Course: Adventures in 2D & 3D Video Game Creation & Game Modding

DMA Instructor: Katy Mayer

Education: Montclair State University; Montclair, NJ (Major: Family & Child Studies, w/ Concentration in Elementary Education). Certified to teach Early Education and recently received her certification to teach Gifted & Talented students, from the University of California San Diego.

Professional Portrait: A versatile instructor with a wide range of technological and educational interests, Katy Mayer has spent the last two years teaching 4^th Grade at La Jolla Elementary in San Diego, CA. During this time, she has shown her passion for the digital arts by teaching the Seminar class “Multimedia Fusion 2,” and by serving on the Technology Committee at her school. (She also attended the California Computing Educators or “CUE” Conference this year for Digital Media Academy.) Katy matches her classroom excellence with a variety of vigorous athletic pursuits, she’s a surf instructor of five years and also operated a surf clinic. She has also coached a high school varsity lacrosse team sports and served for two years as the head coach of a lacrosse camp.

DMA Campus: UCSD

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Katy is just one of Digital Media Academy’s instructors who not only possess outstanding educational credentials, but also have backgrounds that reflect their diverse training and personal creativity. When Katy’s not teaching during the regular school year, she spends her summers with DMA at the University of California at San Diego.

As a local 4th Grade teacher, Katy Mayer knows how to bring out the best and brightest in kids.

“I was hired for the instructor’s position after working for DMA as a teacher’s assistant,” she recalls. The teacher’s assistant position was for DMA’s Jr. Adventures program in Game Creation. That same year, she was also serving as a TA for the Adventures in Surfing and Filmmaking Summer Camp. In that summer camp program, students shoot surf video using state-of-the-art video gear and then edit the footage into their own extreme surf film. Katy was also a TA for Digital Media Academy’s Adventures in Robotics program. At last year’s UCSD session, Katy taught Jr. Adventures in Art & Digital Photography and Adventures in 2D & 3D Game Design and Game Modding.

As part of her school’s Technology Committee, Katy keeps current on the latest software breakthroughs and emerging teaching methods. Katy is very excited to be gearing up for her third summer with DMA, and the prospect of working even more intensely with the technology she loves.

Katy’s passions are technology and helping children use it to tap into their natural creativity.

“I look forward to the four weeks when I’m able to work with students hands-on with a project-based curriculum and state-of-the-art technology,” she says. When asked about one of her most memorable experiences at DMA, Katy mentions last year’s 2D & 3D Video Game Creation class. Students started the program by learning how to make their own basic version of “Breakout” (the timeless 70s Pong-like classic where you hit a white dot across a screen to literally “break out” a playfield of bricks). That was just the first step though.

Campers then developed increasingly more sophisticated games as the week-long summer computer camp for kids continues (that’s right, kids aren’t making leather and beaded bracelets anymore). The interaction during camp – between the student and instructor, as well as between students – helped spark ideas that refined the games even further. By the end of the week, students had tangible proof of their expanded skill set.

“Not only do the students learn how to make a video game, but they are able to bring that game home to show their friends and family.”

This summer, Katy anticipates that aspiring game designers will again start the week of camp making a “Breakout”-like game. It’s a guided process that teaches kids the basics of game creation. Students will then add their own images and create a game theme. “After we build the complex and exciting parts of the game,” says Katy, “Students are given the freedom to independently create their own game using what they’ve learned. Many students are able to create three or more games by the end of the week. Not only do the students learn how to make a video game, but they are able to bring that game home to show their friends and family.”

The camp quickly brings students up to speed on game design basics, help them develop problem solving techniques and gets them on the path to creating their own ideas. Students test and play each other’s projects, sharing ideas along the way. The finishing touch is adding sound effects and then standing back and watching campers being blown away by what they’ve created.

Katy and the next generation of game makers – DMA’s 2D & 3D Game Designers, Class of 2010.

Katy enjoys DMA’s total approach to the digital media camp experience. When not in the classroom instructing this summer, chances are you will find her helping another Jr. Adventures class as a teacher’s assistant, or outside enjoying some recreational fun with Jr. Adventure campers. She’s delighted to welcome each summer’s new game designers to DMA, but Katy’s really overjoyed when she sees students coming back for more. “This will be my third year at the UCSD campus and it’s a thrill to see students return year after year to advance their skills or to take another course.”

Digital Media Academy offers one-week and two-week-long summer computer camps for kids ages 6-12. DMA is also a Certified Apple Training Center and offers one-on-one training for budding game designers of all age groups, in a wide range of creative areas. DMA instructors are industry and educational professionals with quality credentials that count. Like Katy Mayer.

