UNews - media students

Art that moves you

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:03:18 +0000

What was an ordinary walk to the washroom on Level 6 of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts is now anything but mundane.

The wall flanking the entrance to the U of L Main Gallery used to house a bank of pay phones, but with the removal of this obsolete technology, a great opportunity was afforded.

"I think people can easily agree, the advent of the smart phone has been terrific for the promotion of events and cultural organizations," says Dr. Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L Art Gallery. "For the gallery, changes in technology have meant another less obvious boon to our visibility."

The gallery quickly called dibs on the now vacant space.

"We requested a renovation that included the gallery-standard drywall over three-quarter inch plywood backing so that the wall could support hanging objects in frames, and we had the foresight to build in electrical and Internet connections," explains Mills. "Spurred by successful student design projects I had seen around campus, I initiated a call for proposals from new media students and faculty to create something for the new wall to raise the profile of the main art gallery."

The interactive wall located just outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Art Gallery allows people to immerse themselves in the art.

She assumed she would get ideas that involved applying vinyl or other traditional options to the wall.

"Instead, new media faculty members Leanne Elias, Dana Cooley and Carl Spencer, delighted and surprised me with a fabulously innovative idea to install an interactive projection, which was then developed by BFA New Media major Brendan Matkin," says Mills.

The playful interactive installation grabs attention as anyone walking by accidently sets the letters projected onto the wall dancing.

"With this collaborative project we wanted to try something new and different," says Matkin. "We wanted to promote the gallery, motivate others to realize this is a creative opportunity and have some fun."

Several people were involved with the project.

"We started planning in December and the hard work started in January," says Matkin. "In addition to Leanne, Dana and Carl, fellow student Alyssa Buck was an advisor on the project."

Matkin did the actual project development and worked with the open source Processing environment.

"We used a short-throw projector and Xbox Kinect and were able to overcome a few technical glitches," he says with a smile. "It's been a terrific learning experience."

Explaining how it works to a layperson, Matkin says, "Each letter interacts with the others as well as the digital shadow of people coming into the field. Gravity is used to
attract the letters back to their home position; however, to make the letters behave in a convincing manner, I used about 500 times normal gravity. The physics engine is the same as for Angry Birds."

Leanne Elias is pleased with the results of the project and its future potential.

"We are wildly excited about this project because it points towards new directions in interactive media," she says. "And the fact that this was a student-driven project makes it just that much more exciting."

She adds that several students, including Matkin, are going with her to the SXSW International Conference.

"Going to this interactive conference exposes our students to things we can't even imagine – truly cutting-edge technology."

Mills is excited about the future of the wall.

"Brendan created a superb inaugural project and, with the system in place, we are looking forward to further proposals for ideas to promote the gallery and our exhibitions and programs," she says.

The Art Gallery would like to thank the experts in the U of L Department of Facilities (Jim Vanderzee, Bill Hudains, Mick Nutley, Al Mueller, Paul Peterson) for their work in renovating the wall and installing the technology.

This story first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

CSA internship beckons for students

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:12:12 +0000

New Media majors Matthew Lunde and Matthew Jones are taking off to the far reaches of Montreal to do their internships with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) starting in January 2012.

The pair represents the seventh and eighth students from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's new media program to be offered internships with the Canadian Space Agency since summer 2007.

Both students look forward to four months of hands-on work, incorporating methodology they have learned in their classes to assigned projects at the CSA.

Matthew Lunde, left, and Matthew Jones are the latest new media majors to earn an internship opportunity with the Canadian Space Agency.

"I've never even been to Montreal," says Lunde. "I look forward to using the 3D modeling skills I've been learning at the U of L. I know I'll be learning a lot more while I'm there, and I'm really looking forward to it."

Jones concurs, looking specifically at the hands-on experience he'll gain.

"It will be exciting to do practical work in a field I'm interested building a career in," he says. "These opportunities don't happen every day."

BFA new media students may choose between doing an internship or advanced studio work during the final semester of their program.

"The CSA co-ordinates the students' complementary skill sets to advance their ongoing space-related projects," explains Anna Pickering, new media internship co-ordinator. "Our students have the valuable opportunity to participate in complex and rewarding work. Their first learning curve involves understanding and using a multitude of CSA acronyms. Students quickly get up to speed though, and these acronyms become part of their everyday conversation."

Meeting new people and experiencing life beyond the U of L add to the invaluable opportunities gained from working at the CSA.

"The internship provides challenging and relevant work experiences related to the students' school studies," adds Pickering. "And it may lead to future employment opportunities as well."

