SCAN Magazine Spring 2010 by The Connector

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 06

» APPS WORTH THE TIME Three new apps to make life simpler and more fun

» OF MAN AND MACHINE The evolution of new media opportunities

ABOUT THE COVER By drawing inspiration from the work of ÉtienneJules Marey, we set out to document the naturally entrancing shapes that the body makes during movement. This reflects the theme of the issue: moving forward through new media. We digitally captured the movement of a dancer by utilizing a slow shutter speed and a strobe flash. Other than a simple duotone overlay, no elaborate Photoshop techniques were exercised to create the images. In one shot, each image revealed the results of what happens when light and motion combine. In a world that places importance on rapid progression, sometimes we must pause to appreciate the simplistic beauty of what moves us every day. »

PHOTOGRAPHY Sean Wright

» ART AND DESIGN GOES EAST A preview of SCAD Hong Kong

» FASH FORWARD Futuristic fashion in a new age of digital media

» TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES The impacts of being plugged in

» SHOWCASE Spotlight on the School of Film and Digital Media

» WORLD TRENDS: CHINA Highlights of the country's alluring landscapes

MODEL Sarah Burroughs S P R I N G 2 0 10

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STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Mestre

COPY EDITOR Alexandra Sowers

P.R. DIRECTOR Lawren McCord

MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ziemer

PHOTO EDITOR Sean Wright

ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Arthur Ball

ART DIRECTOR Brittany Kron

NEWS EDITOR Cheryl Montgomery

WEB ASSISTANT Jake Burk

ASST. ART DIRECTOR Renée Dunn

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Allie Jemison

AD SALES REP Shantay Robinson (NOT PICTURED)

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SCAN Magazine SCAD Atlanta 1600 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309

Office » 404.253.2738 Fax » 404.897.4888 » scan.magazine@scadconnector.com » www.scadconnector.com/scan

CONTRIBUTORS

SARAH BURROUGHS

GRAY CHAPMAN

BRETT MIOTTI

MATT BRADDICK

M odel, Cove r

Wr i te r, O f M a n a n d M achine

I llustration, O f M an and M achine

Wr iter, Ar t and D esign G oes East

MANDIE MILLS

MICHELLE NAPIER

COLLEEN CAMERON

ASHLEY DAMOND

Photogra p h e r, Fa s h Fo r wa rd

H a i r, Fa s h Fo r wa rd

M odel, Fash For ward

CASEY SMITH

CARLEY-BETH CULPEPPER

DEBORAH CONTON

XIAOYAN FAN

Photo As s t. , Fa s h Fo r wa rd

S h o o t As s t. , Fa s h Fo r ward

M akeup Asst., Fash For ward

D esigner, Wor ld Trends: China

ABOUT SCAN MAGAZINE SCAN is the quarterly student magazine of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. All editorial content is determined by student editors. The opinions expressed in SCAN Magazine are not necessarily those of the college. ©2010 SCAN Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle this magazine or pass it along.

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Today, technology runs rampant and convenience is the name of the game. With that comes a surge in the popularity of cell phone applications. Whether you're looking to keep in touch, stalk on the down low, or locate the nearest water polo class, “there’s an app for that.” The following are a few apps we feel are worth your time.

APPS WORTH THE TIME

WRITTEN BY Cheryl Montgomery AND

Matt Braddick

PHOTO BY Sean Wright

iPhone

CARD STAR

By Mesa Dynamics LLC

Never have rewards cards when you need them? Card Star has the solution. This free app lets you easily store and quickly retrieve loyalty, reward and club membership cards. The information is then scanned directly from your screen. Card Star is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

Android

GOOGLE SKY MAP By Google

Say you skipped Astronomy class one too many times and have no idea what’s what when you look skyward. Try this stellar Android app. It uses your phone’s camera, time and day, and GPS coordinates to help you locate planets, constellations and any other landmarks worth noting in the night sky. Simply open the application, point it at the stars and you’re a regular Galileo.

