Prior to attending the Masters of Digital Media program, I obtained my Bachelors in Illustration at Ontario College of Art & Design. I was attracted to MDM because it promised me the opportunity to use my skills in the video game industry and develop project management skills. It was also the perfect opportunity to continue my studies and earn for myself a Masters Degree.
About MDM
The MDM is a full-time two year program for students to earn their Masters Degree in Digital Media; UBC, SFU, Emily Carr and BCIT joined together to provide the Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver (MDM’s home). It’s those very four institution’s emblems that end up on your parchment (Yes! That’s four schools on your degree). The school is richly affiliated with video game developers such as Relic, Radical and of course Electronic Arts (my attraction to the school).
A point must be made before you read on: MDM is NOT an art school.
A point must be made before you read on: MDM is NOT an art school. I knew that beforehand and I was glad because it offered more. This program attracts students from all over the world and from different areas of expertise like programming, art, music, design, business, and project management. The overall design of the program was to bring collaboration between different talents and hopefully cultivate innovation within digital media. I will explain more with examples.
Program Breakdown
Fall – The first semester is full of foundation courses (all required, not optional) and each course is taught by an industry professional. For example, improvisation classes are taught by actors, foundation of digital media is taught by a former EA general manager. The point of this semester: there will be several group projects that will challenge your creativity but more importantly your teamwork skills. You will take the opportunity to find team chemistry with everyone in your cohort (like one artist will look for one programmer and vice versa).
Second semester is a real full-time industry project that the school has acquired.
Winter – Second semester is a real full-time industry project that the school has acquired. Most likely it will be either a game or social networking project. You will be assigned to one team and to one project from the beginning to end of this semester. Each team is responsible for understanding their client’s objective and must find the solution within a certain deadline. Pros: This is a REAL test of project management. You will never be given an interesting opportunity like this anywhere else. For example, it’s the artist’s responsibility to outline all the assets, schedule production, and keep it compatible with the programmer’s tasks, the designer’s tasks, client’s expectations, and so on. While everyone inevitably micromanages one another, you’ll learn so much through the pipeline production. Cons: Everyone wants to be the manager. Furthermore you don’t get to pick the project, instead the school picks on your behalf. I also didn’t like the idea that your tuition went towards working for somebody else (everybody agreed on that).
Summer – During the summer you are REQUIRED to have an internship and ideally you want to be paid. Pro: the program has some very good connections. Most people in my cohort got to do what they wanted to. I was able to find an internship with a game developer drawing out storyboards; it was a wonderful experience and I was able to learn new things and eventually produced all the in-game cinematics. Your resume and portfolio grows as well as your network. Con: You have to find your internship during your busy winter semester. I found my internship before the recession, so I was lucky with timing. On the other hand, the other cohort was unfortunate due to the recession as they had a much harder time. It’s all about timing.
Fall – This semester is another full time industry project again, different project and different team. Same Pros and Cons.
They essentially are trying to help you start your own company without quitting school.
Winter – Here’s where it gets interesting. Hopefully you have an innovative idea you want to build with your colleagues for example mobile device, social network, a game after being exposed to so many projects. At this point you will know what it takes to make a prototype of your idea. This is the time to form a team you like and pitch your project to the board. If approved they give you the semester to work on it. Here’s the bonus: they are generous to give you access to their space, they fund you a bit, and provide any tool you need. They will also allow you to monetize your idea, or find venture capitalist. They essentially are trying to help you start your own company or realize your inventions without quitting school. Pro: could be a huge payoff, if you pull it off. Con: If it fails you lose time.
You won’t learn anything technical or practical. This school was all about practicing collaborative creativity, innovation and leadership in Digital Media.
The Verdict
If you’re an artist hoping this is just another art school: then I wouldn’t recommend the MDM program. You won’t learn anything technical or practical. This school was all about practicing collaborative creativity, innovation and leadership in Digital Media. Most students entering this program are already holding a Bachelors in something and already have a unique talent. If you got guts to make hard decisions and take full responsibility for the success or failure of the project, then I will say this program can be very rewarding for you.
I have no regrets going to MDM. It was a brand new school when I entered and the school is still working to improve itself. As an artist I got to build my resume with genuine working experience in the video game industry, and today I’m able to say that I am working in that industry. It was hard for artists coming out of MDM to find a job, but that means you just have to work harder. If there’s one thing I can say this school will promise, it’s a good network with creative and smart minds who are mostly successful. With my final statement I’ll say, I was lucky to walk away breaking even.
If you like to see more of what I did, check out my projects at http://www.solidpaint.com/.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
danny
You won’t learn anything technical or practical?! That sounds awful for a degree that costs upwards of forty grand. From your description, the courses sound free-flowing and largely project-oriented with very little solid instruction on, say, design principles or coding. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it kind of sounds like a two-year workshop where you pay to work on projects with little or no instruction.