Lessons to last a lifetime

High school students gain college experience with Adobe video and design software

The undergraduate and graduate programs at the UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts (D|MA) are known for having some of the best faculty and students from around the world. It's not surprising then that the D|MA Summer Institute would attract the attention of students from three continents. “We want to offer summer programs to high school students that give them the opportunity to learn in a fun and challenging college environment,” says Cynthia Davalos, assistant director of the D|MA Summer Institute and an adviser in the Department of Design | Media Arts.

Students participating in the D|MA Summer Institute can earn college credit for completing weeklong courses on video, web design, digital photography and print design, or developing video games. As part of the hands-on classes, the institute uses Adobe video software and Adobe® Creative Suite 2 software. “Adobe solutions are a natural fit for our programs because they deliver power and ease of use, enabling students to learn and experiment on tools used by industry professionals,” explains Maroun Harb, information technology manager for the UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts.

“With After Effects, we can easily incorporate still photos, animation, and video into composition. It's a terrific program because we're not constrained by technology- instead, there seems to be unlimited options.”

-Skylar Williamson,
High School Graduate

Summer school with a twist

Students in the Summer Institute can attend one session for a week or take classes in sequence. Each course meets for at least 40 hours during the week. “It is extremely demanding and exciting at the same time,” says Skylar Williamson, a recent high school graduate who will attend UCLA in fall 2006. “We get to work with professionals and receive training on popular Adobe video and design software. It's a great introduction to college and also to what it might be like after graduation.”

In the video production class, students use Adobe video software and footage they capture by taping scenes around Los Angeles to create a music video for a song of their choice. They also use Adobe Photoshop® CS2 software to create and rework still images for their videos and Adobe Audition® to clean up distortions in recorded songs.

Students then import their work into Adobe After Effects. With After Effects, they color-correct images and use blue screens to composite live-action footage of musicians or other foreground imagery into a different background to create compelling video sequences as well as integrate motion graphics with text. "With After Effects, we can easily incorporate still photos, animation, and video into compositions," says Williamson. "It's a terrific program because we're not constrained by technology — instead, there seems to be unlimited options." Once all elements are assembled, including still images, music, and video, they are compiled and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Exploring the possibilities

Like Williamson, several students in the D|MA Summer Institute participate in all four sessions to gain greater insight into different design disciplines and Adobe software. In the Digital Photography and Print Design class, students spend part of the first day learning the basics of page layout in Adobe InDesign® CS2 software. These skills are essential as each student begins designing an eight-page magazine. The magazine includes materials written by the student, as well as photos taken in Los Angeles. By the end of the week, students have fully produced their own magazines, from initial concept to creating images and writing stories to final layout.

"Adobe InDesign CS2 is a fantastic program," says Williamson. "The application makes it easy to integrate what I learned about page layout, photojournalism, and typography into magazine publishing."

“The Adobe video software is an outstanding value for schools and for students. With Adobe software, students can easily experiment with new ideas and build design and technology skills which will serve them well in school and after graduation.”

-Maroun Harb,
information technology manager,
UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts

Applied learning

D|MA Summer Institute programs give students some of the same experiences they would have if they attended UCLA as undergraduates. During class, students present storyboards that are critiqued by professors. After receiving feedback, students have a few days to assemble their projects before presenting final work to the class. "Students can be inspired by the work of their peers and also learn how to incorporate feedback from others to improve projects," says Harb. "It's an excellent experience because this is what they'll find at university and when they start working as creative professionals."

Similar to D|MA Summer Institute classes, UCLA classes for full-time students make extensive use of Adobe video software. The Department of Design | Media Arts adopted Adobe video software because the tools are standards for design, film, and video professionals worldwide. In addition, the integrated Adobe applications accelerate learning because familiar interfaces and commands make it easier for students to move between programs when working on projects.

“Adobe solutions are a natural fit for our programs because they deliver power and ease of use, enabling students to learn and experiment on tools used by industry professionals.”

-Maroun Harb,
information technology manager,
UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts

An unforgettable summer

The D|MA Summer Institute's popular video game development class highlights the ways in which students can expand their creative and technical skills. Developing video games requires students to master multiple elements of design, from basic story layout to creating animations and reworking images to editing final games. In each step, Adobe tools are important. For instance, with Illustrator and Photoshop, students create characters, images, backgrounds, and artwork to include in games. Effects are added with After Effects, and entire games can be edited together using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Several students also use Adobe Encore® DVD software to create DVDs of projects, so they can include samples of their work in college applications or demonstrate design skills to win internships or part-time design jobs after returning home. To create and edit DVD menus, students leverage the smooth integration between Photoshop and Encore DVD. "The Adobe video software is an outstanding value for schools and for students," says Harb. "With Adobe software, students can easily experiment with new ideas and build design and technology skills which will serve them well in college and after graduation."

For many students in the D|MA Summer Institute, the excitement of being at one of the nation's leading universities and working with respected industry professionals overshadows academic discussions about building skills for college and beyond. "It's an amazing opportunity to participate in the summer program," says Williamson. "From learning to use professional applications to being challenged with college-level course work, we are immersed fully in the experience."