Game Design (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 6 Weeks
Category Archives: IMA Electives (Legacy Structure – Media & Entertainment)
Courses that count in IMA’s Media & Entertainment category
Advanced Topics in Music Technology: Multichannel Media Installation and Performance (MPATE-UE 1633)
Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue
Music Technology (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks
Mixing in the Digital Audio Workstation (MPATE-UE 1135)
This course explores the art and craft of mixing records, with special attention to “mixing in the box” (via a digital audio workstation). Focus on methodology and technique, with particular emphasis on establishing balances, using such tools as compression and automation to enhance dynamics and develop unique coloration. Examines intersection of technology, budgets, and the marketplace. Students execute their own mixes, with guidance and critique from the instructor. Basic level of DAW proficiency required.
Music Technology (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2024)
MPATE-UE 1135-000 (13050)09/03/2024 – 12/12/2024 Thu12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Killen, Kevin
MPATE-UE 1135-000 (13051)09/03/2024 – 12/12/2024 Thu3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Killen, Kevin
Midi for Non-Majors (MPATE-UE 1810)
Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed
Music Technology (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks
Fundamentals of Music Technology (MPATE-UE 1801)
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Wed
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Wed
Music Technology (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 15 Weeks
Rcdg Tech for Non Majors (MPATE-UE 1022)
Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Fri
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Fri
Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Fri,Tue
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Fri,Tue
Music Technology (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks
Fund of Audio Tech I: Stu Maint (MPATE-UE 1008)
An introduction to maintenance and troubleshooting concepts used in the recording studio. Procedures discussed are those necessary in utilizing sophisticated audio equipment and understanding essential aspects of studio design.
Music Technology (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 14 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2025)
MPATE-UE 1008-000 (8706)09/02/2025 – 12/11/2025 Wed6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Glanz, Jake
Digital Art and New Media (ARTS-UG 1635)
This workshop seeks to bring students from varying backgrounds together to engage in evaluating and sharing digital new media for the Internet and other new media art mediums. Each student brings to the class a set of experiences and skills, such as research, writing, design, film, music, photography, computer gaming, performance, animation, computer literacy, software knowledge, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) Generative Art experiences, among others. The class will discuss new media concepts, content strategies, and frameworks that bridge theory and practice. Through lectures (including a survey of digital new media innovations), group discussions, virtual or other lectures and/or workshops, students will develop individual projects, based on their new media skills. The class intends to be a part of the development of the Virtual Reality (VR) Museum (“Virtual Museum XR”), or other Gallatin arts initiatives, such as Rabbit Hole. Digital new media projects may include digital photography, animated films, podcasts, sound art installations, TikTok, music videos, VR, AR, A.I. Generative Art, to name a few. Class projects, readings, and week-to-week journal-keeping reports are essential components of this workshop. They will reside in a designated Google Docs site, specific for this class. Students are encouraged to supply their own media and take advantage of NYU’s LinkedIn Learning new media tutorials and access NYU’s LaGuardia Studio and LaGuardia Co-op hardware and software opportunities.
Arts Workshops (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2025)
ARTS-UG 1635-000 (9414)09/02/2025 – 12/11/2025 Fri11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Allen, Cynthia
Mobile Food as Media Infrastructure (INTM-SHU 293)
This course examines mobile food networks as a method to research and map the contemporary city. In Shanghai, over the past few years, there has been an enormous transformation in the way the city feeds itself. Street food stalls, restaurants and marketplaces have all migrated online. This tendency towards virtualization was intensified during the Coronavirus pandemic, when, during lockdown, people used their phones to order food, which was delivered straight to their door.This course treats mobile food delivery as a media infrastructure. It examines how these new delivery systems form part of a distributed urban ecosystem that underlies the emergence of a Sentient City. Students will use the tools of critical cartography and digital storytelling to explore the cultural, economic and political issues that are raised by the explosive growth of mobile food delivery. Research topics include the economics of company platforms; logistical networks; the reorganization of food production; the socio-economic conditions of delivery workers; changing cultural habits of urban residents; the shifts in the city’s built environment as well as the design of the apps themselves. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA Major Electives; IMB Major Interactive Media Elective.
Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
VFX in the Age of Virtual Production (INTM-SHU 257T)
In this era of virtual production, time-based media faces new opportunities and challenges in terms of pipelines, workflows, and distribution. Decentralizing, hybridizing, and outsourcing among film studios, production houses, broadcast design, interactive studios, and the gaming industry have become major topics of discourse in academia and industry. This course focuses on the history/context, present practice, and the emerging trends of VFX studies and its applications. Through collaborative research with academia and industry, the course investigates the theory and practice of VFX studies and further examines the feasibility of emerging technologies through the spirit of entrepreneurship. Prerequisite: Interaction Lab / Creative Coding Lab / Communications Lab / Application Lab Fulfillment: IMA Major Electives; IMB Major Interactive Media Elective.
Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2021)
INTM-SHU 257T-000 (20125)08/30/2021 – 12/10/2021 Mon,Wed4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Chen, Wu Wei
Construction of Authenticity in Contemporary Art (INTM-SHU 201T)
The possibility of truth telling has been challenged and debated throughout the history of art and across various genres. What does it mean to tell the truth in art? How does art cross the boundaries between the real and the fake, truthfulness and misrepresentation? This course will examine social engagement in art and the construction of authenticity in creating works based on trust rather than the truth and will investigate a variety of artistic sources and genres including, but not limited to, propaganda, documentary, video art, public art, and installation art. Students are expected to develop projects demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Prerequisite: Interactive Lab, Communication Lab, Application Lab or permission of instructor Fulfillment: IMA/IMB elective.
Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Designing Motion (OART-UT 149)
In this course, we will explore the versatile usage of animation in the world of graphic design as a unique form of expression. We will examine how motion design combines movement, rhythm, space, and timing to orchestrate abstract shapes, words, and symbols. Through a series of weekly exercises, students will gain an understanding of key concepts in motion design while using and learning Adobe After Effects. We will follow the footsteps of motion design history, reconstructing classic pieces in order to gain a fundamental understanding of this art form. We will learn how graphic design, music, choreography, and acting can all be applied to the motion of design elements and furthermore, how the combination of animation and design can convey compelling stories, emotions, and ideas. Students will survey the technologies and methods that enabled the fields’ developments – from drawing on 18 mm film, the analog Scanimate in the 80s, to UX motion, interactive design, and contemporary live performances. Inspired by those traditions, students will be encouraged to take on an experimental approach, discuss thought processes, and develop their own visual language while combining interdisciplinary practices. *Adobe After Effects will be used as a main tool in the course, therefore a sufficient computer (over 16GB of RAM and a graphic card) is required.
Unruly Images: Centering the (In)visible and (Im)possible (OART-UT 833)
This course explores unruly images, bodies, faces, spaces, aesthetics, and even feelings that exist at the margins of categorization, making these powerful subjects for artistic work. We will manipulate image-making tools and give form to expressions that reveal the hidden structures of power. Through lectures, discussions, workshops, and readings, we will look at topics such as memes and glitch art, cyberface and AR filters, monsters and glitched bodies, uncanny valley and AI images, as well as liminal space and collaborative world-building. We will pay particular attention to selected writings from Hito Steyerl, Legacy Russell, Rosa Menkman, and Adam Greenfield, and apply these critiques to emerging perceptual technologies (volumetric 3D capturing, machine learning, AR/VR, web-based 3D game engines) that students will use to create their projects.
Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Playful Performance Props (OART-UT 26)
TouchDesigner is a powerful software hub for live audiovisual performance and installation art. With a cutting-edge buffet of inputs and outputs at our disposal, what new, evolved, or remixed types of art can we create? If you’re a musician, you’ll make and play an instrument that didn’t exist before. If you’re a dancer, your movements will become the music and visuals, instead of the other way around. If you’re a visual artist, you’ll collage with code, sculpt with magic, and create installations that respond to your audience instantly. If you’re all of the above, you’ll have fun in this class. The course starts with video art — live camera feeds, visual effects, and projection mapping — then weaves in audio reactivity and sound generation for DJ/VJing. We will use the MediaPipe plugin to detect our faces, bodies, and objects and use that data to make music, control systems, and modulate visual effects. We will scan objects, people, and environments with our phones to create virtual scenes and 3D animations rendered live. We will learn communication protocols — MIDI to send input and receive output from MIDI controllers or DAWs such as Ableton; OSC to wirelessly connect to other computers, software, and livecode environments; and NDI to send high-resolution and low-latency video feeds between devices. By the end of the course, students will be able to use TouchDesigner to connect and control any modern art/performance/game software. Assignments are time-intensive: creating original work to be shown in class and watching recorded lessons of the next week’s concepts. Classtime is a mix of homework performances, collaborative exercises, concept walkthroughs, and studio time. The final is a small group performance or interactive installation that is a part of a public show. No previous coding, fabrication, or performance experience necessary. Note: There is no longer mandatory use of Arduino in this course, though students with interest in Arduino microcontrollers can still create custom hardware interfaces that send sensor input or receive command signals and turn TouchDesigner into a hub for interactive installations or performance props.
Virtual Performance and Unreal Interactions (OART-UT 27)
What types of performance can we create if we’re not limited to a physical stage or even a physical body? How much more can we communicate with video once our audience has the power to directly interact with the content, not just passively observe? We can create dynamic, digital experiences and innovative, virtual performances using Unreal Engine, a game engine and powerful suite of development tools. Students will learn the fundamentals of Unreal Engine, including 3D environments and assets, lighting, cameras, animations, audio, basic VFX, and programming interactivity using visual scripting blueprints. Then, we will incorporate external hardware such as depth cameras, LiDAR scanners, and motion capture suits to create our own digital assets, including virtual avatars of ourselves. Students will use this foundation in virtual production to create projects ranging from 3D music videos to choose-your-own-adventure memoirs to Performances with puppet avatars in an online 3D environment. The final assignment will be a part of a public show.
