Syllabus
From MediaStudies
Contents |
Course information
MS 190 JT // Fall 2008 // MW 1.15-2.30
Instructors
| Kathleen Fitzpatrick Pomona College | Alex Juhasz Pitzer College | Tran, T. Kim-Trang Scripps College |
All course information will be posted on this wiki. 
Course goals
IMS describes Media Studies as "an interdisciplinary field that explores the histories, technologies, and social and cultural contexts of a range of contemporary media forms, including mechanical and electronic media such as film, video, television, print, and the Internet, as well as other contemporary forms of culture." That covers an awful lot of subject matter, from a wide range of perspectives. This is the semester in which we ask you to step back and take stock of what you've learned as a Media Studies major, putting together the different kinds of work you've done into a complex but coherent whole. During this course, you'll thus work on two projects, one collective and one independent, in which you represent to the best of your ability what your Media Studies major has been, and you'll facilitate two sessions of the class, each designed to share your particular knowledge with your classmates. This class will be -- quite literally -- exactly what you put into it, so be prepared to take it in the directions that are of the most interest to you.
Course requirements
Class facilitation (25%): This course, as your capstone, must be driven primarily by your interests. Given that — and given the enormous diversity of media studies majors and their interests — we’re calling on you to set the course’s agenda. Each of you, working in pairs, will facilitate a section of the course on two occasions during the semester. The first round of such course sessions should focus on pragmatic, technical, or formal content — for instance, you can conduct a lighting workshop for videomakers, you can explore the use of bibliographic and other research resources, or you can give an introduction to a software package or other technology. The second round of these sessions will be topical, and will focus on some particular issue of interest in media studies that arises out of your semester project. One week in advance of your class, you’ll post a description of your session on the Sakai site, along with the readings or media texts that you wish to assign in advance of the session. (Every session must have such assignments.) Students in the class will “register” for the section they wish to attend by signing up at least two days in advance. More details will follow.
Class wiki (25%): The wiki will be used in this class for a number of purposes: conveying information from us to you; conveying information amongst yourselves; and conveying information from you to us. In the first category, you might put this syllabus itself, and all the other course policy information. In the second category, you might include descriptions and registration pages for the sessions you'll facilitate, and the readings you'll assign for them (see above).
Most important, however, is the third category: we want you to use this wiki to build a textbook for this course, a field guide to media studies as you understand it today. You should begin by creating pages for the classes you'll be facilitating; you should also help fill in the pages for the sessions you attend. This wiki is yours to develop, as you like; you'll get out of it exactly as much as you put into it. The grade for this portion of the class will be determined both collectively (a grade for the entire class, based on the overall success of the wiki as a whole) and individually (a grade based upon your particular contributions to the wiki). More information about the wiki will be given during the first day of class.
Term project (40%): Each of you will undertake a semester-long independent project, as the capstone of your media studies major. This project should attempt in some sense to synthesize what you have learned in the course of the major. Please note that in order to choose the film/video or digital/electronic options, you must have completed two production courses in the medium you intend to work.
- Film/video project: an original, complete film or video project of no more than 3-5 minutes in length.
- Note: writing a full-length original screenplay is an option under the film/video project, but you must have successfully completed at least one course in screenwriting in order to choose this option.
- Digital/electronic project: an original, complete web-based or other digital media project.
- Critical studies project: a 20-25 page seminar paper making a reasoned, well-supported analytical argument about the media object or phenomenon of your choice, making appropriate use of original research and critical and theoretical sources.
Your project must address and resolve a question, topic, or other concern that represents the culmination of your work as a media studies major. You will be asked to express the relationship between your final project and your studies in a proposal due on September 29th. You will submit evidence of your ongoing work (which will vary depending upon the option) at least twice during the rest of the semester.
Your proposal (1-2 pages, typed) should contain the following information:
•_CONTACT INFO: Your name and email
•_FORMAT: What will your short project look and sound like? Is it web or screen-based, an installation, an object, digital photography, etc.? Does it fit into an established genre such as net.art, artist games, animation, documentary, narrative, experimental, or a hybrid?