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At Digital Media Academy, we’re constantly in awe about our students’ achievements. So much so, we think “DMA” could also stand for “driving major accomplishments”…especially when we hear another success story from a proud parent like Vianey Ojeda.

Digital Media Academy doesn’t only let kids explore their creative interests and help prepare them for a successful career in the digital arts. There’s plenty of evidence that suggests DMA also helps kids become better students. At least that’s what DMA heard recently from Ms. Ojeda, who’s obviously one very satisfied parent.

Vianey and her daughter, Alicia (a former Digital Media Academy camper).

Her daughter, Alicia, has been a DMA student for the past three summers, attending each year for film & video production. Now at age 16, Alicia finds that she’s been selected to participate in the California State Summer School for the Arts’ prestigious “Innerspark” Summer 2011 Film & Video program. Selection for the program is a rare honor, because only 28 participants are accepted in each of the school’s departments. Students completing the four-week program are designated as California Arts Scholars. That’s the State of California’s highest distinction for artistically talented youth…and it’s the type of honor that looks outstanding on a college entrance application.

“Thank you DMA. Because Alicia’s self-confidence in her ability to do well and pursue a career in the film industry is now stronger than it has ever been,” the e-mail message Ms. Ojeda sent us read. “And I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for Digital Media Academy and her instructor, Travis Schlafmann, she would not have reached this goal at such a young age.”

Alicia shoots a scene for a student film she is working on, using the skills she learned at DMA.

Alicia’s got a proud mother, who credits two things for her daughter’s continuing progress as a budding filmmaker – her “unwavering resolve for the love of her craft…and the phenomenal training by DMA.”

And it doesn’t stop there. Alicia’s Mom has also seen a direct and positive connection between her daughter’s DMA experiences and her growth both as an individual and a student. “I can personally see the difference in not only her maturity level but in her writing and thought processes as well, which has also helped her excel academically by reaching and maintaining a 4.0 GPA thus far during all of her sophomore year.”

“I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for DMA and her instructor, she would not have reached this goal at such a young age.”

Parents naturally want the best for their children and that’s why parents love Digital Media Academy, where kids and teens receive the finest, personalized instruction from leading industry innovators. (That difference in program quality is why DMA was included in a recent selection of the best summer camps in the world.)

In addition, DMA students get a well-rounded summer camp experience with great recreational activities and friendships that can last a lifetime. Bring out the best in your creative child with DMA. Register now for Digital Media Academy’s 2011 Summer Camp. Make sure your child makes the most of their summer – and the most of his or her potential – with expert instruction from DMA.

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Memorial Day is not just a three-day holiday weekend. It’s also the time when we pause as a nation to remember the brave men and women who defend the United States, and risk life and limb to protect this country and its core freedoms. So, if the weather puts a damper on those outdoor plans this weekend, consider screening one of the following war movies, each of which puts a distinctive spin on a particular American war.

Glory (1989)

The Civil War rages once more in “Glory.”

This spring marks the 150^th anniversary of the start of the Civil War – the nation’s deadliest war. “Glory” is about human dignity as much as it about conflict, but that’s no slam against the film’s battle scenes, which chronicle the rifle-and-cannonball action seen by the Union’s first division of black troops. Hugely entertaining film with memorable performances from a dignified Morgan Freeman, a somber Matthew Broderick and (especially) Denzel Washington, as a runaway slave turned angry soldier…with a major score to settle.

The Dawn Patrol (1938)

Errol Flynn keeps the “lads” flying as a WWI commander in “The Dawn Patrol.”

Civil War Gen. Sherman famously said, “War is hell,” and many films have echoed that theme. Here’s one with a British accent. “The Dawn Patrol” tells the WWI story of an English aerial combat squad waging a seemingly endless air war against German fighter aces. British pilot Errol Flynn mocks his C.O., until he has to replace him. Suddenly, Flynn learns what it’s like to send young and inexperienced aviators to their deaths. Lots of aerial dogfights and camaraderie…plus the most rickety flying contraptions ever seen.

Patton (1970)

WWII from two different perspectives. “Patton” celebrates individual genius…

Maybe it’s unfair to pick two movies to represent WWII – but then again, it was a pretty big war. “Patton” celebrates individual genius, and how it contributed to the war effort, while “Saving Private Ryan” is about the collective sacrifice of battle and how soldiers unite to achieve the impossible. “Patton’s” opening scene will inspire you to battle, while the blood-and-thunder opening of “Saving Private Ryan” (i.e., the Omaha Beach landing on D-Day) will make you glad you weren’t there – but grateful that others were.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

…while war is a team effort in “Saving Private Ryan.”

