Media Arts 411

Media Arts 411

BetaSpace – named after the media industry’s term “beta release” for a project that is ready for public testing – is Media Art’s co-working lab space that can facilitate interdepartmental initiatives with cutting-edge digital equipment and resources. It is found in the basement level of the Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts and is comprised of a large studio lab, projection dome. and equipment closet (CFA024), a classroom/studio space (CFA026), the office of the Media Arts Technical Coordinator (CFA030), and a high-tech editing lounge and sound space(077). All equipment for Media Arts will be signed out at BetaSpace.

Space Booking

Gear Booking

Contact

Overview

We experience stories through a diversity of media platforms that are constantly evolving. In this ecology of media, we simultaneously become viewers, users, players, and participants. This innovative program combines current and future forms of digital experience and content creation with critical, curatorial and applied studies in media culture. Your BFA in Media Arts will offer you a broad, expansive view of media practices including interactive, immersive and mobile media, gaming, augmented and virtual reality, interactive cinema, social media, sound arts and artificial intelligence storytelling. As a creator in the BFA in Media Arts you will use new camera systems, game engines, interactive environments and social platforms to build narrative and experimental content and experiences.

In this program, you could create a virtual reality murder mystery, produce a community-based interactive documentary, design a transmedia project spanning film and gaming platforms, or combine live animation with high end special effects and 3D environments, or anything else that challenges genres and conventional ways of telling stories. Drawing on the powerful legacy of cinema history, criticism and theory, you will actively create in the expanded field of the media cultures and creative industries, in which cinema is an integrated element.

This program is framed around a series of flexible Media Practice courses taken concurrently with media history, theory and criticism, culminating in a capstone project and a field placement in the media industries that will include content creation on site at Cinespace Film Studios. You will graduate with the ability to blend hands on media-making with the critical analysis of contemporary and emerging media, developing your creative practice using wide range of digital tools and software. You will expand your knowledge of how media can shape social issues, produce new insights, and advance political agendas. You will graduate with the creative, technical and critical skills necessary to prepare you for careers in a fast-changing media landscape.

Specialized Honours BFA Program – Media Arts

Current Degree Requirements

Students admitted prior to 2021-2022 stay with their old requirements, but can choose to switch to the new requirements if desired.

Possible Pathways Chart

Shows the possible courses you can take within the program and recommendations from other departments.

York University Courses Website

An official YorkU website where students can navigate and see course offerings for different sessions, and find course codes for enrollment.

Media Arts Course Descriptions (subject to change)

FA/CMA 1001 3.00 Introduction to Media Industries

Course Description:

Offers a production course designed to introduce students to a wide array of media industries through hands-on exercises in lectures and tutorials. The course demonstrates how cutting-edge research in cinema and media studies is an indispensable part of the practice of producing media in a changing world. Course credit exclusion: FA/FILM 1010 3.00. Degree requirement for Cinema and Media Studies and Media Arts majors. Open to non-majors by permission of the department.

FA/CMA 1101 8.00 Media Practice I

Course Description:

Media Practice I is an introductory practical studio course that allows Media Arts students to recognize and realize the potential of making short videos for a variety of digital platforms. Concepts and techniques of video production for the web, multimedia and mobile media platforms are addressed, from the workflow of a project to the editing, sound, and final output formats. Assigned projects provide students with the opportunity to explore the creative and communicative potential of very short video forms through the completion of assigned creative work. Technical demonstrations and workshops provide students with a wide range of versatile tools and approaches through which ideas may be explored and developed. Studio production and experimentation complement readings, discussions, and viewings, resulting in a more thorough understanding of historical and contemporary discourses surrounding the mobile video image.

PANF1100A 1.0 Video & Sound Editing with DaVinci Resolve

FA/CMA 1123 3.00 Writing for Games & Interactive Media I

Course Description:

This course introduces students to the basic principles of writing for games and interactive media, including core concepts of storytelling, and the ways in which interactive writing departs from the traditional. From social media storytelling to branching fictions, video and text games, and non-linear interactive websites, theories of storytelling and gameplay (narratology and ludology) will inform learning through hands-on, project-based work designing characters, branching storylines, and environmental storyworlds. No pre-requisites. Note: Required of all first-year BFA Media Arts majors. Enrolment is limited to BA and BFA film majors.

FA/CMA 1400 6.00 Film Art: An Introduction

Course Description:

Introduces the aesthetics, theory and history of film. Lectures concentrate on the elements of film, including narrative structure, visual composition and the uses of sound and editing. Documentary, experimental and feature films are encompassed. Note: Required of all Film majors and minors. Course credit exclusion: FA/FILM 1401 6.00. Note: Required of all first-year BA and BFA Film majors. Enrolment is limited to BA and BFA Film majors.

FA/CMA 2101 8.00 Media Practice II

Course Description:

Introduces students to diverse platforms and innovative production modes in media arts. Using an innovative modular structure, the course explores a range of contemporary media practices through lectures and workshops where students are engaged through continuous making and reflecting. The course is team taught by CMS faculty supported by guest lectures by leading practitioners and media artists.

