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PIMA 7741G Interactive Media Programming

Fall 2022 Professor Briggan Krauss

General information and contact info for the professor

Instructor: Briggan Krauss
Course Name: PIMA 7741G​ Dynamic and Interactive Media Performance I
Class Meeting Location: 130-C New Ingersoll (aka The PIMA Lab).
Class Time: Mondays 2:00PM - 4:45PM
Email: Briggan.Krauss58 [@] brooklyn.cuny.edu

A special note for Fall 2022

This is not a normal semester. It may not seem like it at times but you are taking a class during an ongoing pandemic that has caused long-term and widespread disruption. This semester will require all of us to maintain constant situational awareness. It is possible that there will be changes made to this syllabus throughout the semester as the situation evolves. Please be prepared to be flexible.

The number one priority this semester is your health and safety. If at any point your personal situation changes (eg.,you or a family member become sick, living arrangements change) please contact me so I can accommodate your needs. I am committed to ensuring you learn what you need from this class without sacrificing your physical and mental well-being.

This semester I think we can afford to cut each other some slack as we traverse these trying times. If you are struggling, please let me know. Life is already stressful enough right now; this class should not add to that stress.

Computer requirements

PIMA does not have specific requirements for student's computers. I do however strongly recommend that you make every effort to acquire the best, most up to date computer you that you can. You will be using your computer a lot in this program and it is very hard to try to get by with inadequate technology. If you are considering a new laptop I'd suggest something no more than a few years old. If you are able, I'd also recommend getting a computer with the most RAM that you can. These are general suggestions. 

In Max Class will be using a Mac. It is fine if you have a Windows computer. I will do my best to support both operating systems although I am not a  Windows expert.

You will need to have your own computer. (PIMA has a few very old laptops that can be lent out for emergencies but these are not suitable for full-time use)

You will also need to get a licensed copy of Max. (Academic rates are quite reasonable. https://cycling74.com/shop )       

You will also need a pair of headphones for working with audio in class. These need not be fancy.

I also strongly recommend that you purchase whatever adapter(s) you need to connect your computer to an external projector via an HDMI or VGA cable. 

If you have any technology related question please ask me and I will help you sort things out.    

Learning Objectives

  • Use software and hardware to create interactive performances / artworks.
  • Identify a wide variety of Max objects and their uses.
  • Discuss the uses of Max as a control source, for sound design, and video/projection design for a variety of projects.
  • Write your own interactive program in Max/MSP/Jitter that runs without error and fulfills its intended purpose.
  • Evaluate existing Max Patches for errors and suggest solutions to problems found.
  • Consider and discuss dramaturgical choices implemented into a patch for a chosen performance use.
  • To share/exchange Max patches with collaborators and be able to adapt and incorporate other’s work into your own patches.

Plan of Study

This seminar will deal specifically with the Max/MSP/Jitter (often just called Max) programming environment. Max is a graphic programming environment which simply means that instead of writing code, the program is built around a graphic interface which allows for much easier and intuitive use.

Max/MSP/Jitter [Max] is an application that is similar to having a vast box of Legos that you can use to write your own applications and for designing interactive programs all from the ground up. The open nature of Max gives it a slightly high learning curve but it’s this “build anything you can think of” flexibility that makes Max an excellent environment for creating programs for use in music performances, dance, theater, performance art, sound and art installations, animations, video and especially any situations involving human computer interaction such as using sensors on the human body, physically tracking objects in a space or even using data taken live from the internet.

Each student in the class will be required to become fluent in this programming environment and to be able to design and realize artistic projects with it.Technical topics to be covered include: basic tenets of programming (variables, data structures, data transforms, testing, flow control, encapsulation, debugging, user interface design, etc.); the Max/MSP/Jitter programming environment; review of specifics of the MIDI software protocol, digital audio, and digital video; algorithmic composition of animation, video processing, and/or music; algorithmic computer cognition of user input and gestures; and "artificially intelligent" computer behavior..

