Fall 2021 DMD Student Advising Guidelines

DMD students - Below is the list of variable topics and new courses to be offered in Fall 2021. As most of our courses are being offered as Distance Learning or Online, they are open to students across both campuses. Just be aware of the policies regarding home campus and student fees (the majority of your credits must be taken on your home campus).

In addition, below the variable topics, you can find a summative list of IN PERSON courses. The descriptions of all DMD courses can be found in the UConn Course Catalog.

To request permission numbers, please use these forms. It is best to complete this WITH YOUR ADVISOR during your advising session:

- Storrs students use THIS form to request permission numbers.
- Stamford students - your advisor will fill out the permission number form.

Variable Topics / New courses (taught across both campuses):

For all DMD concentrations:

DMD 3998.007 / HRTS 3XXX

Human Rights Archives I: Documenting & Curating Community Memory

In Person - STORRS, (Fri 12:20 - 3:20pm), taught by Professor Catherine Masud

This is the first part of a two-semester practice-based unit. Designed to introduce students to the use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling, Human Rights Archives Part I will focus on methods and best practices of collecting and managing digital visual and audio-visual archival assets. Students will engage with existing human rights-related archival collections, both private and institutional, to develop an appreciation of the “living” archive and its importance both as a repository of witnessing and memory and as a vehicle for the continuous retelling of history in the present moment. A series of relevant readings, films, and short storytelling exercises will help to provide context and connections. Later in the semester, students will apply what they’ve learned about human rights archives, digital asset management, and storytelling by documenting and digitizing the family stories and artifacts of an immigrant community that bears the multi-generational scars of genocide and displacement, following some of the strategies of the History Harvest model. The assets collected through this collaborative community-centered project will form the basis of an important new collection that students will be involved in processing, organizing, and cataloguing. This collection will be a primary resource for the visual storytelling work in the second course of the unit. Part I, however, is not considered a prerequisite for Part II.

FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION CONTACT: catherine.masud@uconn.edu

DMD 3102 Brand Lab

Distance Learning, (M/W 10:10am - 12:10pm), taught by new hire in DMBS (BOTH CAMPUSES)

Brand Lab is designed to explore and deploy the principles of strategic branding and identity design across traditional and digital environments. In this course, you will learn (1) brand basics, (2) strategic approaches to brand identity design and development, (3) how to execute strategic brand management to establish strong, competitive market positions, (4) how to value brands, and assess brand equity, and (5) best practices across a variety of industries, organizations, and marketing programs.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand and identify the important elements of branding
Learn how to conduct brand research and audits
Develop competitive positioning and unique value propositions
Design compelling, versatile brand identities across traditional and digital touchpoints
Manage assets and brand marketing programs
Evaluate and value the ROI of brand initiatives

DMD 3998.z81 Media & Content Creation for Education

Distance Learning, (M/W 3:35 - 6:05pm), taught by Professor Olschan (BOTH CAMPUSES)

In this project-based course, students will research, develop, and produce content for an online self-portrait workshop series for K-12 schools using art & digital media as a therapeutic mechanism for expression, conversation, and change. The series will teach children to embrace the beauty in their differences through observation, imagination, color mixing, and composition while learning about artists and designers from diverse and/or underrepresented communities. The outcome of the course will be developed and released for Connecticut public schools and beyond.

In the course we will be producing:

Design Research
Inclusive Arts Curriculum
Logos & Illustrations
Motion Graphics & Animations
Videos & Micro-Documentaries
Audio Edits & Music
Interactive Content
Other Content for Social Media (YouTube, Instagram, etc.)

Prerequisites: This course is open to School of Fine Arts Students across all campuses via Distance Learning and others by instructor consent. Juniors & Seniors who have completed their foundation and 2000 level intro courses are encouraged to enroll. Useful skill sets include: Design, Art, Web/Interactive, Film/Video, Performance or Presentation Skills, Writing, Music, Teaching/Education studies, Interest in Advocacy and/or Human/Civil Rights

Art/Design History/Theory course options:

ARTH 3030 Artist & Society*

Distance Learning, (Wed 3:35-6:05pm), taught by Dr. Dennis (BOTH CAMPUSES)

*counts as an art history/theory requirement

As an issue, the role of the artist in society is a distinctly modern concern, one that rises with industrial modernism’s middle class as viewers and patrons, and with salons and museums as arbiters of value, taste, and what constitutes “Art” with a capital “A.”

