Digital Media Arts

While studying graphic design, students focus on three major elements to convey visual messages: composition, color, and typography. They also learn a range of software programs in the Adobe Creative Suite, which enable them to edit photos and graphics, create multi-page publications, and design websites. As students gain fluency in the unique language of graphics, they also become more confident in crafting creative solutions to multifaceted design challenges.

In photography classes, students learn how light and lenses can create powerful imagery for a variety of purposes, from commercial to journalistic to abstract. Students set up, capture, retouch, manipulate, and interpret photographs. Around the Harkness table, photo classes debate the implications of the digital and AI realms: is seeing really believing? Whose stories are being told in our media-saturated world, and whose are not? Photo and design class sequences allow students to study through the Advanced Placement level.

Filmmaking students learn the basics of storytelling and practice videography through capturing and editing their ideas. Critique and discussion are essential parts of their creative process, whether it’s sharing films in progress or discovering new inspiration from established directors and cinematographers. Student films are featured at the annual Showcase of the Arts and the spring Film Expo.

Yearbook students capture the vitality of our community through writing copy, designing layouts, and taking photographs. As they hone their journalistic skills and software savvy, students also celebrate the diverse range of Firebird experiences across the spectrum of classes, arts, sports, service learning, clubs, affinity and alliance groups, and more.