Interactive Media Design and Development Archives

Digital Media CT Blog

Community Engagement

“Thinking about your digital, virtual, self online and how that looks is really important.”

Episode 18 of Select+CT with Jon Winkel – CEO, The Stamford Partnership

Community engagement by definition is working collaboratively with groups of people in order to attain some sort of goal or aspiration through them. Jon Winkel – CEO of The Stamford Partnership (and now Director of the Wheelhouse Foundation), revealed that for the past year or so, everyone has been exclusively online until recent months. And everyone has faced this question: how do you find an audience to engage with?

Jon defined community engagement in three terms: identification, outreach, and planning. They all work together to make up what we know as engaging with our community. Intertwining your ideas and passions with those of others has the potential to maximize their impact and empower a community.

There are many examples of community issues, but after the pandemic, a work community challenge centered on virtual interactions and feelings of disconnect during the one-way transfer of online meetings: a creative solution for some was virtual meet-ups and utilizing the breakout feature in platforms like zoom to facilitate real-time interaction among attendees better. Most importantly, the issue was identified by a community of workers, and the solution engaged that same community of workers in the development of a solution.

Jon also emphasizes the importance of staying firmly connected to the university you graduated from. Even if it’s ‘not relevant’ your alumni network will be robust over the course of your career. It’s the sincerity of staying connected to your peers that will help you get along if you happen to apply to a company they’re currently employed by or perhaps they can share a similar experience to maximize your chances of success.

Still, being a community member works both ways, you need to make yourself available to other members of that community and contribute ideas, and stay invested, it’s simply not as genuine if you wait to reach out only when you need their recommendation. So consider community groups who share your values or interests and look for ways to support that community, and in return, that community can support you.

Connecticut has many community groups, including groups focused on different forms of content production. For game developers, check out GameDevCT, and for filmmakers, look into the CT Film and TV Alliance and various CT-based film festivals.

Written and verbal communication is a key skill needed to engage in a community successfully, and the best way to grow your confidence in that skill is to use it!

Featured Program

Speaking of communicating, Southern Connecticut State has a great Communications program. Located in New Haven, CT, you can learn more about the Department of Communications here.

DMCT Micro-Credentials

If you are unsure how your skills connect to Connecticut’s growing Digital Media industry, I encourage you to enroll in DMCT’s first micro-credential course, The Emerging Practitioner. I am a course graduate and learned many things to assist my transition from University to a Career in CT and beyond!

Digital Media CT Blog

Alumni Experience

by Madison Doherty

“Especially at this point and time in the pandemic, connections really are a huge part of this industry.”

Episode 13 of Select+CT with Bryan Murphy, NBC Sports Group | Leah Myers, WTNH-TV | Erick Jean, The Game Agency

Having the status of being an “undergrad” can be overwhelming because we don’t know what will happen after surpassing it. Even if we as students know where we want to work, it’s still challenging to pinpoint if what we think will work out or if what we think is a reality given our location and skillsets.

The purpose of the Select + CT recordings is to emphasize that there are so many great digital media jobs in Connecticut. It also helps us understand how our skillsets connect to the industry. The first episode of season two invites three alumni from three different CT-based higher education institutions to share their professional experiences since graduating.

Bryan Murphy, NBC Sports Group, Leah Myers, WTNH-TV, and Erick Jean, The Game Agency, conquered those fears for us! Leah is a digital content producer, Bryan is a digital editor, and Erick is a front-end developer. Bryan admitted how hard it can be to break into the industry.

See Also: University to Career

I will use Bryan’s experience as an example because he had the most challenging time, which I think makes him the most relatable. He says he applied to more jobs than he could count and only got 2-3 interviews. The job he ended up landing didn’t require an interview because he’d interned there before. He doesn’t know where he’d be working if he hadn’t made the connections in his prior internship.

As unfair as it sounds, having to make connections to prosper has proven true for Bryan and many others. In 2017, LinkedIn did a study that revealed a whopping 80 percent of professionals consider networking just as important as an actual portfolio or other professional work experience. Seventy percent of those people were hired at a company where they had a connection! That is more than half the workforce who felt this way.

I am guessing since the pandemic; this number has increased even more as we are now in a recession. Bryan’s story is one of too many, but he succeeded. Listen to the full episode to hear Leah and Erick’s stories; maybe their experiences will relate more to yours. View the full linked-in article here.

