Reading Response #3

Reading response #3 is due Sunday, May 3, 5PM, as a comment to this post. Your response should consist of a three-paragraph statement that answers the following three questions (one paragraph per question):

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

2. What are the main points of the essay?

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

Pick one of the following readings: Delehanty, Miller, Oliveros, Russolo, Spirn, Toop, Trachtenberg, Ximm; and post as a comment to this post by Sunday, May 3, 5 PM.

Audio/Video Hardware/Software Response

Audio/Video Hardware/Software Response

Reflect on your experiences working with the audio/video hardware and software in this class. Answer the following in a word processor or text editor:

1. Discuss your experiences with building your microphones. Was this process more or less what you thought it would be? How did your microphone rig work on your Drift walks? Were you able to capture both overall ambiance and extreme closeups? Describe your ideal microphone and recorder setup, with unlimited time and money.

2. How was your experience with operating the MiniDisc recorder? How does this recorder compare to other audio equipment you've used? In an ideal world, how would your recorder of choice function?

3. Discuss the audio-editing software you chose and your history with this application. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?

4. How was your experience with the digital/video camera you chose to use in this course? How did it compare with other still or video cameras you have previously used? Were you able to successfully implement your Image Capturing Strategies using the features of this camera? In an ideal world, how would your still/video camera of choice function?

5. Discuss your choice of video-editing software and describe your history with this software. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?

Copy/paste/publish as a single comment to this post by Friday, May 1, 5 PM.

Reading Response #1 due Sunday, February 22, 5 PM

Hello, again.

The first Reading Response is due this Sunday, February 22, at 5 PM.
You will post your response as a comment to the post linked HERE.

Reading Response #1 will consist of a three-paragraph statement on one
of the readings from the list below, answering the following three
questions (one paragraph per question):

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

2. What are the main points of the essay?

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your
own practice as a media artist?

Choose one of these readings: Cosgrove, Cresswell, Cross, Debord,
Ferrington, Hall, Hart, Hiss, Peterson, Sant, Westerkamp.

Check the Research page for direct links to these readings:

Again, the deadline is Sunday, February 22, 5 PM.

Reading Response #1

Reading Response #1 will consist of a three-paragraph statement on one of the readings from the list below, answering the following three questions (one paragraph per question):

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

2. What are the main points of the essay?

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

Post your Reading Response #1 to one of the following readings as a comment to this post: Cosgrove, Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Ferrington, Hall, Hart, Hiss, Peterson, Sant, Westerkamp.

Check the Research page for direct links to these readings.

The deadline is Sunday, February 22, 5 PM.

Prep for Wednesday, January 28

Hello, all.

Welcome, again, to FILM 116. We have a busy semester ahead of us, and
a productive one as well, I hope.

Some reminders:

We meet again on Wednesday, 3 PM, B91, for a demo on Blogger and
PantherFile. We will also listen to previous examples of Drift 1
recordings, as well as go through a preview of microphone building.

Remember to post your Survey answers as a comment to this post on the
Course Blog by Sunday, February 1, 5 PM:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2009/01/film-116-survey.html

Also, register for the Technical Forum, also by Sunday:
http://www.freeforum101.com/forum/index.php?mforum=06116filmforum

Here is the link to the list of required supplies that you will need to
purchase by Monday, February 9:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_syllabus.html#supplies

All of these supplies (except for the optional faux fur and soldering
wand) are available from Riverwest Film and Video, 824 East Center St.,
Milwaukee, WI 53212, Hours: 3-11pm daily, 414-265-8433)
http://tinyurl.com/36avvt

Remember to keep up on your reading. To prepare for Monday's Soundwalk,
make sure you've gotten through Hart, Westerkamp, Debord, and Sant.

Note that my updates to the syllabus and schedule are ongoing, so please
be patient!

See you all on Wednesday.

Drift 2 Screening, Research Blogs

Hello, all.

Tomorrow (Monday, December 8) we meet in B91 for the final round of
Drift 2 screenings.

By now you should be all finished with your Research Blogs, which I will
finish grading this week.

Our final class meeting will be Wednesday, December 10, when we will
screen "Rivers and Tides," a documentary on the artist Andy Goldsworthy.

And, if you have sent me an e-mail recently, I hope to respond to you soon.

Drift 2 Screenings, Video Hardware/Software Response

Hello, all.

We meet again tomorrow (Wednesday, December 3) for the second round of
Drift 2 Screenings. Attendance is required, even if we have already
screened your video.

