G320: Game Art & Sound Indiana University Media School Professor: Rachel Lin Weaver [email protected] Office Hours (FA 410): Wednesday 1-3 pm (or send e-mail to schedule an appointment)
Game Art & Sound is an introductory course to those very topics. The objective is simple: create an environment in which students learn how to create visual and audio assets for games and other related forms of immersive, interactive, or playable media. This course is not intended to develop specialists. Rather it gives students a foundation for many different techniques that will allow them to create functional audio and visual media in future projects and courses.
Students will be introduced to a variety of software used to create music, sound effects, still images, and animations. In addition to practice, this course will explore theory related to the history and application of these techniques. G320 is recommended for students with an interest in game design, experience design, digital art, and mediated interaction in general.
Constructivist Epistemology? Some concepts of education put teachers in a position of power. Dutiful students are expected to absorb all they can from these “holders of knowledge.” Constructivism takes an opposite stance: Knowledge does not exist in the world. Nor is it "out there" to be discovered whether one is alone or has the assistance of a guide or teacher to impart it. Instead, knowledge is constructed by the individual learner as an internal, mental system.
G320 takes a constructivist stance. Students will encounter unique, unusual— potentially absurd—assignments that are intended to confound expectations and erode all preconceptions of what is expected and possible. The tools and techniques we explore, as well as the work you will do with them, will enable you to build meaningful connections between professionalism and your own creative nature and potential.
Supplies • IU network ID (username and password to access Canvas, Box, Mercury, and Lynda.com) • Headphones • Personal computer or laptop is recommended but not required
Student Integrity Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Both are grounds for an Academic Misconduct report and a failing grade. Any questions regarding these policies can be directed to the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
All work that you turn in must be your own. In certain situations it may be necessary to borrow from third-party source. Students are allowed to do this only after specific permission has been granted by the instructor. All borrowed work must be cited; no exceptions. Failure to cite borrowed work will be viewed as plagiarism (see above).
The production and discussion of creative work is a large part of this class. Any work or criticism that is offensive or that constitutes harassment of a racial, sexual, ethnic, or religious nature will result in a failing grade.
Attendance Attendance will be taken for all class periods. To accommodate for scheduling conflicts and other "surprises" that may occur during the semester, all students are allowed 2 absences. Your grade will be reduced by 2 points (1% of your total grade) for every unexcused absence. Unless it is unavoidable, do not schedule medical appointments or interviews during class or discussion section meeting times.
Students who have true emergencies, life-threatening illnesses, or deaths in the family may be granted excused absences. An excused absence must be supported with written documentation when you return to class. You will be responsible to get missed notes and information from a classmate.
Students observing religious holidays during the semester please see IU's Religious Holidays request form.
Communication Have a question about this class? Chances are the answer is in this syllabus. When students encounter a problem while working outside of class they should send their question to our class list in Canvas. All communication with me concerning your progress in the class should be done in office hours, and either before or after class. If you cannot meet during my regularly scheduled office hours, send an e-mail to make an appointment. I am glad to meet with you to discuss class questions and anything else you find interesting.
University Services Disabled Student Services For assistance with physical, social, or mental health issues which affect learning or testing. Franklin Hall 096 (812) 855-7578 Learning Disabled Coordinator: Jody Ferguson Franklin Hall 327 (812) 855-3508 http://www.indiana.edu/~iubdss
Adaptive Technology Services Using technology to provide equal access and an inclusive environment for the IU community. Herman B Wells Library Media Reserve Center (812) 856-4112 http://www.indiana.edu/~iuadapts
Student Academic Center For assistance with tutoring, test anxiety, or non-medical academic issues. 316 N. Jordan (812) 855-7313 Contact: Sharon Chertkoff http://www.indiana.edu/~sac
Writing Tutorial Services For free help at any phase of the writing process. Call Writing Tutorial Services (WTS, pronounced “wits”) at 855-6738 for an appointment. When you visit WTS, you’ll find a tutor who is a sympathetic and helpful reader of your prose. To be assured of an appointment with the tutor who will know most about your class, please call in advance.
