The Center for Visual Media + Publication

“You’re ready! Start Making stuff.” —Austin Kleon

Get your hands dirty with clay: learn to construct ceramic vessels and other creative designs by using hand building techniques. Build a car out of recycled trash. Learn to assemble metal and wood sculptures. Dive deep into exploration of sculptural form and design. Students will engage in a series of projects in the elements and principles of design applicable to three-dimensional construction. Time will also be given to the study of past and contemporary artists as it informs each piece and process while students develop a contact for understanding art, discerning its voice, and pursuing decisions about personal work.

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Life is a great big canvas, throw all the paint you can at it!” —Danny Kaye.

Find out how we are all called to create art and listen to our inner voice that says be free to let go. Mix salt with watercolor, draw the inside of your refrigerator and explore what it means to create art. We will study elements and principles of design through drawing, painting and other forms of mixed-media while learning about past and present artists. Students will increase their drawing and visual skills through sketchbook assignments. If you are interested in artmaking through the process of drawing and painting join us in this exciting exploration of art!

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

"Urban Sketch is reportage, drawings or paintings created on-site, as a spontaneous response to people, places or incidents. It is the act of placing oneself in a space, attempting to capture and interpret a particular moment in time.” Lynne Chapman (Urban Sketch artist). This course combines drawing and community
exploration. Students will learn to draw what is around them starting with basic drawing, value studies and perspective design. Students will use various mediums from pencil, charcoal to ink and watercolor pencils. Getting out of the classroom onto the campus and also day trips in the community will all be a part of this exciting class. Join the community of Urban Sketchers!

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Digital Art & Design is a digital art class where students learn art theory concepts such as the elements of art, principles of design, typography, composition, and
color theory. You will learn the powerful software tools used to create digital art for print such as Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. Using ipads and stylus tools students will create a variety of projects that encompass graphic design, advertising and animation with an emphasis on visual communication. Students will also explore current trends in digital art and study various career opportunities. Take your art skills to the next level with Digital Technology!

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. —Thomas Merton

Rip a canvas and sew it back together? Burn into a wood board and push your ideas of what art is and what it should look like. This class is a higher-level art class that explores all types of two dimensional and three-dimensional art form and medium. Students engage in artmaking through various projects as well as creating visual journals, sketchbook prompts and exploration of techniques and ideas in a self-directed setting. Students get to create many pieces based on personal and relevant ideas while exploring past and present artists. Students are highly encouraged to participate outside exhibitions and competitions. Students will participate in the Upper School Visual Art Show.

Grade Level: 10-11-12
Length: Year
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit 

“To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.” —Georgia O'Keeffe

This college credit course solidifies the students voice as an artist who God called them to be. It is an intense exploration of art making, self-discovery, and honing in on their strengths as an artist. This class is for students serious about progressing their portfolio and receiving college credit. Students work in and out of class to culminate a portfolio consisting of 15 works of art along with writing exploration and artists' statements for submission to the College Board for AP credit. Students are highly encouraged to participate outside exhibitions and competitions. Students will participate in the Upper School Visual Art Show.

Grade Level: 12
Length: Year
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Marvel Studios. ESPN. News Channel 2. This survey course introduces students to the fundamentals of media and digital storytelling. Using audio and video
production equipment, students will write and direct various digital shorts including a short film, sports highlight reel, news story, news interview, commercial and music video. Students will then edit and potentially publish their work using the Adobe Creative Suite. The course will also focus on the history and ethics of news and sports broadcasting, copyright law, and film. This course is open to all upper school students. No previous video experience is required.

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credits

Calling all sports broadcasters and investigative reporters! This course provides an introduction to the journalistic field, focusing on the structure, purpose, and function of digital news and sports broadcasting, from story inception to completion. Students will practice on-mic and on-camera skills and focus on the ethical and legal limitations and rights of the journalist while conducting news field interviews on varied topics, producing hype athletic highlight videos, and announcing athletic events for the NFHS Network.

Partnering with WKRN and the JEA, students will also experience multi-camera productions and explore the principles of program design, live audio mixing, camera operation, and directing. Further, students will address their own beliefs while being encouraged to utilize their critical thinking skills as they investigate and examine economic stereotypes, social perceptions, personal bias and political prejudice through their representation in national media.

