What is Digital Media Collaborative?

By Bryn Dippold

The Digital Media Collaborative program at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Arts and Sciences hopes to prepare students for the ever-changing world of media using the latest technical tools to tell stories.

Between direction, screen writing, animation and game design, opportunities for students abound.

Do you think digital media might be the right program for you?

Fourth-year digital media and communication student Hannah Rizzi has learned the ins and outs of the program. Between internships, classes and the tight-knit Digital Media Collaborative community, Rizzi has used many program resources to her advantage. 

Currently, Rizzi interns for Adopt-a-Class, a student mentoring nonprofit in Greater Cincinnati that pairs business groups and civic groups with classrooms of kids in grades K-8. The organization’s mission is to expose students to educational activities and field trips.

“The one thing I really liked going into the internship was that I knew I was going in for a marketing and communications internship, but when I sat down, they said they really needed someone to do video editing and producing,” she says. “That is where DMC came in.”

Rizzi also works with Allied Global Marketing as an Advanced Screening Representative. She engages with movie viewers and writes and organizes screening reports sent to Universal Studios, 21st Century Fox and Paramount. In the report, she writes what viewers liked and didn’t like about the movie so that the production company can edit the movie if they want before it is released to the general public.

Through this, Rizzi has worked directly with films at the beginning of the marketing process, taking advantage of an opportunity that DMC promoted.

Through her four years in DMC, Rizzi has gained proficiency with Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop and Illustrator. To incoming students worried about learning the editing programs used in DMC, Rizzi says, “Everyone starts out in that place, and the professors are super helpful.” She mentions Professor James Knippling, who would go step-by-step through an edit with a class, as one of the most helpful instructors with Adobe programs. 

“If you’re passionate about film and storytelling, DMC is the way to go,” Rizzi says.

Todd Herzog started off as a professor for digital media classes and now works as the director of the program. He is also the head of the German Studies program at UC. 

Herzog said Cincinnati offers a unique experience for digital media students.

“It’s a small enough city that you can actually network with media leaders,” he says.

The Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival offers a unique opportunity for students and filmmakers in Cincinnati to submit films or volunteer as an organizer.

Exploration is a key part of UC's digital media program.

“Not only do we allow students to explore, I kind of want to compel students to explore,” Herzog said.

Due to DMC’s interdisciplinary nature, many minors, certificates or other majors could work with it. Specifically, public relations, communications, film and media studies and/or journalism works well with the DMC program, according to DMC director and professor Todd Herzog.

Herzog also recommends a minor or double major in Lindner College of Business, as business, finance and marketing plays a major part in the film industry. A DAAP minor, certificate or double major could also work well with those focused on the design aspect of film. 

In the first two to three semesters of the Digital Media Collaborative program, students are encouraged to explore many different academic areas. In the middle few semesters of college, students should pick a focus in: animation, directing, game design and/or screenwriting. 

The final two semesters are filled with the program's capstone where students create a portfolio/reel and final project.

The program has many other unique classes available for major and non-major students alike. Herzog particularly likes the digital storytelling sequence of classes, which includes Digital Storytelling I and Digital Storytelling II. Both expose students to several forms of media and has them create projects in each of these forms. 

Other classes include Music Video Production, History of Animation, Feature Film Writing, and Masterclass: Film & Digital Media.

The Masterclass is a recent addition to the Digital Media Collaborative, which brings in people from different areas of media give presentations to students. Local production company Boonrise, the head of marketing for Disney+ and the head of University of Quebec in Montreal Film School have all visited and presented a Masterclass.

Graduates from the Digital Media Collaborative can pursue careers in TV and film production, screenwriting, screen adaptation, film and written-word editing and more. 

There are also many UC student groups available for students on campus that are affiliated with the program. The Cinematic Arts Collaborative, Center for Film and Media Studies & UC Game Lab and Bearcast Media are examples of the organizations a student could join to supplement their classes.

Featured image at top: Camera filming. Credit/Pixabay