What is the “Interactive Telecommunications Program” at NYU? And why am I here?
What is NYU?
New York University (NYU) is a private school, established in 1831, with campuses located mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It’s a huge independent school with a great history and reputation. It’s also a notoriously expensive one.
What is Tisch?
Tisch School of the Arts, established in 1965, is mostly famous among filmmakers, performers, and writers. It’s one of the most competitive schools to get into and has people like Martin Scorsese, Lady Gaga, Woody Allen, Joel Coen, Anne Hathaway, Whoopi Goldberg, Angelina Jolie, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Charlie Kaufman, and many, many more wonderful talents among its alumni.
What are ITP and IMA programs?
ITP stands for Interactive Telecommunications Program, a 2-year graduate program, established in 1979, as part of Tisch. Technically, ITP is an engineering school within an art school—and much more than that. It offers a variety of classes on programming, product and experience design, engineering, web development, VR/AR, motion capture, sound design. It is also a production space for students with the tools for prototyping, building, and exhibiting their projects.
Conceptionally all of the classes are built at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and arts.
It means that you are simultaneously learning both tools (software, hardware, fabrication process, product development frameworks) along with a theory of design, storytelling, social practices, communication, art, project and product management.
The learning process is primarily aimed at prototyping, user testing, presenting, and exhibiting. ITP is a very practical program, students are demanded to use all the skills and tools they gain immediately.
Since 1983 and until 2010 ITP was directed by Red Burns, a renowned technology pioneer, filmmaker, activist, educator. Red Burns believed that technology gives creators a variety of tools they can use to make art, foster positive social change, or just tell stories and make designs they are eager to make.
She built the ultimately multidisciplinary space, “the center for recently possible”, place for people that would call themselves “creative technologists” and will learn new things, build and seek for meanings, questions and answers at such an intensive rate that there will be barely time left to eat, sleep or think of something else.
In 2019 ITP turned 40, which means that there were at least 20 generations of Red Burns followers that now inhabit Silicon Alley and describe 2 years of pursuing their master’s degree as “the happiest and the hardest” time in their lives.
Red Burns passed away in 2013. At the beginning of my first year, all new students were given a small red book “Red Burns in her own words” and then have read aloud one quotation from the book after another as our small rite of initiation. We also did the same thing on the farewell video to congratulate our peers graduating in 2020.
IMA stands for Interactive Media Arts. It is a bachelor’s degree for the undergraduate program, conceptually similar to ITP.
Which degree will you get after ITP?
MPS, Master of Professional Studies.
What do I study?
The first year at ITP normally starts with a few “foundation classes” because technically it’s not mandatory to have any programming, design, engineering, or video and sound-related skills to get accepted. However, I will be honest. If you do have experience in any of that, your life at ITP will be easier, because it is a very, very intense and highly demanding program.
Which foundation classes have I taken in my first year?
“Introduction to Computational Media” — class for absolute beginners in coding, focused on JavaScript primarily within the framework of p5.js library. It’s being taught for the whole Fall semester and covers most of JavaScript basics, including object-oriented programming, classes, functions, ES6 features like arrow functions, web animation, work with media (sound, video, live video from a webcam), text, combining JavaScript and HTML. And these are my wonderful professors— Mimi Onuoha and Lisa Jamhoury.
“Introduction to physical computing” — engineering class focusing on human-computer interaction. Electricity, circuits, sensors, wires, soldering, Arduino, serial communication, LEDs. It’s also being taught for the whole Fall semester. My awesome professor was David Rios.
“Visual language”—a design class by Katherine Dillon. Design theory, color, typography, data visualization, brand design. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator as primary tools, Google Material Design, Adobe Color and other design resources. This class takes half of the 1st semester. This class was life-changing for me.
“Animation”— animation in Dragonframe, Adobe After effects, and Unity. My professor was Marianne Petit.
Which elective classes have I taken?
“Introduction to fabrication”—the class where you need to build a new thing each week with different materials and tools. Wood, acrylic, enclosures for circuits, drills, saws, nails, screws, laser cutters, etc. That’s a very important class for prototyping skills and was VERY challenging for me, but I’m glad I’ve taken it. My professor for this class was Ben Light.
“Nature of code”— a coding class by Daniel Shiffman. One and only class, where very complicated subjects are being framed in a very accessible form. The purpose of the class is to develop “nature simulation projects” using JavaScript, vectors, particle systems, machine learning models, genetic algorithms, and neural networks.
“Dynamic web development” — a class on building full-stack web apps. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, node.js, command line, git, databases, APIs, client-side programming and server-side programming. My professor for this class was Joey Lee.
“Open source cinema”— a coding and art theory class by Dan O’Sullivan. A combination of web development, coding, machine learning, Three.js, all wrapped up in gorgeously interesting and intellectually challenging discussion sessions.
“Designing meaningful interactions”—another life-changing class by Katherine Dillon, this time on UX/UI.
“Math for artists”—a math class with extensions in coding, art, and product design. Introduction to the math concepts that in a way define technology and programming, including vectors, dimensions, numbers, Fibonacci sequence, matrices. Surprisingly enough, it was the class when I felt myself totally in art school, not in an engineering school. Very challenging intellectually and very mind-changing. My professor for this class was Robby Kraft.
“Pro capture”— a photogrammetry class, introduction to VR from a technical side. Introduction to RealityCapture, Mistica VR, and Depthkit. My professor for this class was Matthew Niederhauser.
“Autonomous Artificial Artists”— a class by Gene Kogan on a collaborative approach to machine learning. Basics of blockchain, AI, neural networks.
…and what’s it like?
My first year at ITP was challenging, overwhelming, and absolutely great. I used to team up with developers, engineers, and designers before but I didn’t have any hands-on experience with programming, engineering, or prototyping. So that was the whole new world.
For each class, students are expected to make a new project every week, pass a midterm with a somewhat bigger project (sometimes built in teams), and at the end of the class present a final project which usually takes more time to develop. The making process of each project should be documented and submitted to the professor. So, as I mentioned, this program is a really intense one.
It is also a very collaborative one. My class is above 100 people (maybe closer to 200), and all of them are coming from different backgrounds (art, design, architecture, creative writing, electrical engineering, programming, computer science, etc.). The age range is from 22 to mid-40s but there are no age restrictions. I believe the majority of students are in their late 20s. Many projects demand to build a team because they are way too complex for one person to accomplish and because an important part of the program is learning from one another.
In the beginning, teams were often formed in a randomized manner and that was a very heart-pounding and useful experience on its own.
New York is very competitive and demanding in general, and ITP is competitive in its own way: with so many brilliant people around it’s impossible to do otherwise than your personal very best. At the same time, the more stress we overcome together the closer we get, and the more benefits we get from being a part of a really warm, friendly, and supportive community.
My approach to art and design has been dramatically changed. New York’s art landscape is overwhelmingly rich. Artists that I’ve met, my professors and peers are extremely hard-working and devoted both to art and craftsmanship. So, eventually, it’s impossible to cheat. You either honestly work and give the project you believe in all you’ve got, or you leave.
I love quoting my fabrication professor who said that in ITP we learn not only to work hard but to love working hard and that after we finally graduate we might be unable to live otherwise.
