Scott Fisher

Goodbye Lucas 310.
Goodbye buzzblaster blue.

More after the jump.

Continue reading "Goodbye Lucas 310..." »

Posted by Scott Fisher at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Assistant Professor of Interactive Media - Game Design and Development

The Interactive Media Division within USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is seeking a candidate for a tenure track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the field of Game Design and Development. We are looking for experienced game designers who are able to blend theory and practice in both their pedagogical approach and their research practice. Candidates should be prepared to teach game design and development at the undergraduate and graduate level in USC’s Interactive Media program, a vibrant and exciting community of scholars, educators and researchers. A Ph.D. or M.F.A. in a related field is required, as well as demonstrated capacity for original and significant design research and/or professional development experience. Evidence of ability to generate external funding is desirable.

Experience in one or more of these areas of game design studies is preferred:
• Experimental game mechanics
• Serious games
• Alternate Reality games
• Art or installation work – game related
• Interactive Narrative
• Critical game studies
• History and theory of Interactive Media

To apply: Submit a letter stating your interest in the position accompanied by a complete resume or curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., course syllabi and/or documentation of student work), and the names, phone numbers, mail and e-mail addresses of three references qualified to provide knowledgeable evaluation of your qualifications. Please do not send additional supporting materials until they are requested. University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

Application Deadline: December 15, 2008

Application Address: Scott S. Fisher, Chair
Interactive Media Division
School of Cinematic Arts
University of Southern California
850 W. 34th Street, Lucas 310
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211

Inquiries: Adrienne Capirchio, +1 213 821 2515

Continue reading "Job Posting: Assistant Professor of Interactive Media - Game Design and Development" »

Posted by Scott Fisher at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week, the IMD blog will be guest curated by Brandi Wilcox and Sean Plott. Thanks to Cynthia Nie and Emily Duff for last week's posts.

Posted by Scott Fisher at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just got word that Tracy is now Associate Professor of Interactive Media with tenure.
Congratulations Tracy!!

Posted by Scott Fisher at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

And speaking of Professor Fullerton...check out:
"School of Thought: USC - At USC interactive media division, students make small games with big ideas." A good article on Winterbottom, the GIL, and our game curriculum on GAMETAP. Some nice words about IMD as well (but not so sure about the "thanks to the efforts of a few old virtual reality tech heads who founded the department...").

Posted by Scott Fisher at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

School's just started and Annenberg's new Fellow, Cory Doctorow, is already making some very useful observations:

Boing Boing: USC's bizarre, non-legal copyright policy.

I'm spending the year at the University of Southern California on a Fulbright chair. Yesterday, some of my students forwarded me a memo sent to them by USC Deputy Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Student Affairs on "Copyright Compliance."

It purports to inform students about the contours and boundaries of copyright, but actually presents a collection of scare-tactic half-truths and astonishing statements about the purpose of the university.

Should be a very productive year...

Posted by Scott Fisher at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Please join me in congratulating Mark Bolas on his appointment as Associate Professor of Interactive Media with Tenure...

Posted by Scott Fisher at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

NOW . Tangled Web . 2016: A Peek at Our Internet Future . 6.2.06 | PBS

Today, interactive media is still the tail of "mainstream media" and not quite yet the big dog. But in the years to come this trend will reverse, as interactive media becomes the dominant form of communication worldwide. You can see hints of this today as video games get larger budgets than some Hollywood films, and as programs like Microsoft Word add features that allow anyone to publish a blog.

As the Internet matures, it will become more of an art form and less about technology. Just as Charlie Chaplin and Sergei Eisenstein helped define the language of cinema in the early 20th century, a new generation growing up on MySpace and Flickr will shape and define this maturing medium. The Internet generation of today will eventually give us the Citizen Kane of the 21st century.

Posted by Scott Fisher at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have posted a few new internships on the IMD wiki.

Posted by Scott Fisher at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REMINDER: Janey Murray from Georgia Tech will be speaking at the ZML tonight on the topic:
"Making Steven Cry: on knowing what to ask of game experience and game design"

Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC), Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)

At the opening of the USC program, Steven Spielberg echoed the EA pioneers in setting the goal of making games that could make us cry. Is this an appropriate expectation of games? If so, how would you design to best produce a tearful experience? This talk examines this question, and related issues of immersion and of the cognitive origins of gameplay and story-making.

Backchannel Log from presentation: Download file

Posted by Scott Fisher at 6:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's really tempting to reblog *all* of the post's on Regine's excellent site: We Make Money Not Art . She always manages to post a wide spectrum of activities throughout the field of interactive media and entertainment. Currently has some great live coverage of Ars Electronica including one about Julian Bleecker's installaton.

Posted by Scott Fisher at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the schedule for incoming MFA and BA student orientation meetings over the next couple weeks:

1st Year MFA students:

IMD Division Overview and Research Program
Scott Fisher
Wednesday,8/24 2pm-5pm @ZML

IMD Weblog Workshop
Justin Hall
Wednesday,8/24 5pm-6pm @ZML

IMD & CNTV Facilities Overview
Marientina Gotsis & Richard Weinberg
Wednesday, 8/31 2pm-3pm @ZML

BA Students:

IMD & CNTV Facilities Overview
Marientina Gotsis & Richard Weinberg
Wednesday, 8/31 2pm-3pm @ZML

Posted by Scott Fisher at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)