PANF1100B 1.0 3D with Blender

FA / CMA 2841 3.0 Digital Culture

Course Description:

Explores the history, theory, and practice of digital media through an examination of contemporary practice and theories of digital art, social media, gaming culture, film, new media, animation, and software studies. Prerequisites: FA/FILM 1400 6.00, FA/FILM 1401 6.00, or permission of the Instructor. Open to non-majors.

PLUS Six Credits from:

FA/CMA 2200 3.00 Early Cinema to the Coming of Sound: 1895 – 1930

Course Description:

Examines the emergence of cinema as a technology, cultural experience, economic structure, and means of artistic expression. Prerequisite: FA/FILM 1400 9.00 or 6.00.

FA/CMA 2205 3.00 Exploring Media Industries

Course Description:

Exploring Media Industries develops a comprehensive critical examination of how media industry organization shapes and influences creative practice, mass culture, and society to prepare the student for both scholarly and professional careers in the media industries.

FA/CMA 2230 3.00 Film and Television as Mass Culture, 1920s-1960s

Course Description:

Presents histories and theories that focus on the role of film and television as mass culture from the 1920s to 1960s including their relationship to everyday life, social and power relations, and cultural practices in the period. Prerequisite: FA/FILM 1400 9.00 or 6.00.

FA/CMA 2123 3.00 Writing for Games & Interactive Media II

Course Description:

From social media storytelling to branching fictions, video and text games, and non-linear interactive websites, theories of storytelling and gameplay (narratology and ludology) will inform learning through hands-on, project-based work designing characters, branching storylines, and environmental storyworlds. Pre-requisites: Film1123.

FA/CMA 3101 8.00 Media Practice III

Course Description:

Media Practice III builds on media fundamentals introduced in Media Practice I and II with a more in-depth concentration on developing creative projects that explore narrative and experience. Emphasis is placed on developing creative skills in virtual production and interactivity using game engines and 3D applications, while applying them in the making of interactive installations, XR projects, virtual filmmaking, or other discovered applications of these technologies. Special attention will be put on effectively incorporating composition, movement, sequence, form, light, and sound in media making. Pre-requisites: FA/CMA 1001, FA/CMA 1101, FA/CMA 2101. Pre- or Co-requisite: PANF 2100A or permission of the department.

PANF2100A 1.0 Unreal Engine Introduction

PLUS 12 credits from:

FA/CMA 3103 3.00 The Interactive Documentary

Course Description:

Studies the theory and practice of interactive web documentaries, participatory online projects, and docu-games as these are reshaping the way we tell, produce and distribute documentary experience in the digital age. Prerequisite: FA/FILM 2200 and FA/FILM2230, or permission of the department.

FA/CMA 3123 3.00 Transmedia Storytelling

Course Description:

Provides students who have completed first- and second- year screenwriting courses with a focus on strategies for developing complex stories that can be told across multiple media platforms (film, television, web, mobile, etc.) incorporating elements of interactivity. Prerequisite: FA/CMA 2120 6.00 or FA/CMA 2121 6.00 or FA/CMA 2123 3.0. Open to non-Screenwriting Majors with permission of Department.

FA/CMA 3200 3.00 New Waves: 1960s-1980s

Course Description:

Examines histories and theories in post-WWII global cinema including the rise of new wave national cinemas, post-colonial film, new forms of documentary and experimental film and Examines histories and theories in post-WWII global cinema including the rise of new wave national cinemas, the emergence of cinematic modernism, post-colonial film, and new forms of documentary and experimental film, in relation to stylistic, thematic, and cultural characteristics. Pre-requisites: FA/CMA 2200 3.00, FA/CMA 2230 3.0. Course may be offered either as in-person or blended (combination of in-person and online).

FA/CMA 3230 3.00 Contemporary Directions in Cinema and Media Studies: 1980s – present

Course Description:

Introduces students to contemporary developments in cinema and media theory from post-structuralism to theories of new media. Prerequisites of FA/FILM 2200 3.00 and FA/FILM 2230 3.00.

FA/CMA 3401 3.00 Cinemas in Canada

Course Description:

Explores critical and historical approaches to Canadian screen cultures with a particular focus on Indigenous filmmakers. Issues of sovereignty, colonialism and the settler nation are explored through the study of key filmmakers, media practices, historical policy frameworks and institutions such as the National Film Board of Canada. Required for all Film majors. Prerequisite: FA/CMA 1400 6.00 or permission of the Film Department.

FA / CMA 3840 3.0 Games and Media

Course Description:

Examines the history of expanded forms of cinematic narrative and interactivity within an intermedial context that includes games, environments and computers. Explores the relation between cinema and games, including non-linear modes of storytelling in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Open to non-majors

FA/CMA 3845 3.00 Sonic Cinema: Designing Sound for Expanded Cinema

Course Description:

This class will examine the nature of sound design for expanded forms of cinema. Open to non-majors.

FA/PANF 3854 3.00 Virtual Worldbuilding: Methods and Issues

Course Description:

In this course you will learn how virtual worlds have the potential to change actual worlds and how to use digital media technologies to create possible world experiences. Open to non-majors.

