Our labs are very impressive; typically a network of 30-100 computers boasting the latest technology, most cutting-edge games and applications and the kind of decorations that only iD staff know how to bring.  However what is equally impressive is that the labs are built from scratch in a mere 48 hour time period. That’s right, in only 48 hours iD staff is expected to turn a totally empty class room into a lab space worthy of the iD name.  What more impressive is that it is typically accomplished with only a couple of staff.  I consider myself an expert at setting up labs at this point and try to help set up as many locations as possible.  I decided to doucment how a typical lab set-up runs while I set up the Ohio State University lab with the help of OSU lead instructor Bryce (who was also the writer of our ‘09  Web-Design and Flash Animation Curriclum):

Day 1

Day one is all preparation for the arrival of the computers which happens the following day.  Prior to arrival “Camp-In-A-Box” (C.I.A.B.) has been shipped to the University location.  CIAB contains all the non-tech related materials to run a successful camp.  The combine shipping weight of “Camp-In-A-Box” averages at close to 500lbs.  The main objectives of day one are to un-pack an organize 100% of the “Camp-In-A-Box-Materials”, purchase any additional materials needed and then to prepare all the workstations for the arrival of the computers the next day.

Bryce is consumed by “Camp-In-A-Box”!

Every single item is inventoried

I never did finish making the cabinet…

Finally, set up and ready for the computers!

Day 2

Day two is all about the computers; inventorying them, setting them up, setting up peripherals, networking them and finally testing them.  To stress test the electical needs of the room, we turn them all on and off at the same time, nothing like hearing the windows start-up song coming out of 30 machines at the same time (I’ll try to get a video of that, did you know Brian Eno made the theme?).  Once the computers are set up, if there is still time we’ll unwind by making some decorations.

More boxes!

What’s crazier, that pile of ethernet cables or boxes stacked all the way to the cieling?

Things are beginning to shape up….

Now there is a lab!

Of course, the most important part is still missing and won’t arrive for another day:

THE STUDENTS!!!

Rock on Bryce!

That’s all for now!  Sorry I’ve been quiet the past couple months but now that camp is over (and I’ve taken a well deserved break) you’ll be hearing a lot more from ‘ole Grizzle!

Check out all the Summer Camp fun at iD Tech Camps! Computer camp has fun activities all day and into the night! To see what iD Tech Camps students and staff are up to all week at summer camp go to http://www.internaldrive.com/photos . Enjoy these photos!

Summer computer camp dance party at iD Tech Camps, Stanford

UC Irvine, iD Tech Camps students have crazy hair at computer camp

iD at Columbia University, campers show off their computer skills to parents at Family Showcase

Noodle Wars at Columbia; get these computer campers outside for some fun

University of Washington, iD Tech Camps students getting ready for bowling with orange hair

We love iD Tech Camps instructors, summer computer camp held at UCLA

Funny hat day at iD Tech Camps, held at UC Irvine makes computer campers smile

Can’t catch this computer camper at iD Tech Camps, Stanford

Virdball Mania is on for summer camp students, iD Tech Camps at University of Washington

iD Tech Camps is Numero Uno, for summer computer camp held at UCLA

Learning has never been this fun! This week’s theme was students and technology. To see what iD Tech Camps students and staff are up to all week at summer camp go to http://www.internaldrive.com/photos . It is awesome to see the project that our students create. Enjoy these photos!

Wacom® Pen Tablets make web design easy, iD now at American University

Video game creation with Clickteam Multimedia Fusion 2 and Photoshop®, iD Tech Camps held at Brown University

Technology is for girls at iD Tech Camp at Columbia University

Have fun creating videos at computer summer camp iD Tech Camps held at Northwestern University

At UCLA, campers have fun with VEX robotics

Summer camp held at UCSD, iD Tech Camps makes technology cool

Canon cameras make iD Tech campers smile for Digital Video Editing, University of Denver

Special F/X gives this iD camper at University of Michigan a special pet

Summer computer camp girls are cool at iD Tech Camps, University of Washington

This week’s photo theme was “Check-In & Check-Out!” We had photos of students excited to arrive for some summer fun and some of students getting ready to leave for the day, along with a few crazy staff shots mixed in as well! To see what iD Tech Camps students and staff are up to all week at summer camp go to http://www.internaldrive.com/photos. Thanks again to our camp instructors and directors for creating lasting summer camp memories for our students.