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

New Media at the Penny

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:23:53 +0000

Cutting edge and highly creative, Collectively Independent showcases the precision, skill and imagination of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge new media students.

Opening Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. in the U of L Penny Building, Collectively Independent is an exhibition of student works spanning the breadth of media studied, including film, print, web design, 2D and 3D animation.

"The digital artists, all senior new media majors, have built a high degree of interactivity into their pieces, affording guests the opportunity to interact with the art," says Jeff Bingley, fourth-year new media major.

Bingley explains that although the works are credited to individual artists, their final creation was ultimately a product of teamwork.

"Collectively Independent was chosen as the title of the exhibition, indicating the close collaboration involved in the independent production of digital works involving students in four new media classes," he says.

Collectively Independent runs Nov. 25 to Dec. 6. For a schedule of exhibit times, visit collectivelyindependent.org.

New media students look to space

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:50:26 +0000

Faculty of Fine Arts New Media majors, Jeff Heaney and Jena Murray, have accepted offers to do their internships with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Montreal starting in January 2011.

The pair is the latest group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students to receive a prestigious internship appointment with the Canadian Space Agency. They are the fifth and sixth students from the new media program to be offered internships with the CSA since summer 2007.

Jeff Heaney and Jena Murray have earned internships with the Canadian Space Agency.

The students were understandably thrilled with the news they would be working in such a unique and challenging setting.

"I'm so excited," says Murray, who is from Lomond, Alta. "This is a great opportunity to experience something new. I'm eager to learn as much as possible and advance my skill set as far as I can. I'm very grateful for the chance to work at the Canadian Space Agency and know it's going to be life changing."

The Canadian Space Agency internship is a program that is interested in 3D modelling and simulation for the purpose of tracking and developing things like satellite simulations and creating works in 3D to be used by the engineers and scientists working there.

"I originally heard about the program through our New Media Internship professor, Anna Pickering," says Heaney, who is from Water Valley, Alta. "Over the course of October, I worked with her on developing my portfolio and resumé to apply to the position. Apparently they found my skills and Jena's to be very complementary, so we both were accepted, me for my experience in simulation and physics, and her for her skill in modelling in a 3D environment."

Heaney says he never envisioned such an opportunity was available when he began his undergraduate studies.

"When I first came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to work on my new media degree, I never could have guessed that it would end with me getting a position with the Canadian Space Agency."

It is a big move from Lethbridge to Montreal, and having two students go at the same time will help them both adjust to life in the 'big' city.

"Leaving behind much of my life to move to Montreal is a bit daunting, but incredibly exciting at the same time," says Heaney.

Murray agrees, adding that it's not just a matter of being comfortable in a new city, but having a familiar face with a similar background will likely help with their studies as well.

"I'm so glad that Jeff will be experiencing this with me," she says. "It'll be nice that we'll have one another to lean on during our time in Montreal."

BFA New Media students have the option to choose an internship or participate in an Advanced Studio class in their final year of study.

"The internship enables students to make connections in the industries where they want to pursue a career," explains Anna Pickering, the internship co-ordinator. "It also provides the opportunity to experience challenging and relevant work related to their school studies, and quite often leads to future employment opportunities."

For a look at the full issue of the December Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Alma Matters

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:54:27 +0000

What's new with our alumni? Let your classmates know what you are up to by sharing a note about your life. Share your news with us through e-mail (alumni@uleth.ca), or by phone (toll free 1-866-552-2582).

Check out the latest news from our alumni below.

1970

Kinahan holds community focus
Brian Kinahan (BMgt '79) believes his time spent at the U of L was foundational for his career. "At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ I gained the ability to think through problems and come up with solutions, to expand my mind and think beyond more than just one focus," he says.

Now the president and CEO of 1st Choice Savings, Kinahan has played an integral part in the growth of the credit union, which currently boasts a balance sheet in excess of $400 million. While helping to build a successful financial institution is something he is proud of, he is also grateful for the opportunities he has to serve his community.

"My goal is to continue building on the success of 1st Choice Savings, guiding it to be a viable and important part of the financial world that focuses on being a community-minded institution that cares about individuals."

1980

Nancy Walker BMgt '82
Walker was awarded a Fellow of Chartered Accountants (FCA) from the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Bill Neudorf BEd '88
"In memory: some of you may remember the little three-year-old girl who would come to class with her dad and spend the time colouring or playing with dolls. Her name was Bobbi Renee Neudorf. Bobbi later suffered from Crohn's disease through her time at university but finished a BSc in Occupational Therapy at the U of A and worked for three years in the QEII hospital in Grande Prairie. Bobbi succumbed to complications from the disease and passed away from a massive blood clot on Sept. 21, 2009. She was 25 years and two months old."

