DEPARTMENT
Design and Applied Arts

INSTITUTION
NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti - Milan Campus

ACCREDITED BY
Italian Ministry of Education and Research

TITLE AWARDED
Second Level Academic Degree

CFA
120

LANGUAGE OF TUITION
Italian or English

COURSE DURATION
2 years

At the beginning of the present decade, a chaotic one in scientific terms (even small fluctuations can show their global effects in 2030), good stories never die. In front of the people who believe all the good stories have already been written, and only a new combination of them can generate new media objects, this Master of Arts is enlivened by an opposite spirit. Firstly, this Master of Arts has a critical approach towards the structure of the stories itself: whether it is about a hero’s journey, or the triumph of polemology, we live in an era where the western genealogy of narration reveals patriarchal, white foundations that are currently being revised. Secondly, while traditional fiction increasingly undergoes data-driven control on its audience results, the world of non-fiction is sky- rocketing both in the literary and in the cinema world. Thirdly, audiences are ready to welcome a mixture of media languages that includes data, synthetic images, reference images, and analogue as well as digital sound. Finally, this Master of Arts believes in projects based on atoms and bits: both the physical, perceptible world, and the digital one are great reservoirs of meaning starting from which contemporary students are encouraged to generate, following itineraries that go from magnifying lenses to algorithms, new, contemporary and original stories.

This Master of Arts exposes its students to a mixture of different project experiences lead by highly skilled, international professionals, in a Country that is clearly marked by its rich culture and history.

Ideal students possess a sound basic background in the audio-visual and/or information technology fields, strong motivation and a passion for narration, beside an aptitude for work and willing- ness to debate their ideas.

For admission procedures, please refer to the Academic Regulations.

This Master of Arts degree course aims at providing the students with advanced training to fully master the methods and artistic techniques leading to the acquisition of high professional competences. The course supports the development of sound authorial, professional figures in the entire field of the contemporary audio-visual and multi-media production, based on:

◼ Sensible and mindful understanding of a methodological approach which enables the future professional to deal with any level of project complexity through consistent vision, as well as to successfully manage all parameters, variables and technical competences needed to develop audio-visual and multi-media projects.

◼ The ability to use personal competences in a flexible way, to grant adaptability and efficacy in any professional context both locally and globally. Also, the ability to confidently deal with any un- foreseen development of the professional scenario over time.

◼ The investigation of limits and boundaries of audio-visual and multi-media projects thanks to critical awareness, understanding of meanings, creative and experimental thinking, inclusive and multidisciplinary approach, as well as authorial expression through the project.

During the course, students are engaged in different kind of activities, according to the specific learning goals. Those activities may include:

• Class lectures

• Debates, presentations, peer assessment

• Use of tutorials, videos or other media tools

• Exercises and revisions

• Labs

• Seminars and workshops with industry professionals or visiting lecturers

• Intensive workshops on specific subjects

• Individual or group projects

• Individual study or research

• Field trips related to the professional field

• Individual sessions and tutoring

The achievement of learning goals is generally assessed at the end of the term, although intermediate evaluations may occur. Assessment methods vary according to the learning goals being assessed and may include:

• Oral exams

• Written exams

• Graded exercises

• Graded revision

• Exercises

• Completion of comprehensive projects

The Master of Arts in New technologies for arts, is divided into 4 semesters of didactic activities, followed by a period dedicated to extra-didactic activities (internship, study abroad) and research for the development of the final project. Each semester revolves around one or more design workshops, which deal with research and project themes in a cross-disciplinary way.

The course in Multimedia Design 1 introduces the students to non-linear narratives through the development of indie games and multimedia installations. The course also aims at introducing the students to code-based authorship. At the same time, the course in Creative writing helps the students develop their skills in designing non-fiction audio-visual works through the development of at least two projects, either individual or group-based, aimed, at least, at a national audience. Multimedia Design 2 has coding as the core of design. There begins the development of interactive projects, exclusively based on synthetic sound and images. At the same time, with the course in Audiovisual languages and techniques, the students develop their first individual or collective video project, a short- or medium length film. Both courses in the second semester aim at the production of projects that are potentially aimed at the main international contests, a stable element of all projects developed in the second year of this Master of Arts.

The first year is completed by the two editions of the theoretical course in Digital Cultures: while in the first semester the students study the contemporary digital world from a scientific point of view (in order to acquire sound and useful knowledge of data, artificial intelligence, algorithms and their implication in projects), in the second semester the same theme is approached in its artistic declinations, within a scenario that goes from the latest video-art to contemporary trends.

