Chris Crawford to speak at ARTS Lab (6/13)

We're very excited to welcome legendary Game Designer/Thinker/Author Chris Crawford to New Mexico this June.  He'll be speaking at the Santa Fe Complex on Wednesday, June 10th -- and at a special Rio Grande IGDA event at UNM's ARTS Lab on Saturday, June 13th.

More info on the ARTS Lab / IGDA event below -- and at: http://nm-games.eventbrite.com/ 

Lecture:  Process-Oriented Thinking

The central problem in designing software is the difficulty of creating algorithms that describe interesting and useful processes. This lecture will explain the precise nature of this problem, the source in our natural thinking processes, and how designers might overcome the problem.


Workshop: Interactive Storytelling

Interactive storytelling is not at all similar to games; it appeals to a different audience and challenges different mental processes. The lecture will describe some of the basic concepts in interactive storytelling, and afterwards we will go over some of the basics of the Storytron approach to interactive storytelling. Attendees who have a laptop are encouraged to bring it for this session.

Details

When:          Saturday, June 13th; 1:00 PM Talk; 2:00 PM Workshop

Where:         UNM ARTS Lab, 131 Pine Street, NE (see map!)

How Much:  Free!  (But please consider joining the IGDA  -- and our Rio Grande chapter)

About Chris Crawford

Chris Crawford earned a Master of Science degree in Physics from the University of Missouri in 1975. After teaching physics for several years, he joined Atari as a game designer in 1979. There he created a number of games: Energy Czar, an educational simulation about the energy crisis, Scram, a nuclear power plant simulation, Eastern Front (1941), a wargame, Gossip, a social interaction game, and Excalibur, an Arthurian game.

Following the collapse of Atari in 1984, Crawford took up the Macintosh. He created Balance of Power, a game about diplomacy, Patton Versus Rommel, a wargame, Trust & Betrayal, a social interaction game, Balance of the Planet, an environmental simulation game, and Patton Strikes Back, a wargame. In 1992, Crawford decided to leave game design and concentrate his energies on interactive storytelling, a field that he believed would become important. He created a major technology for interactive storytelling systems, patenting it in 1997. He is now commercializing his technology at his company website at storytron.com.

Crawford has written five published books: The Art of Computer Game Design, now recognized as a classic in the field, in 1982; Balance of Power (the book) in 1986; The Art of Interactive Design in 2002; Chris Crawford on Game Design in 2003; and Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling in 2004.

He created the first periodical on game design, the Journal of Computer Game Design, in 1987. He founded and served as Chairman of the Computer Game Developers’ Conference, now known as the Game Developers’ Conference.

Crawford has given hundreds of lectures at conferences and universities around the world, and published dozens of magazine articles and academic papers.

Crawford served as computer system designer and observer for the 1999 and 2002 NASA Leonid MAC airborne missions; he also has done some analysis of the resulting data. He lives in southern Oregon with his wife, 3 dogs, 10 cats, 5 ducks, and 3 burros.

AniMotion NM - The Maya - Mudbox Production Cycle

Another don't miss event is coming up in May from the good folks at AniMotion NM:

AniMotion NM - The Maya - Mudbox Production Cycle

Date and Time:
May 12, 2009 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Cost: FREE

Address:
ARTS Lab
131 Pine St. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Description:
Join us for a very special evening with Senior Solution Engineer from Autodesk, Marcel de Jong.

Learn how Maya2009 and Mudbox2009 are used together to create extremely detailed characters while maintaining optimum performance. Marcel will start by preparing a simple character in Maya so we can sculpt and finish a highly detailed version in Mudbox. Once the sculpting has been completed in Mudbox all the modeled information will be extracted in the form of image maps to be used in Maya where you would typically animate your character.

Speaker:
Marcel de Jong is a Senior Solution Engineer at Autodesk and a Digital FX Consultant. Marcel is the co-founder of Gnomon School of Visual Effects a which specializes in training for careers in high-end computer graphics for the entertainment industry.

Marcel has worked with a wide range of clients including DreamQuest Images, DreamWorks, Digital Domain, Warner Digital, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar, and Sony Imageworks. His credits include numerous feature films including Inspector Gadget, Sphere, Armageddon, Batman Returns.

Marcel has been published in Popular Mechanics, ID magazine, MayaSavvy 4.5, CGW magazine, and Innovation. He was the 1999 winner of the IDSA Design Excellence Award. Marcel has a BS from the University of Texas and Art Center College of Design.

More info at: AniMotion NM - The Maya - Mudbox Production Cycle

Emily Lewis @ Next UNM IA Group Meeting!

