New DP class in UCLA film scoring program

[bralston]

Hello folks,

I just wanted to pass along the info that the UCLA Extension film scoring certificate program is (for the first time) going to offer a class in Digital Performer and they have asked me to teach it. They have had classes in both Logic and Pro Tools before for students...but this is the first time in DP. While this class is offered as part of the film certificate scoring program, individuals can choose to take these classes "a la carte" and not be certificate students. Just know that the class emphasis will be more of a film scoring nature than from an engineering perspective.

It will be taught starting this Summer quarter and runs from June 25th through Sept 10th on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 10pm. The location is at the 1010 Westwood Center UCLA Extension location. The class will be kept to a maximum of 20 people...but they have told me that they really need a minimum of 8 to have offering the class "make sense" logistically. So, let's pass the word and help tell UCLA Extension that this was the correct decision to offer this course.

Here is the page link if anyone is interested in the class.
https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/Cou ... reg=248095

Here is the course description at that site:
Of interest to film music and video game composers, this comprehensive course unlocks the features of Digital Performer. Topics include setting up working with video, creating streamers and punches, working with sample hosts, maximizing the template, editing audio, recording soloists and comp tracks, working with MIDI, mixing and effects, setting up final stem audio tracks for deliveries to various post production mixing environments and many more topics. Note: Students must have a Macintosh (OS 10.8.5 or OS 10.9.2) or PC (Windows 7 or 8 ) computer with a minimum of 8GB ram, 20GB of free drive space, an audio interface, Kontakt, MOTU's MachFive v3 or some other sample host (Plogue Bidule or Vienna Ensemble Pro is recommended), instrument samples, and Digital Performer 8.06. It is highly recommended students bring their laptop computers with these specs and program installations to class. Course demonstrations will be on a Macintosh, but the PC version of Digital Performer is virtually the same.

Required Text: The Power in Digital Performer by Dave Roberts.
Internet access required to retrieve course materials.

Westwood: B17 1010 Westwood Center
Wednesday, 7-10pm,
June 25 - September 10

12 meetings total

[dosuna11]

Online possibilities?

[magicd]

Brian,

That's awesome! Thanks for representing MOTU. I know it will be a first rate course.

Dave

[bralston]

David Osuna: We strongly felt due to the nature of the course and the complexity of learning a DAW that offering the class online was not the best way to take students through the program. There are also some other tasks we wanted to do that could only be done live, in person...such as we are working on possibly putting together a little scoring session with live musicians to record music in DP one class period to teach the example to the film scoring students about layering live instruments with their MIDI tracks, etc...

Dave Roberts: Thank you. I don't know if you saw or not in the course description...but I am requiring students buy your "The Power in Digital Performer" book as a text for use the class. I am also recommending they buy your other DP engineering book as well.

[bayswater]

David Osuna: We strongly felt due to the nature of the course and the complexity of learning a DAW that offering the class online was not the best way to take students through the program.

Brian, I agree completely. But for those who have no hope of attending the course, perhaps something like a video on iTunes U. would be something worth considering. After all, UCLA does put neurosurgery lectures there.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/uc ... 5906?mt=10

[bralston]

David Osuna: We strongly felt due to the nature of the course and the complexity of learning a DAW that offering the class online was not the best way to take students through the program.

Brian, I agree completely. But for those who have no hope of attending the course, perhaps something like a video on iTunes U. would be something worth considering. After all, UCLA does put neurosurgery lectures there.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/uc ... 5906?mt=10

That is a very good suggestion and I will certainly speak with my administrators about the possibility in the future. In general...they currently have a policy against the video recording of the classes. The "UCLA Extension" admins are a whole different entity than the "UCLA" Admins believe it or not. And the entire Entertainment studies program (and subsequent film scoring certificate program this course is in)...is at UCLA Extension. They have the freedom to run the program a little bit differently than the UC Board of Regents run the UC system so their motivations to use something like iTunes U may be very different. I do not think anything UCLA Extension offers is on iTunes U and to make that happen quickly would be subject to a much larger school policy decision.

