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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "EXP 1005"
COURSE NAME: "Video Essay Workshop"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2016
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Tijana Mamula
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
FRI 2:00PM 6:00PM (Class meets on: September 9, October 14, October 21 and November 4)
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
15
CREDITS:
1
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Grading: This course will be graded on a PASS/FAIL scale
This course aims to introduce students to the various forms and methods associated with the contemporary video essay, and to guide them through the conception and production of their own analytic video essays — a skill which they will be able to transfer to numerous other courses and extracurricular and/or professional contexts. The course will teach students to present and directly elaborate the audio-visual material they engage with (rather than merely writing about it), as well as appreciate and understand the ways in which practical and critical engagement with media can advance active modes of spectatorship and media consumption.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Since the early 2000s and particularly over the last half decade, the practice of film and media studies has increasingly turned to videographic forms. The rise of the video essay (or “audiovisual essay”) has been facilitated by the proliferation of online media content, online magazines, journals, blogs, etc., and user-friendly editing platforms. It has also been supported by the widespread recognition of the benefits of allowing scholarly studies of audiovisual media to present and directly elaborate the material they engage with (rather than merely writing about it), as well as of the ways in which practical and critical engagement with media can advance active modes of spectatorship and media consumption. As a result, the video essay is quickly becoming a dominant form of media studies and a crucial instrument of the dissemination of ideas, scholarship and cultural critique. This course aims to introduce students to the various forms and methods associated with the contemporary video essay, and to guide them through the conception and production of their own analytic video essays — a skill which they will be able to transfer to numerous other courses and extracurricular and/or professional contexts.
This is a pass/no pass course. Successful completion of the course will depend on fulfilling the following three requirements:
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will:
— Be introduced to the essay film form and the critical discourses surrounding the recent growth of the video essay
— Acquire awareness of a range of methodologies and approaches to the video essay
— Learn to critically engage with audiovisual media, and to convey their reflections on media works and products by audiovisual means
— Acquire the technical skills to work with (collect, convert, edit) non-original audiovisual material
— Advance their editing skills and proficiency with Final Cut Pro
— Advance their understanding of film, media and communication studies and their ability to apply that understanding through practice
— Learn how to develop a critical argument through a combination of traditional and new media tools, i.e. by integrating writing and audiovisual compilation
— Acquire understanding of how essayistic film- and video-making can be used to advance active modes of spectatorship and media consumption
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Attendance | Attendance of all 4 course sessions. | 30 |
| Video essay | Submission of an analytical video essay, 5-6 mins long. | 40 |
| Critical commentary | Submission of a 1000 word critical commentary on the video essay. | 30 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Session 1: Forms and Methods: From the Essay Film to the Video Essay
Screening (TBD; all videos are subject to change):
1) The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (Sophie Fiennes, 2006), clips.
2) Histoire(s) du cinema (Jean-Luc Godard, 1988-1998), clips.
3) Chaos Cinema (Matthias Stork, 2011)
4) Constructive Editing in Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket (David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, 2012)
5) What is Neorealism? (Kogonada, 2013)
6) Carnal Locomotive (Catherine Grant, 2015)
7) Waltz with Bashir: Echoes of a Forgotten Past (Digging Deeper collective, 2015)
8) Tropes vs. Women in Video Games: Body Language and the Male Gaze (Anita Sarkeesian, 2016)
9) Facing the Subject (On Observation) (Irene Gustafson, 2016)
Readings:
1) Timothy Corrigan, “‘On Thoughts Occasioned By…’ Montaigne to Marker,” in The Essay Film: From Montaigne to Marker (Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 13-49.
2) Lev Manovich, “The Practice of Everyday (Media) Life: From Mass Consumption to Mass Cultural Production?”, Critical Inquiry 35, no. 2 (2009)
3) Andrew McWhirter, “Film Criticism, Film Scholarship and the Video Essay,” Screen 56, no. 3 (Autumn 2015): 369-77.
4) Catherine Grant, “How Long is a Piece of String? On the Practice, Scope and Value of Videographic Film Studies and Criticism,” Presentation Given at the Audiovisual Essay Conference, Frankfurt Filmmuseum/Goethe University, November 2013.
5) Manu Yanez, “Thought, Action and Imagination,” http://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/audiovisualessay/frankfurt-papers/manu-yanez/
Session 2: Collecting Material and Developing an (Audiovisual) Thesis
1) Tutorials: Clip extraction and conversion; editing in Final Cut Pro
2) Video essay “pitch” presentations and group feedback
Reading:
1) “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video” (cmsimpact.org)
2) Cristina Alvarez Lopez and Adrian Martin, “The One and the Many: Making Sense of Montage in the Audiovisual Essay,” The Audiovisual Essay: Practice and Theory of Videographic Film and Moving Image Studies, September 2014.
3) Cristina Alvarez Lopez, “From Idea to Concept,” [in]Transition, August 26, 2014.
Session 3: Work in Progress
In-class work on video essays and individual guidance
Session 4: Video Essay Presentations
In-class presentation and discussion of video essay rough-cuts
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