PANF 3852 3.0 Virtual Cinematography: Blending Real and Digital Worlds

Provides skills to create new cinematic experiences and workflows by experimenting with game engines, 3D software, real and virtual cameras, real and virtual sets. This course will focus on building production workflows that integrate a wide variety of content and explore the orchestration of virtual and physical camera, set, and performance. Previous experience working with 3D content creation tools is highly recommended. Enrollment by application.

PANF 3851 3.0 Virtual Environment Design: Building animated, generative, responsive spaces for performance, interaction & cinema

In this course students will learn to make digital environments for filmmaking, installation, VFX, live performance or game design. Using 3d digital content creation and game engine software students will create indoor and outdoor virtual sets with lighting ready for use in other productions. Open to non-majors.

PANF 3853 3.0 Motion Capture: Performance and Interactivity

Introduces basic concepts in performance capture (motion capture), motion tracking, facial mocap for cinematography, games, and live performance. Previous experience working with 3D content creation tools is highly recommended. Enrollment by application.

6 credits between:

FA/CMA 4101 6.00 Fourth Year Projects

Fourth Year Projects is the culminating course in the Media Arts curriculum that builds on the media fundamentals introduced in Media Practice I and developed in Media Practice II. Using a student-led approach, the focus is on developing a working prototype as the focal point of a creative portfolio that showcases a variety of skills. The possibilities range from interactive stories or documentaries to AR and VR games, podcasts, installations, and web projects, developed either individually or collaboratively. With guidance and mentorship, students will complete a substantial creative work on the platform of their choice. Open to majors only.

FA/CMA 4191 3.00 or 6.0 Field Placement for Cinema & Media Studies/Media Arts

Course Description:

An experiential education field placement course specifically for students in the BA in Cinema & Media Studies and BFA in Media Arts. Students undertake field placements in moving image media industry sites, supervised and guided by AMPD faculty and staff. Open to majors only. Prerequisites: 60 credits and enrolment in the Honours BA in Cinema & Media Studies or BFA in Media Arts (i.e. students are eligible to take Field Placements in Year 3 and Year 4 of their degrees).

NOTE: PANF3999 / 4999 Cross Campus Capstone Classroom (C4) can be taken instead and will equal this course credit. https://www.yorku.ca/c4/what-is-c4/

For more information on Fourth Year Media Arts choices, please see the fourth-year experience section.

A group of people interacting with a digital 3D city model illuminated by a projector on a tabletop at night.

CMA4101: Fourth Year Projects

CMA4101 Media Practice IV: Fourth Year Projects is the culminating course in the Media Arts curriculum that builds on the media fundamentals introduced in Media Practice I and developed in Media Practice II & III. Using a student-led approach, the focus is on developing a working prototype as the focal point of a creative portfolio that showcases a variety of skills. The possibilities range from interactive stories or documentaries to AR and VR games, podcasts, installations, and web projects, developed either individually or collaboratively. With guidance and mentorship, students will complete a substantial creative work on the platform of their choice.

For more information, contact Prof. Taien Ng-Chan | taien@yorku.ca

PANF3999 / 4999: Cross Campus Capstone Class (C4)

Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom—or C4 for short—is a new and award-winning initiative that brings York students together in multi-disciplinary teams to work on year-long capstone projects pitched by non-profits, start-ups, and businesses who want to make real social impact. In September, we will work together carefully to match your skills and career goals with a multi-disciplinary capstone project inspired by one of our off-campus partners. You will spend the year collaborating with students from other departments, being mentored by a team of capstone professors and workplace experts, and earning credits toward your degree within your major—all at the same time.

For more information: https://www.yorku.ca/c4/what-is-c4/ | c4class@yorku.ca

CMA4191: Field Placements

An experiential education field placement course specifically for students in the BA in Cinema & Media Studies and BFA in Media Arts. Students undertake field placements in moving image media industry sites, supervised and guided by AMPD faculty and staff. Open to majors only. Prerequisites: 60 credits and enrollment in the Honours BA in Cinema & Media Studies or BFA in Media Arts (i.e. students are eligible to take Field Placements in Year 3 and Year 4 of their degrees).

Virtual Machines

The Media Arts program is dedicated to ensuring that all students have equitable access to the technology they need to succeed. As such, we have virtual machines ready to provide to students that do not have the specifications needed on their own devices to run software processes or render projects for use in Media Arts courses. A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based computer that functions like a physical computer, enabling access to a higher capacity of media creation functionality. Essentially, it is a computer on a computer, that you can tap into on your laptop browser.

See the below video to learn how to gain access to a virtual machine.

Laptop Recommendations for Media Arts students

The Media Arts program at York University is very interdisciplinary and focused on helping you develop an understanding of media as a social, political, and cultural process as well as a technologically-mediated practice. Having the right equipment is important to make the most of your studies and to allow you to create independent work. Learning by doing, making, experimenting is a fundamental way that we learn. To this end, we are making recommendations for laptop purchases that will allow you to use the wide range of software we will be using in courses. By having an appropriate laptop you will be better placed to collaborate on team projects, learn remotely (from home), and continue exploring when you have the time and space to do so.