Blackberry

GWABBIT

By Nobex Technologies Inc.

Keep your contacts updated without doing a thing! This free app scans your incoming e-mails for contact information and turns them into contact records in your address book. Gwabbit supports all current Blackberry devices and makes capturing contact information fast, easy and hassle-free. »

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WRITTEN BY Gray Chapman ILLUSTRATION BY Brett Miotti

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Justice, a third-year interactive design and game development student, specializes in game design — the more abstract facet of game development, where the designer conceptualizes the project. The plesiosaur he's currently poring over is an exercise in Flash programming. “It's just another thing I want to be proficient in before I graduate,” explains Justice. “I'm happy to be a generalist.” This flexibility is arguably a requirement for anyone in digital media, a field constantly shifting with every technological innovation. While difficult to define because of its constant metamorphosis, the backbone of digital media is communication — specifically, digital communication. As television channels are replaced by Hulu and best-selling novels show up on Kindle screens, traditional modes of communication slough off their one-dimensional flatness in favor of interactivity and multimedia experiences. The fast-paced environment necessitates a “roll with the punches” attitude from its professionals. “What's digital media?” asks Jason Parker, social media manager for SCAD. “Everything. Mostly we use it, though, to describe anything we use a computer to do or see,” he says. “It's media created and consumed by digital means — so whether it's photos, video, text, music, whatever, if it's created or consumed with the help of digital technology, it's 'digital media.'” As communication is constantly reinventing itself in the digital media realm, hundreds of students like Jonathan Justice are also bent over computer screens, working to integrate technology and art. The world of digital media is so broad that the career tracks are exponential. An animation student could become a character designer, working with Pixar to create the next "Nemo" or "Wall-E." A visual effects student could specialize in those incredible Michael Bay-style explosions. An interactive design and game development student could be the brains behind the next hot iPhone app.

— JASON PARKER, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

“

Jonathan Justice leans toward the glowing Wacom monitor, scrutinizing the movements of a small green dinosaur that follows his cursor. “It's a plesiosaur,” he explains. He watches the aquatic carnivore follow every flick of his wrist, maneuvering around a small yellow floating life preserver, and then sits back with a look of satisfaction. “I think I'll put a person in the life preserver... maybe have him get eaten,” he muses.

“

THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONTENT, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH EDITORS, DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS, PROGRAMMERS, AND PRODUCERS IS CRUCIAL.

With a desire to work in the digital field also comes a requirement for flexibility. Justice, whose plesiosaur represents a departure from his conceptual game design track, recognizes this need for a “jack-of-alltrades” approach. “Thinking about different perspectives and knowledge of how other people work is essential in this field,” he says. This concept of versatility was reinforced in a recent interview between Parker and Scott Dadich, Creative Director for Wired magazine. When asked what SCAD students need to know about forging careers in the digital field, Dadich articulated the need for a designer's ability to speak “multiple languages.” “A multidisciplinary approach is key,” asserted Dadich. “The ability to produce a variety of different kinds of content, to have a conversation with editors, designers, engineers, programmers and producers … the ability to speak in all those languages is crucial.” With that in mind, students in SCAD's School of Film and Digital Media are not only learning to adapt to the digital evolution of their trade, but they're also taking the necessary steps to build a comprehensive skill set in order to enhance their versatility in the digital world. Chelsey Cline, a fourth-year animation student, recognizes the field's constant state of flux. “Film and digital media are changing in order to be more adaptable to multiple outlets,” she remarks. “Now, it's not only the television or Internet, but mobile phones as well. With the introduction of 3D television, I can only imagine where it will take this industry.” Michael Cooke, a third-year television production student, says that the constant changes of the digital media field have made branching out into multiple disciplines easier. “It’s becoming easier and easier to do everything yourself,” says Cooke, who concentrates on film production, but also works as a freelance digital photographer. “There are so

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many user-friendly apps, software and tools to make your own films without the need of a giant budget.” Jennifer Chandler, another fourth-year animation major, enjoys the versatility that this field necessitates. “I try to dabble in a lot of things,” she says. “One of the strengths of the animation program is that we learn everything from concept to production. I like having the foundation to jump into animation one day and storyboard the next because I’m never limited.” Matt Canei, a fourth-year interactive design and game development student, describes digital media as “a constantly evolving field, due to technology's development and rapid growth. It's always getting more complex and the envelope always pushed a little bit further in hopes of innovating.” Though the possibilities for specialization within the major are many, Canei concentrates on environment design — but, like Justice, Cline and Chandler, has developed a variety of other talents within game design.

