MODULAR TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION Computer Special Effects Scope & Sequence 81394 Published by Hearlihy P.O. Box 1747 Pittsburg, KS 66762 866-622-1003 E-mail: hearlihy@hearlihy.com Web site: http://www.hearlihy.com
Module Description & Goals Computers are used widely in the film and television industry to create special effects. Special effects are visual illusions that result from manipulating computer-animated images, artwork or graphics, or camera shots of real people and objects. Special effects are generally produced either with camera or art techniques (computer animation, sketching, and so on). Though most often thought of as a tool for animation, computers are also able to control screen effects, manipulate characters and objects, create the illusion of reality and fantasy simultaneously, show ordinary characters and objects doing impossible tasks, and add pizzazz to a sequence of events. Computergenerated imagery (CGI) and digital technology use computers to create effects that cannot be filmed or to remove recorded images from the film. It has allowed moviemakers to expand their techniques to create a wide variety of illusions to entertain and inform audiences. For example, computers can add real characters to computer-generated settings, or the opposite, computer-generated characters to real settings. To add these images to film, or remove other images from film, filmmakers use blue screen and green screen filming techniques. Another technique used is the stretching or warping of images captured by film. A character or object that has been filmed can be manipulated and changed using software that allows you to alter the image. For example, in the movie The Mask, the main character (played by Jim Carrey) is capable of popping his eyes out of his head. This is obviously not a trick that Jim Carrey can accomplish, but one that computer software can accomplish and make look real. Morphing is another technique that is used often. Using it, the computer blends two images seamlessly. You may have seen this technique in commercials where cars turn into tigers and so on. Screen effects can be controlled through the addition of fades and dissolves. In the Computer Special Effects module, you complete ten activities learning about the history and development of special effects in TV and film. You explore traditional methods and the latest digital technology using computers. In Activities 1 through 9, you use books, videos, hands-on activities, a scanner, tutorials, and special effects and morphing software to learn how to create special effects projects. In Activity 10, you complete a posttest to evaluate what you have learned. 1
The Computer Special Effects module offers students an opportunity to: Explore the history, development, and future of computer special effects. Understand and experiment with the basic methods used in creating special effects such as warping, stretching, and morphing. Discover various tools and techniques used in computer special effects. Interact with special effects and morphing software to create short animation files. Research possible career opportunities in the field of computer special effects. 2
Interdisciplinary Skills The Computer Special Effects module reinforces various skills about which students are learning in other classes. Technology involves the practical application and use of math, science, and other skills. The Modular Technology Education program is an activity-based, hands-on learning system; therefore, the students gain a practical understanding of many interdisciplinary skills. Some of the interdisciplinary skills implemented in this module are listed below. Language Arts Social Studies Read daily instructions for comprehension Read book excerpts for comprehension Gather and record information Expand language communication skills by learning new vocabulary words Write answers to short answer essay type questions requiring creative thinking (Mind Challenger option) Summarize daily activities (Activity Journal Entry option) Summarize module outcomes (Module Journal Entry option) Math Identify similar characteristics and shape patterns in images Work with spatial relationships Use control points to map out similar areas in different images for transformation Recognize the history and development of special effects Explore careers and work in the film and TV industry Explore the career options in the computer special effects fields Science and Technology Explain how computers have affected the field of special effects Study the evolution of special effects techniques Identify the processes used to warp, stretch, or morph object(s) Discover the impacts that computer special effects have on other technological media (TV, film, print, and so on) Explore the future technology and applications of computer special effects Use a scanner to digitize photographs and pictures Problem Solving Use critical thinking skills to place events in sequential order Work inside the limitations and specifications of a design brief Create a short animated sequence using special effects software Explore the use of various special effects tools in creating an effect Visual Arts Demonstrate the illusion of movement using an animation feature in the special effects software Stretch and warp objects Alter an image by adding characteristics to it or taking away from it Evaluate the effects of special effects Create a caricature Explore morphing between two objects and explain its purpose Recognize objects and their normal proportions 8
Career Opportunities Each Hearlihy module is designed to introduce and provide students with an understanding of a different area of technology, thus helping them to become more technologically literate. Becoming technologically literate helps students to become better consumers, and it increases their knowledge of potential career opportunities. The Computer Special Effects module is designed to introduce students to the fundamental principles of how special effects are created in cinema. Listed below are some possible occupations and careers associated with this subject area. You may want to obtain the latest publication of the Occupational Outlook Handbook. As an optional career oriented activity, you could then have students research one of the job titles listed below in regard to the nature of work, specific job tasks, earnings, advancement possibilities, and so on, and have them write a short report or summary of their findings. This will enable students to begin thinking about career opportunities. At the very least, students should be made aware of this publication for future reference. (See Activity 9 in the Student Lesson Plan for a career activity.) Actors, producers, and directors Animators Audio and video equipment operators Broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators Cinematographers Computer operators Computer programmers Computer software engineers Electrical and electronics engineering technicians Electrical engineers Electricians Graphic designers Mechanical engineers Multimedia artists Sculptors Sound mixers Television, video, and motion picture camera operators and editors Writers and editors 9