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ACG 164, Multimedia Authoring, is a class offered every Fall by the Computer Graphics area of the Art Department. It covers technical and design issues for creators of digital media works, such as CD-ROMs and World-Wide Web sites. This field is in ebullient growth and constant change, and the class has gone through substantial revisions every time it was offered. The typical student in this course has had exposure to computer graphics through an intro class, or has at least equivalent outside experience. Many of the students hold related jobs, and may be especially interested in directed solutions to immediate workplace tasks. The class is part of a comprehensive vocational program in computer graphics and multimedia, closely tracking the growth of digital information and entertainment businesses in Southern California.
The topic of this collaborative lecture, while present in the class syllabus from the start, is becoming even more important now. The multimedia industry is past the novelty stage, and new titles without solid content are increasingly hard to sell. Teachings in narrative techniques directly enhance student employability, due to growing demand for authors that merge multimedia skills with a talent for effective storytelling. Through the very generous efforts of Shawn Quirk, instructor in the English Department, the students in ACG 164 were exposed to very valuable ideas concerning the creation of compelling narratives.
In preparation for the lecture, Mr. Quirk attended a summer conference at the University of California, Irvine, during which he met all the major players and theoreticians in the burgeoning field of hypertext narative. In his lecture handouts, he shared with the students some of the insights gleaned from the seminars.
The lecture, as developed and taught by Mr. Quirk, follows the general direction of the original lesson plan by the regular instructor of ACG 164, Sandro Corsi. It is, however, clearly superior in its attention to the creative nuances of narration. This demonstrates the fundamental benefit of integration collaborations, bringing to the students the best expertise at the most appropriate time.