19 August 2008

University of Dundee encourages Artificial Intelligence

Young people in schools and colleges all over the UK are being challenged to create the next 'Youtube' sensation in a major new competition being launched by the University of Dundee.

The Interactive Media Design programme at Dundee is asking 15 to 21-year-olds to make a three-minute video on the theme `Artificially Intelligent’ and post it on the Youtube website (www.youtube.com.)

The competition is split into two age groups - 15 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 21-year-olds. The winners in each category will receive a prize of £500.

'Interactive media design is all about matching creativity with the technical know-how to do something like putting together a video and placing it on the web,' said Morna Simpson, lecturer on the IMD degree programme at Dundee.

'Our students do the most amazing work, and are winning some of the best jobs going in high-tech and creative industries. We want to give a big shout about that.'

Young people with creative talent should know that the University of Dundee is the place to come, if you want to do some of the most innovative and ground-breaking work that is going on right now'

Gary Duncan and Andrew Cook, two Interactive Media Design graduates have set the ball rolling by writing, filming, editing and acting in the first 'Artificially Intelligent' video.

'It is really good fun!' said Morna, 'A genius piece of work, though I say so myself!.'

'Now we want to see what young people around the UK can produce - hopefully we are going to find some real stars through this competition because we are sure there is a lot of untapped talent out there.

'The theme of the competition is fairly broad so the field is wide open to be as creative as possible. We have got some of our students to create an initial video which can be viewed now - the challenge to other young people around the UK is to show us you can do something which really stands out.'

Morna said a site like Youtube gave young people a hugely powerful tool to show off their creative talents.

'The great advantage of something like Youtube is that a project like making a small video can now reach a vast audience very quickly,' said Morna. 'If you look through some of the most popular videos on Youtube you will find that great ideas win over high-tech equipment every time!'

The competition will be open until November. All details can be found on the dedicated website at http://imd.dundee.ac.uk/competition.

NOTES TO EDITORS
Interactive Media Design is a collaboration between Duncan of Jordanstone College and the School of Computing at the University of Dundee. This unique blend of disciplines gives students the wide range of tools to meet the design challenges of the 21st century.

www.dundee.ac.uk/design/bsc-interactive-design.php.

For media enquiries contact:
Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: a.c.day@dundee.ac.uk