New Media Software

Students must have regular access either to a personal computer with sufficient processing power and storage for video editing, 3D modeling, and other new-media work, or to the School of Art computer labs, which provide computers with Adobe Creative Cloud and other supported creative software. Students will also need external storage, such as a flash drive or external hard drive; a camera capable of recording video—a modern smartphone is sufficient; and the ability to install and use project-specific software, including but not limited to Adobe Creative Cloud, DaVinci Resolve, and Blender. Students relying on campus labs should plan their work around posted lab hours and maintain reliable backups of all course files.

New Media Computer Requirements

Your computer should meet the following specifications to run the software used in this course:

Minimum Recommended
RAM / Memory 16 GB 32 GB
Storage SSD with 50 GB free SSD with 100+ GB free
Display 1920 × 1080 1920 × 1080 or higher
Mouse 2-button + scroll wheel 3-button mouse or 2-button + scroll wheel

Mac
Minimum: Apple Silicon M1 or newer, 16 GB unified memory, macOS 15 or newer.
Recommended: Apple Silicon M2 or newer, 24–32 GB unified memory, macOS 15 or newer.

Windows
Minimum: Windows 11, Intel Core i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 5/7 from roughly the last 5–6 years, 16 GB RAM, dedicated NVIDIA or AMD GPU with 4 GB VRAM, SSD.
Recommended: Windows 11, recent Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7, 32 GB RAM, NVIDIA RTX or comparable AMD GPU with 8 GB+ VRAM, SSD.

Software

Please download software only from the official websites linked below. Select the version appropriate for your operating system.

  • DaVinci Resolve — Video editing, color correction, compositing, and audio production. Choose the free DaVinci Resolve version rather than the paid DaVinci Resolve Studio version.

  • Blender — Free, open-source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, compositing, and video editing.

Potential Software:

  • TouchDesigner — Node-based software for real-time visuals, interactive media, projection, and creative coding. Students can begin with the free Non-Commercial license.

 

Hardware

USB C Flash Drive

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