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HDCC208G Seminar in Digital Cultures and Creativity: Expanded Cinema

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HDCC208G Seminar in Digital Cultures and Creativity: Expanded Cinema Course Description “Expanded cinema does not mean computer films, video phosphors, atomic light, or spherical projections. Expanded cinema isn’t a movie at all: like life it’s a process of becoming…” Gene Youngblood HDCC With rapidly evolving digital technologies the film industry is being transformed. Smart phones, motion capture, 3D as well as the proliferation of web series, and ‘ap- pisodes’ are changing how we look at, create and experience movies and television. 208G This seminar will explore the theory and practice of how these new technologies are expanding boundaries of the moving image and how this is reflected in society. In addition, through hands-on, experimental and collaborative projects, the course will include a practical introduction to video production and editing. As a class we will critically screen and discuss “movies and art of influence.” Experi- mental film, web series, video art, and installation will be considered in tandem with more traditional forms of narrative and documentary cinema. While not a historical survey or a traditional film appreciation course, key films and videos have been se- lected that serve as an introduction to major themes within cinema. The first half of the semester will focus on notions of “expanding perspectives” considering topics related to authorship, truth, identity and politics. The second half will be dedicated to “expanding screens” or how artists and filmmakers are experimenting with new models of dissemination, participation and installation. Professor Learning Outcomes Krista Caballero • Students will be able to critically evaluate, discuss, and write about the history of [email protected] cinema and apply this scholarship through the creation of original projects. www.kristacaballero.com • Students will learn key terminology relating to the language of cinema and be able to use this knowledge as a tool to better analyze and understand film and video. Office Hours By appopintment • Through both research and practice students will communicate major trends, ideas and issues that new technologies raise in a global context. Class Times • Students will understand how their own critical thinking develops through the Wed from 4-6:30pm process of creating original projects both individually and collaboratively. ANA 0120 • Students will critique, revise, and perfect projects proposals. • Students will gain foundational hands-on experience with video and sound edit- ing in Adobe Premiere • Students will have read and be able to discuss key papers and imaginative works by artists, filmmakers, theorists, and other influential thinkers. • Students will synthesize insights from one another as well as the instructor and their readings in order to produce a final project that demonstrates real depth of cre- ativity and insight in the area of expanded cinema. Readings All readings will be posted in Canvas or provided as links to online articles. Important Resources http://www.ubu.com http://archive.org/details/movies HDCC http://www.vdb.org http://www.lib.umd.edu/nonprint Grading Active Engagement208G / Participation (10%) Screenings: This is a screening-intensive course and the films selected are an integral component Quiz #1 on Sept 25 (5%) of the lecture. Therefore, it is expected that you approach these screenings with the same intellectual rigor and curiosity you bring toward course readings. The success- Expanding Portraiture due Oct 16 (20%) ful student will watch attentively, take notes, and participate in all group discussions. Not all films will appeal to everyone or are intended to be “entertaining.” However, Quiz #2 on Oct 30 (5%) each film selected is meant to provide a context for exploring the history and future of cinema. Many topics addressed by these films may be controversial. Please contrib- Group Project Proposal due Oct 30 (10%) ute your perspective while remaining respectful and thoughtful of others viewpoints. During screenings please do not talk, text, e-mail, or otherwise cause distraction for Quiz #3 on Nov 20 (5%) others. Final Video Project due Dec 4 (25%) Quizzes will be given throughout the semester that will cover both course readings and screenings. Film Analysis due Dec 18 (20%) Computing Policy Active and thoughtful engagement with the DCC is a program that actively utilizes emerging technologies to explore new meth- course material and participating in all group ods of learning and scholarship. We welcome and encourage the use of laptops, tab- discussions is expected. Please come to class lets, and similar electronic devices in class for note-taking or class-related research. having read all of the day’s pertinent required However, all phones must be turned off or set to vibrate prior to entering the class- readings. Attendance alone does not guarantee room. Students who consult non-course related