Laptops used for the creation of time-based media (movies, videos), interactive experiences (apps, games), visual design (artwork, posters, publications) are required to have higher capacity than laptops used primarily for writing, web, and watching videos. The most important characteristics of the laptops we recommend for Media Arts students are memory (RAM), processor (CPU), video processor (GPU), and storage (main hard drive). We have found that Windows-based laptops tend to be a better deal than Apple Mac-based laptops. The vast majority of software that we use in Media Arts is available on both platforms.

If you are in the process of purchasing a new laptop for this fall we encourage you to consider models that are intended for media-creation or higher-end gaming (these have similar technical specifications).

Please note: Good equipment at home always helps, but know that if you are not in a position to purchase a recommended computer at this time that we remain committed to assisting students achieve success with their projects. This includes providing (limited) laptops for use in our spaces, and virtual machine access.

Technical specifications that we recommend as MINIMUM for a new laptop purchase:

Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 with 8GB GPU RAM
CPU: 13th / 14th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 (e.g. 13700HX / 14700HX) or
Ryzen 7 (e.g. 7020, 7030, 7040)
System RAM: 16GB
Internal Storage: 256 GB SSD
*Recommended 1TB external storage drive (HDD) for project files and storage*

Technical specification that we recommend as IDEAL for a new laptop purchase:

Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or higher with 16GB GPU RAM
CPU: 14th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 (e.g. 14900HX) or Ryzen 7045
System RAM: 32GB
Internal Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe Internal SSD
*Recommended 4TB external storage drive (HDD) for project files and storage*

Examples of laptop models and configurations that are suitable for media creation:

Dell XPS 15
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
Asus TUF Gaming F15
MSI GE76 Raider
MSI Creator Z17
Dell Inspiron 5000 16″ FHD+ Laptop

We do not specifically endorse any one manufacturer but instead recommend that you look for special discounts and find the equipment that best matches your budget.

Equipment bookings at Betaspace are for Media Arts students only.

Please note that bookings for productions or projects by York University students that are not in the Media Arts program require at least one Media Arts student to be involved in the work to be able to book gear and/or spaces. Additionally, any bookings made must be done by the Media Arts student(s) involved in your project, or your booking will be denied.

Below you will find links to the forms required to book Gear, Spaces, Key(s) / Access and Software Licenses from the Media Arts program. To access the booking forms, you will need to sign in with a valid YorkU email.

NOTE – As many students are working on their final projects gear is in very high demand. Gear bookings are now limited to ‘week day’ OR ‘weekend’ bookings. If gear is checked out on a Monday to Thursday the return date is Friday by 11:00 am. If gear is checked out on a Friday the return date is Monday by 11:00 am.

Limited exceptions might be possible depending on demand and circumstances.

Policies/Agreements

Booking Agreement Policy

Student Production Agreement

Request Forms

*When signing in to Microsoft, use your YorkU email- but remove the “my.” section
(i.e. johndoe@yorku.ca instead of johndoe@my.yorku.ca)

*For clarification on filling out booking request forms, refer to this video

Gear Booking Request Form

Space Booking Request Form

Resources

Media Arts Logos/Bumpers

Student Support/Pickup Hours

William Michael Irwin ( WmMSI ) – CFA030 ( in Betaspace )

Monday-Friday (except Holidays): 10am-5pm

The BetaSpace equipment room is not a rental house. Equipment and facility access is granted based on proficiency, training and relevance to course work and learning objectives of Media Arts courses.

Booking requests for equipment must be done minimum 2 days in advance. Equipment requested is not guaranteed. Students are responsible for following up with the Media Arts Technical Coordinator to confirm availability.

All equipment must be returned in the exact condition it was received. The costs for any damages or losses will be charged to the student’s financial account at the end of the academic year.

Borrowing Information

For Gear and Room/Studio Bookings, please refer to the Booking Request Section.

Media Arts Equipment List

*New Equipment

All Years Gear Access

Canon Rebel T6 DSLR Camera Kit
Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera Kit
Black Magic Pocket Cinema 1K Camera Kit
Ricoh Theta 360 4K Camera
Insta ONE POV Camera
GoPRO Hero 10 POV Camera
Panasonic P2HD Full HD Camcorder
Logitech C920 Pro HD Web-Camera

Light Duty Video Camera Stabilizer
Roxant Pro Video Camera Stabilizer
Lightweight Tripod
Portable Tripod
Small Tripod
Desktop Tripod
Mono Pod
Rolling Stand Mounts for Tripod
Phone Mounts for Tripod
POV Action Camera / Phone Mount and Accessories
(Car, Bike, Board, Boat, Backpack, Helmet, Chest, Wrist etc.)