Featured Program

The University of Hartford has a unique take on digital media; they offer a dual in both digital media and journalism. This means you are more than likely to land a job in either! You are prepared for a career in digital media production, broadcast journalism, sports media, or as a media business professional. “Using a combination of real-world and classroom experience, you build a strong portfolio through internships and by working in one or more of our media-oriented student firms.” Learn more about this program here.

DMCT Micro Credentials

If you are unsure of how your skills connect to Connecticut’s growing Digital Media industry, I encourage you to enroll in DMCT’s first micro-credential course, The Emerging Practitioner. I am a graduate of the program and learned many things to assist my transition from University to a Career in CT and beyond!

Digital Media CT Blog

E-Sports in Connecticut

by Madison Doherty

“Have the openness to look at something and say, just because it’s a new industry doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve study.”

Episode 14 of Select+CT with Kenneth Thompson, UConn, Joshua Steffenson, Manchester Public School, & Jason Chung, University of New Haven

Did you know you can make a living by playing video games? E-sports has had “incredible growth” according to research done by Influencer Marketing Hub. Jason Chung, who runs the E-sports business program at the University of New Haven. In an episode of the Select+CT podcast, he explained how you can make a living off of playing video games. Read on to find out more!

To clarify, E-sports is just a fancy term for video game tournaments. The first (known) video game tournament occurred back in 1972 at Stanford University in California. Since then, E-sports have incentivized people in various countries to set up Internet cafes! Teens & young adults tend to play video games while downing too much caffeine, so this was perfect. Publishers quickly realized it was a way to increase fandoms in across their most popular titles.

See Also: Building CT’s Future

E-sports became a marketing tool for companies in the 1980s. Connecticut was actually one of the first states in the country to offer its students E-sports. “CT has an understanding of education that has been open for a long time,” said Jason Chung, University of New Haven.

In CT, Pre-K through 12 rank number 3 in better education across the United States. It is no surprise that Connecticut swept up E-sports as soon as it started gaining traction; it really is a great place to be. Many high schools even have their own website for E-sports, which you can check out here:

To clarify, when I said “playing video games”, I didn’t just mean starting a youtube channel to stream these tournaments. There are coaching positions, analyst roles, and opportunities for software developers, engineers, and SO many more ways to engage in this emerging field.

Featured Program

Taking place in even higher education, Sacred Heart University in Connecticut won the overall championship of the inaugural Connecticut E-sports showcase, which took place in April of 2021. Across four different games, SHU earned the most points from each. The university itself offers a BS in Game Design & Development, and they have a school of computer science and engineering! You can learn more about this program here.

DMCT Micro Credentials

Digital Media CT Blog

Entrepreneurship in Connecticut

by Madison Doherty

“I think more non-digital media students need more digital media skills, and digital media need more than just the art side of the skill set.”

Episode 15 of Select+CT with David Noble, UConn’s Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

After 2008, Connecticut’s economy didn’t rebound as quickly as the rest of the nation. Because of this, there’s been a focus on UCONN and other universities to drive more students into entrepreneurial spaces. Entrepreneurship is something that has successfully grown in alignment with Connecticut’s economy.

fun fact – ESPN was actually started in Bristol, CT in 1979!

Starting a business as a CT-based entrepreneur is easier than I thought. And in a Select+CT podcast episode, Professor David Noble from UConn’s Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation shared information on how entrepreneurship relates to students in Digital Media Design.

See Also: Building a Digital Media Company

Professor Noble said it’s crucial to increase the cross-discipline of students with specific skills. Non-digital media students need more digital media skills, and digital media students need more than just the art side of that skill set. This ties into Connecticut because we have a successful history of bringing industry to the state. Companies engaged in the same industry can help establish “talent hubs,” which further encourage more entrepreneurship as there is a cluster of skilled professionals specializing in a particular area.

Shortly after the economic events of 2008, politically and economically, growth forces started to look to entrepreneurship. David has seen the rapid importance of scale and scope in the digital media space. “We’re seeing a growth sector of self-employed digital media groups,” he added.

Since then, many have relocated to CT since the events of 2020, but even without the pandemic, numbers have skyrocketed in the past decade! My point is that you’re lucky if you want to be your own boss and happen to live in Connecticut (also, studying digital media doesn’t hurt, considering the value that people like Professor Noble place on this field).

