UConn Today Article: Growing Connecticut’s Digital Media Pipeline
December 5, 2018 – Anna Zarra Aldrich ’20 (CLAS), Office of the Vice President for Research

Many movies we see now include computer-generated images of dragons, aliens, castles, or other fantastical things that can transport us into another reality – a far cry from where we were a few decades ago with films like “Jaws” or “Star Wars” featuring less-than-convincing creatures and special effects.

Just as movies are evolving, so is the field of film making to include new opportunities to create video content for the web and social media.

A revitalized program, Digital Media CT 2018, is working to address critical workforce development needs and respond to the film industry’s needs. Led by Matthew Worwood, Heather Elliott-Famularo, and Michael Vertefeuille from UConn’s Department of Digital Media and Design, Digital Media CT 2018 is funded by a $150,000 grant from the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.

In 2008, the state of Connecticut established the Film Industry Training Program to help young professionals entering the field develop the skills to work in the ever-evolving world of film and digital media.

Ten years later, the program, which was re-launched in 2015 as a collaboration with the University of Connecticut, is embracing its role as a state-wide initiative to connect digital media talent to careers around the state.

“I think people can sometimes think of film, television, and digital media, and somehow connect it to that starving artist stigma,” Worwood says. “As a consequence of digital technology, including the ubiquity of social media, there are tremendous career opportunities in these fields, including here in Connecticut.”

These exciting developments in the field are exactly what inspired the creation of the Digital Media CT (DMCT) program and has continued to fuel its expansion.

The program has helped catalyze the growth of Connecticut’s film industry since its inception a decade ago, but it was not until the program re-launched with UConn that it began emphasizing digital media skills that are critical to anyone looking to enter the field today.

DMCT’s ConnectNext series features workshops and hosts speakers, which help promote the thriving industry in the state and connects hundreds of newly trained graduates and students to job opportunities in their field in Connecticut.

“As the state university of Connecticut, we have a commitment to do what we can in the Department of Digital Media & Design to help build the creative economy within the state,” Elliott-Famularo says. “Graduating students with the needed technical, aesthetic, and leadership skills will help to fill jobs – with Connecticut residents – and feed the growing film/digital media industry and let corporations know that they don’t have to look outside the state to find creative talent.”

ConnectNext workshops focus on relevant topics including motion graphics, game design, virtual reality, and social media management. These bi-weekly workshops are being held in Stamford and Hartford. The workshops will benefit high school students and recent college graduates with an interest in digital media, film, television, and other related fields.

There will also be a state-wide summit at UConn Stamford, which will promote digital media career opportunities in the state’s entertainment and business sectors.

“The state has tremendous opportunities in film, television, and digital media,” Worwood says. “High school students can pursue relevant degrees at Connecticut’s higher education institutions, and then secure employment upon graduation. Digital Media CT is designed to support this talent pipeline by connecting students to their next steps in these growing fields.”

Matthew Worwood is associate director of UConn Digital Media & Design and a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University. As a research practitioner in the learning sciences, Worwood’s past work includes the documentary “Creativity in Education: Exploring the Imbalance,” collaborating on the design and development for the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and founding the Connecticut Student Film Festival. More recently, Worwood co-founded the Class of 2032 project where he produced the film “Class of 2032: Schooling for a Digital Culture.”

Heather Elliott-Famularo is the new department head and Donna Krenicki Professor of Design and Digital Media, who joined UConn in January 2018. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and digital artist and holds an MFA in art & technology from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in art media studies-computer graphics from Syracuse University.

Michael Vertefeuille joined the UConn faculty in 1992, and since then he has worked in several capacities at the University, including teaching and as the assistant dean in the School of Business. He is currently the associate department head in the Department of Digital Media and Design. His current area of research is emerging technology with a focus on the internet of things, rendering systems, computer vision, 3D projection mapping, and wearable electronics.

 

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Meet Department Head Heather Elliott-Famularo! Heather joined the DMD family last semester from Bowling Green State University, where she she served as professor and chair of the Digital Arts division. Heather Elliott-Famularo is an award-winning filmmaker and artist active internationally in the fields of broadcast television, computer graphics and interactive multimedia, with a focus on collaborative digital humanities and public education.