Zoom H1n Handy Recorder
Zoom H2n Handy Recorder (ambisonic)
Rode SmartLay Mics for Smartphone
Rode Wireless GO II microphone + lav mic Kit
Ultimax Shoe Mount Video Mic
Rode Lyre Suspension Video Mic Pro for DSLR
Sound Professional Binaural “earbud” microphone
Rode VC1 Minijack 10ft. Cable
Rode 3.5 mm TRRS to TRS Adaptor
Boom Pole

Pro LED 5500K Softbox Studio Light Stand Kit
GVM Small RGB LED 3 Panel 850D
GVM Large RGB LED 3 Panel 1200D
SmallRig RM75 RGB Video Light
Mobifoto RingLight Kit
Wescott 5 in 1 40″ Reflector Kit
Neewer Lrg Portable BackDrop (blue / green) and Reflector Kit
~~Genaray Contender LED Fresnel Spotlight Kit~~ (Out of Commission)
Digital Lux Meter (light meter)
Impact 8′ Light Stand
Impact Folding 8′ Wheeled Light Stand
Mantis Light Stand

Clapper Board (Director Slate)
Nesting Apple Box Kit
Portable Monitor- 15.6 inch 1080p
SmallRig iPad “camera” rig

Second Year and Above Gear Access

Panasonic Lumix GH5 DC-GH5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Kit
BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k Kit
RED ONE Full Frame Cinema Camera 4K Kit
Insta360 X3 360 Camera Kit
Insta360 Pro II 8k-12k Stereoscopic Camera Kit
Insta360 ONE RS 1-inch 360 Camera kit
Kodax PixPro Orbit 360 4K
Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W3 10 MP Camera Kit
OMAX 40x to 2500x Microscope with 5MP Camera
Endoscopic Boreal Camera (non-medical)
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14 Pro Max

Olympus M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro MFT Lens
Olympus M.Zuiko 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II MFT Lens
Panasonic Lumix Fixed 9mm f/1.7 ASPH MFT Lens
Panasonic Lumix Fixed 25mm f/1.7 ASPH MFT Lens
Panasonic Lumix 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH MFT Lens
- 52mm Variable ND2-ND32 Filter (Book Separate)
Olympus M.Zuiko Fixed 17mm f/1.8 MFT Lens
Olympus M.Zuiko Fixed 60mm f/2.8 MFT Lens
Meike Lens Fixed 3.5mm f/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle MFT Fisheye Lens
AstrHori 18mm f/8 Macro 2X MFT Probe Lens

FeelWorld Field Monitor 5″ or 7″ Kit
TeraDek Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver
Nucleus-N Single Channel Wireless Lens Control
HDMI Cables Short and Long
Neewer Camera Cage
SmallRig lightweight Filter Matte Box
iPhone cage
iPad cage
Tilta Mirage Motorized VND Kit
DJI RS 2 gimbal
DJI RS 3 mini gimbal
DJI RS 4 gimbal
Crane DSLR gimbal
DJI OM4 and OM5 cellphone gimbal
Manfrotto Tripod 290 Light (2-Stage Aluminum Tripod with BeFree Live Video Head)
Manfrotto Tripod 290 Extra (3 Section Aluminum Tripod with 3 section 3W Head)

Zoom H3-VR 360 Degree VR Audio Recorder (ZH3-VR)
Zoom H4n Pro Handy Recorder
Zoom H5 Handy Recorder
Zoom H6 Handy Recorder
Zoom F6 Field Recorder
Zoom Handy Recorder Microphone Toupée
RODE Blimp With Rycote Lyre Suspension System and “dead wombat”
Includes XLR and RODE NTG3 Condenser Shotgun Microphone Kit
RODE Video Pro oncamera Shotgun Mic
Blue Yeti Pro Podcasting Mic – Stereo – USB/XLR
Sennheiser EW 500 FILM G4 Pro Lavalier MKE 2 Set Kit
SHURE SM 7B Legendary Vocal Microphone
Zylia ZM-1 Spherical Microphone
Aquarian Hydrophone (underwater)
Metal Marshmallow Pro- Geo Microphone (underground)
Imelod Contact Microphone
Cables (XLR) – 20’ each

Sennheiser USB Mono-Headset with Microphone
Audio-Technica ATH Headphones
PC Speakers
Beaver Panel BlueTooth Speaker
Rohs Green Screen Frame Kit
Voice Amplifier

PRO 140-LED Camera Video Light
NEEWER RGB Spot-fill light with app control
NEEWER 20″ Lantern diffuser for RBG light
Wescott Reflector C-Stand Kit
Photo Studio Light Box Small
Photo Studio Light Box Large

Perception Neuron Motion Capture suits- PN32 and Studio Edition
Facial Capture Rig Kit (using iPhone 13 Pro Max)
Vamvo L4200 Portable Data Projector
Vamvo Portable 1080p long throw HD mini Projector
RevoPoint POP2 3D Scanner
AKAI MK3 MPKMini MIDI Keyboard Controller
AUTENS Portable Handheld 900DPI Scanner
Neewer Green Screen Fabric
Rohs Green Screen Frame Kit

Fomito 11″ Articulating Magic Arm and C-Clamp
CamLink 4K Video Capture
Video Capture Card HD USB-C 3.0
Neewer Portable Teleprompter
Samsung Tab S6
Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet
Ika-n L-Series Battery Solution
Ankor NP Battery Pack
Jackery Outdoor Power SML
Jackery Outdoor Power LRG

Joan & Martin Goldfarb
Centre for Fine Arts

Address
86 Fine Arts Rd, North York, ON

BetaSpace is located in the basement of the Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts.

CFA024 Media Arts Classroom / Lab / Dome Space

The largest studio is being developed as a multi-use work/play lab, with partitioned (and physical distanced) areas, desks and chairs, as well as a projector/screen/smart classroom set-up. Students can book space, VR headsets, projectors, and computers to work on-site.

