Review of the NESTA Next Gen. paper
This is a review by Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope about the future of high tech media industries in the UK, such as video games and the visual effects industries. This review is needed, important succinct and pin points the way forward. It also directly relates to my studies as a lecturer and researcher working towards modelling new ideas for teaching in art and media. What I found very interesting was that the review draws a strong link between computer science and art. It talks of the need for education to understand the needs of industry and to train people to enable them to work in the industry. As Livingstone says; The skills needed to produce such varied content are, however, linked by the common denominators of computer science, maths, physics and art. As Alex Hope goes on to explain in more detail; Once you’ve created the tool in the computer to light the water realistically, you still need the flair of the cinematographer or painter to make it look great. At every turn the VFX artist is combining maths, physics, computer science and art to create.
This is the propaganda of need for the industry and also seems to fit my manifesto for the way forward in my work. They keep returning to the theme that without the creative componant which needs computer literate artists, animators, storytellers and designers there is technology without creative content. As Livingstone says, the schools have taught ICT as office skills which does not inspire the continuation of studies. Alex Hope suggests that the push for pupils to choose between science and art is also having a negative effect on creating the skills needed. The government response to this report has however missed this point on several occasions not agreeing with the need for a strong link between STEM subjects and art, somehow they just do not get it. However any move forward is a good move forward and the change from the office based ICT, that even art students have to take, to a more functional and programming based ICT will be a good progression.
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