Class sessions will consist of a) participatory lecture/demonstrations on the above mentioned technical topics, b) group work on programming assignments and projects, and c) presentation and discussion of student projects in progress and the specific technical and aesthetic issues encountered. Work outside of class will include reading, self-teaching/research, and (primarily) design and programming of assignments and creating interactive art projects.

Students will be presented with specific assigned programming tasks, and will also be required to design and implement their own programming project/systems.

Course Requirements

  • Complete all projects and homework assignments
  • Read assigned texts
  • Complete one Final Project (see Project page for description)
  • Complete Midterm and Final Examinations
  • Participate in classroom discussion and critiques 
  • Document and present of your work and project online
  • Attend class according to our attendance policy

Recording

  • 7741G recordings will be discussed at our first class meeting

Resources and Support for Distance Learning

Here are Resources and Support for Distance Learning should that become necessary for any reason this semester.

Faculty in need of one-on-one pedagogical support can contact the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at ctl@brooklyn.cuny.edu.

CUNY Guidelines: Requiring the Use of Cameras

During Online Classes Faculty utilizing Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate and other digital technology to deliver course curriculum and materials must be sensitive to issues of privacy.

Faculty offering classes through web conferencing like Zoom cannot require that students turn on their cameras during live classes, unless there is a pedagogical need to do so.

If an instructor has determined that there is a pedagogical need to require the use of cameras:

  1. The requirement for students to be visible on the video must be communicated to students in advance of registration and enrollment
  2. Students who do not have access to cameras and therefore are unable to comply with the requirement must be accommodated. These rules must also be followed if an instructor plans to use a technology that requires students to turn on their cameras during test-taking.

Grading

Grading is based on timely completion of all the course requirements. Since every assignment is considered a vital part of the educational experience of the course, serious and high quality work is expected at all times.

Grading will be based on three levels of programming assignment:

  • Final Exam (25%)
  • Large final programming/artistic project (25%)
  • Assigned exercises to learn specific programming concepts (15%)
  • Midterm Exam (15%)
  •  Communication and Participation --including documentation (20%)

It is suggested that students exchange information, criticism, discussion, etc. via online group discussion and/or email whenever they have a question (or a discovery) of potentially general interest to the group.

CUNY Policies

The Center for Student Disability Services is working remotely at this time.  Please email them at testingcsds@brooklyn.cuny.edu for assistance.

Students should inform the professor if they have a disability or any other situation that may require Section 504/ADA accommodations.  The faculty and staff will attempt to work out whatever arrangements are necessary.

Please provide me with your course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with me as soon as possible to ensure accommodations are met in a timely fashion.

In order to receive academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or who suspect that they might have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell or the Assistant Director, Josephine Patterson or their general email testingcsds@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Prompt attendance in all PIMA classes is of the utmost importance to students and faculty alike. Arriving late or missing classes not only wastes tuition and contact hours, but also derails instruction and compromises participation in ongoing collaborative projects. Class discussions, screenings, and events form the basis of the program’s structure and content. The faculty strongly discourages missing class time for any other reason than illness.

Should classes move online, we know that online classes can be very challenging for students and teachers. We understand internet connections and technical malfunctions come with this new territory. Please let us know if technology is failing you and we will try to assist you and make this as good of an experience as possible.


More than two unexcused absences will result in the student not passing the class. Repeated lateness will affect one’s final grade.
The faculty does understand that, in very special situations, students have professional opportunities that may necessitate missing class on rare occasions. For these kinds of events, at the discretion of the program head, absences may be excused. These situations are restricted to the following conditions: (1) the opportunity must dovetail with the professional goals and aspirations of the PIMA curriculum; and (2) a request must be filed with the program director in advance of the first class of the semester.
Last-minute opportunities will not be considered.

Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism, is unacceptable at Brooklyn College. Cheating is any misrepresentation in academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work, words, or ideas as your own. Students should consult the Brooklyn College Student Handbook for a fuller, more specific discussion of related academic integrity standards.

Academic dishonesty is punishable by failure of the “…test, examination, term paper or other assignment on which cheating occurred” (Faculty Council, May 18, 1954).