Not an ARTS Lab event, but I'd heartily recommend catching local web developer, micro-format specialist and Webuquerque co-founder Emily Lewis at the next UNM Information Architects' meeting. Details from Greg Gómez below:

A message from Greg Gómez to all members of ABQ Web Geeks on Duke City Fix!

UNM Information Architects are proud to welcome Albuquerque's own Emily Lewis to our monthly meeting on Wednesday April 29th at 10:00 AM. We'll be meeting in the Student Union Building Trailblazer and Spirit rooms.

Emily is a microformat specialist and the author of an upcoming book about them.

Microformats are simple, open design patterns based on existing standards -- HTML and CSS -- that are used to describe common web content, including people, places, events and links

Emily will provide an overview of microformats, with a focus on some basic examples of common microformats. She will also demonstrate some of the available tools that leverage microformats for machine data.

This meeting is free and open to the public, so please join us!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this event or the UNM IA.

Visit ABQ Web Geeks at:
http://www.dukecityfix.com/groups/group/show?id=1233957%3AGroup%3A1383

AniMotion NM This Tuesday @ ARTS Lab

Physical Expression for Animators

Date and Time:
April 14, 2009 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Location:
ARTS Lab
131 Pine St NE
Albuquerque, NM 8713

Cost: Free

Description:
Join actor Barbara Geary as we explore the process of creating a character using the body as the fundamental vehicle for expression. Explore principals of movement, gestural language and a range of physical, emotional and comedic experience. Techniques learned can be applied to elements such as visual and auditory, composition, building the rhythm and arc of a scene, character design, character establishment and interaction, art direction, and cinematography.

The session culminates in the development of a personal "cartoon" character that can be both animated and performed live. If you have a character you've been working on, or want to work on, please bring sketches or other images to work from and share with the group.

bonus: It's also a lot of fun!

About the Speaker:
Barbara has had a varied performance career, careening through Mud Shows, mask performance, indie films and Shakespeare. A graduate of Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, she has performed with The Victims of Circus Dance, The Dell'Arte Company and Imago-Theatre Mask Ensemble.

Her directing credits include the acclaimed contemporary commedias Love Potion # Mine and 3 Dottories 3. She has extensive experience as a mask maker and visual artist, exhibiting her ceramic sculpture around the country. In 2000, she developed the graduate course Physical Expression For Animators at the Rochester Institute of Technology and has brought that work to animators around the country.

Barbara currently lives in Santa Fe, NM where she is directing The Language of Birds for Santa Fe Music.

This Thursday: Game Developers @ O'Niells

How do 11 local game developers create an XBox game over a weekend?

Join Luke Nihlen and the team behind ChromaGeist for a wrap-up of their experience during the 48 hour Global Game Jam -- and updates on their efforts to upgrade the game for release on XBox Live Arcade.

Also... Reports back from this year's Game Developers Conference Attendees.

And info on upcoming events, like this year's GameSlam.

It's all this Thursday at O'Niells Pub Meeting Room, 4310 Central Avenue SE (by Washington).

Who: Game Developers & enthusiasts (ages 17 and up)
What: Global Game Jam Wrap-up & Update
When: 5:30 - 7:00 PM, Thursday, April 9th
Where: O'Niells Pub, 4310 Central Avenue SE
Cost: Free, but a $5 donation is appreciated

Blue Flower/Flor Azul this Friday @ George Pearl Hall

UNM is pleased to welcome international artist Frederico Muelas to discuss his work and begin identifying collaborators for his Blue Flower/ Flor Azul public art piece at UNM's George Pearl hall:

What: Frederic Muelas / Flor Azul
When: MARCH 27, 2009, 12:00 PM
Where: GEORGE PEARL HALL AUDITORIUM (School of Architecture and Planning, Central and Cornell)

“Blue Flower/ Flor Azul” is a Public Art piece designed for the George Pearl Hall building, School of Architecture and Planning at UNM. The project is commissioned by the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) of New Mexico Arts and the UNM. It is scheduled to be installed on November 2009.

On the piece, the image of a small drop of blue ink expanding into water is optically enlarged and projected against a 900 Sq Feet custom-made LCD screen to be placed on the projection wall that is located on the west entry of the building.

The display is made of 3,740 large monochromatic pixels that render the image of the ink during the daylight and work as a projecting screen when turned off at night. This large-scale outdoor display uses a LCD technology several times more energy efficient than LED displays.

The “ink projector”, installed on the amphitheater facing the screen, accommodates the automatic system to maintain the endless water/ ink cycle and the optical and light technology to generate the bright and infinite resolution image of the ink on the screen.

