\nTerm:<\/strong> Spring 2019
\nCourse number:<\/strong> 60210 Section A
\nClassroom:<\/strong> CFA 318 – CFA 307
\nDays \/ time:<\/strong> Tuesday and Thursday 08:00AM – 10:50AM
\nProfessor:<\/strong> Paolo Pedercini – paolop [at] andrew [dot] cmu [dot] edu
\nGraduate Assistant: <\/strong>Marianne Hoffmeister Castro – mhoffmei [at] andrew [dot] cmu [dot] edu
\nOffice:<\/strong> School of art 419A – 4th Floor
\nOffice hours:<\/strong> By appointment<\/p>\n
LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h2>\n
Upon completion of the course you will be able to:<\/p>\n
> Work creatively with digital cameras, and software like Adobe Premiere, Audition, After Effects.<\/p>\n
> Approach critical issues related to art and cultural production in the networked age.<\/p>\n
> Discuss your works in the context of new media art and in relation with pop culture.<\/p>\n
> Question authority and challenge conventions.<\/p>\n
REQUIRED MATERIAL<\/h2>\n
External Hard Drive:<\/strong> In this class you will be working with big video files that can’t be stored on the lab computers or in the cloud. Having an external hard drive (NOT a USB key) will be essential to backing up your work and transporting it from home to school. Every unit takes about two weeks, and it revolves around a conceptual\/technical topic coupled with an assignment.<\/p>\n For each assignment you’ll be asked to write at least a paragraph of text explaining the strategy you adopted (the ones listed below are only suggestions).<\/p>\n Units might change and there may not be time for all the listed screening, what follows is the best case scenario.<\/p>\n Assignment:<\/strong> create a found footage<\/em> work by appropriating and remixing audio, text, images, and video material. You are not allowed to shoot new footage or use well known sources. Strategies Topics:<\/strong> Online and offline archives, appropriation, fair use, downloading, ripping, Premier, Kuleshov effect, editing, resolution, codecs, exporting for streaming, basic compositing, time remapping, text on video.<\/p>\n Reading:<\/strong> Hito Steyerl, In Defense of the Poor Image.<\/p>\n Screenings:<\/strong> Lyn Elliot – The Boy in the Air (2005) Strategies: Topics:<\/strong> basic camera functions, importing video, tripod, modes of address, mise-en-sc\u00e8ne, risk taking.<\/p>\n Reading:<\/strong> Roselee Goldberg – Performance: A Hidden History (1984)<\/b>.<\/p>\n Screenings:<\/strong> Assignment:<\/strong> Create a sound composition incorporating at least one original field recording, at least one original vocal recording (it doesn’t have to be your voice), and as many additional sounds from an assigned library. Duration 1-3 min.<\/p>\n Possible strategies:<\/strong> Topics:<\/strong> Field recordings, microphones, sound editing in Audition, finding sounds online, extracting loops, sound effects and filters, noise reduction and voice treatment.<\/p>\n Screenings\/Recordings:<\/strong> You’ll be assigned a specific piece of video equipment such as: Possible strategies:<\/strong> Topics:<\/strong> knowing your camera, framing and composition, color theory, chroma key and basic video effects in Premiere, analog\/digital, film\/tv\/internet video, self-referentiality,3 point lighting.<\/p>\n Reading:<\/strong> Trevor Paglen, Invisible Images (Your Pictures Are Looking at You).<\/p>\n Screenings: Assignment:<\/strong> insert yourself into a video clip through chroma key (green screen). Try to achieve the most credible results by matching camera angle and lighting. Try to be as deceiving as possible, no just goofy.<\/p>\n Topics:<\/strong> chroma key, color correction, masking, basic after effect workflow.<\/p>\n Screenings:<\/strong> Assignment:<\/strong> rotoscope a sequence of images from a Muybridge plate, infusing a personal style, and applying squash and stretch techniques.<\/p>\n Strategies:<\/strong> Topics:<\/strong> Disney’s principles of animation, animation in Photoshop, exporting sequence of images, brushes, tablets, adjustment layers, palettes.<\/p>\n Reading (screening):<\/strong> Alan Warburton, Goodbye uncanny valley.<\/p>\n Screenings:<\/strong> Assignment:<\/strong> using any combination of techniques you learned this semester, create an experimental video piece centered around a text. The narrative can be a monologue, a manifesto, a diary entry, an essay, a poem, original or not. The text can be delivered through voice over or words on screen – avoid acting unless you are working with trained actors.<\/p>\n Topics:<\/strong>\u00a0 pre\/post production, screenplay, storyboarding, continuity editing, soviet montage theory, “Save the Cat” beats, tropes.<\/p>\n Screenings: Qualitative feedback during in-class critiques is the most important form of evaluation, but we live in a quantified society so grades need to happen. You will be evaluated on both technical and conceptual execution.\u00a0Here’s a handy checklist:<\/p>\n > What did you intend to achieve with the work? Was it successful in your own terms? Readings Movies watching Final grade composition<\/strong> > Attendance: three or more unexcused absences result in the drop of a letter grade.<\/p>\n > Absences: you are responsible for what happens in class whether you\u2019re here or not. Organize with your classmates to get class information and material that you have missed.<\/p>\n > Tardiness: students who arrive late over three times without an excuse will have their class participation grade lowered to z e r o.