•_SUBJECT: What is your project about? Give your reader a concise description and some background knowledge on the topic. Also discuss why it is important for a media project to be made on this issue.
•_METHODOLOGY: How will you go about completing your project? What Intermediate or Advanced production courses have you taken? What are your primary sources for research? What experience and resources (financial, technical, artistic, etc.) do you have and what will you need to execute your ideas? A timeline can be useful in describing your process.
All Proposals must be emailed as Word attachments to all three of us.
This project is a discrete, stand-alone project, which must be completed by the end of the fall semester, and is thus not the early stages of a year-long project. However, each of you will have the opportunity to apply for a second-semester honors project in which you expand upon this semester’s work. Eligibility for this second-semester project will be based on the compellingness of your proposal and the success of your fall semester’s work. Proposals for spring-semester projects will be due on November 17th.
Each student proposing a second-semester project will pitch their work-in-progress, along with their spring-semester project proposal, to the IMS faculty in a group critique during the week of November 17-21. Proposals should be 1 page, typed, and must contain the following information: Your name and e-mail; a Project Narrative that outlines the format, subject matter, and methodology of your intended work; and the signatures of two IMS faculty members who have agreed to work with you. A limited number of proposals will be accepted for the spring semester. Notification of provisional proposal acceptance will be e-mailed on November 26, contingent upon receiving an A- or better on the final project.
Attendance and participation (10%): See policies below for more information. Bear in mind that participation doesn’t mean simply doing the work, or simply speaking up in class, but actively working to make the class a positive learning experience for you and your fellow students.
You are required to attend at least three (3) public lectures/events in the Scripps Humanities Institute's fall program on Global Media. Please sign-in with Prof. Tran when you arrive. The schedule can be found here: http://www.scrippscollege.edu/campus/humanities-institute/index.php.
Grading and other policies
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Academic dishonesty in any form -- including the representation of someone else's work as your own, the destruction or malicious alteration of the work of others, the re-use of work prepared for another course, and so on -- will be subject to the most severe penalties permitted under your school's student code.
The following information is for SCRIPPS SENIORS ONLY:
SENIOR EXERCISE
The senior exercise consists of a topical senior seminar jointly taught during the fall semester by faculty from each of the concentrations (MS 190 JT). This seminar asks students to bring together the various aspects of their course of study, producing an appropriate culminating seminar project that demonstrates their command of the fields and the forms of critical and creative practice that they have studied.
During this seminar, all senior Media Studies majors will be given the option to develop a proposal for a second-semester Honors Senior Project (MS 192H) or Honors Senior Thesis (MS 191H). These proposals will be reviewed by the Media Studies faculty, and selected students will go on to complete an independent project under the supervision of two members of the Media Studies faculty or appropriate affiliated faculty members from the Claremont Colleges. The Senior Project course will count toward the four electives required for the major.
Senior Project or Thesis: All Scripps students will complete a Senior Thesis (MS 191) during spring semester except those selected to attempt honors. Two thesis readers will be required: one must be a member of the Media Studies faculty or affiliated faculty; the second reader may be from an appropriate discipline which reflects the content or theme of the work (e.g., history, literature, a foreign language, gender and women's studies, and so forth); one of the two readers must be a Scripps faculty member.
DUAL MAJORS
Students combining Media Studies with a second major intending to complete a single senior thesis (or honors thesis/project) must integrate the skills and knowledge of both disciplines. The thesis (or honors project/thesis) must be cooperatively reviewed, read and graded by one faculty reader from each discipline; one of the two readers must be a Scripps faculty member. Spring enrollment will be in ID 191D.
HONORS PROGRAM
A Scripps student who wishes to graduate with honors in Media Studies must achieve a minimum grade point average of 10.5 in the major, be selected to participate in the second-semester Honors Senior Project or Honors Senior Thesis, and earn grades of A or A- in both first and second semester senior exercise courses (MS 190 JT in fall and MS 192H or 191H in spring).
