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.

Field Recording Practice Session, Monday, September 22

Hello, all.

Thanks, again, for your patience with the microphone building sessions.
I hope that most of you are ready to go, and that the rest of you will
be on Monday.

We will meet tomorrow, Monday, September 22, at 3 in the Lab rooms for
the Field Recording Practice Session. I will be in B-18 for the
duration of class with the soldering gear for any last-minute adjustments.

Remember to bring your production kits, headphones, and some fresh
batteries. And, of course, your dazzling new microphones.

Check the Directory for your lab rooms:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_directory.html

Remember to keep up on your readings (Toop, Russolo):
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_schedule.html

I hope that you had a great weekend, and we'll see you tomorrow.

Best,

Glenn

P.S. Here are the Minidisc menu shortcuts we will be going over tomorrow:

Make sure you are in Advanced Mode:
* Press and hold Menu for 2 Seconds.
* Rotate jog wheel until "Option" appears.
* Press "Enter" (middle button).
* Rotate to "Menu Mode," Enter.
* Rotate to "Advanced," Enter.

Make sure your discs are in Hi-MD mode (this will be set automatically
if you are using a 1 GB Hi-MD disc):
* Menu
* Option
* Disc Mode
* Hi-MD

Make sure your discs are in Hi-SP mode:
* Menu
* REC Set
* REC Mode
* Hi-SP

Make sure you check your Mic Sensitivity:
* Menu
* REC Set
* Mic Sens
* "High" for general ambience
* "Low" for loud situations or very close mic

Make sure you are in Manual Gain mode while recording:
* Hold down Pause (II) and press REC ("Record Pause")
* Menu
* REC Set
* REC Volume
* Manual
* You have to do this each time you hit STOP or power up your recorder.

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.

Drif1 1 Work Session, Monday, June 30

Hello all.

I hope you had a productive weekend, and that you were able to get some good material on your walks.

Review the Drift 1 page here:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_drift_1.html

Also review the PantherFile and Blogger tutorials:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_pantherfile.html
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_blogger.html

Remember to use the Course Directory to check the URL you will use for your Drift 1 blog:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_directory.html

Here are examples of Drift 1 blogs from previous semesters:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/07116_directory.html
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

And, finally, if you get a chance, read (or listen to) the following articles:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/cresswell.pdf
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=110

Tomorrow (Monday, June 30) is a work session, and I will be in B18 all afternoon to help out with whatever issues you may be having with editing/uploading recordings and building your blogs.

Drift 3 Structure, Individual Critiques

Hello, all.

We saw a few of you during the Help Sessions, and we hope the rest of you are making good progress on your Drift 3 blogs. A reminder that your Drift 3 videos must be the end result of a process that begins with a careful reflection on your previous Drift experiences, as illustrated in your Drift Assessments, Ten Questions, and Production Strategy. This process is important in order to strengthen the connections between all the work you make in the class, and to gain a better understanding of the relationship you have with your work.

The structure of your Drift 3 blogs is covered on the Drift 3 page:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_drift03.html

When I left campus this afternoon, there were still plenty of slots available for the Individual Critique sessions with your Lab Instructors. Remember that this is a required appointment, so sign up by Wednesday at 3 if you haven't done so already.

Mandatory Drift 2 Crit, Monday, March 24

Hello, all.

I hope that you had a great Spring Break and that you're all rested for a return to your studies.

We meet tomorrow, Monday, March 24, in the Lab Sections for MANDATORY critique sessions. We will be going over the five rough-cut sketches on your Drift 2 blog (as well as any finished silent videos if there is extra time), so make sure your Drift 2 blog is up and running by 3 PM tomorrow. Make sure your blog is fully public by going to a different computer and accessing your blog (without being signed in to PantherFile or Blogger). This is one surefire method of ensuring that others can see your materials online, not just you.

Crit Schedule (attendance will be taken):
Lab 1, B-91, David Witzling
Lab 2, B-65, Seth Warren-Crow
Lab 3, B-61, Steve Wetzel
Lab 4, B-68, Julie Murray
Lab 5, B-18, Lilly Czarnecki


Remember that you are using the following format for your Drift 2 blogs: firstlast0811602. The Directory has been updated, so you can check your URL (as well as check that I got your URL correct):
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

The final deadline for Drift 2 is Friday, March 28, 5 PM.

A reminder to use [08116] in the subject line of your e-mails, and to CC your lab instructor when sending me a note.

Also, please check the Technical Forum as a first step in troubleshooting any hardware/software issues you may be having:
http://www.freeforum101.com/forum/index.php?mforum=06116filmforum

Please note that the Late Policy (25 points per day after the deadline) only applies to Drifts 1, 2, and 3. The Late Policy does not apply to the Reflective Responses, so if you haven't completed one or more of the Reflective Responses so far (Mapping, Sound, or Image), please get those done and posted. (You won't be penalized as part of the Late Policy, but you will be docked a few points on your Participation Grade for not meeting the original deadline.)

We'll see you tomorrow.