<\/p>\n > Participation: you are invited, encouraged, and expected to engage actively in discussion, reflection and activities.<\/p>\n > Net addiction: you can exist for few hours without tweeting, facebooking, snapchatting, texting, sexting or emailing. Any device for mediated communication is banned during theory classes, crits and discussions. A participation grade reduction will result from being found using them. > Assignments: late assignments are only accepted with permission of instructor. You lose 10% of your points per day late up to a max of 7 days late.<\/p>\n > Camera on\/off: during remote sessions I kindly ask you to keep your camera on for the first few 20 minutes or so of each session, during critiques and in-class exercises that involve interactions with other students.<\/p>\n It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present activities that accommodate and value a diversity of gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Being in an art school, you should expect to be exposed to content that challenges your moral, ethical, and aesthetic values. In case of extremely graphic content I will warn the class in advance, but if you have a history of PTSD please let me know privately if there are types of content that are known to act as trauma triggers for you.<\/p>\n Collaborative work and projects also fulfilling other classes\u2019 requirements are encouraged as long as it makes sense, and the other professors agree.<\/p>\n Official university language:<\/em>\u00a0Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.<\/p>\n All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful.<\/p>\n If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help: call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at\u00a0http:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/counseling\/<\/a>. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.<\/p>\n In order to attend class meetings in person, all students are expected to abide by all behaviors indicated in\u00a0A Tartan\u2019s Responsibility<\/a>, including any timely updates based on the current conditions.<\/p>\n In terms of specific classroom expectations, whenever the requirement to wear a facial covering is in effect on campus, students are expected to wear a facial covering throughout class. Note: the requirement to wear a facial covering is in effect for the start of the Fall 2021 semester. If you do not wear a facial covering to class, I will ask you to put one on (and if you don\u2019t have one with you, I will direct you to a distribution location on campus, see\u00a0https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/coronavirus\/health-and-wellness\/facial-covering.html<\/a>). If you do not comply, you will be referred to the Office of Community Standards and Integrity for follow up, which could include student conduct action. Finally, please note that sanitizing wipes should be available in our classroom for those who wish to use them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This studio is an introduction to video production, performance, sound design and animation within the artistic context. Through a combination of screenings, discussions, examples, and hands-on tutorials, we will be building a strong base comprehension of the history and issues related to the field. We are all surrounded by media much as we are surrounded … Continue reading “Syllabus”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":30,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1625,"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions\/1625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nLACIE is a reliable manufacturer and produces rugged portable hard drives.
\nThe minimum specifications are: USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt 2, 7200rpm or SSD, 1TB of capacity<\/strong>.
\nMake sure it works with your personal computer and on the computer labs. If you work on mac and win and it’s empty, format it to exFat (it will erase the contents)<\/a> other formatting modes may not allow access from both systems.<\/p>\nUNITS<\/h1>\n
Remix
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2019\/01\/decasia.png\")
<\/h2>\n
\nMax duration: 2 min.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>> Formal: use unconventional editing techniques and radically transform a single source.
\n> Free associations: let the archive guide your process, juxtapose images based on visual or conceptual resonances.
\n> Music video: edit the material to a found soundtrack (instrumental music only)<\/p>\n
\nDara Birnbaum – Technology Transformation (1978)
\nCraig Baldwin – Tribulation 99: Alien anomalies under America (1991) (excerpt)
\nMatthias Muller Dirk Schaefer – Home Stories (1990)
\nMartin Arnold – Alone (1998)
\nBill Morrison – Decasia (2002) (excerpt)
\nTakeshi Murata \u2013 Monster Movie (2005)<\/p>\n
\nArthur Jafa – APEX (2013)
\nCory Arcangel – Arnold Schoenberg op 11 – I (2009)
\nNatalie Bookchin – Mass Ornament (2009)
\nChris Beckman – Oops (2011)
\nAlison Nguyen – Dessert-Disaster (2017)
\nPeggy Ahwesh -The Falling Sky (2017)
\nPenny Lane – The Voyagers (2010)<\/p>\nVideo Performance<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2019\/01\/notes-on-gesture.png\")
Assignment:<\/strong> Create a performance art piece for the camera, either in a private or public setting, either alone or in collaboration with somebody else. The piece must be a single “locked off” shot: the camera is on a tripod and doesn’t move. Use no or little editing.
