to recreate a trailer from a popular movie using provided assets after which they move individually or in groups to recreate 60 seconds of a retro music video.
Please note that students are required to provide their own SD card by the third week of class. The recommended card is a SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO. This card is used in conjunction with school DSLR cameras to complete the photography and video production units. The card can be purchased online at Amazon or at any Walmart/Staples etc…
Media 20/30 - Graphic Design
Students will produce digital and printed work to contribute to their digital portfolio and work toward meeting the curricular requirements dictated by Alberta Education for modules in vector and raster graphic design. The first project of the year is an exploration of pixel artwork. Students have the option to undertake an exploration of environmental raster tile set design or take-on the basic walk cycle for an original raster character through fifteen frames of animation. The course is modular in approach and students work through a series of 15 Milestones as they are challenged by projects requiring various tools, themes, and creative approaches using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Media 20/30 - Video Production
Students receive instruction on standard formatting elements and rules for three act structured short film stories as well as the technical elements involved with the drafting of an original screenplay formatted to industry standards. Students progress through a series of critical analysis as a large group and are tasked to complete their first portfolio/journal entry (due every two weeks) which summarizes both their progress with their short film pre-production as well as their brainstorming results for contributing to the school-based television show The Falcon News Network (topical journalism).
Students then rotate between short films, journalism, and scene study productions of limited length as they participate in the pre-production, production, and post-production, release, and critique of each content type. Students are exposed to semi-professional and professional equipment used for the quality acquisition of audio and visual assets and tools commonly used in studio/live environments and receive instruction in their safe use in a variety of scenarios as the course progresses.
Please note that students are required to provide their own SD card for this class. The recommended card is a SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO. This card is used in conjunction with school DSLR cameras. The card can be purchased online at Amazon or at any Walmart/Staples etc.
Media and Production Lab
All media (graphic design / video production) and video game design classes take place in the media lab in the CTS wing. This lab offers a relaxing and immersive educational environment suitable for small group creative work across the digital design spectrum. The lab has received additional funding via grants to provide students with a top tier media production experience and includes the following features:
- A well-balanced media production PC for each student with Unity, Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Visual Studio and more
- Greenscreen with OBS live broadcasting / streaming system, five-point LED studio lighting, and teleprompter (used every morning for live school announcements)
- VR workstations and Meta Quest headsets for mobile VR game development
- A separate light room dedicated for photography and video production with backdrop system and lighting
- Production equipment including cameras, lenses, stabilizers, gimbles, supports, lighting kit, diffusion, bounces, C stands, dolly/track, lav mics, handheld mics, boom poles, location sound gear, field recorders, headphones and a broad spectrum of other film and video production hardware
Meet Mr. Stevens
Mr. Stevens teaches Media and Video Game Design courses for junior and senior high school students, leveraging his extensive experience in both industry and education. He has directed content for CBC and produced, directed, and written films that have been showcased internationally, from New York City to Berlin. In the classroom, Mr. Stevens excels in engaging students with real-world design challenges, fostering strong teamwork, and enhancing communication skills. He encourages collaboration and problem-solving, preparing students for the demands of the professional world. Mr. Stevens also brings a strong background in game design and programming, with hands-on commercial experience developing multiplayer, cross-platform virtual reality games for mobile VR and PC VR. He holds a Master's degree in Leadership and Technology from the University of Ottawa and completed the academic coursework for the Doctor of Learning Sciences program at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, in 2015. He is currently pursuing a variety of creative projects, including novel writing and Open-World VR game development.
Skills Canada
The Skills Canada Secondary Competition is an annual event that brings together high school students from across Canada to compete in various skilled trades and technology disciplines. The competition aims to showcase the talents of young Canadians and encourage them to pursue careers in skilled trades, technology, and applied sciences.
Key points about the competition:
- Categories: The competition includes a wide range of categories such as welding, carpentry, automotive technology, culinary arts, robotics, graphic design, and more.
- Participants: It is open to high school students, typically between the ages of 14 and 17, who have qualified through regional or provincial competitions.
- Skills Development: Students compete by demonstrating their skills in real-world challenges designed to assess their technical abilities, problem-solving, and creativity in various fields.
- Promoting Career Paths: The event promotes careers in skilled trades and technologies, helping to bridge the gap between education and employment in these fields.
- Recognition: Winners receive medals, scholarships, and the chance to represent their province at the national level.
Overall, Skills Canada aims to inspire and motivate students to explore and excel in the world of trades and technology, contributing to a skilled and diverse workforce.
Mr. Stevens' New Media class has a rich history of successful competition at all levels of Skills Canada, including National Gold in Video Production in 2022 and multiple provincial Gold medals in various CTS design disciplines.
Our Students in the Press
Please contact Mr. Stevens for more information regarding Digital Media.
