Archives

Spring 2021

Theories and Practices of Transmedia Storytelling (INTM-SHU 286)

This course examines both the practices and the products of adapting narratives from one medium to another. Through case studies of specific adaptations, we will address some of the major formal, industrial, and interpretative questions that transmedia adaptation raises, as creators change characters, stories, settings, and narrative tropes to fit into new stories various, often multiple media: comics, radio, novels, movies, television, games (tabletop and electronic), and more. Theoretical readings will give students concepts and a vocabulary to discuss ways that narrative adaptations use and re-purpose their “source” texts. Students will write prompted response papers, an analytical essay, and an annotated bibliography; in collaboration with classmates, student teams will first propose and then develop transmedia narratives of their own. Prerequisite: Writing as Inquiry Fulfillment: IMA/IMB elective.

Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 16 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

INTM-SHU 286-000 (24343)01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Wed1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Claverie, Ezra

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment) Undergraduate
Spring 2021

Open Project Salon (INTM-SHU 140T)

This course offers students the opportunity to develop a self-initiated project with close mentorship from a faculty member. Projects undertaken can span the areas of conceptual research, business development, creative practice, and media production. The course includes structured weekly workshop and critique times with peers and special guests. It is expected that students will embrace open-source and open-content ideals in their work, be invested in the work of their peers by providing feedback, and consider the feedback they receive during critique. In addition to weekly meeting times, students are expected to also participate in regular one-on-one meetings with faculty, peers, and guests. A formal project proposal, weekly assessments and documentation, a final project presentation, and participation in the IMA End of Semester show are all required. Although students are encouraged to continue work they may have initiated in a prior class, they may not combine or in any way double count work from this class in another class taken in the same semester. Group work is allowed assuming all group members are enrolled in this class. Students may take this course in either the first or second 7 weeks for 2 credits or repeated across 14 weeks for 4 credits. It is open to anyone in any major assuming they have satisfied the prerequisites. Prerequisites: None

Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 16 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

INTM-SHU 140T-000 (20409)01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Mon1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Belanger, Matthew

IMA Electives Undergraduate

Digital Electronics Lab (MPATE-UE 1828)

Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu
Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Thu,Tue

Hands-on lab accompanying Digital Electronics. Lab sessions will contain hands-on experience with logic circuits & microcontrollers. The course culminates with a student developed final project.

Music Technology (Undergraduate)
1 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Analog Electronics Lab (MPATE-UE 1827)

Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue
Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Mon
Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Mon
Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Mon,Fri
Credits: 1
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Mon,Fri

Hands-on lab accompanying Analog Electronics. Lab sessions will contain hands-on experience with analog audio circuitry. The course culminates with a student developed final project.

Music Technology (Undergraduate)
1 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Analog Electronics (MPATE-UE 1817)

Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue

An introduction to Analog Electronic theory including solid-state devices. Ohm’s Law & related measurement techniques will be explored. Students must enroll in a Lab section to apply hands-on experience in basic circuit design & measurement.

Music Technology (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Elect Music Synthesis: Fundamental Techn (MPATE-UE 1037)

Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Fri
Credits: 3
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Fri

This course focuses on electronic music synthesizer techniques. Concepts in the synthesis of music, including generation of sound, voltage control, and treatment of sound and tape techniques. Included is a short synopsis of the history and literature of analog electronic music. Students complete laboratory tasks and compositions on vintage synthesizer modules and create one or more final projects that demonstrate(s) the application of these concepts.

Music Technology (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Electronic Music Performance (MPATE-UE 1019)

Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed,Thu
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed,Thu,Mon
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed,Thu,Mon
Credits: 2
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Wed,Thu,Mon

Through weekly performing, readings and discussions, students study the conceptualization and production of live electronics ensemble performance. Students create new works, improvisations, and rehearse compositions from a growing repertoire of electronic ensemble compositions, to be performed at a semester’s end public concert.

Music Technology (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Spring 2021

Resisting Dystopia (MCC-UE 1041)

A deep sense of a descending dystopian future has become more pronounced with the global pandemic, economic shutdowns, and the rise of extremism and authoritarianism. Scholars, novelists, journalists, filmmakers, and activists around the world have been writing and speaking about political systems and leadership classes incapable of addressing such issues for decades. Students explore dystopia through literature, film, and scholarly works, and examine strategies for resisting dystopia. Students participate in a social action project and create video projects.

