Posts in Category Digital Media Academy News + Events
Come Together: Music and Video Production
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 19th, 2010 by Seamus Harte
I just recently returned from a 2 1/2 week tour on board the Lennon Bus. The relationship with the Lennon Bus and Digital Media Academy is what gave birth to the idea of the Come Together: Music and Video Production Course. For a student coming into that summer course with no prior experience it can be intimidating thinking about having to write your own song and shoot a music video in just one week. But it should be anything but intimidating. Technology has made it so easy for us to have a quick turnaround with high production value. The Lennon Bus typically works on a project with students for just 8 hrs! At DMA Summer Camps you get a whole week! By the end of the week you are going to be so filled with ideas your head may just explode. Here are some projects I just worked on with students on the Lennon Bus in just an 8 hr work day. Check them out and I hope to see you in a Come Together class this summer!
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Come Together
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 18th, 2010 by Seamus Harte
I just recently returned from a 2 1/2 week tour on board the Lennon Bus. The relationship with the Lennon Bus and Digital Media Academy is what gave birth to the idea of the Come Together: Music and Video Production Course. For a student coming into that summer course with no prior experience it can be intimidating thinking about having to write your own song and shoot a music video in just one week. But it should be anything but intimidating. Technology has made it so easy for us to have a quick turnaround with high production value. The Lennon Bus typically works on a project with students for just 8 hrs! At DMA Summer Camps you get a whole week! By the end of the week you are going to be so filled with ideas your head may just explode. Here are some projects I just worked on with students on the Lennon Bus in just an 8 hr work day. Check them out and I hope to see you in a Come Together class this summer!Play Pretend
http://www.youtube.com/user/johnlennonbus#p/a/u/1/zVcGcBhCKEA
Music Video Production and Skateboarding Summer Camp
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 17th, 2010 by Penny
Music Video Production and Skateboarding Summer Camp
By SCOTT TAYLOR
Summer 2011 is almost upon us and I for one am truly exited to return to the University of California – UCSD campus for another round of Digital Media Academy US summer camps for kids courses. As a full time video editor, skateboarder and musician, the addition of the music video production class in the summer camp line-up has got me amped to see what this years students can come up with, both musically and visually using Final cut suite and Logic studio 9. Even if you’ve never touched an instrument, this summer camp will have you rocking like a pro.
The intro to film making class is a must for anyone who wants to get an understanding of some of the best techniques for telling stories, while leaning the ins and outs of Final Cut Pro. And as if that weren’t enough, There is my personal favorite class “Skateboarding and Film making summer camp“ This is the class that takes students on a non stop skate park tour of SoCal, where we will see local pro’s at work, well as get a chance to make a film of their summer skate adventures. If Skateboarding is your passion, this is a class I can assure you you’ll never forget…
Check out this video made by Circa shoes of their am rider Walker Ryan as he gives you the lowdown on some of the spots and skate-history that UCSD offers. Here’s the link over to Thrasher Magazine:
And here’s the actual video.
(Note from the blog editor – this is NOT a film of Digital Media Academy summer camp!!! This is a cool video that shows you a professional skateboarder showing you the UCSD campus… He is not wearing a helmet…. He SHOULD be wearing a helmet! EVERYONE at Digital Media Academy summer camps SHALL wear protective gear, so no worries. Now, editor’s note out of the way, enjoy the scenery! Penny – the blog admin and mother of a 13 year old that ALWAYS wears a very cool helmet while skateboarding…)
In the few months between now and July, you can catch me hosting the internet broadcast for this Years Vans Pro TecPool party, on May 22nd.
And here’s the video of the 2009 Vans TecPool event:
And if you happen to be in San Diego on May 23 I’ll be MCing the Tony Hawk demo set to benefit local animal shelters.
A Career as a 3D Artist
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 16th, 2010 by Tanya Roberts
Computer and video game development is a fast-growing field, with a lot to offer both professionally and creatively. Considered by some as a curiosity in the mid-1970s, the gaming industry has quickly grown from niche market to mainstream, grossing $9.5 billion (USD) in 2007, and 11.7 billion in 2008. Sure you’ve play video games, but have you ever considered making them? Enthusiasm is crucial, but you’ll also need skills and training. The gaming industry is highly competitive, and you’ll need talent and dedication to make it.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nate Torkildson, 3D artist with Red Monkey Games and Gamer Salvation, and Instructor in 3D level Design for the Digital Media Academy, UBC. Nate has turned his childhood dream into a successful and rewarding career. He still marvels that he gets paid to make video games. In what other industry could you have this much fun, challenge yourself, and reach the hearts of countless fans?
