HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE
Film & Video Course Guide Fall 2008 (updated 4/4/08)
HACU 106 INTRO TO MEDIA ARTS: ANALOG/DIGITAL MEDIA ARTS
T 12:30-3:20, Scr T 6:30-9 Lib
B3
Farkhondeh Cap 16
This production and theory
course will introduce students to basic video, film and photographic techniques
and to a diverse range of critical texts on digital and media theory, film
theory and some art history. Production work will include the use of digital
video and non-linear editing, Super 8 film cameras and analog editing and
digital photography and Photoshop. Students will gain experience in
pre-production and post- production techniques and will learn to think about
and look critically at the moving and still image. Students will complete two
digital photo projects and two time-based projects, including a Super 8 film
and a digital video piece edited on a non-linear system. A $50 lab fee provides
access to equipment and editing facilities. Students are responsible for
providing their own film, tape, processing and supplies. EXP, PRJ, REA
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 108 HAND MADE FILMS
W 9-11:50 check time, Scr. W7-9 FPV
classroom for both
William Brand Cap 16
While mainstream cinema
developed as commercial entertainment, artists working on the margins created a
parallel and often oppositional film history.
This course will explore experimental and avant-garde films made in the artisanal mode often in political response to commercial
culture or in concert with developments in modern and post-modern art. The course will focus on films that respond
directly to the physical properties of the medium either by subverting the
photographic process or by directly manipulating the materials through
primitive animation or direct painting on film.
We will screen films from all periods of cinema history – from Winsor Mckay to Stan Brakhage - as well
by artists working today. In each case we will attempt to understand films
within a historical context with theoretical and historical texts. From a detailed study of films, students
will write descriptive and analytical essays.
Also, students will experience hand made filmmaking through group and
individual projects with pin-hole cameras, painting and drawing on film, cel and object animation and hand-processing techniques.
REA, WRI, EXP, PRJ, PRS
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 109 INTRO TO MEDIA PRODUCTION: Imaging Truth (Or
Reality & Other Inventions)
T 6-9 PFB Classroom
Jean Marie Casbarian Cap
16
How do we define truth in a
world teeming with still and moving image?
If our histories (and memories) are defined by these images, is truth on
its way to becoming an invention? How
true is truth? This course will
introduce students to interdisciplinary work in media production. As thinkers, we will read, look at, and
investigate the connections between meaning and image, truth and fiction,
reality and invention. As art makers, we
will explore these intersections as we experiment with a variety of media
including photography, video, text, and sound.
You will begin to interpret, translate and/or invent or re-invent your
personal truth(s), while being asked to consider new ways in which to visually
articulate these ideas. Be prepared to
read, think, experiment and expand the ways in which you think about art
making. This class will prepare students
for continued work in media and media production. There is a lab fee charged for this course.
NOTE: Enrolled or top 5 waitlist students who DO NOT attend the first class
session risk losing their place on the class roster..
REA, WRI, EXP, PRS.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 121T THE WALKING ARTS
MW 10:30-11:50 FPV classroom M and FPH 102 W
Robert Seydel Cap 13
This course will introduce
students to interdisciplinary work in media production. The focus of the class
will be on a wide range of artistic and literary texts concentrated on the
image, activity, and poetics of the walking artist, a figure of nomadic,
restless, journeying intensity. From the
nineteenth century flaneur, summarized in authors
such as Walter Benjamin and Charles Baudelaire, to the mid-twentieth century Situationists, the urban walking artist plays a central
role in our understanding of space, solitude, and the dynamics of contemplation
and the crowd. Here travel and travail
share a bodily and mental labor, and determine a journeying and wandering
related to chance effects and the density of environment. But as well, the image of the walking arts
extends from previous centuries' mendicant friars, pilgrimages, and such
primary poetic representations as the wandering poets of Japan, consolidated in
the latter instance in Basho's haiku diary, "The Far Road to the Deep
North." Walking, writes Bruce Chatwin, whose book "The Songlines,"
will be a core text for the class, "is not simply therapeutic for oneself,
but is a poetic activity that can cure the world of its ills." Through readings, including texts, among
others, by Anne Carson, Robert Walser, and Rebecca Solnit, film screenings, the examination of a variety of
artists, including Hamish Fulton and Richard Long, and a series of student
projects in photography, video, and writing, among other media, the class will
test this proposition, and immerse itself in the walking arts as both a way of
being in the world and a history of production that stretches into the deep
past and informs an ongoing terrain of contemporary practice. This class will
prepare students for continued work in media and media production. There is a lab fee charged for the course. EXP, PRS, REA, WRI.
