My Etec 565a Portfolio

My name is Marc Aubanel and I am an academic director and instructor at The Art Institute of Vancouver.  I am teaching post secondary students the science and the art of making video games.  This is my first MET class and I am excited to be a part of the program and look forward to this next chapter of my journey.

I grew up in Quebec where I was very lucky to have a high school that introduced me to the world of computers through Apple IIE’s.  I later received a Bachelor in Communication Studies from Concordia University and have worked with electronic media ever since.

I worked with computers professionally my entire career, and participated first hand in the birth of the digital era in video, computer graphics and games.  I started as a video editor, cutting on Betacam video tape, and was fortunate enough to work on the Video Toaster on the Amiga 2000.  This gave me my first introduction to rendering with Lightwave 3D.

I went on to video game production and shipped over 50 titles between 1993 and 2006.  I was part of a geek culture that embraced everything electronic from e-mail to BBS in the ‘pre’ internet days.  Most of my focus had been on producing products.

Then….

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I realized that my limits as a producer had been met, focusing solely on the output that the team was creating.  I became very interested in team dynamics, team motivation and the “people side” of the art form.  I also was fascinated culturally from the huge changes that digital media arts was having on the music, video, film and games industry.

I then professionally moved towards the field of education as  I wanted to see developmentally what could be improved.

My main goal from being in the MET program is to scratch an itch I have had for a very long time.  Why did the Edutainment market rise and fall so quickly?  What positive role can technology play in the classroom?  What lessons from video game design can be brought to help students learn?  How can I influence the emerging read/write culture?

Right now, all I have are questions.  Hopefully at the end I might have a few answers –  or at least a keener insight.