The Dome in CFA-024 is booked separately from the main space.

CFA026 Media Arts Classroom / Lab / Studio

This studio can be booked in its entirety for video shoots and performances, as well as workspace. As an ex-performance space, it has a wall of mirrors and wood-sprung floor. It is also has desks, chairs (can be moved aside), and a projector/screen/smart classroom set-up.

CFA077 Upper Editing Lounge

The BetaSpace Editing Lounge is a sound-reduced recording studio, 8k editing/rendering suite with spatial sound capabilities, and sound recording booth. Available to upper-level students only.

There are 5 bookable desks available : [ Please specify when booking! ]

1 – 8K Editing Computer
2 – CGI Creation Computer
3 – iMac Adobe System
4 – Desk Space for Laptop use (booked separately)
5 – Whisper Room ( vocal booth )

*NOTE : Fourth year bookings can OVER-RIDE Third year bookings, same with Third OVER-RIDING Second Year students. IF you need a space to work with one of our laptops, please book desk space in CFA-024 or in CFA-026.

CFA030 Media Arts Technology Coordinator Office

Where students go for equipment pick-up and drop-off, as well as for any questions about equipment usage and access.

Accolade Building East

Address
83 York Boulevard, North York, ON

ACE147 Zetaspace

Zetaspace is a production space with a blackout curtain, a mirror wall and an AV system.

Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building

Address
83 The Pond Road, North York, ON

Below is a list of software and assets that have been used within the program through courses and independently by students. Some are free and some are accessible through booking or on-site device use (see equipment booking for more information).

Blender
Unreal Engine
Maya ^{(Free for Students)}
Motion Builder ^{(Free for Students)}
3DS Max ^{(Free for Students)}
GIMP
handbrake ^{(requires desktop runtime 6 .net for windows)}
Darktable
Reaper
Adobe Aero ^{(IOS only for mobile use)}
BlippAR
Artivive
echoes.xyz
Construct 3 ^{(Free Version)}
Ren’Py
VRoid Studio
VSeeFace
Avaturn
Metahuman
Milanote ^{(Free Version)}
Miro ^{(Free Version)}
Ninite
Cargo ^{(Contact for license key)}

PaperSpace^{(Virtual Machines)}
Polycam
Nomad Sculpt
Record3D*
RoughAnimator
Procreate & Procreate Dreams*
Clip Studio Paint Pro & Clip Studio Paint Ex*
Touch Designer*
Max 8*
Character Creator 4*
iClone 8*
Davinci Resolve Studio*
Adobe Creative Cloud*
AutoDesk Suite
Marvelous Designer*

^{*In-person device use only}

Advanced Photo Mode
Animation Ecosystem for Game Development
Archviz Interior vol.3
Art of Shader- Film and Special Effects
Art, Fashion, Automotive Galleries and Showcases
ASC Teuthisan
Assetsville Town
Audio Exporter
Audio-Driven Gameplay
Auto Footstep Tool
Automotive Beach Scene
Automotive Bridge Scene
Automotive Salt Flats
Automotive Winter Scene
Backyard Pack 1 and 2
Basic Multiplayer Melee Combat System
Blink and Dash VFX
Blueprint Communication
Blueprintable Developer Settings
Camera Framework Essentials for Games
Car Configurator
Chairs & Tables Pack 1
Channel Machine
Chatbot AI Unleashed
City Environment Megapack vol 02
City Sample (+ Buildings, Crowds)
City Street Props
City Subway Train Modular
Clarus Viewer Base
Clouds & Skies
Construction Vehicles 1
Content Examples
Control Rig Samples Pack
Create Editor Subsystems directly from Blueprints
Creating Portal to Another Reality
Cropout Sample Project
Cubemap Export
Datasmith Twinmotion Content
Decoration Pack 1
Deep Elder Caves
Defender: Animated Dialogue System
DMX Previs Sample
Dreamscape: Stylized Environment Tower
Dynalips UE Plugin
Edith Finch (Barbara Room, Cannery, Classrooms, Edie Room, House, Molly Room, Sam Room, Twins Room)
Electric Dreams Env
Entertainment Pack 1
EP Master Materials
Exploring Level Design for Game Dev
FACEGOOD FgControlRig
Fantasy Bundle Environment
Free Bone Snapper
Game Flow
Gathering Resources- Advanced System
Gladiator Arena Environment
glTF Exporter
Gm Enhanced Debugging Tool
Greek Island
Grocery Store Props Collection
HDR10+ Gaming Plug-in
HEAT Beta Plug-in
High Tech Pack 1
Hillside Sample
House of Changwon
Iceland Collections
Implementing UI For Level Design
Improving C++ Workflows Using Data
Interactive World
Intro to Virtual Cinematography
Introducing Post Processing
Ithris Cemetery
Landscape Pro 2.0 Auto-Generated Material
Laser Show System
Leia Plugin
Lighting and AI with Paper 2D
Line of Sight, Dynamic Mesh
Low Poly Town
LUSH: Stylized Environment Set
MAE Oak Forest
Mannequins Pack