WTS, in the Information Commons on the first floor of the Wells Library, is open Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Walk-in tutorials are available when WTS has an opening, but the appointment book often fills in advance. WTS tutors are also available for walk-in tutorials (only) in the Academic Support Centers in Briscoe, Forest, and Teter residence halls, open Sunday-Thursday 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. http://www.indiana.edu/~wts
Schedule Monday August 24 (week 1) Lecture Intro to G320 Due — Lab(s) New student survey Box.com Lab Homework statements, research, and citations G320 software roll call
Monday August 31 (week 2) Lecture Intro to sound in games Week 2 preview on game music: instruments, tracks, mixing, strategies for the harmonically challenged and confused Industry: Wabi Sabi Sound Indie: DisasterPeace (aka Rich Vreeland) Early consoles: ColecoVision and Sega Genesis with Texas Instruments SN76489 sound chips (3 square wave oscillators and a white noise generator) as3sfxr (Flash-based synth) as3sfxr intro with Tom Vian Major Scales: http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/21 Minor Scales: http://www.musictheory.net/lessons/22 Lots of scales mapped to the piano keyboard: http://www.pianoscales.org Due — Lab(s) GarageBand loops and instruments BFXR basic "8-bit" synth (evolved from as3sfxr); additional background on 8-bit sounds Audition edit & process GarageBand and BFXR material
Monday September 07 (week 3) Lecture Labor Day: classes do not meet today Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Cowardly Digger Window Cruise" (due Monday at 1 pm Tuesday at 2:30 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Brave Digger Policeman Crumple" (due Wednesday at 1 pm Thursday at 2:30 pm) Lab homework #01: 3 songs (20-60 seconds each) and 5 sound effects that suit the Game Concept for your lab class. Be sure to Normalize all of these to -0.5 dB. Turn in everything as a WAV or AIFF file using our shared Box folder; don't forget the written statement required for all Lab Homework. Lab(s) Piano roll & sequencing Music loops Mix levels and DSP Export to uncompressed AIFF
Monday September 14 (week 4) Lecture Review from last week: music loops and the Grim Fandango soundtrack by Peter McConell Sound Design Ben Burtt on sound design with everyday, ordinary objects Halo 5 Guardians sound design Intro to the Seamless Loop Sound Effects Libraries: when and how to use these; respect the license!!! Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Soaring Hardware Policeman Hike" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Slimy Hardhat Swamp Graze" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #02: Make some music for each element tied to this week’s Game Concept: 3 character themes (10-30 seconds each), 3 different game levels (20-30 seconds each), 3 different “task” songs (20-30 seconds each). Turn in everything as a WAV or AIFF file using our shared Box folder; don't forget the written statement required for all Lab Homework. Lab(s) Using SFX libraries Most useful SFX DSP operations SFX loops More BFXR and GarageBand synths for SFX
Monday September 21 (week 5) Lecture Sound + Interaction and Play Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Wholesome Show Headlight Skip" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Clever Cast Headlight Craft" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #03: Make a variety of SFX that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • 3 in GarageBand (synthesize from scratch) • 3 in BFXR (synthesize from scratch with at least two layers) • 3 in Audition (downloaded from FreeSounds; apply effects as needed; turn in original AND final) • 1 ambient background using the Seamless Loop Technique. (loop should be between 15 and 45 seconds) Turn in everything as a WAV or AIFF file using our shared Box folder; don't forget the written statement required for all Lab Homework. Lab(s) FMOD
Monday September 28 (week 6) Lecture Intro to art in games Power of Two Rule How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Rusty Tower Duplicate Howl" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Fussy Hardhat Garden Skip" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #04: Use the FMOD template to create a variety of sound playback behaviors that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • Two versions of random_repeated_SFX with at least three variations in each Multi Sound module. These SFX should convey a clear sense of variation, but not so much as to sound unrelated or scattered. • Two combinatorial music loops. These can use the _group, _single, or _multitrack behavior in the FMOD template; each Multi Sound module should contain at least three variations that make musical sense when played back as a random sequence. • One version of three_music_states with original music that conveys a sense of progression or change. For example, in the case of a stealth game, states could be hidden (player is completely safe), audible (player will be detected if not careful), visible (player has been detected but not yet caught). Consider how game states “raise the stakes.” How will you convey this with music? When complete, right-click your FMOD project folder and choose “Compress” to create a zip archive. Post this file to our shared Box folder along with the written statement required for all Lab Homework. Lab(s) Art style and translating sketches (scan & trace) Making various image types w/ Flash & Photoshop Image sizes and exporting