Tom Hanks and Matt Damon starred in Steven Spielberg’s epic. The Omaha Beach scene cost $11 million and required more than 1,000 extras to shoot. The movie’s riveting early sequences capture what it was like to face the combat of D-Day from an almost video-game-like first-person perspective. The movie went on to influence other war filmmakers and even spawned the HBO television series, “Band of Brothers.”

M*A*S*H (1970)

The original Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland) and Trapper (Elliott Gould) play the Army for laughs in 1970′s “M*A*S*H.”

If you only know the TV show, it’s time you see why critics (and everyone else) got knocked for a loop by Robert Altman’s absurd take on American surgeons operating in an Army hospital during the Korean War. Whereas the show went first for broad laughs, then for a mix of comedy and social activism, the film has its own subversive vibe and crazy rhythm. No wonder it made stars of Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould and many others. Bloody battlefield surgery collides with umpteen types of humor, and the war comedy is never the same again.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Here come the Americans.

Many films admirably portrayed the Vietnam War, but none captured the sheer confusion quite like Francis Ford Coppola’s war opus. “Apocalypse Now” is not just about the madness of a renegade colonel gone native, but also the insanity of trying to graft an American design for war on a country like Vietnam. It’s a massive spectacle of a film, which nearly killed or bankrupted its makers. And its centerpiece – a dizzying helicopter assault on a coastal village, scored with opera – is still arguably the greatest battle scene in all of film.

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Although set in 1993 in Somalia, “Black Hawk Down” speaks to our current conflicts.

Modern warfare has gotten even more complicated than it was in ‘Nam. Ridley Scott’s re-enactment of all the various things that went wrong in 1993, when an American helicopter crew crash-landed in Somalia city streets, is terrifying even before the chopper is down and the crew is savagely overrun by violent locals. What happens next is a sobering look at the dangers faced by our military personnel everywhere the U.S. is not wanted. “Black Hawk Down” is the link to recent movies that deal with America’s ongoing wars.

This Memorial Day, the staff and instructors of Digital Media Academy applaud the service of America’s military personnel, no matter where they find themselves stationed during this holiday weekend. We also thank military families for the lifetime of sacrifices that they make on behalf of our nation.

For more information about Digital Media Academy’s Tech and Digital Arts Summer Camps, please contact Digital Media Academy.

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Summer is just around the corner and this means that, in addition to the sunscreen and shark floaties, you’ll no doubt be bringing your technology along with you to the beach or pool. You know, modern must-have accessories like your iPad, your MacBook Pro, your iPhone and iPod. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your electronics while enjoying summer fun:

Stream Your Music & Media Everywhere
You should already be using a free cloud storage service like Amazon or Dropbox offer, and if you’re not, you will be. Doing so offers a pain-free way to secure your computer’s data, while improving CPU performance. Cloud storage services are becoming more and more popular for a variety of reasons, and you can start using one today – for free!

Stream your music, from the cloud…

But why risk bringing your one and only music player and your entire library of music on vacation when you don’t have to? Amazon offers 5GB of free storage while Dropbox offers 2GB. Buy an album on Amazon and you can get 20GB. Dropbox even has an app for iPhone and iPad that allows you to play your music on the run, although it doesn’t offer quite the functionality as something like…

BoxyTunes – Make any iPhone or iPad a Cloud Music Player
Google’s Android platform has multiple options for cloud music players; the iPhone, not so much. But if you have Dropbox, now there’s a solution so you can access your tunes on the go. BoxyTunes cost $2 and allows you to sync up your iPhone or iPad with your Dropbox account.

A new way to think outside the box when it comes to music: BoxyTunes.

The BoxyTunes app plays all the formats iOS supports and even offers such great features as quick rewind, background play and AirPlay support.  It certainly won’t replace your iPod but it does offer a great alternative to playing your music, especially if you’re storing your music on the cloud (or in this case, on Dropbox). Remember though, this app doesn’t stream music; it’s a music player for Dropbox.

Keeping Gadgets Dry & Sand-Free
Nothing could be worse than watching your iPad or Kindle slip from your fingers and take that slow dive to the bottom of the pool. But now you don’t have to worry if your new electronic buddy goes for a swim, thanks to the makers of Dry Case.

