This course explores the art and narratives of virtual interactive environments. The study of visual and spatial storytelling in historic and contemporary art raises questions of social, cultural and political contexts as well as their impact on player experience. Through reading and analysis of art and video games, students will be exposed to different design techniques that visually express social concepts through mechanics, content and aesthetics. Students will create video game environments that incorporate conceptual skills learned in class.

This course explores the interaction between narrative, environment, and game mechanics in immersive VR experiences. Immersive storytelling is evolving quickly, but current experiences exhibit several types of interaction-narrative structures within a continuum ranging from films to first person shooters. In this class, students will analyze VR experiences to learn current methods of immersive storytelling and then apply these concepts to design and build VR experiences through worldbuilding, interaction mechanics, content, and art.

Independent Study - Graduate

Allows examination of a special problem or topic area in the theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and other performing and fine arts. Topics and specific content and methods vary from term to term. Each term’s offering, however, features an introduction to a historical period, movement, phenomenon, practitioner(s), or other subfield of study within performing arts and/or visual culture. In so doing, students develop theoretical and experiential knowledge of an artistic period, movement, phenomenon, practitioner(s) or other subfield of study within performing arts and/or visual culture.