Students’ work will be published on the CPA Media Youtube channel and social media account. After school production time is required; projected schedules are available from the instructor. This class may be repeated for credit.

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Entrepreneur, master storyteller, and the pioneer of the American animation industry, Walt Disney’s ability to both tell a story and market
his brand has proved timeless. Students in this course will have the opportunity to collaborate with local professionals to design and produce a variety of digital advertisements and shorts to build and market a brand. Examples include local business commercials, music videos to showcase Nashville talent, short film trailers, athletic posters, and public service announcements for local nonprofit organizations. The course will focus on the business of digital media from concept to marketing and distribution. Some of the areas covered will be: copyright law, rights and clearances, graphic design, marketing and advertising, and publication and distribution. Students’ work will be published on the CPA Media Youtube channel and social media account. After school production time is required; projected schedules are available from the instructor. This class may be repeated for credit.

Grade Level: 10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Steven Spielberg. Christopher Nolan. Alfred Hitchcock. This course introduces students to the world of digital filmmaking. Collaborating as a production team, students will concept, write, direct, film, edit, and produce a narrative film or television series. Students will visit a film studio to experience these skills first hand. Using the Adobe Creative Suite, students will learn how to package and pitch projects, budget and schedule a screenplay, supervise production and post-production, and coordinate a distribution and submission strategy to state and national contests. The focus of this course is on the aesthetics of screen, episodic storytelling, audience expectations and participation, and on whether media is an agent or a reflector of social and cultural change. Students may apply for the
following production team roles: Showrunner, Head Writer, Director, Actor, Artistic Director, Director of Photography, Cinematographer, Audio Engineer, and Master Editor. Students’ work will be published on the CPA Media Youtube channel and social media account. After school production time is required; projected schedules are available from the instructor. This class may be repeated for credit.

Grade Level: 10-11-12
Length: Year
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Students in this course will have the opportunity to partner with and shadow a local career, topic, organization, or individual to deepen their knowledge and experience first-hand their specific area of study. Over the course of one semester, students will write, film, and produce one feature documentary showcasing their real-world experiences. The goal is to make an impact on the world by publishing each documentary in a local or national context, to support the individual and/or organization featured. Examples include shadowing a professional athlete, musician, investment banker, or environmental lawyer. Students' final documentaries will reflect their perspective on all they have learned both as storytellers and as people in their time at Christ Presbyterian Academy, and will reflect their growth both creatively and personally. Students’ work will be published on the CPA Media Youtube channel and social media account. After school production time is required; projected schedules are available from the instructor. This class may be repeated for credit.

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: One Semester
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit

Tell the story of the year as a photographer, graphic designer, editor, or reporter while creating the Lion’s Roar yearbook. You’ll build a portfolio while developing journalistic and leadership skills in this award-winning and world-class program, producing a yearbook that will be valued for decades. Learn from experts and students from all across the country as you attend and compete at national and state conventions, and become eligible for membership into Quill and Scroll national journalism honorary society. Collaboratively create the official history of what it was like and what it meant to be a student this year while learning a professional skill set that will serve you for life.

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: Year
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or general elective

Develop skills in photography, graphic design, and reporting while creating either the CPA Magazine (Fall) or the Literary Magazine (Spring) that will offer an approach to a wide variety of callings over a lifetime. Collaborate with your peers and be a leader as you create thematic concepts, gather submissions, and produce a magazine. Tell the story of the school through images and interviews, and capture the expression of art from the student body.

Grade Level: 9-10-11-12
Length: Year
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or general elective

“Art is not what you see. It is what you make others see” Edgar Degas Students will continue to hone in on and fine tune their visual arts skills. Various mediums will be explored that push the boundaries on what he/she can think or imagine. Students will pursue a body of work, composition of an artist's statement, and a portfolio as well as digital portfolio applicable for college submissions. Students are highly encouraged to participate outside exhibitions and competitions. Students will participate in the Upper School Visual Art Show.

Grade: 11-12 Length: Year
Prerequisite: Advanced 2D/3D Design
Credits Apply Toward: Visual Media + Publication Endorsement and/or Arts Credit