Monday October 05 (week 7) Lecture Animation I Sprites, Sprite Sheets & the Unity Sprite Packer Beta & Phi (Max Wertheimer & Gestalt Psychology) Optical Toys and the Early History of the Moving Image Short-range Apparent Motion Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Mighty Kitchen Sphere Dine" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Pretty Suede Sphere Roll" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #05: Make a variety of images that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • Develop a series of seven gray box images using primitive shapes. Each should be a 128x128 PNG. • Sketch three characters and scan your drawings. Each should be a 1024x1024 JPG. • Use Photoshop to trace one of your character scans. Save it as a 512x512 PNG. • Color your Photoshop-traced image. Save it as a 512x512 PNG. You will turn in twelve images altogether: 7 gray box or "placeholder" images, 3 scanned character sketches, 1 traced character sketch, 1 color version of the traced character sketch. Lab(s) Sprites, trace bitmap, frame-by-frame animation Flash Movie Clips & nested animations End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday October 12 (week 8) Lecture Animation II The 12 Principles of Animation (theory & practice) • Paraphrased from the "Illusion Of Life" by Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston • Additional references and images on Wikipedia • In Motion Design (HOW magazine) The 12 Principles of Animation (game design & development) • Beat Sneak Bandit: squash & stretch; secondary action • Monument Valley: slow in and out; arc; staging • Device 6: anticipation (fading text; slight shift before objects move) • Duet: follow through and overlapping action • Hundreds: you decide... Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Stinky Dryer Sphere Cruise" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Rusty Beef Duplicate Crumple" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #06: Use Flash to make a variety of animations that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • Five sprite (frame-by-frame) animations. • Three nested Movie Clip animations (a frame-by-frame Movie Clip that is further animated on the Main Timeline with a Motion Tween). The frame-by-frame component of these must be original and cannot reuse any of the five you did for the first part of this assignment. You will turn in a single Flash document (.fla file) with eight animations. Use the Scene Panel (Window > Other Panels > Scene) to separate these as individual animations, each with its own scene. Lab(s) Advanced Animation by Preston Blair Tweened animations in Flash (motion, classic, shape) Mouth shapes and phonemes for character dialogue End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday October 19 (week 9) Lecture Typography Communicating with type Types of type Webmonkey Typography Tutorial Lesson 2 covers pixel fonts Title Design: films Title Design: games UI Design HUDs + GUIs (cases in games and film at thebleeding edge) Game UI (games only) Game UI Discoveries: What Players Want (theory to understand and discuss design strategies) Help Wanted: the forgotten UI in many Fungus-based games Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Spiky Oyster Bachelor Graze" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Fuzzy Biscuit Locust March" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #07: Based on our discussions (and your exploration of) the 12 Basic Principles of Animation, create the following animations that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • Squash & stretch (5-10 seconds with an object or device from your Game Concept) • Slow In & Slow Out (5-10 seconds with an object or device from your Game Concept) • Arc (5-10 seconds with a character from your Game Concept) • Secondary Action (5-10 seconds with a character from your Game Concept) • Staging (5-10 seconds with any element from your Game Concept) • Lastly, using the Preston Blair “mouth expressions” (phonemes), animate a Game Concept character so that it “speaks” the phrase you recorded in lab class. You can show the entire character body, but only the face and mouth are required. You will turn in a single Flash document (.fla file) with six animations. Use the Scene Panel (Window > Other Panels > Scene) to separate these as individual