10 Questions With Nate Torkildson
1. How did you find your way into video game design?
I’ve dreamed about making games since I was 7 years old. I think I still owe my parents about a million dollars in quarters from many visits to the arcade long ago. During my teenage years, I became serious about pursuing a career in design within the gaming industry. I’ve always been creative, but I wanted to take my skills to the next level. I enrolled in creative and technical courses, at an institution very similar to the Digital Media Academy, to transform my passion into a solid skill set. I haven’t looked back since.
2. What about your college years?
After I graduated high school, I was accepted to the Vancouver Film School where I studied 3D Animation and Visual Effects. I also attended the University of Washington, where I obtained my degree in Computer Science. After graduation, I was looking for my first big gig in the gaming industry. But, like all new grads, I had to prove myself. I worked tirelessly to build my own video game to give my potential employers a taste of what I could do. I developed “Eclipse,” a science fiction game where the player served to protect the planet from rogue aliens. The folks at a local gaming company, Black Sun Entertainment, loved my game so much they decided to take me on as an intern. During my internship, I worked on a short science fiction film called “Azures Rising.”
3. Take us through a day in the life of a 3D artist.
I usually arrive at work around 9 am to start off my day. The hours can be pretty long is this field, usually 9-10 hours a day, especially if a deadline is approaching. But I love my job so the time flies by quickly. I usually finish off work around 6 or sometimes 7, depending on what I’m working on.
4. How does the video game design process work?
At the beginning of a project, I sit down with the concept artist to review rough sketches outlining the overall vision for the project. I would then take these sketches and put them into 3D work for the lead game designer to review. Designing a game is complex. From designing characters to roads, plants, and shrubbery, every scene and level of the game needs to be flushed out.
5. What do you most enjoy about being a 3D artist?
Every project is dynamic. One day you’ll be designing shrubbery for a game, and the next you may be moulding a character out of clay or painting a backdrop. There’s so much variety, I never get bored. You’ll be working closely with a team, so you’ll be sure to make some great friends along the way.
6. What is most challenging about video game design?
The gaming industry is fast paced and demanding. You’ll need to put in long hours and work the occasional weekend. At the start, you won’t always get to have a say in the creative vision. But once you work your way up, you can collaborate on the big ideas.
7. What misconceptions do people have about game design?
People have this fantasy that working in the gaming industry means you’ll play games all day. This isn’t the case. A lot more work is involved than I imagined as a kid. There are a lot of people lining up to take your job – you’ll need to put in your dues to get ahead. Having said that, I love what I do and barely notice the time fly by. It’s hard work, but it’s extremely rewarding.
8. What skills are most important for a career in game design?
You’ll need to be creative, detail-oriented, artistic, and computer savvy to make it in game design. Skills in art help, since you’ll be sculpting characters and painting textured backdrops. You’ll need to have a good understanding of human anatomy to design characters that move naturally. This profession requires a lot of programming, so computer skills are a must.
9. What advice can you give someone considering a career in video game design?
Get involved in the community. Being part of a M.O.D. (modification) team is a great way to showcase what you can do. A M.O.D. team creates a video game from concept to completion. You don’t own the rights to this game, but if a company likes it, they may decide to hire you full time. In fact, this is how I landed an internship at Black Sun Entertainment.
10. What is the coolest project that you’ve worked on?
My favorite project was working on a Science Fiction movie called Azueres Rising, where futuristic space-marines go to battle against a big, evil corporation. I helped develop the movie from concept to completion. It was great to see the final project come together. I’m so lucky to do what I love every day. There’s nothing better than that.
DVD Studio Pro: Worth the Price of Admission
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 16th, 2010 by Lee Manansala
When I first started making movies, at the ripe old age of 15, I’d shoot my friends doing skateboard tricks with my dad’s VHS camcorder. I’d take the footage and edit using two VCRs—the process was tedious and yielded not-so-impressive results. The final “films” were very rough, filled with shaky camera work, jittery edits, and terrible sound (I’d add a soundtrack by playing music, usually, pop-punk, on my boom box). Needless to say, not a single one of my friends asked for copies of the final films.
It’s not that the movies I made were entirely unwatchable, but presentation counts for so much; true when I was 15, but especially true today when there are so many forms of entertainment vying for your attention. When you screen your work, you want it to be an event. You want to screen in a darkened room filled with your friends and family, and you want to wow people the second you hit play. To my mind, nothing ups the film presentation ante like an authored DVD. I remember the first time I used DVD Studio Pro, to make a DVD copy of a short film I made a few years back. My parents were so impressed, floored really, by the DVD menu that it almost didn’t matter how good or bad my film was (FYI, the film was good enough to get me into film school).