In the second year, each student can chose whether they want to specialise in documentaries or creative coding. The course in Multimedia design 3 investigates the narration forms of virtual reali- ty or interactive installations. At the same time, Digital tools for arts enhances the students’ competencies in videoinstallations, with specific focus on non-linear narratives. The course in Project culture investigates, on one hand, creative production, and digital innovation on the other hand in order to clearly frame the students’ work within a productive and economic context.

The fourth semester is totally devoted to professionalisation and to the finalisation of the students’ authorship. The course in Multimedia design 4 is totally focused on research and development in relation to companies, whereas the course in Aesthetics of new media is aimed at the understanding and elaboration of ideas to create arguments and texts that enable the students to write their final projects.

Moreover, the plan of this Master of Arts is completed by a wide range of opportunities for extra-curricular projects and educational experiences (workshops, collaboration with companies, etc.), that can be carried out starting from the third semester.

Also, starting from the fourth semester, the students are bound to individually and independently develop research projects on themes of personal interest. The research can involve abroad studies aimed at the completion of the Final project for their Master of Arts Degree. Based on NABA’s academic calendar, the students have about 10 months’ time from the end of the didactic activities to prepare and present their Final projects. Over the same period of time, the students can complete their training with vocational experience (internships) by designing studios or companies, or through NABA’s partnership projects (work experience).

Graduates from the Master of Arts in New Technologies for Arts acquire all the necessary theoretical, technical and design tools to start a professional career in different areas of audio-visual and interactive art, both in collaboration with studios and offices, and as self-employed professionals. Among the possible career paths:

→ Technical and Concept artist

→ Creative coder

→ Interaction designer

→ Creative technologist

→ Creative producer

→ Interactive narrator

→ VR and MR specialist

→ Cinema documentaries director, screenwriter, director of photography

The graduates from the Master of Arts in New Technologies for Arts can undertake PhDs in the fields of media design and creative coding.

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Prove their knowledge and understanding at a deeper level than what typically associated to lower degree courses of study, as well as their ability to devise and/or apply original ideas, often in the scope of research.

• Acquire thorough knowledge of the historic, artistic, cultural, social and economic roots of the discipline and of its aesthetic models.

• Develop thorough knowledge of digital and analogue tools for au- dio-visual and multi-media projects.

• Develop thorough knowledge of the techniques and technologies used in audio-visual and multi-media projects.

• Check the individual learning skills that may allow for further self-guided or independent study.

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Efficiently organise their individual or team work, as required for the conception of audio-visual and multi-media projects

• Develop and carry out projects of different nature in the audio-visual and multi-media field

• Apply the most efficient shooting, editing, and creative coding techniques and strategies, in order to develop and verify their projects.

• Use the most efficient visual and multimedia communication strategies to represent their projects.

• Use the most efficient strategies to distribute and promote their projects and/or personal profiles.

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

Successfully work individually and in a group, interacting with different professional figures.

Efficiently communicate their ideas, in a clear and straightforward fashion, as well as the knowledge and ratio related to them, to specialised and non-specialised people, verbally or through graphic and multimedia supports.

Identify and properly address their professional aspirations, also evaluating the necessary tools and strategies to develop an independent professional career.

Assess their own competence and identify, if any, further study itineraries in the academic or professional environment.

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Apply their knowledge, understanding skills and problem solving ability to new or unfamiliar situations, in wider (or crossdisciplinary) contexts related to their scope of study.

• Integrate knowledge and manage complexities, and evaluate scenarios even when information is limited or incomplete, also assess- ing social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgement.

• Analyse the contemporary audio-visual and multi-media products scenarios through suitable interpretation tools.

• Understand the evolution and innovation phenomena of contemporary societies.

• Understand project briefs within a wide and complex range of social and cultural references, and take into account the multiple in- stances that are the theme of a project.

• Assess tools and strategies to research and innovate in the au- dio-visual and multi-media field, in order to conceive and anticipate new strategic visions and new project scenarios.

• Develop a personal and mindful approach to projects, based on strict proceeding methods and on the consistent use of critical thinking about the values and meanings of the project.

• Develop an innovative and experimental approach to projects, by identifying new possible relations and links among the project itself and its socio-cultural context.

• Develop an aptitude to be flexible and adaptable in their design duties.