Between Professor Elliott-Famularo’s rich background in film and digital media and her passion for education and the future of digital media, we cannot wait to see how she continues to broaden and promote the Digital Media & Design program! Since her arrival in January 2018, she has led UConn DMD through an exciting first eight months. Not only has the first floor of the Bishop Center undergone major facilities’ renovations, but we also welcomed 49 new DMD Freshmen, eight new graduate students, and six new full-time faculty members into the DMD family. Heather said she is most looking forward to working with faculty to develop and refine the curriculum, build new facilities, and broaden DMD’s outreach in Connecticut this semester. Watch her interview with us to learn more about Heather and her goals for the future of DMD.

And learn more about her here: https://dmd.uconn.edu/person/heather-elliott-famularo/

On June 7th, DMD welcomed Colombian artist Rafael Gomezbarros to view the prototype of the AntU interactive exhibit that DMD students helped develop this year in Anna Lindemann and Michael Toomey’s “AntU Traveling Exhibit Development” course. This interactive exhibit exploring the decades-long research of Carl and Marian Rettenmeyer, and the creation of the Army Ant Guest Collection, will be installed at the UConn Storrs Babbidge Library in October 2018 and will then travel to the regional campuses. Rafael Gomez Barros will bring his Casa Tomada “House Taken” installation to UConn in 2020, which will involve more than 2,500 large ant sculptures on buildings across campus!

In the AntU Traveling Exhibit Development course, students explored the use of interactive motion graphics for museum exhibition design. Working collaboratively, students developed digital media for integration within a traveling exhibit being created by AntU. Students in this course work with a team from Digital Media and Design, the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, and the UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department.

AntU is an idea borne out of an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Collections in Support of Biological Research program to the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB), in partnership with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History (CSMNH), to preserve and curate the Carl W. and Marian E. Rettenmeyer Army Ant Guest Collection. This world-class collection of over 2 million army ants and their guests is the result of 50 years of careful, detailed fieldwork in Central and South America by the Rettenmeyers. AntU expands existing outreach components of the grant in an effort to share the secrets revealed by this project with society at large.

Multiple departments and schools across UConn campuses will be participating in AntU over the four year life of the grant, each challenged with exploring the idea “Learning from the Miniature Societies of Army Ants.” Their efforts will be guided by three overarching themes: (1) the role of the real, (2) complexity, and (3) informing human culture.

Anna Lindemann and Michael Toomey

Ali Betlej, Ali Sailer, Allie Marsh, Thomas Carter, Jacob Rodier, Nini Constable, Rachel Enzie, Helena Sirken, Corlis Fraga, and Sarah Shattuck

Dr. Janine N. Caira

Jane O’Donnell, Ph.D.

Leanne Kennedy Harty

Collin Harty

Elizabeth Barbeau

Geert Goemans, Ph.D.

Bernard Goffinet, Ph.D.

Class of 2032 is a crowdsourcing and documentary project that engages educators, students, and parents in a conversation about the future school experience. This education app helps facilitate a fifty-minute workshop that can serve as part of a lesson or professional development session for teachers.

As part of the Class of 2032 Project, a series of documentary films will be produced to explore relevant topics in our conversation about the future school experience. The first installment, Schooling for a Digital Culture introduces the context for the project from the perspective of a three-year-old boy called Ray. The film examines the origins of our Digital Culture and discusses the most pressing issues that are currently challenging the traditional system of schooling.

In partnership with Xennial Digital the Class of 2032 app helps facilitate a 1-hour workshop that can serve as part of a lesson or professional development session for teachers. As part of this experience, participants will be introduced to ideation strategies and encouraged to identify trends and potential issues regarding the future of schooling.