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
190 JT. Senior Seminar in Media Studies. This team-taught seminar, to be taken during the fall semester of the senior year. It prepares students with the skills and knowledge to continue their Media Studies practice and research post-graduation. Students will attend one large group meeting weekly and one smaller group meeting focused on one of the three tracks: film/video, critical studies, and digital/electronic. T. Tran.
191 SC. Senior Thesis in Media Studies. This course meets the senior thesis requirement for Scripps' Media Studies majors except those selected to attempt honors in the major. Prerequisite: MS 190JT. Staff.
191H SC. Honors Senior Thesis in Media Studies. This course meets the senior thesis requirement for those Scripps' Media Studies majors chosen to attempt honors in the major and completing concentrations in Critical Studies or the Critical Studies: Film Studies option. Prerequisite: MS 190JT and Media Studies faculty approval of honors proposal. Staff.
192H SC. Honors Senior Project in Media Studies. This course meets the senior project requirement for those Scripps' Media Studies majors chosen to attempt honors in the major and completing concentrations in Film/Video or Digital/Electronic Media. Prerequisite: MS 190JT and Media Studies faculty approval of honors proposal. Staff.


Schedule
Weeks 1-2: Introduction
- W Sept 3
- Introduction, including the wiki
- M Sept 8
- Logistics
- W Sept 10
- More Logistics
Weeks 3-8: Part I
(Click edit to select your slot and post your names and course session title. Be sure to link to a page with a full description of your topic, as well as any readings to be done before your session. Remember that there are twelve sessions; every fourth session, your group will sit out.)
- M Sept 15 (critical studies off)
- narrative/experimental -- Narrating the Narrative Film -- Scripps, Steele 101
- documentary -- Lecture: "What is Documentary?" -- Alex -- Pitzer, Broad Center 208
- digital/electronic -- Lecture: "Web 2.0" -- Kathleen -- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- W Sept 17 (narrative/experimental off)
- documentary -- Crits-Ideas/timeline/ethics: with Alex, Pitzer, Broad Center 208
- digital/electronic -- Lecture/Demo/Screening-"Methods of fan appropriation: Vidding as transformative work" -- Alice, Scripps, Steele 101
- critical studies -- Workshop-Finding a Research Topic -- Kathleen -- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- M Sept 22 (documentary off)
- narrative/experimental -- Overview of Production Process, With Zac, Pomona, Crookshank 8
- digital/electronic -- Workshop-Adobe Lightroom: Introduction to Digital Photography -- Payton, Scripps, Steele 5
- critical studies -- Presentation - Gender and Feminist Theory, with Alex, Pitzer, Broad Center, 208
- W Sept 24 (digital/electronic off)
- narrative/experimental -- Screenwriting, Pomona, Crookshank 8 Latham
- documentary and critical studies -- Guest Speaker-Michael Parenti, 2:45pm, Scripps, Performing Arts Center, Room 119.
- Alternatively, you can also go to this lecture at 7:30 p.m. in Garrison Theater on 9/24
- Doc group said if you can't make Guest Speaker because of class, attend another speaker Naomi Klein etc and do a write-up on the Wiki about it.
