Catalog Code: DDA 660 A/B - 2
Course Title: Thesis I/II
Department: Digital Arts
Chairperson: Peter Patchen
School: School of Art
Term/Year: Fall 2020
Course Credits: 6
Location & Time: Monday 2:00-4:50 PM, class meets virtually
Req or Elective: Required
Prerequisites: Seminar
Instructor: Claudia Herbst-Tait
E-mail: cherbst@pratt.edu
Phone: 718 636 3490
Fax: 718 399 4494
Office Hours: I am available on Mondays & Wednesdays, please schedule a meeting ahead of time
Office Location: 4W-16
Syllabus Version: June 1st, 2020
Course Description
In this course, students are expected to develop and present a significant original contribution to the field of digital art in the form of a visual project and a written documentation of the entire process, from research through completion.
This course does not entail any "formal" instruction. Students will meet with the instructor (Thesis Advisor) on an individual basis and as a group (see weekly schedule below) during which students present work to their peers. Students are asked to take the lead in discussing their peers' work and address aesthetic, conceptual and technical issues. Active participation and a willingness to respond to presentations with well-thought out and formulated comments are at the heart of this course -- and determine the quality of everyone's experience.
Because students are expected to work independently, this course requires a high degree of self-motivation and organization. While the instructor provides deadlines for completed Thesis projects and its components (visuals and the written Thesis), each student must devise their own detailed production schedule. The instructor will make suggestions as to best practices for the completion of a project based on which each student must devise their own production pipeline.
Formal presentations to the Thesis Committee every semester are mandatory and an integral part of this course. Students are expected to prepare for these presentations and rehearse beforehand. Presentations should be carefully timed, communicate clearly and succinct.
Entry Requirements
Students must have developed their Thesis project in Graduate Seminar and be ready to begin executing their project. For time-based projects, animatics should no longer require significant revisions but be at a stage of development that allows full production to commence. In other words, Thesis I is designed as a production, not a development, course. Students who enter Thesis I with an underdeveloped or unfinished animatic must realize that they are behind schedule and are asked to get ready for actual production at the beginning of the semester.
Since this course does not entail technical instructions, students must be ready to take on the technical challenges their project presents.
Goals of the Course
The goal of this course is to provide guidance for students who are embarking on the completion of their Thesis project. The instructor will assist students in an advisory role with both the completion of the actual work as well as the written thesis. The advisor also facilitates discussions; most of the talking should be done by the class. Each student should strive to improve their own work and work on helping his/her classmates on finding ways to improve theirs.
Course Requirements
For animation projects, students are encouraged not to exceed 4 minutes in total runtime. For longer projects, students are asked to check with the department.
Attendance is mandatory; class starts at the specified time. Students should be aware that they are expected to be on time -- and prepared -- for all meetings and presentations. Unexcused absences are not acceptable. Late arrivals of more than 10 minutes count as an absence; 3 unexcused absences or more result in failure of this course.
Active participation is expected from all students during discussions and critiques and is a significant factor in how students are evaluated; students are further expected to be thoughtful in their comments and to make insightful and helpful suggestions. It is further encouraged that students follow up on class conversations outside of class -- engage in an ongoing dialogue about your practices with each other and your advisor.
Thesis I and II are 6-credit courses; thus, students must demonstrate significant progress on a weekly basis. This can be documented with work in progress, test renders of successful and even failed attempts: every effort counts and is part of the process towards completion of a project. Insufficient progress or poor attendance will result in failure.
Students are required to maintain a blog and post weekly updates documenting their progress. Each entry has to include specific descriptions of progress that has been made, technical hurdles encountered, and solved, or currently being researched. Students working on an animation should post updated animatics. The blog is also a place to note issues a student would like to discuss.
Students should plan ahead and ensure that technical requirements necessary for the review of work are addressed prior to meetings with the instructor. Please, no searching through folders -- be prepared and ready to discuss, make the most of your time.
In the event a student has little or no progress to show, he/she is still required to attend his/her meeting or class. If a student is unable to attend class, he/she is requested to contact his/her Advisor well in advance.
Please note: Missed meetings will not be rescheduled; students will have to wait for their next assigned meeting time.