This colloquium seeks to introduce the project to the University community in order to bring collaborators into the project. Due to the number of different technologies that the piece incorporates, this project offers the perfect platform for a rich collaborative experience where students from diverse disciplines will merge in a cooperative environment of open knowledge.

On this lecture the software and hardware technology that has been so far developed for the project will be introduced through an audiovisual presentation and functional prototypes. A series of “open collaboration calls” will happen along the lecture as we go over different aspects of the project. Computer Science, Electrical and Computing Engineering, Advanced Electronics, Optical Science, Digital Media Technology, Music and Fine Arts are just few of the fields related to this project. But most important of all is the craving from the student of being part of a team that will bring to life a never seen before kind of audiovisual technology.

Please, find further information of the project at http://www.federicomuelas.com/blue_flower

BIO

Federico Muelas, New Media / Public Art. BFA, UCLM, Spain: MFA, School of Visual Arts.

Professor of Physical Computing at the Master in Computer Arts and Bachelor in Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts, NY.

Exhibitions include: Stuttgart Filmwinter Festival, Germany;Katzen Museum, Washington;Ars Electronica 2005, Austria; -XV Ibero-American Art Salon, Katzen Arts Center, Mass.; Gallery Affero, NJ; Japan Media Festival, Tokyo; ARCO 2005, Madrid; Cervantes institute, New York; Location One, NY; MONA Museum, Detroit; Museum of Art, Colombia; Electrohype Biennial, Sweden; PikseliACHE Festival, Helsinki; New Jersey Film Festival; V and VI Cuban Digital salon, La Havana; SIMO 2000,Spain; ARCO 99, Spain.

Awards include: New York Foundation for the Arts 2003, Finishing Fund 2005 grant, Life 7.0 award, SGAE Award, La Caixa Grant, Spanish Cultural Council grant, UNESCO Award.

Publication include; WANDS, BRUCE. Art in the Digital Age; NYARTS magazine; Neo2 Magazine; TENTACIONES magazine; El PAIS newspaper; RHIZOME DIGEST; METRO newspaper; EL CIBERPAIS magazine; untitled art magazine. Leonardo Magazine, Art & Artificial Life International Competition; WILSON, Robert, Border Patrol: Artists Working at the Frontiers of Science and Technology.

Interaction Design Update

(and thanks, Zemanta, for F#$*ing this up!)

We had a nice visit last week from the local IxDA group -- and saw some great talks and presentations from Interaction '09 including keynote Robert Fabricant. Visit the IxDA library site for that and more as they're released.

Robert Fabricant - Behavior is our Medium
Sun, 03/15/2009 - 17:05 — Nasir Barday
Robert Fabricant talks about Interaction Design as a practice beyond just computing technology. He gives examples of Interaction Design as far back as ancient history, all the way to a humanitarian project underway today. He shows that Interaction Design's primary medium is behavior, extending far past the high technology world into the realm of human behavior and relationships.

Want to know more about the Interaction Design Association and their annual conference? You might check out the following from Interaction '08:


Interaction '08 Recap Video from Interaction Design Association on Vimeo.

Ecotone & IxDA up Next!

First of all, Ecotone is tonight (Friday) and Saturday here at ARTS Lab (more info below). Second, we're pleased to welcome the NM chapter of IxDA this coming Tuesday...

What's IxDA?
IxDA is the Interaction Design Association, a network dedicated to the professional practice of Interaction Design. They believe that the human condition is increasingly challenged by poor experiences. IxDA intends to improve the human condition by advancing the discipline of Interaction Design.

The IxDA New Mexico chapter will meet here at ARTS Lab next Thursday to review IxDA Interaction 09 (recently held in Vancouver) with some cool highlight videos and more

WHAT: NM IxDA Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, March 17th; 6:00 PM

WHERE: ARTS Lab Garage, 131 Pine NE, one block west of University and one block north of Central

HOW MUCH: FREE

But... starting tonight,

Ecotone Physical Theatre performs "Falling Apart - An Evening in Three Acts"
We at the ARTS Lab are very pleased to welcome back Ecotone Physical Theatre Company!

WHAT: Ecotone Physical Theatre performs "Falling Apart - An Evening in Three Acts"

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, March 13-14, 8pm

WHERE: ARTS Lab Garage, 131 Pine NE, one block west of University and one block north of Central

HOW MUCH: $10 at the door only. Seating is limited.