Dry Case – protecting your technology while you enjoy it.

The vacuum-sealed plastic pouch is completely waterproof and has earphone and mic jacks that provide an additional layer of protection. Sure, with a few gallon-sized Ziplock bags you can do pretty much the same thing, but at $59.95 it’s a small investment to properly protect your $500+ iPad.

Make Your Own Mobile App – at Summer Camp
What better way to really learn what that amazing mobile device can do than to build an app for it? And where better to do that than on the campus of a prestigious university like Harvard, The University of Chicago, Drexel, UCLA, UCSD or Stanford? Digital Media Academy offers critically acclaimed app development summer camps, where you’ll learn app development skills from leading industry professionals.

Spend an exciting week learning 3D Game Development for the iPhone or App Development for Apple iDevices. Before you know it, you’ ll be on your way to making your dream app a reality.

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Zombies. The very thought of being chased relentlessly by the undead tends to unsettle people. Ever since the George A. Romero classic “Dawn of the Dead” first terrified moviegoers in 1968, zombies have been a staple of pop culture. And they’ve never been more popular.

This book sat atop the New York Times Bestseller List for months…

One of the hottest shows on televison, AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” tracks a band of survivors trying to stay a step ahead of the hungry undead. And a recent re-telling of a classic, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” became a New York Times bestseller. Zombies are popping up everywhere – giving you the creepy feeling that a “zombie apocalypse” might be imminent.

Preparing for Hordes
Benjamin Hermes has thought a lot about zombies. More specifically, how to take them out. And at the recent Maker Faire in San Jose, California, aspiring maker Ben set out to show the ways he’d developed to “incapacitate a zombie.” True to their name, “Zombie Bats” are baseball bats equipped with lots of extras – like an axe and a stun gun attached at the end of the bat, capable of delivering a 90,000-volt charge.

Another model of “Zombie Bat” trades out the axe for a samurai sword. And while the stun gun may seem like “overkill” to the uninitiated, Ben explains why it’s necessary. “The central nervous system of your average zombie is, because of the reanimation process, extra susceptible to electronic weapons.”

Batter up! Benjamin Hermes’ turnkey solution for eliminating the undead, on display at the 2011 Maker Faire in San Jose.

Zombies have been experiencing a real surge in popularity lately, and not just at events like Maker Faire. Recently even the Centers for Disease Control issued a guide on how to prepare yourself for the fictional zombie apocalypse. Or is it fictional? After all, why would the CDC – a noted government agency – issue a statement on how to protect yourself from zombies…unless there was a real reason for doing so?

A CDC ad promoting zombie preparedness.

DMA Studios Making a Zombie Movie
Maybe there’s more to this whole zombie thing than meets the eye. Digital Media Academy thinks so, too, and this summer, DMA Studios will make a short film featurette about – you guessed it – zombies! DMA Studios is a premier summer camp experience that puts you in the middle of a real studio production environment. Students in the two-week program come together as a working film production team to write, produce, shoot and edit the movie.

Director and instructor Seamus Harte explains, “We’re looking for experienced filmmakers who want to join our studio production team. Ideally, you’ve had some previous experience using Final Cut Studio or maybe have taken a DMA Film or Production course. The entire two weeks will be just like working on a real film production for a Hollywood studio: pre-production meetings, location scouting, casting, multiple shooting units, special effects teams…the whole nine yards.” This program is only offered at DMA’s Stanford University location and because of the structure of the program is limited to only 20 filmmakers. Register now for this exciting sci-fi moviemaking experience.

Who will live…and who will wind up at the bottom of the zombie food chain? Only DMA students will find out, when they spend summer making a zombie movie.

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It’s a new day for nerds. Once condemned as outcasts, nerds now command respect in social circles and pop culture. Today nerds not only rule the stock market but are also dominating prime-time television. So what are TV’s top nerd shows? Our resident TV nerd has this report:

7) The Office (NBC, 2005-present)

Dwight Schrute: Taking care of business in “The Office.”

NBC’s flagship comedy, set at a doomed Pennsylvania paper company, employs one marvelous super-nerd: Assistant to the Regional Manager, Dwight K. Schrute. Played to simmering perfection by Rain Wilson, everything Dwight touches turns to geek-insanity – like when Dwight celebrated Earth Day by dressing up as the angry conservationist robot “Recyclops.” Or when, after taking over management of the Dunder-Mifflin office building, he built a contraption out of bicycle parts that would separate two-ply toilet paper, thus saving a full ply during each bathroom visit and increasing his bottom line.

