Michael Naimark

amazon river cam

more!

Posted by at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's from the signup list. Please note we've cut back from 2 to 1 Open Mics per person to concentrate on the Aquarium project. This schedule has enough flexibility that OMs can slide to the following week.

Class 1 (8/23): Introduction, Syllabus v0.9

Class 2 (8/30): project brainstorm 1

Class 3 (9/6): field trip to Long Beach Aquarium (9am-2pm)

Class 4 (9/13): project brainstorm 2

Class 5 (9/20): LOCK DOWN PROJECT(S), VINCE, RICK

Class 6 (9/27): Project pre-production, JESS, DOOX

Class 7 (10/4): (Michael is out) guest project speaker

Class 8 (10/11) - Project pre-production, mid-term review, NOHA, MIHAI

Class 9 (10/18) - Project production 1, JUSTIN, YUECHUAN

Class 10 (10/25) - Project production 2, JOSH, AARON

Class 11 (11/1) - Project production 3, HERB

Class 12 (11/8 - Project production 4

Class 13 (11/15) - SOMETHING TO SHOW

Class 14 (11/22) - Debug and Feedback

Class 15 (11/29) - LAST CLASS

Final (12/13) - TBD

Posted by at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(20 min) news and misc discussion

(45 min) split into 2 project groups to achieve the following:
- elevator pitch (one-liner)
- timeline and milestones
- team roles

(30 min) report back and compare notes

(15 min) break

(60 min) Open Mic (2)

I'll have a revised Open Mic schedule.

Posted by at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We now have 2 teams around 2 concepts/venues:

1) Live aquarium cams
- can be stereo, can be robotic/mobile, can have immersive display, can be webcast

2) Multiple checkpoints
- use entire Aquarium as playing field, possibly with card/tokens/RFIDs or tracking

Both venues can involve game components, group interactivity, and humor & entertainment as well as informative value. Ideally, both teams will converge and make a single experience, but this is not essential.

Our job now is to iteratively fill in specifics and get feedback from folks at the Aquarium.

Posted by at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

FINAL SYLLABUS

30 Aug 05

CTIN532: Interactive Experience Design

Professor: Michael Naimark

Location: ZML
Time: Tuesday 11:00am - 1:50pm

Course Description

The purpose of the course is to develop expressive ability and a conceptual framework for the design of interactive experiences, with the express goal of using this ability and framework to facilitate each student's talents to conceive, prototype and produce works in various interactive media. In the context of this course, Interactive Media is seen as a developing field that is still in a state of flux, with porous boundaries and a resistance to categorical definition. While many formats have arisen (e.g., various game and web-based platforms), none can be seen to have reached a fixed, long-lived plateau, and all are subject to change, development, mutation and critique. Students are encouraged to think beyond the binary opposition of form vs. content, and to develop concepts and works that fluently grow out of their ideas and interests.

The course will proceed along two parallel tracks:

1) Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach project

The first track emphasizes practical and project-based work, with the overall objective of developing the skills needed to shape and pursue a final (third year) thesis project. Coursework will be based around one project, or several mini-projects, which we conceive, design, and implement collectively. To anchor this project into a real-world scenario, we will pursue possible ideas with the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, with an end-goal of making something exhibitable as a study or prototype. Another possible collaborating institution is the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, which has a lab on Catalina Island (1.5 hours by boat from Long Beach).

As a collective project, grading will be based on the quality of agreed-upon roles and the ability to work successfully in a team environment, including achieving milestones and respecting deadlines.

2) “Open Mics”

The second track focuses on critical and conceptual issues of the field of interactive media, particularly as they relate to each student’s personal interests, hence “Open Mics.” Each student is expected to prepare (2) class “Open Mics” consisting of a brief (10 minute) presentation followed by a (20 minute) discussion.

The first Open Mics, scheduled during the first half of the semester, can be “no-stings-attached” regarding topic as long as it can be justified as relating to “Interactive Media Design,” though it is expected that the topic will directly or indirectly relate to possible thesis ideas. The second Open Mic, during the second half of the semester, may relate to the group projects above.

Grading will be based on research, quality of critical thinking, presentation, and ability to lead a discussion on the topic selected.

+ Weekly Assignments & Blogging

In addition to the parallel tracks, students are expected to complete weekly assignments, typically short and focused on matters at hand. Students are expected to document their assignment on their individual log and link it to the class blog for class discussion.

+ Class Participation & 511 Attendance

Students are expected to be active members in the group by participating in discussion and constructive criticism. Class participation also means attendance, specifically arriving on time at the beginning and from the break.

Additionally, students are expected to attend and participate in the weekly 511 seminars (Wednesdays 6-8pm).

Course Requirements

Open to (and required of) second year, first semester MFA Interactive Media students only.