Featured Program

Gateway Community College has an entire program dedicated to Entrepreneurial Studies. Located in New Haven, this school offers two certificates to earn while learning to be your own boss! You can also use the credits earned to pursue a Bachelor’s in the field, so this plan works perfectly if you’re indecisive about continuing your education or already engaged in a side hustle. See here for more information.

DMCT Micro Credentials

Digital Media CT Blog

DMCT Partners with the CADC Annual Awards Show

by Matthew Worwood

Digital Media CT is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Connecticut Art Directors Club (CADC) to support the Annual CADC Awards Show.

The CADC Awards Show celebrates the very best in advertising and design from Connecticut’s creative community. It’s a chance for local creatives to showcase their talents and compete for recognition from their peers. The award ceremony includes ten student categories ranging from Student Photography and Print to Student Online & Interactive and Student Animation.

Digital Media CT has partnered with four categories to celebrate emerging Digital Media talent in the four branches recognized in the DMCT 2020 Digital Media Manifesto. They include:

Student Animation
Student Online & Interactive / Published
Student Online & Interactive / Unpublished
Student Video

The work must have been produced between May 2, 2022, and March 14, 2023, and submitted before the Apr. 22 deadline. Visit the CADC website for more information on the submission guidelines.

See Also: What is Digital Media?

DMCT Emerging Professional Badge

There are many opportunities for those skills in Digital Media and Content Production; learn how to connect your talents to Connecticut’s growing Digital Media industry. The DMCT Emerging Professional badge guides students and alumni through the process of connecting core competencies to job opportunities and provides other ideas to support continued professional growth after graduation.

Digital Media CT Blog

Global Game Jam

by Madison Doherty

Want to make a video game? Register for the Global Game Jam at Quinnipiac University for an action-packed weekend of game-making with fellow gamers and inspiring game developers.

Date: January 30 – February 5

The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the world’s largest game jam event. Similar to a Hackathon or Film Challenge, the Global Game Jam takes place over a single weekend, where individuals quickly establish groups to design and develop a video game.

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Check a Select+CT episode on Gaming Careers in Connecticut

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The Global Game Jam is attractive to all creatives. It is a social event usually involving pizza and opportunities to make new friends. The event also gives a chance for those interested in a future game career to publish a game.

Serval success stories have emerged from past events help at Quinnipiac University, including the game “Resonance”, which uses your voice as a controller. Instead of frantically matching your thumbs with buttons, a group of 2017 Global Game Jammers made it so that your voice is the commander! It is now available on the gaming platform STEAM.

See Also: CT Careers In Gaming

Quinnipiac University is the perfect place to host this event as it is an institution that offers an undergraduate degree in game production and has talented faculty available to support participants of the Global Game Jam.

At this time, Digital Media CT only knows of Quinnipiac as an in-person site for this opportunity. Stay connected with us on social media for other sites that may emerge over the coming weeks.

Register here to participate in the Global Game Jam at Quinnipiac University.

For further information, contact Jonah Warren, Associate Professor of Game Design & Development (jonah.warren@quinnipiac.edu).

DMCT Micro Credentials

If you are unsure of how your skills connect to Connecticut’s growing Digital Media industry, I encourage you to enroll in DMCT’s first micro-credential course, The Emerging Practitioner. I am a graduate of the program and learned a bunch of things to assist my transition from University to Career in CT and beyond!

Digital Media CT Blog

Beyond The Tech + IBM

by Madison Doherty

“Not to hype up my own company but you can tell they put a lot of thought into it. From the initial interview, they made sure that we were continually engaged.”

Episode 10 of Select+CT with Marc Wisniewski, IBM, Martin Misiaszek, IBM, Lauren Ciulla, IBM

Asking questions about the user, empathizing with their users, and ongoing iteration = design thinking. Design thinking strives for empathy. And companies have been integrating this method into the workforce. Particularly IBM. IBM employs nearly 350,000 “IBMers” (people who work at IBM). Three of those hundred thousand employees spoke about what they do & what their company has to offer.

Marc Winiewski, Design Producer; Martin Misiaszek, Content Designer; and Lauren Ciulla, Visual Designer, are all employed by the Chief Information office at IBM. Marc says their mission is to provide solutions and experiences for their fellow IBMers that will be used daily and decrease friction. The full interview, which took place in October 2020, is available through the Select + CT podcast, episode 10 of season one. Below is a summary of my take on the discussion.