Dwight also loves “Battlestar Galactica” and maintains a hidden collection of workplace weapons (such as Chinese throwing stars, nunchucks and pepper foam spray) that he’s not afraid to lunge for, should his acute paranoia kick in. Dwight Schrute is the closest thing TV’s had to a Barney Fife character in ages. (And if you’ve never seen Barney Fife – played by multiple Emmy winner Don Knotts – do yourself a favor right now. Start streaming “The Andy Griffith Show” over NetFlix. You’ll thank us later.)

6) The Walking Dead (AMC, 2010-present)

AMC’s smash hit, “The Walking Dead,” plays out like a video game. Survivors rely on their skills to maximize their resources and wipe out the zombie menace.

There’s no getting around it; nerds love zombies. And we love everything about this show. No recent program or film has done more to explore the zombie genre than AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” It’s an endless chess game, where the smart and resourceful have to gather whatever supplies they can, while staying a step ahead of some of the scariest walking dead you’ve ever seen shamble across the small screen. And when it comes time to off these undead creatures, it helps to have an almost nerd-like creative problem-solving approach. In a classic new-age zombie moment from the past season, the show’s hero (an Atlanta lawman with a family) outwits ravenous packs of zombies by improvising – smearing blood and zombie goo on living folks’ bodies, so they can walk among the undead without arousing attention by smell. The plan works perfectly…until it starts to rain.

5) Fringe (Fox, 2008-present)

“Fringe” mixes investigative work with sci-fi themes. Mental puzzles served up weekly.

Geeks and nerds are historically known for their willingness to endure endless and more-than-a-bit complex story lines and sci-fi situations (cough, “Heroes,” “Firefly”) – and sometimes the more tangled and overgrown, the better. Nobody knows more about presenting that type of twisted and evolving plotline than J.J. Abrams, the writer and producer behind ABC’s mega-hit head-scratcher, “Lost,” which its loyal viewers are still trying to unravel, more than a year after it ended. The latest entry from Abrams and company does this complex-is-more formula proud. The show feels like “X-Files,” another nerd favorite. “Fringe” mixes “CSI”-style investigative work with heavy sci-fi themes. If you’ve been pacing around since the end of “Lost,” relax, sit down and get hooked on this show before it’s cancelled.

4) Chuck (NBC, 2007-present)

Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) only looks like a mild-mannered store clerk. During the rest of NBC’s “Chuck,” he’s a secret agent.

The continued existence of this “action-comedy” underdog is a tribute to the power of nerds. Fans of the series have taken to the Internet and kept “Chuck” from the chopping block on numerous occasions. It’s no wonder the audience has a soft spot for the program, given that its premise is a hidden fantasy of geeks and nerds everywhere. Chuck Bartowski appears to work at an electronics retailer, but that’s just his cover. He’s really a spy. And the show cleverly mines humor from the contrast of his humdrum day job and his spicy double-life as an intelligence operative. It also probably helps nerd identification with the show that lead actor Zachary Levi isn’t much on star power. He’s just your average Joe. And his cover job: Part of the retailer’s “Nerd Herd” computer fix-it department. Perfect.

3) MythBusters (Discovery, 2003-present)

Is it true? Just partially true? Or not true at all? “MythBusters” wants to know. For this episode, co-host Jamie Hyneman crawled inside this personal tornado protector, and tested it against 200-mph winds. We want one!

Now in its tenth season, “MythBusters” co-hosts Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman use a simple formula that has cultivated a rabid MythBuster fan base. In each episode, two different popular myths are explored and/or tested, in hopes to either prove them true or show them up as hoaxes. Then the hosts designate the myth in question in one of three categories: “Busted” (or disproven), “Plausible” (or maybe) or “Confirmed” (or proven). Sometimes elaborate experiments are showcased in the episodes. Often something explodes or is destroyed, while the show calmly strives to maintain sound scientific methods when conducting experiments. Its driving quest for truth and (relative) technical accuracy is what endears “MythBusters” to geeks.

2) The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 2007-present)

Brain trust: The cast of CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” in the episode “The Justice League Recombination.”

Topping any list of geek shows, “The Big Bang Theory” doesn’t just accept nerd culture; it revels in it. In fact, the comedy series worships geeks and their traits. The major characters here are scientific geniuses who bond through their association at Caltech. Between them, the four principals have more degrees than a thermometer. The lead character, television’s reigning nerd, Sheldon Cooper (played by Emmy winning Jim Parsons), holds two Ph.Ds. His quirky mannerisms and command of geek essentials – like the ability to build a mobile telepresence called “Shel-Bot” out of a monitor, web cam and robot – make him a poster child for nerds everywhere.

