Our Flyer - the Multimedia Communication Department

Wesley College Multimedia Communication
The baccalaureate program in Multimedia Communication provides a broad liberal arts foundation as well as
courses dealing with the ways in which the media shape the public mind. We consider issues of production and
consumption of media forms in theoretical and practical terms. One group of courses investigates the theories
behind the media process, while another group focuses on hands-on media production in areas such as journalism, video production, radio production, web development and designing for print. Students apply their newfound skills in the College’s television station, internet radio station, newspaper and online news site.
All the courses provide excellent opportunities for a motivated student interested in working in the communications industry to hone the thought processes and skills needed for a very competitive career area. Students
will enter organizations or institutions in need of creative people who can produce media messages consistent
with that organization’s objectives.
Multimedia Communication has a critical mass of creative, motivated students who, as they graduate from
Wesley, are building a network of contacts with recent graduates. We are filling key jobs with our graduates
throughout the region, giving us an edge over our regional competitors when it comes to job placement. Class
size is small.Your instructors respect your opinions and ideas and enjoying the creative exchange with students.
We do our best to help you develop your full creative and professional abilities.
Concentrations
The Multimedia Communication Department offers two concentrations:
Multimedia Storytelling and Digital Media.
Multimedia Communication
The Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Communication is designed to provide students with
a well-rounded education in the field.
Multimedia Communication:
Multimedia Storytelling Concentration
The Multimedia Storytelling concentration is designed for students who are primarily
interested in working in writing and publishing, whether in print or online environments.
It has a heavier focus on writing than the other concentrations.
Multimedia Communication:
Digital Media Concentration
The Digital Media concentration is designed for students who are primarily interested in
creating and manipulating digital materials. It has a heavier focus on digital production than
the other concentrations.
Media Production Resources
Students in Multimedia Communication have the immediate opportunity to gain valuable production experience under the guidance of
more experienced students and the faculty advisors to WCTV, WXStream, the Whetstone, the Online Whetstone, and the yearbook.
Our Media Lab offers 12 new multimedia Macs running the latest software across the media we teach. Using their Wesley keycards, our
majors have access to the lab 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Several Multimedia Communication upper-level students also work in
the Media Lab as part of their work/study programs, which allows them to gain valuable experience in the field while assisting newer
students.
Our campus cable TV system is managed and operated by student volunteers. We program Channel 8 with feature films and Channel
4 with our own programs, including a news program. We are in the process of creating a studio to support a streaming video station.
Students also operate WXStream, a 24-hour-a-day internet radio station, run the Whetstone, the College’s independent student newspaper, and run the Whetstone Online, the College’s online student newspaper..
What will I do in the classroom and lab while earning my
degree in Multimedia Communication?
All Multimedia Communication majors will complete the Wesley College
Core:
A first year seminar
College Writing I & II
MA180 Applied Math Concepts
Frontiers of Science
Level 2 course in Arts & Culture
Level 2 course in Literature & Language
Level 2 course in Ethics & Religion
Level 2 course in History & Social Sciences
Three level 3 courses in one focus area. Current focus areas are Ethical Living, Identifying
with Diversity, or Personal & Social Responsibility.