DIGITAL MEDIA ITSELF AND THE TECHNIQUES WE USE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AS WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE DESIRED LOOK AND FUNCTIONALITY OF OUR CRAFT. ALL THINGS KEEP PUSHING AND CHANGING AND THAT KEEPS THE DIGITAL ARTISTS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF EVOLUTION. — TINA O'HAILEY, ASSOCIATE CHAIR OF ANIMATION

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“

Parker, who has worked in digital media for more than 20 years, gives a professional perspective of his own malleable role within the digital media field as a storyteller, combining the written word with multimedia to give information to readers. “It's just the means of telling the story that's changed,” he says. “For me, I think it's essential to be as broad as possible, while choosing a focus area. My focus is on visual media, delivered by means of the Web.”

The seemingly limitless possibilities that a digital media student can enjoy is certainly a perk. Then, there is the prospect of employment; as the digital media world shifts and grows, so do its career opportunities. In 2008, Forbes listed “Multimedia Artists and Animators” as one of America's top 20 growing careers, at a 12 percent gain in jobs between 2007 and 2008. Digital media is an area that is growing in spite of the recession, an advantage that appeals to students. Cline cites the “many career options in the industry” as a benefit to choosing digital media as a field of study, saying that eventually she would like to work for a major animation studio and begin production on her own animated series. Digital media's fluidity is also conducive to overlap — meaning that animation students like Cline, for example, have a myriad of opportunities within animation, but are not limited to careers within this major. “We find that animation is a broad degree that also allows students to also explore the visual effects area, animation for games, motion media, and so on,” says Tina O'Hailey, associate chair of animation. “ The entrepreneurial student will find that animation shows up in everything from cell phones to doctors' offices, even casinos.” O'Hailey has seen her students go on to work with industry giants such as Pixar, Disney and Cartoon Network. Yet, she adds, the constant transformations within the digital field make for an everadapting classroom. “Digital media itself and the techniques we use continue to evolve as we continue to push the desired look and functionality of our craft,” she says. “All things keep pushing and changing and that keeps the digital artists in a constant state of evolution.” Evolution, adaptation, fluctuation — whatever you call it, the realm of digital media is never static. This field demands agility and ingenuity from its professionals, but grants them in return the chance to be part of a field marked by perpetual innovation, where the way we listen to a song or read a magazine can change and will change at the drop of a hat. Assuming that students can prepare for such an unpredictable field seems fallacious, but SCAD's digital media students are doing exactly that: learning to create, innovate and ride the perpetually shifting tides where technology meets art. »

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ART & DESIGN GOES EAST A Preview of SCAD Hong Kong

WRITTEN BY Matt Braddick Little more than a year ago, SCAD turned plenty of heads, announcing that the institution would be expanding again. SCAD would open an entirely new location in the bustling, historic port of Hong Kong. Now, the university is in the final stages of preparing for its first quarter in one of Asia’s largest metropolitan areas. Starting in September 2010, SCAD Hong Kong will open its doors to students and usher in a new era for American arts education. Being the first American college with a chance to open facilities in The People’s Republic of China adds a lot of pressure, so what can students expect? Photos courtesy of SCAD