- M Sept 29 PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE: SEE REQUIREMENTS ABOVE
- (critical studies off)
- narrative/experimental -- Technical Workshop 1 -- Scripps, Steele 101
- documentary -- Lecture-Cross Culture/Ethnographic Film/Doc Ethics -- Magee and Caitlin -- Pitzer, Broad Center 208
- digital/electronic -- Workshop-Adobe InDesign for Printing and PDF -- Samantha -- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- W Oct 1 (narrative/experimental off)
- documentary --Interview Technique/subtitle lesson-- Lindsay and Caitlin -- Pitzer, Broad Center 208
- digital/electronic -- Showings of past work by group-Discussion of proposals -- Scripps, Steele 101
- critical studies -- Presentation-Journalism/Advertising -- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- M Oct 6 (documentary off)-Technical Workshop with Eddie--Pitzer, Media Studies Basement
- narrative/experimental -- Technical Workshop 2 -- Pitzer, Scott 230
- digital/electronic -- Workshop/Lecture-Analog and Digital Photography Tomo -- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- critical studies -- Presentation-Film Theory -- Scripps, Steele 101
- W Oct 8 (digital/electronic off)
- narrative/experimental -- Shooting on Film -Evan, Zac, Maggi Pitzer, Scott 230
- documentary -- Lecture-"Documentary as a Political Tool: Activism vs. Propaganda" -- Robyn and Trang-- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- critical studies -- Presentation-Identity ConstructionNancy Planitzer-- Scripps, Steele 101
- consultations -- Juhasz 10.8 -- Tran 10.8
- M Oct 13 (critical studies off)
- narrative/experimental -- Sound in Film-- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- (documentary -- Lecture-"How to develop style/atmosphere of your documentary" with Robin and Kendall) -- Pitzer, Scott 230
- digital/electronic -- "Workshop- Adobe Dreamweaver" --Sammie-- Scripps, Steele 5
- consultations -- Fitzpatrick 10.13 -- Juhasz 10.13 -- Tran 10.13
- W Oct 15 (narrative/experimental off)
- documentary -- Crits-Screenings/Feedback-- Pitzer, Scott 230
- digital/electronic -- Workshop-Filters Using Adobe Photoshop -- Soo-- Scripps, Steele 5
- critical studies -- Workshop-Project Updates-- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- consultations -- Fitzpatrick 10.15 -- Juhasz 10.15 -- Tran 10.15
- M Oct 20 -- No class -- fall break
- W Oct 22 (documentary off)
- narrative/experimental -- Crits/Report on Work so Far? -- Pitzer, Scott 230
- digital/electronic -- Workshop-Intro to Adobe Flash -- Tyson-- Scripps, Steele 5
- critical studies -- Debate-Topic TBD-- Pomona, Crookshank 8
- consultations -- Fitzpatrick 10.22 -- Juhasz 10.22 -- Tran 10.22
- M Oct 27 (digital/electronic off)
- narrative/experimental -- DVD Pro Workshop/Godard Critical Theory
- DVD Pro Technical Workshop meet in MS Screening Room Scott 03
- documentary -- Crits -- Pitzer, Scott Basement
- critical studies -- Workshop-- Scripps, Steele 101
- consultations -- Fitzpatrick 10.27 -- Juhasz 10.27 -- Tran 10.27
End Part I
- W Oct 29
- regroup -- what do we do from here?
- M Nov 3
- crits for in-progress work
- narrative/experimental in SCOTT BSMT 3
- critical studies
- documentary
- crits for in-progress work
- W Nov 5
- crits for in-progress work
- narrative/experimental in SCOTT BSMT 3
- critical studies
- documentary
- crits for in-progress work
- M Nov 10
- crits for in-progress work
- narrative/experimental in SCOTT BSMT 3
- critical studies
- digital/electronic
- crits for in-progress work
- W Nov 12
- crits for in-progress work
- narrative/experimental in SCOTT BSMT 3
- critical studies
- digital/electronic
- crits for in-progress work
- M Nov 17
Weeks 13-15: final project crits
- W Nov 19
- final project crits
- narrative/experimental Scripps, Steele 101
- critical studies Pitzer, Scott Basement
- documentary Pomona, Crookshank
- final project crits
- M Nov 24
- final project crits
- narrative/experimental Scripps, Steele 101
- critical studies Pitzer, Scott Basement
- documentary Pomona, Crookshank
- final project crits
- W Nov 26 -- No class -- Thanksgiving
- M Dec 1
- final project crits
- narrative/experimental Pitzer, Scott Basement
- critical studies Pitzer, Broad 208, PLEASE NOTE TRACY MACLEAN WILL RUN THIS CRIT, EMAIL MATS TO HER!
- digital/electronic Pomona, Crookshank
- final project crits
- W Dec 3
- final project crits
- narrative/experimental Pitzer, Scott Basement
- critical studies Pitzer, Broad 208
- digital/electronic Pitzer, Scott Basement Hallway
- final project crits
Wrap-up
- M Dec 8
- final presentations
- critical studies
- final presentations
- W Dec 10
- Concluding thoughts; course evaluations (in class)
- final presentations (evening session; more info TK)
- narrative/experimental; documentary; digital/electronic
