# ARTV 2371 Fall 2026 — Canvas Setup Guide
*Revised — reflects the reworked project structure and weekly pages*
---
## What changed in this revision
**Removed**
- Résumé, cover letter, demo reel assembly, networking plan, and mock interview — all covered in Portfolio Development. Every reference to them is gone from the course pages.
- The weekly "career track" column in the schedule.
**Kept and refocused**
- Career self-audit, portfolio review, and track selection now form a single package due **Week 3**, worth the 5 extra credit points. The portfolio review produces a **gap statement** that becomes the Project 3 brief.
- The course now assumes students arrive with an existing online portfolio from Portfolio Development.
**Reworked projects**
- **Project 1** — now explicitly "choose an existing title sequence, effects shot, game mechanic, character design, level, or rig and recreate it, faithfully or in your own style." Added **track-driven curated source lists**, with [Art of the Title](https://www.artofthetitle.com/) as the primary source for motion graphics and title design. The research milestone now produces a **technique list** that becomes Project 2's menu.
- **Project 2** — no longer "learn something new." Now: **take one technique from Project 1 and teach it.** Written, video, or **AI-assisted** are equally valid. AI is permitted as a production aid with three conditions: the technique knowledge is the student's, every published step is personally verified, and the use is disclosed. Renamed **Technique Tutorial**; the "final render" milestone is now the polished demonstration piece the tutorial produces.
- **Project 3** — now briefed from the Week 3 portfolio gap statement or a real job posting requirement the portfolio does not demonstrate.
**Added**
- **16 weekly Canvas pages**, one per meeting.
---
## File inventory
### Course pages (`canvas_pages/`)
| File | Canvas page title | Notes |
|:--|:--|:--|
| `01_Home.md` | ARTV 2371 — Home | Set as course front page |
| `00_Course_Schedule.md` | Course Schedule | Contains a week-page link table — replace the `#` placeholders with real Canvas URLs after import |
| `02_Course_Information.md` | Course Information | **Add your official Collin syllabus header** |
| `03_Weekly_Consultation_Protocol.md` | Weekly Consultation Protocol | Required reading before Week 1 |
| `04_Project1_Deconstruction.md` | Project 1 — Deconstruction | Includes all track source lists |
| `05_Project2_New_Techniques_Tutorial.md` | Project 2 — Technique Tutorial | Filename kept for continuity; page title changed |
| `06_Project3_Original_Work.md` | Project 3 — Original Work | |
| `07_Audit_Portfolio_Review_Track.md` | Career Audit, Portfolio Review & Track Selection | Replaces the old career track page |
| `08_Grading_and_Rubrics.md` | Grading & Rubrics | |
### Weekly pages (`canvas_pages/weekly/`)
`Week_01.md` through `Week_16.md`. Each contains: focus · due today · bring to class · in class · before next week · a short instructional note.
| Page | Date | Anchor |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Week 1 | Aug 25 | Orientation, audit, track selection |
| Week 2 | Sep 1 | **P1 Research due** |
| Week 3 | Sep 8 | **Audit package due (EC)** · census date |
| Week 4 | Sep 15 | **P1 First Draft due** |
| Week 5 | Sep 22 | Polish · delivery prep |
| Week 6 | Sep 29 | **P1 Final Render due** · P1 review · P2 kickoff |
| Week 7 | Oct 6 | **P2 Thumbnails due** |
| Week 8 | Oct 13 | Demo build · process capture |
| Week 9 | Oct 20 | **Peer reproduction test** |
| Week 10 | Oct 27 | **P2 Tutorial due** · withdrawal deadline Oct 30 |
| Week 11 | Nov 3 | **P2 Final Render due** · P3 kickoff · gap revisited |
| Week 12 | Nov 10 | **P3 Thumbnails due** · scope lock |
| Week 13 | Nov 17 | Production · structural critique |
| Week 14 | **Nov 24** | **P3 First Draft due** · class meets |
| Week 15 | Dec 1 | Full portfolio review |
| Week 16 | Dec 8 | **P3 Final Render due** · final review |
### Resources (`resources/`)
| File | Canvas page title |
|:--|:--|
| `09_Industry_Skills_Report_2026.md` | 2026 Industry Skills Report |
| `10_Track_3D_Animation.md` | Track Resources — 3D Animation |
| `11_Track_Character_Rigging.md` | Track Resources — Character Rigging |
| `12_Track_Technical_Art.md` | Track Resources — Technical Art |
| `13_Track_Game_Development.md` | Track Resources — Game Development |
| `14_Track_Additional_Areas.md` | Track Resources — Additional Focus Areas |
---
## Suggested Canvas module structure
**Module 1 — Start Here**
Home · Course Information · Course Schedule · Weekly Consultation Protocol · Grading & Rubrics · 2026 Industry Skills Report · Career Audit, Portfolio Review & Track Selection
**Module 2 — Choose Your Track**
The six track resource pages
**Module 3 — Weekly Pages**
Week 1 through Week 16, in order. Consider using Canvas's date-based release so students see the current week without scrolling past sixteen entries.