animations, each with its own scene. Lab(s) Icon design Title design UI design Free (legal) Font Resources • The League of Moveable Type • Open Font Library • Font Squirrel • 1001 Fonts (all public domain) End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday October 26 (week 10) Lecture Intro to Unity & Fungus Unity examples: depth, elegance, and simplicity • Making Lara Croft GO • Prune • Mini Metro see the Steam and Developer trailers Patterns in Choice-Based Games Gallery of Game Art Styles curated by Tom Kail For class next week, please download and play: Mundo Lanugo Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Spoiled Smoke Shoulder Scream" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Wholesome Firetruck Lamp Soak" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #08: Based on our discussions of typographic examples and your own work in class, create the following designs that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • 3 app/game icons that are 512 pixels square. These should be primarily typographic but may have some illustrated components. Save as PNGs or JPGs as appropriate. • 2 UI designs: an inventory screen and a dialogue screen. Save as PNGs or JPGs as appropriate at the dimension 1024 x 768px. • 3 title designs that follow the Power of Two size rules (1024 px square, 512 px x 128 px, etc.) Save as PNGs or JPGs as appropriate. • Take your favorite still image title design and expand it to be a 10- 30 second title animation (audio optional; done in Flash). Lab(s) Unity3D: download version 5.1.2 (to be consistent with what's installed in TV250) Fungus: download version 2.1.2 (don't get it from the Unity Assets Store) Fungus tutorial videos Fungus written documentation End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday November 02 (week 11) Lecture Fungus audio & animation Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Nimble Airmail Headlight Skip" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Cowardly Library Posse Scream" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #09: Using Unity & Fungus, create the following designs and interactions that suit the Game Concept for your lab class: • Navigation with Flowcharts, Blocks, Say, Call & Menu Commands: develop a text-based interaction that has a minimum of 7 blocks and 2 branches. [primary resource: tutorial 2 (Fungus Basics)] • Create a drag-and-drop interaction with an object or material related to your Game Concept. [primary resource: tutorial 3 (Handlers) and Unity Project/ Assets/ Fungus Examples/ DragandDrop] • Create three objects or characters. Make each a clickable sprite in which a click reveals details about the object or conveys dialog spoken by the character. [primary resource: tutorial 5 (Sprites)] • Create three Fungus “views,” of a background or environmental image and use the Unity camera to fade or move between them. [primary resource: tutorial 4 (Camera)] Use Fungus212Demos.zip in Canvas/ Files as a guide for navigation, clickable sprites, and camera. Be certain that the default FungusExamples/ folder has been deleted from your Unity project. (This makes your project far larger than it needs to be when turning in Lab Homework) Lab(s) Audio playback & control (additional material in the Fungus Docs) Audio synthesis in Fungus (remember BFXR? Meet Usfxr!) Unity Documentation on Animation View Tweaking Animation Curves Characters, conversations, backgrounds End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday November 09 (week 12) Lecture Final project intro (schedule and scope) Due Tuesday Game Concept: "Adorable Digger Dressing Swim" (due Monday at 1 pm) Thursday Game Concept: "Fuzzy Burglar Soup Snap" (due Wednesday at 1 pm) Lab homework #10: Using Unity & Fungus, create a design that suits the Game Concept for your lab class: • Use the Portraits technique to create a conversation between two characters. Write enough dialogue so that you must use three different Portraits for each character and have at least two different Menus that divert the conversation in different directions. • Use GarageBand to create some background music and add it to this conversation. Be sure to set the volume at a level that complements the text/dialog “beeping.” • Add at least one animation and a background Sprite (or Sprites) to set your scene(s) in a specific location. All work—dialogue, music, images—must be original. Reference the Fungus Tutorial Videos to help with the technical side of this assignment. You are likely to find the Fungus Docs more helpful this week. In particular, see “Next Steps,” “Audio,” “Flowcharts,” and “Blocks.” Lab(s) Fungus Logic: flow, scripting & variables Tutorials 9, 10, 11 Students with programming experience may want to take a look at Tutorial 16 on custom C# scripts. End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday November 16 (week 13) Lecture Fungus game design patterns Due 9:00 AM: Final project milestone #01: • Write a 1-2 paragraph description of a game or interactive story idea you can create realistically create in Unity & Fungus by the end of the semester (Wednesday, December 16). • List the Fungus Handlers and Commands you expect to use to execute the main features of your design. • List the specific links to all of the tutorials or other Fungus-related resources that will show you how to execute the main features your design. • Save this as a PDF with the filename milestone01.pdf • Create a new Box folder in our shared G320 folder. Name it FINAL_PROJECT, and upload the document. Lab(s) Use this class period to work on your Graybox version for Milestone #2. End single class meeting Start single class meeting Thanksgiving Break Classes do not meet. Enjoy your break! End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday November 30 (week 14) Lecture Final project development Due 9:00 AM the day of your lab class—Final project milestone #02: Develop a rough, Graybox version of your project. On the due date you should upload a zipped (compressed) Unity Project folder that demonstrates all of the necessary mechanics (rules & interactions) required for your game. It does not need to look finished—use placeholder artwork. The entire game should be complete, however. The expectation is that your game is playable and that it works on a technical level. At a minimum you must also include: • placeholder music or background ambience as needed in your game • placeholder sound effect(s) as needed in your game After you zip your project folder, rename it milestone02.zip and upload to Box in your FINAL_PROJECT folder. Lab(s) First final project critique & playtest Final projects will be turned in using a Mercury account. This is a free account (academic use only) that allows IU students to post media to the web. • What accounts do I already have at IU and how do I add Mercury? • IU students need to sign this agreement to use Mercury • Connect to Mercury using a SFTP client These are available on campus and for personal use. End single class meeting Start single class meeting Monday December 07 (week 15) Lecture Guest lecture with Andy Poland of Jellyvision and Jackbox Games. Due 9:00 AM the day of your lab class—Final project milestone #03: Upload a complete “portfolio” of every visual and audio asset your game requires. At this stage these elements may not be done done, but everything should be accounted for—at a minimum—with a draft version. Create asset-sheet.pdf and use it to list each individual asset and its role in your game. Upload your asset sheet and individual sound and image files to Box in a new, milestone03 folder inside FINAL_PROJECT. See Canvas > Files > Milestone 03 Portfolio for an example of what you are expected to turn in. Lab(s) Connect to your Mercury account over SFTP Second final project critique End single class meeting Start single class meeting Wednesday December 16 (week 16 - finals) Lecture Classes do not meet during exam week. Due Final project is due at (or before) 5 pm. Lab(s) —
Assignments & Student Evaluation Assignment Details As it concerns a letter grade in the class, students will be evaluated in three different areas: weekly Lab Homework, a final project, and participation throughout the semester.
Lab Homework (10 × 10 points = 100 points) Every week an assignment, or Lab Homework is due. Students are expected to incorporate what they have learned during the week into one or more media samples. These samples will be evaluated for their ingenuity and bravery. In other words, students earn full marks for putting effort into developing a variety of different ideas rather than achieving perfection for a single, standalone work (drawing, animation, sound effect, etc.)
"OK, I get it, process > product. So what's the process?" Every week there will be a randomly selected Game Concept. All Lab Homework is expected to suit the the ideas expressed or implied by the Game Concept. These assignments are deliberately confusing and disorienting; thus intended to challenge you creatively and make it impossible to produce anything that could be considered remotely usual, ordinary, or expected.
Nothing is created in a bubble; your Lab Homework is no exception. Therefore students are required to research a minimum of three external resources to guide and inform their work. For example, if one of the words in the Game Concept is ninja and you realize that your only familiarity with ninjas is based on stereotypes it would be good to dig deeper into the idea. Your research reveals a wider variety of weapons and skills than you knew previously and as a result, the idea of a ninja grows in your mind. It may be that your original stereotype yields better results overall, but with more information you can make more informed choices. Game Concepts will not be unidimensional, so that more you know the easier it will be to synthesize a creative direction while doing Lab Homework.