Tomorrow (by 3 PM) is also the deadline for your Video Hardware/Software
response to be posted to your Research Blog.

http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_research.html

See you all tomorrow.

Drift 2 Practice Crit, Editing Discussion

Hello, all.

We meet tomorrow in B91 for a selection of past Drift videos and
discussion of Drift 2 procedures.

Remember that your Drift Assessments and Ten Questions are to be posted
to your Research Blog by 3 PM tomorrow.

http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_research.html

This is to (hopefully) inspire you to go out on your Drift 2 walks this
weekend. As you realized during Drift 1, the more time you have to
review and edit, the better.

Many of you have already used your digital cameras to add imagery to
your Drift 1 blogs, but if you need some reference on how to use any of
the features of your camera, check the FAQs and manuals on the Tutorials
page:

http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_tutorials.html

See you tomorrow.

Drift 1 Rough Crit

Hello, all.

Tomorrow (Monday, October 6) we meet in the lab rooms for in-progress
critique sessions led by the Lab Instructors. Make sure that your Drift
1 blog is up and running, and that you have enough material posted to
talk about in class.

I'll be sending out preliminary Research grades (Soundwalk Response and
the first Reading Response) beginning tomorrow. Keep in mind that the
PDF copy of the spreadsheet you receive will indicate the Research point
total so far--I will send updates throughout the semester following
other Research deadlines. Note that if you haven't yet scanned your
Soundwalk maps/notes/sketches, please do so and let me know of the
changes to your Research Blog.

We'll see you tomorrow.

SonicStage Overview, Audacity Demo

Hello, all.

Tomorrow, September 24, we meet in B91 for a SonicStage overview and
Audacity demo. I also hope to give a brief demo on GoogleMaps, if we
have time.

Speaking of maps, remember that your Drift 1 blog must contain (or link
to) a Drift Map of some sort that includes:

* the outermost boundaries of your walk (including an overall
reference to City and State)
* the line(s) of your walk as determined by your Drift strategy
* key soundmarks / landmarks pinpointed with markers or symbols
* descriptions of these soundmarks / landmarks
* date/time you explored this site

The Drift Map may be a drawing, painting, collage, comic, manipulated
photo, or GoogleMap, and will be the first post on your Drift 1 Blog
(followed by your Drift Strategy). Each of the five field recordings
you post on your Blog must be accompanied by some visual element: a
detail from your Drift Map, a photo of the site, a sketch, or whatever.
Be creative, and have fun.

If you haven't gone on your Drift walk yet, you should this weekend.
Drift 1 is not due until October 13, but it's important that you gather
your raw recordings now (and a lot of them!) so that you will have
plenty of time to listen, edit, post, and troubleshoot. Record more
than you think you need, and for longer than you think you need. You'll
be glad you did.

All of this information can be found on the Drift 1 page:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_drift_1.html

Remember to keep up with your readings. The first Reflective Response
must be posted to your Research blog by Sunday, September 28, 5 PM.
Pick one of the following articles for your Response: Cresswell, Cross,
Debord, Ferrington, Hart, Lippard, Russolo, This American Life, Toop,
Westerkamp. The questions, and links to the readings, can be found on
the Research page:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_research.html

We'll see you tomorrow.

Microphone Building, Production Kits

Hello, all.

Thanks for your patience with the microphone building sessions. We're
trying to make the best of the equipment that we have, and our goal is
to get as many of you finished with your microphones by the end of the week.

We will meet Wednesday as a class in B91. At 3 PM sharp, Brooke
Swelstad from the Equipment Room will give a short presentation, and
then you will receive the Production Kit you will be using this
semester. After that is done, then the labs will reconvene and the
microphone building will continue.

On Monday, September 22, the lab instructors will lead their sections on
a Field Recording Practice Session, while I will remain in B18 with the
soldering gear for any last-minute adjustments. Of course, you are
welcome to go out on your Drift 1 walk(s) this weekend if you feel
ready, but if you want to wait until we go over the use of the Minidisc
recorder on Monday, then that is fine as well.

Thanks, also, for the Soundwalk responses on your Research Blogs. I
checked them all, and even though I haven't yet been able to read
through each one carefully, I was impressed with what I saw so far.

Also, remember to keep up with your readings (please note that I've
corrected the bad links to some of the articles). The reading schedule
is posted on the Course Schedule:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_schedule.html

And the list of readings is covered on the Research page:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_research.html

That's it for now. I'll be out of town the rest of the week, but I will
be keeping up with my e-mail, so drop a line if you have any questions.

