Michael Murphy is presently in Ireland, where he has been working on several projects under the auspices of the Fulbright Commission. His grant to work at University College Cork allows him to explore film and performance in live theatre; particularly through the work of Samuel Beckett. During his time Michael has performed Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape", created the video design for a graduate project, "Hell Is…"(a mash-up of "Waiting for Godot" and "Dante's Inferno" with a bit of Sartre's "No Exit" thrown in) and built a media/performance installation, "Sleepwalker", in collaboration with UCC colleague Roisin O'Gorman and Cork actress Mairin Prendergast. Sleepwalker is the first in a series of installations exploring the potential of film and live performance to access a portal memory and the present. The work presents two women--one present in the space and one on film. Who they are to each other is a creation of the relationship between on-stage and in-film actions and reactions. The spark of the past comes alive in the present moment as each woman tries to resolve a critical point in their life. The project will expand when Michael returns to Missoula as he casts a third woman to enter the narrative. "Sleepwalker" will premiere in Missoula in January of 2013 as part of a series of installations based on the collaborative explorations undertaken by Michael and newly hired Theatre faculty member, Bernadette Sweeney. Murphy and Sweeney have also secured the right to make a full-length film of "Krapp's Last Tape". This is a rare opportunity for UM artists to work on an international level creating a work for which permission is rarely granted.

 

More production pictures from Murphy's time in Ireland can be found on our facebook here.

 

Students can now get a minor in the Media Arts program completely online! Hooray!

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This March, professor Greg Twigg, was invited by Volkswagen to fly to Germany for 10 days. Twigg was the graphics designer for locally directed film, "The Bus", working on the promotional visual aspects, creating the website, and motion graphics for the film. "The Bus" is a documentary film exploring the history, evolution and cultural significance of the VW Bus. Film director Damon Ristau, Twigg, and one other flew to Germany to be honored by Volkswagen themselves, giving "The Bus" a European press screening to celebrate the most iconic vehicle ever produced.

 

For more information about The Bus, check out their website

 

The Missoulian payed the Media Arts Department a visit to check out the departments cutting edge 3D printer. Twigg talks about how the 3D printer offers students a chance to discover a whole new world by stepping away from the digital interface and experiment with making their designs in the physical. To get the full story check the article out at http://missoulian.com/news/local/um-media-arts-program-experiments-with-cutting-edge--d/article_1c5be79e-591b-11e1-a4b5-0019bb2963f4.html

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