FALL

• DM 6033 - Media Organization (required)
• DM 6043 - SEMINAR/Media Studies I (required)
• DM 6103 - Performance Studio Seminar
• DM 6113 - Sound Studio Seminar
• DM 6123 - Cinema Studio Seminar
• DM 6133 - 3D Studio Seminar
• DM 6143 - Interaction Studio Seminar
• DM 6153 - Game Studio Seminar
• DM 6193 - Web Studio Seminar
• DM 6213 - Networked Media Studio Seminar

SPRING

• DM 7033 - Media Law (required)
• DM 9103 - Special Topics x 3: elective courses, taught by regular faculty and adjuncts selected based the interests and goals of the MS first-year class.
• DM 9203 - Internship (can be taken as one of the spring electives)

THESIS

• DM 9906, a project and/or major research paper undertaken with the approval and guidance of a faculty member.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

DM 6033 Media Organizations

This course is designed as a general orientation to a broad range of types of media-producing organization types, from pirate radio stations and ad hoc collectives to major corporations. Each of the types of organization has a specific set of advantages and disadvantages, and each has a very specific range of work types it can support effectively. The ultimate purpose of the course is twofold: on one hand, to provide a “big picture” orientation to the different environments in which media get made and distributed; on the other hand, to help students clarify their own goals and needs, so they can make wiser choices about directing their studies and work towards the right career.

DM 6043 Media Studies Seminar

This course provides students with a critical background in media studies. Our focus this semester will be on a particular moment in the intersection of critical philosophy, avant garde art and political action, namely the Situationist International, and work that derives from, reacts against, or ‘détourns” it. We will work through a selection of texts and media work in more or less chronological order, from the critique of urbanism to the theory of the society of the spectacle, and from the practice of the derive to detournément, and then the take-up and reaction against these theories and practices. Almost all of the readings are available online. Some are very short. In some cases I point you towards a whole website and encourage you to poke around and get to know the body of work of this artist or group.

DM 6103 Performance Studio Seminar

This course introduces students to contemporary techniques and issues in digital performance, i.e. the integration of computing technology into the traditional performing arts. Drawing on contemporary research in performance studies, as well as technical advances in production design for the performing arts, students will perform research on the ways in which digital technology and media is integrated into dance, theater, performance art, and concert music performance. Students will develop performance technologies as part of their research and present them in a group setting at the end of the semester.

DM 6113 Sound Studio Seminar

This course introduces DM students to contemporary techniques and issues in audio, sound, and musical research. The class covers digital signal processing, synthesis, musical informatics, and interaction design as it applies to contemporary music production, post-production, and live performance. Students are expected to acquire competence in a number of different technologies, creating brief studies based around them.

DM 6123 Cinema Studio Seminar

Students in this course will use the skills they have developed to explore and make the most of digital video technology. Thematically, the course material will center on documentary and its many forms. Class time will be divided between hands-on technical demonstrations, group work, and case studies of particularly relevant historical work in film and video, to inform the high-quality and cutting-edge results we expect from BxMC students. A range of approaches to video documentary will be demonstrated and encouraged.

DM 6133 3D Studio Seminar

This course looks at topics in 3D modeling from the perspective of graduate-level research in digital media. As with video, a working understanding of technological praxis vis-à-vis 3D is crucial for DM students doing work in interaction design, game design or computer graphics; the goal of the class is to explore various techniques and methodologies through regular studio practice, giving students an overview of the possibilities and the current state of the art, preparing them for thesis work or subsequent coursework.

DM 6143 Interaction Design Studio Seminar

This course introduces students from a range of backgrounds to the field of interaction design, as both a creative and a design practice. The course surveys application areas, supporting technologies and impacts upon human individual and group relationships via technology. Group projects are designed to introduce the collaborative and interdisciplinary development process common in professional technology and design field. Students are expected to develop technology competencies including software programming, configuration of hardware devices and the operation of standard digital media hardware and software tools. Students are also expected to demonstrate interpretive positions regarding analysis of impacts of technology on individuals and social interactions.

DM 6153 Game Design Studio Seminar

This course guides graduate students through contemporary thought in game design, development, user testing, and deployment. DM students interested in research or employment opportunities either in games or in ancillary fields that require an understanding of human-computer interaction will benefit from this course, which provides a foundational understanding of how games are developed, testing, and experienced.

DM 6193 Web Studio Seminar

This project studio is offered for students with web design and/or development experience, who are ready to take on new technologies and approaches. You may elect to participate in large-scale projects under the direction of the instructor, or to work on a personal or small group project. It is expected that you will complete one major project over the course of the semester, at a level beyond basic professional standards.

DM 6213 Networked Media Studio Seminar

This course looks at the power of computer networks and the potential they have when working in digital media. Technologies such as network communication, peer-to-peer file transfer, media broadcasting, cluster and parallel computing, database research, multi-player online environments, and online social spaces are explored with an eye towards their creative applications. Students will complete a semester-length research project based around their creative and technical interests.

DM 7033 Media Law Seminar

An advanced seminar, exploring in depth the theoretical and practical aspects of the principles and regulations that should be taken into account by working professionals in the field of media communications. A full range of models will be explored, from Open Source public license to Digital Rights Management, as well as working definitions of Fair Use, and the practical limits of sampling/mixing in different idioms and sectors of the economy.

DM 9101-3 Special Topics in Digital Media

Offered by special arrangement with faculty, visiting scholars, and professionals in the field. May be repeated for credit with different topics. Prerequisite: permission of instructor

DM 9906 Digital Media Thesis Project

This six-credit course is the capstone of the MS program in Integrated Digital Media. Under the guidance of a thesis adviser, and with the support of other faculty as required by the particular project, each student will complete a major media production project. The form and format of the thesis will be set out by agreement between the student and their adviser, with the approval of the department, with a view to advancing the student’s career, but also contributing constructively to the profession as a whole. Students will be encouraged to seek professional outlets for their thesis, where appropriate; the department and the University will do everything possible to help ensure that our graduates’ excellent work find its audience, and its market. The thesis may be undertaken in consecutive 3-credit increments, or all at once, by agreement with the thesis advisor.