When you’re doing something innovative and fun it’s sometimes difficult to make others understand exactly how noteworthy or important that innovative thing is; especially if it’s so original that it’s outside of most everyone’s experience. I kind of feel that that is what we’re doing here at the Masters of Digital Media (MDM) program at the Great Northern Way Campus, in Vancouver, BC.

The MDM program has some of the most experienced faculty available; the curriculum was designed with the help of industry affiliates; there is a strong research concentration built into the program through the faculty affiliate program; the administration cares deeply about the students and their future. And right now, two-thirds through this first year of operation, we’re all – students, faculty and staff – learning together how to make the MDM program better and better.

The curriculum of the MDM program is topnotch. The five core courses that we students are required to attend during the first semester of the program have been exceedingly valuable. Many of the courses are directly related to the digital media industry. Courses such as Foundations of Digital Media explore all aspects of the industry, especially those aspects pertaining directly to the video game development industry. Building Virtual Worlds studies many of the current popular virtual worlds, such as Second Life, and teaches students the skills necessary for building their own virtual worlds.

Other courses seem to have applications to digital media which are difficult to ascertain - initially. Improvising Story and Character was designed primarily to teach students collaborative and creative skills through improvisational techniques. The benefits gained from this course are more than clear if you ever visit a creative development studio; many development studios make great use of rapid prototyping which is really what the Improvisation course is all about.

Additionally, the Improvisation course has provided all the students with a distinct proficiency in pitching. Ask any industry professional what the single most important skill to have if you wish to advance in the digital media industry, and I am willing to bet that they will unequivocally say the ability to pitch a fully developed, intelligent and commercially viable idea in less than a minute. Improvisation has given each and every one of us students the skills and confidence to do this. Aside from that, the course is a heck of a lot of fun.