From developed game “Cemetery Showdown”

From developed game “Save The Village!”

“What New Media Means to Me”

For my whole life, I’ve loved solving puzzles. My favorite types of puzzles involve thinking in creative ways to solve the problem at hand. I feel that this, alongside my love for games, movies, and music, helped to lead me to the New Media program with IUSB. In this program, I’ve learned to harness my love for creative puzzle solving while creating fun and engaging pieces of media for my audience, including videos, video games, and various forms of interactive art.

            With my video work, samples of which are located on my main page, I tried to use my backgrounds of working in the radio broadcast industry as well as my time managing social media accounts for my employer to create content that sticks with the viewer, whether by the composition of shots used, the audio that plays under the video, or through the voiceover I provide. While the videos themselves may have different content and varying messages, I feel that they all share the same DNA in that they distinctly have my style and voice (literally and figuratively) behind them.

            My time in the New Media program has also allowed me to learn how to create videogames, something which I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a young child. From fantasy worlds featuring wizards and warriors, to horror themed experiences, the games I’ve created have all come from the same place and answered the question: “What would I want to play?”. Much like my video content, my games all share a similar DNA that I believe comes through when the player experiences them.

            In my New Media studies, I have also been fortunate enough to engage with tools and programs that I never thought I’d have the need to use, but in the end helped to further my appreciation and love for the New Media program. For example, I was able to learn, over the course of 3 semesters, how to use computer software to model in a 3-dimensional space. During my music and audio design class, I was able to learn how different audio software works to create my own music. In other art-based courses, I learned how to make interactive media that goes beyond a simple static image.

            In my time immersing myself in New Media I’ve learned that creating a work of art in and of itself is a puzzle. “How do I want this to look? How do I want it to sound? What is the story behind this work? What do I want the end-user to feel?” With this puzzle, the skills I’ve learned and abilities I’ve acquired have become the tools I need to solve the problem. An issue I may have had while creating a video would be solved when I also considered my audio editing skills. While working on a video game if I needed an asset, I could just make one with my 3D modeling skills. To me, New Media is the culmination of different tools and disciplines coming together to solve a complex problem. With the right tools used together in the right place, the puzzle can be solved in a way that is wholly unique to the creator.

Resume for Garrett Kaser

SHARP WILKINSON                                                        South Bend, Indiana

Intern/Multimedia Specialist                                                  June 2024-November 2024

●       Set up cameras and lights for on-location video shoots, headshots, and product photography with lead Multimedia Specialist

●       Produced high-quality commercial and informational video content for clients with Adobe suite

●       Recorded professional voice-over for commercial and informational video content.

●       Collaborated with marketing team with copywriting and strategies

Disc Replay                                                                   Mishawaka, Indiana

Nighttime Manager                                               October 2014-August 2024

●      Assisted customers with purchases and appraisals of merchandise

●      Engaged with customers in conversation, helping to make informed decisions on purchases while upselling product

●      Performed daily duties associated with management (organizing the store, counting down registers at the end of the night, assigning tasks to employees, etc)

WSBT RADIO GROUP                                                                     Mishawaka, Indiana

Production Director and Overnight Personality          February 2015 - September 2019

●       Led multiple remotes in the community that increased listener engagement and station visibility

●       Interviewed various media personalities and local businesses

●       Managed production of various recorded audio including show promos, market reports, podcasts, custom audio for affiliates and clients, custom in-house audio, etc.

●       Edited commercials and content to ensure an engaging experience for listeners

●       Voice tracking segments that aired from 2am to 6am, creating engaging segments and skits to entertain listeners.                                                           

●       Producer of live radio programs, making sure commercial breaks, station imaging, and various audio materials are played correctly

●           Producer of Weekday Sportsbeat, the premiere sports show for Notre Dame Football and the South Bend area

EDUCATION

INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND                                           South Bend, Indiana

Bachelor of Fine Arts / New Media                                                Graduation May 2025

●       Dean’s List Recipient

●       3.6 GPA

SKILLS & TRAININGS

Technical: Proficient in Adobe Audition, Adobe Premier Pro, WideOrbit Automation for Radio, and Office Suite, Unity Game Engine