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Spring 2008
COURSE SCHEDULE
(1) Wednesday, January 23

Introduction to Class (meet in B-91)
Syllabus Overview

Assignments

1. Buy the required supplies for the class and bring them to class on Wednesday, January 30.

2. Familiarize yourself with Firefox, the web browser we will use in this class. If you plan to work on a computer at home that is online, download and install the most recent version of Firefox.

3. If you are new to advanced computing, consider signing up for the Short Courses on Operating Systems and Internet Skills.

4. Spend some time with your PantherMail account. If you are going to use PantherMail as your primary e-mail application, create a mailbox that you can use to organize all messages with "08116" in the subject line. If you want to have your UWM e-mail forwarded to your existing e-mail application, visit PantherMail and click on the "Forward Mail" option.

5. Register to use the class Technical Forum by following directions in the "How to Register" section. Set your User Profile settings by following directions in the "User Profile Settings" section. Register by Wednesday, January 30.

6. Create a Google account as described here.

7. Complete the survey and post it as a comment to this post on the Course Blog by Sunday, January 27, 5 PM.

8. Read: Hart, Joseph. "A New Way of Walking." (Please note that this article does not count as a possibility for your Reflective Response.)

9. Read: Cross, Jennifer. "What is 'Sense of Place'?"

10. Read: Ferrington, Gary. "On A Clear Day I Can Hear Forever."

 

(2) Monday, January 28

Drift 1 Overview (meet in MUS 180)
Drift Map Demo
Soldering Demo

 

Assignments

1. Create your Drift Map and post the Tiny URL as a comment to this post on the Course Blog as described on the Drift 1 page by February 6, 5 PM.

2. Please review the Soldering Demo.

3. Review the NH-700 Recorder Operating Guide (pdf).

4. Read: Cresswell, Tim. Excerpt from: Place: A Short Introduction. (PDF)

5. Read: Debord, Guy. "Theory of the Dérive."

6. Please bring to next class:

  • two Rapid 35-0190 Mic Capsules
  • one stereo mic cable with 1/8" stereo plug
  • two alligator clips for attaching windscreens
  • one pair of enclosed headphones for testing mics
  • Optional: swatches of faux fur for a fancier windscreen

(3) Wednesday, January 30

Soldering Workshops

Schedule

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki

 

Assignments

1. Test your mics, microphone mount and windscreens to make sure they don't make unusual noises. If you need assistance getting your mics to work, bring your materials to the next class meeting.

2. If you own a PC computer, download [.zip] and install SonicStage v3.4.

3. Download and install Audacity on your personal Mac or PC computer, including the LAME MP3 encoder.

4. Bring freshly charged batteries to next class in order to test out the gear in your Production Kit.

5. Read: Lopate, Philip. "On the Aesthetics of Urban Walking and Writing."

6. Read: Lippard, Lucy. Excerpt from: The Lure of the Local: Senses of Place in a Multicultural Society. (PDF)

7. Read: Russolo, Luigi. "The Art of Noises."
(4) Monday, February 4

Soldering Workshops continued
(meet in B-91)
Equipment Checkout
(presentation by Brooke Swelstad)

Schedule

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki

 

Assignments

1. If you haven't done so already, finish and test out your mics, microphone mount and windscreens to make sure they don't make unusual noises. If you need assistance getting your mics to work, bring your materials to your section instructor's office during office hours or immediately following the next class meeting.

2. Bring to the next class: Hi-MD recorder, mic rig, headphones, fully charged batteries, and a pre-formatted MiniDisc.

3. Read: Westerkamp, Hildegard. "Soundwalking."

4. Read: Hiss, Tony. Excerpt from: The Experience of Place. (PDF)
(5) Wednesday, February 6

Class Cancelled because of snowstorm

Assignments

1. Review your practice recordings for wind noise and any potential mic problems.

2. Review the NH-700 Recorder Operating Guide (pdf), follow the steps in the Hi-MD tutorial [pdf], and practice transferring your sound recordings using SonicStage. Note that there are four PC platforms for doing your SonicStage transfers at school: two in MIT 353 and two in MIT B-18. By the end of next week, everyone should have 24-hour access to MIT B-18 via your student ID card.

3. Study this self-contained tutorial to practice using Audacity. Read this Audacity primer. For further practice in Audacity, check out a FAQ and more tutorials.