HACU 209 VIDEO I
W 1-3:50 Lib B3
Kara Lynch Cap 16
This is an introductory video
production course. Over the course of
the semester students will gain experience in pre-production, production and
post-production techniques as well as learn to think and look critically about
the making of the moving image. Projects
are designed to develop basic technical proficiency in the video medium as well
as the necessary working skills and mental discipline so important to a
successful working process. Final
production projects will experiment with established media genres. Readings, screenings, In-class critiques and
discussion will focus on media analysis and the role of technology in image
production.
There is a lab fee charged
for the course. Prerequisite: 100 level course in media arts (Introduction to
Media Arts, Introduction to Media Production, Introduction to Digital
Photography & New Media, or equivalent). NOTE: Enrolled or top 5 waitlist
students who DO NOT attend the first class session risk losing their place on
the class roster.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 210 FILM WORKSHOP I
T 12:30-3:20, Scr. M 7-9 PFB
Classroom
William Brand Cap 16
This course teaches the basic
skills of film production, including camera work, editing, sound recording, and
preparation and completion of a finished work in film and video. Students will
submit weekly written responses to theoretical and historical readings and to
screenings of films and videotapes, which represent a variety of aesthetic
approaches to the moving image. There will be a series of filmmaking
assignments culminating in an individual final project for the class. The
development of personal vision will be stressed. The bulk of the work in the
class will be produced in 16mm format. Video formats plus digital image
processing and non-linear editing will also be introduced. A $50 lab fee
provides access to equipment and editing facilities. Students are responsible
for providing their own film, tape, processing and supplies. There are weekly
evening screenings or workshops. Prerequisite courses include a 100 level
course in media arts (Introduction to Media Arts, Introduction to Media
Production, Introduction to Digital Photography & New Media, or equivalent
and must be completed and not concurrent with this course.) This is an
introductory video production course.
Over the course of the semester students will gain experience in
pre-production, production and post-production techniques as well as learn to
think and look critically about the making of the moving image. Projects are designed to develop basic
technical proficiency in the video medium as well as the necessary working
skills and mental discipline so important to a successful working process. Final production projects will experiment
with established media genres. Readings,
screenings, In-class critiques and discussion will focus on media analysis and
the role of technology in image production.
There is a lab fee charged for the course. Prerequisite: 100 level
course in media arts (Introduction to Media Arts, Introduction to Media
Production, Introduction to Digital Photography & New Media, or
equivalent). NOTE: Enrolled or top 5 waitlist students who DO NOT attend the
first class session risk losing their place on the class roster.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 211 STILL PHOTOGRAPHY I: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
T 9-11:50 Lib B3
Jacqueline Hayden Cap 16
This course explores the
intersections of digital and traditional photographic imaging in terms of
technique, critical theory, history and aesthetics. Experimentation with photo-electronic imaging
will be practiced and discussed within the context of contemporary art and
digital culture. The theoretical backdrop will include issues of representation,
mechanization, and authenticity.
Historical influences such as 20th century photomontage, documentary
photography, layered narrative constructions with image and text, and
scientific imaging practices, will be covered in readings and slide talks in
order to provide context for assignments, and to further discussions in our
regular in-class critiques of student work.
Project-oriented studio assignments will allow plenty of time to develop
personal content while advancing Photoshop skills. Students will produce
printed hard copy, as well as on-screen presentations of images in electronic
books or Web projects. Prerequisites:
Introduction to Media Arts, Art History or Photographic History course or its
equivalent in studio arts. A lab fee
will be charged for this course. NOTE: Enrolled or top 5 waitlist students who
DO NOT attend the first class session risk losing their place on the class
roster.
