Arts, Audio/Visual Technology & Communication

Digital Media 

Students will analyze the current and emerging technologies, while designing and creating multimedia projects. Students will develop proficiency in the use of text, graphics, animation, audio, and video. Students will utilize these skills to produce a variety of projects and presentations using Adobe Creative Cloud applications including Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, Premiere, and Illustrator. The knowledge and skills acquired and practiced will enable students to successfully perform and interact in a technology-driven society.

Fashion Design (Textile and Apparel Production)

In this one-hour, full-year course, students will be introduced to the exciting world of the fashion industry. Course content will include the history of costume, garment styles, textiles, clothing construction, principles and elements of design, fashion merchandising and promotion, and careers in fashion.

Advanced Fashion Design(Textile and Apparel Production)

Prerequisite: Fashion Design (Textiles and Apparel Production, Management, and Services I)
In this two-hour, full-year course, students will build upon the skills acquired in Fashion Design. Activities will include designing and marketing a collection, clothing construction, fashion merchandising, business concepts, and formulation of a fashion show.

Graphic Design and Illustration (Advertising I)

The Graphic Design & Illustration course offered at Plano West Senior High focuses on the study of the basic components of graphic design, commercial art, illustration, design products and career opportunities in the field. Hands-on experiences in both manually produced and computer-generated graphic illustrations, as well as a basic understanding of advertising production are provided.

Advanced Graphic Design and Illustration (Advertising II)

The Advanced Graphic Design & Illustration course offered at Plano West Senior High provides job specific training for entry-level employment in advertising and visual communication industries. This course expands the students’ knowledge of the creation and design of graphic materials for use as ornamentation, illustration, advertising, and computer graphics, building on the topics covered in Graphic Design & Illustration, and provides advanced laboratory application experiences.

Audio/Video Production (Video Tech)

Prerequisite: Successful completion of a high school or senior high level technology course or audio/video teacher recommendation in lieu of prerequisites.
In this one-hour, full year hands-on introductory course students will explore video production techniques. The course will include techniques in videography, audio, editing, lighting, script writing, and motion graphics using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, GarageBand, and Motion. Students are expected to develop an understanding of the film industry with a focus on pre-production, production, and postproduction video and audio activities. Students will participate in minor and major projects for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Advanced Audio/Video Production (Video Tech II)

Prerequisite: Audio/Video Production (Video Tech)
Students will learn advanced video concepts while working on major projects. In addition to developing advanced knowledge and skills needed for success in the Arts, Audio/Visual Technology, and Communications career cluster, students will be expected to develop an advanced understanding of the industry with a focus on preproduction, production, and post-production activities. The class will provide the campus with necessary video production services.
Smaller projects will serve as supplemental material for the students' professional portfolio.

Video Game Design

This one semester course will give students the opportunity to experience a learning environment that provides them with the reality of an internship using an innovative career simulation while developing the programming skills to create a 2D video game. The students will be given a real-world problem to solve by investigating, researching, developing a game, testing and evaluating it, and creating the marketing plan. Students will learn to design, program, and create a functional video game. They will be introduced to basic programming language and skills that are essential to developing a video game. This course will include topics, related to math, physics, design, and computer programming.

Video Game Programming

Pre-requisite:  Video Game Design Recommended

This course expands on the foundation created in Video Game Design through programming languages such as: C#, XNA game studio, Java, and Android App.  In this course, students investigate the inner workings of a fully functional role-playing game (RPG) by customizing playable characters, items, maps, and chests and eventually applying customizations by altering and enhancing the core game code.

Web Design

The student will develop an understanding of the structure, functions and technical foundations of the Internet. After developing basic proficiency in creating Web pages using traditional HTML & CSS coding, visual HTML editors and graphics production software, students will plan and develop Web sites targeting appropriate audiences. Adobe Dreamweaver®, Photoshop®, and Flash™® will be taught in this course.