1-2-3
Microworld
Imagine shrinking a whole world down to fit inside a tiny cube—a surreal, detailed microworld where anything is possible. Inspired by the imaginative style of Benny Productions, this project challenges you to create a photomanipulated “cube” that contains a unique, dreamlike environment. By blending photos, textures, and creative effects, you’ll build a compact world bursting with atmosphere and unexpected details.
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Your Mission is to design a surreal microworld contained within a cube shape using photomanipulation techniques. You will combine multiple images and effects to create a cohesive, imaginative scene that feels like a self-contained universe.
​Project Goals
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Experiment with photomanipulation to blend diverse elements into one composition
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Develop skills in layering, masking, and perspective within a confined shape
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Explore surreal and imaginative storytelling through visual design
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Create a detailed, atmospheric scene that invites viewers to explore
WHERE to get your Photo Assets?
The best photos are the ones you take yourself.
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However, if you need to gather images for your compositions, use a Creative Commons site such as Unsplash or Pexels.
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Creatives share their photos on these sites FOR YOU TO USE. FOR FREE.
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Do not use Google Images or AI, both of which steal other artists' work without consent.
(ok, fine, Google Images is a Search Engine--- but if you use images from there then YOU are the one stealing without consent. Don't use it.)
Level 1
Pick and Do 2 Exercises:
Each exercise should ONLY take 1-3 classes to complete.
LVL1 CHECKPOINT
AFTER completing BOTH exercises,
but BEFORE moving on:​
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1) Name your files correctly:
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Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level-WhichOneYouPicked​
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ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-CardDesign-1-AMotif
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Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.
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Use hyphens in image or file names --- no spaces.
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Even though Windows and Mac computers allow spaces, the web is built on systems that do not handle spaces well. When a file name has a space, web browsers often change it to %20, which can cause broken links or make files not load correctly.
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Using hyphens (-) instead of spaces helps your files work properly online.
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2) Do the level 1 reflection
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Move it to your Media Design folder in your OneDrive.
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RENAME IT
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Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level
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ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-1
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Answer the questions. You can focus on one exercise or answer for both.
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3) Hand in all 3 files
Level 2
​BEFORE YOU BEGIN
​1) GET the level 2 DESIGN BOOKLET
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Move it to your Media Design folder in your OneDrive.
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RENAME IT
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Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level
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ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-2
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Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.
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2) Choose your level 2 assignment (below)​
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3) Start the booklet before starting your assignment
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Answer the questions in the following sections:
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The Assignment-ID and timeline questions.
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KNOW WHAT YOU’RE PRACTICING​
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FEEDBACK
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PLAN YOUR APPROACH
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4) do your assignment​
Pick and Do 1 Assignment:
A
Mini Collage
“The Place That Shapes You”
Build a personal collage exploring identity through meaningful images and composition.
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focus on:
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personal symbolism
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layering and composition
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creative use of Photoshop tools
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Choose this if you want to explore personal identity by combining meaningful images into a conceptual self-portrait.
B
Animal of Unusual Size
Create a small scene where scale is intentionally exaggerated.​
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focus on:
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scale relationships
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basic perspective logic
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believable placement of objects
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Choose this if you want to practice making objects or characters appear tiny or gigantic using scale and perspective.
LVL2 CHECKPOINT
AFTER completing your assignment,
but BEFORE moving on:​
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1) Name your file(s) correctly:
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Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level-WhichOneYouPicked​
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ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-2-CTextureStudy
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Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.
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2) FINISH the level 2 reflection​
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aka the last section in the Design Booklet.
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3) Hand in BOTH (2) files
Level 3
The Project
It's time to shine! In this project, you will create a surreal microworld — a tiny, self-contained environment built inside a block-shaped form, inspired by the work of Benny Productions. Using photomanipulation, you’ll combine images to create the illusion of a miniature world with depth, scale, and story.
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Your goal is to design a believable miniature world that feels intentional and complete. Every image, layer, and object should work together to tell a story about what this world is and how it functions.
​​​​​​BEFORE YOU BEGIN
​1) GET the level 3 DESIGN BOOKLET
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Move it to your Media Design folder in your OneDrive.
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RENAME IT
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Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level
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ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-3​
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​2) fill out the booklet as you do the project.
Your Microworld must include:
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A block-shaped composition (cube or rectangular prism)
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A clear sense of foreground, midground, and background
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Photomanipulation using multiple images
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Thoughtful use of scale to make the world feel miniature
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A clear theme or concept for the world
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Focus on:
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Creating the illusion of depth and space
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Making lighting and colour feel consistent across images
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Using scale to show what is small, large, important, or distant
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Composition that guides the viewer’s eye through the world
Ready to Make?
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Canvas size: 2550 × 2550 pixels, 300 ppi
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Work digitally using layers, masks, and adjustment layers
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Keep files organized and layers logically named
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To Help You Get Started:
1) Choose Your World Concept
Decide what kind of world you’re creating:
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Natural (forest, desert, ocean, mountain)
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Urban (city block, street, rooftop, interior)
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Surreal or symbolic
Write a short description in your Design Booklet explaining what makes this world interesting.
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2) Plan the Block Shape
Sketch a simple cube or block and decide:
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Where the “cut” is
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What we see on each face
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How the viewer looks into the world
This planning step is key to making the illusion work.
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3) Collect Thoughtful Images
Choose photos that:
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Match perspective as closely as possible
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Have similar lighting or can be adjusted to match
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Support the scale of your world
Quality matters more than quantity.
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4) Build the World in Layers
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Start with the block shape
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Add background elements first
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Layer midground and foreground objects carefully
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Use masks, transforms, and adjustment layers to blend everything together.
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5) Refine and Unify
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Adjust colour and contrast to unify the scene
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Check edges and overlaps
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Make sure nothing feels randomly placed
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This project brings together everything you practiced in Levels 1 and 2:
you've got this!​​​
LVL3 CHECKPOINT
AFTER completing your project:​
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1) Name your file(s) correctly:
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Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level
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ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-CardDesign-3
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Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.
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2) FINISH the level 3 reflection​
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aka the last section in the Design Booklet.
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3) Hand in BOTH (2) files
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4) Return to the Media Design page and repeat the 1-2-3 cycle with a new project!​​
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