Pamela Zollner BEd '86
After graduating from the U of L, Zollner taught for a couple of years in Alberta before developing a taste for international travel by backpacking around Australia and New Zealand. Zollner incorporated this love for travel into her work by teaching in Singapore and India. Zollner completed her Master of Education in June 2008 and is currently teaching Grade 2 in Calgary.

1990

Winner of the $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award
Michael Davie (BMgt '94) won the inaugural $10,000 Alberta Readers' Choice Award for his first novel

Author Michael Davie

, Fishing for Bacon. The Alberta Readers' Choice Award is modelled on the very popular Canada Reads prize. Five books, each one championed by a celebrity, vie to win a popular vote. With $10,000 going to the winner, the competition is on the same financial level as the Governor General's Awards.

Aaron Berg BSc '95, MSc '97
Dr. Aaron Berg was recognized as GeogNews' (News Digest of the Canadian Association of Geographers) Geographer of the Week. Berg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guelph. He completed a BSc and an MSc degree in Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, an MS in Geological Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin and his PhD in Earth System Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Irvine. His research focuses on hydrology and hydro-climate simulation. Areas of current research interest include: macro-scale modeling of hydrological states and fluxes; climate change and water resources; the spatial scaling of hydrological properties; and evaluating the impact of land use change on regional hydrologic cycles.

Thomas Latta BMgt '97
"I am currently working as the manager, Operations Accounting and Business Solutions for Enerplus Resources Fund and have been with Enerplus for a year and a half. Prior to that, I was with ConocoPhillips Canada and its predecessor companies for 15 years."

2000

Amos Altman BA '04
Altman's play FORTITUDE is part of Fuse 2010 (The Enbridge New Play Development Program) at Theatre Calgary. This heartwarming and hilarious play emerged from the 2008/09 FUEL Playwrights' Circle at Theatre Calgary.

Ryan Epp BA/BMgt '05
Epp, former captain of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team, is now a constable with the Lethbridge Police Department.

Barry Gergel BSc '05, MSc '07
"I'm currently working toward my PhD in the Department of Computing Science at the U of A."

William Katelnikoff BMgt '05
"I received my chartered accountant designation in January, and I am currently assistant coach with the Pronghorns men's hockey team."

Matthew Berrigan BEd/BA '06
Lethbridge College announced their 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and recognized U of L alumnus Matthew Berrigan with the Rising Star Award. Since completing his education degree, Berrigan's rise as a teacher has been meteoric. Named best new teacher by the Foothills School Division for his work in Cayley, Berrigan is now a lead teacher in Turner Valley. The success of his teaching is reflected in his students' achievement results.

Angela Kastelic BN '06
"I am currently pursuing a Master of Nursing (Family/All Ages) with intent to become a family nurse practitioner."

Keely (Kavanagh) Semenuik BEd/BA '09
Following graduation in April 2009, Semenuik was married and travelled to France. She is now excited to begin her teaching career with École St. Mary School in Lethbridge, teaching French immersion kindergarten.

Kinley passes on the inspiration
After attending a presentation by guest speaker John Carr from Pixar, Brad Kinley (BFA '04) remembers telling a friend that the talk was life-changing.

"Seeing what he does and his approach to the whole process of character animation crystallized what I wanted to do," says Kinley.

Now, after being a key player in the design of Mass Effect 2, one of the most popular and highly rated games ever made for the Xbox platform, Kinley returned to the U of L this spring and gave a presentation to the next generation of new media students.

"I know how influential my exposure was to somebody actually working in the business," he says. "If I can lend a little knowledge or inspiration to someone else, hopefully it will help them the way it helped me."

Congratulations
Daniel Wong (BFA '03), Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98) and Robyn Moody (BFA '00) have made the long list (Prairies and North region) for the 2010 Sobey Art Award.

Munton & Co. chartered accountants recently announced that Curtis Michaelis (BMgt '03) and Michael Quinton (BMgt '04) have been admitted to partnership.

Susie Martin (BEd '81), Judy Lynn Miller (BA '91, BEd '93), Matthew Berrigan (BA/BEd '06) and Tracy Inaba (BEd '92) were among 23 outstanding Alberta teachers selected to receive the prestigious 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Sports Hall of Fame

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chinooks women's basketball team (1970/1971) was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame at this year's celebration. The team won the provincial and national championships and represented Lethbridge with pride.