DVD Studio Pro is included as part of Final Cut Studio, and it’s definitely the most powerful program in the bundle. Basically, if you can dream up the main menu, the chapter select menus, and the special features, you can build it in DVD Studio. I go through a basic instruction of the program in my beginner’s course and a more comprehensive instruction in the advanced course. It’s a very intuitive program, designed to work seamlessly with Final Cut Pro, so here’s a quick look at how easy it is to turn your film project into a DVD.
When you’re finished editing a project and are ready to start making a DVD, you’ll want to export the final sequence to QuickTime. For short films shot on SD, an uncompressed version is fine. Translation: just turn it into a QuickTime file, and don’t go through Compressor.
Next, open up DVD Studio Pro. I always use the program’s “advanced” configuration, simply because it’s what I’m used to, and because all the of the program’s options are at your disposal. On the lower left-hand corner you’ll find a window with two tabs, one entitled “Assets”, the other “Log”. Make sure you’re under the “Assets” tab and click the “import” button.
Find the QuickTime file you made in Final Cut Pro and import it into DVD Studio.
Grab both the video and audio icons and drag and drop them onto the Track icon in the asset manager. Hold onto the Control button, click on the track icon (which at this point has been renamed to match the QuickTime file’s name) and select first play. This is the fastest way to make a DVD without a menu, something I do all the time when I’m screening films at various stages to classmates and colleagues.
Now, insert a blank DVD-r into your computer’s disc drive, wait for your computer to recognize the blank disc, then hit the “burn” icon at the top of the screen.
That, believe it or not, is it. You’ve got yourself a playable DVD. Of course, I’ll explain how add a main menu, a chapter select, and how to add fun stuff like blooper reels and photomontages in my filmmaking courses. I just wanted point out how DVD Studio Pro is at once intuitive and powerful, how easy it is to put on a great show.
I’m teaching the Beginning and Advanced Digital Filmmaking for Teens courses at both Harvard and Yale this summer. In the meantime, I’m easily friendable at:
www.facebook.com/lee.manansala
or sign up for classes at DMA’s website!
Special Effects Filmmaking
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 12th, 2010 by Lee Manansala
Special Effects Filmmaking
By Lee Manansala
This is The Conjuror by Georges Melies from 1899. It is (and please forgive the pun) magical.
Maybe you have to be a film history nerd like me, but seeing that never gets old. Film was still a novelty back then (placing the camera at an angle to create a more interesting image was a revelation) so when Melies cut frames from his shots to create his magic tricks, he basically stumbled upon editing—something specific to the cinematic medium. Now take a look at this and see if you can find the connective tissue:
Yes. I just drew a straight line between Georges Melies and Vampire Weekend. This is the first video from the band’s second album, so their record company probably threw a lot of money their way to spend on the video. I love that they made a video that could have been made in the 50’s and employed effects that have been around since the days of Melies.
I guess I’m making one of my deepest filmmaking biases all too clear: I’m not a huge fan of fancy special effects. I do, however, appreciate when my students want to use effects to help tell their stories, and Final Cut Pro has a pretty wide selection of video effects to choose from. I explain what they do and how to use them in my Advanced Digital Filmmaking for Teens course. Here’s a preview.
When you start a new project on Final Cut Pro, you’ll notice a tab in your browser window called “effects.” Choose that, and you’ll get a number of folder icons, one of which is called “video filters.” This is the effects set you’ll most use, especially if you’re doing event and wedding editing like I’ve done for the past six years. Video filters manipulate the characteristics of the image; you can remove excess blue from an image that was shot outdoors, excess orange from an indoor shot (cameras read sunlight as blue and light from fixtures as orange), or you can remove color from the shot altogether to create a black and white image. In addition to correcting color temperature mistakes, you can add filters to distort, sharpen, or literally highlight the image:
This is a trailer for a film called “That’s My Majesty” by Emily Carmichael (cinematography by yours truly). You’ll notice the unearthly glow around the princess/alien character. This was accomplished using a glow filter. The important thing to remember is that a filter will inform the entire image, meaning you can’t simply draw the filter onto a specific portion of the image. A glow filter will make the entire shot glow. In Emily’s movie, only the princess glows; the light follows and illuminates her and only her throughout the entire movie. This was accomplished through two processes called keyframing and masking. Masking involves drawing a border around the portion of the image (in That’s My Majesty’s case, the princess) you want to affect, and keyframing entails shifting the mask, frame by frame, to follow the subject as it moves. Emily’s movie is 4 minutes long, she had to move the mask frame by frame for most of the movie. At 30 frames per second, 60 seconds per minute, it’s needless to say the processes were very time consuming and tedious. I’ve often described a young filmmaker’s discovery of the Final Cut Pro effects tab as a time vampire. Before you know it, you’ve spent an entire day throwing filters onto shots just to see what they do.
