Screenwriting Workshop with Matthew McDuffie

Several of you had a chance to see Matthew McDuffie in action during the recent NM Media Industries Conference -- so we're very glad to welcome him back for a small group Screenwriting Workshop at ARTS lab on February 21st and 22nd. More info below:

Matthew McDuffie, an instructor in the Dramatic Writing Program at the University of New Mexico, and a professional screenwriter who has written for HBO, Showtime, Warner Brothers, and the producers of ER, Capote, and Six Feet Under, will lead an intensive and intimate workshop for novelists, playwrights and screenwriters who are determined to create stronger stories and characters. Participants are encouraged to bring in their own work to develop over the course of the weekend event.

The workshop will be held at UNM's Arts Lab 131 Pine St. NE, Albuquerque, NM
February 21 and 22, from 10 AM to 4 PM. The cost is $225. Call
(505) 385-1323 or buzzblanco@comcast.net for more information and reservations.

"Matthew is a passionate storyteller. He lives for it. He understands that the problem
solving and puzzle-making of good story is to serve emotion and character, and
ultimately the audience. In this age of reality TV and internet immersion, Matthew has
not forgotten that entertainment is an art form."

Bonnie Curtis – Producer of Saving Private Ryan and Minority Report

Global Game Jam | Albuquerque -- video on-line

this might not be too exciting visually... but we've got a great crew of folks here for Global Game Jam.

Free TV : Ustream

Global Game Jam this Friday

Image via Wikipedia

There are only a few hours to go before Global Game Jam (an international game development 'jam' competition) starts -- it officially kicks off here in New Mexico at 5PM January 30th over at ARTS Lab.

Want to sign up? I need your info today! (ewhitmore at gmail dot com)

For more information, visit: http://groups.google.com/group/riogrande-igda?hl=en
Or the main Global Game Jam site: Global Game Jam

UNM ARTS Lab hosts Global Game Jam (1/30-2/1)

UNM's ARTS Lab will host the New Mexico operations of this year's Global Game Jam. What is the Global Game Jam? From their site:

What is a Game Jam?
In a Game Jam, participants come together to make video games. Each participant works in a small team on a complete game project over the course of a limited time period, usually over a weekend. With such a small time frame, the games tend to be innovative and experimental. The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the first of its kind: a game Jam that takes place in the same 48 hours all over the world! The global Game Jam will start at 5:00PM Friday, January 30, 2009 through 5:00PM Sunday, February 1, 2009, (all times local). All participants in the Global Game Jam will be constrained by the same rules and limitations, with each time zone having one distinct constraint.

The inaugural Global Game Jam also features a streaming video keynote from World of Goo developer Kyle Gabler (pretty cool!).

Street Address: 131 Pine St., NE (One block west of University Blvd., 1/2 block north of Central)
Building Name: UNM ARTS Lab

Participants must pre-register - no admission without pre-registration

Intro to Game Development this Spring @ UNM

This spring, UNM will be offering a new course in Video Game Development with writer and Game Industry Professional Carolyn Handler Miller. Carolyn brings years of expertise and continuing work with the game and interactive media industry (and our local game community) to this course in UNM's Computer Science Department.

Intro to Video Game Development

CS 390

DETAILS:

COURSE TITLE: Intro to Video Game Development

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Carolyn Handler Miller, video game writer-designer and author of Digital Storytelling, A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment (Second Edition)

COURSE NUMBER: CS 390

REGISTRATION: http://registrar.unm.edu

TIME, CLASSROOM: Wednesdays 2 to 5 pm; Hibben Center 125

DESIGNED FOR: All juniors, seniors and grad students interested in the video game field, including students in CS and EE; the IFDM program; theatre; English, media arts, education; communications, journalism; music; and business

Goal and thrust of this course:

To familiarize students with basic concepts of video game design and development; to give students a solid foundation for more advanced courses in video game development. This course focuses on the fundamental concepts and theories behind the making of video games, and the emphasis is on the creative side of game development, not on the technical aspects of this field, though technical areas will be addressed.

When held:

This class is scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 5 pm.

Instructor:

Carolyn Handler Miller, author of Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment, contributor (as writer and writer/narrative designer) to numerous video games; and co-instructor in previous video game classes for UNM (2 semesters), as well as sole instructor of UNM’s Digital Storytelling class (3 semesters)

Who this class is for:

Students in computer science and electrical engineering who are interested in applying their skills to the video game industry. Also for students in media arts, the Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media program, and other students interested in interactive media, particularly video games. In addition, it is anticipated that a wide variety of students will be interested in this course, such as students in music, graphics, journalism, business and education.

Prerequisites

Students taking this course must be juniors or seniors, but otherwise there are no prerequisites for taking it. No special computer skills or other technical skills are needed to be able to participate or do well in this course.

Methodology:

Students will gain an understanding of this arena through lectures, class discussions and workshopping, writing exercises, and demonstrations of produced games. Guest lecturers will do talks on specialized topics.

