Where conceptual meets the literal; the Digital Media Academy is a combination of pathways designed to cultivate students' interest and post-high school, college and career goals focusing on creative tools and skills that are used professionally in a variety of professional industries. Digital Media is essentially anything stimulating any of our senses and is created digitally. Students experiment with photo, video, animation, illustration, sound, and graphic design. Assignments are designed to investigate tools and focus around self expression. Projects are designed to be fun with an emphasis on creating original works. As students grow within the academy they choose more specific pathways that develop and encourage advanced skills and self responsibility. In the third year of the academy students focus on developing a portfolio that showcases their skills as well as seekout real world clients. Internship opportunities may be examined and pursued depending on availability. Portfolio students also have the ability to take themselves on a co-navigated, self-learning deep dive into any subject they did not have the opportunity to yet explore within the Academy. At all levels of this journey students are learning real life skills that will aid in their future educational and academic lives wherever their paths take them. 

Junior High

Exploratory Computer Technologies and Coding

Length: 1 semester; grades 7,8. Prerequisite: None.

In this course, students will learn about basic computer technologies focusing on IT diagnosis and support, basic coding, and eSports. The course examines the basic components of computers, peripheral devices, networks, and database technologies. Exposure to coding will provide foundational knowledge of how programs are assembled for simple functions. Students will build simple programs. 

Exploratory Digital Media & eSports

Length: 1 semester; grades 7,8. Prerequisite: None.

This course combines an introduction to eSports with digital illustration, graphic design, and video editing.  Students will not only partake in gameplay but also learn the fundamentals of team building, event hosting, and marketing. Students will create teams, team logos, and event posters as well as host school gaming events. Students will learn to create marketing materials using graphic design and Adobe video editing apps that will promote their teams and events. 

High School

Digital Media I P (A-G approved) 

Length: 1 year; grades 9, 10, 11, 12. Prerequisite: None.  Students learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and other creative applications that provide an environment for experimenting with digitally creative projects. From print to digital, little to big screen this course experiments in the fundamentals of graphic design, page layout, and video production. This class is all about creating images from basic shapes to photographs as well as video production with an emphasis on grip/electric and camera technologies. Composition, typeface, structure, basic lighting, editing, and color theory is a small portion of the technical tools and artistic concepts that are examined in modern craft. Students create original works as well as some client-based projects for local organizations including posters, music videos, documentaries, and narrative shorts. There are over 700,000 jobs in the digital media industry within 60 miles of Ojai and this program is designed to give any student an introduction into the vast possibilities of both art and career in this ever-evolving medium. 

 Digital Media II P (A-G approved)

Length: 1 year; grades 10, 11, 12.  Prerequisite: Digital Media I  or Intro to Photography and Yearbook .  In this class, students further explore and enrich their skills in the practice of using digital visual tools and software to communicate information and ideas within graphic design, photo manipulation/enhancement, and sound and video production. Students will look deeper into color, typesetting, layout and design, and advanced video production. Students get hands-on with a wide variety of studio equipment from basic stands to advanced grip and electric tools as well as camera motion technologies like gimbals and steadicams used in major motion pictures and high-end productions. Advanced lighting and editing techniques will push the students' filmmaking skills beyond the basics. Working on individual and group projects,  students will explore different genres in more depth and a deep dive into narrative filmmaking that focuses students on creating a film festival short film to be screened publicly.

Digital Media Portfolio P  (A-G approval pending)

Length: 1 year; grades 11, 12.  Prerequisite: Digital Media II or Advanced Photography and Yearbook. Students can choose an emphasis in Graphic Design, Photography, Animation, or Video Production. In this section, the student will be entrusted with the responsibilities of an industry professional. Through creating and managing content for local clients and the school district, students will begin building their professional resume with opportunities to engage in internships that will navigate them closer to success in their chosen career path. A mix of guided instruction, self-learning, and independence in their work will prepare them to pursue their professional interests. A feature film screenwriting path is also offered to any student interested in which they will work closely with the instructor to further master narrative storytelling and complete a script that can be used to promote themselves as a screenwriter. 

Intro to Photography and Yearbook P  (A-G approved)

Length: 1 year; grades 9, 10, 11, 12. Prerequisite: None. Learn the basics of photography, page layout, and yearbook creation. The overall design and theories examined connect directly to marketing, advertising and a wide variety of both print and digital publication. Using DSLR Cameras students build foundational knowledge of photography which then moves down a mock professional pipeline of correcting photos, and preparing them for publication. Concept to distribution pipeline focusing on the school yearbook is the primary focus of this class with a secondary focus of bridging those skills into other industries that really on creative photography and video. The year ends with expanding versititiliy with other Adobe creative apps and tools. Creating the pages for the yearbook and attending school events to obtain coverage are examples of 1st semester assignments. Creating photos and video for digital manipulation, crafting them for specific needs for varying industries and genres are the focus of the 2nd semester. Throughout the year students also gain hands on experience with photo and video lighting equipment from 3 bulb flash systems to a variety of passive lighting tools. 

Advanced Photography and Yearbook P  (A-G approved)

Length: 1 year; grades 10, 11, 12.  Prerequisite: Intro to Photography and Yearbook P. Students can take their photography further by branching out into experimentation with more advanced genres of photography and the tools used to create professional images. Students will learn about and take on leadership roles by guiding other students in the introductory course. Advanceds students will be balancing the responsibilities of supervising and editing the creation of yearbook pages with an emphasis on leadership over the project's workflows. The year ends with a focus on deepening knowledge of style and history, developing the student’s style and reflecting it in their photography;  preparing photos for gallery exhibits, professional portfolios, websites and other professional industries. Advanced students are challenged to develop their own personal style with the intention to platform and market themselves into industry work post high school.