The Department of Design Media Arts (DMA) at UCLA is
one of the nation's top design
departments offering
a comprehensive, multidisciplinary education in media creation, which fosters individual exploration and
innovative thinking. Geared specifically for high school students, the department offers the DMA Summer
Institute, a two-week program with morning and
afternoon classes introducing design practices in the
contexts of print, net, worlds, and video. The program is taught by professionally trained and
well-experienced instructors using the most current software and technology.
It culminates in a final
exhibition and the creation of a portfolio-ready body of work that students may include in their college
applications in related fields. It also provides students with a rare opportunity to sample college life
in a cutting-edge design department, while earning four units of pass/no pass UC credit.
Curriculum
During the two-week program, students explore a variety of media examining
different practices and
design methods applied to the domains of print, net, worlds, and video. Broadly addressing a common
theme, all four classes contribute to the creation of an integrated, multi-media exhibition at the end
of the residency. The theme for 2022 will be Time. Each class is taught by one
instructor and one
program assistant; class size is limited to a maximum of 20 students.
All four classes will relate to and influence each other, and they will contribute to the creation of an
integrated, final, multimedia project.
Net
Net
This course focuses on the internet as a medium for creative expression and artistic
intervention. Through examples and small exercises based on a given theme, students study
the web in the tradition of art and activism. Using techniques like collage, appropriation,
and strategies of artistic self-expression, students analyze these forms for their aesthetic
and social potentials. References to relevant artworks are provided, both in and outside the
field of Net art.
Electronic games offer an exciting mode of interactive storytelling. Virtual spaces and
intangible systems can strike complex moods. In this course, students learn the basics of
how games are developed and explore "Worldbuilding" as a form of visual narrative,
playfield, and immersive participatory experience. Students use Unity4D game engine to build
and dismantle 3-Dimensional games.
Video is a powerful medium capable of capturing, parsing, and imagining environments and
stories. In this course, students learn the exciting properties of time-based media and ways
to enable their creative potential. Exploring the technical and experimental approaches to
cinematography, animation, and sound, students gain a basic understanding of video-making
and the strategies to create unique perceptual events.
Students explore graphic design as image-making coupled with basic typography through a
series of fun and fast-paced assignments and exercises. All
projects encapsulate a yearly
theme while addressing form, composition, hierarchy, and creativity. Students develop a
design process and critical visual vocabulary through experimentation and group critiques.
Students are introduced to the program faculty and staff. The
orientation will include group activities and instructor lectures.
July 12 – 15 / 18 – 21
Daily Schedule
Each day is divided into two sessions: a morning lesson from
9:00 am to 12:30 pm and an afternoon lesson from 1:30 pm
to 5:00 PM. During each class, students receive instruction,
support, and work individually and in groups to develop their own
projects. Classes meet daily for two weeks.
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Instruction in the lab. Students will be introduced to the workshop
content and will work individually or in groups. Group
assignments will be announced before the start of the program.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Students must bring money for lunch on campus.
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Students continue with instruction in the labs, developing
their
projects and preparing for the final exhibition.
July 14
Portfolio Night
Portfolio Night will be held on Thursday, July
14th at
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Program assistants, who are current
or recent DMA undergraduate students, will hold a portfolio
night to exhibit their work. This is a great opportunity for
summer institute students to engage in conversations about
creating a portfolio-ready body of work to include in college
applications. Students may bring their own portfolios and are
encouraged to ask for feedback from program assistants. Dinner
will be provided.
July 22
Final Exhibitions and Closing Reception
The two-week program culminates in a final
exhibition of
students' works and a closing reception. This event is held 11:00
am – 12:00 pm on the last day of the program in 1250
Broad Art Center. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.
Housing
For participants of the Design Media Arts Summer Institute, living in
on-campus housing is mandatory.
The total cost for housing, which includes room, board (two meals per day),
student supervision, and
evening and weekend activities, can be found on the
this
page.
For more information on UCLA housing precollege programs, please see the Housing for
Minors page.
Students interested in the DMA Summer Institute can consider applying for the
following two scholarship
opportunities. To be considered for both scholarships, students must submit materials to each program.
