Designing with Computers

There are also nine quarters of Computer Graphic Imaging instruction (3 per year for 3 years) taught by Professors Lonnie Alcaraz and Goheen. Most scene design students take one each quarter but nine quarters are not required. The sequence is characterized by beginning, intermediate and advanced versions of three basic disciplines:

A unique series of courses team-taught by Professors Alcaraz and Goheen that pairs graduate scenic and lighting students who create a fully collaborated design project in 3d. These dense projects vividly demonstrate scenery, scene shifts and numerous lighting preset aspirations of the design team. This on-going teaching/research activity by Alcaraz/Goheen verifies the notion that the lighting as well as the dimensional form can be deeply premeditated, articulated and shared with the production team through the use of computer modeling and rendering software.

These then, the DR 255 core courses and the computer-based series, are the heart of the practical conceptual and skill training in the graduate scene design program. The significant remainder of the classroom experience for the graduate designer is devoted to learning collaboration strategies and techniques, methods of analyzing dramatic texts and in-depth inquiries into the concepts and dramatic literature of pivotal historical periods. There is also a year-long series of classes addressing the global tradition of performance throughout time for students who may lack this important foundation. In addition, each student selects courses that may directly support their individual agendas such as videography using Premier and Avid or advanced coursework in Macromedia Director.

The Scene Design Program is proud of its commitment to training students for the convergence of traditional techniques and new media. To prepare our students for a professional life that demands expertise in both old and new techniques, materials and equipment we give equal attention to both. This commitment is clearly demonstrated in the manner in which a student's assigned thesis production is preserved. For the last several years, third-year students have carefully recorded their creative process during one of their third-year productions that has been designated "thesis production." This collection of notes, research, sketches, renderings, models, drafting, videos, comments from invited professional designer/critics and written personal perceptions of the total experience are edited and prepared as an interactive CD-ROM.This perfect marriage of the ancient and the contemporary metaphorically reflects the programs' training.

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