4. Go out on Drift 1 (if you are ready).

5. Analyze, edit, and export your field recordings.

6. Create, scan, size, and upload your five hand-drawn maps as detailed here.

7. Read: Peterson, Ivars. "Sounds of the Seasons."

8. Listen: This American Life: Mapping.

9. Post your Reflective Response #1 (Mapping) to one of the following readings as a comment to this blog post: Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, This American Life (note that Joseph Hart's essay, "A New Way of Walking," is not included among your possibilities). The deadline is Monday, February 11, 3 PM.

 

(6) Monday, February 11

Field Recording Practice Sessions
(meet in MUS 180)
(attendance is mandatory)

Assignments

1. Visit the Drift 1 page for further instructions on this assignment.

2. Review the following skills tutorials:

(a) Tutorial: Essentials of PantherFile and Server File Protocols.

(b) Tutorial: Getting your Map Images online. Here are some sample Drift 1 blogs with hand-drawn maps.

(c) Tutorial: Preparing your Blog for Drift 1.

3. Read: Toop, David. "The Art of Noise."

4. Read: Hill, S. Arden. "Listening to Myself Listening."

5. Go out on Drift 1.

6. Analyze, edit, and export your field recordings.

7. Create, scan, size, and upload your five hand-drawn maps as detailed here.

 
(7) Wednesday, February 13

Audacity Demo (MUS 180)
SonicStage Demo
Blogger Demo
PantherFile Demo

Assignments

1. Analyze, edit, save, export, and upload your MP3s for your Drift 1 blog as detailed here.

2. Create, scan, size, and upload your five hand-drawn maps as detailed here. If you need to scan your 8.5"x11" sheets, bring them to the Help Session along with your USB flash drive, external drive, or CD-R.

3. Set up your Blogger account and author your blog for Drift 1 (step-by-step tutorial).

4. Check the Course Directory to find the final URL for your Drift 1 blog. We will be using this URL to check that your blog is complete by the deadline.

5. Read: Delehanty, Suzanne. "Soundings."

6. Post your Reflective Response #2 (Sound) to one of the following readings as a comment to this blog post: Delahanty, Ferrington, Hill, Peterson, Russolo, Toop, Westerkamp. The deadline is Monday, February 18, 3 PM.

(8) Monday, February 18

Drift 1 Help Sessions

Schedule

Bring your in-progress materials on your laptop, a CD-R, flash or hard drive to one or more of these labs depending on the kinds of questions you have:

  • SonicStage: Steve Wetzel, MIT B-18
  • Scanning Maps: David Witzling, B-18
  • Audacity: Seth Warren-Crow, Julie Murray, Alex Torinus, B-56
  • Blogger, PantherFile, GoogleMaps: Glenn Bach, B-65 (bring your laptops)
  • Drawing Maps: Lilly Czarnecki, B-68


Assignment

Continue working on Drift 1.
(9) Wednesday, February 20

Final Help Sessions for Drift 1

Schedule

  • SonicStage: Steve Wetzel, MIT B-18
  • Scanning Maps: David Witzling, B-18
  • Audacity: Seth Warren-Crow, Julie Murray, Alex Torinus, B-56
  • Blogger, PantherFile, GoogleMaps: Glenn Bach, B-65 (bring your laptops)
  • Drawing Maps: Lilly Czarnecki, B-68



Assignment

Finish your blog for Drift 1.

 

DRIFT 1 BLOGS DUE

Complete your Blog for Drift 1 by 3 PM, Monday, February 25

List of grading criteria that will be used to grade this assignment.

 
(10) Monday, February 25

Drift 1 Critique Sessions

Schedule

Meet with your lab instructor for discussion of selected blogs (attendance mandatory):

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki

 

Assignments

1. Using suggestions and comments from the Critique Session, continue to make improvements to your Drift 1 Blog. Remember, you can edit a post indefinitely, so take the time to make a site you can be proud of.

2. Bring the digital camera from your production kit, along with fresh batteries, to the next class.

 
 

REVISED DRIFT 1 BLOGS DUE

Complete any revisions or suggested improvements to your Drift 1 Blog by 3pm, Friday, February 29.

Be sure to review this grading list.

 
(11) Wednesday, February 27

Drift 2 Overview (MUS 180)
Digital Camera Demo

 Assignments

1. Create your Drift 2 blog and post your new Drift Strategy and two Image Capturing Strategies as described here.

2. Download and install Quicktime Pro. If you plan to experiment with an alternative freeware/open source video editor, please check with Glenn first. You can also use Quicktime Pro on one of the computers in MIT-B18 and 353.

