Driven by passion: iMedia students showcase their thesis projects

While the 2019 iMedia Capstone Exhibition is the culmination of a semester’s worth of hard work – and countless hours – many of the thesis project topics on display on May 21 have resonated much longer with the soon-to-be Elon graduates.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t challenges, headaches and a few failed attempts along the way.

In total, 29 graduate students in the Interactive Media master's program used the exhibition as a platform to unveil their thesis projects, ranging from promotional websites and interactive videos to mobile applications and virtual reality games. Photos from the exhibition are available on the School of Communications’ Flickr page.

​Through their 10-month exploration of new avenues in interactive and digital media delivery, the members of the 2019 iMedia class have discovered new technical skills and new career paths. And, largely, most of the students’ capstone projects were driven by a passion near and dear to them.

​Joshua Gay overcame corrupted SD cards, difficulty finding actors, and missed sunsets to produce his 30-minute film, “Two Birds and a Stone,” a creation of his DreamerKid Productions company. The movie, which is nearly complete, and its accompanying website delve into the effects of mental health on African American communities.

“If it wasn’t a passion, I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” Gay said. “Passion really drove this. I want to tell stories of people who don’t have a platform to tell their stories.”

Through his mentorship program, The Ubuntu Movement, Tyquan Williams aims to cultivate hope for youngsters in his hometown of Goldsboro, offering insights, education and a path to self empowerment. To promote the movement, he created extensive branding, a website and video content to support its mission.

A troubled youth himself, kicked out of his middle school, Williams and The Ubuntu Movement have already hosted a panel discussion for high school seniors about life after graduation. The event featured several iMedia students, and a similar panel is already planned for the early fall.

"It is a passion piece for me, but a thank you for them,” said Williams, reflecting on the impact of his middle school and high school educators.

Growing up in Spruce Pine, a small western North Carolina town, Juliana Walker fell in love with the numerous artists who make their homes and studios in Mitchell County.

To support the Toe River Arts Council’s annual studio tour, Walker created a multimedia website to communicate and promote information about the program. She traversed the three hours between western N.C. and campus again and again to compile the site’s video content, leading to video interviews with 25 artists.

“My calendar was so full, but it was something I wanted to do – for the artists and the area,” she said.

The exhibition featured similar stories across the first floor of Long Building. Here are just a few:

• Aaron Scott created a VR museum centered around black culture and history, showcasing how new technologies can potentially lead to new ways of displaying historical exhibits.
• A horror movie fan, John Gorman created an interactive infographic that condenses production and content data of the genre during the 1980s into a tapestry of graphs, charts, maps and statistics.
• Through her interactive magazine, Art Intuitive, Fannique Robinson utilized graphics and audio components to highlight the importance of integrating art into STEM programs.
• Lastly, Cuquis Robledo’s project took her outside the continental U.S., traveling to Puerto Rico for 10 days to gather footage and stories for her immersive multimedia project about the effects of Hurricane Maria.

iMedia

The M.A. in Interactive Media degree prepares students to think strategically across platforms, create interactive media content, and manage information in a digital age. This year, iMedia students produced interactive projects for the public good in Colombia, Cuba, Dominica and Ecuador. The intensive 10-month program serves up to 36 full-time students a year.