Interactive Media

Interactive Media Associate Degree
Digital Video and Sound Major
Video Game Art and Animation Track

The Interactive Media program provides the community with skilled professionals who can create and assemble multimedia products for corporate interactive training, advertising, and marketing purposes. Graduates are able to develop and produce scripts and computer animation, and apply multimedia technology to assemble graphics, text, sound, and video into meaningful productions.
 
The program supports an industry need to provide multimedia professionals to work in the ever-expanding market of integrated and interactive media communications, with a growing emphasis in Web site development. 
 
The Interactive Media Associate Degree program is designed to impart four critical skills to its graduates:

• Design
• Scripting (source code and application), including HTML, CSS, MySQL, PHP, and Actionscript
• Familiarity with various design-oriented application programs including: Adobe Photoshop, Fireworks, Protools, Avid Xpress, Premiere, AfterEffects, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and Maya
• Experience in both the Macintosh and Windows platforms

By mastering these four areas, program graduates will be able to go beyond basic design and layout to complete the “big picture” regarding media structure and flowcharting. As a result, program graduates can cross cultural, aesthetic and technical boundaries.
 
The Digital Video and Sound major is designed to address the need for professionally trained graphic design and interactive media professionals who have the skill set to utilize audio and video assets (typically called “rich media”) in the production of new media whether in a CD-ROM, DVD, interactive Web sites or other delivery systems.
 
The Video Game Art and Animation track covers the core disciplines for video game art production. Students are provided the foundation in key areas that impact this field, including: time-based production, storytelling, a survey of the video game industry, traditional animation, etc. With this foundation, the remainder of the program will build on 3D character and environment production, audio integration and game development skills, conducted through 2D and 3D software, as well as various scripting and programming languages. Students will ultimately work on team-based game projects that expose them to the video game production process.

The jobs available in interactive multimedia are varied. Typical job possibilities for program graduates include multimedia technician, multimedia specialist, multimedia developer, media specialist, instructional design technician, computer graphic artist, 3D computer animator, multimedia illustrator, desktop media publisher, interface designer, animator, script integrator, digital journalist, and presentation artist.

Certification Courses

A series of online certificate courses are available for students interested in being certified in several Adobe software products: Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Flash. Each course is designed to prepare students to take the associate Adobe Certified Associate test for Web Communication, Rich Media Communication or Visual Communication. These tests are sanctioned by Adobe and offered to qualified students through Columbus State Community College and the Certiport testing system (sanctioned by Adobe). Students taking these courses will be introduced to each objective and principle designed into the corresponding certification test. While completing these courses does not guarantee success for students taking the certification tests, the courses are a very focused preparatory tool for the certification test. These courses are offered exclusively in an online format.
 
Upon completion of the associate degree program in Interactive Media, the graduate will be able to:

• Possess a working-level knowledge of the interactive multimedia field and how it affects society and industry.
• Comprehend the relationship between design, marketing, and interactive multimedia projects.
• Understand the purpose and interrelationship between design, scripting, and software.
• Be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of project design including storyboarding, diagramming, flowcharting, and brand relevance.
• Know the core concepts of scripting as they apply to multimedia and Web development.       
• Learn the basic principles of digital video editing using various original or provided video clips.
• Understand the basic principles of 2D design, the elements of design, and concepts of forms and structures.
• Comprehend the basic concepts of 3D modeling: model construction, rendering, lighting, and animation.
• Create a functional, interactive, animated Web presence from conceptual stages to finished product.
• Possess extensive knowledge of industry standard Web animation software (Flash with a 30-week course sequence).
• Gain working knowledge of Web design application software using Dreamweaver.
• Use storyboard, flowchart and drawing skills to represent finished versions of a Web site, an interactive CD or a video.
• Complete an interactive portfolio.
• Gain real-world experience working as an intern in a multimedia-related company.

In addition to the Interactive Media competencies, graduates completing a Digital Video and Sound major will be able to:

• Understand the role of audio/visual production in an integrated marketing communications plan.
• Use software tools to capture audio and video from various sources.
• Use sound and sound editing channels to enhance video productions.
• Understand copyright and fair use laws as they relate to audio/video production.
• Stream and import video for web productions.
• Identify ways to incorporate text and character animation into video productions.
• Demonstrate an ability to record voice, music, and effect for multimedia products.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the processes involved in planning, scripting, recording, and editing a digital audio/video production.

In addition to the Interactive Media competencies, graduates completing a Video Game Art and Animation track will be able to:   

• Demonstrate an understanding of the history, current industry and occupations that constitute the digital gaming industry.
• Possess fundamental visual and audio design/aesthetic skills in digital design, illustration, audio/sound effects and video in support of game development and design.
• Understand narrative methods with particular emphasis on those unique to video games.
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of team members and their collaboration in all phases of design, development and implementation.
• Demonstrate appropriate image-editing software and computer skills that directly support Gaming Art and Animation editing/enhancement and post-production workflow techniques.
• Be able to work as part of a larger technical/design team to complete tasks on time and on budget.
• Understand the fundamentals of game development for both Windows and specific game consoles.     Develop a comprehensive professional portfolio to be used in pursuing jobs and/or internship opportunities.

Software/Hardware Requirements

Students taking courses in this curriculum may need to own or have access to hardware or software to pursue this degree. This is particularly important for students who are enrolled in distance-learning based sections of a particular course.  Check with the program advisor to discuss specific course needs and options.

Interactive Media Associate Degree

Digital Video and Sound Major

Video Game Art and Animation Track