Ever wanted to know exactly who are the folks involved with and working behind the scenes at this growing digital news site? Ever thought about contributing to Flipthemedia.com? Now is the time to come and chat with us in person. We here at the Flip are making a concerted effort to be more visible this year.  We will be attending more events throughout the Puget Sound area and also throwing a couple of our own.

Next Friday, February 10th, we’re putting on a Flipthemedia mixer at Big Time Brewery in the U-District from 6-9pm. It’s all about getting together, having a few drinks and talking casually about digital media. Something right in between a focused happy hour and just hanging out on a Friday evening. Our idea is to make this an informal gathering where people get in the same room and have a few good laughs as we promote Flipthemedia and introduce the editorial staff currently involved with the site.

Big things are brewing with us in 2012 and we’d love to have people come by Big Time Brewery for a drink (or three) and figure out better ways to work together in the future.

This Fall, I had the privilege of serving as a peer facilitator for a course at the University of Washington’s MCDM program. I am continually impressed by the diversity of the program, and not just by diversity in its typical measure of gender or ethnicity (though that sort of diversity is certainly present).

I’m talking about intellectual diversity: the ways in which MCDM students and faculty approach and solve problems, skills and abilities applied in novel and meaningful ways, and outcomes that far exceed my admittedly high expectations. The student work from Fall 2011′s COM 546 Foundations course - Narratives & Networks in Digital Media – exemplifies both the challenges and the opportunities that true diversity can provide.

Course Background

As a foundational course to the MCDM program, Narratives & Networks in Digital Media had the unique position of orienting Cohort 11 students both to the theory and also the application of many elements they will encounter in the program. Taking a bit of their own advice, this course was newly revamped for 2011, and co-taught by MCDM Director Hanson Hosein and Dr. Malcolm Parks. The result for this first incarnation? Engaging discussions, relevant lectures and guest-speakers, and tangible takeaways for professionals and creatives, alike.

Students in this course witnessed the rise of the Occupy movement, the start of the upcoming nomination and election season, and the death of Steve Jobs. Meanwhile, they engaged with new tools and platforms, tried valiantly to “publish then filter,” and were brought together in new and sometimes challenging ways. Students were exposed to basic principles of digital media, and become comfortable with the central tenet of the MCDM: to effect trusted and persuasive communication, professionals need to develop a compelling narrative tied to strategic network engagement.

With this post, we would like to share some of their work, some of the process, and some of the core philosophies of the MCDM program.
Read more…

What do a cheese monger with Asperger’s syndrome, a globetrotting photographer and an author experimenting with acupuncture have in common? They’re all great characters whose individual stories can tell us a lot about our world.

That was the premise of Advanced Multimedia Storytelling: People and Story, the course I co-taught with Sarah Stuteville this past quarter; that a short film focused on an individual character’s experience is an extremely effective means to communicate a message, whether it’s about a product, a service or a broader trend in society.

The eight students in the class produced some powerful work, and sometimes got more than they bargained for:

Erika Takeuchi set out to produce a lighthearted profile of guide dog trainers, but when she met a trainer named Joseph Skillings, things took a turn for the serious. Joseph suffered severe head trauma a few years ago after trying to help a women being harassed at a bus stop. He took up puppy training as a way to deal with the lasting impacts of his accident.

Read more…

Ivan Pankararú and Leandro Pataxó representing the Pankararú and Pataxó indigenous peoples of Brazil traveled to the Pacific Northwest to join with the Puyallup on this year’s annual Tribal Canoe Journey. The two traveled to this corner of the globe in order to seek knowledge, build relationships and connect with the theme of this year’s journey:  ”Loving, Caring, and Sharing Together.” They started their canoe journey at Owen Beach and carried on through Alki Beach, Suquamish, and Tulalip with the final landing ceremony at the host site in Swinomish.

Read more…

We here at Flip The Media tend to write posts that focus on new trends and forms of social engagement that involve digital media. Former FTM editor Peter Luyckx recently created a well-timed Storify feed with advice for incoming students on how to succeed in the MCDM program. Considering that I myself will be a part of Cohort 11, I consider this a good read but it’s actually applicable across the board for anyone taking classes on campus. Who did Luyckx turn to in order to compile this advice? It all comes from current students who left comments on the MCDM Social Facebook group. Check out the full Welcome, Cohort ’11 Storify feed for sound advice from industry professionals that are in the program. Here’s a handful of suggestions they had to offer.

Start a blog, publish your minute papers, read more books than are assigned to you, go to events! RT @peterlux: Advice for #MCDM #cohort11?

“Keep your laptops closed as often as possible (in class, of course).” – Paolo Mottola

Don’t fart around on Facebook or Netflix during class. Actually listen to the instructor and your classmates. Seriously, you’ll learn 1,000 times more stuff and feel like your $$ was VERY well spent. I even had a few classes where laptops weren’t allowed. Not surprisingly, they were the best classes I had. – Derek Belt

Partake in class discussion. You’ll likely not get anymore chances to discuss these topics at academic levels again. – Brian Johnson

Create a blog and post your class papers to it so the world can see how brilliant you are. – Brook Ellingwood

“Cut every unnecessary thing out of your life so you can spend the time you need to spend on this program to get the most out of it. - Rachael Dill Boyer

Contribute to Flip the Media and practice thinking of yourself as a thought leader. Which you will be when you’re done.- Peter Luyckx

Again, that’s advice that anyone can learn something from thus consider these nuggets of wisdom from current MCDM students as personal reminders at the very least. There’s also a growing Storify feed based around MCDM news and new hires that is particularly interesting if you want to know where current or former students are getting hired. Check that out when you get a chance as well.

Intrepid MCDM game lovers have instituted a monthly gathering to celebrate their love of puzzle solving, dragon slaying and world conquering.  This now regular event was born out of the Spring 2011 section of Ken Rufo’s Gaming, Virtual Worlds and Communication seminar.

So far there have been two gatherings at Ballard’s labyrinthian (appropriate game-speak intended) Card Kingdom, which boasts several attractive rooms dedicated to games, models and gaming literature.  They even have a bar–with booze–although on this particular evening they were out of one of their signature potions, something called “Goblin’s Blood.”  They serve food, micro-brews, liquor and even mead, hazzah! They have several private rooms for groups to socialize in, play games, drink and have dinner or lunch.   They even have friendly game docents who go around and help groups of players navigate the complex rules of multi-player games.    You can play one of their publicly available selection of games or bring your own game to play.  Its family friendly and MCDM Game Night organizer Monique Priestly encourages people to bring family and friends to these regular gatherings.

See more photos from the most recent Game Night gathering below. Read more…