Skip to main content

Media Arts (MART)

MART 101L - Intro to Media Arts. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. How do narrative and literary techniques manifest themselves in the media arts? Using the language of film as a starting point, students analyze storytelling through various media, including movies, television, the Internet, animation and video games.

Gen Ed Attributes: Lit & Artistic Studies (L)

MART 102 - Digital Technology in the Arts. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. An introduction to the relationship between aesthetics and the emerging capacities of digital technology. The course will explore the basic evolution of hardware, system software, and the Internet and will present a brief history of the pioneers of both traditional and digital art. It will also look at contemporary and emerging trends in the artistic application of digital technology.

MART 111A - Intro to Photoshop. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. Online Course. This project-oriented design and compositing course introduces students to the fundamentals of Adobe Photoshop while focusing on artistic expression in a digital technology environment.

Gen Ed Attributes: Expressive Arts Course (A)

MART 112A - Introduction to Film Editing. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. Study of the history, process and philosophy of narrative film/video editing.

Gen Ed Attributes: Expressive Arts Course (A)

MART 120 - Creative Coding I. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. This course focuses on the fundamentals of programming and its connection to the creative and expressive possibilities of media art. Visual and scripting languages provide the foundation by which stories and games are created.

MART 191 - Special Topics. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

MART 201H - Hist Digital Arts & Culture. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. This course places current digital technologies within a historical context in order to understand and articulate how the digital world in which we live, and the tools with which we create, are connected to people, cultures and times before the latest innovations were even conceived. This knowledge will prepare students to engage with creative professionals across areas of expertise and to have a broader sense of their lives as citizens in a globally and historically connected world.

Gen Ed Attributes: Historical Studies

MART 214 - Digital Publishing & Design. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Offered at Missoula College. Prereq., CAPP 120, CSCI 105, or consent of instructor. A comprehensive foundation of layout and design principles to integrate digital media essential for effective print-based and web-based business publications.

MART 220 - Creative Coding II. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., MART 120. Building on the techniques, theory, and skills acquired in Creative Coding I, students create artworks and experiences focusing on physical computing. These include, but not limited to: Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.

MART 232 - Interactive Web II. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. Offered at Missoula College. Prereq., CAPP 120, CSCI 105, or consent of instr. Provides a background and foundation skills required for designing and implementing Web sites for public and private organizations. Marketing and design techniques are applied using state-of-the-art software.

MART 235 - Fundamentals of Type. 3 Credits.

Offered every semester. This course is a study of the design and use of basic letterforms, anatomical features, hierarchy of information, major type families and characteristics, and the understanding of typographic grids. Students will learn the historical significance of letterforms and their origins to help fully understand how to use typography correctly within their works and designs. Students will gain experience in the art of typesetting and typographic layout, and learn the necessary skills for expressive typography, conceptual thinking and effective communication.

MART 245 - Introduction to the Language and Practice of Sonic Art. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. This course is intended as a foundation course to create shared terminology, skillsets, aesthetics, scientific understanding, and creative techniques of sonic art. Starting with the birth of electricity, Futurism, and Dada, students will examine the practices and innovations that led to the most current ideas about sound art, music, intermedia, and installation. Additionally, students will apply this knowledge to the creation of their own sonic art works.

MART 255 - Photoshop: Art and Design. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. This project-based course explores a variety of design principles and techniques through Adobe Photoshop.

MART 256 - Illustrator: Vector and Layout Design. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. An introduction to the basic principles and techniques of still image design and manipulation using Adobe Illustrator, the industry leading application for creating vector-based content. This project-based course demystifies the powerful Illustrator toolsets and workspace and enables students to actualize their ideas by helping them to develop an efficient production process. No prerequisites required.

MART 291 - Special Topics. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

MART 292 - Independent Study. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

MART 300 - Visions of Film. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Study of major film theories that led to the constitution of visual film language and their application in contemporary film narrative and direction.

Gen Ed Attributes: Writing Course-Intermediate

MART 302 - Intro to Motion Design. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. This project-oriented course will introduce students to the basic technical and aesthetic components of digital motion design and 2D animation using the industry standard software programs Photoshop and After Effects.

