PROJECTS AND ASSIGNMENTS:
[in-class presentation]
Each group (2-3 students) will take turn to do a one-hour presentation on a topic selected from the list of project ideas (see below). Each topic will be accompanied by a dossier (with readings and audio-visual material) prepared for the group by the instruction.
[2 take-home exercises on visual ethnography]
A. Video Research: "A Day in the Life of X"
A 24-hour sketch of a person (a self-selected subject with stated objectives / 1-2 students per group
Learning points: how to conceive a defendable research agenda / how to negotiate with your subject / planning a research // how to design camera work that fits your purpose / the power of the shot + power of the frame + power of the face / how to edit / how to record a process, how to preserve hidden narratives, how to use speech / how to manage your tools and the process / where interpretation lies and how it works / how narrative construction produces knowledge / an exercise on documentary-making / planning begins after 1st week of class
Problematics: how to impart Cultural Studies concerns into the study of a person's life in 24-hours / what kind of documents are we producing / how does your medium enable as well as delimit your field presence, your collecting/recording activity, and your observation
FULL GUIDELINE-INSTRUCTIONS [...]
DEADLINE: Oct 8, 2010
B. field photography: "Things with a future tense"
Individual project: a visual ethnographic exercise via field photography in the urban space of Hong Kong to hunt for "things with a future tense" to yourselves.
Describe your interpretation of the subject matter and how you translated that into a field photography journey. Compare your initial objectives and interpretation to the scope of issues opened up by your field work: what are the new issues? what kinds of new "frames" have you discovered in contrast with the "initial frame"? What new possibilities and "next steps" would you take your project -- as a creative event, and as a cultural investigation?
DEADLINE: Nov 8, 2010 (Monday)
For both A and B, write a 1-to-2-page (minimum) review (single-line-spacing, font 12)
Apply the multiple-circle model we have set up in class for description-analysis-interpretation.
[Semester-end Project]
Choose ONE from I to V (30%)
| I | An elaborate WEBSITE (or WEB ARCHIVE) with full documentation of this course's process and your personal research with personal reflection, informed analysis and full annotation. (All fieldwork, creative assignments and assigned readings should be covered, with a concluding essay.) |
| II | Developing (A) or (B) into a fuller work (with prominent revision or extension) accompanied by a paper of 8 pages minimum (double-line spacing / font size 12, Times New Roman) |
| III | A 10-page ESSAY on any self-proposed topic based on the course's theoretical paradigm (instructor's approval required). This can also be an extended report of (2) with additional research. (double-line spacing / font size 12, Times New Roman) |
| IV | A 10-page summary analysis of all classmates' portraits created for "A Day in the Life of X" (double-line spacing / font size 12, Times New Roman) |
| V | A NEW visual ethnographic project. Choose from the following: a/ A Talking Head series (about 5): video submissions should be accompanied by a paper detailing the reasoned criteria of your choice of subjects, research objectives, and analytical report (about 6 pages)
|
DEADLINE: December 14, 2010 - 11:00am-6:00pm / presentation in person / Venue to be announced /
Summary of all deadlines:
Dec 12 - all missing assignments (review essays, photo-research) in place
Dec 14 - in-class presentation of Final Project
Dec 16 - grading closed for web-blog wrap-up
Dec 17 - Final Semester Grade closed; no more make-up submission allowed
ASSESSMENT:
1. Video Research: "A Day in the Life of X" (+ 1-2-page essay)
/ 20%
2. Group Presentation (in-class) / 15%
3. Field Photography: "Things with a Future Tense" (+ 1-2-page essay) / 20%
4. Web documentation / 20%
5. Semester-end Project / 25%
SPRING 2010 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD:
Jo Spence | Wendy Ewald | Bleeding Through | Reading Things | The Atlas Group
DOSSIERS FOR INDIVIDUAL GROUP PRESENTATION:
[01 - Rouch/Wiseman] [02-Surrealism & urban photography] [03 - Chris Marker/Trinh T. Minh-ha] [04 - Yvonne Rainer/Abigail Child] [05 - Wendy Eward] [06 - Jo Spence/Vito H. Acconci/Sophie Calle] [07 - two action-research on women: Yunnan, Guatemala] [08 - The Atlas Group and Walid Raad -link to homepage / article on ~]