Introducing Imaginology Intern: Andrea Stoica

Imaginology has taken on three new interns in the Digital Culture program from the ASU School of Arts, Media, and Engineering; Christy Caldwell, Ivan Mendoza, and Andrea Stoica. With tutelage from Artist, Animator, Producer Nathaniel Jack Greene, Fabrication Artist Ryan Gallagher, and Public Relations and Marketing Imaginologist Renee Aguilar we look forward to fantastic projects to come. Keep an eye out on this space over the next few weeks as we will have a series of posts, to better get to know our interns and the projects they take on at Imaginology. 

Hi! My name is Andrea Stoica, and I am a senior at ASU, majoring in Communication with a minor in Digital Culture. I transferred to ASU from Mesa Community College, after completing my first two years of college. Since coming to ASU in the fall of 2019, I’ve been enjoying every aspect of the Digital Culture program. Back in the olden days of the spring 2020 semester, the media lounge would be full of people on their laptops, bringing ideas to life and discussing new discoveries in their work. It was a great environment to work around, in my first few semesters of Digital Culture and trying to get the hang of learning code.

To me, digital culture is about discovery and play and finding new ways to share ideas with people. For the past few years, I’ve been a music photographer. I have always enjoyed going to concerts and experiencing the magic of live music while trying to capture it with my lens. However, since shows are no longer part of the “new normal” that we are all adjusting to, I’ve had to think about other ways that I can participate in art and music. 

 My photo of Doll Skin of Phoenix, AZ performing at the Van Buren Jan 22, 2020. 

“Improving the human condition” for me is going to be sharing information and resources with others while being receptive to the new experiences currently being shared online. The shift that is ongoing in our norms today made me realize how important it is to be receptive to other people’s stories. There is a need to focus on what each of us as individuals can do to make some kind of impact. I want to contribute what I can to strengthen our communities, whether that’s through mutual aid, or volunteering my time. 

It has been great working with Imaginology in ways that are new to me. I’m excited to be able to work on video production and be able to see how the flow of creative works in a studio. More than anything, Digital Culture feels like it is about connecting with others to bring forward some sort of vision, and I’m excited to be a part of that. I think, especially now, more and more people are looking to video as a means of sharing and being connected to the world. I can’t wait to learn more about how to make help people stay connected in this new time. 

Introducing Imaginology Intern: Ivan Mendoza

Imaginology has taken on three new interns in the Digital Culture program from the ASU School of Arts, Media, and Engineering; Christy Caldwell, Ivan Mendoza, and Andrea Stoica. With tutelage from Artist, Animator, Producer Nathaniel Jack Greene, Fabrication Artist Ryan Gallagher, and Public Relations and Marketing Imaginologist Renee Aguilar, we look forward to fantastic projects to come. Keep an eye out on this space over the next few weeks as we will have a series of posts, to better get to know our interns and the projects they take on at Imaginology. 

Hi! My name is Ivan Mendoza. I am at Arizona State University majoring in Digital Culture. I have had a passion for the arts ever since I was young, creating sculptures and drawing in my room. I am very excited to meld my creative art expression with technology, as I know it is the future. My goal is to improve my programming abilities while honing in my artistic style.

I am looking forward to working on projects with Imaginology, including creating a 3D rendering of their puppet character known as Bony Tony, while also creating physical sets, as I believe it will further my knowledge of interactive art installations and sculptures. Throughout my time interning at Imaginology, I would like to explore how to streamline and automate the production side of streaming and video switching. 

I had an immediate love for Digital Culture when I discovered it. Digital Culture allows me the space to be creative and the ability to share my passion for art. As a major, this program is supportive and provides an environment for creativity to flourish while promoting growth in technical aspects. With the support of this program, I was able to indulge in my crazy ideas. For example, this Box of Tongues is an interactive sculpture that I created, has a flex sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and an accelerometer. I truly appreciate the help from this program that made my vision come to life. 

In my desire to improve the human condition, I choose to bring smiles to people's faces with my interactive art. Creating connections for people with interactive art, knowing their movement helps to create a beautiful and meaningful experience. I also think it is important to use video documentation during this process, as understanding how the viewer interacts with the artwork is just as important as the artwork itself. 

Working with the Imaginology team has already expanded my understanding of digital culture, and I am eager to see the end results of this partnership.

Introducing Imaginology Intern: Christy Caldwell

Imaginology has taken on three new interns in the Digital Culture program from the ASU School of Arts, Media, and Engineering; Christy Caldwell, Ivan Mendoza, and Andrea Stoica. With tutelage from Artist, Animator, Producer Nathaniel Jack Greene, Fabrication Artist Ryan Gallagher, and Public Relations and Marketing Imaginologist Renee Aguilar, we look forward to fantastic projects to come. Keep an eye out on this space over the next few weeks as we will have a series of posts, to better get to know our interns and the projects they take on at Imaginology. 

Hello! My name is Christy Caldwell and I am currently a senior at Arizona State University majoring in Digital Culture with an emphasis in English. I love animals and find joy in the little things like having time to cook a home-cooked meal with friends. Digital culture to me is a beautiful and chaotic beast that is forever evolving. 

Digital culture has the heart of people while having the edge of technologies to back it up. I love that there is a message to be found behind any creative outlet within the world of digital culture if one looks hard enough for it. While interning with Imaginology, I am excited to use a collaboration of words and images to create a time capsule in the form of Blogology. This project is thrilling to me as it melds the culture behind a company with the technology of the internet to create a fun digital culture-infused project while preserving important moments of growth for the world to see. 

I am also intrigued to try and face the challenge that is to improve the human condition. Improving the human condition can seem daunting, especially with the world where it is today. I choose to take this task on a little at a time. I hope to make something each day that someone will enjoy and puts a smile on their face, even for a second. I choose to do this by putting love into every project I work on. A little love for another person can vastly help to improve the human condition. 

Working with the Imaginology team is a fantastic opportunity, with great potential for my personal and professional growth. I look forward to all that I will learn and accomplish in the future.