Grading Structure

Grades will be based on exercises, presentations, and class participation, and will include the quality of reporting on their individual sketchbook and blogs. Criteria for grading will include conceptual clarity, creativity, and the application of concepts discussed in class to assigned projects. Grades will be allocated as follows:

Teamwork in Collective Project: 40%
Presentations (2): 20%
Blogs and Weekly Assignments: 20%
Class Participation: 10%
511 Attendance: 10%

Schedule

Class 1 (8/23): Introduction, Syllabus v0.9

Class 2 (8/30): project brainstorm 1

Class 3 (9/6): field trip to Long Beach Aquarium (9am-2pm)

Class 4 (9/13): project brainstorm 2, Open Mic 1 x 3

Class 5 (9/20): LOCK DOWN PROJECT(S), Open Mic 1 x 3

Class 6 (9/27): Project pre-production, Open Mic 1 x 3

Class 7 (10/4): (Michael is out) guest project speaker

Class 8 (10/11) - Project pre-production, mid-term review, Open Mic 1 x 2

Class 9 (10/18) - Project production 1, Open Mic 2 x 3

Class 10 (10/25) - Project production 2, Open Mic 2 x 3

Class 11 (11/1) - Project production 3, Open Mic 2 x 3

Class 12 (11/8 - Project production 4, Open Mic 2 x 2

Class 13 (11/15) - SOMETHING TO SHOW

Class 14 (11/22) - Debug and Feedback

Class 15 (11/29) - LAST CLASS

Final (12/13) - TBD

Texts

Essential:
Experience Design I, Nathan Shedroff

Recommended (accumulated, now in its 3rd year):

Language of New Media,,Lev Manovich
Experiences in Visual Thinking, Robert H. McKim
Future Cinema, P Weibel and J Shaw
Design Research, B Laurel (Ed)
Rapid Viz, Hanks and Belliston
Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud
Sensation and Perception, Margaret W. Matlin and Hugh J. Foley
Cybertext, Espen Aarseth
The Art of Interactive Design, Chris Crawford
Digital Illusion, edited by Clark Dodsworth Jr.
Electronic Culture, edited by Timothy Druckrey
The New Media Book, edited by Dan Harries
Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life, Allan Kaprow
Artificial Reality II, Myron Krueger
Virtualities, Margaret Morse
Book for the Electronic Arts, Arjen Mulder and Maaike Post
Hamlet on the Holodeck, Janet Murray
Multimedia, edited by Randall Packer and Ken Jordan
Technoculture, edited by Constance Penley and Andrew Ross
Haunted Media, Jeffrey Sconce
Information Arts, Stephen Wilson
Virtual Worlds, Benjamin Wooley
Audiovisions, Siegfried Zielinski

Missing an Exam, Incompletes
Both the mid-term and final exam in this seminar are projects rather than written exams. However, USC standards still hold: The only acceptable excuses for missing an exam or taking an incomplete in the course are personal illnesses or a family emergency. Students must inform the professor before the exam and present verifiable evidence in order for a make-up to be scheduled. Students who with to take incompletes must also present documentation of the problem to the instructor before final grades are due.

Academic Integrity
The School of Cinema-Television expects the highest standards of academic excellence and ethical performance from USC students. It is particularly important that you are aware of and avoid plagiarism, cheating on exams, submitting a paper to more than one instructor, or submitting a paper authored by anyone other than yourself. Violations of this policy will result in a failing grade and be reported to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. If you have any doubts or questions about these policies, consult ÒSCAMPUSÓ and/or confer with the Professor or Department Chair.

Students with Disabilities
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure that the letter is delivered to the Professor as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30am ∆ 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Posted by at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sommerer/Mignonneau, «A-Volve», 1993 – 1994

Ken Goldberg, «TeleGarden », 1996

Posted by at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Overview - Syllabus v0.9

1) Last Year

532: 5 exercises
1 - Make a one-minute movie about the range of interactive media - presented as a single 12-screen experience.
2 - Make a sketch of your ultimate interactive experience.
3 - Critically review two digital games; make an enhancement of the game “Werewolf.”
4 - Make prototypes of better mobile media devices using traditional 3D modeling media.
5 - Produce two panoramas: a themed immersive still, and a cityscape or streetscape that communicates an impression of Downtown Los Angeles

542: Kiosk Project

2) Individual Presentations

- "Open Mic"
--- possible focus and constraints
--- --- to class title? YES
--- --- to projects? TBD
--- --- to USC community? TBD
--- how many? (1, 2, 3?)
--- individual or group?

- Unplugged time

3) Why Aquarium?

- History
--- Long Beach
--- Wrigley Institute
--- Oct 22-24 gathering
--- funding

- Possible projects (my list, only to get things moving)
--- live webcams (3D?) a/o other live monitoring (e.g., sound)
--- interactive agents a/o games
--- database
--- pos. collaborations with USC CTIN Animation & Digital Arts

<15 min break>

4) Brainstorming Exercise

Break into groups of 2, Google mine:
- aquarium
- interactive aquarium
- "interactive media" aquarium
- "new media" aquarium
- interactive aquarium exhibit
- aquarium games
- "cool aquarium exhibits" (our goal = #1 here!)

Brief presentations of nuggets found. Future scenarios.

Posted by at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi All,

The next entry is a preliminary syllabus for CTIN 532. The idea is to spend the first class discussing options for how to shape things before locking it down. The goal is to lock it down in a final syllabus by the second class. I've found this to be honest, productive, and useful if we're doing something exploratory.

And we are!

Looking forward to a creative and productive time,

-M

Posted by at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)