Students will be expected to work on three projects throughout the quarter, aspects of which will be presented in the middle and at the end of the program as well as at evaluation time. These projects are a computer/moving image production, an ethnographic exploration, and a viewing journal.
The Production
You will use Wednesday mornings to learn Premiere in the workshops with Steve Davis and student assistants. This series of workshops will allow you to work in a simple way with moving images to create your own visual/textual critique using moving images from or related to the program.
The Ethnographic Exploration
You will document the Seattle International Film Festival as a form of spectacle. This means that, besides your role as participant, experiencing and studying films, you'll also be an observer, looking at what's going on as the festival unfolds around you and speaking with others about their experiences. Sam will guide us in developing perspective and methods for doing this ethnographic research. (There will be warm-up exercises and readings.) The project will consist of descriptions and interpretations of some aspects of the festival which will address key questions in your work during the quarter. To read some examples of students' ethnographic work, click here.
The Film Journal
You will be expected to keep a journal of responses to films you have seen both in and outside of class throughout the quarter. You will meet each Wednesday morning for an hour (9 to 10) to create written responses to the films you have seen. The journal writing workshops will serve as models of how to connect your writing directly to theoretical issues and analytical approaches we'll be learning in the program.
Viewing Groups
Outside-of-class viewing is expected. Whenever possible, we will make program films/videos/discs available by placing them on closed reserve in the library. You can check them out to view in the Media Production Center screening room (located in the Media Production Center, Library 1302) which is reserved for our program on Monday afternoon and Friday mornings. In addition, we will provide you with a list of the film/video/discs available in the Washington State Film Library Media Center (Library 316). You can check these resources out to view in the screening room. You may also take these works home. We encourage you to look at the films with other members of the class, and to help each other think about and discuss them. Please note that there is a 24 hour turn around time for requests made to the WSLMC.
The Film Festival
Caryn will assume responsibility for coordinating with the Seattle International Film Festival folks and will buy tickets, distribute festival information, and arrange for seminar space in Seattle. We will need a small group of students to coordinate the stay itself, making sure students in the program have places to sleep, and information about how to get around in Seattle.
