Autodesk, Inc.
and Electronic Arts, Inc. are introducing a new
project design workshop for Canada’s first Masters for Digital Media (MDM)
Program at Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. As part
of the 20-month MDM Program, the workshop will equip students with techniques
to plan and manage digital media projects in their academic and professional
careers.

Glenn Entis, senior vice president at Electronic Arts, and Autodesk
Fellow Tom Wujec developed the curriculum and will be teaching the workshop.
Following the workshop, student teams will be equipped to work on industry
funded digital media projects that include: multi-player online game
development; the creation of next-generation digital social networks; the 3D
graphical visualization of a sustainable ocean ecosystem; and a 3D virtual
ride on the Canada Line — the expanded rapid transit system which will be in
place for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

“Our goal is to shape the next-generation of digital media leaders,” said
Dr. Gerri Sinclair, executive director of the MDM Program. “We’re
collaborating with industry luminaries such as Electronic Arts and Autodesk,
so that the students can benefit from their forward thinking. The project
design workshop will give students the tools they need to manage real-world
digital media projects.”

During the two-day workshop, students will map out the stages of their
semester-long digital media projects. The workshop’s collaborative framework
will provide more than 20 techniques to design and plan digital media
projects, understand client and end user requirements, and generate a
comprehensive production plan. Encouraging teamwork and critical thinking,
students will use visual communication tools and techniques to explore topics
and present key learnings.

EA’s Entis said, “I’m very excited about leading this workshop. There’s a
clear need for better planning of digital media projects, particularly with
the rapid pace of technological change. The right pre-production planning can
make or break a project.”