Resources
Media Arts Curriculum
MAPS curriculum guides are designed by licensed Montana educators and align with state, national, and Montana Indian Education For All standards. Available via annual subscription or individual purchase. We also offer train-the-trainer services (clickable contact us) to ensure alignment between instructional intention and student impact.
Film & Video Production
Module 1: Introduction to Filmmaking & Story Development
Students learn film history and ethics, introductory terminology, crew roles and responsibilities, camera operation (manual aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus), and lighting and sound fundamentals. The central project is a Public Service Announcement produced for a community partner, requiring students to research a topic, identify a target audience, write a script, storyboard, shoot, and deliver a finished film.
Module 2: Storyboarding & Film Production
Students learn film history and ethics, introductory terminology, crew roles and responsibilities, camera operation (manual aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus), and lighting and sound fundamentals. The central project is a Public Service Announcement produced for a community partner, requiring students to research a topic, identify a target audience, write a script, storyboard, shoot, and deliver a finished film.
Module 3: Post-Production, Editing & Film Showcase
Students master advanced editing in Adobe Premiere Pro and CapCut, sound design, color correction, title creation, and export for distribution. Students design a movie poster and present completed work at a public screening with live audience Q&A. Finished films are published to MAPS’s YouTube and Vimeo channels, giving students a permanent, shareable portfolio presence.
Music Production & Audio Engineering
Module 1: Foundations
Introduction to music production and the media arts industry, career paths in music, equipment orientation (microphones, audio routing, studio management), and music theory fundamentals. Students begin hands-on practice in their DAW from the first session.
Module 2: Production Skills
Composing, recording, arranging, mixing, and mastering in a DAW (Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, GarageBand). Students practice instrument proficiency, peer critique, and professional studio technique. Career exploration is embedded across units, covering the full range of music industry occupations.
Module 3: Advanced Production and Distribution
Portfolio-quality track development and introduction to distributing, exhibiting, and promoting original work for varied audiences, including the platform economy of the contemporary music industry.
Graphic Design & Digital Engineering
Module 1: Brand Builders & Commercial Producers
Students work as a simulated marketing agency, developing a complete brand identity package for a real or fictional client. Skills include brand storytelling, visual identity design (logo, color scheme, typography), graphic design principles, audio production, and video creation. One day per week focuses on concept and strategy; one day on technical production, matching the professional agency division of creative and production responsibilities. Deliverables: brand identity package, brand positioning statement, and a 30-second commercial (storyboard, script, and final video).
Module 2: Digital Art & Illustration Lab
Students master Adobe Photoshop and Procreate, working through shape language, style development, color theory, composition, and file organization for professional use. The course bridges digital and print production, including custom stickers, wearable patches, and physical merchandise. No prior experience required. Deliverable: digital portfolio and physical merchandise items.
Module 3: Character & Environment Design
Taught by working professional artists, this module covers techniques directly applicable to comics, video games, and animated television or film. Topics include shape language, style development, color moods, composition, and digital file formatting for industry use. Deliverable: character and environment design portfolio.
Photography & Photojournalism
Module 1: Photojournalism
Covers the history of photojournalism including influential practitioners, technological innovations, and landmark events; the rights and responsibilities of photojournalists in the modern media landscape; ethics and values in visual journalism, including when documentation is not appropriate; storytelling through photography, including the production of photo stories and essays; and technical skills including camera operation, composition, lighting, image selection, and captioning.
Module 2: Digital Photography
Extends photojournalism foundations into portraiture, commercial photography, and digital editing using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. Students build a technical and aesthetic vocabulary for image-making across professional contexts. Deliverable: portrait and commercial photography portfolio.
Emerging Technologies
Module 1: CREATE with New Tech 3D
Students learn 3D design and digital fabrication using TinkerCad, Shapelab, and VR sculpting tools. Students develop spatial reasoning, iterative design thinking, and manufacturing literacy. Deliverable: a tangible 3D-printed object of the student’s own design.
Module 2: TRANSFORM with New Tech AI
Building on their 3D objects, students integrate AI tools to animate their creations, add music, and develop brand identities. The curriculum teaches students to critically evaluate and creatively leverage AI as a production partner. Deliverable: an AI-enhanced, animated or branded version of their original creation.
Module 3: PERFORM with New Tech Media
Students produce a professional-quality video, a music video, infinite zoom animation, or commercial, featuring their 3D-printed design and AI-enhanced content. Deliverable: a finished, shareable professional-quality video production.
Story Archive
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STORY EXAMPLE
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