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SCAD Hong Kong’s goal is to place a specific focus on digital arts and media studies. Students wanting a first-class education in advertising, animation, illustration, interactive design and game development, graphic design, photography, motion media and visual effects will find state-of-the-art resources and experienced professors at this new location. The marriage of cutting-edge digital media education with an Asian environment makes perfect sense for the university. Given SCAD’s growing popularity among Asian students (China is the third most represented nation at SCAD), growing facilities where digital media is a fast growing enterprise could lead to success for all parties involved. SCAD Atlanta Dean of Student Success Art Malloy notes that “the emerging technology market is in Asia. It would give students studying graphic design, visual effects, and more a chance to study in a vibrant city without paying any more [for tuition].” He points out that SCAD Hong Kong would be a more familiar location for Asian students who want to get their own SCAD education, without having to deal with the expense of traveling to the United States. SCAD will do its best to provide a strong and lively student life, but what about the city itself? Hong Kong has a history that spans across centuries. Located in southern China at the end of the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong is a massive city, totaling close to eight million people. With such a large population, students will encounter people from all over the globe, not just from China. The city also has adapted some Western customs and views, while still maintaining its vibrant Chinese identity. This “best of both worlds” scenario gives the city a balance between local Chinese customs and culture and Western ideas. Students concerned about admission,

transferring, and other details can see that Hong Kong is really just an extension of the SCAD they already attend. Classes in Hong Kong are just as accessible as those in Savannah or Atlanta. Scholarships and loans are also available; any student aid can be used to pay for tuition and housing at SCAD Hong Kong.

can expect the “same environment with student organizations, student media, SCAD galleries, signature events, and community and corporate partnership opportunities.” Students at the new location will have the opportunity to form clubs, participate in sports, and work on their own student newspaper and radio station.

Yet, the college experience is more than just taking classes. Being a part of a university means being involved in clubs and meeting new people, going to special events and enriching your educational experience with extracurricular activities. Will SCAD Hong Kong have the student life opportunities that other SCAD locations have? The answer is yes. Director of External Communications Elizabeth Rowan, who has been living in Hong Kong for several months preparing for SCAD Hong Kong’s debut, says students

Also vital to the life and growth of a university is the establishment of its own identity, and Rowan is confident Hong Kong will accomplish that. “Our vision for SCAD Hong Kong is to make it the pre-eminent site for the study of digital media in Asia, welcoming a diversity of students from Asia and throughout the world.” Rowan assured that information on student housing and dining would be coming “very soon” and that students should stay tuned for official details in the coming months.

“OUR VISION FOR SCAD HONG KONG IS TO MAKE IT THE PRE-EMINENT SITE FOR THE STUDY OF DIGITAL MEDIA IN ASIA, WELCOMING A DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS FROM ASIA AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.”

- ELIZABETH ROWAN

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WITH ALMOST 50 DIFFERENT GALLERIES AND STUDIOS ACROSS THE CITY, STUDENTS INTERESTED IN A GALLERY HOP WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. Hong Kong’s openness to Western integration stems from its colonial history. The city and its outlying areas were a part of the British Empire from 1898 to 1997. Therefore, the English language and lifestyle have become part of the culture. Though Chinese rule over Hong Kong returned in 1997, the British influence still survives. English-speaking students will likely have an easier time of communicating with the locals than one might think. While Cantonese is the main language spoken in the province, English is just as widespread in Hong Kong. Furthermore, all SCAD Hong Kong classes will be taught in English. Hong Kong’s location and community make the city a great place for a school devoted to teaching digital media art. The metropolis is bursting with opportunities for students. Hong Kong is a major city for film production in China, featuring not only popular action stars like Jackie Chan, but also many other major

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international film stars and directors. Many are synonymous with the Hong Kong film industry, including John Woo, Bruce Lee and Yuen Woo-Ping. Students of motion media, visual effects and animation will be able to find many opportunities to work and grow as artists. For interactive design and game development majors, Hong Kong is hard at work establishing its place in the video game industry with businesses like M-Inverse, a new and burgeoning game design and programming company. Hong Kong’s large size affords many of the same amenities and attractions that one might find in any other city in the world. Museums, extravagant hotels, brilliant temples and plentiful parks are many of the worthwhile places students will be able to explore. With almost 50 different galleries and studios across the city, students interested in a gallery hop won't be disappointed. Beyond the established and popular Hong Kong Museum of Art, many lower-key galleries like Hanart TZ or the Kwai Fung Hin gallery offer a more intimate art experience. Rowan explained that