Material Editor Fundamentals
Maze Generator
Mediterranean Vegetation: Plant pack II
Megascans- Valley
Megascanes: Forest Floors
Megascans: Grass
Megascans 4: Tropical
Metadata Search Tool
MetaHuman Lighting
MetaHuman Plugin
MetaHumans
ML Deformer Sample
Modern House
Modular Gothic/Fantasy Environment
Modular Victorian House
Multiplayer Chat Time System
Musical Pack 1
Network Clock
Neuron Live Link
Nordic Coast Collections
Northwood
Old West Learning
Online Learning Kit
Opera House Kit
Operating System Simulator
Optimizing Geometry for Real Time
Optimizing Projects for Real Time
Package Touch Command
PalaceHall
Parametric Cornell Box
Pin RPG Icon Set 01
Pin RPG Potion
Polar Sci-Fi Facility
Posed Humans 1
Pose Humans Children Pack
Pose Humans Sport Pack 1
Pose Humans Winter Pack 1
Procedural Building Generator
Procedural NPC Crowds V2
Project Anywhere XR
Projectiles and Pickups with Paper 2D
Quartz Music System
Quest Editor Plugin
Ray Traced Cinematic Lighting
Read & write text file
Realistic Starter VFX Pack vol 2
Realtime Archviz AssetPack
ReMoCapp plugin- Full Body, Face, Fingers Solution
Renovation simulator
Safe House
Sentry
SICKA MANSION
Simplified Real Time Data Sharing
Sports Equipment Pack 2
Stage Vol 1
Storages Pack 1
Stylized Eastern Village
Stylized Egypt
Stylized Fantasy Provencal
Stylized Materials Pack
Stylized Winter city environment
Substance 3D for Unreal Engine
Sun Temple
Survivors Roguelike- Multiplayer Game Template
Temperate Vegetation: coniferous, spruce
Tropical Vegetation: Pandanu
TrustElevate Plugin
Twinmotion Content for Unreal Engine
UE4AII: Pivot Building
UI Effect Function Library
UI Material Lab
Ultimate Pack
Unity Version Control (Plastic SCM)
Unray Plugin for RL
Unreal Learning Kit
Valley of the Ancient
Vehicle Variety Pack Volume 2
Virtual Production Screen Creator
Virtual Puppeteering and Input Based Animation
Wave Function Collapse Demo
Your First Hour in Sequencer

Experiences are available to access through booking and use on-site in BetaSpace. Contact WmMSI@yorku.ca for more information!

Steam

AltspaceVR
The Artful Escape
Ashen
Assemble with Care
Bakso Simulator
Beyond Blue
BLEACH Brave Souls- 3D Action
Counter-Strike 2
Crab Game
Curious Alice
Dear Esther: Landmark Edition
Donut County
Espresso Tycoon Prologue
Everything
Firewatch
Florence
Flower
Google Earth VR
Gorilla Tag
Gorogoa
GRIS
Half-Life: Alyx
I Am Dead

I Love you, Colonel Sanders!
If Found
In The Rural Village of Nagoro
Journey
KILLING A SUPERSTAR
Last Stop
Maquette
Museum of Other Realities
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)
Outer Wilds
Paperbark
The Pathless
Rec Room
Sable
Sayonara Wild Hearts
The Stanley Parable
Telling Lies
Twelve Minutes
The Unfinished Swan
Unpacking
Wattam
What Remains of Edith Finch

Epic Games

Chess Ultra
Cursed to Golf
Doors-Paradox
EARTHLOCK
Filament
Ghostwire Tokyo
Golden Light
Infinifactory
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Mighty Fight Federation
Model Builder

Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary
Q.U.B.E. 2
Sail Forth
Soulstice
Surviving the Aftermath
The Elder Scrolls Online
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition
The Sims 4
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

New experiences are added every month, so pop by WmMSI’s office for the latest information

Student Film Production Insurance

The Department of Cinema and Media Arts in collaboration with Risk Management Services (RMS) has created an online application for student productions to request insurance coverage through the York University insurance program.

All third and fourth year fiction students, as well as graduate students, who are creating productions must complete this application and receive approval from their Course Director and Risk Management in order to qualify for coverage under York University.

Students whose applications have been approved will be covered for the following while performing course-related activities:

injury liabilities;
losses and/or damages to rented equipment and locations;
losses and/or damages to equipment borrowed from York University;
losses and/or damages to the production product;
claims alleging unauthorized use of titles, format, ideas, characters and plots (i.e. plagiarism); and
alleged libel, slander, defamation of character or invasion of privacy.

York University insurance coverage does not provide protection to students for:

intentional acts;
losses and/or damages to their own equipment or home;
Losses, and/or damages that that are not related to a course required production; and
rental vehicle damages and/or liabilities.

Deductible

A deductible is the amount of money a student will have to pay out of pocket before the University’s insurance coverage will take effect. Damage to York equipment, as well as leased and rented property will result in students having to pay the following:

Injury liabilities – no deductible
Property damage
York equipment – $1,000
Leased and rented property – $2,500

Insurance Application Process

Students complete the Film Production Insurance Application and submit it to their Course Director for approval. All necessary licenses, clearances, and consents from contributing parties should be obtained in writing and attached to the application.
The Course Director reviews, signs and forwards the student application to Risk Management.
Risk Management provides a letter to student applicants confirming insurance coverage for the production once they are satisfied the application is complete and any high risks have appropriate mitigation plans.