Media, Culture & Communication (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

MCC-UE 1041-000 (23974)01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Wed2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Gary, Brett

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Undergraduate
Spring 2021 Spring 2025

History of Computing: How the Computer Became Personal (MCC-UE 1171)

This course focuses on technological developments and cultural contexts relevant to understanding the development of digital computing technology. The course familiarizes students with the social forces and technocultural innovations that shaped the personal computing industry, and uses primary documents, academic history and critical theory to contextualize and problematize popular frameworks of technological progress and challenge narratives of computing’s inevitability.

Media, Culture & Communication (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)

MCC-UE 1171-000 (18059)01/21/2025 – 05/06/2025 Wed2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Yates, Katie Lane

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Undergraduate
Fall 2020 Fall 2022 Spring 2021 Spring 2022

Digital Photography (OART-UT 13)

This is a standard digital photography course designed for those with little or no experience in photography. This course will emphasize personal expression through the application of technique to the presentation of subject matter. Open Arts will have enough Sony A7r cameras for students to share. If students plan to borrow the DSLR cameras, they are first required to purchase College Student Insurance, (CSI). While it is not required that you own your own digital camera to enroll in this course, it is recommended that you borrow or acquire your own camera for the duration of this course, or if you would like to avoid having to share one of the department’s cameras with another student. If you would like to purchase your own camera, a digital single lens reflex (SLR) or mirrorless digital camera is highly recommended for this course. The camera needs to have manual aperture and shutter speed controls. The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the technical and aesthetic aspects of making photographic images. We will apply fundamental photographic techniques such as composition, framing, lighting and manual camera controls to the images we create. We will discuss the way we see, compared to how cameras and lenses see, evaluate the similarities and differences and how that impacts the creation of images and how we analyze them. Students will make photographs that are effective as individual images and photographs that work together in a series. Students will learn how to create a narrative with a series of photographs and express a feeling or mood with a series of photographs. Class discussions will introduce students to a variety of concepts related to visual literacy. Students will also be introduced to the work of historically significant photographers from a broad range of backgrounds. Students will learn how to use Adobe Creative Cloud software to adjust images for print and digital publishing. By the end of the course, students will understand how to use a digital SLR or mirrorless camera to create compelling photographs using manual controls, process their images using Adobe Creative Cloud software and best practices for publishing their images digitally as well as best practices for printing their images. Finally, students will enhance their critical thinking skills while developing a deeper understanding of visual/photographic language. Students are expected to shoot a minimum of 108 exposures (photographs) each week.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

OART-UT 13-000 (14496)09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Ross-Smith, Bayete

General Elective Graduate Undergraduate
Fall 2020 Fall 2021 Spring 2021

Digital Photography (OART-GT 2013)

This is a standard digital photography course designed for those with little or no experience in photography. This course will emphasize personal expression through the application of technique to the presentation of subject matter. Open Arts will have enough Sony A7r cameras for students to share. If students plan to borrow the DSLR cameras, they are first required to purchase College Student Insurance, (CSI). While it is not required that you own your own digital camera to enroll in this course, it is recommended that you borrow or acquire your own camera for the duration of this course, or if you would like to avoid having to share one of the department’s cameras with another student. If you would like to purchase your own camera, a digital single lens reflex (SLR) or mirrorless digital camera is highly recommended for this course. The camera needs to have manual aperture and shutter speed controls. The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the technical and aesthetic aspects of making photographic images. We will apply fundamental photographic techniques such as composition, framing, lighting and manual camera controls to the images we create. We will discuss the way we see, compared to how cameras and lenses see, evaluate the similarities and differences and how that impacts the creation of images and how we analyze them. Students will make photographs that are effective as individual images and photographs that work together in a series. Students will learn how to create a narrative with a series of photographs and express a feeling or mood with a series of photographs. Class discussions will introduce students to a variety of concepts related to visual literacy. Students will also be introduced to the work of historically significant photographers from a broad range of backgrounds. Students will learn how to use Adobe Creative Cloud software to adjust images for print and digital publishing. By the end of the course, students will understand how to use a digital SLR or mirrorless camera to create compelling photographs using manual controls, process their images using Adobe Creative Cloud software and best practices for publishing their images digitally as well as best practices for printing their images. Finally, students will enhance their critical thinking skills while developing a deeper understanding of visual/photographic language. Students are expected to shoot a minimum of 108 exposures (photographs) each week.