Ecotone Physical Theatre is pleased to announce two performances only, March 13-14 at the ARTS Lab Garage. The ARTS Lab Garage is located near the main campus of the University of New Mexico, and co-located with UNM's High Performance Computing Center. It is a research center for investigations into the connections between the arts, technology and science.

Veering from the abstract to the comic, "Falling Apart - An Evening in Three Acts" is a fully improvised work. It is the framework in which the performers invent character, gesture, movement, dialogue in response to the environment and to each other. The performances will
feature collaborations with students in 3D Design, Video and Computer Animation, who will work to create environments for performers. The performances will also feature collaborations with UNM dance students.

Ecotone Physical Theatre is an Albuquerque-based performance ensemble of dancers, actors and musicians who mine the rich veins of improvisation: sonic, kinesthetic, textual, visual. Each performance is unique, a blend of slapstick dramedy, angular sound and gesture, rife with potential for hap and mishap. Ecotone Physical Theatre makes extensive use of computers, video and digital technology, random props and costumery, and a variety of dance techniques. The company was formed in the spring of 2006 when Jewell and Company Dance Theatre joined forces with the experimental music group Incus to collaborate on a series of improvised performances called Ecotone. The collaboration was so fruitful and well received, they decided to merge, taking the name of the performance as the name of the company. Its members are directors Donna Jewell and Kevin Paul with Lisa Nevada, Jessica Searer, Bill Clark, Mary Margaret Moore, Susan Skeele, Rufus Cohen, along with costume designer Stacia Smith.

Making Digital Magic Happen w/ the John Lennon Education Bus

Last week, just before Film and Digital Media Day at the state capitol, we were lucky to have a visit from the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus -- and eight aspiring film students from some nearby high schools.

We lucked out with a beautiful day, the creative minds of these motivated students, the great staff on the bus (and a very talented driver). Many thanks to Sony Electronics, the John Lennon Educational Bus organization, Bernalillo High School, DATA Charter School, the Public Academy of the Performing Arts and West Valley High
School for making it happen.

Greenscreen Techniques w/ Alex Lindsay (3/10)

We at ARTS lab are particularly excited that Animotion NM will be bringing nack special guest, Alex Lindsay for their March presentation. Seating is limited.

Here are the details:

Special Guest: Alex Linsday - Pixel Corps in San Francisco

Greenscreen Techniques

Date and Time:

March 10, 2009 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm MDT

Location:

ARTS Lab

131 Pine NE

Near University and Central

Description:

Join us for a special evening with Alex Lindsay from Pixel Corps in San Francisco. Learn techniques for using the greenscreen.

Greenscreen is a valuable film, broadcast, and web video tool but it's still often a mystery to DPs and graphic artists. Learn the math, the tools and the techniques of shooting and keying greenscreen.

Special thanks to the ARTSLab for their generous use of their greenscreen for this presentation!

About the Speaker:

Alex has been involved in computer graphics for nearly 20 years. He has extensive experience in digital production including print, real-time graphics, multimedia titles, forensic animation, television, and film.

Alex spent several years on the production of Star Wars: Episode 1 (at JAK Films and then at Industrial Light and Magic). He has taught at the Academy of Art and at the San Francisco State Multimedia Studies Programs. He writes for 3D Magazine, 3D World, and Post and is a regular guest on TechTV.

Alex is the founder and Chief Architect for Pixel Corps in San Francisco.

COST: FREE

Seating is limited, so be sure reserve your ticket:

<http://animotionnm0310.eventbrite.com/>

We look forward to seeing you!

sincerely,

elaine

animotion nm

Ecotone Physical Theatre performs "Falling Apart - An Evening in Three Acts"

We at the ARTS Lab are very pleased to welcome back Ecotone Physical Theatre Company!

WHAT: Ecotone Physical Theatre performs "Falling Apart - An Evening in Three Acts"

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, March 13-14, 8pm

WHERE: ARTS Lab Garage, 131 Pine NE, one block west of University and one block north of Central

HOW MUCH: $10 at the door only. Seating is limited.

Ecotone Physical Theatre is pleased to announce two performances only, March 13-14 at the ARTS Lab Garage. The ARTS Lab Garage is located near the main campus of the University of New Mexico, and co-located with UNM's High Performance Computing Center. It is a research center for investigations into the connections between the arts, technology and science.

Veering from the abstract to the comic, "Falling Apart - An Evening in Three Acts" is a fully improvised work. It is the framework in which the performers invent character, gesture, movement, dialogue in response to the environment and to each other. The performances will
feature collaborations with students in 3D Design, Video and Computer Animation, who will work to create environments for performers. The performances will also feature collaborations with UNM dance students.

