Game Design and Interactive Media Arts

The Certificate of Achievement in Game Design and Interactive Media Arts  provides instruction for creating digital art assets for games and interactive media arts (Virtual/Augmented/Mixed reality, games and related live interactive media events) using industry-standard software.  The program is constructed to provide an emphasis on designing and creating digital art assets for production, and managing these projects using an industry-standard iterative process and the associated budgeting, scheduling, and program management industry-standard software.  The goal is to prepare students to not only be cutting edge creators, but excellent self-managers, and prepare them for the decision to pursue a career as a digital art asset designer and creator, evolve into an informed production support role for production, or to run their own business while understanding the basic legal environment and record keeping.

Projected annual completers = 18, derived from 2-year enrollments data.

Please see 'Irvine Valley College Narrative COA.pdf' for complete narrative of Program Goals and Objectives.

Program Goals: Game Design and Interactive Media Arts COA is a program design to enhance student knowledge of the industry standard process required to provide digital assets for the creation of media product like Games, Virtual/Augmented/Mixed reality, Projection mapping for live projected and live interactive events, as well as digital asset design, creation and management for non-interactive media like that used for film, television, and other digital media production. The production pipeline is very similar between burgeoning interactive and the classic non-interactive media production where digital art assets are designed, created and produced. What makes this degree unique is the emphasis on ‘management’ over ‘art asset design and creation’, though art asset design and creation are the foundation for managing the assets. In summary, the Program Goals and Objectives are to provide students with a base foundation in creating digital art assets using industry standard software, then provide a forum for students to experience the management process for taking a project to final completion. This differs from an art centric digital art asset creation degree as the student learns managerial skills based on a foundation of creator skills.  The goal of the proposed COA is to prepare students for entry level pipeline support positions on the production pipeline; demonstrating basic skill sets in digital art asset production and management within a game engine while using industry standard management, production, and budgeting software tools. These skills will provide a foundation for an Associates of Science with an increased curriculum of upper division managerial coursework and increasingly demanding team projects. Market forecasts by Forbes and others state the global virtual reality market is projected to grow from $16.67 billion in 2022to $227.34 billion by 2029, at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 45.2% in the forecast period2022-2029 in addition to LMI data. A survey of 17 OC and LA area General Managers, Producers, and division Management state that close to 70% of digital asset production is outsourced to foreign countries, and this number will continue to rise. The same survey revealed an increased interest in increasing the diversity of the workforce by ethnicity and gender. Artificial reality is used increasingly on production, reducing artist hires further. Thus, talent will be sought out for managerial roles, especially dual language capable. The program is not intended for transfer to a California State University, University of California or other private university to pursue a bachelor degree.

Program Objectives: Project management: Production Management are responsible for designing schedules, managing setbacks, and ensuring deadlines are met. Production Managers require the ability to predict problems and develop an alternate solution by achieving mastery of the production plan. Graduates thus develop dexterity in an industry standard scheduling, production management and budgeting software. The COA will concentrate on entry level spreadsheets. This software introduction will provide a foundation to curriculum available in the Game and IMA Design, Production Management AS. Leadership: Production Managers manage and maintain complete production pipelines for a team. It is imperative they understand the logistics of the project from all sides, be comfortable giving direction, and be ready to fill in where needed. Graduates will study human resources, organizational development, or a gender and ethnic studies subject of choice to understand the people side of production, in addition to acquiring a mastery of digital asset production to understand the project needs. Graduates will practice leadership through the pitch, blueprint, development and production of multiple individual and group lead interactive media projects as a precursor to advanced group projects offered in the Game and IMA Design, Production Management AS. Interpersonal communication: Production Management must demonstrate listening skills and empathy when facilitating communication within a team; to de-escalate conflicts, build teams, and determine how to help a disparate group do their best work together. Graduates must excel at public speaking ,counseling, and business communications. Data and Research: A Production Manager must understand how to use empirical data make informed decisions. They gather and translate research to predict market support for a product and inform development goals. Graduates must develop a quantitative background, such as statistics, finance, economics, or computer science, and qualitative skills in interpersonal communications through general elective subjects in order to support these data and research goals.  Collaboration: Managing game production teams requires a strong ability to collaborate within and across teams towards a shared goal. Students will participate in small group projects introducing them to the shared goals, deadlines, and individual accountability required by group work.

See attached document 'Irvine Valley College Narrative COA.pdf'

Course (Required)	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
MGT 12A	The Legal Environment of Business	3	S1, S2
ACCT 112.1	Spreadsheets I	1.5	S1, S2
ACCT 112.2	Spreadsheets II	1.5	S1, S2
IMA 40	Introduction to Game Design	3	S1, S2
IMA 98	3D Modeling for Games and Film	3	S1, S2
IMA 99	Virtual Film Production in a Game Engine	3	S1, S2
IMA 22	Basic Game Engine	3	S1, S2
IMA 191	Portfolio Development	3	S3

The Game and IMA Design, Production Management curriculum has been in development, without Perkins assistance, since 2016. There are no related or similar programs offered at Irvine Valley College.

Long Beach City College Fullerton College Foothill College Golden West

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