Thesis I, Thesis II, and Thesis in Progress (TIP) students will present their work in progress to the committee at the end of every semester. Students are advised that, in addition to the thesis advisor, it is the committee that evaluates students' progress and completed thesis projects.
All deadlines on this syllabus are firm. If a student expects to graduate this semester but does not meet all of the deadlines listed below -- including deadlines for drafts of the Thesis paper -- the student may not graduate.
This semester Thesis I, Thesis II and TIP students will present their projects in progress and finished projects to the Committee for review during the week of TBA (see schedule below).
Thesis in Progress, TIP, students should review the section "Thesis in Progress" (below).
Students are expected to make progress on their paper and to hand in drafts as indicated in the weekly schedule below.
Written Thesis The written component of a Thesis project discusses the aesthetic and technical issues of the Thesis project and should be between 25 - 40 pages in length. Students are advised not to underestimate the breadth and scope of writing such a paper. The written Thesis needs to be carefully planned and must adhere to specific guidelines. Students are advised to review previously completed Thesis projects and papers (available at the DDA Resource Center). Students are required to submit preliminary drafts of their Thesis paper throughout the semester. The deadlines for handing in drafts will be discussed in class (also, please see the Weekly Schedule section above). I suggest that students follow the MLA style of citation.
Please note that I will review your paper but not correct grammar issues. Make sure to have your paper reviewed by someone
in the Writing Center (located in North Hall 101) before you turn it in. You can reach them at 718.636.4461.
Students should not consider their paper "finalized" until the advisor confirms that no further changes are required.
Preparing a Thesis Project for Submission
Students are asked to carefully read the MFA Student Handbook and to familiarize themselves with the requirements for the submission of a Thesis project. Students should be aware that Thesis papers and all documentation (bio, artist statement, CV, etc.) has to be proofread prior to submission.
Students are further asked to read the Library Guidelines carefully.
Virtual Classroom
While in the fall of 2020 we won’t be able to meet in person, we will make the most of our classroom online. Because Thesis I and II revolve around sharing progress and critiquing each other’s work, this course is well suited for an online experience. To help facilitate our collective success, I have put together a few guidelines.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Aug. 24th
Session 1
Online Group meeting
Syllabus overview.
Constitution of the United States: First Amendment Freedom of Speech.
Introduction and review of Thesis I and II projects and progress, all students participate in critique.
Thesis I students…:
--set up a Thesis blog and share the link with their instructor by the end of the week.
-create a detailed production schedule (use Google Sheets) and share the link with their instructor by the end of the week.
Aug. 31st
Session 2
Online Group meeting
Overview of Thesis paper requirements, instructor shares sample Thesis paper.
Introduction and review of Thesis I and II projects and progress, cont.
Sep. 7th — Labor Day, class does not meet.
Sep. 14th
Session 3
Individual Online Meetings
2:00 - 2:40 pm Weichi Chen
2:40 - 3:20 pm Shailee Dixit
3:20 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 4:10 pm Ning Ren
4:10 - 4:50 pm Lei Huang
Sep. 21st
Session 4
Individual Online Meetings
2:00 - 2:40 pm Shraddha Tiwari
2:40 - 3:20 pm Shan Ching Wong (Phoebe)
3:20 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 4:10 pm Peiyan Zhao
4:10 - 4:50 pm Yongtao Hu
Sep. 28th
Session 5
Individual Online Meetings
2:00 - 2:40 pm Weichi Chen
2:40 - 3:20 pm Shailee Dixit
3:20 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 4:10 pm Ning Ren
4:10 - 4:50 pm Lei Huang
Oct. 5th
Session 6
Individual Online Meetings
2:00 - 2:40 pm Shraddha Tiwari
2:40 - 3:20 pm Shan Ching Wong (Phoebe)
3:20 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 4:10 pm Peiyan Zhao
4:10 - 4:50 pm Yongtao Hu
Oct. 12th
Session 7
Online Group meeting
Thesis I, II and TIP students present their work in progress, all students participate in critique.
All Thesis II and TIP students hand in an advanced draft of their paper that includes at least four completed chapters of their paper and 90% of illustrations. Drafts must have been proofread the Writing Center. Students are required to double-check all formatting before submitting a draft.
