New Speakers Announced: FastForward 2012 on November 8-10 in Miami, Florida. As an organization focused on collegial collaboration - celebrating the best practices within educational institutions and private enterprise, we believe that FastForward 2012 will be the most stimulating and productive gathering we have hosted as we look ahead to the future of media, culture and arts education.
FastForward 2012 is hosted by The New World School of the Arts - a hybrid campus part of the University of Florida and Miami/Dade College. The NWSA campus is located in downtown Miami offering plenty of attractions that are within a short walk or one can explore the area via the free MetroMover monorail. The Hyatt Regency Miami - our primary hotel - is within a few blocks and optional lodging is available in the same area. Full details; including how to access the special IDMAA FastForward 2012 rate are posted on the conference website.
In looking toward the trends and issues of the next ten years as a starting point, we are very pleased to announce our keynote presenters.
Frederick & Laurie Samitaur Smith, Owners and Founders of Samitaur Constructs Since the mid-1980’s Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith have been developing the Conjunctive Points urban redevelopment project in Los Angeles and Culver City, California. Internationally recognized as a unique urban experiment in the fusion of art, architecture, and technology, Conjunctive Points has received numerous awards and extensive worldwide press coverage. Over the years, Samitaur has attracted a prestigious tenant roster that includes Nike, Ogilvy, Sony Pictures, WPP, Aegis Media, Delta Apparel and Red Bull, among many others. Through their company, Samitaur Constructs, the Smiths have fostered an economic and cultural renaissance in what was once a defunct industrial tract.
Evan Hirsch, Founder, Engine Co. 4: Evan Hirsch founded Engine Co. 4 to provide entertainment clients with strategic creative direction on developing immersive multi-platform user experiences. Some recent clients of Engine Co 4. include PopCap Games, Ubisoft, ngmoco and The Walt Disney Company. Previously Hirsch was the Creative Director for the launch of Microsoft ‘s Surface and Live Labs incubation unit. Hirsch has held roles in Visual Effects and Feature Animation in London and was Head of Visual Development for Electronic Arts’ Worldwide Studios.
Greg Mitchell, Cinematics Director, Epic Games Studio: Greg is the Cinematics Director for Epic and has worked on bestselling and award-winning game titles such as Unreal Tournament 3, Shadow Complex, Infinity Blade, Bulletstorm, and the entire Gears of War Trilogy. Today, “lights, camera, action” aren’t exactly what he says when directing cinematic actors on motion capture stage, but in principle it’s relatively the same. Best of all, Greg’s childhood pastimes have come together in this ever-changing world of video games and transmedia.
David Gallo, Ph.D., Director of Special Projects for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, will open the Summit on Thursday afternoon. Dr. Gallo is one of the foremost explorers of our Earth’s oceans. Dr. Gallo was co-director of the Titanic expeditions and most recently led the search to find the flight recorder from the infamous Air France jetliner in the South Atlantic Ocean. A TED Fellow whose presentations constantly rank on the top of most viewed TED Talks, Dr. Gallo will be speaking on the role exploration plays in our quest for knowledge and improvement.
Meredith Amdur, General Manger of Online Services for Microsoft, will continue our theme of exploration of knowledge. Ms. Amdur is responsible for Microsoft’s online search efforts including Bing! In our modern world - the ability to do research online has become more arduous with the proliferation of resources connected via the Web. Ms. Amdur will share some of the approaches that are being investigated by Microsoft and look to you - as participants - to help define how we can best acquire new and exciting facts.
Richard Hilleman, Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts, performs many roles for one of the most recognized pillars of interactive entertainment. Richard’s history of game development is legendary, but like many of you, perhaps his most important contributions have come through his development of talent within EA’s studios. Richard has been responsible for the development of EA’s internal masters programs on game design and development. Richard will be speaking to the future of interactive entertainment and how the medium’s evolution requires skills that are outside of the way games are taught today. Richard’s talk will provoke much conversation - something that he will happily be willing to listen and absorb.
No IDMAA Summit would be complete without the IDEAS art exhibition and Student Showcase. IDEAS will be in a formal gallery within the NWSA and a special interactive gallery is being created just for the Student Showcase.
Register now for the 10th annual International Digital Media and Arts Association conference.
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