Through art, artists’ writings, fiction, and film, this course will examine the many myths, contentious narratives, and contemporary challenges to longstanding ideals about the relation between the artist and society, including, but not limited to the following: the starving artist and the “sell out;” the heroic male genius; and the tormented genius among others. What is the function of such ideals about art and artists in society and what cultural ideologies do they reinforce or disrupt? What is the relation between such myths and the cultural moment during which they are most privileged? What—or whom—is excluded from these narratives and why? Are these narratives about artists still culturally relevant? If not, how can we rethink the roles of artist and society? Films viewed and discussed may include: Lust for Life (1956); John Berger, Ways of Seeing (1972); Camille Claudel (1988); Basquiat (1996); Big Eyes (2014); Obey Giant (2017).

Note: while there are no texts to purchase, and most films are on YouTube, students will need to access some films that require extant subscription service or rental fee. If you are unable to access U.S.-based streaming sources, please consider waiting to take this class when offered in person.

ARTH 3510W Modern Art*

Distance Learning, (Mon 3:35-6:05pm), taught by Dr. Dennis (BOTH CAMPUSES)

*counts as an art history/theory requirement and fulfills GenEd W requirement

*NOTE: Students need to be a Junior/Senior and must request a permission number from Dr. Dennis. Please email her at kelly.dennis@uconn.edu directly to enroll in the course.

Topic: Art and Technology. This upper-division art history course primarily examines art of western Europe art during the first three decades of the 20th century. We will explore art in the context of industrial technologies, imperialism, and World Wars, and their attendant impact on modes of perception in the production and reception of art. As we investigate the controversial rise of the avant-garde, we will regard a range of media, focusing on painting, sculpture, and film analysis.

Learning outcomes: By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following: Recognize industrial and technological developments contributing to cultural modernity; Explain key stylistic, political, and cultural aspects of the artistic avant-garde; Compare artworks based on formal and contextual elements and situate the within a thematic and chronological Timeline; Recognize the role played by exhibition venues on the framing and reception of art and cultural objects; Apply research and writing skills specific to the discipline of Art History in an Exhibition Timeline project.

Animation courses:

DMD 3998.003/5998.003 Scientific Visualization

Distance Learning, (M/W 3:35 - 6:05pm), taught by Professor Lindemann (BOTH CAMPUSES)

“Scientific Visualization” explores the use of visual media as a means to communicate complex scientific ideas in clear and compelling ways. The course is co-listed between ART and DMD Departments, and will involve close collaboration between illustrators from the ART Department and animators from DMD in developing still and animated graphics for use in science education and scientific publications and presentations. Throughout the course, students will create animations designed for science education and will work with UConn STEM faculty to develop graphics for professional scientific publications and presentations based on emerging scientific research.

Students will become acquainted with scientific visualization, past and present. Screenings and lectures will expand students’ knowledge of scientific visualization from the commercial to the experimental
Students will work with scientific experts to identify and solve visual problems within the realm of scientific communication
With input from scientific experts, students will work in collaborative teams to move from sketches and scripts to final animations and/or illustrations
Students will learn how to manage their projects as a team, present milestones to peers, faculty, and scientific experts, and complete their projects by their deadlines
Students will speak articulately about their own work, the work of their peers, and professional works related to the themes explored in class

Digital Culture courses:

DMD 3998.006 /5998.005 Collaborating with Cultural Organizations - Methods*

Online Asynchronous, taught by Dr. Ceglio (BOTH CAMPUSES)

Museums, archives, and other collections-based cultural organizations are spaces of digital media experimentation. These nonprofit institutions, often in collaboration with vendors and/or volunteer experts, are exploring new ways to communicate ideas, make collections accessible, inspire learning, connect people, and build community. With the advent the COVID-19 pandemic, digital tools for outreach have become even more important to cultural organizations and communities alike. In addition to learning about the basic structure, operations, and work cultures of such organizations, we will examine ways in which a variety of digital media are being used to critically engage diverse publics in questions about our human past, present, and future. In this class, you will:

Gain understanding of what makes working with (or in) mission-driven, public-focused cultural institutions different from for-profit entities
Learn principles, ethical considerations, and methods essential to collaborating meaningfully and effectively with cultural organizations and their communities
Experiment with strategic foresight, a method of exploring alternative futures, in order to help organizations develop nimble, forward-looking project and institutional plans
Explore the roles that current and emerging digital media play in public engagement through hands-on exploration of case study examples that include browser-based games, AR, and other digital formats
Gain hands-on experience with Omeka, an open-source software for building online collections and exhibits by researching and creating your own exhibition on a course-relevant topic of your choosing

*Required for all Digital Culture majors and serves as 3610 pre-requisite for DMD 3620 Collaborating with Cultural Organizations - Practice

Film courses:

DMD 3230 Cinematic Storytelling*

Distance Learning, (M/W 3:35 - 6:05pm), taught by Professor Sheldon (BOTH CAMPUSES)

*Required for all Film/Video majors taken simultaneously with DMD 2210 Film & Video Editing 1

DMD 3830 Film Writing

Distance Learning, (M/W 12:20 - 2:50pm), taught by Professor Ozdemir (BOTH CAMPUSES)

This course introduces the arts and crafts of narrative scriptwriting; idea generation, formatting, conflict, story structure, concept, character and plot development, effective and impactful dialogue writing and outlining. Through lectures, readings, workshops, screenings, and guest speakers, you will learn how to think and write as a professional screenwriter. The exercises and assignments will prepare you to complete a final project as a short narrative screenplay.

Web/Interactive Media Design courses:

DMD 2470 User Interface Design

Distance Learning, (M/W 3:35 - 6:05pm), taught by Professor Ballestrini (BOTH CAMPUSES)

Interface design fundamentals of websites, mobile applications, and interactive media installations. Students learn aesthetically engaging and usable human-computer interfaces through hands-on course projects, critiques, and discussions.

DMD 3998.001/5998 DX LAB (CANCELLED)

~~In Person, (MoWe 9:05AM - 11:05AM), taught by Professor Daley~~

The Digital Experience Lab (DX Lab) is the combined creative practice and research output of UConn DMD faculty members and students. As an independent research lab, the DX Lab operates within the Digital Media & Design Department at the University of Connecticut.

~~Students in this course will take a semester-long, iterative approach to product design, known as Agile. The tenets of Agile can be summarized as follows:~~

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working product over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

~~Rather than designing in phases, students will work iteratively and incrementally with an emphasis placed on teamwork, short and adaptive feedback loops, and quality. Students will:~~

~~Gain an understanding of Agile methodologies and how they differ from Waterfall.~~
~~Learn to develop and evolve a project charter through the course of a product design.~~
~~Conduct Sprint lifecycle events like planning, scrums, review and retrospectives.~~
~~Learn to code in teams, pair code, and conduct code/design reviews.~~

DMD 3998/5998 Accessibility and Inclusive Design for Web & Interactive Media

Online Asynchronous, taught by Professor Salisbury (BOTH CAMPUSES)

This course introduces web, mobile, and other interactive UI/UX designers to the basics of accessibility, with emphasis placed on making web and mobile designs accessible while promoting progressive enhancements to interactive media. Additionally, the course will address the basics of inclusive design. Participants will learn the language of accessibility, the laws that impact interactive design work, how to execute accessible designs with prototyping tools, HTML, and CSS, and other useful information pertaining to designing accessible interactive media for users of all abilities, backgrounds, and identities.

Game Design courses:

DMD 3998/5998 Accessibility Design for Video Games

Online Asynchronous, taught by Dr. Slota

This course addresses topics of accessibility for game development with particular emphasis on: 1) universal design for learning; 2) quantitative and qualitative measures that support robust needs analyses; and 3) low-, mid-, and high-tech design solutions that promote equitable access. Participants will be asked to create interactive artifacts that leverage best practices for instruction, contemporary learning science research, and emerging technologies (e.g., virtual/alternate reality) to better understand and improve the way games (and virtual/interactive environments, generally) are presented to and received by audiences with particular visual, auditory, proprioceptive, cognitive, emotional, haptic, and/or other needs.