I don’t discourage my students from using special effects, but I do implore them to heed this bit of advice: know the effect you want to use before you use it. The course is an intensive 5-day program, and there’s very little time for experimenting in the editing room. Fortunately, I’ve lucked out in this department, because every student I’ve taught at DMA has had a clear idea of the story they want to tell.
I’m set to teach the Digital Filmmaking for Teens courses at Harvard and Brown this summer. In the meantime, I’m reachable and friendable at:
www.facebook.com/lee.manansala
or visit the DMA website to register for courses:
www.digitalmediaacademy.org
Maya 3D – Alternative Uses, Alternative Careers
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 6th, 2010 by Geoff Beatty
Maya is well known for it’s role in feature animation production, special effects, and the video game industry. Indeed, when students enter one of my DMA Maya classes, it’s usually one of these three things that they are interested in pursuing. However, in addition to teaching the fundamentals of Maya, I also like to broaden their perspective of what it can be used for. That way, when students finish the class, they not only have an understanding of the software, they also have a lot more potential job titles they could be looking at.
Augmented Reality
In a previous post, I discussed the burgeoning field of Augmented Reality (AR), and how Maya was used to create some interactive AR exhibits at MSI Chicago. This technology is not only for static displays and cameras however. There is a growing body of AR applications for mobile devices. Users place a card or some other marker on a tabletop and then point their mobile device’s camera at the target. On screen, graphics are superimposed on the live video and users can interact with these on screen graphics, and even play games with them.
South Park
Did you know that Maya is used to create South Park? That surprises a lot of people, probably because the show looks like it was created with paper cutouts. The truth of the matter is that it takes a lot of sophisticated work to make something this crude. While the original pilot was made with cutouts, the demands of weekly television production soon dictated a digital workflow. The production quickly moved to Maya because of its robust animation tools and virtual camera. If you’d like to read more about it, there’s a very good profile of the production on Apple’s website.
Data visualization
What is data visualization? Data visualization is the art of turning information into something visible. We are all familiar with the charts and graphs in the newspaper or our science textbooks. It can be much more than just charts and graphs, and it can be much more than static 2D images. It can encompass 3D graphics, and some data is best visualized using time-based visuals, like animation and video. More and more, engineers and designers among others are turning to 3D software to make complex information come to life in a way that is both accessible and entertaining.
Virtual sets
If you’ve got young kids, or if you just happen to watch Sesame Street nowadays, you’re probably familiar with one of the recurring segments called Elmo’s World. Elmo’s world is made to look like a child’s drawing, and it’s got a lot of whimsical elements – dancing desks, bouncing computers, etc. Elmo is a real puppet, but almost none of the elements around him are real. Elmo is performed in front of a blue screen, and then the background is filled in with a virtual set created in 3D. The moving furniture around him are actually digital puppets, performed in real-time with the real Elmo puppet. This approach isn’t unique to Sesame Street, as you can see from the example below. The puppets are manipulated in front of a blue screen, which is then replaced with a virtual forest set that is connected to match the moves of the real camera. It may be for kids, but like in the case of South Park, there is really sophisticated technology behind it.
And more…
In my next post, I’ll explore some more examples of alternative uses for Maya and 3D including motion graphics, non-photorealistic rendering, and even illustration. Until then, find some inspiration by perusing some of the work produced by users of Maya, as showcased on the Autodesk website.
Prestigious Summer Camps at Swarthmore College
Digital Media Academy News + Events | April 25th, 2010 by Instructor
Prestigious Summer Camps at Swarthmore College
The Digital Media Academy was founded at Stanford University ten years ago and has expanded to many prestigious colleges and universities all over the United States and Canada. This year the Digital Media Academy will be offering an extensive number of summer camps for kids ranging in ages 6-18 at Swarthmore College! Each camp features hands on learning experiences with cutting edge media technologies ranging from robotics, 3D modeling, animation, video production, game design, graphics and much more! Click here for summer camp info: Swarthmore College Summer Camps.
Take advantage of the residential options available at Swarthmore College summer camps by allowing your kids to truly experience a pre-college atmosphere. Parents can vacation in nearby beautiful Philadelphia and visit the historic Independence Mall, dine in the exquisite “Old City” section and adventure to world famous scenic wonderland of Longwood Gardens. It is a perfect opportunity for the entire family to visit Philadelphia. Tailor the kids summer sleepaway camp experiences to fit your schedule – weekend residential sleepaway summer camps will make your summer camp planning easier.
