VISUAL AND MEDIA ARTS COURSES VISUAL AND MEDIA ARTS COURSES

Animation 3

Prerequisite: Animation 2.

Advanced animation students continue to build on their coursework from Animation 1 and 2. Students fine tune their animation skills and personal voice. Students build complex and multiple scene animation with attention to virtual camerawork and sound design. Students will learn how to write about, document, and formally present their work for settings such as critique, competitions, and a final portfolio.

Animation 4

Prerequisite: Animation 3.

Advanced animation students fine tune their animation skills and develop a strong voice, with artistic intention and distinct style. Over the course of the year students will create a culminating animated short film, developing characters and themes, writing a script, and creating intentional sound design. Students create an online portfolio of all four years of their animation work to be used for college applications and animation contests.

AP Art and Design (12)

Prerequisite: 3 years of a VMA course and department approved portfolio submission.

This course is designed for the serious and dedicated art student, requiring a more significant commitment of time and effort than previous art courses. The aim is to complete all of the portfolio work necessary for the Advanced Placement portfolio exam in the AP Art and Design course. Students engage in a Sustained Investigation based on an essential question about art and design, resulting in 15 images representing the process and results of that investigation. Class critiques and individual tutorials with the teacher enable students to be clear about their direction and work pace. Students should expect at least five hours of homework a week. Students are required to complete a summer assignment that initiates the Sustained Investigation.

Interdisciplinary Studio 1, 2, 3 (Eighth and Ninth Periods)

Corequisites: Any Visual and Media Arts class; participation in only one Windward team sport season

NOTE: This course is NOT available to students enrolled in AP Art and Design.

This course is designed for passionate and independently-minded visual art students who wish to explore their creativity and ideas in a completely self-directed manner. Students set goals and propose individually designed projects in any media of their choosing in order to push their artistic practice in challenging directions. Students enrolled in this class must be highly motivated and self-disciplined. The teacher will guide students through mature, creative processes by setting deadlines, assigning exercises, and providing feedback regarding ideas, planning, technical skills, and execution. The resulting works may be used for portfolio application to art schools and competitive summer programs, as well as contests and exhibition opportunities outside of school. This course may not be used to complete assignments for concurrent art classes at Windward.

Film Production (VMA/PA) (yearlong) (9-12) (Eighth and Ninth Periods)

This course will bring together performers from the Performing Arts Department and filmmakers from the Visual and Media Arts Department to create a high quality narrative short film as a class. Over the course of the school year, students will work through every stage of the filmmaking process: ideation, pitching, treatment writing, screenwriting, storyboarding, rehearsing, production management, set and costume design, cinematography, sound design, acting/performance, editing, and scoring. Performers and filmmakers will work together and separately during various stages of the production. The performers will receive instruction in the techniques of acting on camera, as well as audition techniques and preparation, and the creation of an acting reel. Students will also have at least two off campus special filming days during a Saturday or Sunday to advance their films and elevate the film’s production value with real locations. At the end of the year students will exhibit their films on the big screen at the Media Arts & Film Labs showcase which will include other media arts programming, awards, guest speakers, and more! No prerequisites are required.

Instrumental Music

- Beginning Band (7-9)

- Intermediate Instrumental Ensemble (7-9)

- Jazz Ensemble (7-12)

- American Music Ensemble (7-12)

- Honors Advanced Jazz Ensemble A* (9-12)

- Honors Chamber Music Ensemble (7-12)

- AP Music Theory (1112)

- Middle School Music Production (7,8)

- Music Theory 1,2 (Period 8, 9-12)

- Jazz Theory 3,4 (Period 8, 9-12)

- Rock Band (Period 8 & 9, 9-12)