Members of the team included: (Back row, L-R) Wilma Winter (coach), Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minnie Van Dieren and Sharon Giduk (BA '73, BEd '75). (Front row, L-R) Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow (BEd '71).

Andrea Hlady (BEd'93) and Sharon Chmielewski (BEd'75) were also inducted at this year's celebration. Hlady was recognized in the athletes category. She was a two-time All-Canadian basketball player with the U of L Pronghorns. Chmielewski, recognized in the builder category, was honoured for building high school and high-level curling in Lethbridge with her work as an official, instructor and coach.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Fine Arts website garners accolades

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:53:17 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts recently took home first-place honours at Digital Alberta's mediaFresh Awards for its new video website, Experience Fine Arts:
www.lethbridgefinearts.ca

The mediaFresh awards are dedicated to recognizing Alberta digital media professionals and post-secondary students who have created outstanding projects and programs.

The U of L Fine Arts site won in the Non-Commercial Website category. Criteria the judges used in making their selection included: marketing goals and purpose; interactivity and user-friendliness; information design and navigation; visual design; and programming and technical aspects. The panel of judges consisted of recognized leaders and experts in the field of digital media.
Experience Fine Arts was developed with prospective art, music, drama and new media students in mind.

"We wanted to provide future students with a glimpse of what they can experience once they come to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and join our creative community," explains Desmond Rochfort, Faculty of Fine Arts dean.

The site includes videos featuring excerpts from classes, students talking about their experiences, special projects, general information about degree options and a complete list of fine arts events throughout the year.

The website was designed by Jesse Johnstone (BFA '10) during his internship placement in consultation with an advisory committee made up of Desmond Rochfort, Emily Luce, Chris Morris, Venkat Mahadevan and Katherine Wasiak.

The initial group of videos were shot and edited by former new media student Matt Babinec, with the idea being to continue adding and expanding the library of videos. The plan is to refresh the video site on a regular basis by adding between two and four new videos each year.

"It is exciting to have this new and interesting method of reaching prospective students, and to further see it acknowledged with this provincial award," says Rochfort.

Creating a space unlike any other

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:30:45 +0000

The tag line, "If you build it, they will come," doesn't exactly work for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Digital Audio Arts (DAA) program. They (as in the students) are already here, and they can't wait for it (the new Digital Audio Arts Studio) to be unveiled.

"It will definitely be the crowning jewel of the program," says Chris Morris, the technical specialist with digital audio arts. "It will be a state of the art recording facility as well as a critical listening and practice facility. It will be a collaborative environment for the Faculty of Fine Arts."

Digital audio arts is in just its second semester. With a full complement of 32 students and a healthy waiting list of applicants, the program is off to a rousing start. Dr. Rolf Boon and Dr. Arlan Schultz started the process six years ago. The program was created with an eye to the future, and students have definitely responded.

"Dr. Boon likes to say, 'We're preparing people for careers in music technology that may not even exist yet,'" says Morris. "Right now we're finding a lot of students are mostly interested in music production and working in a recording studio. But it's not just a music production program – it's defining audio research for the future.
"When you really open your mind, the sky's the limit in terms of what you can do. Media is everywhere and wherever there is media, there's audio, there's sound, so there will always be an opportunity with this kind of degree."

The studio is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late March or early April. An entirely custom built facility, it has transformed what was once a static, drab, concrete-walled area into a dynamic teaching and recording space complete with hardwood floors, custom speakers and a top shelf audio console.

"Basically the whole place is custom except for the console itself," says Morris.

California-based studio designer Jay Kaufman, a specialist in working with odd spaces, was brought in to recreate the area. The result is a studio that will allow students the opportunity to learn in a professional setting, and similarly attract outside labels and recording artists.

"In terms of post-secondary education, nobody has what we'll have. We're definitely on the cutting edge of everything," says Morris. "It'll position us in a way where this is a showpiece that will attract a lot of attention."

Internally, the studio will benefit the entire faculty. Besides the hands-on learning opportunities for DAA students, new media students will be able to use it for audio work on film, the art department can utilize it for sonic art studies and music students will walk off campus and into the job market with professionally-mastered portfolios.

Externally, Morris says positioning a recording studio in an educational facility
allows recording labels to bring in artists for extended stays, housing them on campus to complete projects quickly. This opens up internship opportunities for DAA students.

"Labels always want to bring their own engineers in to work with their artists," says Morris. "To use the space, it will be mandatory that they take a few of our students as assistant engineers so that they can get experience in the studio with real engineers and real artists."