The Digital Media Academy has industry leading experts to instruct your kids in all digital design fields at all age levels. Give them the opportunity to get a leg up on the competition by completing these top rated courses and exposing them to the most cutting edge computer applications and equipment. You will have access to top of the line software, computers, and video equipment to be working as a true professional in the field would. Check out the list of summer camp classes for teens ages 13 to 18: Teen Summer Camps. Here’s the link for summer camps for kids ages 11 to 14: Pre-Teen Summer Camps. Here’s the info for kids ages 6 – 12: Kids Summer Camps
Younger aged kids have access to all the same equipment and also have the opportunities during the day for recreational games that emphasize team building and creating lasting friendships.
Come see for yourself why kids come back to the Digital Media Academy year after year. It is not just the amazing courses we offer, our highly skilled instructors, the fun counselors, or the friends and camaraderie they have. It is all that combined which we call the Digital Media Academy Experience.
I invite you to begin your own experience this summer at Swarthmore College! I look forward to seeing you soon!
Thomas Hensler – Digital Media Academy
Ready to register for Philadelphia Summer Camps? Click here:
Register for Digital Media Academy Summer Camps
Enjoy your Philadelphia Vacation!
Adobe Summer Camps
Digital Media Academy News + Events | April 24th, 2010 by David
By Ben Caplan – Instructor
Summer is almost here and it is just in time! Last summer at Digital Media Academy we broke out our Adobe Creative suite tool box and dove into the tools of the web trade. We made really cool animations using Flash, edited photos using PhotoShop and we used DreamWeaver to create our very own super cool websites.
This summer we have even more cool stuff in store. The web world is always changing and so you need to keep learning in order to stay up with the current graphic and web trends. At Digital Media Academy we’ll be introducing you to the latest tools, just like we do each summer.
Speaking of the latest tools, here is an interesting article on HTML 5.
Click here: HTML 5 Article
Check out a cool demo of what Adobe has in store for us next Adobe CS5
Click here: Adobe updates
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Ready for summer camp? Enroll for Summer Camp Now! Here are some handy Digital Media Academy links for adult, teen, preteen and kids summer camp scheduling details.
Click here for classes for adults: Digital Media Academy Course List
Click here summer camps for teens: Digital Media Academy Summer Camps for Teens
Click here summer camps for kids: Digital Media Academy Summer Camps for PreTeen Kids
Click here summer camps for young children: Digital Media Academy Summer Camps for Kids
Stanford University Adventures Summer Camp
Digital Media Academy News + Events | April 24th, 2010 by Instructor
As I prepare for Summer 2011 Stanford Filmmaking Adventures Camp I am reminded of the successes of 2009. The project that always yielded the most creative and witty videos was the “Commercial.” The students’ task was to select a product and sell it to their audience. (An assignment quite familiar to professionals in the media world). Yet at Digital Media Academy the demand to produce high bucks is replaced with the enjoyable pressure to create high laughs at our End of Camp Film-Festival.
First, we reviewed the 4 stages of film-making: Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production, and Exhibition. This enabled the students to really plan all aspects of the project before they filmed — an essential skill. Then the brainstorming began. The costume box was transformed from neat & tidy to the delightful whirlwind of a creative mess. Debates over wide-angle shots versus close-ups competed with the sounds of furious typing at the keyboard so the script would be ready in time for the production phase.
“Camera ready?” the assistant director calls out.
“Ready!” the cinematographer answers.
“Actors Ready?”
“Ready!” pipes a lion-dressed “salesman”
A kid from the web design class sneaks in to watch the action.
“Camera Rolling”
“Action!”
To me, the most fulfilling thing about being a film instructor is seeing the kids come out of their shells. When they perform in front of the camera, even the ones who seem “too cool” or “shy” simply can’t hold back and they shine brilliantly. I can see the surprise on their parents’ faces during the film festival. It is truly exciting.
Since last summer at Digital Media Academy, I’ve been producing video tours and websites for a real estate company. I’ve been itching to return to DMA to see what kind of parodies these kids can make of video tours! It’s going to be a blast!
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Click here for classes for adults: Digital Media Academy Course List
Click here summer sleepaway and day camps for teens: Digital Media Academy Summer Camps for Teens
Click here summer sleepaway and summer camps for kids: Digital Media Academy Summer Camps for PreTeen Kids
Click here summer camps for young children: Digital Media Academy Summer Camps for Kids