MIT staff having a little summer fun to get the day going.

Heading out the door after a great day at our Emory summer camp.

All smiles to get the day started at our University of Michigan summer camp.

Some sweet moves as the day comes to a close at UC Davis.

Crazy Stanford summer camp staff getting photogenic.

Check out how cool summer computer camp can be! This week’s theme was students having fun! This made the choice impossible as all pictures were of students and staff having crazy fun. To see what iD Tech Camps students and staff are up to all week at summer camp go to http://www.internaldrive.com/photos. It is Amazing! Thanks again to our elite camp instructors and directors for creating awesome summer camp memories for our students! Enjoy these photos!

Surf and Tech at UC San Diego, half day of technology and half day of learning to surf!

Bonjour from Mc Gill University in Montreal Canada at iD Film Academy!

All hail iD Tech Camps instructors at computer camp held at Merrimack College.

Yum, UC Santa Cruz! Choosing what to eat at computer camp makes everyone happy.

The spirit of summer computer camp held at University of the Incarnate Word.

iD Tech Camps at University of Houston rocks!

Technology talent is not the only thing students have at iD Tech Camps in Chicago at Northwestern University.

Have fun creating games at summer camp held at Brown University.

At Pepperdine University, technology makes us smile at computer camp.

Technology for girls at summer camp is cool, iD now at American University.

Computer fun with iD Tech Camps at University of Washington.

Teens, Teens and Teens was this week’s theme for camp photos. Here is a look at teens having fun at summer camp. With so many great teen photos it was a hard choice! Here are the winners for this week. Want more summer fun, check out the camp pictures on http://www.internaldrive.com/photos. Enjoy!

Thumbs up at Case Western Reserve Computer Camp

Computer fun for teen girls at University of Denver

Teen Thriller Fun at Emory University

Say Cheese at iD Film Academy for teens at UC Berkeley

iD Gaming Academy at Emory University makes this gamer happy

Gaming Rocks at iD Gaming Academy at Stanford

How to look cool at computer camp, University of Miami

Teens are all in at UT Austin summer technology camps

Enjoying the sun and new friends at Vassar Computer Summer Camps

Technology is for teens at iD Tech Camps at Towson University

Most of our summer camp locations are in session this week, so let’s look at some photos! This week’s theme was “Products, Hardware and Software.” We looked through the many photos on http://www.internaldrive.com/photos and are pleased to announce this week’s photo-of-the-week winners. Thanks for taking the time to take great photos and portraying what our summer camps for kids and teens are truly like!

This summer day camp student shows off his camera skills at UCLA.

Ninja versus Ninja^TM at our UT Austin summer camp.

Web Design & Flash Animation with Wacom® Pen Tablets at Ohio State.

Game Modding with Warcraft® III at the Villanova Gaming Academy.

Camp activities include Apples to Apples at Rollins College.

Looking up from her Dell Computer at our Santa Clara summer camp.

Working with Adobe® Illustrator® CS4 at Sacred Heart University.

Outdoor summer camp activities at UC Irvine.

Vex® Robotics at our MIT summer camp.

Excited over his Spore^TM creature at our University of Washington camp.<-->

Summer camp is in full swing and it’s time to look at some more photos! This week’s theme was “University & Dorm Shots.” We looked through the many photos on http://www.internaldrive.com/photos and are pleased to announce this week’s photo-of-the-week winners. Thanks for taking the time to take great photos and for painting the picture of what our summer camps for kids and teens are truly like! Enjoy these photos!

Technology Fun in the Sun at Arizona State University

Future Techies of the world at Southern Methodist University

Wild Computer Campers at Emory University

UC San Diego Campers Create High Tech Fun

UC Santa Cruz  Surf & Tech Camp- How’s that for a classroom

Ohio State University Video Game Summer Camp

Smith College Let the Gaming Begin

UNC- Chapel Hill Gearing up for Gaming Camp

Purdue University Technology Time for High Tech Campers

University of Virginia Computer Campers on the move to do something BIG

Summer camp is in full swing and it’s time to look at some more photos! This week’s theme was “Fun Camp Activities – Games, Relays and Sports.” We looked through the many photos on http://www.internaldrive.com/photos and are pleased to announce this week’s photo-of-the-week winners. Thanks for taking the time to take great photos and for painting the picture of what our summer camps for kids and teens are truly like! Enjoy these photos!