\nDuration 1-5min. If it\u2019s a durational performance document everything but make an edit for critique.<\/p>\n
\n> Rule-based performance: devise a set of rules that can force the performer(s) to challenge behavioral scripts, achieve an aesthetic effect, or push your body or mind to a limit.
\n> Place-driven: find an interesting location and devise a performance around it.
\n> Prop-driven: create or find an object to act upon, or a costume to act in. Explore its affordances and activate in public or private.<\/p>\n
\nJohn Baldessari – I will not make any more boring Art (1971)
\nYoko Ono – Cut Piece (1965)
\nBruce Nauman – Bouncing in the Corner no1 – (1968)
\nDara Greenwald – Bouncing In the Corner #36 DDD (1999)
\nMarina Abramovic and Ulay – Relation Work (1976-1979)
\nMartha Rosler – Semiotics of the Kitchen (1975)
\nLiza Steele – Birthday Suit \u2013 with scars and defects (1974)
\nPaul and Marlene Kos \u2013 Lightning (1976)
\nCoco Fusco and Guillermo Go\u0301mez-Pen\u0303a – The Couple in the Cage (1992)
\nFrancis Aly\u0308s – Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing (1997)
\nMatthew Barney \u2013 Cremaster 3 pt.II (2002)
\nNick Cave – Soundsuits
\nKate Gilmore – anything (2006)
\nKate Gilmore – Between a hard place (2008)
\nKate Gilmore – with open arms clip (2005)
\nJill Magid \u2013 Trust (2004)
\nWill Lamson – Monument Valley Flight Attempt (2007)
\nWilliam Lamson – William Tell (2006)
\nAlex Da Corte, Chelsea Hotel No. 2, (2010)
\nMartine Syms – Notes on Gesture (2015)<\/p>\nSound Design<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2019\/01\/holly.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n> Soundscape: evoke a mood, sonify an imaginary place.
\n> Narrative: create a composition that develops in time, as in a movie soundtrack.
\n> Podcast: create a short podcast segment centered around a voice recording but also incorporating sound effects and documentaristic field recordings.
\n> Musical: if you have music skills, try to turn non musical samples into a composition.<\/p>\n
\nLuigi Russolo – Risveglio di una Citta\u0300 per intonarumori (1913)
\nKurt Schwitters Ursonate (1932) (performed by Blonk)
\nJohn Cage – Water walk (1959)
\nDelia Derbyshire – Reel-to-Reel Beat Matching clip
\nHildegard Westerkamp – Cricket Voice (1987)
\nHip Hop Evolution – S1E1 – (excerpt 22’45)
\nThe history of the Amen Break – Mixmag
\nMatmos – Lipostudio and so on (2001)
\nHolly Herndon – Chorus – Platform (2015)
\nJanet Cardiff and George Bures Miller – Forest (for a thousand years) (2012)
\nJanet Cardiff and George Bures Miller – Alter Bahnhof Video Walk (2012)
\nChristina Kubisch – Electrical Walks (2004 – 2017)<\/p>\nShooting Video<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2019\/01\/migrations.png\")
\nAssignment:<\/strong> in groups of two, create a video piece using original footage but no acting nor voiceover.
\nPay special attention to composition and light.
\nWork in groups of 2, shooting together and editing individually.<\/p>\n
\nMacro lens, ultra macro lens, 300mm zoom, fish eye lens, ronin gimbal, universal tripod dolly, portable lighting kit, Sony PXW-X70 (Slow motion mode).
\nYour goal is to familiarize with the equipment and explore its possibilities.<\/p>\n
\n> Formal: come up with a constraints that restrict what can appear on the screen, how you shoot, or how you link sequences together. The constrain can be arbitrary (e.g. each shot must be exactly 1 second, the images share certain visual qualities) or with an embedded theme (e.g. everything is shot in one room \/ theme: isolation).
\n> Word: start from one word theme\/title, and make sure all the shots relate to it.