Hong Kong’s art scene has many opportunities for students, including a nearby art and design bookstore called Page One, as well as the Jockey Club Creative Arts Center, which houses more than 50 artists in residence and an art supply store. Hong Kong offers plenty of other special and exciting places to have fun when students are not busy with midterms and class projects. For a real taste of Chinese culture, try a night out at the Sunbeam Theater, which is devoted to the performance of various Cantonese operas, a distinct Chinese artform. Sports fans can check out the Hong Kong Football Association for a rousing game of soccer. Shoppers can get their bargainhunting fix browsing the different shops in the immensely popular Western Market, housed in a four-story restored building. Everything from silk to food to furniture to delicious cuisine is available here and is an experience not to be missed.

Setting up shop in a city as bright and unique as Hong Kong seems to be the right move for the future of SCAD. What started as a small college in Savannah has now grown into a renowned university with international ventures. Students in Hong Kong will not only continue to receive SCAD’s top quality education, but also will acquire the life-changing experience of studying and learning in a city full of culture and opportunity. SCAD Hong Kong is the next chapter in the university’s full and prosperous legacy, but the excitement is just beginning for the multitude of students destined to be the new generation of artists. »

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: WWW.SCAD.EDU/HONGKONG

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AR 14

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F SH F RWA A Glimpse into Styles of the Future

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P os h Om ahy ra & urte sy o f et c o Jack

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TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

WRITTEN BY Allie Jemison ILLUSTRATION BY Arthur Ball

“You are going the wrong way. When possible, make a U-turn. Recalculating, recalculating.” By the fifth recalculation, Nuvi, my Garmin navigation device, had my head hurting. “Nuvi,” I yelled, “shut the heck up.” In the raspy voice I'd chosen for her, Nuvi barked her directions.

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With my throbbing head and the honking of horns, I was ready to throw Nuvi out the window. Despite my irritation with my GPS device, I was at least glad that paper maps were almost obsolete. I hated trying to drive while squinting my eyes to read the darn things. They say texting and driving is bad; try being a lost tourist. As Nuvi continued to growl her orders, I began to wonder: if Nuvi or my phone died, what would I do?

“

“PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED THAT EFFICIENCY IS MORE IMPORTANT

THAN SIMPLICITY. THEY WOULD RATHER BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING IN FIVE SECONDS THAN SPEND A MINUTE DOING IT.”

So often, society does not sit and think about how anyone used to behave without technology. What would we do without the availability of robotic surgery or the pacemaker? Where would we be without the iPad or Skype's video conferencing? Society has ingrained in us that these technologies are everyday necessities, causing us to take them for granted. Durrell Lyons, a technology support analyst for SCAD, challenges this notion. He says, “[Word processors] have created such a novice manner to write a scholarly paper, one forgets the bare essentials for the English language.” Lyons' thinking goes along with many who wonder if computers really will take over the world one day or cause society to lose vital knowledge. Sydia Bell, fourth-year writing student, enthusiastically expresses her take on the technological world: “The question always seems to come down to whether technology is good or evil? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? Were we better [off ] before this entire technological boom? We are in control of our phones and MP3 players. It isn’t the other way around. Our need for simplicity sometimes overshadows common sense reality and, at times, it just makes more sense to grab a pen and piece of paper [instead of ] that touch screen or GPS system you have over there.” As students surround themselves by wireless routers, laptops, desktops, iPhones, Blackberries and a host of other technologically sound devices, Bell's train of thought is not hard to follow. “Technology has made everyday life so convenient that the fundamental mind is almost deceased,” Lyons continues. John Seabrook’s New Yorker article “Fragmentary Knowledge” identifies that “technology changes how we do things and what we do, but it doesn’t change human nature; it amplifies it.” In other words, adapting to technology improves our lifestyles, not hinders them. Author Matthew Stein states in his book "When Technology Fails," "Ready or not, life as we know it is going to change radically over the next decade. I doubt that we'll see technology fail completely, but I'm certain that increasing environmental and political instabilities will create disruptions in the flow of electricity, goods, and central services to huge numbers of people, and that America will not be spared from societal disruptions on a

- CLIFF LUMMUS

global scale." Thus, a senseless waiting game as to when society's downfall should occur looms like a giant yellow caution sign. No data was lost in Y2K, but new fears pop up all the time.