MART 304 - Modern Horror Film. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. This class explores the changing landscape of the horror film since 1960, studying the genre and its sociological importance through the language of cinema.

MART 305 - 3D Animation I. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. This course is an introduction to fundamental concepts, principles, and practices of 3D digital modeling with Maya. Students will develop 3D modeling techniques, including production of geometric and organic objects. Through lectures, tutorials, in-class exercises and projects, students will be exposed to various techniques that may be used for innovative and artistic content such as filmic animation and compositing.

MART 323 - 3D Motion Design I. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital compositing and rendering in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality time-based art and design.

MART 325 - Introduction to Animation. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Introduction to two-dimensional digital animation, focusing on character and motion design animation fundamentals including: cell animation (frame by frame), motion-tweening, working with key frames and motion paths, moving elements on a 2D stage, object choreography and text animation.

MART 327 - Intro to Cinematography. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Study of digital cinematography including color theory, composition, lens choice, continuity, camera movement/support, lighting for film and video, and grip in both studio and location situations.

MART 330 - Principles of Sound Design. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital sound recording and editing in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality audio design.

MART 332 - Introduction to Film Scoring. 3 Credits.

Prereq., Art, Media Arts and Music Majors only. Intro to Film Scoring focuses on the role of music in movies. It covers composition, orchestration, and dramatic techniques and how they integrate with the elements of dramatic action. Students will analyze iconic movies and scores and working with media arts film students, create two original film scores.

MART 333 - 3D Animation II. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Building on the modeling skills learned in 3D Animation I, this course teaches students how to animate, texture map, add visual effects and render. The course will also cover advanced rigging techniques. As a continuation of this series, students will be introduced to animation, dynamics (including particle and fluid systems), and MEL scripting.

MART 336 - Directing the Fic Film. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only.  Developing, directing and editing a five to seven minute fiction movie. In depth work on creation of shooting script, casting, work with actors and location work. Emphasis on collaborative process and diligence and preparation in all levels of production.

MART 340 - Princ of Interactive Media. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., MART 120 and Art and Media Arts majors only. Introduction to interactive theory and art. This course is designed to help students gain the skill sets necessary to successfully create work in the constantly evolving arts environment. Installation-based works. Uses code and material.

MART 341 - Intro to Web Design. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. Online Course. Students will gain necessary skills in this introduction to the fundamentals of website structure, content design and navigation. Areas of focus will be directory structure, visual design, user navigation, audio/video integration and domain management. This course is open to all university students and geared to non-majors.

MART 342 - Art & Sci of Interactive Games. 3 Credits.

Offer every term. Online course. This class is an introduction to the technological achievements and artistic and social impacts involved with the development of interactive games. It will cover the evolution of the gaming profile and the advanced visual, sonic and narrative properties that make interactive games the explosive growth industry that is today.

MART 345 - Sound for Film. 3 Credits.

Offered spring.  Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. This course is targeted at the Digital Filmmaking student and introduces fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital location sound recording and post-production editing to picture in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language.

MART 355 - Experimental Documentary Media. 3 Credits.

In this course, students will explore the state of contemporary documentary media through investigating new approaches to integrating narrative content in documentary, interactive documentary, avant-garde documentaries, sensory filmmaking, and experiments in collaborating with documentary subjects. The focus of this course is to expand students' understanding of the possibilities of the documentary genre. Selected films, film history and theory will encourage students toward a more expansive definition of documentary practice, while considering how they might create new work in documentary arts.

MART 360 - History, Ethics, and Games. 3 Credits.

This theoretically based course explores a different aspect of gaming as it pertains to the history, the various theories, and the ethics surrounding gaming. As a seminar course, students gain an understanding of how gaming has evolved as well as the theory behind what makes games effective and the ethical questions that game developers face. Students will also gain experience examining the most current research in this area.

MART 361 - Serious Games. 3 Credits.

This theoretically based course explores a different aspect of gaming as it pertains to serious games. As a seminar course, students gain an understanding of the serious gaming environment used in professional education and simulations. Students will also gain experience examining the most current research in this area.