Soundwalk Follow-up

Hello, all.

Thanks for your participation in what I'm hearing (pun intended) was a
successful series of soundwalks.

The next step is to get your Research Blog up and running so that you
can document your soundwalk experience and upload your maps, sketches,
and notes while the experience is still relatively fresh.

The Blogger tutorial is here:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_blogger.html

And the updated PantherFile tutorial is here:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_pantherfile.html

Answer the Soundwalk Response questions in a post on your Research Blog.
The questions are here:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_research.html

I will be checking that your Research Blog is live and that you've
answered the questions by this Sunday, September 14, 5 PM.

I'd also like to see your notes and maps, but, since I won't be grading
your finished Research Blog until the end of the semester, don't worry
if you're having problems scanning or uploading imagery at this point.
We will have help sessions on this issue and other topics associated
with Drift 1 on October 1 and October 8, although we can certainly help
you individually if you visit us during office hours. You can then
upload your soundwalk images when we finish troubleshooting the problem.

Okay, that's it for now. I'll probably send another note this weekend
to remind you about the Research Blog deadline.

Have a great rest of the week.

Supplies, Survey, and Readings

Hello all.

Welcome, again, to FILM 116. It's going to be a busy semester, but I
hope that we can make it interesting and fun.

Here is the list of supplies you'll need to get by Tuesday, September 9:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_syllabus.html#supplies

You can get all the supplies from Riverwest Film and Video, 824 East
Center St., Milwaukee, WI 53212, Hours: 3-11pm daily, 414-265-8433):
http://tinyurl.com/36avvt

If you haven't filled out and posted the Survey, do so by Sunday,
September 7 at 5 PM. This requires a Google account:
https://www.google.com/accounts/Login

So far I've received one request for 24/7 access to B18. I actually
need to submit this list earlier than I thought, so please e-mail me by
Monday, September 8, 3 PM, if you will be using B18 for this class.

Remember to keep up with your reading. There are three articles you
should read before we go out on our soundwalks on Monday:
Hart: http://tinyurl.com/6mr8cj
Westerkamp: http://tinyurl.com/6hoffh
Ferrington: http://tinyurl.com/5c49ge

We will meet Monday at 3 PM in B91 to watch some examples of student
work from previous semesters. I'll also give a brief demo on Blogger so
you can start work on your Research blogs. We will then break out into
the lab sections for the guided soundwalks. Wear comfortable clothes
and shoes, and bring a notebook and pen/pencil for taking notes and
sketches.

Remember that the lab assignments are posted on the Course Directory:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_directory.html

Okay, have a great weekend, and try to stay dry. We'll see you next week.

Clarification on Reflective Responses

Just a quick note to clarify the reading assignments for the Reflective Responses.

The first Reflective Response is centered around the ideas of place, landscape and mapping, and is due February 11. Articles/programs for this response include Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, and This American Life.

The second Reflective Response is all about sound, and this is due February 18th. Articles for this response include Delahanty, Ferrington, Hill, Peterson, Russolo, Toop, and Westerkamp.

I have staggered the readings so that you are reading some articles on place and others on sound simultaneously. This way you are introduced to ideas and thoughts about both mapping and sound from the beginning, so that when you go out on Drift 1 after February 6th, you will already have lots of ideas and questions swirling around in your heads as you walk through the city pointing your microphones in interesting directions and collecting unique sounds.

So, for instance, if you've read the Ferrington article and it really sparked some ideas and you want to write about it, then wait until the second Response, which is not due until February 18. By the time we get to the deadline for the first Response, February 11, you will have read all of the articles on place/mapping and hopefully one or more will have sparked something in you as well.

In summary, you will be writing Response #1 on place/mapping, and Response #2 on sound.

We'll see you all on Monday, 3 PM, in MUS 180 for an overview of the first Drift assignment.

Reflective Response #2 (Sound)

Read the following articles on sound: Delehanty, Ferrington, Hill, Peterson, Russolo, Toop, and Westerkamp. Links to the articles here.

Pick one, and write a three-paragraph statement answering the following three questions (one paragraph per question), as a comment to this post.

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

2. What are the main points of the essay?

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

The deadline is Monday, February 18, 3 PM.

Reflective Response #1 (Mapping)

Read (and listen to) the following articles on place and mapping: Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, This American Life. Links to the articles here.

Pick one, and write a three-paragraph statement answering the following three questions (one paragraph per question), as a comment to this post.

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

2. What are the main points of the essay?

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

The deadline is Monday, February 11, 3 PM.