content on electronic devices during an A in class participation. class (such as checking e-mail, texting, or shopping) will be asked to leave. Academic Integrity The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Aca- demic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilita- tion, and plagiarism. Cheating includes: reusing portions of coursework for credit, al- lowing others to prepare work, and utilizing external aids including commercial term paper and internet companies. If you have a question regarding any of the above or the code in general, consult immediately with one of the instructors. For more infor- mation on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html. Plagiarism and Citations The definition of plagiarism is broader than commonly assumed. Plagiarism includes: direct quotation, paraphrasing, summarization, and fabrication of materials. All quo- tations taken from other authors, including paraphrasing and all sources from the Internet (including Wikipedia, blogs, and forums) and other digital media, must be HDCC indicated by quotation marks and properly referenced. When writing a blog or blog comment, cite at least the author’s name and enough information for a reader to find the work on their own (e.g. a hyperlink if available.) Some of the works we’ll be read- 208G ing may not be covered by the MLA style guide (e.g. project development); if this is the case, please give at least the work’s title, author, date of publication, and the web address for the work (if any). If you are ever uncertain about your need to cite some- thing or how to do so, please contact the instructor before turning in your work. Learning Assistance Service If you are experiencing difficulties in keeping Note on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: up with the academic demands of this course, Any source that you draw ideas and quotes from must be cited accurately. If you use contact the Learning Assistance Service, 2202 any source in your work without correctly citing the work, this constitutes plagiarism. Shoemaker Building, 301-314-7693. Their edu- Any intentional plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment and may cational counselors can help with time manage- result in a failing grade for the course. ment, reading, math learning skills, note-taking and exam preparation skills. All their services Types of Plagarisms are free to UMD students. 1. Buying papers, borrowing papers, or recycling former papers unrevised and claim- ing these types of papers as your own for your assignment in this course. www.counseling.umd.edu/LAS 2. Cutting and pasting parts of a webpage or borrowing passages from a book for your paper without properly citing these parts and claiming the material as your own for the expressed intent of cheating. 3. Using another’s creative work such as photos, data visualizations or artwork with- out proper credit or alteration. Administration If you have a registered disability and wish to discuss accommodations, please email the instructor by the end of the second week of class. Disabilities can be registered through Disability Support Services (4-7682 or 5-7683 TTY/TDD). It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor by email of any religious observances that will conflict with your attendance, assignment deadlines, or final exam. The student should provide emailed notification to the professor by the end of the second week of the term; the notification must identify the religious holiday(s) and the date(s). If this notification is not given to the instructor by this date, all missed assignments, quizzes, and exams are subject to grade penalties. Syllabus Subject to Change: This syllabus is subject to change at any time according to the professor’s discretion. COURSE SCHEDULE: PART I: Early and Expanding Perspectives SEPT 4: Introductions: Early film and theories of expanded cinema • Class Screenings: The Story of Film: An Odyssey: “Birth of the Cinema” (2011) and excerpts from Metropolis, Fritz Lang (1927) Read: • Gene Youngblood, “Preface,” pages 41- 44 from Expanded Cinema (1970) Recommended viewing: • Race Horse, Eadweard Muybridge (1878) • First films, The Lumiere Brothers (1895) • Falling Leaves, Alice Guy-Blaché (1912) • Adventures of Prince Achmed (excerpt), Lotte Reiniger (1926) SEPT 11: Cinema Eye • Class Screening: Man with a Movie Camera, Dziga Vertov (1929) • Technical Workshop: Camera Perspective Read: • John Berger, Ways of Seeing, Chapter 1 • Dziga Vertov, “WE: Variant of a Manifesto” (1922) from 100 Artists’ Manifestos Watch: • Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren (1943) • La Jetée, Chris Marker (1962) Recommended viewing: Blade Runner, Ridley Scott (1982) SEPT 18: “Reading” the moving image • Class Screening: Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock (1954) Read: • Thomas Elssesser and Malte Hagener, “Cinema as window and frame” from Film Theory: An Introduction Through the Senses (2010) • James Monaco, How to Read a Film (1977) pages 121-132.
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