Please note:
To view the current Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar.html.
Digital Media Courses
DMED 500 - Foundations of Digital Media (3)
The emergence and ongoing development of the digital media landscape is discussed through a historical exploration and critical analysis of the business, technical innovations, social, ethical, and legal demands which define it. Outcomes are critical perspectives from explorations of digital media aspects, which will act as a common basis for all subsequent discussion and collaboration between students with artistic, technical or interdisciplinary backgrounds.
DMED 501 - The Visual Story (3)
The many facets of storytelling are explored, with an emphasis on the meaningful visualization of creative content. Text and sound are used as the stimulus for development of visual narratives through shape, colour, line, texture and composition. Students cultivate essential art direction skills through photo essays, storyboards, animatics, character design, costume design, lighting design, mise-en-scene and cinematography. Classic texts are re-envisioned to develop a critical analysis of contemporary visual archetypes.
DMED 502 - Improvisation for Collaboration (3)
This course provides students with the practical skills to improve collaboration with others, for the end goal of creating successful projects together. From improving their performance in team based scenarios and developing strong presentation skills, to creating stories and characters on the fly, improvisation is an essential skill in a digital media industry that demands increasing flexibility and creativity, relies on innovative minds for its evolution and depends on rapid prototyping and iterative product creation for its survival.
DMED 503 - Foundations of Game Design (3)
Game design is a seminar and project-based course that teaches the mechanics and processes of game design. The principles learned in this class apply equally well to card games, board games, party games, athletic games and computer games. Students analyze many types of games and design many games of their own, alone and in groups, using these principles.
DMED 520 - Projects I: Building Virtual Worlds (6)
Building Virtual Worlds is the first project course. Teams of students from different backgrounds and disciplines design and implement a digital artifact. These projects have an explicit role in teaching human-centered iterative design, project management, team collaboration, and project execution skills. This hands-on immersion into a team-based problem solving environment is designed to break down student inhibitions and to foster rapid project planning and prototyping.
DMED 521 - Projects II (12)
Projects II cohesively builds on the Project I experience with increasingly complex technical, artistic and management challenges. Projects II is an independent, term length team-based project working with an external client and/or collaborators. Students learn, experience, and execute iterative processes through team collaboration and prototype/proof of concept delivery. Prerequisite: DMED 520.
DMED 522 - Projects III (12)
As a capstone course, Projects III cohesively builds on the Project II experience with increasingly complex technical, artistic and management challenges. Projects III is an independent, term length team-based project working with an external client and/or collaborators. Projects may include student-led pitches. Students learn, experience, and execute iterative processes through team collaboration and prototype/proof of concept delivery at a high level of professionalism. Prerequisite: DMED 521.
DMED 530 - Internship (6)
Students will practice what they have learned in the MDM program through the pursuit and/or completion of full-time work experience in the field of digital media. Students learn firsthand the importance of effective job search, interview, networking, communication, collaboration, time management and teamwork skills. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
DMED 531 - Internship Continuation (6)
This course is a continuation of DMED 530. Students will practice what they have learned in the MDM program through the pursuit and/or completion of full-time work experience in the field of digital media. Students learn firsthand the importance of effective job search, interview, networking, communication, collaboration, time management and teamwork skills. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: DMED 530.
DMED 540 - Special Topics in Digital Media (3)
Special Topics.
DMED 550 - Directed Studies in Digital Media (3)
Normally a student would take at most one directed studies course during their degree. Directed studies offered within the program will be approved by the MDM Program Committee to essentially the same criteria required for approval of a new elective. If approved, this course can be taken in place of an elective.