If you enjoy creating things that serve to entertain people, especially in technologically and artistically innovative ways, don’t think that you are alone. There are many well-established universities where you will find the curriculum and support you need to combine creativity and technology.

York University is one such university. The Specialized Honors BA Program in Digital Media offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Science and Engineering is an innovative interdisciplinary and cross-faculty program that engages contemporary digital culture from both arts and science perspectives.

York University Faculty of Fine Arts

Future Cinema Lab at York University in Toronto. Photo by Adrien Veczan.

Students in this four-year program develop a deep knowledge of digital media in tandem with practical skills through an interdisciplinary curriculum that transcends the boundaries of computer science, fine arts, cultural and communication studies and social science.

Students in the Digital Media Program come from either the Faculty of Fine Arts or the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

If a particular student’s strength or background aligns better with the computational aspect of digital media, which includes animation, motion design, 3D imaging, and so on, he or she may find a course in designing interactive objects or building interactive systems – the perfect place to put into practice his or her programming, software, and other computer skills.

York University Digital Media

Image from Ladybug, a time-based video installation created in the Augmented Reality Lab, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University.

On the other hand, if a particular student’s area of interest leans towards dance, music, theatre, or film, he or she may learn intriguing ways of altering and enhancing audiences’ experiences with fine arts, by taking a course in the electronic landscape or interactive performance and installation.

Students can enroll in the Digital Media program either through the Faculty of Fine Arts or the Faculty of Science and Engineering. All Digital Media majors take a common set of required courses, but may choose their electives from the area – eg. Fine Arts or Computing Science – that best aligns with their interests.

Digital Media course offerings include, but are not limited to: Programming for digital media; Building interactive systems; The electronic landscape; 3D computer graphics; Interactive dance studio; Building e-commerce systems; and Virtual reality.

Alongside the formal Digital Media BA degree program, digital media technologies are integrated into all the teaching, learning, production and performance programs offered by York’s Faculty of Fine Arts. Students work hands-on with interactive design and motion graphics in the communication design program; digital applications in photography and print media in visual arts; choreographic notation in dance; digital music composition; computer-assisted drawing, script and production management in theatre; digital cinematography, sound design and recording for film; 3D rapid prototyping in sculpture; and digitally-driven lighting and set design, movement design and new media projection for performance.

Here are some of the digital media-driven projects currently underway in the Faculty of Fine Arts…

The Mobile Media Lab is a research initiative by both York University and Concordia University. In 2009, it developed an iPhone gaming app called Tentacles to examine and explore the cultural and social applications of mobile technology. This app was included in the exhibit ‘Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects’ at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City from July to November, 2011.

Another example is the stage performance ‘Bugzzz’ by professors and students from several departments, due to be debuted in Toronto in June 2012. This project is the result of multiple levels of collaboration, including dance professors, projection designers, a composer, and many more. It introduces an interactive stage that animates live performances to surprise and fascinate audiences.

Next year, the Faculty of Fine Arts is launching the Sensorium Institute for Digital Arts and Technology, an initiative bridging seven faculties and 18 labs and research units at York University, working on collaborative projects with industry and a dozen other North American and European universities.  Students, professors and industry partners will conduct research and develop projects in fields as diverse as video games, 3D cinema, human/screen interfaces, and data visualization.

Facilities
York University has an impressive array of world-class labs and studios for students. The gorgeous 360-seat Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre is home to York University’s fine arts students. It is where major concerts, dances, and plays take place. The 320-seat Tribute Communities Recital Hall, on the other hand, serves as a recording studio but is also available for a wide range of musical presentations. Other spaces include the 90-seat McLean Performance Studio, the Joseph G. Green Studio Theatre, which features flexible seating arrangements, Price Family Cinema, Atkinson Theatre Studio, etc.

Toronto
Besides the fact that Toronto has a large Asian community that is supportive of incoming Asian international students in many unique ways, the area is perfect for digital media students to explore alternative spaces to promote and showcase their new projects. Canada is home to endless bars, coffee shops, museums, small theatre houses, and art-house theatres. The abundance of such venues also means a wealth of internship and job opportunities for program graduates.

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