Artist and professor Dr. Don Bergland (Arts in Education) has returned to the academic milieu following a one-year immersion in the world of video gaming; a world he describes as dollar driven. His hiatus from UVic was spent as Director of Visual Arts for Electronic Arts (Canada), one of the world’s largest video gaming producers. In response to his immersion in electronic arts, Bergland has returned to traditional studio and is working a series of lyrical landscapes executed in acrylics on canvas.

“Some of my colleagues would die for the chance to get in there. But [having spent a year in the industry] I know that [the industry] doesn’t allow for good solid creative endeavor,” says Bergland.

Bergland is a man with a varied career - professor, painter, sculptor, multimedia artist, writer, radio and video producer, and educator. Born in Vancouver, he has lived, worked and taught throughout BC. Places such as Bowser, Bella Coola Valley and Ucluelet, which appear in his biography, suggest the sense of adventure and exploration which took him away from UVic.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to enhance my creativity. I thought being involved with Electronic Arts would provide me with better opportunities to explore innovative endeavors than the academic world did. I learned that [in the industry] creative thought and experimentation are avoided completely.”

Bergland was surprised by this because, as he describes it, the video gaming industry is young and growing fast - it seems to rest on the innovative ideas generated by those working in the industry.

It’s a stunning world out there in terms of technology. The video entertainment industry is constantly pushing the use of technology, constantly trying to rebuild or reinvent another reality,” says Bergland.

Electronic Arts is a leader in video gaming production. The company has five branches throughout the world and produces video games for Sega Genesis, Nintendo and PC CD. Bergland says he was attracted to the job for a number of reasons. The average age of Electronic Arts (Canada) employees is 24-25 years - Bergland describes them as “young minded, bright, and very, very creative.” The target market is youth culture; the industry is growing rapidly and commands an enormous amount of money; and the tools used are on the cutting edge of technology.

When hired on as Director, Bergland says, he had to create and administer an organizing structure for the company’s

huge studio of 40 artists.

‘There was no clear vision for the art department and the artists were working without direction.”

Bergland provided that direction, designing a structure for the studio which included a strong vision and focus, training programs, procedures for hiring and firing, and provisions for developing the artists’ talents.

His department worked primarily on sports games (soccer, baseball, and race car driving simulators) although, when originally hired, he was given the impression the company was branching into “edutainment” - video games providing education with entertainment.

Despite the challenge, the bright and youthful staff, the money, and computer gadgets at his disposal, Bergland says one year of immersion in the electronic world was enough.

“The dollar is the bottom line. Creative freedom and experimentation are avoided and there is a constant thrust toward distilling more money out of the product. If an idea doesn’t generate more money it’s dropped immediately,” says Bergland.

Bergland says his year with Electronic Arts (Canada) was valuable because it has provided him with a better sense of the world his students have to prepare for.

Electronic media plays a central role in youth culture, Bergland says. He believes that his year at Electronic Arts (Canada) gave him a good understanding of how the industry attracts and captures its target audience - youth - and that he can apply that knowledge when teaching his students the importance of understanding youth.

‘The Faculty of Education does not recognize the absoluter growth and dominance of the electronic and digital world. We continue to teach using formats and structures that are outmoded. And we’re not preparing teachers to understand youth culture - without that knowledge they wind up alienating their students.”

“In particular, Bergland says his year with Electronic Arts (Canada) showed him the importance of teaching and teamwork.

“Kids are not taught how to work in teams. We should be teaching them to work within a team structure - it’s a very valuable skill. If you work in film, video, with magazine publishing or the media. you have to know how to communicate - how to work with others on a team.”

As an example, says Bergland (who was