What do Spiderman, Girlboss, and Mission: Impossible have in common? The title sequences were all crafted in part by Carsten Becker, lecturer of communication and design at Iovine and Young Academy. A multimedia wizard who works across film, TV, and internet, Becker has worked with top tier clients across the media industry. From Google to Sony to Disney, Becker knows a thing or two about delivering epic visual experiences. 

Becker joined the Academy in 2019 and currently teaches Multimedia I and II for Designers and Entrepreneurs. The course integrates hands-on production tools and skills in photography, video, audio, and motion graphics with a design-driven, storytelling approach to create persuasive experiences for the audience. 




A group of students in Carsten’s Multimedia course developed a series of ads inspired by LA Metro

This fall Becker looks forward to returning to the classroom, even if it is virtual. “It’s the most rewarding time to see ideas happen,” he says. Last spring, as the Academy rapidly pivoted to online learning, faculty found creative new tools to foster team work. Becker sees unique positives to the online classroom environment. 

“Students get to collaborate in new ways,” says Becker. “Mural has been a great way for sketching out ideas.”
 



Mural's digital workspace for visual collaboration

Mural provides a visual whiteboard for student teams to ideate and brainstorm in real-time. Last spring Becker saw the platform elevate engagement between students, reimagining a key facet of the Academy experience: collaboration. “To edit elements in the same document or 3D scene together is closer to building something together physically,” he says. 





Ultimately, Becker elevates how students utilize technologies to convey innovative ideas to consumers, investors and users. 

“These days, there's a lot of pointing the camera at things, [using it] as a mere recording device,” says Becker. “But our cameras, our voices, the interactions we offer our audience, are powerful tools to have a conversation with the people we aim to reach, may that be business partners or a crowd.” 

Even as COVID-19 has put the entertainment industry at a standstill, Becker has been remarkably busy this past summer. So what has Becker been up to during quarantine? A lot, actually. 

“Normally, I would be out directing a commercial shoot or working with a team of animators in my studio. But with the current situation, I've focused on striking up collaborations,” says Becker. He recently teamed up with a Berlin-based experience design studio to work on immersive media experiences for museum spaces. Becker has also been finding ways to keep sane during quarantine. “I do a completely different set of things on the weekends so Monday feels like going back to work,” says Becker “It’s important to give yourself structure within each day to avoid the pandemic daze.” 




Carsten working with Multimedia I students in fall of 2019

As an added bonus during this interview, Carsten shared his favorite shows to watch during quarantine. 

“I've really been enjoying "My Brilliant Friend" on HBO. It's the story of two friends growing up in a poor neighborhood of Naples. Also, for those liking the supernatural, "Dark" on Netflix is great. Lastly, "Fargo" on Prime is one of my all-time favorite shows!” 

To read more about Carten’s Multimedia I class this fall, explore the syllabus.

Meet The Faculty: Carsten Becker