1.Computer skills

Students are expected to have proficiency in basic computer skills before attending the TIME class. The computer labs used for these courses are equipped with Apple iMac computers. If you need to increase your familiarity with computing in general or the iMac specifically, you can schedule a one-on-one tutorial with Gene Preble, Media Arts Studio Manager (visit the SF Cage or call (617) 879-7298 to make an appointment).

2. USB Flash drives

For both Visual Language and TIME courses, students may be required to purchase at least one 16GB or larger USB Flash drive  the larger the capacity, the better. You will bring the drive to class every day, as all projects must be stored on your own media. Flash drives are available from the MassArt Bookstore, as well as general stores around campus (e.g. Walgreens in Brigham Circle, CVS in the Longwood Medical Area). Please be careful, drives are small and easy to lose and damage! There is a lost and found in the SF Cage for drives that have been found in our labs. While USB flash drives are handy for storing word processing documents and images, they do not offer the storage capacity and data transfer speed required for video projects.

3. Hard Drive

Students taking the TIME course are required to bring to class a bus-powered portable hard drive in order to store digital media files. USB flash drives, in most cases, do not offer the capacity and data transfer speed required for video editing. If you are taking TIME this semester, you may need to obtain an external bus powered hard drive with no less than 120 GB of space. USB 3 with a USB-C adapter or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) connector interfaces are best but USB 2 with a USB-C adapter will work in our labs. 5400, 7200, and 10,000 RPM as well as SSD will all work. Your drive must be formatted for use on a Macintosh (i.e., HFS+). If you need help formatting a new drive please ask for assistance in the SF Cage. A drive with multiple interfaces is a good idea if you plan on doing a lot of video work, as you will have many ways to interface with various computers and connectors. Hard drives are delicate electro-mechanical devices and are subject to failure due to a variety of reasons. Therefore, it is prudent to make back-up copies of important files, otherwise hours, if not days, months, and years of work may be lost. Back-ups may be made to your Google Drive, USB flash drives (for small project files and a compressed version of your final video but not full-quality video files), or another hard drive.

Please feel free to stop by the Cage with any questions you might have regarding Technology Requirements.