M00_03_DIG3521

Meet Your Instructor

[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]

[00:00:12.98] Hey. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to class. My name is Tim. And in this
video, in this class, in this sprint, we're going to continue on with our orientation.

[00:00:23.69] We started out with welcoming to the course and giving an overview, how to
succeed, and the ways that we are assessed. And then now we're going to go into meeting and
greeting just a little bit to introduce ourselves.

[00:00:36.30] So first and foremost, experience with teaching online classes-- all right
everybody. Again, my name is Mr. Tim Difato. I have been here at Digital Worlds for a number
of years, and I've worked in a bunch of different capacities. So before I get into the online
teaching component, let me give you a little bit of background.

[00:00:55.64] So I originally come from a compositing background, a digital production-- so

making videos, background with compositing. And compositing is the field of taking different
elements that are cut out and making them into a composite or bringing them together to one
image.

[00:01:13.60] So that may be particle systems. That may be smoke effects and fire, or it may be
more 2D art and animating those 2D compilations together. It may be text. It may be motion
graphics. It may be taking 3D elements and putting them into a 2D film plate or canvas-- so
could be green screen work.

[00:01:33.91] So all of these different things I love, love, love doing. I've worked in studio
productions, as well, in cyc walls, white cyc walls, green screen cyc wall, blue cyc-- all that
stuff. The cinema cameras, production cameras-- that is really my background. And I've worked
my way a little bit more into animation, not necessarily character animation or any of those
things, but more of just things that you'd see with motion graphic animation, key framing, after
effects, and all of that good stuff.

[00:02:02.79] I love games. I love games. I'm an avid gamer. I have a history with-- a little more
with Nintendo games, just my upbringing a little bit more. But I'm definitely very well-versed in
some of the others. We got the Call of Dutys. We got the Madden. Anybody ready to take on a
challenge, let's go. I am excited to take you all on. So count your money because it may be
going.

[00:02:25.64] I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I'm not going to take your money. I'm not going
to take your lunch money. It's all good. Keep it professional, Mr. Difato.
[00:02:31.34] So that's a little history of things I like to do. What do I do when it comes to
teaching? I've been teaching some of the studio classes here at Digital World. I've done some of
the online classes. I do some of the real-time online classes. And one of my main ways or
thoughts around learning, especially in online, is to practically apply it.

[00:02:51.26] So I love the book. I love reading all that stuff. And we're going to do that. We're
going to have to learn some core concepts. But if you can apply it into your world, that's when it
comes alive.

[00:03:01.43] When I was first learning different motion graphics and rotoscoping, I would
watch these tutorials, very recipe-based learning. And that's the way I like to teach, recipe-based,
build a pie, and we get this beautiful pie at the end. But what we ended up really learning is all
the steps-- procedural.

[00:03:19.01] So applying it to your world-- now, how does that work in the online setting? So
I'm a big believer in being consistent. If you are online, it's just that steady pace. It just takes
practice. It's like basketball. It just takes reps.

[00:03:32.36] If any golfers out there-- you just got to swing. You've got to go to the driving
range. Volleyball players-- that's my sport. I'm a beach volleyball player. I love it-- shout-out to
all my beach volleyball players. You just got to get out there with your twos partner, get in the
sand, and just pepper. Do your practice. Do your practice. Y'all know what I'm talking about.
That's the way I see online teaching.

[00:03:54.44] It's simple, small mechanisms weekly to keep up, and it's going to set you up for
life. So right now, maybe you are working. Maybe you're a stay-at-home parent. Whatever it
may be-- maybe you're 20 years old, this is your-- one of your first classes in college. I don't
know. But good structure is going to help you the most.

[00:04:13.85] When you get into Pixar, when you get into DreamWorks, when you start working
for LucasArts or HBO Interactive, good structure is what they're looking for. And they're looking
for people who are T-shaped people. And that's what we're trying to do here at Digital World,
where you get a broad view of things, but you can drill down on one.

[00:04:32.81] And so for this class, if you don't become a producer or project manager, you have
an understanding of that pipeline through these online mechanisms that we're learning and the
way we're structuring this course. But yet you can still drill deep in one discipline. That's going
to set you apart.

[00:04:46.74] So I've already skipped ahead on this PowerPoint-- talk about myself. I'll give you
a little bit there. So again, I've got a digital production background. I also have a business
background. So I come from an undergraduate in business marketing. I also have a master's in
business-- specifically, in business entrepreneurship and startups. And so this leans very, very
well when it comes to project management professionals and looking at scoping and having to be
creative and iterative and flexible and nimble and agile, which you definitely have to do as a
startup company with cash flow.
[00:05:20.46] So we are going to have a business view in this class. But I also do have a
master's, as well, in digital arts and science. And creatively fusing the two together is going to be
a lot of fun.

[00:05:31.55] Y'all, we've got a lot in store for you in this class. It's jam-packed. I'm super
excited. And I'm really excited, as well, to know that y'all are taking other classes in tandem with
this that you can apply this knowledge.

[00:05:43.25] So y'all, we're going to talk about projects. We're going to talk about goal-setting
and objectives. I really ask that you lean in and you take those things that you may learn sprint to
sprint and apply them into your classes immediately. Whatever semester you're in, go ahead and
take those concepts and add them up. If you are in senior project right now and getting ready to
do your senior project, or maybe it's next semester or one coming up, take these skills and launch
them into setting up that project well.

[00:06:12.92] All right, y'all. I promise this is going to be fun. As long as you stay consistent,
things are going to be smooth and easy. As always, please-- excuse me. Please feel free to reach
out to us. We'd love to connect with y'all. I'm excited to get to know y'all. We got a fun-filled
couple of weeks coming up.

[00:06:29.90] All right, everybody. I will catch you all in sprint 1. We got three task videos
coming up. It's going to be fire. Check it out. I'll catch y'all soon. Thanks, everybody. See you
later.