MIDTERM: Students will create a simple interactive DVD presenation incorporating iDVD to be delivered via a DVD that can play on major TV sets with a DVD player. The presenation must be designed and implemented to be pleasing and engaging to the end viewer with high quailty images, video(s), animations, text and sounds. DVD should include: Main Menu with Title, Play video, Chapters menu, Slide show, and Credits screen.

FINAL: Students will upgrade their interactive DVD presentation incorporating DVD Studio Pro to be delivered via a professional DVD that can play on major TV sets with a DVD player. The presentation must be designed and implemented to be pleasing and engaging to the end viewer with a custom graphic interface, high quality images, video(s), animations, text and sounds.

INSTRUCTOR:

• Jervis Thompson: st966rc2@drexel.edu

GRADING:

• 20% Class attendance & participation
• 20% Homework (functionality, content, creativity)
• 30% Midterm (functionality, content, creativity) [10, 10, 10]
• 30% Final (functionality, content, creativity) [10, 10, 10]

EQUIPMENT:

• Many, many, many blank DVD-R diskettes (20 – 30)
• At least one form of media to to backup student work (i.e. CDROM, DVD, Flash drive, Firewire drive, etc.)
• Headphones (If you want to listen to music while you work!)

Lecture: “Welcome…”

Topics:

• Introductions
• Course Overview

Homework 01:

• Due at the start of next class:
  • Three of your favorite DVD’s

• Due midnight the night before next class – Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm641hwk01s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
  • URL to html page that list your DVD titles and answers the following questions for each title:
    • What is it about this DVD interface that you like so much?
    • What makes this DVD different from the others?
    • What is one item about this DVD that you would like to see better?

Lecture: iDVD -vs- Encore, DVD Studio Pro -vs- Sonic Scenarist

Topics:

• Platform
• Price
• Feature support
• Learning curve
• Proofing capabilities

DVD reviews

• What is it about this DVD interface that you like so much?
• What makes this DVD different from the others?
• What is one item about this DVD that you would like to see better?

iDVD

• Free Apple iDVD tutorial
• lynda.com workstations
• – What the tutorials don’t cover
• Disable Apple logo
• Disable “Advanced – Encode in Background”
• Match “Preferred DVD Burning Speed”
• Order of button, submenu, etc creation is VERY important
• Check DVD map for broken links

Homework 02:

• Due at the start of next class:
  • Alpha of your iDVD Midterms

• Complete lynda.com iDVD tutorial [Welcome - Interface Essentials - Building an iDVD Project]
  • DVD should include but is not limited to:
    • Main Menu
    • Feature Video
    • Submenu with other smaller videos
    • Slide Show

Lecture: DVD features that you like

Guest Speaker: DAVE MAIETTA:

• Cubist Post & Effects
• Digital Media Alumni
• DVD Authoring Professional
• Dave will honor us with his knowledge and work experience in the high end DVD authoring world.

Building a “iDVD” DVD:

• Splash movie
• Menu screens – Main – Extras
• Slideshows

Midterm:

• Due at the start of next class
• Submit midterm DVD-ROM at the start of next class… “digm641midterms###jwt05″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]

Lecture: MIDTERM turn in – FINAL prep

Topics:

• Rules of the DVD graphics road:
  • NTSC 4:3 – 720×534 72dpi 1.0 apr – scale down too 720×480 0.9 apr – TIFF
  • NTSC 16:9 – 864×480 72dpi 1.0 apr – scale down too 720×480 1.2 apr – TIFF
  • Christian Hahn 16×9 description
  • NOTE: DVD Studio Pro will auto scale down for you if you start with the correct dimensions, dpi, and apr
  • No super-saturated colors (especially yellow or blue)
  • DVD/Video black starts at 16 not computer 0
  • DVD/Video white ends at 235 not computer 255
  • No lines less than 4 pixels thick
  • No thin characters (i.e. very fine serifs)
  • No font sizes under 24 points
  • Use drop-shadows to make text more readable
• Tips for burning better DVDs:
  • Replicated DVDs – 99.8% compatible [submit via DLT or firewire HD]
  • Burned DVDs – 60% compatible
  • Burn DVD at the slowest rate your DVD-R spec (i.e. 8x – 52x, use 8x)
  • Use Toast [it lets adjust burn speed]
• DVD Studio Pro Interface overview
• Importing and Managing Assets
• Photoshop layered menu
• Simple – Complex Overlay menu

Homework:

• Due midnight the night before next class
• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm641hwk02s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• URL to your html page that contains your menu interfaces [Main Menu, Chapters sub-menu, Slide Show, Credits, etc.
• JPGs, One of the Dimensions covered in class

Lecture: DVD Studio Pro – Breakfast of Champions

Topics:

• Midterm review notes:
  • 4:3 to 16:9 screen switching not good
  • Shifting caption text not good
• 4:3 Static Menus
• 16:9 Static Menus
• 4:3 Animtated Menus
• 16:9 Animtated Menus
• Overlay buttons
• Button TAB order
• Button default highlight

Homework:

• Due at the start of next class
• Beta DVD with functional menu navigiation

Lecture: Professional DVD authoring

Topics:

• Tracks
• Subtitles
• Chapters
• Stories
• Slideshow

Homework:

• Due at the start of next class
• Beta DVD with:
  • Functional menu navigiation
  • Video tracks
  • Subchapter menu (optional)
  • Slide show
  • Sound

Lecture: Professional DVD authoring II

Topics:

• Launch web site
• DVD Scripting
  • DVD variables
    • GPRM – General Parameter Register Memory
      • Partition 1 …. 0-65,535
      • Partition 2 …. 0-255
      • Partition 4 …. 0-15
      • Partition 8 …. 0-3
      • Partition 16 .. 0-1
    • SPRM – System Parameter Register Memory (24 total)
      • SPRM 1 – Audio .. 0-7
      • SPRM 2 – Video angle .. 1-9
      • SPRM 3 – Subtitle streams (32) .. 0-95
        • 0-31 .. off flags
        • 64-95 .. on flags
  • Conditional statement
  • Random number generation
  • Track selection

Homework:

• Work on perfecting your Final Project DVD

Lecture: Putting it all together

Topics:

• Course Evaluations
• DVD Cleanup
• Fixes and Adjustments

Homework:

• Submit Alpha final project DVD-ROM

Lecture: Alpha review, Beta prep

Topics:

• Course Critiques
• Review Alpha final project DVD-ROMs
• Cleanup
• Fixes and Adjustments

Homework:

• Submit Beta final project DVD-ROM

Lecture: Beta review, Final prep

Topics:

• Review Beta final project DVD-ROMs
• Cleanup
• Fixes and Adjustments

Homework:

• Due the START (first 30 minutes) of next class:
  • Submit Final Project DVD-ROM
  • Make sure to include your full name, email prefix, “digm641_final_s001″, and “0906″ on your DVDROM