Ecotone Physical Theatre is an Albuquerque-based performance ensemble of dancers, actors and musicians who mine the rich veins of improvisation: sonic, kinesthetic, textual, visual. Each performance is unique, a blend of slapstick dramedy, angular sound and gesture, rife with potential for hap and mishap. Ecotone Physical Theatre makes extensive use of computers, video and digital technology, random props and costumery, and a variety of dance techniques. The company was formed in the spring of 2006 when Jewell and Company Dance Theatre joined forces with the experimental music group Incus to collaborate on a series of improvised performances called Ecotone. The collaboration was so fruitful and well received, they decided to merge, taking the name of the performance as the name of the company. Its members are directors Donna Jewell and Kevin Paul with Lisa Nevada, Jessica Searer, Bill Clark, Mary Margaret Moore, Susan Skeele, Rufus Cohen, along with costume designer Stacia Smith.

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

Chris & Trish Meyer @ Next AniMotion NM -- @ ARTS Lab!

Cover via Amazon

The people with AniMotion NM are really making great strides in building New Mexico's Animation/Motion Graphics/VFX community -- and we're very glad to host their events here at ARTS Lab. We're especially glad of their efforts to recruit rockstars like Chris and Trish Meyer to move to New Mexico!

AniMotionNM is hosting an evening with After Effects experts/authors Trish and Chris Meyer, Tuesday, February 10 from 7:00-8:30 PM at UNM ARTS Lab.

What's new in After Effects CS4

Join the foremost After Effects experts Trish and Chris Meyer as they show some of the new features in After Effects CS4 that are of particular interest to motion graphics artists. Learn about new effects. Explore the ins and outs of the new integration with Photoshop Extended, Flash Professional and Device Central. Take a look at some of the changes in the user interface – which are sure to make life easier. And, find out answers to some of the gotchas such as the new pixel aspect ratios introduced in CS4.

Book Signing
Chris and Trish will be on hand after this event to sign copies of the latest edition of their book, After Effects Apprentice {2nd Edition}.

This event will be broadcast live via Adobe Connect for our communities throughout the state. For information on how to access the broadcast, read the full article on our website.

The event takes place at the ARTSLab Map

The cost is FREE for all AniMotionNM Members. It's free to become a member.

To attend:

- join AniMotionNM --- click the 'JOIN' button on the right.

- reserve a ticket --- click the 'REGISTER' button

It's a great opportunity, so spread the word to colleagues and students who may be interested.

For those who live outside of ABQ, we will be broadcasting this presentation via Adobe Connect. At the time of the event:

- go to <http://experts.na3.acrobat.com/animotion0209/>

- select 'enter as guest'

- sign in using your first and last name

You must be a member to enter, so be sure and join AniMotionNM first (IT'S FREE).

Thanks! We hope to see you in person or online next Tuesday!

Please pass it on…!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Trish and Chris Meyer's books: excellence and excerpts (take 2) (blogs.adobe.com)

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

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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

UNM Word & Image Screening this Friday

UNM's Word and Image class is one of our longest running classes for bringing a small movie production team together to plan, shoot and edit new student work.  Taking scripts from our Advanced Screenwriting class and featuring actors from the Theatre and Dance Acting for the Camera class, some of UNM's most talented young directors have been producing really good work for years.  Please join us this Friday evening at ARTS Lab for the latest edition with three new works and some of last year's faves...

Join us for an exciting premiere of original UNM student motion pictures Friday December 19, 2008 at 7PM in ARTS Lab, 131 Pine St, NE (One block west of University, half a block north of Central).

The Thing Inside – Producer: Franklin Whitman, Director: Brooks Rudolph, Writer: Mike Smith

Apples – Producer: Grant Roberts, Director/Writer: Taylor Lane

The Truth Within – Producer/Writer Paul Porter, Director Alyse Daunis

We start the evening with two past audience favorites:

The Life, Death, and Aptitude of Todd Winters – Producer: Charles D. Care II, Director: Matt Garcia, Writer: Gary Montry

Nightmares Outside of Dreams – Producer: Justin Pichardo, Director/Writer: Justin Golightly.

These works were produced in WORD & IMAGE (MA429), written in ADVANCED SCREENWRITING (MA 390), and feature actors from Acting for the Camera (THEA 326).

WHAT:     2008 Word & Image Student Work Screening
WHEN:    Friday, January 17th, 7PM - 9PM
WHERE:  UNM ARTS Lab, 131 Pine Street, NW (one block west of Unviersity, half a block north of Central)
COST:      Free


--
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