RIT announces Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment in Los Angeles program

RIT undergraduate students across all majors are invited to participate in the Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment in Los Angeles program, during the fall 2024 semester. This unique program, hosted by RIT Global, is one of a number of university programs being offered in Los Angeles centered on the entertainment industry.

The program will allow students to spend a semester learning about the power of multidimensional storytelling while immersed in the center of the entertainment industry. Transmedia storytelling recognizes that compelling stories are created by interdisciplinary teams that use their experiences in art, technology, and media to create narratives that span many entertainment platforms for a multidimensional audience experience. Examples include the Marvel and Star Wars worlds where stories are adapted to film, television, theater, books, social media, video games, virtual reality, and more.

“It’s good for today’s students who want to work in the entertainment industry to have the ability to think about how a story will play out in different formats,” said Tom Connor, assistant provost and the Paul and Francena Miller Chair in International Education. “Transmedia storytelling is the method through which you do these things, and it is very relevant.”

The Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment in Los Angeles program is a great fit for RIT students interested in working in a variety of sectors or roles in the entertainment industry, including graphic design, communications, gaming, illustration, engineering, data analysis, finance, and business.

Students from all areas will collaborate during excursions and classes, which Connor says will create a rich environment for students to learn from each other and get an idea of how the entertainment industry works collaboratively.

“All of these disciplines come together to create something bigger and better,” added Connor.

Highlights of the program include connecting with RIT alumni at companies like Disney and Universal Paramount, gaining substantial experience through an industry internship, hearing from industry professionals, taking studio tours, and more. Some of the program course offerings include Contemporary Issues: LA Careers in Film & TV, Chasing Rainbows: Business & Innovation in Entertainment, Imag(in)ing the City: LA, and Entertainment Company Excursions.

“Students will be visiting sites from museums to beaches to film studios to amusement parks,” said Rebecca DeRoo, associate professor in the School of Communication and visual culture minor director, who helped create the program’s curriculum. “It will be a way of connecting with their learning in the classroom and also enriching the professional experience they’ll be gaining.”

Added DeRoo: “We’re delighted to offer this program that provides students the opportunity to immerse themselves in professional, hands-on experience working in the image and entertainment hub of Los Angeles.”

The deadline to apply for the fall 2024 semester is March 1. To apply to the program and for more information, go to the Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment in Los Angeles website.