Digital Arts and Media

[InfiniteJoy]

Hi there,

at the moment, I'm at the U of A doing my first year of general studies to get into Education next year. Everything is working out ok, and if I do end up being a teacher, I really don't have many problems with it, but I was looking at the Grant MacEwan course book today, and a few things caught my eye.

The Digital Arts and Media section really interests me. I am very big into technology and computers, and this really seems to attract me. The courses include:

Term I
(September-December)
AVDM 100 Introductory Photography
AVDM 110 Computer Graphic Foundations
AVDM 120 Visual Fundamentals
AVDM 130 Video Production I
AVDM 140 Audio Production I
ENGL 101 Critical Reading and Writing

Term II
(January – April)
AVDM 150 Advanced Photography
AVDM 160 Video Production II
AVDM 165 Production Planning
AVDM 170 Digital Imaging
AVDM 190 Audio Production II
ENGL 101 Critical Reading and Writing (cont’d)

Term III
(September – December)
AVDM 220 Production Management
AVDM 251 Web Page Development
AVDM 260 Video Production III
AVDM 270 Print Media Graphics
AVDM 280 New Media I

Term IV
(January – April)
AVDM 210 Job Search Techniques
AVDM 230 Portfolio Development
AVDM 290 New Media II
AVDM 295 Field Placement

These all seem like very interesting and fun courses (as interesting and fun as school can get at least) and I'm being drawn to them, I'm considering switching from the U of A to GMC to take this.

My question is, does anyone have experience in this field? How were the courses? Do you need experience in coding/programming to succeed? I am decent in digital editing (Photoshop stuff), but really have no idea for coding past HTML (if that is even considered part of it..) What kind of jobs are available, and how frequently are they available? (Simply put, will I be able to find a job in an exceptable time? Or will it be hard to find one?) And the everlasting question, what is the pay like? Really, I'm happy with $40,000/year as long as I like what I'm doing.

Anyone have any information from experience? It is a pretty big change from what i'm doing, and I don't wanna sign up just to "find out what it's like".

Thanks!



:thumbsup:

[RiCE-DaDDy]

I dunno bout UofA, but have you considered an arts college??
Like ACAD? I know a friend that is doing VC (Visual Communications) and I believe the programs are similar. Anyways just a thought

[VWbloke]

Mount Royal College has an Electronic Publishing program. It's a Bachelor's of Applied Communications degree with very similar courses as the ones you listed.

Might be worth a look. :thumbsup:

[eur0]

Im taking new media production and design at sait, its pretty much the exact same course...i was at uofc last year and decided to change my pursuit (i was taking computer science there)...this is my first semester and im am loving it, I cant think of another program I would rather be in. As for the work place, thats still something to be found out...

[InfiniteJoy]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tbk49
Im taking new media production and design at sait, its pretty much the exact same course...i was at uofc last year and decided to change my pursuit (i was taking computer science there)...this is my first semester and im am loving it, I cant think of another program I would rather be in. As for the work place, thats still something to be found out... [/QUOTE

What kind of things do you do? What assignments are there/What do you get marked on? Is there excessive coding? (I would think this would be super boring if so)]

[Superesc]

If you are serious into becoming a designer (digital or not) ACAD should be where you want to go.

[eur0]

we will start some php programming and smaller things next year i think...for now we have classes doing flash animations/actionscript, 3d modelling using 3d studio max, photoshop assignments, illustrator (like design a logo etc), and we have other classes that look at research and scriptwriting etc.

below is an example, i really enjoiy the course but am questionable to what I will be doing after because it can split into so many jobs...

[InfiniteJoy]

So even though there is a very broad field for possible jobs, is there a good possibility for making good money? As a teahcer I'd be makes 60,000 right out of university, but should something in the 40,000 range be expected?

[t-im]

^ you would make that much off the bat being a teacher?..I thought teacher salaries were way lower (maybe i'm just very uninformed)

[InfiniteJoy]

nope, 5 years education as a french immersion teacher starts around 62,000/year