Open Arts Curriculum (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

OART-GT 2013-000 (7438)09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Wed1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Ross-Smith, Bayete

General Elective Graduate Undergraduate
Fall 2020 Fall 2021 Spring 2021

Choreography (OART-GT 2805)

The purpose of this course is to enable the student to gain a heightened awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of dance through movement and performance. We focus on the foundations of dance such as control, aesthetics, alignment, development of strength and flexibility, dynamics, athleticism, musicality, use of space, development of learning strategies within a group context, and personal, artistic expression. The student’s mastery of their body, expression with their body and creativity through their body is the center of the work. Through individual and collective kinesthetic participation in unfamiliar patterns, related, but not limited to China, West Africa, United States, and Japan, the student is physically and conceptually challenged and informed. Using these learned dances as inspiration, students go on to re interpret, improvise and choreograph their own variations on dance forms in their class assignments. Dance experience is not necessary.

Open Arts Curriculum (Graduate)
2 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

OART-GT 2805-000 (7359)09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Tue1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Hoffbauer, Patricia

General Elective Graduate
Fall 2020 Fall 2021 January 2021 Spring 2020 Spring 2021 Summer 2019 Summer 2021

Intro to Digital Tools (OART-GT 2823)

This course will explore the basic tools of digital imaging. We will cover the three main Adobe products for creative imaging – Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Through a series of short assignments we will look at various graphic design and layout ideas using Illustrator and InDesign and will touch on the wealth of image enhancement techniques afforded by Photoshop. The short assignments introduce the basics of design, typography and compositing images. Students have the opportunity to complete a small project of their own for the end of the term. Class time will be divided between lectures, critiques, and work in class sessions. This course is not intended to completely cover the software listed, but will give students a fundamental understanding of the possibilities of digital imaging. While the majority of the class focuses on print media (images, books and magazines), we discuss the growing importance of screen output. We do not have time to cover specific web or media projects, but will address transferable skills and understanding. We will incorporate some Adobe apps to augment the desktop applications. Additional reading materials will be distributed during the semester. Students should have access to the Adobe Creative Suite through the NYU license.

Open Arts Curriculum (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

OART-GT 2823-000 (7363)09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Tue1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Fallon, Catherine

OART-GT 2823-000 (7364)09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Thu1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Fallon, Catherine

Graduate IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Undergraduate
Fall 2020

Locative Media (INTM-SHU 283)

With the rise of mobile computing platforms such as smart phones and tablets, location has suddenly become a key element in the production and consumption of media. In this online course, designed for NYU Shanghai Interactive Media Arts majors studying abroad, students will be encouraged to simultaneously explore their unique study away site, as well as to consume, research, critique, and create location-based media for mobile devices. Students will be introduced to GPS (Global Positioning System) technologies through activities such as geocaching and GPS drawing. We will next investigate geocoding, geotagging, and geofencing through the application of JavaScript mapping platforms CartoDB and Google Maps. Students will then explore an emerging technology known as Bluetooth Beacons, which can be used to create custom positioning systems and to facilitate location awareness in mobile devices. Students will be asked to then produce, as a final project, a game that engages participants in a location or locations, as well as in locative media in any number of forms. Note: This is an online course featuring both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. Registration is limited to IMA Majors studying at NYU’s global sites other than New York or Abu Dhabi.

Interactive Media Arts (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 13 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2020)

INTM-SHU 283-000 (22965)09/14/2020 – 12/15/2020 Wed1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Belanger, Matthew

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment) Undergraduate
Fall 2020 Fall 2021

The Body, Everywhere and Here (ITPG-GT 2070)

Today’s internet, made up of mostly text documents and two-dimensional images and videos, is the result of historical limitations in bandwidth, graphics processing and input devices. These limitations have made the internet a place where the mind goes, but the body cannot follow. Recent advances in motion capture devices, graphics processing, machine learning, bandwidth and browsers, however, are paving the way for the body to find its place online. This course will explore embodied interactions in the browser and across networks. Specifically, we’ll explore TensorFlow.js models like PoseNet and BodyPix, and Microsoft Kinect in p5.js and Three.js. Assignments will consider designing engaging embodied experiences for individual and social interactions online. Experience with Node, HTML and JavaScript is helpful but not required. ICM level programming experience is required. The course will have weekly assignments that explore embodied interaction online. Assignments will begin with exploring single points of interaction (i.e. one mouse or one joint), and progress to considering full bodies and multiple bodies in one browser. Students will have a 2-3-week final project with which they will delve more deeply into the subject matter in one piece of work. Students will have readings/watchings focused on embodied and networked user experience. Some influential works that will likely be assigned/discussed are Laurie Anderson’s “Habeas Corpus,” Todd Rose’s “The End of Average,” and Myron Krueger’s “Artificial Reality.” The course examples will be taught in Javascript using web technologies/frameworks. However, students are welcome to work in their preferred medium.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 8 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

