PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Creative Digital Media program introduces students to the world of Digital Media by learning Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and AfterEffects.  The class works in partnership with Southern Maine Community College and, if students complete the assigned work successfully, they will receive 6 college credits per year.  So, over the course of two years, they can earn a total of 12 college credits in addition to their Adobe ACA certification.

Please read the course brochure (left) for a full description of our curriculum.

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS: 

2D DESIGN: Students learn the basics of  good design. This work can be done free hand or, as their skills progress, digitally

DIGITAL FOUNDATIONS: a survey course of the Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects.  

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS:

INDESIGN: Students put the skills learned in 2D Design to work as they delve deeper into InDesign, where they learn how to create dynamic layouts by incorporating their work in Illustrator and Photoshop. They create inforgraphics, brochures, magazine layouts and much more

PHOTOSHOP: Essential to any person involved in digital work, this course delves deeply into Photoshop and helps students become highly fluid with this essential program.

THIRD YEAR STUDENTS:

If students start as Freshmen or Sophomores, they can continue to take the class, earning another 6 credits each year. Third year students take a course in Illustrator, a vector drawing program, and Intro to Video Production.  

WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAM SPECIAL:

We have a brand new lab with 27″ iMacs. We have large format printers, heat presses and kilns which allows us to transfer our designs onto metal, cloth, ceramic and even encase them in glass.

Students are able to work in the studio part of the classroom once their weekly classwork is complete. This gives them to add projects, other than just digital art, to their portfolios which is necessary for their portfolios if interested in continuing on to design school or an art college.

All students will finish each year with a very strong digital portfolio.  This will assist with both future job applications as well as applications to college.

All students will be given the Adobe Creative Suite license to use on their devices.

Graduating students have attended many 2 and 4 year graphic design related programs throughout the United States.

• Maine College of Art https://www.meca.edu/
• Southern Maine Community College https://www.smccme.edu/
• Central Maine Community College https://www.cmcc.edu/
• University of Maine Orono https://umaine.edu/
• Ringling College of Art and Design https://www.ringling.edu/
• Savannah College of Art and Design https://www.scad.edu/
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design https://massart.edu/

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Creative Digital Media program introduces students to the world of Digital Media by learning Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and AfterEffects.  The class works in partnership with Southern Maine Community College and, if students complete the assigned work successfully, they will receive 6 college credits per year.  So, over the course of two years, they can earn a total of 12 college credits.

Students will gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to conceptualize, plan, prepare and problem solve a number of graphic communication problems while utilizing principles and elements of design to create original art, logos, brochures, packages, posters, character illustrations and more. Students will be given the opportunity and encouraged to compete in the Maine State SkillsUSA competition as well as other art and design contests.

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS: 

2D DESIGN: Students learn the basics of  good design. This work can be done free hand or, as their skills progress, digitally

DIGITAL FOUNDATIONS: a survey course of the Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects.  

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS:

STUDENTS CAN CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING COURSE PATHWAYS:

Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects and GameMaker

WHAT MAKES OUR PROGRAM SPECIAL:

CTE Schools are gifted money from the Perkins grant annually, this means that we are able to afford producation grade equipment.  As a result we have a brand new state of the art iMac lab, large format printers, heat presses and kilns which allows us to transfer our designs onto metal, cloth, ceramic and even encase them in glass.  This allows us to not only learn the software to create designs, but see those designs incorporated into real world projects.

CURRICULUM CONTENT

Principles and Elements of Design

File Organization and Management

Color Theory

Typography

Image Resolution

Composition

Digital Painting

Photo Manipulation

Ad Layout

PROGRAMS

Adobe Photoshop 

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Adobe AfterEffects

Maine Certified Industry Standards ( 50.0402)

Maine DOE- Graphic Arts

Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF)

Graduating students have attended many 2 and 4 year graphic design related programs throughout the United States.

• Maine College of Art https://www.meca.edu/
• Southern Maine Community College https://www.smccme.edu/
• Central Maine Community College https://www.cmcc.edu/
• University of Maine Orono https://umaine.edu/
• Ringling College of Art and Design https://www.ringling.edu/
• Savannah College of Art and Design https://www.scad.edu/
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design https://massart.edu/