**Modules 4–6 — Project pages and assignments**
One module per project, each holding the project page and its three assignments.
---
## Canvas assignments to create
Eleven items. All due **9:00 AM** on the listed date.
| Assignment name | Points | Due | Group |
|:--|--:|:--|:--|
| Attendance & Weekly Consultation | 10 | End of term | Participation |
| P1 — Research | 10 | Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | Project 1 |
| Career Audit & Portfolio Review *(EC)* | 5 | Tue, Sep 8, 2026 | Extra Credit |
| P1 — First Draft | 10 | Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | Project 1 |
| P1 — Final Render | 10 | Tue, Sep 29, 2026 | Project 1 |
| P2 — Thumbnails | 10 | Tue, Oct 6, 2026 | Project 2 |
| P2 — Written (Video) Tutorial | 10 | Tue, Oct 27, 2026 | Project 2 |
| P2 — Final Render | 10 | Tue, Nov 3, 2026 | Project 2 |
| P3 — Thumbnails | 10 | Tue, Nov 10, 2026 | Project 3 |
| P3 — First Draft | 10 | Tue, Nov 24, 2026 | Project 3 |
| P3 — Final Render | 10 | Tue, Dec 8, 2026 | Project 3 |
**Total: 100 + 5 extra credit = 105.** Matches your Fall 2025 grade sheet exactly.
For the extra credit item, the cleanest approach in a course this small is a 0-point assignment plus a manual adjustment, or an assignment group weighted at 0%.
### Recommended: a weekly progress report assignment
Every weekly page requires a one-page progress report. A single recurring 0-point assignment (or sixteen individual ones) gives you timestamped evidence for the attendance grade and a written record of each consultation.
---
## Fall 2026 calendar verification
Confirmed against the [Collin College 2026–2027 Academic Calendar](https://www.collin.edu/calendars/pdfs/2026-2027-academic-calendar.pdf):
- 16-week session begins **Monday, August 24** → first Tuesday **August 25**
- Census date **September 8** (Week 3)
- Last day to withdraw **October 30** (Friday of Week 10)
- Thanksgiving **November 25–29**, Wednesday–Sunday. **Tuesday, November 24 is a class day.**
- Final exam week **December 7–13** → final meeting **December 8**
- Labor Day Sept 7 (Monday) and the Plano Balloon Festival closure Sept 18–20 (Fri–Sun) do not affect a Tuesday section
**All sixteen Tuesdays:** Aug 25 · Sep 1 · Sep 8 · Sep 15 · Sep 22 · Sep 29 · Oct 6 · Oct 13 · Oct 20 · Oct 27 · Nov 3 · Nov 10 · Nov 17 · Nov 24 · Dec 1 · Dec 8
---
## Updating the Industry Skills Report each semester
The report is built to be refreshed. What to re-check before each term:
| Section | Source to re-pull |
|:--|:--|
| Employment outlook, median wage | [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm) — updated annually |
| Layoffs, AI sentiment, engine share | [GDC State of the Game Industry](https://gdconf.com/) — published each January |
| Salary bands | PixelCareer, CGSpectrum, ZipRecruiter — annual guides |
| Portfolio expectations | Recruiter articles and studio postings |
| Emerging technique | SIGGRAPH, GDC talks, VFX trend roundups |
The fastest refresh path is to hand me the current report and ask for a data update — the structure stays, the numbers and the "hiring signals" list change. Worth doing every fall, and lightly in spring.
---
## Before you publish
- [ ] Paste your official Collin syllabus header into Course Information
- [ ] Add instructor contact, office hours, and room number
- [ ] Replace the `#` placeholders in the Course Schedule week-link table with real Canvas URLs
- [ ] Confirm the Tuesday time-block breakdown in the Consultation Protocol matches how you run the day
- [ ] Decide whether to release weekly pages on a schedule or publish all sixteen at once
- [ ] Set up assignment group weights and the extra credit handling
- [ ] Spot-check external resource links — a few will have moved since August