The Future Trends Forum

Class of 2032 Leadership

• Joel Salisbury (web design)
• Nathan Carr (logo design)
• Kate Kormushoff (logo design)
• William Battle (assistant editor)
• Danielle Brown
• Elizabeth Caron
• Thomas Lee
• Brittney Garth
• Michael Rivera Jr
• Erik Lindsay
• Matthew Bilmes
• Kevin Richetelli
• Bridget Costa
• Aaron Seitz
• DJ Rose
• Mike Carlson
• Evan Field
• Doreen Maclellan

We recently had the opportunity to interview one of UConn DMD’s 2D animation & film students, Henry Stein (’18) on his experience performing with his band “Mild Monk” at the WHUS Spring Fling. Stein recalls the experience as being nothing short of “sheer euphoria. I had the most fun I’ve ever had. Thanks to my incredible band mates and a really awesome and receptive crowd!”

What started as learning to play his acoustic guitar evolved into writing his own songs after being “compelled to add [his] own flavor” using nothing more than his iPhone and a $40 iRig which may not be the most elaborate setup, but proved to be a nonetheless successful or convenient method for his song writing.

When asked about the origin and inspiration behind the name “Mild Monk,” Stein recalled it being a combination of his mellow & mild personality and pair of monk strap shoes that he owned. He also noted that name is also an ode to two of his jazz heroes: Thelonius Monk and Mild High Club.

Not only does Henry’s involvement in Mild Monk showcase his musical talent, but he also uses some of his Digital Media & Design skills throughout his marketing. From using Photoshop to designing CDs, t-shirts, and posters, to promoting himself on social media, Stein is really putting his talents to work. Stein shared, “The whole marketing aspect of the music is something I’m just learning about and having DMD skills makes these goals like making merchandise and posters really obtainable.”

Although Henry will be graduating this May and parting from both school and the band, you can always stream his music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube, and iTunes/Apple Music.

Photo credit: Carly Zaleski & Henry Stein

Fun Fact: According to Henry, his spirit animal is a Hen.

UConn Film Club presents the 2018 Short Film Exhibition at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry on April 27th from 9pm to 11pm and Saturday, April 28th from 7pm to 9pm! Join them for the world premiere screening of EXIT, directed by Matthew Bilmes and LET’S BE FRIENDS, directed by Ryan Glista. Other films to be screened include OPENING NIGHT, THE POND, CITIZEN’S ARREST, DUDE WHERE’S MY SOCKS, and SUNNY SIDE UP. The films represent the work of dozens of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Connecticut across a variety of disciplines.

The club was founded in the Spring of 2016 with the goal of providing a place for students to both learn about the narrative filmmaking process and work on their own original productions. While the university does not yet have a dedicated filmmaking program, the purpose of the UConn Film Club is to fill that gap. Each of their projects are led by a Director, Producer, and Cinematographer, who are not only responsible for the creation of the film, but also to train newer members in the film production process so they can lead their own projects in future semesters. Below are preview synopses of the featured films.

Directed by Ryan Glista

Chris is the drama director for a high school production of ‘The Dark Knight: The Musical’, and the show is falling apart. In order to heighten the drama between his leads, Chris begins a series of manipulations to pit them against each other. His thirst for a standing ovation leads him down a dark path on a violent night the audience will never forget.

Directed by Christian Partenio

This 16mm experimental psychological thriller was created with a small team of students in collaboration with the Cuban experimental filmmaking duo, Juan Carlos Alom and Aimara Fernandez. The film was shot on two 100ft rolls of Kodak Tri-X and a Bolex H16 Reflex.

Directed by Matt Bilmes

Olivia works at the local Exit Bureau, where she spends her nights convincing people to end their own lives for society’s greater good. One evening, after her supervisor issues a chilling ultimatum, her world begins to fall apart.

Directed by Ken Asada & Christian Partenio

The story of two nerds whose lives are transformed when one of them inherits a lucky pair of socks from his dying grandmother. When they lose the socks at an epic party, the duo risk it all in a quest to get them back.

Directed by Alex Rouleau

When college student Kevin Lewowski is tired of crime and bullying on his campus, he decides to take matters into his own hands. After discovering a shocking betrayal, his vigilante methods are put to the ultimate test.

A 24 hour film created by Ryan Glista, Matt Bilmes, and Ken Asada

While making breakfast, a struggling couple faces the absurdity of obsession. Created for the LDS 24 hour film contest by Ken Asada, Matthew Bilmes, Coleman Churchill, Ryan Glista and Sarah Jensen.

