Join Media Studies students and faculty Thursday April 24th from 4-7 pm at Verra Creative, 21 Nicol St in Nanaimo, for a year-end presentation of projects and recognition of graduates. At 5 pm four students from our MEDI 496 Senior Projects course will share excerpts from their videos to highlight these for guests and curious attendees. We then invite people to visit all the displays to meet students, ask questions, and review projects in this interactive open-house event.
The three projects highlighted are Scattered Syntax directed and produced by Kyle Emmerson, Synthetic Tropical: Shattering the Illusion with camera and editing by Kieran Armstrong and music composition and acting by Clara Melsness, and Cable Bay directed and produced by Mick Sweetman.
“So much excellent work is produced each year by students in each year of our program, that it is difficult to choose what to highlight, so we select a handful and trust the industry experts, faculty, students, and members of the public to gravitate to what interests them as they survey the offerings. We are celebrating the creative spirit writ large, and the myriad ways it manifests in a media world rife with possibilities and hungry for new talent,” says Joy Gugeler, department Chair.
Presentations by students from all four years of the program speak to their passion for digital storytelling, imaginative expression, research, and making media by combining text, audio, video, and analysis on a diverse range of subjects. The department, now 20 years old, is founded on the principle that theory and practice go hand in hand, so students understand both the technical requirements of the media they are making and its role in a broader social context.
The showcase encourages students to network with potential employers, share their work with curious onlookers, and approach professionals by jump-starting this process and facilitating conversations between the department and its island contacts in the field. It also puts industry experts and new talent together in a supportive and casual environment, something particularly valuable for graduates of the program about to embark on the first job of their careers.
“This spring's senior media studies students have crafted ambitious projects that are both intriguing and engaging, while highlighting their dedication to quality,” says instructor and documentary filmmaker Richard Boyce.
The event is free, refreshments will be served, and parking is available in the Port Place Mall parking lot. For more information contact Media Studies Chair Joy Gugeler at: Joy.Gugeler@viu.ca