Inspiring artistry: Meet 4 NYU students redefining creativity through Unreal Engine

We introduce the inspiring journeys of 4 talented NYU students as they redefine creativity using ASUS ProArt equipment. Take a look at NYU Tandon's Integrated Design and Media program and witness the power of innovation.

NYU Tandon Integrated Media and Design Program

Located in the heart of New York City, NYU Tandon School of Engineering offers a cutting-edge Integrated Design and Media Program (IDM) that bridges the gap between technology and creativity. Renowned for its innovative approach to education, NYU Tandon empowers students to explore the limitless possibilities of design and media, shaping the future of digital experiences. 

We met four of their students enrolled in the IDM program. Each of their projects is unique and requires a deep understanding of the latest technologies and techniques. Find out more about their thesis projects to understand how technology plays a crucial role in completing them. 

The students at NYU Tandon's Integrated Design and Media program have access to the industry-standard equipment

Interactive Music Video in VR - Arwa Alsaati

“For my personal aesthetic styles, I always like having dual tones. So two really bright colors that are contrasting, whether it's like cyan and magenta or red and blue or like purple orange.” - Arwa Alsaati, IDM graduate student at NYU Tandon. 

Arwa is mainly focusing on augmented and virtual experiences from the technology all the way to the final experience. For her thesis, she is currently working on creating an interactive music video in VR space. This is mostly done inside Unreal Engine. This gaming software is heavy on rendering power, so Arwa needs powerful equipment to run her projects. She uses the ASUS Studiobook 16 OLED when working with Unreal Engine. It is powerful enough to render her projects but is also portable when it comes to working on the go. "When I got the ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED, it was like magic. It could handle all my projects in Unreal Engine,”  she says.

Arwa also mentions how important color accuracy is in her line of work. She needs to make sure the laptop shows the diversity in the colors since she needs to be sure everything you're adding to the experience is as vivid as possible. So, when the users are experiencing VR headsets, the colors need to look as intended to make sure they add value to the overall experience.

Gritty Expose using VR - Christopher Strawley

“The style that I like to create is something a little bit grittier. Taking inspiration from video games from the 1990s and early 2000s, industrial rock music, Nine Inch Nails, things like that. “ - Christopher Strawley, IDM graduate student at NYU Tandon. 

Christopher is currently making his thesis project using virtual reality. Learning how to work with Unreal Engine and 3D graphics in general, has allowed Christopher to create his own codes for video games. To make these interactions come to life, he needs to work with high-quality equipment. He has been using the ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED as part of his thesis project. Having a bright display has enabled him to see colors accurately, which is important considering his project is dark, atmospheric, and gritty. 

“I need to really be able to see the colors that I am displaying with high contrast so that I know that what I want to come through is going to come through. Being able to have the same kind of processing power and graphical power in a portable package, it's unparalleled,” he says.

Chris has been using the ASUS ProArt PA148CTV as a second monitor for his thesis project in VR. The portable monitor allows him to cast from a camera in engine from a third-person perspective to display what the person in VR is seeing while moving a third-person camera from one place to another. This has given Chris a portable solution for taking his show on the road.

Czech new wave movie and animation in 3D filmmaking - Derek Chan

“I guess my style combines the fantastical elements of a Czech new wave movie with just the bright, vibrant colors of early 2000 animation styles with 3D filmmaking” - Derek Chan, IDM student at NYU Tandon. 

Derek enjoys using Unreal Engine as a tool for filmmaking, where you can have pre-production, production, and post-production all in one workflow. The ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED has helped Derek to merge two factors together: portability and beautiful graphics. The fact that he can work anywhere, whether it is at the university or on his bus ride back home, means he can always be assured of a great output in real-time with minimal effort. 

Derek also uses volumetric capture as part of his thesis work. To be able to visualize his work on a high-quality screen, the school uses the ASUS ProArt Display OLED PA32DC to display their volumetric capture. The monitor exports images in voxels, which keeps the content accurate and detailed. “I didn't realize I was missing such a wide array of color depth before I saw my work on a proper monitor,”  mentions Derek. “The fact that as a student in this program, you are able to have access to pretty much the same equipment that they use in the field is really insane.”

Portals of Perception - Ren Chiarrochi

“Right now I'm working on my thesis, which is a virtual reality experience. It's called Portals of Perception. And you're going through different portals and levels that explore different versions of reality and kind of calls attention to different parts of society that I'd like to bring light to.” - Ren Chiarrochi, IDM student at NYU Tandon.

Ren works a lot in virtual reality 3D modeling, where she designs architectural structures for the metaverse combining black and white with strategic use of color. She uses Unreal Engine for all of her artwork, and to run this very heavy software she uses the ASUS Studiobook 16 OLED anywhere she goes. “It's really great to be able to take it anywhere and continue my work because this type of work had traditionally been tied to a massive PC that you need to stay with and all this rendering, but being able to do that on the go is so valuable,”  mention Ren. 

Ren pairs her Studiobook 16 OLED laptop with ProArt displays to ensure color consistency across different devices. The color-accurate representation of her work helps her to decide where colors should go and where they pop the most. She mentions how important it is to see the full contrast in every color so she can see every detail in whites and blacks as intended. 

“I'm surrounded by people using technology in ways that I had no idea were even possible. It's something wonderful to be a part of and contribute to,” she concludes.