Topics in Media Art: Content Strategy and the Production of Ideas

This is a course about how to develop an idea and bring it to the world, using a variety of digital media. Students will create 3-4 pieces of work that relate to each other and form a portfolio of content — communicating effectively with real audiences using real media platforms. The curriculum covers content strategy, basic narrative, and translating that narrative into multimedia. We’ll look at successful (and unsuccessful) examples of content strategy, often based on headlines of the day or deeper themes, and show how to emulate the best of it.  By and large we will be working with digital formats with which students are already familiar, but this class should help bring their skills to another level of impact. We’ll work in teams, starting with students’ own ideas. Students will craft a portfolio of complementary short pieces, some in text and some in multimedia, that can build awareness. We will also cover how to judge effectiveness and impact.