Already off to a flying start the new DAA studio promises to set the U of L apart from other music programs in the country.

"The first semester of the program was an absolute success," he says. "The feedback from the students has been great, and they love to be able to use the audio research lab we have. Once the new studio is on board, it will be that much better."

GET THE FACTS

• The DAA studio is described as a room within a room within a room. The centre room is pressure-fitted and the entire facility "floats" on neoprene pucks at all points within the concrete cavity of the space.

• The recording area is designed to be completely soundproof with lead-lined walls that are 18 inches deep and floors made of an extra-thick hardwood.

• All the walls, including the glass and the roof, are angled. "There are no parallel walls in the space," says Morris. "It's all about not having any standing waves that would be bouncing back and forth. They'll get scattered in all directions, and therefore create an acoustically sound space."

• The studio's console is the latest from Solid State Logic. The 48-channel Duality allows students to work with both analog and digital audio.

• The entire studio will be connected to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall via 16 channels of audio, a CCTV camera and LCD screens. This allows for the recording of concerts and performances or the use of the hall as a larger recording venue for larger groups of artists, such as orchestras.

New media degree has Mass Effect on Kinley

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:51:58 +0000

Brad Kinley's (BFA '04) career path came down to a couple key decisions – one that was well researched and another that was off the cuff. Now, the U of L alumnus is one of the key cogs behind the mass appeal of Mass Effect 2, one of the most popular and highly rated games ever made for the Xbox platform.

"I had an interest in games forever. It started with an Atari 2600 when I was a kid, and from then on I was hooked," he says. "I've always been a gamer so to be able to develop games now as a character animator is amazing."

Kinley, 27, works for the Canadian-based company BioWare, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest developers and distributors of video games. His path to BioWare began in the U of L's new media program.

Calgary born, Kinley visited the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ before applying. He spoke with professors, sat in on a few classes and was impressed. While friends of his opted to pursue certificates or diplomas from schools and colleges, Kinley liked the security promised by a university degree.

"It was a very new program and I guess I was taking a bit of a chance but the U of L is a well recognized institution," he says. "It was much less risky than going with a lot of the other schools at that time that are now closed. I had friends going into one-year programs for highly technical things, but I thought the BFA would always be useful and applicable regardless of what I ended up doing."

That decision was well thought out, while the one that really set his path was more of an after-thought.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ brings in really great guest speakers and John Carr from Pixar came in to talk and I remember telling a friend who'd missed the talk that it was life-changing," says Kinley. "Seeing what he does and his approach to the whole process of character animation kind of crystallized what I wanted to do. It might sound cheesy but that's exactly what I wanted to do."

With a goal in mind, Kinley worked with the new media professors to specialize his interests. He retook an animation class he'd enjoyed and focused his studies on applications that would relate to animation.

"All my other classes I would work to relate it back to animation because that was my key interest," he says. "I received a lot of support once I decided what I wanted to do. James (Graham), (Dr. Will Smith) and all the professors that were here worked really hard to make sure I had access to opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise."

Before long, the work he was doing in class was translating into the real world. He worked one summer at WhiteIron Digital, a leading visual effect and design company for the broadcast community, eventually completing his U of L internship there.

"All the graphics and designs they were working with at the time were all 2D and I came with a 3D background and I knew how to render and composite and animate," Kinley says.

He made his way into BioWare after completing post-graduate work at Sheridan College in Ontario. It brought him back to his native Alberta and gave Kinley the opportunity for which he'd been preparing.

"There are things you learn in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that you think are not applicable at all, until you go out working and you realize they are," he says. "It can happen on that first day or even two years later when you say, 'I'm sure glad I took that sculpture class because all of a sudden it's hugely applicable and I now have a basis for moving on and learning more about it'."

Kinley returned to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in January and gave a presentation to another generation of new media students.

GET THE FACTS

• Kinley is currently working on the development of Mass Effect 3.

• Mass Effect 2 was given a 96 per cent approval rating by the website Metacritic, tied for second all-time. Only Grand Theft Auto IV, at 98 per cent, rates higher.

• Kinley admits he rarely gets a chance to play games. "A lot of it is a time thing but I still like to see what other games look like. The unfortunate thing is I get critical with them when I try and play, I'm always looking at what I would change or think I could do better."

• One of Kinley's earliest jobs was with Nintendo, as a game promoter.

UNews - media students

Art that moves you

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CSA internship beckons for students

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New Media at the Penny

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New media students look to space

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Alma Matters

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Fine Arts website garners accolades

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Creating a space unlike any other

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New media degree has Mass Effect on Kinley

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