Brandon Marshall Todd, a graduate writing student with a love for tech-savvy ways, shares his thoughts on being held hostage by touch-screen devices: “Technology has come full circle from George Orwell's “1984,” except we now willingly give our information online through credit cards, Facebook and other transactions and communications. On one hand, they are very instrumental tools, in terms of staying in contact with people. But, on the other [hand], technology is replacing human contact. We don't communicate with each other the way we should and we don't keep up unless something out of the ordinary happens. I think we can use technology, but we shouldn't let it overwhelm our necessity for true interpersonal [relationships].” Ironically, society acts more connected, but realistically, lacks true interaction. Graphic designer Cliff Lummus explains this paradox best: “People have decided that efficiency is more important than simplicity. They would rather be able to do something in five seconds than spend a minute doing it, even if that five second solution breaks down every other week and takes two hours to fix ... they still see that as a better answer than the old fashioned by-hand way of doing everything.” The simple written letter, which many waited so patiently for in the past, was a dynamic method of telling someone with words how much you really care. Now, we have chopped our words into text: “G2G! C U l8r!" Society has given way to the texting generation. There is no doubt that the computer has changed our lives. Evolving over time, these machines rule our world. With the plastic surgery of the computer and the economic change in the world, we've developed our technology to make life simple. Yet, we've forgotten how simplistic life can be — walking down the street seems prehistoric in the age of cars and Segways. Even turning the page of a book in this hyper-linked society seems dated with the invention of the Kindle and iPad. We house everything in cyber world and, at any given time, we could lose it all, returning to the era of actually doing everything ourselves. »

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SHOWCASE

JAGUAR MCGUIRE

Animation

Clint Donaldson, Jason Walling, Brent Mellecker, Andrea Sipl, Alberto Huang, Sandee Chamberlain, Alfredo Brown Jr., Dan Murdock, Adam White, Bobby Miller, Chelsey Cline, David Beach, Mario Biera, Shani Vargo, Miranda Bradley and associate chair of animation Tina O'Hailey

ABOUT “Jaguar McGuire” is a 2D/3D hybrid film, born out of the group project animation course at SCAD Atlanta. The project began in the summer of 2009, with production stretching out over several quarters. More than thirty students have helped in the process; from animation to sound design, students from several majors pitched in to make the project happen. Under the supervision of producer/instructor Tina O'Hailey, students undertook the task of merging the mediums of 2D, or “traditional” animation, with CG imagery. The result is a seamless blend between the two styles. Director Clint Donaldson and Art Director Jason Walling co-wrote the story, which focuses on a high-flying stuntman grounded in a body cast after a stunt that went wrong. All he wants is peace and quiet; his cat, on the other hand, has something else in mind. »

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SHOWCASE

MELISSA FENNELL

M.A., Motion Media Design

ARTIST STATEMENT I truly believe “the medium is the message” and only by understanding how to manipulate the medium can we further communicate the message. I am a creative individual who, for a long time, did not have the right medium to illustrate my skills. When I discovered broadcast design and cinematography, I fell in love. With motion graphics, I enjoy the conceptual visualization of what the piece is and how the visuals will communicate to the audience. I like to see the development, from the first stage to the final project, and all the changes made along the way. Cinematography gives me an outlet for what I see in my mind, from the way a shot is set up and executed to filming and post-production. Although there are trends in motion media that we all latch onto, reverting back to organic processes is important. I enjoy developing, building and filming graphics from raw materials like smoke, water and ink, then making adjustments in After Effects. By going back to the raw graphics, we learn and understand their movement and how we can manipulate them. Eventually, when we use only the digital plug-ins, we are able to mold them into more realistic materials. »