Student work:

• Readings from selected books

• Writing assignments on various aspects of video games

• Class exercises

• Individual demonstrations of video games to the class; writing a paper analyzing the demoed game

• Creating a game on paper and writing a “concept document” describing it

• A team project in which students collectively design a game (on paper)

Topics to be covered:

The historic roots of gaming and what we can learn from ancient games

The typical development steps for creating a video game

Major genres of games

The role of narrative in games

Types of characters found in video games

Game worlds

The structural elements of video games

Level design

The importance of gameplay

Game mechanics

Navigation and Interface

AI (artificial intelligence)

Graphics in games

Game engines

Specialized forms of gaming:

• “Serious games”: games for education and training

• games for mobile devices

• Games for children

• Games made for advertising and promotion

• Games made to Inform

• ARGs (Artificial Reality Games)

• Augmented Reality Games

• Casual games

• MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games)

• Group-based immersive games

For more info, write cmquill [at] aol [dot] com

DETAILS:

COURSE TITLE: Intro to Video Game Development

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Carolyn Handler Miller, video game writer-designer and author of Digital Storytelling, A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment (Second Edition)

COURSE NUMBER: CS 390

TIME, CLASSROOM: Wednesdays 2 to 5 pm; Hibben Center 125

DESIGNED FOR: All juniors, seniors and grad students interested in the video game field, including students in CS and EE; the IFDM program; theatre; English, media arts, education; communications, journalism; music; and business

NM Media Industries MIX (1/17): Eligible for UNM Tuition Remission

Good news for UNM faculty and staff: the fifth annual NM Media Industries Conference -- "MIX" -- which we host here at UNM is now eligible for tuition remission!  More details below.

Hello UNM Faculty and Staff,

 

The fifth annual Media Industries Conference (MIX) serves the need to connect, inform and educate New Mexico's wide media industries community, to share information about activities and opportunities, and to strategize ways we can improve the creative business environment for all New Mexicans.  The 2009 MIX Conference will be held on Saturday, January 17, at the UNM Student Union Building.  For more information about this conference, please check out the following link:  http://nm-mix.ning.com/page/mix-conference-january-17th-1   

 

Also, please note that UNM Tuition Remission is available for the MIX Conference on January 17 for UNM faculty and staff.

To register for the MIX Conference, fill out a UNM Tuition Remission form and send it by campus mail, fax, or deliver to UNM Continuing Education Registration, 1634 University Blvd NE (corner of Indian School and University). Hours are 7:30am-5:30pm.  Phone number 277-0077.  Fax number 277-1990.   If you need a UNM Tuition Form you can get one at www. unm.edu at the Human Resources link, or at www.dce.unm.edu under the Registration link.

 

Information you will need to fill out the UNM Tuition Remission Form:

 

Course Name:  Media Industries (MIX) Conference

Course Number and Section:  C93100 RZ1

Course Date:  Saturday, January 17, 2009

Course Time: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Student Fee: $65

Location: UNM Student Union Building, 301 Cornell Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102

--
New Mexico's 5th Annual Media Industries Conference -- "MIX" -- is coming January 17th.  Sign up at http://www.nm-mix.org

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
MSC04 2570
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
office:  505-277-2253
cell:     505-227-1086
http://artslab.unm.edu

NM Media Industries Conference -- "MIX" -- Next Saturday!

Hi everyone...

I've sent a couple brief blurbs, but a few people have mentioned that I really haven't pushed it enough -- so apologies for the duplication.

Our fifth annual NM Media Industries Conference "MIX" is coming up next Saturday, January 17th at UNM with a pretty wide range of sessions and topics in animation, business, education, film, games, web/software and more.  We're also particularly please to have Ian Bogost for our lead-off talk that day.  After growing up in New Mexico, Ian's gone on to become one of the world's leading game educator/writer/producers, with a great ability to describe not only how interactive media is changing, but also how it can be used to better understand our world.

I think we're all concerned about the effects we'll see from the current economic situation, including decreased funding for many programs. However, the film and media industry is still a bright spot in New Mexico's economic landscape -- positioned to consolidate some of our gains and harness our talents for continued success.

We hope you can join us!

More conference info, with schedule and links to registration is at http://www.nm-mix.org / http://nm-mix.ning.com

WHAT:       NM Media Industries MIX
WHEN:      Saturday, January 17th 9AM - 5PM
WHERE:    UNM Student Union Building Ballroom B, UNM Main Campus
COST:       $50 Regular / $25 Students and members of supporting organizations* (includes buffet lunch and snacks, etc.)
HOW:        Register at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaID=171155&CFID=13610872&CFTOKEN=30747945

*Full time students enrolled in degree-granting programs; supporting organizations include: The Art Center Design College, Rio Grande IGDA, NMITSA, CrewNewMexico.org

Special thanks to the City of Albuquerque and State of New Mexico for their support!

--
New Mexico's 5th Annual Media Industries Conference -- "MIX" -- is coming January 17th.  Sign up at http://www.nm-mix.org

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
MSC04 2570
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
office:  505-277-2253
cell:     505-227-1086
http://artslab.unm.edu