List of courses offered in-person:

Stamford:

DMD 1001 Foundations of Digital Media & Design 1

In Person, (T/Th 9:30-10:45am), taught by Professor Worwood

DMD 1101 Design Lab 1

In Person, (T/Th 3:30-pm), taught by Professor Passehl

DMD 2810 Digital Cinematography 1

(T/Th 9:30am - 12pm), taught by Dr. Guerra

Hybrid Blended mode in the Film Studio (Prerequisites: DMD 2210 and 3320, next year’s juniors or higher).

Storrs:

DMD 1001 Foundations of Digital Media & Design 1

In Person, (T/Th 11am-12:15pm), taught by Professor Vertefeuille

In Person, (T/Th 2-3:15pm), taught by Professor Vertefeuille

In Person, (T/Th 3:30-4:45pm), taught by Professor Vertefeuille

DMD 1101 Design Lab 1

In Person, (M/W 9:05-11:35am), taught by Professor Zhou

In Person, (M/W 12:20-2:50pm), taught by Professor Recchia

In Person, (T/Th 9:30am - 12pm), taught by Professor Zhou

In Person, (M/W 2:30 - 5pm), taught by GA Matthew Mullin

DMD 2010 History of Digital Culture

(M/W 12:20 - 1:10pm), taught by Dr. Scheinfeldt

** Distance learning section taught by Dr. Worwood, T/Th 11am-12:15pm

DMD 2210 Film & Video Editing 1

In Person, (M/W 9:05 - 11:35am), taught by GA Lexy Vecchio

In Person, (M/W 12:20 - 2:50pm), taught by Professor Masud

** Distance learning section taught by Dr. Guerra, T/Th, 2 - 4:30PM

DMD 2310 3D Modeling 1

Hybrid/Blended, (T/Th 9:30am - 12:00pm), taught by Professor Recchia

DMD 2320 3D Lighting & Rendering 1

Hybrid/Blended, (M/W 9:05 - 11:35am), taught by Professor Recchia

DMD 2610 Introduction to Digital Humanities

In Person, (M/W 4:40 - 5:55pm), taught by Professor Booten

DMD 2700 Digital Media Strategies for Business I

In Person, (M/W 10:10 - 11:25am), taught by Professor Murphy

DMD 2810 Digital Cinematography 1

In Person in the Film Studio (M/W 9:05 - 11:35am), taught by Professor Ozdemir

(Prerequisites: DMD 2210 and 3320, next year’s juniors or higher).

DMD 3350 3D Simulations

Hybrid/Blended mode (T/Th 9:30am-12:00pm), taught by Professor Pejril

DMD 3520 2D Virtual Worlds

In Person, (M/W 5-7:30pm), taught by Professor Coltrain

DMD 3720 Digital Media Analytics

In Person, (M/W 12:20 - 1:35pm), taught by Professor Murphy

DMD 3820 Documentary Film Production

In Person in the Film Studio (T/Th 3:30 - 6pm), taught by Professor Cassano

(Prerequisites: DMD 2210 and 2810).

DMD 3998 Modeling For Games

In Person (T/Th 2-4:30pm), taught by Professor Coltrain

DMD 4040 Agency

Split In-person (M/W 3:35 - 6:05pm), taught by Professor Ozdemir

Split In-person (M/W 3:35 - 6:05pm), taught by new hire in DMBS

DMD 4045 Digital Content Creation Studio (AgencyX)

In Person, (T/Th 11am - 12:15am), taught by Professor Dwire

DMD 4075 Senior Project

Hybrid/Blended, (M/W 9:05 - 11:35am), taught by Professor Pejril

Hybrid/Blended, (T/Th 3:30 - 6pm), taught by Professor Thompson

DMD 4340 Advanced Compositing for Visual Effects

Hybrid/Blended mode (M/W 12:20 - 2:50pm), taught by Professor Pejril

DMD 4350 Advanced 3D Research and Production

Hybrid/Blended mode (T/Th 2:20 - 4:30pm), taught by Professor Recchia

DMD 4725 Advanced Digital Analytics

In Person, (M/W 2:30-4:30pm), taught by Professor Murphy

Fall 2021 Courses