Shel-Bot.

Sheldon’s roommate, Leonard, is also a card-carrying nerd, as are their friends, Raj and Howard. They openly acknowledge their geek cred while at the same time realize that just being brilliant is no guarantee that everything in life works out smoothly. “The Big Bang Theory” integrates technological concepts into many of its scripts, and it does this without dumbing down the material for the widest possible audience. As Sheldon might say, “I approve.”

1) MacGyver (ABC, 1985-1992)

Yeah, yeah — we know. The show left the air before you were even born, and it’s true that with his mullet haircut and flannel shirts, Richard Dean Anderson didn’t look exactly like a nerd hero. But don’t be fooled. If the key quality of a geek hero is resourcefulness, then “MacGyver” has to be given a second look. Because, as any of its 139 episodes will easily confirm, this was far and away the most resourceful character ever to appear on American television.

Locked in a third-world jail? No problem; MacGyver has a shoelace, a battery and a plastic fork. He’ll have you out in about thirty seconds. About to be devoured by sharks? Relax, MacGyver’s swimming toward you and he’s found a seashell, a battery and an old Band-Aid. You’ll be fine. Armed nuclear device set to detonate? Quit whining; MacGyver’s on the job. He’s got a paperclip and a gum wrapper. Once he finds that battery, he’ll be ready once again to save the day. Of course, that’s the ultimate nerd/geek fantasy. That and lording over a super-race of mutant robots.

MacGyver – the only TV action hero so resourceful that he was honored with a collector-edition paperclip. As a testimonial from Mac reads on the package, “A paperclip can be a wonderous thing. More times than I can remember one of these has gotten me out of a tight spot…”

You’ll find members of the “geek set” behind many of today’s biggest entertainment television and film properties (including industry shakers like George Lucas, J.J. Abrams and Steve Jobs). Digital Media Academy, the world’s #1 computer and digital arts tech summer camp, can help you turn your love for television and broadcast media into a life-changing experience. Make a pilot for your own television show, or experience what it’s like to make your own film in DMA’s Film Production Summer Camps. Who knows? Maybe you could be the creator behind tomorrow’s next hit television show!

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Perhaps the most stunning attribute of humans is creativity. Animals may accomplish incredible feats, but they usually learn them through repetition. Animals don’t normally exhibit the brilliant “ah ha!” moment that signals the innovative leap toward creativity.

“MythBusters’” own Adam Savage made an appearance at Maker Faire, alongside Arc Attack.

I live for those “ah ha!” moments, when a string of thoughts and ideas can pour through your head like a melody. And that’s exactly why each year I attend Maker Faire, a kind of creativity convention that showcases technological innovation. As I look at the creative innovations of Bay Area makers, all of them lined up in a row, you can almost see the cartoon light bulbs appearing over their inventors’ heads. You can almost hear the makers exclaim “eureka!” one after another.

This year’s Maker Faire was no exception. From large, flame-throwing, steam-punk contraptions…to wild, automated robots built by kids – each vendor table displayed some type of creation that started as an idea born inside the brain of a “maker.” The makers at the fair I attended came in all shapes and sizes, and certainly in all sorts of garb. The place was loud and colorful, and brimming with creative energy. It made you feel like you were in a futuristic bazaar, being mentally drawn from one vendor’s tent to the next.

Vintage video game machines are used to make music at Maker Faire.

Different Maker Faire events take place all over the country, but locally it’s held at the San Mateo County Fairground. It’s composed of two large exhibition halls and a whole host of outdoor exhibits. One exhibition hall contains a dozen or so of the most stunning and interactive exhibits. There’s also plenty of open space to take in the wonders around you, which include a stage dedicated to light shows powered by Tesla coil lightning-simulating towers (you know, the kind that movie scientists always have in their laboratories).

The main exhibition hall for vendors is the primary attraction of Maker Faire. This is where local makers each get a small table space to show off their creations. Everyone is friendly and eager to show you what they’ve been making. Believe me, your mind will be stretched more by a few hours chatting with these creators then during a semester of classroom lectures. Outside the main exhibition hall there is more of the same – only it’s larger and louder.