ITPG-GT 2070-000 (22670)09/02/2021 – 10/26/2021 Tue12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by

Graduate IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment) IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data)
Fall 2020 Fall 2021

Cybernetics of Sex: Technology, Feminisms, & the Choreography (ITPG-GT 2074)

What can cybernetics, the study of how we shape and are shaped by systems, teach us about the sexual and social reproduction of gender and sexism? How does sex become gender and what are the politics surrounding who gets reproduced? We will explore how social regulatory systems are encoded into technological platforms and disentangle how they produce social pressure and govern behavior through somatic exercises, discussion, and project making. In this class, we will not shy away from difficult conversations and work closely together to cultivate a space of openness and mutual support. Discussion and project-making is core to this class. Together we will read the work of scholars such as Donna Haraway, Ruha Benjamin, Paul Preciado, Silvia Federici, & Audre Lorde. Along with lecture, discussion, and in class activities, students will be encouraged to explore their own research interests and personal histories. When projects are discussed, we will practice communicating ideas through presentation as a medium and will co-create a culture of constructive feedback.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

ITPG-GT 2074-000 (23969)09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Mon12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by

Graduate IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies)

Experiential Comics: Interactive Comic Books for the Fourth (ITPG-GT 2072)

Juxtaposed to traditional comics, Experiential Comics combines emergent tech, unconventional comic book art/structure, and game engines to offer users a more immersive, continuous storyworld experience. Challenging the status quo of classic and contemporary digital comics, students will explore new technologies/world-building techniques better suited to craft innovative comic book narratives and formats –worthy of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Students will ingest a brief history of classic and digital comics formats, collaborate with comic book artists to design engrossing characters, engage in world-building sessions, play with Unity/Unreal engines to generate avatars/ virtual environments, work with actors in motion capture/volumetric capture studios, learn the latest iteration of the Experiential Comics format, and share their unique expressions of Experiential Comics in a final presentation. Throughout a 7-week period, the course will be divided into 7 themes 1) The Disconnection of Digital Comics 2) Classic and Unconventional Comics Continuity 3) Marvel vs DC vs Insert Your Universe Here 4) Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies 5) Capture & Creation 6) Infinite Engagement and Unlocking Immersive Format 7) Experiential Comics Presentations. Each weekly class will be divided into two halves 1) Exploration of Theme/Discussion 2) Process, Practices, & Play. This course requires CL: Hypercinema or equivalent experience.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 7 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)

ITPG-GT 2072-000 (11372)10/23/2025 – 12/11/2025 Thu12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at OnlineInstructed by Patrick, Tony

Fall 2025 Graduate IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment)

Electronics for Inventors (ITPG-GT 2036)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Tue

Today we no longer solely connect to the digital world through computers. The result of this push to connect the digital and the analog world is the increase necessity for low cost, low power, and self-contained electronics. This course is an applications-driven intro to electronics for inventors. Through a hands-on approach students will learn basic concepts about analog circuits, boolean logic, digital devices interfaces, and low-cost code-free electronics. Topics will include basic principles of electricity, as well as understanding of electronics components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, audio amplifiers, and timers.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Graduate IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026

The Code of Music (ITPG-GT 2653)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue

This course explores how sound, code, and interaction can merge to create musical experiences that invite listeners to shape the music, not just hear it. Students create a series of browser-based musical systems that respond to users, incorporate randomness, and draw patterns from existing music. We begin by creating a series of audio-visual interfaces—an instrument, a score/mixer, and a loop-based piece—that invite deeper listening through play. Incorporating elements of sound and music production, these projects turn tools normally hidden in the studio into interactive spaces where listeners, performers, and audiences can engage with music in new ways. From there, we dive into the inner workings of music, examining how sound organizes into rhythm, melody, timbre, and harmony, and how these patterns can be expressed in code. Students design interactive studies on each musical element, reimagining tools like drum machines, sequencers, and synthesizers into experimental, playful, or educational systems that incorporate creative coding, machine listening, and machine learning techniques. Classes combine lectures, coding tutorials, listening sessions, design exercises, and discussions of existing interfaces. Throughout, students bring their own musical sensibilities into the work while developing their creative coding skills using p5.js and Tone.js. Students regularly share work and receive feedback, using input from the class to develop and iterate on their ideas. The semester culminates in an interactive or generative piece that builds on the semester’s studies, documented through sketches, demos, and code. Prerequisites: Introduction to Computational Media (ICM) or equivalent programming experience is required. About Luisa Hors: https://www.luisapereira.net/

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 Graduate IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Spring 2026 Undergraduate