Oct. 19th
Session 8
Online Group meeting
Thesis I and TIP students present their work in progress, all students participate in critique.
Thesis I students hand in a draft of their Thesis paper that follows the proper formatting, includes a a Table of Contents, the Introduction (one to two pages in length) and one completed chapter.
Students who are planning to graduate this semester hand in a near finalized draft of their Thesis paper today. This draft should include all visuals and a References and Bibliography section.
Oct. 26th
Session 9
Drafts of Thesis papers are returned.
Students with 3D projects meet today.
Peiyan Zhao
Weichi Chen
Yongtao Hu
Nov. 2nd
Session 10
Students with 2D projects meet today.
Shraddha Tiwari
Shan Ching Wong (Phoebe)
Lei Huang
Shailee Dixit
Nov. 9th
Session 11
Students with 3D projects meet today.
Peiyan Zhao
Weichi Chen
Yongtao Hu
Nov. 16th
Session 12
Students with 2D projects meet today.
Shraddha Tiwari
Shan Ching Wong (Phoebe)
Lei Huang
Shailee Dixit
Students who are planning to graduate this semester submit a final draft of their Thesis paper for one last review to check for missing commas, etc. (This means the paper is finalized and I am simply proofreading it one more time to check for any small corrections.)
Nov. 23rd
Session 13
All students meet — we are preparing for Thesis Reviews the following week.
Nov. 30th
Session 14 — Thesis Review 11.30- 12.04
Thesis I and II students upload their presentation files in PDF format and current animatics in .mov/mp4 format (H264).
Students follow this naming convention:
G_20FA_dda_660Asec1_LastnameFirstnameInitial.mov (or .mp4)
G_20FA_dda_660Asec1_LastnameFirstnameInitial.PDF
Do not use spaces (use an underscore instead). Do not use punctuation (like apostrophes or accent symbols),
even if your name contains them.
Graduating students: ALL THESIS MATERIALS ARE DUE FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS.
Completed Thesis packages include (see the MFA Handbook for additional information):
—the Thesis paper (PDF) with color illustrations
—Artist Statement or Synopsis about your project, proofread (PDF)
—Information sheet, proofread (PDF)
—Current resume (PDF)
—a compressed version of your film:
VIDEO FORMAT: H264, 30 fps (for 3D and 2D animation), 1920 x 1080 pixels, with 2 seconds of black at the END of the film (NOT at the beginning). Please NO COLOR BARS.
AUDIO FORMAT: Sample Rate: 48 kHz sampling rate, Sample Size: 16-bit stereo, Channels: Stereo
Please use this Media Encoder Preset for the H264 version of your film.
—an uncompressed version of your film
—5 (five) well-composed, high resolution .tif images. Note that these images have to be high-res (5K or more) in order to qualify. Depending on your process, you may have to “up-res” your images incrementally.
Credits
The opening or closing credits on all visual projects must reflect the information contained on the
title page of the thesis. This includes the following:
• Your name
• The title of your thesis
• The name of your thesis advisor
• The name of the department Chairperson
• Credit for contributors or collaborators, if any
• List of software used
• The words “Pratt Institute” (logo required)
• The words “Department of Digital Arts”
• The date (month and year)
• A copyright statement in the following format: “© [year] [Your name]”*
Do not place text close to any edge of the video frame because it will be cut off when it is projected.
Turn on the “title safe/action safe” indicators in your video editing software to show the safe areas.
Example of Label for items such as jump drives (note, during fall 2020 all materials are submitted online):
Pratt Institute DDA MFA Thesis December, 2020
Nina Simone "My Baby Just Cares For Me"
3D animation, 3:00 minutes
Un/Compressed version
Your email address and phone number
Data and Naming Conventions
Follow this naming convention on all files:
Class_YearTerm_LastNameFirstInitial.FileExtension
• PDF files: G_20FA_ShinJ_resume.pdf, G_20FA_ShinJ_doc.pdf
• Image files: G_20FA_ShinJ_1.tif (_2, _3, etc.)
• Quicktime files: G_20FA_ShinJ_UNCOMPRESSED.mov and G_20FA_ShinJ_COMPRESSED.mov
Do not use spaces (use an underscore instead). Do not use punctuation (like apostrophes or accent symbols),
even if your name contains them.
