Crafting Immersive Art with Amber Johnson at SONA Festival
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Release Date: 04/24/2025
How Can Creatives Manage a World with AI
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Show Notes
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Crystal Manich: Artistry, Opera, and Grandiosity
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Show Notes
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From Dystopia to Utopia, an interview with Sarah Turner, New Media artist
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Show Notes
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Free Press, Bad Press, and the Muscogee Nation: A Conversation with Filmmakers
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, host Luna Lu speaks with co-directors Rebecca Lansberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, alongside journalist and film subject Angel Ellis, about the making of their Sundance 2023 award-winning documentary. The conversation explores how the team came together, the ethical and creative challenges of documenting press censorship within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the tension between tribal sovereignty and press freedom. Through Angel Ellis’s experience as a journalist turned whistleblower, the episode highlights the vital role of...
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The Algorithms in Your Ears: Looking Into the making of your music feeds
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, explores why so many songs recommended by streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music sound strikingly similar. She breaks down the inner workings of music streaming algorithms—how metadata, collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and continuous feedback loops collectively shape the “perfect playlist.” Samantha also examines Spotify features such as Discover Weekly and Discovery Mode, uncovering how these tools influence music discovery, artist visibility, and even compositional...
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Ludus: a Ticket Selling Platform Changing the Game
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, and explore how arts-focused technology can transform nonprofit ticketing and operations, tracing journey from a side project for a single high school musical to a nationwide platform serving more than 4,000 organizations. Collins explains how Ludus was built from the ground up around the real needs of drama teachers and community theaters, growing into an end-to-end system for ticketing, fundraising, marketing, volunteers, and concessions—while staying anchored in a people-first culture summed up by the company’s core value,...
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Michael Cioni on Ingenuity and the Future of Entertainment
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, and sit down with four-time Emmy-winning innovator to unpack how technology and creativity converge in modern media workflows. Cioni introduces , a peer-to-peer platform designed to enable remote collaboration without cloud storage, and shares career lessons on building networks through industry events (NAB, Cine Gear, IBC) and assembling complementary teams (“Swiss-cheese” collaboration). He distinguishes generative vs. utilitarian AI, predicts a shakeout and rebound for GenAI, and outlines his Skills Gap Principle and...
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The Art of Language: Daniel Temkin Reveals The Inner Workings of Esolangs
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, and discussed the artistic possibilities of code, focusing on esoteric programming languages (esolangs) and how they can function as a medium for art and human expression. Temkin explained that his interest began with experimenting in existing esolangs (like Brainfuck) around 2007-2008, leading him to create his own and document them conceptually, moving away from overly technical documentation. The conversation highlighted how giving up on the idea that programming must be practical allows for artistic exploration, connecting...
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Politics and Portrayal: The Impact of AI and Our Lives
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Melida Hernandez and Christine Rivera dive into the intersections of technology, identity, and representation in digital spaces and media. Melida explores how AI-based recognition systems, often trained on biased datasets, misclassify transgender and non-binary individuals, which impacts their self-presentation, psychological well-being, and digital agency. Melida also discusses how these technologies replicate real-world prejudices, limiting the fluidity of gender expression online, and highlights the lack of diversity in AI research...
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The Future of Technology in the Performing Arts: VR versus Broadcast
Arts Management and Technology Laboratory
Alexann Sharp and Lehan Xu discuss the impact of technology on performance industries, particularly VR concerts and broadcast theater. They note that COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of VR concerts, initially by smaller artists due to cost and uncertainty. Examples include Sabrina Carpenter and Kid Leroy's Meta collaborations. They highlight technical challenges like audio quality and headset comfort. In broadcast theater, historical examples date back to the 1930s, with modern initiatives like the Met Opera's "Live in HD" and National Theater Live. Both discuss the balance between...
info_outlineAmber Johnson is an Associate Professor of Simulation and Game Development at Wake Tech Community College. She has worked in the game industry as an artist and level designer since 2007. She began teaching at Wake Tech in 2014, developing a curriculum that utilizes modern game asset creation techniques. She currently teaches courses in digital art, game programming, photogrammetry, tech art, and VR. On top of teaching, she does freelance work in photogrammetry and 3d renderings.
At SONA, Amber presented her project “Crafting the Unreal”, which reimagines Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia as an immersive surrealist stop-motion VR experience by combining the tactile, dreamlike aesthetics of traditional stop-motion animation with the interactivity of VR.
see more at amt-lab.org