The requirements outside the core differ depending upon whether or not
you select a concentration, and which concentration you select:
Multimedia Storytelling
Concentration
(required courses)
ME100: Media in Your Life
ME130: Media Aesthetics
ME210: Writing for Media
ME220: Audio Production
ME230:Video Production
ME240: Web Design
ME242: Digital Imaging
ME243: Digital Illustration
ME300: Media and Culture
ME342: Photography
ME344: Integrated Media
ME351: Journalism
ME345: Digital Layout and Design
ME346: Content Management Systems
ME400: Media Law
ME450: Scriptwriting
ME490: Senior Project
(electives; 12 credits from
the offerings below)
Digital Media Concentration
(required courses)
ME100: Media in Your Life
ME130: Media Aesthetics
ME210: Writing for Media
ME220: Audio Production
ME230:Video Production
ME240: Web Design
ME242: Digital Imaging
ME243: Digital Illustration
ME300: Media and Culture
ME330: Advanced Video Production
ME335: Nonfiction Media Production
ME342: Photography
ME343: Interactive Media Production
ME344: Integrated Media
ME345: Digital Layout and Design
ME346: Content Management Systems
ME400: Media Law
ME490: Senior Project
Multimedia Communication
CM101: Public Speaking
ME100: Media in Your Life
ME130: Media Aesthetics
ME210: Writing for Media
ME220: Audio Production
ME230:Video Production
ME240: Web Design
ME242: Digital Imaging
ME243: Digital Illustration
ME300: Media and Culture
ME344: Integrated Media
ME351: Journalism
ME345: Digital Layout and Design
ME346: Content Management Systems
ME400: Media Law
ME490: Senior Project
(electives; 15 credits from
the offerings below)
ME301: Documentary Film
ME310: Social Media
ME330: Advanced Video Production
ME335: Nonfiction Media Production
ME336: Animation
ME343: Interactive Media Production
ME361: Sports Communication
ME470: Special Topics
ME471: Independent Study
ME480: Internship
ME301: Documentary Film
ME310: Social Media
ME336: Animation
ME351: Journalism
ME361: Sports Communication
ME450: Scriptwriting
ME470: Special Topics
ME471: Independent Study
ME480: Internship
ME301: Documentary Film
ME310: Social Media
ME330: Advanced Video Production
ME335: Nonfiction Media Production
ME336: Animation
ME342: Photography
ME343: Interactive Media Production
ME361: Sports Communication
ME450: Scriptwriting
ME470: Special Topics
ME471: Independent Study
ME480: Internship
plus 12 free electives at the
300+ level and 15 free electives at any level
plus 12 free electives at the
300+ level and 15 free electives at any level
plus 12 free electives at the
300+ level and 15 free electives at any level
(electives; 9 credits from
the offerings below)
Course Descriptions
ME100 Media in Your Life
This course is an introduction to how the mass media are organized and how they function in modern society. We will look at the technological
bases, economic and political foundations, and social implications of mass media. Students also explore career possibilities in Multimedia Communication.
ME130 Media Aesthetics
This basic film and video analysis course deals with the formal elements of the visual media (light, color, composition, movement, editing and sound).
Media Aesthetics is designed both for persons who plan a career in some area of film or video production and for persons who simply want to
improve their understanding of video and film forms.
ME210 Writing for Media
This introductory course provides students with basic writing skills for print, broadcast and digital media. Students will learn fundamental skills in
gathering information and in writing coherent stories that will stand alone or that will accompany visuals.
ME220 Audio Production
An introduction to the fundamentals of live and recorded sound for radio and recorded music production. Topics covered include microphone types,
mixing board operation, multi-track recording and mixing, the aesthetics of sound perception, audio documentary production and the operation of a
streaming internet radio station.
ME230 Video Production
A study of the basic skills of video production. Students have an opportunity to operate camcorders, video switchers, computer-based editing and
graphic systems, lights, microphones, and audio control boards.
ME240 Website Design and Development
This course enables students to create websites that incorporate principles of effective and functional web site design. Students will also critique
websites according to established design principles.
ME242 Digital Imaging
A lab course that covers the use of software (currently Adobe Photoshop) to process raster images for a variety of publications for print and the
web. Topics include graphic design, typography, relevant file formats, scanning images, printing and publishing to the web. Prerequisites: ME130 with a
C or higher.
ME243 Digital Illustration
A lab course that covers the use of software (currently Adobe Illustrator) to process vector images for a variety of publications for print and the
web. Topics include graphic design, relevant file formats, creating and editing vector images, infographics, printing and publishing to the web.
ME300 Media and Culture
An overview of contemporary approaches to media as culture. Students use the tools of cultural studies to analyze media content, including advertisements, films, news reports, television shows and websites. Covers the issue of globalization as it relates to the spread of culture through the
media.
ME301 Documentary Film
Covers a wide range of non-fiction film from the earliest days to the present. The example films represent many different modes of presentation
based on different strategies of persuasion, poetics, observation, advocacy, education, and entertainment. It is an exploration of some approaches to
the documentary film. At the end of the class, the student should have a deeper understanding of the motives and methods of documentary filmmaking and be able to articulate this understanding through critical essays that link the theory and practice of documentary film.
ME310 Social Media
This course introduces students to the use of social media within the professional world. Topics include social media branding, interaction with
consumers on social media, paid social media advertising and understanding social media controversies. Upon completion, students should be able to
effectively communicate on social media in both a business-to-business and business-to-consumer setting.