Video Game Legend Talks Creativity
In a recent interview, famed video-game creator Nolan Bushnell spoke about Maker Faire. Bushnell’s main point concerned the way jobs are evolving; his belief is that the only way to prepare today’s young people for the job market of the coming decades is to encourage them to master creative problem-solving. “Creativity is an area where I believe the world needs a lot of help – and for some reason, so many of the creative wellsprings are being driven out of the kids these days,” Bushnell said. “And making things is probably as good a creative training ground as [anything] else, and that’s why I’m so passionate about the maker movement.”

“I think there is an extremely high probability that the next Steve Jobs or Steve Wozniak will be at the Maker Faire. If there were [ever] a couple of makers, it was ‘Woz’ and Jobs.”

Bushnell thinks that Maker Faire events encourage nothing short of survival skills. “If you look at the jobs of 20 years from now, they are going to be very much like jobs that will occur on an alien planet,” he said. “There is not much you can do to teach kids, other than creative problem-solving, to give them the tools to survive and prosper.”

As founder of Atari, Bushnell knows a thing or two about encouraging creative talent. After all, at one time he was boss to the computer geniuses who would later found Apple Computer: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. He sees the same creative energies that he saw in those two ricocheting around the Maker Faire. Bushnell even said that Maker Faire is a good place to search for the next Steve Jobs. “I think there is an extremely high probability that the next Steve Jobs or Steve Wozniak will be at the Maker Faire. If there were [ever] a couple of makers, it was ‘Woz’ and Jobs.”

Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and creator of Pong – and an original maker.

The ability to create distinguishes us as humans, and it will increasingly be the factor that differentiates us in the workforce. Events like Maker Faire and programs like those found at Digital Media Academy computer and digital arts summer camps exist to advance the principles of creation. And DMA offers programs specially made for the technologically advanced young person who has a real passion for science and its enormous role in modern life – including an exciting programming & robotics summer camp, as well as game programming courses for a variety of today’s hottest platforms.

The creative process begins with a vision, moves on to organization and concludes with tactical execution. The tools to bring a creative vision to life have never been more accessible than they are now. Leveraging these tools today is the best preparation for a lifetime full of creative possibilities. Your creative and technological training begins this summer at DMA.

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If you’re a gamer, you’ve likely experienced the Unity Game Development Engine.

Unity supplies the tools that video game developers use to make hit games. Already a proven success on the console and iPhone platforms, the Unity Game Development Engine is now coming to Android. Unity 3.3 (a.k.a. “Unity Android”) was released for preview in Summer 2010. Since then, more than 50 games (including “Zombie Room AR” and “Samurai II: Vengeance”) have been created for Android using Unity.

Unity…now available for the Android platform.

Unity has already made a mark by providing the game engine on which a slew of successful games have been built. The list is long and contains hits developed for the iPhone. There have also been a host of  franchise titles developed for the web — like “Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2” (Three Melons) — and games that started out on PC but are now available as iPhone apps, such as RedLynx’s “Monster Trucks Nitro.”

Game developers love Unity, so they should be especially pleased with the new features in Unity Android. For starters, by using the Android Remote, developers can test their games on their very own phone, so they’ll know exactly what gamers are going to encounter when they actually play the final game. This makes the testing process faster and means your game gets to market quicker. Unity Android will also deliver the same mind-bending graphics that gamers have come to expect, and Unity has been working with hardware manufacturers (e.g. Nvidia, Qualcomm) to make sure that the graphics are highly optimized for this mobile platform too. In addition, Unity has made improvements to the engine’s audio performance.

This Sunday! Play “Monster Trucks Nitro”!

Digital Media Academy has partnered with Unity to put their video-game development tools in the hands of aspiring game developers. This summer, DMA courses and summer camps for game development on mobile devices will feature the Unity mobile platform. And whether students take DMA’s 3D Game Development for Google Android Devices or 3D Game Development for the iPhone, they’re going to receive hands-on training in making video games using the hottest game development engine out there. DMA’s programs are taught by industry professionals who use Unity everyday.

“Samurai II: Vengeance”

There are an estimated 30 million+ Android devices currently in use, and with the arrival of more and more game apps created with Unity Android, we’re sure to see those numbers grow even more. Great games begin with creative imaginations and expert training, but require the foundation of a powerful development tool — like Unity. Start making your video-game creation dreams come true this summer with Unity at DMA.

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Apple really knows design. And Digital Media Academy really knows digital technology. That’s why we’re using the new and amazing iMacs at DMA’s University of British Columbia program.