HACU 253 MEDIA PRODUCTION II: THE NARRATIVE
F 9-11:50 Lib B3
Kara Lynch Cap 16
This course is an intermediate
level production class that concentrates on narrative media production. This
course will interrogate this form and expand the definition while introducing
students to techniques and strategies for getting their projects from pitch to
final cut. Requirements for this class include: attendance, participation in
discussions and in-class critiques, outside theoretical readings and film/video
screenings, weekly journal entries, production assignments, in- class workshops
and a written treatment, script and budget for their final projects. Students
will work in crews to complete 2-4 final narrative projects. Through these
projects, students will become familiar with three major stages of media
production: pre- production (research and development of an idea, planning
& scheduling), production (shooting, recording, execution) and post-
production (editing and revision); they will also acquire cursory knowledge of
distribution. Supplementary workshops will concentrate on skills necessary for
work in digital, film/video and audio production, including: lighting, field +
studio recording, and editing. The goal of the course is for students to
produce narrative work from start to finish with a group and practice their
skills as producers and directors, writers, thinkers and artists. There is a
lab fee charged for the course. Prerequisites include: Intro to Media
production or equivalent, Video/Film I or equivalent, one media studies/theory
class, and one related course in the humanities, arts or social sciences.
Instructor Permission required.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 254 PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP II: Large Format
Photography & Alternative Photographic Printmaking
T 9-11:50AM FPV classroom
Kane Stewart Cap 16
This course will offer
intermediate and advanced photography students an opportunity to expand their
photographic skills by working with large format cameras and making prints
using alternative materials such as: gum-printing, platinum/palladium,
cyanotype, kallitype, and carbon printing. These contact printing processes require
negatives the same size as the desired print and students will learn to use
large format cameras and produce digital negatives. This course is designed for experienced photo
students with well-honed darkroom and basic Macintosh skills. Students interested in this course will have
had Photo II and be moderately familiar with Photoshop. Although there will be a great deal of
technical application covered in this course, the objective here is to learn
processes that will not only expand creative options but further develop your
personal vision. A $50 lab fee entitles
student access to darkroom facilities, lab supplies, and chemicals. Technical workshops will meet once a week for
two hours. Instructor permission required.
HACU 255 FILM WORKSHOP II: Recycled Images
F 9-11:50 scr-F-1-2:20 PFB classroom
Abraham Ravett Cap 16
This course emphasizes
developing skills in 16mm filmmaking. The course will cover the basics of 16mm
pre-planning (scripting or storyboarding), cinematography, sound recording,
editing and postproduction. We will also explore and at times emphasize, the use of " recycled
images" in the construction of found footage films and video tapes.
Students will be expected to complete individual projects as well as
participate in-group exercises. Reading and writing about critical issues is an
important part of the course and students will be expected to complete several
writing projects. Workshops in animation, optical printing, hand
made films, non-linear editing, digital imaging and audio mixing will be
offered throughout the semester. Students are expected to attend these
workshops as well as attend screenings of seminal film and video works in
documentary, narrative and experimental genres. A $50 lab fee entitles students
to use camera and recording equipment, transfer and editing facilities, plus
video and computer production and post-production equipment. Students must
purchase their own 16mm or Super 8 film and pay their own processing fees. Required
screenings and workshops often occur in the evening or on Friday afternoon.
Film Workshop I will be considered a prerequisite. Instructor permission is
required.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU/CS 282 NON-FICTION FILM
TH 9-11:50, scr. Th 7-9 PFB classroom
Abraham
Ravett & Chris Perry Cap 25?