Please note that any physical materials that are handed in must be labeled, indicating:
Student name
Title of work
Type of work
Duration
Format of medium
"Pratt Institute DDA MFA Thesis Project"
Dec. 7th
Session 15
All students meet — wrapping up the semester and planning the spring schedule.
Methods of Assessment
Each type of thesis project — depending on platform and medium — has to follow a specific format. It is important all Thesis students carefully read the Thesis Requirements outlined in the MFA Student Handbook.
Work and progress are evaluated based on creativity, originality and technical competency; a high degree of self-motivation and initiative are required for the successful completion of DDA660A and B. Thesis I and II are 6-credit courses, thus students are expected to make significant progress every week and to update their blogs prior to meeting with their advisor.
For graduate students, a grade of a C- or below means automatic failure of the course.
Deadlines:
Generally, the deadlines for submitting completed Theses are
The third week of April for May graduates.
The first week of December for February graduates.
The deadlines for spring semesters include Screening Day, typically the third week of April.
Completed Thesis packages (all files, labeled, copies of the paper -- click here for details) are due to me well before the end of the semester. I will review all materials and hand completed Thesis packages to the Chair, Peter Patchen.
Thesis presentations will be held during the week of TBA. All Thesis students are expected to attend the entire presentations. If there is a class conflict, students should inform me as soon as possible.
Please note that the DDA deadlines for handing in final projects and papers are ahead of the library's deadlines. Students should keep in mind that only 100% completed projects will get approved. Upon approval by the Thesis Committee, the Thesis Advisor and the Chair of the Department (Peter Patchen) will have to sign off on the Thesis project and paper and require time to carefully review the submitted materials.
Only when the Thesis Advisor has signed off on a Thesis will it be given to the Chair of the Department for review. In other words, ample time has to be reserved for this process (min. of 2 weeks).
Each student enrolled in Thesis I/II is responsible to keep abreast of all requirements and deadlines he/she has to meet in order to successfully complete his/her Thesis project.
A thesis student is required to inform his/her instructor during the first week of the semester if he/she intends to graduate during that semester.
Thesis I and II semesters should suffice to complete a Thesis project; if the project is incomplete, students may be granted up to two Thesis In Progress (TIP) semesters. Students must meet all of the following criteria to be granted a TIP:
a) The quality of your work thus far is excellent ("A" quality work)
b) You have worked diligently throughout your Thesis II semester
c) It is clear that you are capable of working independently to conclude your thesis
d) Your project is very nearly complete
e) Your grade point average is sufficiently high.
TIP students should further be aware of the following:
1) Normally the Thesis Advisor remains the Thesis Advisor until the thesis project is completed.
2) A TIP student is expected to work even more independently than he or she did as a Thesis student. The instructor will continue to meet with the student, however, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor and to arrange for a meeting.
3) Every TIP student must remain in good standing in order to remain enrolled. A student who does not "remain in good standing" will receive an "F", and fail the course. In this event, the student would be required to re-enroll for Thesis, pay full tuition, and to start over.
POLICY
Academic Integrity Policy At Pratt, students, faculty, and staff do creative and original work. This is one of our community values. For Pratt to be a space where everyone can freely create, our community must adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity. Academic integrity at Pratt means using your own and original ideas in creating academic work. It also means that if you use the ideas or influence of others in your work, you must acknowledge them. At Pratt,
• We do our own work,
• We are creative, and
• We give credit where it is due.
Based on our value of academic integrity, Pratt has an Academic Integrity Standing Committee (AISC) that is charged with educating faculty, staff, and students about academic integrity practices. Whenever possible, we strive to resolve alleged infractions at the most local level possible, such as between student and professor, or within a department or school. When necessary, members of this committee will form an Academic Integrity Hearing Board. Such boards may hear cases regarding cheating, plagiarism, and other infractions described below; these infractions can be grounds for citation, sanction, or dismissal.
Academic Integrity Code When students submit any work for academic credit, they make an implicit claim that the work is wholly their own, completed without the assistance of any unauthorized person. These works include, but are not limited to exams, quizzes, presentations, papers, projects, studio work, and other assignments and assessments. In addition, no student shall prevent another student from making their work. Students may study, collaborate and work together on assignments at the discretion of the instructor. Examples of infractions include but are not limited to:
1) Plagiarism, defined as using the exact language or a close paraphrase of someone else’s ideas without citation.