The iMac is the best-looking and most futuristic computer on the planet — at least, in our humble opinion. (Do you agree? Let us know in the Comments section below.) Now the computer giant has updated its iMac line. DMAC takes a look at the new iMacs and shows you why the added improvements are worth the cost of upgrading:

Under the Hood
There are four major improvements to the new iMacs:

• Added Horsepower The first enhancement is the new iMac’s quad-core Intel processors. The Core i5 processors come standard in either a 2.5GHz or 2.5GHz version. (Or you can rev up the engine even more with an optional Core i7 processor.) Apple says the new iMac uses improved Intel chipsets that enable it to perform almost twice as fast as the last generation of iMacs. Plus, the computer’s Turbo Boost 2.0 should prove to be a major improvement for anyone using a heavy-duty computer program — such as Final Cut Pro. (When it encounters such an application, the Turbo Boost directs the CPU to shift more power to the processing-hungry program.) And due to the Core architecture being utilized, the CPU’s processor, cache, memory controller and graphics engine are all on the same chip. Performance is boosted because all of these functions are housed together.
• Faster File Transfers With the new iMac, Apple is introducing the Thunderbolt technology — which moves data at a quicker transfer speed. Apple says the twin 10-Gbps data channels enable transfers up to 12 times faster than with FireWire 800.
• Graphics Grabber The new iMac has something for gamers, filmmakers and graphics designers. Apple’s AMD Radeon graphics engine soups up the computer’s visual performance by delivering more frames of video per second. The processors are equipped to handle up to 2GB of video memory, and Apple estimates that graphics performance is up to three times faster than the last generation of iMacs.
• U R There At least it will look and feel that way, thanks to the new FaceTime HD camera. The camera lets you enjoy FaceTime video calls in a startlingly crisp 720p resolution. Apple says the picture is so clear that it will seem like you’re in the same room with the person you’re calling. Plus, the new iMac gives you more options about video calls, which it can make to an iPad 2, the iPhone 4, the latest iPod touch or to other Intel-based Mac computers.

iMacs are used in all of DMA’s video and music production courses, and with the iPhone app development courses.

Test Drive
These new iMac features really caught our attention, although there are a few other additional improvements, such as nice LED-backlit displays. One interesting feature is an option that allows the consumer who buys their new iMac from the Apple Online Store to choose what kind of user interface you prefer. In other words, if you don’t care for the standard Magic Mouse, you can opt for a Magic Trackpad at no added cost.

Now that you’re all primed to check out the new iMacs in person, there are a couple of places where you can test-drive it. Of course, the first is at an Apple store. But if you really want to use the latest iMacs while getting hands-on instruction in the digital arts from professionals, then you should be making plans to attend DMA’s 2011 technology summer camp on the campus of the University of British Columbia, located only 30 minutes from Vancouver. This summer’s DMA courses at UBC will use the new iMac.

Are you into digital media and technology? Does the idea of using the latest Apple iMac computers — while exploring your passion for programming & robotics, game design, 3D modeling & digital art, and more — appeal to you? If so, it’s time to learn more about DMA’s Summer 2011 program at UBC. But remember, that’s only one of DMA’s outstanding campus locations. Digital Media Academy summer tech and computer arts summer camps are held each year at some of the nation’s most respected universities — including Harvard, the University of Texas (Austin) and Stanford. Make the most of your summer with DMA.

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Learning how to use a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera can take time, and if you don’t have a friend or teacher to show you how to use it, a DSLR can be challenging as well. Manuals help, but reading about how to use a sophisticated piece of photographic equipment isn’t quite the same as having hands-on time operating it.

To get the most out of a DSLR, you need to know how to use all of its features – the shutter speed, aperture and ISO (light sensitivity) – and how those features enhance your photos. Now, suppose there was an online app or web site that helped show you how all these features worked, so you could “test drive” them before you bought a camera?

Introducing CameraSim.

CameraSim lets you see how camera settings such as shutter speed affect your shots.

This web app lets you see how camera settings such as shutter speed will affect your pictures. The sample picture even includes a spinning pinwheel to change your shutter speed and eliminate motion blur. CameraSlim is a great way to get familiar with a camera’s features.

If you’re really serious about learning how to use a DSLR camera, why not take a course or enroll in a digital photography summer camp? The skills you learn will improve your photography. Digital Media Academy offers several week-long courses that give you hands-on experience using DSLRs and digital photography training. Learn how to shoot your best photos and get the most from the images you capture by learning Advanced Digital Photography and Photoshop. Put yourself in the picture with DMA.

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