SYLLABUS

DESMA 130
Experiments in Virtuality
Fall 2025 
University of California, Los Angeles 
School of the Arts & Architecture
Department of Design Media Arts

Monday + Wednesday 
9:00 – 11:50 AM
Broad Art Center | Room 4230

Instructor: Breanna Browning
Office Hrs: By appointment
Email: bbrowning@ucla.edu

TA: Aidan Strong
Email: aidanstrong@ucla.edu 

OVERVIEW SCHEDULE 
CLASS MATERIALS
RESOURCES



Arranged new -> old.  Homework assignments always due the next class period unless noted otherwise.

WEEK 10
Mon, Dec 1 In-Class1 on 1 project sessions with Breanna and Aidan. 
Homework Complete your Final Project.

Submit your project to the Assignment Submission Google Drive by 12/3 at 8:00 am. Be ready to present your work verbally at our final critique at 9:00 am sharp Wednesday (12/3). 

    WEEK 09
    Mon, Nov 24     In-Class1 on 1 project sessions with Breanna and Aidan. 

    Link for Breanna: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/97000604763

    Link for Aidan: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/94517710676?pwd=aQabhVOvXE5McK3y9h2n1BhwLilktL.1    Homework Complete your Final Project.

    Continue developing your final project. Submit your project to the Assignment Submission Google Drive by 12/3 at 8:00 am. Be ready to present your work verbally at our final critique at 9:00 am sharp 12/3. 

      ***Reminder: Final project is due 12/3***

      Wed, Nov 19 In-ClassClass pitch session + group feedback. 

      1 on 1 project help / technical troubleshooting.        Homework Work on Final Project.

      Continue developing your final project. 

      You will present your progress (ideally in the form of a rough draft/rough cut/mock-up) on Monday 11/24 via zoom. This check-in is mandatory and will be part of your final project grade.


      ***Reminder: Final project is due 12/3***

      WEEK 08
      Mon, Nov 17       In-ClassReview Mini Project 03.  

      Class Workshop: Pitching. Introduce Final Project Brief.
      Homework Pitch Deck for Final Project

      Considering the work you’ve completed so far for Mini Projects 01-03, create a pitch deck describing what your final project will be. Refer to the “formula” from today’s workshop as well as the Final Project Brief.

      At the end of your deck, include one page outlining your proposed output and deliverables (for example: “a 1-2 minute film made a combination of AI and 3D rendered scenes” or “an interactive web experiment produced with Cursor,” etc).

      You will present this on Wednesday and recieve feedback/approval.

      Upload your work to the Assignment Submission Google Drive as a single pdf titled “Lastname_Firstname_FinalProjectPitch.”
      Wed, Nov 12 In-ClassTutorial: Multi-agents with code (AutoGen)Homework Finish Mini Project 03. (Due Monday 11/17)

      Complete your project. Refer to the Mini Project 03 brief for requirements and expectations. Submit your project before class Monday.

      Upload your work to the Assignment Submission Google Drive in a folder titled “Lastname_Firstname_MiniProject03”

      WEEK 07
       Mon, Nov 10       In-ClassWorkshop: Emergentic.ai (continued), 1:1 project help        Homework Continue building agents and simulations.

      Continue using Emergentic to build agents and simulations for your projects. Upload evidence of your work to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname” before class Wednesday. Be prepared to share your work with the class and with Parag (via zoom).   

      Wed, Nov 05 In-ClassWorkshop: Emergentic.ai with Parag Mital 

      Video recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/vuPFOAoNLCn8TYOMAzjEnVyP08hpaIdn6ueims1oIIx5vkE7Shu7IM5v2IMGbE2X.aFtiPqJU8-MRzxuT
      Password: In the class discord        Homework Experiment with building agents and simulations.

      Begin using Emergentic (or another tool of your choice) to build agents and simulations for your projects. Upload evidence of your work to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname” before class Monday. 

      (Optional - feel free to add bug reports to the Discord chat) 

      WEEK 06
      Mon, Nov 03       In-ClassTalk: Brief History of AI Agents



      Brief: Mini Project 03

      Homework Start thinking about your simulations and agents.  

       Start thinking about your simulation and the agents that might inhabit it. Refer to the Mini Project 03 brief and the blue workshop slides (at the end of today’s talk) to guide your ideas. 

      Bring short written notes or sketches outlining your simulation idea, potential agents, and any early thoughts about their constraints or relationships to class on Wednesday.

      Upload your work to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname” before class Wednesday.