2) Violations of fair use, including the unauthorized and uncited use of another’s artworks, images, designs, etc.
3) The supplying or receiving of completed work including papers, projects, outlines, artworks, designs, prototypes, models, or research for submission by any person other than the author.
4) The unauthorized submission of the same or essentially the same piece of work for credit in two different classes.
5) The unauthorized supplying or receiving of information about the form or content of an examination.
6) The supplying or receiving of partial or complete answers, or suggestions for answers; or the supplying or receiving of assistance in interpretation of questions on any examination from any source not explicitly authorized. (This includes copying or reading of another student’s work or consultation of notes or other sources during an examination.) For academic support, students are encouraged to seek assistance from the Writing and Tutorial Center, Pratt Libraries, or consult with an academic advisor about other support resources. Refer to the Pratt website for information on Academic Integrity Code Adjudication Procedures.
Attendance Policy
General Pratt Attendance Policy
Pratt Institute understands that students’ engagement in their program of study is central to their success. While no attendance policy can assure that, regular class attendance is key to this engagement and signals the commitment Pratt students make to participate fully in their education.
Faculty are responsible for including a reasonable attendance policy on the syllabus for each course they teach, consistent with department-specific guidelines, if applicable, and with Institute policy regarding reasonable accommodation of students with documented disabilities. Students are responsible for knowing the attendance policy in each of their classes; for understanding whether a class absence has been excused or not; for obtaining material covered during an absence (note: instructors may request that a student obtain the material from peers); and for determining, in consultation with the instructor and ahead of time if possible, whether make-up work will be permitted. Consistent attendance is essential for the completion of any course or program. Attending class does not earn students any specific portion of their grade, but is the pre-condition for passing the course, while missing class may seriously harm a student’s grade. Grades may be lowered a letter grade for each unexcused absence, at the discretion of the instructor. Even as few as three unexcused absences in some courses (especially those that meet only once per week) may result in an automatic “F” for the course. (Note: Students shall not be penalized for class absences prior to adding a course at the beginning of a semester, though faculty may expect students to make up any missed assignments.)
Pratt Institute respects students’ requirements to observe days of cultural significance, including religious holy days, and recognizes that some students might need to miss class to do so. In this, or other similar, circumstance, students are responsible for consulting with faculty ahead of time about how and when they can make up work they will miss.
Faculty are encouraged to give consideration to students who have documentation from the Office of Health and Counseling. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities will continue to be provided, as appropriate. Refer to the Pratt website for information on Attendance.
Students with Disabilities and Accessibility Pratt Institute is committed to the full inclusion of all students. If you are a student with a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Learning/Access Center (L/AC) at LAC@pratt.edu to schedule an appointment to discuss these accommodations. Students with disabilities who have already registered with the L/AC are encouraged to speak to the professor about accommodations they may need to produce an accessible learning environment. Requests for accommodation should be made as far in advance as reasonably possible to allow sufficient time to make any necessary modifications to ensure the relevant classes, programs, or activities are readily accessible. The Learning/Access Center (L/AC) is available to Pratt students, confidentially, with additional resources and information to facilitate full access to all campus programs and activities and provide support related to any other disability-related matters.
Human Rights, Equity, BERT, and Title IX Pratt Institute seeks to provide an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have been the victim of harassment, discrimination, bias, or sexual misconduct, we encourage you to report this. If you inform me of an issue of harassment, discrimination or bias, or sexual misconduct I will keep the information as private as I can, but I am required to bring it to the attention of the institution’s Title IX Coordinator. You can access Title IX services by emailing titleix@pratt.edu. You can also speak to someone confidentially by contacting our non-mandatory reporters: Health Services at 718-399-4542, Counseling Services 718-687-5356 or Campus Ministries 718-596-4840. In cases of Bias, this information may go to our Bias Education & Response Taskforce (BERT). You can contact BERT by either reaching out directly via bert@pratt.edu or by contacting the BERT Co-Chair and Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Esmilda Abreu. For more information, please refer to the Community Standards webpage.