3. Go on Drift 2.

4. Read: "What is Alternative Cinema?" (Please note that this article does not count as a possibility for your Reflective Response.)

5. Read: Sontag, Susan. "Excerpt from On Photography."
(12) Monday, March 3

Quicktime Pro Demo (B91)

 Assignments

1. If you haven't done so, go on Drift 2.

2. Download all of the footage you collected on Drift 2, and select the most promising material. Edit and save these best moments as standalone clips.

3. Go through all of your still photos and define groups that share graphic or other similiarities that make them suitable for sequencing and animation. Place each group into a separate folder and name it. At the next class, we'll learn how to convert your still photo groups into web-compatible Quicktime movies.

4. Read: MacDonald, Scott. "Introduction to Avant-Garde Film."

5. Read: Trachtenberg, Stephen Joel. "The Art of Instant Gratification."
(13) Wednesday, March 5

Video Editing Demos (B91)

 Schedule
  • Picture Resizing in Quicktime Pro, Steve Wetzel
  • Manipulating Time and Speed in Quicktime Pro, Alex Torinus
  • Manipulating Luminance, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation in Quicktime Pro, Glenn Bach
  • Making Movies with SnapNDrag and Quicktime Pro, Lilly Czarnecki

Assignments

1. Go through all of the standalone rough-cut sketches you have created and choose the best five (one of which must be from still images).

2. Upload to PantherFile and post to your blog.

3. Read: GreenCine. "American Experimental Film."

4. Read: Bachman, Gideon. "On the Nature and Function of the Experimental (Poetic) Film."
(14) Monday, March 10

Video Editing Help Sessions
 Schedule

  • B-18, Steve, Lilly, and David (available: two PC workstations, five Mac workstations)
  • B-56, Seth, Julie, and Alex (available: ten Mac workstations, two PC workstations)
  • B-65, Glenn (bring your laptops, or we will look at your work online)

Assignments

1. Continue working on your Drift 2 Blog.

2. Make sure all five rough-cut sketches (one of which must be made from still images) are published on your Drift 2 Blog.

3. Read: Miller, Paul D. (DJ Spooky). "Material Memories: Time and the Cinematic Image."

4.Post your Reflective Response #3 (Image) to one of the following readings as a comment to this blog post: Bachman, GreenCine, MacDonald, Miller, Sontag, Trachtenberg. (Please note that the article, "What is Alternative Cinema," does not count as a possibility for your Reflective Response.) The deadline is Wednesday, March 12, 3 PM.


(15) Wednesday, March 12

Video Editing Help Sessions
 Schedule

  • B-18, Steve, Lilly, and David (available: two PC workstations, five Mac workstations)
  • B-56, Seth, Julie, and Alex (available: ten Mac workstations, two PC workstations)
  • B-65, Glenn (bring your laptops, or we will look at your work online)


Assignments

All rough-cut sketches must be posted to your Drift 2 blog by Monday, March 24, 3 PM.
Monday, March 17

Spring Recess
 No class meeting . . .
Wednesday, March 19

Spring Recess
 No class meeting . . .
(16) Monday, March 24

Required Critique (Rough Clips)

Schedule
Meet in your lab sections to show a few of your published Rough Clips (and possibly the final clips if any are ready and we get to them). We'll share responses to the clips and brainstorm about editing and image manipulation techniques that could bring out the unique content and qualities in the clips. These have proven to be very valuable sessions; attendance is mandatory.

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki


Assignments

1. Using the feedback you received on your rough clips, begin work on polishing and finalizing some of the most promising ideas and directions in your work.

2. Pick three clips to explore in depth. Use editing and image graphic qualities towards creating well-crafted, idiosyncratic videos. Key qualities to focus on are using pattern to create expectation, using rhythm to break and create new expectation, and using pattern/rhythm to move towards resolution. The videos can be no longer than 30 seconds in duration.

3. Post your three final clips to your Drift 2 blog by Wednesday, March 26, 3 PM.
(17) Wednesday, March 26

Required Critique (Final Clips)

Schedule (attendance is mandatory)

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki

 

Assignment

Make suggested changes or improvements to your Drift 2 blog (if any) by Friday, March 28, 5 PM.
  DRIFT 2 BLOGS DUE

Post your final Drift 2 blog by Friday, March 28, 5 PM.

Review this list of grading criteria (PDF).