"Certain people start
with a documentary and arrive at fiction...others start with fiction and arrive
at the documentary."-Jean Luc Godard
This is a seminar geared for
film/video/animation concentrators who would like to explore or refine their
interest in documentary practice. Utilizing a combination of screenings,
technical workshops, and contemporary readings as a foundation for our
discussions, the goal of the workshop will be to produce an individual or
collaborative project. Projects need not be restricted to a particular medium;
in fact, students will be encouraged to explore the ways in which film, video,
and/or animation can be utilized together. Limited to
Division II or Division III students. Prerequisite: completion of either Film/Video Workshop I, Video I, Photo Workshop I, or
an introductory course in animation. Instructor's permission is required. Lab Fee.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 287 A PRIVATE PERFORMANCE
FOR THE CAMERA: Directing the Self
Through Still & Moving Image
M 1-3:50PM FPV classroom
Jean Marie Casbarian Cap
16
In 1839, Hippolyte
Bayard posed as a corpse in his "Self-Portrait as a Drowned Man." His
action created not only one of the first photographs intended for the purpose
of propaganda but he more than likely staged the first performance for the
camera. Throughout history, artists and image-makers have used the photograph
(along with video, maps and text) to document their actions as a way to write
(or re-write) their own histories. This course will examine the legacy of
performance and the still/moving image as students are asked to perform for the
camera. The class draws on diverse historic and contemporary sources including
the self-portraits of Bayard, Claude Cahun, Sherman,
and Erwin Wurm; the private-public performances of
Yves Klein, Chris Burden, Ana Mendieta, Sophie Calle, and Tehching Hsieh; the
video works and installations of Bruce Nauman, Patty
Chang, and Miranda July and the collaborations of Abromovic/Ulay
and Smith/Stewart. Though some process-based assignments will be given, the
dynamics of the class will rely on your ability to produce work based on your
own ideas. This is an Upper Level Div II course and will require periodic
screening times outside of class. There is a lab fee charged for this course. Instructor Permission.
Five College Film Studies
Major Category: 8
HACU 334 THE COLLECTOR: THEORY AND PRACTICE
Th 6-9PM PFB
Classroom
Sura Levine and Robert Seydel Cap 16
The collector has become a
primary figure or type in the world of contemporary art, and much of the most
advanced work of the modern and postmodern periods can be tied to a collecting
mentality. The early Wunderkammern of the sixteenth
century and Dutch oil painting of the century following forms the prelude to
our own century of collection mania and mad taxonomies. From Marcel Duchamp’s
Box in a Valise and Joseph Cornell’s voluminous files to Claus Oldenburg’s
Mouse Museum and Daniel Spoerri’s An Anecdoted Topography of Chance, from Joseph Beuys’s and
Christian Boltanski’s installations to Marcel Broodthaer’s Museum of Modern Art, artists have employed
the mentality of the collector in a variety of ways and to a variety of ends.
In our examination of these and other works by contemporary artists we will
research the mentality of the collector and attempt to understand its resonance
for the modernist and postmodernist periods.
The course is designed to emphasize photo-and-other-installation based
work, but is simultaneously open to students from any concentration, including
art history and writing. For students making use of the photography facilities,
a $50 lab fee is charged for this course.
HACU 335 DIVISION III PROJECTS CLASS: PHOTOGRAPHY & MIXED MEDIA: Sequence/Structure/Juxtaposition
Th 6-9PM PFB
Classroom
Jacqueline Hayden Cap 35
This class is intended to be
about, to further, your own work, what it is, what you plan with and through
it, what you want it to be, both as it relates to your beginning Division Three
projects, as well as to your general orientations as image-makers
and-thinkers. It will be primarily up to
you, therefore, to generate your visual production for the class - the work for
it, that is to say, should extend from your own motivations and inspirations. A
variety of exercises and assignments will, however, instigate and should
develop structures for you with which to weave your work into larger
statements, image-to-image and concept to concept.
The course is open to
advanced students beginning their Division III concentration or to late
Division II students, dependent in the latter case on demand. We will
investigate various strategies employed in building larger chains of meaning
across multiple images and through a body of work, and examine narrative,
documentary, and poetic approaches to the work of expansive photographic (and
other) construction. One of our intentions is to understand representational
speech as multiple, expansive, and sequential.
Movement of image, the construction of knots and thematics
across a body of photographs, speed, pacing, repetition, conceptual density and
formal and intellectual rhyming from image to image will be a central focus of
the class. Instructor permission required.