Visual and Performing Arts: Media Arts Glossary
The media arts terms defined in this section include only those terms that are blue text in the standards. The meaning of the terms is specific to their use in the standards and the artistic discipline. The definitions included here are not meant to be an exhaustive list or used as curriculum.
The following defined terms are commonly accepted definitions, most of which are provided by the National Coalition for Core Arts at https://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/glossary. aesthetic principles: Fundamental sensory qualities or organizational rules within the diversity of media arts production and appreciation.
attention: Principle of directing perception through sensory and conceptual impact. balance: Principle of the equitable and/or dynamic distribution of items in a media arts composition or structure for aesthetic meaning, as in a visual frame, or within game architecture. civic values: Valuing the rights and well-being of individuals, collectives and community through tolerance, appreciation, open-mindedness; having a sense of duty at local to global levels, and awareness of power and predisposal to take action to change things for the better.
components: The discrete portions and aspects of media artworks, including: elements, principles, processes, parts, assemblies, etc. (such as: light, sound, space, time, shot, clip, scene, sequence, movie, narrative, lighting, cinematography, interactivity, etc.). composition: Principle of arrangement and balancing of components of a work for meaning and message. concept modeling: Creating a digital or physical representation or sketch of an idea, usually for testing; prototyping. constraints: Limitations on what is possible, both real and perceived. context: The situation surrounding the creation or experience of media artworks that influences the work, artist, or audience. This can include how, where, and when media experiences take place, as well as additional internal and external factors (personal, societal, cultural, historical, physical, virtual, economic, systemic, etc.). contrast: Principle of using the difference between items, such as elements, qualities, and components, to mutually complement them. convention: An established, common, or predictable rule, method, or practice within media arts production, such as the notion of a ‘hero’ in storytelling. copyright: The exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a produced work. design thinking: A cognitive methodology that promotes innovative problem solving through the prototyping and testing process commonly used in design.
digital identity: How one is presented, perceived, and recorded online, including personal and collective information and sites, e-communications, commercial tracking, etc. divergent thinking: Unique, original, uncommon, idiosyncratic ideas; thinking “outside of the box.” emphasis: Principle of giving greater compositional strength to a particular element or component in a media artwork.
ethics: Moral guidelines and philosophical principles for determining appropriate behavior within media arts environments. exaggeration: Principle of pushing a media arts element or component into an extreme for provocation, attention, contrast, as seen in character, voice, mood, message, etc. experiential design: Area of media arts wherein interactive, immersive spaces and activities are created for the user; associated with entertainment design. fairness: Complying with appropriate, ethical, and equitable rules and guidelines. fair use: Permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders, including commentary, search engines, criticism, etc. force: Principle of energy or amplitude within an element, such as the speed and impact of a character’s motion. generative methods: Various inventive techniques for creating new ideas and models, such as brainstorming, play, open exploration, prototyping, experimentation, inverting assumptions, rule-bending, etc.
hybridization: Principle of combining two existing media forms to create new and original forms, such as merging theatre and multimedia. interactivity: A diverse range of articulating capabilities between media arts components, such as user, audience, sensory elements, etc., that allow for inputs and outputs of responsive connectivity via sensors, triggers, interfaces, etc., and may be used to obtain data, commands, or information and may relay immediate feedback, or other communications; contains unique sets of aesthetic principles. juxtaposition: Placing greatly contrasting items together for effect. legal: The legislated parameters and protocols of media arts systems, including user agreements, publicity releases, copyright, etc |
manage audience experience: The act of designing and forming user sensory episodes through multi-sensory captivation, such as using sequences of moving image and sound to maintain and carry the viewer’s attention, or constructing thematic spaces in virtual or experiential design.
markets: The various commercial and informational channels and forums for media artworks, such as television, radio, internet, fine arts, nonprofit, communications, etc. meaning: The formulation of significance and purposefulness in media artworks. media environments: Spaces, contexts, and situations where media artworks are produced and experienced, such as in theaters, production studios, and online. media literacy: A series of communication competencies, including the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of forms, including print and nonprint messages (National Association for Media Literacy Education n.d.).media messages: The various artistic, emotional, expressive, prosaic, commercial, utilitarian, and informational communications of media artworks. movement: Principle of motion of diverse items within media artworks. multimodal perception: The coordinated and synchronized integration of multiple sensory systems (vision, touch, auditory, etc.) in media artworks. multimedia theatre: The combination of live theatre elements and digital media (sound, projections, video, etc.) into a unified production for a live audience. narrative structure: The framework for a story, usually consisting of an arc of beginning, conflict, and resolution.
personal aesthetic: An individually formed, idiosyncratic style or manner of expressing oneself; an artist’s “voice.”
perspective: Principle pertaining to the method of three-dimensional rendering, point-of-view, and angle of composition. point of view: The position from which something or someone is observed; the position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator’s outlook from which the events are depicted and by the attitude toward the characters. positioning: The principle of placement or arrangement. presentation: A diverse range of activities of exhibiting media artworks, which can include sharing, distributing, installing, publishing, broadcasting, posting, showing, performing, etc. production processes: The diverse processes, procedures, or steps used to carry out the construction of a media artwork, such as prototyping, play-testing, and architecture construction in game design. prototyping: Creating a testable version, sketch, or model of a media artwork, such as a game, character, website, application, etc. resisting closure: Delaying completion of an idea, process, or production, or persistently extending the process of refinement, towards greater creative solutions or technical perfection
responsive use of failure: Incorporating errors towards persistent improvement of an idea, technique, process, or product.rules: The laws or guidelines for appropriate behavior; protocols. safety: Maintaining proper behavior for the welfare of self and others in handling equipment and interacting with media arts environments and groups.
soft skills: Diverse organizational and management skills useful to employment, such as collaboration, planning, adaptability, communication, etc. stylistic convention: A common, familiar, or even “formulaic” presentation form, style, technique, or construct, such as the use of tension-building techniques in a suspense film, for example. systemic communications: Socially or technologically organized and higher-order media arts communications such as networked multimedia, television formats and broadcasts, “viral” videos, social multimedia (e.g., “vine” videos), remixes, transmedia, etc. systems: The complex and diverse technological structures and contexts for media arts production, funding, distribution, viewing, and archiving. technological: The mechanical aspects and contexts of media arts production, including hardware, software, networks, code, etc.
tone: Principle of “color” “texture” or “feel” of a media arts element or component, as for sound, lighting, mood, sequence, etc. transdisciplinary production: Accessing multiple disciplines during the conception and production processes of media creation, and using new connections or ideas that emerge to inform the work. transmedia production: Communicating a narrative and/or theme over multiple media platforms, while adapting the style and structure of each story component to the unique qualities of the platforms. virtual channels: Network-based presentation platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, DeviantArt, etc.
virtual worlds: Online, digital, or synthetic environments (e.g., Minecraft, Second Life). vocational: The workforce aspects and contexts of media arts |