[jcgreen1000]

I am very interested in this class but the facility is 45 torturous miles from Huntington Beach. I hope to see it offered closer to home at like Golden West or UCI. Good luck with it. It sounds incredibly interesting.

[dosuna11]

Thanks for the response and great to see DP set to standard it deserves. Will this be a DP to VI score or will you port it out to a scoring program for live players? What VI's will you be using?

[bralston]

I am very interested in this class but the facility is 45 torturous miles from Huntington Beach. I hope to see it offered closer to home at like Golden West or UCI. Good luck with it. It sounds incredibly interesting.

The 405 is never a fun drive...that is for sure Jerry. And on a weekday evening for sure. But I have had students in some of my other classes actually live in Irvine & Orange County near the Chapman College area...so many do make the trek. But they were all in the film scoring certificate program...which is a longer commitment of a year or two to complete all the course work. But some have done it.

And know that this course is not put on by MOTU in any way. It is UCLA Extension making the decision and wanting to fulfill a need shown by its students in the film scoring program. (Even though they will let anyone take the course...and do not limit it to only certificate students).

[bralston]

Thanks for the response and great to see DP set to standard it deserves. Will this be a DP to VI score or will you port it out to a scoring program for live players? What VI's will you be using?

Those details I still have to figure out if we can add a session in there. It would be a great way to feature the notation capabilities of DP especially for doing a quick part or two for a live player that one would layer with their other MIDI instruments.

I will be demonstrating DP working with Kontakt and MachFive 3 as part of working with VIs. But again...with the course being a focus on DP...I am not going to limit anyone's use of other program to something specific. Everyone has their own VIs and I will make sure to be clear that using them all is mostly the same in theory. I may also show off using DP with Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 and Plogue Bidule, etc...But also of course get into the DP's own V-Rack and its capabilities. But I primarily want to keep the focus on DP.

I want people to come away from the course with a solid handle and foundation on using DP as their main DAW, so I will be taking the opportunities to try to hit on a lot of different workflows and ways to use DP as it related to film scoring. Especially showing folks how I would simply use it to begin scoring a film. Choosing tempos, meters, using markers, streamers, punches with video, using VIs, creating templates with those VIs, exporting stems for Post-Production delivery, etc...etc...

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Great job, Brian. Congrats on getting the course on the books.

Just a reminder, you can also get free one on one training from Matt LaPointe (MOTU rep and great guy) at Westlake audio. I think he's there every thursday at 11:00 or 11:30. Not a course, but some of us more fluent users have found his help and teaching to be life savers. Check with Westlake for the actual times and availability. My last time there we spent about an hour just on MachFive 3. Just me and him. Just the way I like "lessons."

Good luck with the course, Brian. I hope it's a sellout every semester.

[Shooshie]

This sounds awesome, Brian! I wish I could come out and take the course. You'll do a fantastic job of it, as your help in the forum has always been 1st rate. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help, as in background info or videos or whatever.

Shooshie

[bralston]

LA area folks...the UCLA Extension DP class begins Wednesday night. You can still sign up for it. See the link below. I am working hard to prepare to make it a good course. Also...DP composers and mixers...if you have any new assistants or interns that you would like them to learn a bit more about DP so they have a bit more tools in the arsenal to be an effective worker for you, this may be a class to send them to. Or at least strongly encourage them to take. UCLA Extension is hoping to see just a couple more people sign up...so let's see if we can make them happy with that goal.

Wednesday evenings 7p-10p June 25th through Sept 10th at the 1010 Westwood Blvd. Extension building near UCLA's main campus.

https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/Cou ... reg=248095

[labman]

Congrats Brian! Teach those young whippersnappers a thing or two!

[bralston]

Congrats Brian! Teach those young whippersnappers a thing or two!