Design thinking workshops put employees in the shoes of their users to better grasp what they’re experiencing. Enabling designers, engineers, and stakeholders to rally around an idea of what they want to create to meet their users’ needs. These workshops have become popular amongst IBMers and other digital media-based companies. We even study Design Thinking at UConn Digital Media Design. A significant take away from this discussion is how Design Thinking can be applied to many fields (e.g., Animation, Web Design, Game Design, etc.).

“Every time you design something like an interface or a physical product, someone is going to be using it to complete a goal or a task to make their lives easier,” said Lauren. She continued by explaining the onboarding process of IBM (it was excellent by all accounts), “Not to hype up my own company, but you can tell they put a lot of thought into it.”. She said they made them feel like a part of the team before they even got there.

Featured Program

If you’re interested in learning more about Design Thinking, check out IBM’s Enterprize Design Thinking course. This micro-credential course is available for free if you use your University account. Also, don’t forget about DMCT’s own micro-credential course (details below).

DMCT Micro Credentials

Digital Media CT Blog

Careers in Creative Technology

by Madison Doherty

“[My advice] for young creators is to first learn from a subject you’re interested in, so much so that you would consider yourself an expert. Your findings can then help build yourself a portfolio, and you’ll have something to showcase for that interest.”

Episode 4 of Select+CT with Sebastian Oddo, Octagon

Gen-Z continues to experience a never-ending evolution of disruptive technology. In no particular order; we had the Nintendo – DS apocalypse, the emergence of smart cars (i.e., Teslas, which don’t seem as funny anymore with the recent gas prices), and of course virtual assistants like SIRI and Alexa, and changes to devices like the tablet computing and smart phones – I’ll think I’ll stop there otherwise this list won’t end!

What’s my point? Opportunities to engage creatively with new technology is everywhere – we refer to this as creative technology! And those of this generation will soon graduate with the intent of landing jobs in digital media because of these tech goldmines. Digital Media CT created a podcast dedicated to spreading information on just how this generation can start mining and getting more creative with emerging technological trends.

See also: Careers in Motion GFX

On August 8th, 2020, guest Sebastian Oddo was interviewed. He is a Creative Technologist from Octagon, and holds the title of being the SVP of Innovations for the company. The role he carries helps give insight for rising digital media students. A Creative Technologist’s purpose in Sebastian’s words: “..Takes emerging trends, figures out how they can be relevant to their clients objectives. And then puts them into action. Get those things built.”

Sebastian goes on to explain that looking back after his ten year anniversary (at the time of this recording), he has helped numerous brands and athletes think about how they can use tech and emerging trends to put forth creative thinking into the world for both consumers and their fans to see.

On a regular basis, he oversees teams of developers, project managers and UX designers to build websites and digital experiences. These constructions give massive insight into events and or stadiums. Clients of his usually seek multi sensory experiences; sound, gesture, things that are relevant to their consumers. These collectively (if done right) can bring these consumers’ senses to a heightened degree in order to increase the success of the overall advertisement of their company. An example of this is: questioning whether or not a Fit-Bit can be relevant to a brand like Cisco.

It can. Cisco was handed these bracelets to give to their employees, who then were told to go back and forth with each other in terms of exercising. They enjoyed it, a success.

See also: Beyond the Tech and IBM

Sebastian’s advice (as a creative technologist) for young creators is to first learn from a subject you’re interested in, so much so that you would consider yourself an expert. Your findings can then help build yourself a portfolio, and you’ll have something to showcase for that interest. Though, you shouldn’t limit your expertise to a subject that falls under the umbrella of your major. I am not going to spoil all of the episode, so click here to witness the remainder of this tech-talk:

Featured Program

Of the many Universities in Connecticut, Eastern CT State University actually offers a Design, Technology & Management concentration. Specific to theatre majors, this program allows students to develop skills in scenic design, light & sound design, and stage management. Eastern CT State has other creativity-engrained programs which can be found here.

DMCT Micro Credentials

If you are unsure of how your skills connect to Connecticut’s growing Digital Media industry, I encourage you to enroll in DMCT’s first micro-credential course, The Emerging Practitioner. I am a graduate of the program and learned a bunch of things to assist my transition from University to Career in CT and beyond!