MART 391 - Special Topics. 1-12 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

MART 392 - Independent Study. 1-6 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

MART 395 - Practicum I. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. This course offers the student the opportunity to apply their media arts skill sets and techniques to a variety of professional level projects that include movies, web site design, and still image design.

MART 398 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

MART 416 - Production Studio I. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Prereq., Art and Media Arts major. Students create storyboards/previsuals, idea sketches and writing synopses, as well as identity and promotion of what will become finished works. Projects begun here will be continued in MART 457.

MART 420 - Sonic Programming. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Prereq., MART 120. This course merges skills and technique of creative coding with the creation of sonic art works. The majority of the class is focused on the creation of dynamic sound-based art works, and the application of concepts from interactive theory and interactive systems.

MART 422 - Digital Compositing II. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Combines the common aesthetic and technical language with solid motion design principles. Students immerse themselves in the making of a body of integrated-digital 2D and 3D work that explores the technical and aesthetic possibilities of multi-layered x y z plane actualizations.

MART 432 - Techniques of Film Scoring. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., MART 332. Focuses on the role of music in movies and expands upon the work accomplished in MART 332. It covers composition, orchestration, and harmonic techniques and integrates these with the elements of dramatic action. Students will work with media arts film students to actualize these techniques by creating original film scores of short scenes. The course will include a student project gallery, a peer review area, downloadable videos specific to the curriculum and a wide variety of online resources applicable to the subject matter.

MART 436 - Producing. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Students take on the creative role of the producer in making narrative films. The class covers everything from script choice and analysis through hiring, casting, budgeting, and all of the steps from pre-production to post-production in the delivery of a completed project. Included are guest lectures from industry professionals in key areas of the filmmaking profession.

MART 440 - Tech Interactive Media Design. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., MART 340 and Art and Media Arts majors only. Advanced interactive media design class that builds on the foundation of principles taught in MART 340.

MART 441 - Web Technologies. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. This online advanced web technologies course explores client-side scripting using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JQuery. Through the creation of complex interactive functions and user experiences students gain an understanding of the overall environment of web design technologies and a more integrated set of web design skills.

MART 445 - Sound for Digital Media. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. This course is targeted at the Integrated Digital Media student and introduces fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital sound recording and editing. This will enable students to expand their aesthetic by integrating their sonic and visual creative work.

MART 450 - Topics in Film/Media Studies. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts majors only. Research and exploration of contemporary film, video, digital art and design. Focus on areas of student research both in commercial and non-commercial venues and styles.

Gen Ed Attributes: Writing Course-Advanced

MART 455 - Visions of Documentary Film. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq, Art and Media Arts majors only. Class focuses on the study of different works of documentary filmmaking as well as the processes needed to succeed in the world on non-fiction storytelling. While studying films students will prepare and complete a short documentary film piece of their own.

MART 457 - Production Studio II. 3 Credits.

Offered Spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts Major. This course covers the principles and techniques of finishing projects. Students will focus on advanced rendering tools, prototype testing, installation and final performances, refined editing/titles/credits, enabling students to leave with a well polished finished project.

MART 460 - Game Engines. 3 Credits.

This game programming course explores different game engines including but not limited to the Unity and Unreal Game Engines. Through multiple design and programmatic experiences, students gain an understanding of the overall game programming environment and their technologies.

MART 461 - Web Server Technologies. 3 Credits.

This advanced web technologies course explores server-side programming including but not limited to ASP.NET, C#, SQL Server, PHP, and MySQL. Through the creation of complex back end interactions and user experiences, students gain an understanding of the overall environment of web programming technologies and a better understanding of the web stack.

MART 462 - Mobile Game Programming. 3 Credits.

This mobile game programming course explores different mobile game platforms and languages including but not limited to Android Studio with Java and Kotlin, XCode with Swift and Objective-C, and Visual Studio with Xamarin. Through many design and programmatic experiences, students gain an understanding of the mobile game programming environment and their technologies.

MART 491 - Special Topics. 1-12 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

MART 492 - Independent Study. 1-6 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

MART 495 - Practicum II. 3 Credits.