(18) Monday, March 31

Drift 03 Overview (MUS 180)

Assignments

1. Create your Drift 3 Blog.

2. Post your Drift Assessment, Ten Questions, and Production Strategy to your Drift 3 Blog.

3. After you have made these posts, go out and execute these strategies as soon as possible.

(19) Wednesday, April 2

Lecture: Image-Sound
(Lilly Czarnecki, B91)

 Assignments

1. If you have not done so already, complete your Drift 3 data gathering walk(s).

2. Post three rough cut sketches (sound+video) (no longer than 30 seconds in duration), each demonstrating a sound-image relationship you are considering for your final video project. Post the clips as you complete them. Remember, like Drift 2, your blog for Drift 3 is a space to track your work-in-progress.
(20) Monday, April 7

Research Screenings (B91)

 Assignments

1. Continue work on Drift 3.

2. Post your Reflective Response #4 (Screenings) to this post on the Course Blog by Wednesday, April 9, 3 PM. The list of films from which to choose is here.

Questions for Screenings

1. Identify the film you have selected and why you chose it.

2. What are the some of the key characteristics, images, scenes, transitions, events, edits, ideas, connections, etc., in this film?

3. How has this film inspired you (or frustrated you) in your practice as a media artist?
(21) Wednesday, April 9

Drift 3 Help Session
 Schedule

  • B-18, Steve, Lilly, and David (available: two PC workstations, five Mac workstations)
  • B-56, Seth, Julie, and Alex (available: ten Mac workstations, two PC workstations)
  • B-65, Glenn (bring your laptops, or we will look at your work online)


Assignment

1. Continue work on Drift 3.

2. Sign up for individual, one-on-one appointments with your Lab Instructor(s). The sign-up sheets for each Lab section will be posted on Glenn's door, B-60. Pick your slot by Wednesday, April 16, 12 noon.

3. Your rough cuts must be posted by the time you are ready to meet with your Lab instructor(s).
(22) Monday, April 14

Drift 3 Help Session
 Schedule

  • B-18, Steve, Lilly, and David (available: two PC workstations, five Mac workstations)
  • B-56, Seth, Julie, and Alex (available: ten Mac workstations, two PC workstations)
  • B-65, Glenn (bring your laptops, or we will look at your work online)


Assignment

1. Continue work on Drift 3.

2. Sign up for individual, one-on-one appointments with your Lab Instructor(s). The sign-up sheets for each Lab section will be posted on Glenn's door, B-60. Pick your slot by Wednesday, April 16, 12 noon.

3. Your rough cuts must be posted by the time you are ready to meet with your Lab instructor(s).
(23) Wednesday, April 16

Individual Critiques

Schedule

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki


Assignment

Continue work on Drift 3.
(24) Monday, April 21

Individual Critiques

Schedule

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki


Assignment

Continue work on Drift 3.
(25) Wednesday, April 23

Individual Critiques

Schedule

  • Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
  • Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
  • Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
  • Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
  • Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki


Assignments

1. Continue work on Drift 3.

2. Make sure your sound video is as close to a final cut as possible and posted to your Drift 3 blog. The final cut videos will be screened randomly beginning Monday, April 28.
  DRIFT 3 BLOGS DUE

Post your Drift 3 blog by Monday, April 28, 3 PM.

Review this list of grading criteria (PDF).
(26) Monday, April 28

Drift 3 Screenings
(Attendance Mandatory, MUS 180)
 Assignment

Continue fine-tuning your Drift 3 blog and Drift Map.
  PRODUCTION KITS DUE

Turn in your Production Kits by Wednesday, April 30, 3 PM.

You will be docked 10 points from your Participation grade for every day the kit is late. If the Equipment Room does not receive your kit by the end of the semester, you will receive a 0 on your Drift 3 grade, the Film Department will put a hold on your records, you will be billed for the cost of replacing the kit, and you will be forbidden from checking out equipment in the future.
(27) Wednesday, April 30

Drift 3 Screenings
(Attendance Mandatory, B-91)
 Assignment

Continue fine-tuning your Drift 3 blog and Drift Map.
  DRIFT MAPS DUE

Finish your Drift Map by Monday, May 5, 3 PM.

Review this list of grading criteria (PDF).
(28) Monday, May 5

Drift 3 Screenings
(Attendance Mandatory, B-91)
 Assignment

Continue fine-tuning your Drift 3 blog.
(29) Wednesday, May 7

Screening: Rivers and Tides
Class Potluck
(B-91)
  
  FINAL DRIFT 3 BLOGS DUE

Post your Final Drift 3 blog by Wednesday, May 7, 3 PM.

Review this list of grading criteria (PDF).