Digital Media Academy
The MTS Digital Media Academy
strives to improve academic achievement by combining the inspiration of digital arts with core academic subjects. Through hands-on experience with professional grade equipment and personal instruction, students are given knowledge and skills associated with digital media careers. Students can also explore and express their creativity in film, music and graphic arts. The background they receive in these programs can lead them down the road to post-secondary education or, in somecases, directly to the workplace.
From Video and Screenwriting to Graphics and Music, the Digital Media Academy has it all!
VIDEO ARTS
The Video Arts Department combines the excitement of filmmaking with Minnesota state standards to offer an additional way for students to earn Language Arts as well as Fine Arts credits toward graduation. Students in the Video Arts Department produce five minute videos, both narrative and documentary. They participate in numerous festivals and contests, including the DMA hosted .EDU Film Festival. Students produce Hit the Couch, a web-TV show featuring the work of the entire DMA. Each year, the DMA produces Five Minute Films, a DVD of the year’s video work.
Students have the opportunity to earn Language Arts credits while expressing themselves through screenwriting. Students work on professional software to become proficient in the incredibly detail-oriented format of a professional screenplay. Screenwriting students produce 5, 30, and 90+ page screenplays and each year student work is published in the DMA produced book, The Last Draft.
MUSIC & SOUND
The Music and Sound program is designed to reach students of every ability level with self paced music instructional software that embeds the fundamentals of music and recording. As students advance they have the opportunity to master the art of digital recording. Students are given the opportunity to compose, arrange, record, and produce their own music using real or virtual instruments in our state of the art studio facilities. Students have access to three recording suites and an isolation room for recording high energy vocals, guitar, bass, piano, and drums. All three studio suites feature the latest version of PRO TOOLS. All classes are taught by a Certified Pro Tools Operator.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
The Graphic Design program gives students a chance to develop problem solving skills and fuel creativity as they create and produce their own graphic designs. From print to web, students build their skills on the same software used in the professional world as they learn the basics of visual communication through creative layout and design. Students apply and refine their skills and techniques by collaborating with fellow students and school staff to create designs to promote various school activities and events.
.EDU FILM FEST
The .EDU Film Festival is an annual, state-wide event sponsored by the Digital Media Academy. It showcases student products from all parts of the DMA. Student-written scripts are shot and edited by student filmmakers in the Video Arts Department, sound is edited and a score is added by the Sound and Music students, and titles and graphics are created by the Graphic Arts Department. The Graphic students also work with the festival directors to design all promotional materials for the festival, from the festival logo to the poster. This year, a student from each department collaborated with local film company Mojo Solo to produce the festival trailer.
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