Special NM Screening of Maya Skies (7/7)

We welcome you to a special screening of "Tales of the Maya Skies," a fulldome film co-produced by UNM's ARTS Lab.  Please join us to celebrate the work of renowned New Mexico professionals like Hue Walker and Michael Stearns - and rising-star Jonathan Strawn - as well as the fabulous student artists and technologists who contributed greatly to this unique production.  Meet these merry makers and see this NSF-funded immersive film on the astronomy and culture of the Maya on the big dome:

Wednesday, July 7th
5:30pm reception; 6:30 screening (40 minutes)
The Planetarium at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (aka LodeStar)
1801 Mountain Rd, NW, ABQ

Kids welcome!  We hope to see you there.

best,
Crew: ARTS Lab
http://artslab.unm.edu

**The film opens to the public July 2nd at the Planetarium.  Please help us spread the word to get as many New Mexicans to see this film as possible!  Learn more at: http://nmnaturalhistory.org/

Global Game Jam -- Right Now!

One of the things we like to do from time to time is bring several creative types together to make some cool content, whether that's in the form of games, film, software or something else.

One of the more interesting examples is our participation in the second annual "Global Game Jam" -- a 48 hour game development event where game makers with various skills come together to form groups and make a game or two. It's a great way to get to work with and get to know others in our local game development community.

The event is already underway here at ARTS Lab with about 14 participants, five games in the making, and a little over 24 hours to go. If you'd like to check it out, visit:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/global-game-jam-abq

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV

We're also happy to share that our friends in Las Cruces are playing too! Check them out at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/global-game-jam-2010-las-cruces-nm-usa

If you're *really* interested, we're planning to demo and talk about our projects tomorrow (Sunday) at 4PM.

BarCamp Albuquerque this Saturday

Its all about the web -- Design (visual, experience, information architecture), Technology (infrastructure, programming), Social and New Media, and other stuff that is just plain cool.

Edit the Wiki at http://www.barcamp.org/BarCampAlbuquerque if you plan on attending, presenting, or can help in other ways (blog about it, tweet it, FaceBook it, etc.)

And a note from organizer Chris Kenworthy:

Just a quick update and some more information. The Wiki is working again if you want to sign-up to present, just create an account on the BarCamp Wiki and add your name to the list (edit the wiki to add your name):http://barcamp.org/BarCampAlbuquerque

For those new to BarCamp you can read some background info here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp

The Albuquerque BarCamp doesn't require everyone to present and we don't stay overnight, but we do have lots of presentation time slots available and would love to hear about what you are passionate about.

BarCamp is run by the attendees (you) so if you'd like to help spread the word, bring a projector or screen, contribute some food/drinks, or just show up and present, it's all in the spirit of BarCamp.

Peter Sarkisian @ ARTS Lab next Friday

We're very proud to host the UNM Art and Art History Department's Electronic Arts in presenting Gale Memorial Lecturer

PETER SARKISIAN

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13TH 12:00PM ARTS LAB GARAGE
The ARTS Lab's Digital Media Garage is located at
131 Pine Street NE (& Copper)
jst north of Central and one block west of University

Peter Sarkisian is a remarkable and internationally recognized video artist working with video as a sculptural element that challenges the moving image as a narrative model. Using two-dimensional projections intertwined with three-dimensional surfaces, Sarkisian is attempting to free his imagery from the confines of the frame, thereby creating a sense of immediacy, which overcomes referential barriers and enables the viewer to participate perceptually in a constructed event.

Sarkisian studied film and photography at the California Institute of the Arts and then directing at the American Film Institute. He has exhibited his video work extensively including the 2002 Whitney Biennial, The Iris Collection in Mexico City, Art Forum, Berlin, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I-20 Gallery in New York, and is represented by James Kelly Contemporary in Santa Fe.

Funded by the Gale Memorial Lecture Series and the Art & Art History Department.
People with special needs please call the Art and Art History Department 277-5861

Sony Camera Demos and Workshops this Wednesday @ UNM

Sony Electronics is really pitching in this year with the 2008 Duke City Shootout. As this year's official camera sponsor, they're providing a special workshop for the Shootout's DP's and camera operators, but they're also working with us at UNM's ARTS Lab and the Communication & Journalism Department to share information and expertise with a series of demos this coming Wednesday from 10 AM to 5PM.

They'll be held in the Communication & Journalism studio on main campus near the NW corner of Central Ave. and Yale Blvd to talk primarily about their XDCAM compact model, the PMWEX1 (which we'll be using for this year's Shootout). These sessions with Sony's tech experts and KNME cinematographer John Britt will provide an opportunity for DP's to discuss the best settings to use for a variety of needs. Educators -- and indie filmmakers -- are welcome to attend as well.

More info to come.

Storytelling Seminar @ ARTS Lab July 19 & 20

STORYTELLING

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
July 19th and 20th, from 10 AM to 4 PM. The cost is $225. Lunch will be served. Call
(505) 265-2569 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

Scripting a Character Rig July 9th @ ARTS Lab

Image via WikipediaMEL Scripting a Character Rig in Maya by Chris Maraffi

When: Wednesday, July 9th from 5 - 8pm
Where: ARTS Lab Garage
(131 Pine Street NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106)
just north of Central and one block west of University

This workshop will demonstrate an overview of how to approach MEL scripting a biped character rig in Autodesk Maya to automate and streamline the character rigging process. It will show you the advantages and issues in creating a rig through code, and will give you a sneak peak of the content of Chris' new book on the same subject, due out early fall.

The advantages of learning and utilizing MEL (Maya Embedded Language) or any other integrated package scripting is comparable to that of riding a bike vs. a motorcycle. Sure you can get there by peddling hard enough, but why not let the motor do the hard work while you just steer to your destination. The concepts in this lecture will introduce just how helpful MEL can be to increase your abilities and productivity in Maya.

Chris is the author of Maya Character Creation, a book that simplifies the complex nature of character creation and rigging using Maya, as well as Softimage XSI FX & Design, which covers character creation and animation using XSI . Most recently he was the Course Director of the scripting and character rigging classes at Full Sail University in Orlando Florida. He has also taught certified 3D training classes at Mesmer Animation Labs, The Academy of Art, The Masters Institute, School of Visual Arts, Pratt School of Design, NYU, & NYIT.

Before becoming an educator and certified trainer, Chris worked as a professional artist, animator, and consultant for broadcast, film, and internet companies in New York City.

Join us for this unique event and learn just how powerful MEL can be!