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Unity for Artists

Unity for Artists

Learn the basics of game engines and how they can propel your creative visions!

Unity is a free world building tool for making 2D and 3D interactive media like video games, virtual reality experiences, music visualizers, and pretty much anything you can imagine. Matthew Edwards (aesthetic.stalemate) uses Unity to create responsive live visuals and interactive virtual environments for live performance, virtual reality, and other emergent A/V formats. This includes his recent work with Canadian-born sound artist, Chloe Alexander Thompson, with their collaborative project, Moiré, seen at Mutek Montreal and recently released in audio-visual album format on Sounds, et al (https://www.soundsetal.com/project/moire/). In this two-part workshop series, you’ll learn how to combine 3D models, images, videos, sounds, animations, digital human characters, and special effects, into a world building project of your own design.

Course Logistics

Cost: $160 for Live two-day workshop (6 hours total,) $80 for Audit Access.
We also offer Diversity Scholarships. Apply here.

Experience Level:
Basic computer skills are recommended. This workshop is geared towards beginners, but will also contain insights for more experienced users.

Requirements:
• No materials costs
• Workshop attendee should download and install Unity in advance. Unity is free if you choose the ‘Personal’ license. It works on both Mac and PC. You can follow instructions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep4jrFpvR3s
• If your aim is to follow along with the workshop in real-time, it will benefit you to have a second monitor setup, but this is not required. Anyone curious about Unity and game engine workflows will learn a lot simply through attendance and observation.

Workshop Outline

• Introductions
• What is a game engine?
• Fundamentals of Unity (navigation, hotkeys, interface, etc.)
• Arrange 3D objects and create Materials
• Animate a Game Object
• Explore Spatial Audio
• Display Images and Videos
• Explore Physics Engine
• Import 3D Models
• Import Humanoid Model
• Explore Particle Effects

About Technologies

Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies. It is a widely used tool by artists, independent games creators, and an in-demand skill with wide ranging applications.

Instructor(s)

Matthew Edwards is a multidisciplinary artist melding installation art, music production, film, performance, and virtual reality. He has a long history working with the experimental artist community in Portland, OR as founder of the DIY performance venue, Xhurch (2010-2020). In 2014, Edwards entered the immersive technologies space and helped form Portland Immersive Media Group, a collective of digital artists and game designers eager to explore experiential art in both real and virtual environments. After exhibiting along the West Coast the group were selected as finalists at Indiecade in 2016 for their project “VR Spa”. In 2017, he re-focused his efforts as a solo creator, billing as *aesthetic.stalemate*. Since then, he has produced interactive visuals and performed live with Visible Cloaks, Dolphin Midwives, Golden Retriever, S.E.C.R.E.T.S., Chloe Alexandra Thompson, Crystal Quartez, Brown Calculus, and others. With Thompsan, he recently released an interactive audio-visual album called Moiré (Sounds, et al, 2021). He has exhibited work at Mutek Montreal, Rewire Festival, send + receive, Fusebox Festival, Time-Based Art Festival, and ONN/OF festival of lights. As an educator, he has taught immersive design at Open Signal, Portland State University, and Portland Community College, where he is currently Instructor of Virtual & Augmented Realities at PCC Cascade STEAM Spaces.