Students should submit their application at least one week prior to the start of filming, as requests will take at least two business days to process.

Exceptions: Locations Where Travel Advisories In Effect

For locations that the Government of Canada has issued travel advisories for, York University’s insurance will deny coverage for any damages and or losses due to government or police action or any action related to civil unrest or war.

🔗https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Students may secure their own third party coverage at their own expense. Where loss or damage is due to excluded activities listed above, there is no recovery available. The student will most likely have to provide satisfactory proof that the loss was not the result of an excluded activity.

Equipment loans will not be provided to those locations as identified by the Government of Canada without proof of a third party insurance. Students are also encouraged to rent equipment at their chosen destination.

The Department of Cinema & Media Arts reserves the right to determine the amount of equipment and/or substitute the type of equipment that is checked out in these circumstances.

Any student traveling to destinations for curricular based film shoots where travel advisories are in effect are to contact York International as well as their course director to advise of travel plans.

Contact York International.

Incident reporting:

If an accident occurs that does or could lead to a claim, as soon as reasonable to do so, please contact Risk Management Services at riskmgmt@yorku.ca, or if serious, call (416) 736-5514. After-hours calls will be re-directed to the Risk Manager on call.

Important Information, Forms and Templates

🔗Film Production Insurance Application

🔗YU-Incident Report (Non-Employee)

Production Forms

The following Production Forms are available to download at Film411. Click Here.

🔗Cas ting

Audition prep
Casting sign-in sheet
ACTRA Student Info
ACTRA/York Agreement
DooD cast template
ACTRA Worksheet
Cast agreement union
Cast Agreement non-union

🔗Production Management

Pre-production guide
Pre schedule template
Student finance breakdown
Student finance agreement
Location checklist
Budget template
DooD for crew
Terminology sheet
Crew flow chart
Location info sheet
Location notification letter
Location agreement
Catch all release
DPR Template
Crew Deal Memo
Budget/Cost Report template

York University Cinema and Media Arts Department
Booking Agreement Policy

By booking any of the following: gear, space, a key(s) / an access card(s) and / or a software license(s) you agree to the following:

Student Production Agreement – The borrower agrees to the terms outlined in the Student Production Agreement and has signed electronically or in person for each project / production they are working on.

Gear Booking Terms – The borrower takes full responsibility for any loss of or damage to the items received and acknowledges the conditions under which the listed items are being provided to them. It is the borrower’s responsibility to inspect all equipment upon pick-up and to return the equipment in the exact condition it was received. Upon clicking below, I accept full responsibility for any loss of or damage to the items received. I acknowledge that at the time of pick-up I am responsible for confirming that all equipment booked has been received and that the equipment is in good working order.

The borrower acknowledges that any data left after return on the memory storage mechanisms of Media Arts’ equipment is NOT the responsibility of anyone but the borrower themselves and cannot hold Media Arts liable.

Returning gear late results in one less day on your max borrowing limit. And you will be required to submit a short-form video OR participate in the creation of media that can be showcased on the Media Arts’ Social Media accounts, as coordinated by the Technology Coordinator. #GearWasLate.

Upon signing below, the borrower assumes full responsibility for any loss of or damage to the equipment that they have signed out and the cost will be applied to the borrower’s University account for any loss or damage.

NOTE 1 : If you do not pick up requested gear on the date you booking will be considered cancelled.

Space Booking Terms – All Media Arts Futures equipment, editing suites, studios and other facilities are to be used for assignments and projects originating in Media Arts Futures classes only. Equipment and facilities access is granted based on proficiency, training and relevance to course work and learning objectives of courses.

Bookings are on a first come, first serve basis and are subject to official class or program needs.

The bookie’s responsibility to replace and assumes full responsibility for the space and any loss of or damage to the equipment within the space. Costs of repairs or replacements will be applied to the bookie’s University account.

NOTE 2 : If you are more than 30 minutes late for a room booking, your booking will be cancelled!
NOTE 3 : If a room is left in a disorderly or unsanitary state, the bookie will be called back to correct the issue and may be recorded for educational posting purposes. Failure to correct issues may result in restrictions on future bookings.

Key(s) / Access Card(s) Issue Agreement – I agree not to lend, duplicate or leave unattended, any university key issued to me by the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design. I will return all university keys in my possession upon completion of booking. I will report without reasonable delay any loss or theft of university keys to York University Security Services and Manager, Studio Operations Department of Cinema and Media Arts and Manager, Facilities, Health and Safety.

A $20 charge may be charged to me to replace lost or stolen keys/electronic access cards. Failure to comply may result in revocation of key privileges or other action as deemed necessary.

NOTE 4 : Key bookings are also subject to gear booking policies as outlined above.

Software license(s) Assignment – I agree to return and not retain any signed out software / licenses at the time they are due for return. Failure to do so may result in the cost of the software being applied to your student account.

Note 5 : All bookings are NOT confidential.