Sonic Utopia: Unconventional Applications for Sound (OART-UT 1096)
Sound is physical. It can move objects, vibrate surfaces, perceptually alter our emotions, and shape the way viewers engage with spaces. As artists, we are conditioned to aspire to situate our work within traditional settings. How can we reposition sound as a main element of a work within unconventional contexts? This course will use the question of a sonic utopia as a platform to create interdisciplinary projects that exist between installation, sculpture, video, performance, movement, and music. Students will learn sound theories through lectures and in-class workshops and are encouraged to incorporate their individual interests into each of the four main projects that aim to position sound as a primary element of a work in order to expand the possibilities of working with sound.
Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2023)
OART-UT 1096-000 (13635)09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by
Immersive Design for Video Games (INTM-SHU 259)
The current design methods and technologies in the field of digital entertainment, from design concepts to design tools, are still based on 2D screens, but the product is often 3D. This contradiction results in the designers not being able to see the final consequences of their work directly. Can existing VR technologies solve this contradiction? Immersive design is a new design method for digital creativities beyond the screen. It usually takes VR, AR, or MR devices as design interfaces to craft 3D models, textures, game environments, and other gaming experiences. Not only game assets creation but also game design concepts can be changed with these new technical inputs. In this course, students will answer the following questions: ○ Is immersive design more intuitive? ○ Is immersive design more efficient? ○ Do immersive design techniques have lower learning costs? ○ What traditional design lessons and concepts can be applied in an immersive design environment? In view of these questions, students from different disciplines will give answers through discussions, projects, collaboration, documentation, and VR games. Prerequisite: Communications Lab. Fulfillment: IMA/IMB Elective.
Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 8 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2022)
INTM-SHU 259-000 (17316)09/05/2022 – 10/28/2022 Tue9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Zhang, Xingchen
Hello Metaverse (INTM-SHU 305)
The aim of this course is to explore the relationship between the virtual self and environment and to assess both as a space for learning and collaboration using virtual reality. This course takes place entirely in virtual, immersive environments. Students will be provided Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headsets and specialized software. See the principles above for further details. Prerequisite: IMA Major with junior or senior standing. Fulfillment: IMA/IMB Elective.
Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 7 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2022)
INTM-SHU 305-000 (17306)10/31/2022 – 12/16/2022 Wed9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Grewell, Christian
Learning with Turtles (INTM-SHU 151)
Learning with Turtles explores programming languages, systems, and activities designed to help learners in computational environments. Starting from a constructionist principle that systems designed for beginners must be able to embody the most powerful ideas in computing, we master some of those systems, explore how those have been designed, and engage in contemporary debates. The environments we learn with include Turtle Geometry, Craft Computing withTextiles, Modelling, and other interactive projects using programming and modelling systems such as Snap!, TurtleArt, Turtlestitch and NetLogo. Individual and group projects involve students in advancing their computational knowledge and skills and provide opportunities to design for others, to teach, to study learning and expertise, and present projects in community and public forums. The course is fundamentally about ideas, and how some powerful ideas from computation can empower a learner to be a better creator and problem solver. Writing, presentations, and discussions will emphasize reflection on our own learning within the course. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA Major Electives; IMB Major Interactive Media Elective.
Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Fall 2022)
INTM-SHU 151-000 (17299)09/05/2022 – 12/16/2022 Mon1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Minsky, Margaret
Auto Fictions (ITPG-GT 2066)
Auto Fictions is a studio class focusing on the creation of immersive, multi-path and interactive experiences based on personal narrative. Documentary art has included the art of installation for decades, but new technologies have given artists affordable tools that allow them to rapidly prototype and then refine immersive media experiences. Auto Fictions is an interdepartmental course that may include students from Film, ITP and Theater disciplines. Students will create production teams. Each team will make a project and each student will help the other create their work through intensive collaboration. The intention here is to practice collaboration across disciplines, methods, values, and artistic cultures to create a work of immersive fiction based on materials gathered from the past, captured or created in the present and/or imagined for the future. We will look at several possible approaches to the creation of immersive media works. Including multiplexing software programs. Students with the requisite knowledge in these tools or gaming engines with similar capabilities may use them for the creation of their works. But it is not required. There may be an opportunity for building intuitive interactivity into some of the experiences. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic we will be exploring how to adapt our working methods and our work itself to these conditions as they develop. The goal of the course will be to physically realize the works but to do that we will go through a detailed comprehensive design, planning and budgeting process so that if conditions permit all aspects of the work will be fully created or planned and ready to build. If conditions permit, we will meet one day at the beginning of the semester to install and introduce the platform, create teams, and review the assignment. Otherwise we will meet online and begin work there. Students will be provided with access to online tutorials for relevant software and systems.