Directed by Ryan Glista

Connor, the new kid in school, is a lonely boy whose only friend is a stuffed toy named Beadie. When Conner brings Beadie to school, despite his father’s warnings, a run in with a bully leads to horrific consequences.

For more information about the 2018 Short Film Exhibition, click here.

Film Club is lead by founding President Ryan Glista (2nd year DMD MFA student), founding Vice President Matt Bilmes (senior DMD student) and Faculty Advisor Tim Miller (DMD Visiting Assistant Professor). Upon Ryan and Matt’s graduation, Christian Partenio (junior DMD student) will take over as President and Regan Kilkenny (sophomore DMD student) will take over as Vice President.

“The Film Club is for anyone who has ever had any desire to be a part of creating a cinematic story for the big screen. Whether you wish for it to be a full fledged career, or just want to be a part of a larger project, anyone is welcome. There is always so much to do when it comes to creating a film, that we can never have enough help. It is the goal of this club to bring a greater knowledge of film to the Storrs Campus and to involve the student body through screenings and festivals.

Each semester we create one or two professional short films. We pitch ideas and then vote on what script(s) to write. Next members take on different roles in the film production process- directing, producing, camera work, lighting, costumes, design, etc. If you’d just like to help out and learn more about the filmmaking process, you can be a production assistant. Finally, we edit the final films for the end of the semester to present at a UConn screening and local festivals.”

We’d like to congratulate the following Storrs students on receiving scholarships at this year’s convocation!

Katianna Seman

Jonathan Goodrich

Corlis Fraga

Anna Jannott

Hanna Marchini

Nicole Mason

Yuxin Kang

Daniel Bean

Isaac Bilmes

Tianxiang Cai

Sarah Shattuck

Morgan Rossi

Christina McDonnell

Brittany Shuster

Malik Harris

Nicole Harvey

Ronald Jones

Andreea Rotaru-Barac

Helena Sirken

Corey Freer

Thomas Gambardella

Kyleigh Hillerud

Christopher Holguin

Mia Marasco

Thomas Carter

Matthew Crowe

Shane Deptula

Rachel Enzie

Rachel Wright

Julianna Rodrigues

Bridget Sweeney

Tyler Shuster

Isaiah Edwards

Tiffany Terilli

Devin Quinn

Devin Pashapour

Shay Albert

Emma Cooper

Emma Cooper

Christopher Glenn Jr.

Donming Suh

Shanna Surena-Mattson

Shawn Chen

The project “Museums and Civic Discourse: History, Current Practice, and Future Prospects” has received a 2018-19 Whiting Public Engagement Seed Grant from the Whiting Foundation’s Humanities Program, which supports faculty in the humanities who embrace public engagement as part of the scholarly vocation. The project’s research focuses on the fact that while the 20th century marks museums’ gradual entrée into intentional civic discourse work, there is no critical accounting of this history, no scholarly overview to contextualize and inform current deliberations over future paths that museum work in this area might take.

In short, decision-makers in museums, funding agencies and communities lack a ready assessment of what has (and has not) been thought, done, and evaluated. Divorced from this historical knowledge, the field becomes prone to cyclical patterns of immediacy and reinvention in response to local and national crisis points. Also lacking is inclusion of scholarly perspectives from groups historically underrepresented within these decision-making circuits.

Work on this multi-faceted research effort began in 2015 led by the editorial-research team of Jennifer Scott, Director of the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum in Chicago; scholar-curator Elena Gonzales; Nicole Ivy, Director of Inclusion for the American Alliance of Museums in Arlington, VA; Robin Grenier, Associate Professor of Adult Learning in UConn’s Neag School of Education; and Clarissa Ceglio, Assistant Professor in the Digital Media & Design Department. Initial grants from the Public Discourse Project of UConn’s Humanities Institute and UConn’s Research Excellence Program supported the team’s early work, which has also involved DMD students as undergraduate researchers. The Whiting Foundation grant will enable the team to collaborate with Greenhouse Studios | Scholarly Communications Design at UConn in the design, production, and dissemination of its research to the museum, public humanities, and allied fields.

To learn more about the project, the editorial team, and some of its early collaborators, click here.