ME330 Advanced Video Production
The production of video programs from planning to completion. Students will either create a regularly scheduled program or create a long form
fiction or documentary project.
ME335 Nonfiction Media Production
This course consists of practical and creative exercises in documentary media production. Production emphasis will be on video production but
we will explore other new media production techniques as well. Students will explore lighting, audio, camera, and post - production techniques. The
course emphasizes the research process of documentary video and explores utilizing “found” material from photography archives, home movies,
library collections, web sites etc. Class discussion will include historical, ethical, and aesthetic issues of non- fiction media. Screenings will focus on
televisual journalism, the historical documentary, and the personal perspective documentary. Prerequisite ME 230 Video Production
ME336 Animation
Students will learn the basics of stop motion animation. Assignments develop skills in character design, set design, creating sound, pacing, and
narrative. Students will work with a variety of materials including clay, paper, wire, and sand on glass. Students will learn to utilize effective lighting,
layering, cross cutting, and seamless match cuts in their animations. Students will become knowledgeable of animation in its broader cultural context.
Prerequisite ME 230 Video Production.
ME342 Digital Photography
A study of the basics of digital photography. Topics include camera operations, lenses, media types, lighting techniques, compositions, use of color,
digital manipulation of images, and making digital prints.
ME343 Interactive Media Production
A lab course that deals with advanced web page production techniques including Javascript, JQuery and AJAX. Topics covered include aesthetic,
commercial, and production issues associated with the creation of interactive web pages.
ME344 Integrated Media Production
Study and practice in integrated media production for the web. Students will create and update an online newspaper throughout the spring semester of their third year in the Multimedia Communication program. Students will write stories, shoot and edit still and video images and sounds, and
design and upload this content to the web.
ME345 Digital Layout and Design
A lab course that covers the use of software (currently Adobe InDesign) to combine existing text and images for a variety of publications for print
and the web. Topics include compositing, relevant file formats, multi-chapter documents, printing and publishing to the web. Prerequisites: ME130
with a C or higher.
ME346 Content Management Systems
This course introduces students to use of Content Management Systems to create websites for a range of environments, such as media, business,
and nonprofit. Topics include selecting, installing and administering a CMS, processing images and data for entry into the CMS, and selecting, installing and testing customization options such as plugins and themes. Upon completion, students should be able to enter multimedia content into
CMSs, as well as create and administer solid, functional CMS-based websites for individuals or groups.
ME351 Journalism
An in-depth course in news writing, reading and editing. Students will learn to write hard news articles as well as explore longer profiles and
feature stories, editorials and personal essays. They will learn the rudiments of editing by editing and being edited by their classmates and their
professor. They will read daily newspapers (online and paper) and weekly magazines as part of class discussions, and read the best newspaper writing the past several decades to understand the depth and range of great journalism.
ME361 Sports Communication
Students learn professional promotional techniques used by mass spectator sports. Students develop a portfolio of projects including news releases, feature sports articles, fact sheets, videotaped interviews, video-feature sport stories, and other projects as assigned by the instructor.
ME400 Media Law
A study of the development of media law as current legal issues in the U.S. media. Students will become familiar through discussion of the law and
writing about central case studies dealing with First Amendment issues, libel, privacy, copyrights, obscenity, etc.
ME450 Scriptwriting
Students write scripts for television and film. An in depth examination of films and video programs in terms of narrative structure. Topics covered
include writing dialogue, script formats, writing for visualization, writing copy to support existing video footage, and writing original material to be
produced in video production classes.
ME470 Special Topics in Multimedia Communication
Subject matter will vary according to student’s interest and the availability of experts in certain fields. Recent topics include Music & Technology,
Documentary Film, and Photojournalism.
ME471 Independent Project
Students can work with any of the Multimedia Communication faculty on independent projects, designed by the student and faculty member
together.
ME480 Applied Communication Internship
An internship in a work setting with a private company or government agency. Experience provides opportunity to apply academic learning in a
practical work environment. Introductory, intermediate, and concluding evaluation conferences will be held with the student, cooperating advisor,
and program director. Following the internship, the student prepares an oral and written report on the significance of the internship in theoretical
learning. Prerequisites: Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing and approved internship application.
