Communications Lab
Class Blog Links
Thursdays 6:30-9:00, Instructor: Gabriel Barcia-Colombo
Email: gabebc.itp@gmail.com
Office Hours: 4-6pm Thursday or by appointment. (Please send an email at least 24 hours in advance to the address above)
Course Description: An introductory course designed to provide students with hands-on experience using various technologies (online communities, digital imaging, audio, video, animation, and the World Wide Web.) The forms and uses of new communications technologies are explored in a laboratory context of experimentation and discussion. The technologies are examined as tools that can be employed in a variety of situations and experiences. Principles of interpersonal communications, media theory, and human factors are introduced. Weekly assignments, team and independent projects, and project reports are required.
Grading is based on the following: successful completion of all assignments, class webjournals, class participation and attendance. Don't be late to class. It makes me mad. Also no cellphones, beepers, pagers, alarm clocks, or sirens.
Laptops may be used in class to take notes, however when one of your fellow students is presenting their work please make sure to close all computers.
This syllabus will be updated weekly with links and notes.
Required Texts: Orality and Literacy by Walter Ong, Understanding Media by Marshall Mcluhan, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Class 1: Thursday, September 10
- Class introductions
- Overview of Course
- Demonstration
- Assignment:
- Install Wordpress and create a basic blog for yourself. This will be where all your assignments will be housed, so you'll want to consider the overall structure. Each week, assignments will be documented and posted here. In addition to posting each week's assignment, you will also post a paragraph summary of your process to the blog.
- Read Walter Ong - Orality and Literacy Chapters 1 - 4 (The Orality of Language, The modern discovery of primary Oral Cultures, Some Psychodynamics of Orality, Writing Restructures Consciousness.) and post response to Ong on your site. Be prepared to discuss in class.
- Email me your url.
Class 2: Thursday, September 17
- Discussion of Ong Reading
- Review html/ftping process
- Review blogging process
Discuss video sharing/reposting
- Demonstration: Xacti Cameras
- In-class Exercise: The 30-Minute Film Festival. In teams of three you have 45 minutes to create a short video that contains a simple narrative arc. Create a blip account. Upload your video. Embed it into your blog. We'll have a short film festival.
- Assignment:
- Using the Xacti cameras, document a project in another class. Upload it to your blog.
- Read "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster and (ironincally) post a response to your new blog
Class 3: Thursday, September 24th
- Discussion/Demonstration:
- Assignment:
Class 4: Thursday, October 1st
- Discuss Benjamin reading
Discussion/Demonstration Photoshop, Image Capture/Manipulation
- Demonstration Photoshop Techniques
- Disussion: Sequential Imaging and modern day examples, Alien Loves Predator , Demain5, Traced
- Assignment:
- Before you begin working, read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. It is important that you read this prior to beginning. It will inform your work.
- In teams of two, tell a story in 4-10 sequential images. Upload to your blog.
- Watch La Jetée by Chris Marker and write a response on your blog!
Class 5: Thursday, October 8th
- Critique Sequential Images
Discussion: Pixilation & Stop Motion
- View: Jan Svankmajer "Food" Michel Gondry/White Stripes The Hardest Button to Button
- Demonstration: Pixilation using digital stills and StopMotion using iStopMotion
- Demonstration: an Introduction to Final Cut
- Examples of Pixelation: The Last Laugh, Noah takes a Photo for 6 years
- Examples of Stop Motion: Water Kiss (Thanks Caroline!)
- Tools for Stopmotion: IstopMotion by Boinx
- Assignment:
- In teams of 2 create a 30-second time-lapse or pixilation animation.
- Upload version to your BlipTv account and embed in youru blog.
- Bring high quality Quicktime DV file to class.
Class 6: Thursday, October 15th
- Critique pixilation and stop motion animation
- Discussion of digital audio - sampling and distribution
- The story of DJ Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album" (http://www.illegal-art.org/audio/grey.html) and Negativland v. U2 (www.negativland.com)
- Demonstration: Collection of sounds and the M-Audio recorder
- Assignment:
- In teams of two, begin the collection of sounds for a 1-minute sound piece (due in 2 weeks) This piece can be environmental, create space or mood, tell a story through sound.
- Read Marshall McLuhan's "Understanding Media"Chapter 1: The Medium is the Message and Chapter 2: Media Hot and Cold
- Read handouts.
- On your blog, post response to the readings.
Class 7: Thursday, October 22nd
- Discussion: Review readings and responses
- Demonstration: Basic digital audio: Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
- Demonstration: Make it loop! - Midi and Garageband
- Putting it all together.
- Assignment:
- In teams of two create a 1-minute sound piece in audacity or garageband. Again, this piece should can be environmental, create space or mood, tell a story through sound. Upload it to your site in mp3. Bring either the audacity or garage files with all tracks to next class.
Class 8: Thursday, October 29th
- Critique audio pieces
- Discuss storyboards, their function and use
- View: Robert Castillo's "SPIC, The Storyboard of My Life"
- Assignment:
- Read Steven Katz "Film Directing Shot by Shot" chapter on storyboards.
- Break into teams of four to plan for video project. Create storyboard in preparation of videoshoot. Be prepared to discuss in class. Upload to blog.
Class 9: Thursday, November 5th
- Review storyboards
- Demonstration: The video camera and the basics of shooting video: audio, composition, lighting.
- Assignment:
- Go out and shoot your storyboarded video.
Class 10: Thursday, November 12th
- How did your shoot go?
- Logging your footage and the paper edit - Edit Worksheet
- Demonstration: FinalCut Pro
- Assignment:
- Edit two-minute video.
- Upload version to BlipTV account and embed file into your blog.
- Bring high quality QuicktimeDV file in class.
Class 11: Thursday, November 19th
- Critique video pieces
- Discuss storyboards, collage animation and cutouts
- View: Jonas Odell/U2's Window in the Sky, Run Wrake's Rabbit, Miho Hatori's Barracuda, Left Channel's Blissful
- Assignment:
- In teams of two, create storyboard for one-minute animation. Upload to class site.
Class 12: Thursday, November 26th (RESCHEDULE for Turkeys)
- Review storyboards
- Demonstration: Basic AfterFx
- Assignment:
- In teams of two, create storyboard for one-minute animation.
- Upload version to BlipTV account and embed file into your blog.
- Bring high quality QuicktimeDV file in class
Class 13: Thursday, December 3rd
- Critique animations
- Assignment:
- Review all your past assignments. Was there one particular video, website or animation that you felt was unfinished or was mere polishes away from a glorious shine? For next week.
Class 14: Thursday, December 10th
- Critique final individual works.