In addition, disciplinary proceedings in cases of academic dishonesty may result in penalties of admonition, warning, censure, disciplinary probation, restitution, suspension, expulsion, complaint to civil authorities, or ejection (Adopted by Policy Council, May 8, 1991).

NOTE: If you have a question about how to cite correctly ask your teacher BEFORE submitting your work.

  • The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism.
  • Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both.
  • View complete text of CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation.
  • If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member must report the violation.
  • Please read the section entitled “Academic Regulations and Procedures” in the Brooklyn College Undergraduate Bulletin or Graduate Bulletin for a complete listing of academic regulations of the College.

Bereavement Policy:

  • Students who experience the death of a loved one must contact the Division of Student Affairs, 2113 Boylan Hall, if they wish to implement either the Standard Bereavement Procedure or the Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure. The Division of Student Affairs has the right to request a document that verifies the death (e.g., a funeral program or death notice). Contact Email: studentaffairs@brooklyn.cuny.edu
  • Typically, this death involves that of a family member, in parallel to the bereavement policy for faculty and staff. However, it is up to the discretion of the Division of Student Affairs to determine if a death outside of the immediate family warrants implementation of the student bereavement policy.
  •  As an option, and in consultation with the Division of Student Affairs, students may take the Leave of Absence Bereavement after the Standard Bereavement.
  • Reference to the Student Bereavement Policies will be noted on course syllabi.
  • Students requesting a religious accommodation should contact the Division of Student Affairs as well. The chief student affairs officer, or a designee, and the student will engage in an interactive process with the goal of finding an acceptable accommodation.

Bereavement Procedure:

  • Upon approval from the Division of Student Affairs, the student is allowed one week, commencing from the day of notification to the Division of Student Affairs, of excused absence.
  • Should the student feel that he/she needs additional days, these should be discussed with individual course instructors and/or the Division of Student Affairs.
  • The Division of Student Affairs will contact the student’s faculty and academic staff of the student’s courses.
  • Faculty and academic staff will be advised that extensions must be granted to the student for the period of one week of excused absence.
  • Further extensions may be negotiated with the student when he or she returns to campus.
  • Students are encouraged to discuss options with their instructors.

Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure:

  • Students may be allowed to withdraw from the semester in which the death occurs.
  • The Bereavement Leave of Absence is for one semester only.
  • Students who have opted to take the Bereavement Leave of Absence and have already attended classes for the semester of the leave will be allowed to re-enter the following semester without having to reapply to the college.
  • Students who wish to take the leave of absence prior to the beginning of the semester will be required to reapply for the following semester.
  • Students who are in good academic standing will be given the opportunity to successfully complete the credits for the semester in which they return.
  • Students will consult with the Division of Student Affairs, on a case-by-case basis, as to whether they should withdraw from their courses during this leave of absence or to request incompletes from the faculty member.
  •  Given that there may be a potential impact on financial aid, students who receive financial aid and who take the Bereavement Leave of Absence, upon arrangement with the Division of Student Affairs, will meet with a financial aid adviser prior to taking this option.
  • The New York State Education Law provides that no student shall be expelled or refused admission to an institution of higher education because he or she is unable to attend classes or participate in examinations or study or work requirements on any particular day or days because of religious beliefs.
  • Students who are unable to attend classes on a particular day or days because of religious beliefs will be excused from any examination or study or work requirements.
  • Faculty must make good-faith efforts to provide students absent from class because of religious beliefs equivalent opportunities to make up the work missed; no additional fees may be charged for this consideration.
  • If classes, examinations, or study or work requirements occur on Friday after 4 p.m. or on Saturday, similar or makeup classes, examinations, or study or work requirements will be made available on other days, where possible and practical.
  • The faculty and the administration will not allow any adverse or prejudicial effects to accrue to students availing themselves of this regulation.
  • If students have complaints about the application of this policy, they are entitled to bring action or a proceeding for enforcement of their rights in the Supreme Court of Kings County

Creative Commons License NC SA 4.0 icon Unless otherwise noted, PIMA 7741G Interactive Media Programming was curated by Professor Ryan Holsopple for Brooklyn College in 2020, and updated by Brooklyn College Professor Briggan Krauss in 2022, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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