ME490 Senior Multimedia Communication Project
Required course for all Multimedia Communication students. Students produce a final project containing elements of critical thinking, research, and
effective expression. Students work with their advisors to plan and execute the final project.
CM101 Public Speaking
A performance course in public speaking for all students whose professional goals will require them to address small or large audiences. Audience
analysis, topic selection, construction and organization, and delivery skills emphasized.
Careers in Multimedia Communication
People with degrees in Multimedia Communication work in many fields, including:
Advertising
Cartooning
Commercial Art
Communication Studies
Computer Design
College Professor
Digital Media Specialist
Film Production
Freelance Video Production
Graphic Design
High School Teacher
Interactive Design
Lighting Design
Magazine Layout Editing
Management / Organizational Communication
Marketing Director
Music Technology
Newspaper Reporter
Newspaper Editor
Photographer
Public Relations
Sound Recording
Speech Communication
Technical Theater
TV Weather Forecaster
Theatrical Production Arts
Web Designer
Writing for Publication/Performance/Media
Alumni Stories
April Abel
April Abel graduated in December 2009. She has won awards for nature and wildlife photography and has been published both as a writer and photographer in Delaware Beach Life
Magazine, Outdoor Delaware, The News Journal, The Milford Chronicle, and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. She works with Delaware State Parks as an Exhibits Coordinator. She also
writes and photographs for local, state, and national publications. At Wesley, April completed an
internship with the News Journal as a reporter. She lives and works in central Delaware and
can be contacted at www.aprilallysonabel.com.
Donnie Black
Donnie Black graduated in 2007. He is the executive producer of the 95.7 BEN FM morning
show in Philadelphia. After Wesley, he interned for 95.7 Ben FM.Three years later, he was named
the Producer of the morning show and the Production Assistant of the radio station. At Wesley,
Donnie was the Station Manager and Program Director for WXstream from 2005-2007 and
was a part of the class that named “WXstream.”
Lilia Brekke
Lilia Brekke graduated in 2011. She was hired by One Caribbean Television in February 2012
as their Executive Producer. She manages all of their programming, commercial content, day
to day activities, and social media. She has also now started to help sell their channel to cable
operators.Their network has gone from only being viewed in the Caribbean to the US and now
Europe. She says,“It’s been an exciting adventure.”
Leigh Ann Coleman
Leigh Ann Coleman graduated in 2009. Upon graduation, she worked as Director of Publications, then Director of Communications at Wesley. She is now the Webmaster at Bayhealth
Medical Center.
Internships
The department strongly encourages students to have both on-campus and off-campus internships. Students have worked at television
stations, daily and weekly newspapers, radio stations, in social media and web design, and in a myriad of other media related jobs in
schools, hospitals, graphic design shops, and other venues.
Faculty
Professor Ron Douglas
Professor Douglas earned his B.A. in Film Studies and Religious Studies at the University
of Pittsburgh, and his M.F.A. in Media Production at the State University of New York at
Buffalo. He teaches courses in documentary film, video production, audio production,
photography, and animation.
For information about audio, video, animation, WXStream or WCTV, contact Professor
Douglas at Ron.Douglas@wesley.edu. or 302-736-2449.
Professor Victor Greto
Professor Greto earned his B.A.. in English from Colorado College, and M.A. in History from the University of Colorado. He has been a working journalist for 20 years. He
teaches courses in journalism, media writing, media law, feature writing, American politics,
public policy and the Constitution.
For information about news writing or the Whetstone, contact Professor Greto at Victor.
Greto@wesley.edu or at 302-736-2311.
Dr. Tery Griffin
Dr. Griffin earned her B.A. in English from Trinity College in Hartford, CT; her M.F.A. in
Creative Writing / Fiction from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI; and her Ph.D.
in Educational Communication and Technology from New York University. She teaches
courses in the design and creation of materials for web, interactive and print environments, media history, an introduction to the field, and First Year Seminars in memoir, film
and fiction.
For information about graphic design and digital media, including the web, interactive
media, and the Online Whetstone, contact Dr. Griffin at Tery.Griffin@wesley.edu or at
302-736-2378.
Visit our website at http://multimedia.wesley.edu.
Wesley College Multimedia Communication