In addition to the media samples required for each Lab Homework assignment, students are expected to write a 300-word statement. Aim for ~100 words for each of your “best” or favorite three media samples. For each, discuss its connection to the Game Concept and your use of external resources. At the end of your statement, include the full citation for each of your three external resources.
The unconventional nature of the Game Concept makes it impossible to arrive at any “right answers." Successful Lab Homework will have the following characteristics: • It was done on time and complete: the student finished all that was required and the work was in on or before the deadline. • There is evidence of creative synthesis: the student productively and creatively engaged with the Game Concept. • The student took a risk: while all aspects of the homework may not be successful, there is evidence of productive exploration. • The weekly schedule will flow through the semester as follows Week Day Activities A Monday Each lab class is assigned a Game Concept for the week. A Tuesday/Thursday Students dig into new material in lab classes and start Lab Homework based on the Game Concept assigned to their section. B Monday/Wednesday Lab Homework is due at 1 pm on Monday afternoon for the Tuesday lab class and 1 pm on Wednesday afternoon for the Thursday lab class. This includes a 300-word written statement and citations for three of a student's Lab Homework samples. Media samples (images, sounds, etc.) as well as written statements are copied to our shared Box folder. B Tuesday/Thursday Your instructors will choose (from among the three samples discussed in a student's written statement) semi-finalists who will compete for Lab Homework Exceptions. These "exceptions" are incremental reductions to the requirements of future Lab Homework assignments. If selected as a semi-finalist you should prepare a short talk (1-2 minutes) about your Lab Homework assignment. C Monday Everyone votes for their favorite Lab Homework. Winners are announced; they give their talks and take questions. Lab Homework Exceptions go into effect immediately. Students must be in class to earn their Exceptions. Congratulations! Lab Homework Exceptions
Wins Exceptions 1 only two required resources 2 only one required resource 3 one genre wild card (can replace or remove any word in the weekly Game Concept); still only one required resource 4 two concept wild cards; still only one required resource 5 no required resources; no concept guidelines 6 no resources, no guidelines, no Lab Homework deadlines (earns the flexibility to finish everything before final exam week)
Final Project (75 points) Design a game or story in Fungus/Unity with sound, interaction, and visual elements. If you haven't yet seen it, the Fungus Community Gallery has many examples to give you an idea of what's possible. Students choose which aspect of their project to prioritize in final grading. There are no genre guidelines. Make what you want but remember scope!! Whatever it is you set out to do must be completed in the allotted time. Your instructors will help guide you so that you do enough, but not too much.
Final Project Milestones [3 @ 10 points each] The high point count for each milestone reflects the fact that these not only need to be done but done well. Each will be graded based on a student’s thoroughness and ability to meet the milestone requirements. “Bad” or untenable ideas will be critiqued and impact your time; not your grade. In other words, a perfectly-executed milestone that is either over- or under-ambitious will earn top marks but need revisions before moving forward. Details for each milestone are listed in the class schedule on the due date.
Primary Work [20 points] Choose whether you want art or sound to be the major focus of your project evaluation. The expectation is that this category of work not only resonates with the overall project idea, but demonstrates a level of proficiency. The highest evaluations are the result of a synthesis that elevates the entire project as a result of your art or sound work.
Secondary Work [10 points] Choose whether you want art or sound to be the minor focus of your project evaluation. The minimum expectation is for original placeholder media. Students can excel in this category by striving for the kind of synthesis expected of Primary Work.
All Primary and Secondary work must be original GarageBand Loops and library sound effects are acceptable as raw, starter material as G320 does not focus on audio recording or music composition.
Overall [15 points] This evaluation is comprehensive, and reflects your success on the totality of the project. This covers the design & development of your project, and includes: • Concept: How well does the idea work? If you used a cliché, do you find a way to make it your own? If your idea is unique, is it clearly articulated? • Mechanics: What rules did you create? What interactions are possible? How well are these integrated with your concept? • Technical Execution: Does the game run? Is there a clear beginning and ending? (Note: no one has to “win”) Do your mechanics perform as demanded by your design? • Documentation: All “code” must be commented. This means including a brief description of each Fungus Block’s functionality. To do this click [+], choose Comment, and type your description.