Summer Fun at Stanford University Computer Camp

Macalester College Summer Day Camps

Ready to Rumble at Rider University

The Race is on to Santa Clara University Technology Camps

Teen Summer Camp Water Fun at Lake Forest

Ready – Set- Go to UC Davis Summer Camp

Colorado State University Camp Kids

The University of Michigan Creative Campers

Summer Campers Jump Through Hoops at Villanova University

Computer Tech Dance off at Carnegie Mellon University

Are you bored playing your favorite video games again and again? Tired of the same old characters exploring the same old levels, getting destroyed at the same spots?

Wouldn’t it be more fun if you could design new interactive levels, create bold new characters and give them a whole new arsenal of mind-blowing weapons and vehicles? You could wage new wars, turn up the battle intensity and create your own unforgettable, unique experiences.

You love playing video games, so why not take a top selling hit and mod it to be your own? iD Tech Camps and the iD Gaming Academy for teens offer you the opportunity to learn these fun skills at their summer technology programs.

Unreal Tournament® 3, the world’s premier first-person shooter, ships with the foundation anyone needs to get started making games with the award-winning Unreal® Engine 3 toolset. Unreal Engine 3 provides the platform and tools needed to develop cutting-edge 3D projects. Consequently, it has been used as the backbone for bestselling games like Unreal Tournament 3, Gears of War®, BioShock, Mass Effect, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and many more.

Many video game companies actively recruit aspiring game developers who specialize in “modding” (modification of) existing video games–a colossal trend sweeping the industry.

“We encourage students and aspiring game developers to make mods for Unreal Tournament 3,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “It’s our experience that people who have a strong grasp of the Unreal Engine toolset increase their chances of getting a job in the game industry. Epic has recruited a significant portion of our staff from the mod community, and we are even co-sponsoring the $1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest, a mod competition for Unreal Tournament 3.”

This increasing appeal in Unreal Tournament 3, the Unreal Engine and game modding in general has spiked the interest of many teens looking to get in on the action. Recognizing this trend, summer technology programs like iD Tech Camps and iD Gaming Academy have not only incorporated game modding and video game creation courses into their curriculum, but they have also provided a platform allowing their students to work with the best game development software available. As students learn to create and mod levels, they will also gain valuable level-design skills that can be directly leveraged in the growing and lucrative game development industry.

“We make sure that our video game design courses use cutting-edge technology like Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, President and CEO of iD Tech Camps and iD Gaming Academy. “Students are given the tools to create levels, characters and scenes that only their wildest imaginations could produce. Where else can you do this? It’s awesome.”

At iD Tech Camps, ages 13-17 attend weeklong summer camps using Unreal Tournament 3 in the Game Modding and 3D Game Design courses. In Game Modding, gamers redesign Unreal Tournament 3, adding their own skins, levels and characters. In 3D Game Design, teens use Unreal Engine 3 to design 3D environments and make 3D game levels with dynamic range and bloom lighting, particle effects, physics and an advanced scripting language. iD Tech Camps provides weeklong, day and overnight technology summer camps for ages 7-17 at over 60 prestigious universities nationwide including Stanford, UCLA and MIT.

Meanwhile at the 2-week iD Gaming Academy, ages 13-18 take a 2-week immersive program of intensive study in the dynamic world of video game creation and game development. Gamers can take Level Design- Unreal Engine 3 where they modify Unreal Tournament 3 with custom maps, storyboards and character treatments. They’ll learn what makes a game addicting and the strategies behind compelling game play as students create their own levels. Other iD Gaming Academy courses include Game Modeling with Maya® and Game Programming with XNA^TM for the Xbox 360® and PC.

With Epic’s game engine toolset being used at iD Tech Camps and iD Gaming Academy locations across the nation, teens are able to satisfy curiosities while opening new doors that have tremendous impact on their lives and future careers.

“At one time, half the people who worked for us were chosen because of their modding work — level designers, artists, programmers, everything,” said Rein.

So if you are looking to design professional games that both look and feel like the ones you play at home, consider iD Tech Camps (www.internalDrive.com) and iD Gaming Academy (www.iDGamingAcademy.com) game design camp for teens. Whether just for fun and creativity, or to learn a skill that may open doors to creative opportunities in the videogame design field, these summer gaming camps will open new levels of fun and excitement. What starts as a mere hobby can turn into a potentially lucrative career opportunity in the fast growing video game industry.

Written by Ryan Barone