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SHOWCASE

ANHEX

Interactive Design and Game Development from left to right: Gable White (fourth-year), Lee Jones (fourthyear), Jonathan Justice (third-year), Daniel Plemmons (third-year), and John Garcia (fourth-year, not pictured)

ARTIST STATEMENT In the design process of AnHex, we wanted to make a game with a few key design concepts. First, to make a game where the player pieces rely on one another to navigate, we looked toward symbiotic relationships between objects in the world. We mainly focused on viruses and cells and how one feeds or manipulates the other to gain what he desires. The second design concept was to make a game where each object has its own properties. Lastly, we wanted to make a game where the player has to think about his or her actions before they are implemented. Throughout the design process, we modified the play experience to achieve a balance between active and passive play. Keeping our target audience in mind, the pre-teen online gamer, we wanted to keep some level of casual gameplay. In order to stress that the player must think about their shots, we constricted the feature so that to get a higher score, the player must use the least amount of pulls and collisions to the walls. Working on the game was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. Most of the time, the group stayed up late at night trying to get every aspect finished, so that the next person could implement their part. As for the group dynamic, we became a sort of family, hanging out with each other outside of the workplace, sharing good times, as well as getting on each other’s nerves. »

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WORLD TRENDS:

WRITTEN BY Jennifer Mestre DESIGNED BY Xiaoyan Fan PHOTOS BY Xiaoyan Fan AND Dingkun Tang

SCAN MAGAZINE

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With a rich history, alluring landscapes and culture as abundant as its people, China has captivated Far East travelers for generations. From brightly-lit metropolises to quaint towns steeped in tradition, a multitude of adventures await. Yet, to truly experience the richness of China, one must veer off the beaten path and take in the varied sights across the states of this vast and diverse nation. »

NORTHWEST

A sparsely populated region, Xinjiangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s picturesque landscape lends itself to a unique gastronomic experience. Here, sheep are the meat of choice, while a wide variety of sweet fruits, such as Turpan grapes and Shanshan Hami melons, are enjoyed for their seductively sweet taste.

Home of the original Terracotta Warriors, the city of Xian is the oldest capital city in China. In order to fully appreciate Chinese culture, a visit to this historic region is a must.

NORTHERN Traditional Chinese homes dot the small village of Zhouzhuang. A river weaves through the village, commonly used by locals as the main route for transportation.

SOUTHERN The holy land of the Qinghai-Tibet state offers more than just monks and monasteries. Rich architecture adorns the lush, mountainous terrain, providing the curious traveler with a breathtaking sight worthy of a snapshot.

QINGHAI-TIBET S P R I N G 2 0 10

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SCAN MAGAZINE

FRAGMENTED REALITY WRITTEN BY Carlos Alarcon M.A., Visual Effects

Ever since I was a child, I have been amazed by the astonishing images presented on film. Historic events, giant monsters, evil cyborgs, and futuristic spaceships created a question in my mind: How do they do that?

When filmmaking was still in its infancy, visual effects innovators like George Méliès and Ray Harryhausen had one thing in mind: to shock and surprise the audience. Their mindset still resonates with visual effects artists today and, without a doubt, has influenced my work. The basic workflow for the digital shots involved capturing the actors in front of a green screen using a high definition camera, replacing the backgrounds, adding 3D elements, and color correcting the shots in the computer. This project gave me an opportunity to combine my interest in film with visual effects; for the filmed special effects, a thin piece of sugar glass (candy made to resemble glass) created the illusion of the actor breaking through a window. Finally, I edited the trailer and added music to complete the piece. »

BEFORE 28

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Savor a moment between classes at The Hub’s

ESPRESSO BAR

NOW FEATURING

NEW HOURS

Italian and French sodas

Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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