Participation (25 points) An additional 25 points will be added for participation. This score is cumulative and will be based on your overall involvement and engagement in the course throughout the entire semester. All students will earn a midterm participation score to help them gauge their efforts. This score does not in any way guarantee a student's final participation grade and should be viewed by the student as a metric to either improve or maintain. As always, students are more than welcome to see the instructor in office hours to discuss any questions or concerns over their performance or a course grade.
Assignment Deadlines Assignments are considered complete when all required elements are posted to our shared folder in IU Box. Students may also be required to turn in the source media files used to produce their work. Each assignment will have a due date listed on the class schedule. Grade records will be maintained using Canvas. Understand that Canvas is used for reporting scores on individual assignments; not official final grades. "If it's early it's on time. If it's on time it's late. If it's late you're fired." — Gino Brancolini
All work must be delivered the day the assignment is due, at the required time. Assignments received within 24 hours of the due date earn a grade no higher than D+ and will receive no comments from the instructor. Work received later than one day after the due date will not be accepted, and the assignment will earn 0 points.
Grading Scale (grades reported in Canvas) Grade Percentage Description A+ 100 Amazing performance; rarely ever happens. A 96-99 Superior performance; student work goes far above and beyond requirements of the course; demonstrates a command of course material through an innovative and creative application of concepts; far exceeds course expectations. A- 91-95 Excellent performance; student work goes far above and beyond requirements of the course; demonstrates a command of course material through an innovative and creative application of concepts. B+ 88-90 Very good performance; student work meets requirements and demonstrates creative or thoughtful application of course material; exceeds course expectations. B 84-87 Solid work; student performance meets requirements and demonstrates a good understanding of course material. B- 81-83 Above average; work that meets requirements and demonstrates better than average understanding of course material. C+ 78-80 Work that meets requirements and shows promise. C 74-77 Work that meets all basic requirements. C- 71-73 Work that meets requirements but is not especially polished or thoughtful. D+ 68-70 Below average work. D 64-67 Below average work. D- 60-63 Below average work. F < 60 Failing.
Books & Other Resources
Lynda.com by Lynda Weinman As IU students and faculty we have access to the entire collection. You will find tutorials for Pro Tools and other related audio software. 1 Start at http://ittraining.iu.edu/lynda 2 Click Go to Lynda.com and log in with your IU credentials 3 Wait a minute to be redirected... 4 When the site is loaded use the menus at the top to filter & find the lessons that interest you. We will use lessons from the G320 "play list" by Jess Tompkins Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Apps We will use Photoshop, Flash, and Audition These are all available through IU Ware
Apple GarageBand Great for tracking game music, composing with loops, and sound effect synthesis
Unity3D Game Engine Free to use and vastly powerful, Unity3D is used by professionals and students alike
We will use Unity with Fungus, a free open source Unity Package that makes it easy to jump in with no coding experience whatsoever. Fungus Tutorial Videos (on YouTube) Community forum (questions & answers from developers and Fungus community) Online documentation PDF documentation FMOD Powerful audio middleware that integrates with all major game engines, FMOD is great for development as well as testing your sound effect and music ideas.
University computer labs • STC lab schedule (in general, when labs are open) • STC lab finder (use this link to find number of available seats)
Smartphone Recording • iOS: Transfer Voice Memos from an iPhone • Android: Best voice recording apps at Lifehacker
Online sound libraries • Sound Snap the "YouTube" of sounds • Freesound.org is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds. • OLPC free sound samples • Public Collections in the British Library • Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology • Soundbible free sound clips with mixed licensing
Professional Resources • Designing Music Now Dedicated to the Craft of Creating Music for Video Games and Interactive Media
Online Tutorials FMOD and Adaptive Music by Firelight Technologies