      Wed, Oct 29 In-ClassStudio work day. 1 on 1 feedback/desk crits/technical help. 

      Homework Complete Mini Project 02 (Due Mon 11/03)

      Refer to the Mini Project 02 brief for any questions on expectations or requirements.

      Upload your zipped folder to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname_MiniProject02” before class Monday. 

      WEEK 05
      Mon, Oct 27       In-ClassTutorial: Intro to Cursor      Homework Progress on Mini Project 02  

      Continue working on mini project 02. Upload some progress to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname” before class Wednesday. 

      Wed, Oct 21 In-ClassTutorial: Editing (Intro to Premeire + After Effects)

      Tutorial: Basics of kitbashing in Blender
      Homework Progress on Mini Project 02

      Begin working on one/both of your compositions for mini project 02. Upload some progress (screenshots of 3d scenes, rough cuts of videos, or drafts of photomontages) to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname” before class next Monday.  

      WEEK 04
      Mon, Oct 20       In-ClassBrief: Mini Project 02
      Talk: Intro to Mini Project 02  / Composition + Complexity



      Homework Begin sketching ideas for Mini Project 02

      Review the brief for Mini Project 02 and start thinking about which tools or workflows you’d like to explore. Consider how you might begin transforming the materials you collected for Mini Project 01 into new compositions.

      No submission required.
      Wed, Oct 15 In-ClassTutorial: Blender MCP  
      Homework Complete Mini Project 01 (Due Monday 10/20)

       Complete Mini Project 01. Refer back to the assignment brief (Mini Project 01) for any questions about deliverables. 

      Upload your work in a ZIP FILE to the Assignment Submission Google Drive titled “Lastname_Firstname” before class next Monday.  



      WEEK 03
      Mon, Oct 13       In-ClassNo in-person class. Virtual crits. Sign up via email from Aidan.
      Homework Progress on Mini Project 01

       Continue working on your projects. No need to submit anything today. :) 

      Wed, Oct 8  In-ClassTalk: History of 3D + New Tools for Capturing Reality



      Tutorial: Intro to Generative 3D

      (Optional) Tutorial: Getting Started with ComfyUI

      Homework Progress on Mini Project 01

       Upload progress on Mini Project 01 to the Assignment Submission Google Drive. (Sign in with your UCLA email to access it). Please make a folder for your content titled “Lastname_Firstname.”  


      WEEK 02
      Mon, Oct 6       In-ClassLecture: Intro to Mini Project 01 
      Assignment Brief: Mini Project 01



      Lecture: History of GenAI + Prompting with Movement 
      Tutorial: Intro to Generative Image/Video




      Homework Progress on Mini Project 01

       Upload progress on Mini Project 01 to the Assignment Submission Google Drive. (Sign in with your UCLA email to access it). Please make a folder for your content titled “Lastname_Firstname.” 

      Include at least 10 examples of generative images and 3 examples of generative videos. 

      Wed, Oct 1 In-ClassLecture: Introduction II: Digital Assemblage + Synthetic Media




      Homework Part 1: Reading Response

      (PDFs are posted on the Resources page)
      • Read: Donna Haraway, Introduction to “Staying with the Trouble” 
      • Read: Hito Steyerl, "In Defense of the Poor Image"
      • Respond in 1-2 paragraphs to the following prompt: Both authors suggest working with rather than against imperfection and complexity. Reflect on your own creative process — can you think of a time when something unexpected or "wrong" led somewhere exciting? 

      Part 2: Project Ideas

      • Continue exploring and expanding on the ideas you’re considering for your projects. Write 1-3 paragraphs. Consider themes/topics of interest, tools/workflows/mediums, types of media you’d like to work with, etc. 
      • Add any more visual references that feel relevant. 

      Submit a single pdf named “Lastname_Firstname” to this Google Drive folder. You’ll need to log in with your UCLA email account. 

      WEEK 01
      Mon, Sept 29       In-ClassLecture: Introduction I - Digital Assemblage + Synthetic Media



      HomeworkIdeas Inventory + Mood Board 

      • Consider the questions at the end of this week’s lecture (refer to pdf above). Answer at least 3 of the questions in paragraph form. 
      • Create a one page mood board (digital collage) that visually collects some of the ideas you’re considering. This can be anything: screenshots, images from the internet, AI images - anything you find relevent. 

      Submit a single pdf to this Google Drive folder. You’ll need to log in with your UCLA email account. 
      © Breanna Browning 2025