\n> Alternative stock footage: shoot a series of clips that aren’t already represented in the stock footage banks.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Lumiere Brothers’ First Films (1895-1897)
\nDziga Vertov \u2013 Man With A Movie Camera (1929)
\nOur Daily Bread \u2013 Nikolaus Geyrhalter (2005) (excerpt)
\nDoug Aitken \u2013 Migration (empire) (2008)
\nMaya Deren \u2013 Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
\nLenka Clayton and James Price \u2013 People in Order (2006)
\nHow to with John Wilson s1e1 (2019) (excerpt)
\nEverynone \u2013 Words (2011)
\nCao Fei \u2013 Whose utopia (2006) (excerpt)
\nRawane Nassif \u2013 Turtles Are Always Home (2016)<\/p>\nCompositing<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2021\/08\/compositing-1024x341.png\")
<\/p>\n
\nGeorge Melies – L’homme orchestre (1900)
\nHermine Freed – Art Herstory (1974)
\nPeter Campus – Three Transitions (1973)
\nNam June Paik – Global Groove (1973)
\nZbigniew Rybczynski – Tango (1981)
\nMichel Gondry – The Chemical Brothers – Let Forever Be (1999)
\nMarco Brambilla – Evolution (Megaplex) (2009)
\nNation Estate – Larissa Sansour (2013)
\nSondra Perry \u2013 Lineage for a Multiple-Monitor Workstation: Number One (excerpt) (2015)
\nRashaad Newsome – Knot (2014) (excerpt)
\nShana Moulton – the mountain where everything is upside down (2013)<\/p>\nAnimation<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2019\/01\/rotoscope.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n> Transformative: can you completely alter the subject while keeping the motion patterns recognizable?
\n> Style-transfer: give the subject a different texture starting from a reference medium or existing style.<\/p>\n
\nRichard Linklater – Waking Life (2001)
\nOrgesticulanismus – Mathieu Labaye (2008)
\nMarina Zurkow – Poster Children (2007)
\nJoseph Pierce – A Family Portrait (2010)
\nTal Kantor – In Other Words (2016)<\/p>\nVideo Essay<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mycours.es\/ems\/files\/2019\/01\/hito.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Mika Rottenberg \u2013 Squeeze (2010)
\nJorgen Leth \u2013 The Perfect Human (1967)
\nDuke and Battersby \u2013 Being fucked up (2000)
\nPropeller Group \u2013 Television Commercial for Communism (2011)
\nJorge Furtado \u2013 (Island of Flowers) (1989)
\nMatt McCormik \u2013 the subconscious art of graffiti removal (2001)
\nThe Violence of a Civilization Without Secrets \u2013 Adam and Zack Khalil Ojibway (2018)
\nOliver Laric – versions (2012)
\nHito Steyerl \u2013 How not to be seen (2013)
\nForensic Architecture \u2013 Triple-Chaser (2019)<\/p>\nGRADING<\/h1>\n
\n> Did the class “get it”? Did it spark an interesting conversation during critique?
\n> Did the project demonstrate an understanding of the medium, its history and the contemporary practices associated to it?
\n> Did you do original research, looked for references beyond what you’ve seen in class?
\n> Did the project demonstrate a mastery of the techniques and tools employed?
\n> Was the project’s form suited to its concept and vice versa?
\n> Was it formulaic and derivative? Did you take risks?<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Aside of the creative assignments above, you’ll be asked to read a few short text and post a response.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>We won’t have time to watch entire full length movies in class but you’ll be required\u00a0 to watch a movie you haven’t seen\u00a0every week\u00a0<\/strong>among the ones I selected on Kanopy\u00a0and post a short personal response (not a summary).<\/p>\n
\n15% Remix
\n15% Video Performance
\n10% Sound Design
\n15% Shooting Video
\n10% Animation
\n10% Compositing
\n15% Storytelling
\n10% Class Participation\/readings\/movie<\/p>\nPOLICIES<\/h2>\n
\nDuring the lab hours you will be allowed to network as long as your behavior is not disruptive.<\/p>\nINCLUSIVITY STATEMENT<\/h1>\n
\nI will gladly honor your request to address you by your preferred name and gender pronoun. I commit to make individual arrangements to address disabilities or religious needs (e.g. religious events in conflict with class meetings). Please advise me of these preferences and needs early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my plans and records.
\nDebate and free exchange of ideas is encouraged but I will not tolerate harassment, i.e. a pattern of behavior directed against a particular individual with the intent of humiliating or intimidating.<\/p>\nCONTENT\/TRIGGER WARNINGS<\/h1>\n
STRESS CULTURE<\/h1>\n
COVID 19<\/h2>\n