Offered every term. This course offers the student the opportunity to apply their media arts skill sets and techniques to a variety of professional level projects that include movies, web site design, and still image design.

MART 499 - Senior Project. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Offered spring. Prereq., Art and Media Arts Majors only. This capstone course gives the student an opportunity to create an integrated senior project which brings together all of the elements of their course of study.

MART 500 - Core Research: Digital Technology in the Arts. 4 Credits.

Offered autumn. This course explores the relationship between aesthetics and the emerging capabilities of digital technology. It will cover the historical relationship between science and art up to the end of the 20th century and examine the methodology of critical artistic applications. Level: Graduate

MART 509 - Media Production II. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. Continuation of production and post-production practices and techniques introduced in MAR 508. Level: Graduate

MART 510 - Core Research: Narrativity and Experiments in Media. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. This course expands upon the research begun in MART 500 by exploring the development of emerging 21st century digital technologies and their impact on aesthetics in artistic production. Level: Graduate

MART 514 - Advanced Composite Tech. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. This course continues the work begun in MART 422 by furthering the development of artistic principles and practices and culminates in an in-house presentation of graduate level motion design techniques. Level: Graduate

MART 515 - Digital Post-Production. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. Study and application of the principles of editing narrative. Beginning with animated storyboards created from scenes written by the student, the class edits existing footage in action and dialogue scenes. Study of history of editing as well as analysis of classic editing techniques. Level: Graduate

MART 520 - Core Research: Peer Teaching. 2 Credits.

This graduate seminar is designed for prospective graduate teaching assistants and will cover techniques and best practices for both in-class and online delivery. Level: Graduate

MART 525 - Compositing Applic. II. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. This course expands upon the work begun in MART 524 and culminates in a semester end public presentation. Level: Graduate

MART 530 - Core Rsrch: Prof Presentation. 3 Credits.

The purpose of this class is to develop a foundation for your professional media arts practice, to prepare you for seeking career, exhibition, and public presentation opportunities in the field. Level: Graduate

MART 578 - Graduate Studio. 1-6 Credits.

(R-18) Offered every semester. Each semester students work on individual projects under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Each year begins and ends with a faculty and peer review of projects in progress. Level: Graduate

MART 580 - Principals of Cinematography. 4 Credits.

Offered autumn. Intermediate study of digital cinematography including color theory, composition, lens choice, continuity, camera movement/support, lighting for film and video, and grip in both studio and location situations. Level: Graduate

MART 587 - Screenwriting II. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. Continued work in screenwriting at an advanced level. Level: Graduate

MART 591 - Special Topics. 1-6 Credits.

(R-12) Offered every term. This course offers the graduate student the opportunity to expand their media arts skill sets and techniques by working on a variety of professional level projects that include movies, web site design, and still image design. Level: Graduate

MART 595 - Graduate Practicum. 1-6 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, and one-time offerings of current topics. Level: Graduate

MART 596 - Independent Study. 1-6 Credits.

(R-12) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

MART 597 - Research. 1-12 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the back ground and objectives of the student. Level: Graduate

MART 598 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

MART 601 - Final Portfolio Research. 3 Credits.

Offered every semester. Investigation into subjects relevant to the development of the students Final Portfolio work. Application of qualitative research techniques, with a research presentation or paper due at the end of the semester. Level: Graduate

MART 680 - Film Directing IV. 4 Credits.

Offered spring. Prereq., MART 578. Continued advanced work in directing, including the completion of a short film. Level: Graduate

MART 687 - Final Portfolio I. 1-12 Credits.

Offered autumn. Ongoing production and content work relating to thesis projects. Level: Graduate

MART 688 - Media Practicum. 1-4 Credits.

(R-12) Offered every term. Pursuit of Practical Experience in Media Arts projects both personal and Professional. Level: Graduate

MART 690 - Professional Practices. 3 Credits.

(R-6) Offered every term. Work outside of program in an area of professional interest. Level: Graduate

MART 695 - Special Topics. 1-8 Credits.

MART 698 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

MART 699 - Final Portfolio II. 1-12 Credits.

Offered spring. Final work on thesis portfolio. Approval by the student?s thesis committee is required for graduation. Level: Graduate