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About the Interactive Media Division
The Interactive Media Division presents a broad and deep curriculum, exploring the methods and technologies that are shaping art and entertainment today. Located within the world's first film school, the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, the Interactive Media Division (or "IMD") provides leading edge research and a hotbed of ideas for future professional storytellers. It is the only program of its kind tied to a cinema-television school and, as such, offers unprecedented opportunities for students to explore media convergence in an environment that leverages the natural advantages of its Hollywood setting. Unlike technical or vocational institutions, the School's interactive media program draws from a rich storytelling tradition, and from a collaborative atmosphere that encourages interaction among students and instructors from a wide range of disciplines. Interactive media students learn from and network with artists, writers, directors, producers, sound designers and cinematographers, many of whom are—or soon will be—entertainment industry leaders.
Research Program
In parallel with the IMD curriculum (and closely integrated with it), the Interactive Media Division has an extensive program of research to design and develop innovative content for Interactive Media and to invent new genres of interactive experience. Currently, research is focused on three primary research areas: mobile media, game design, and immersive media. And even though each group is based in a state of the art research lab, many projects emerge from the intersection of these areas. The Division is also developing additional projects in the areas of Social Software, Computational Cinema, and Broadband Content.
With its strong foundation in a premier cinema school, the Interactive Media Division works collaboratively with a number of leading-edge research bodies within USC. These include the Annenberg Center for Communications, the Viterbi School of Engineering, The Institute for Creative Technologies, and the Entertainment Technology Center.
In addition, the IMD research program is supported by corporate sponsors and collaborative partnerships with corporations such as: Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Sony, and many others.
More Information
Founded in 2002, the IMD has attracted a number of leading faculty, staff and students; they are profiled on our people pages. In addition, you can read about the USC Interactive Media Division on Wikipedia, or look at pictures of IMD events on Flickr.
More formal information about academic programs offered by the Interactive Media Division is available on the School of Cinematic Arts web site.
