Goals and VMD- it's nice to have goals. I'm only a few weeks away from completing one of my biggest (YAY!). First and foremost, I'd like to continue on the path I'm on by doing more photographic work and film work. I wouldn't mind doing some documentary work or work towards being a DP (Director of Photography). My eyes are my heart and soul.

I'm also considering graduate school (hence, the effort for straight A's). What do I want to be when I grow up? Maybe in a perfect world I'd like to be a Virtual Media Director. I don't think there is such a thing right now, but I have a very clear idea of what it might be.

VMD (Virtual Media Director)- someone, a manager of sorts, who handles all kinds of media and virtual technologies to fulfill the needs of the end user, whether it is their company or a client. They may not know how to do everything to the infinite degree, but are knowledgeable and skilled enough in a variety of mediums and media technologies to assemble a team and have the ideas that the team could then make happen.

An example of this might be as follows: A museum or organization, with an interest in preserving history, artifacts, monuments, relics and the like, using various media technologies such as panoramic VR's, object VR's, multi-media, web, databases (server side technologies), etc.

VR's for example, can convey a space much better than a flat two-dimensional photograph. Imagine taking that, coupling it with some multi-media or interactive media and presenting a historical place or items in a whole new way - digitally. It's already being done, but not being taken fully advantage of yet. PBS/Nova has already incorporated some of these concepts into some of their web content that corresponds to a show (see Denali and The Nile). Others are doing similar things, too, but I think that it can all be expanded on to a greater degree.

My thought process on all this is mainly because I want to incorporate something that I love and am passionate about with something that could be used to benefit society and generations to come. With today’s technologies and technologies of the future, we can archive history and artifacts in ways that are much more efficient than before. We can also use these technologies to replicate things and document them to an almost infinite degree with far more detail than what we were capable of in the past.

Sound interesting? It gets better. You could then use that collected information, presented in digital form, to reach thousands of people that can't get to a museum or a far away place, for various reasons. A ten year old that gets bored with history and a picture in a book could become immersed in a far away place or time by exploring through interactive media. Interactive media draws you in, it takes you places, increases your interest, thus leaving a lasting impression and leaving you remembering more things. Apply that to a young student and you get enthusiasm, concentration and good grades.

Am I a dreamer? Of course I am. Some of the greatest feats of mankind would not have been possible without dreamers and the thought that it could be done. I have a very clear vision of the path I'm on and where it's going. The ideas are starting to be used. My goal is to be in there somewhere myself and to help it grow.