Reminder: Drift 1 Blog

Hello all,

Just a quick reminder about the structure of your Drift 1 blog:

Post 1: Drift Strategy (at the bottom of the page)
Post 2: Field Recording #1
Post 3: Field Recording #2
Post 4: Field Recording #3
Post 5: Field Recording #4
Post 6: Field Recording #5

Visit the Drift 1 page for instructions and tips on how to make your Blog more effective:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_drift01.html

Remember to check the Course Directory for the proper format for your Blog's URL:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

And here is the grading criteria that we will be using in grading your Drift 1:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/drift_1_grading_criteria.pdf

Hope to see you this afternoon.

Best,

Glenn

Final Drift 1 Help Session Wednesday, February 20

Hello all,

A reminder that we will be having another Help Session tomorrow, Wednesday, February 20. Here is the schedule:

* SonicStage: Steve, MIT B-18
* Scanning Maps: David, B-18
* Audacity: Seth, Julie, Alex, B-56
* Blogger, PantherFile, GoogleMaps: Glenn, B-65
* Drawing Maps: Lilly, B-68

We didn't have a huge turnout on Monday, so I'm hoping that we'll see more of you tomorrow.

For those using SonicStage at home, either on a laptop or PC: we urge you, in the STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS, to come in tomorrow and talk to Steve in B-18 about how to set up your SonicStage preferences. SonicStage doesn't default to WAV format in some cases, and apparently doesn't support the WAV format at all in Vista.

It's critical that you get this right . . . the recordings have to be in WAV format for you to import them into Audacity.

Remember that you are completing two types of maps in this class. The first is the Drift Map, which is the GoogleMap you will be using throughout the semester to document all of the soundmarks and landmarks for all three of your Drifts. This map is in process, and won't be complete until you have gone out and executed your Drift 3 in April.

The second is the series of hand-drawn maps specific to Drift 1, five maps corresponding to the location where you found and recorded each of your five sounds you will be posting on your Drift 1 Blog. These five hand-drawn maps will be scanned, uploaded to PantherFile, and posted on your blog as the visual element for your five posts about your five sounds.

The hand-drawn maps are a requirement for Drift 1, but are optional for Drifts 2 and 3.

Here are examples of Blogs from last semester:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/07116_directory.html

Remember the Tutorials page:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_tutorials.html

Please note that tomorrow is really the best time to get help on your Drift materials. Don't wait until Sunday night or Monday morning to figure things out. If you e-mail us Sunday night or Monday morning, we may not be able to get back to you in time for the mandatory Drift 1 Critique sessions on Monday.

Good luck, and we hope to see you tomorrow.

Best,

Glenn

P.S. If you are planning to attend the map drawing workshop, please bring the following materials:

* Any and all notes and sketches pertaining to your Drift (if you feel like some vital info might be missing--street names, major building names etc., you can look this info up online to piece together what you do have.)

* Paper (regular 8 1/2 by 11 paper is great)

* Pencils and erasers

* Coloring tools: markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, ink, etc.; whatever you like. (PRISMACOLOR dual-tip design markers work really well and do not bleed. These are available at the UWM bookstore and sold individually.)

* Black fine-tip marker or pen

Prep for Help Sessions on Monday, February 18

Hello, all.

I hope you had a productive weekend, and that your Drift 1 walks resulted in a lot of great sounds and maps.

On Monday, February 18, we will have open Help Sessions focusing on specific areas of Drift 1. Here is the schedule:

* SonicStage: Steve Wetzel, MIT B-18
* Scanning Maps: David Witzling, B-18
* Audacity: Seth Warren-Crow, Julie Murray, Alex Torinus, B-56
* Blogger, PantherFile, GoogleMaps: Glenn Bach, B-65
* Drawing Maps: Lilly Czarnecki, B-68

Please note that these Help Sessions are not restricted to specific lab sections, and that you may attend any session or sessions you wish. Bring your work on your laptop or CD-R, or have it posted on your Blog or PantherFile for us to access.

I have updated the tutorials for PantherFile and Blogger. They are available here:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_pantherfile.html
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_blogger.html

If we do not see you on Monday, it will be for one of two reasons:

1) Your Drift 1 walk was extremely fertile, your recordings were crisp and clean, you were able to transfer and edit your recordings with no difficulty, you were able to upload your MP3s and maps to PantherFile, and your Blog is solid and seamless.

or . . .

2) You weren't able to go out on your Drift walk yet (!) and you have no material with which to work.

If the reason is #1, then we will expect a fantastic Blog with engaging sounds and maps. If the reason is #2, then you are really behind and it will take an extremely concerted effort on your part to meet the first Drift 1 deadline a week from tomorrow.

Remember that the deadline for Reflective Response #2 (Sound) is due tomorrow at 3 PM. The readings from which you can choose are Delahanty, Ferrington, Hill, Peterson, Russolo, Toop, and Westerkamp. Remember that you are supposed to read ALL of the readings, and then pick one to write about. Don't just write about the first article you read, or simply pick one at random. Post your response as a comment to this post on the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/reflective-response-2-sound.html

Finally, tomorrow is also the deadline to drop this class without a "W" appearing on your record. If this class is ending up on the bottom of your list of priorities, then it may be a good idea to drop, since things will not be getting any easier as we get into video editing in Drifts 2 and 3.

We hope to see many of you tomorrow.

Best,

Glenn

P.S. Remember to visit the Course Directory to make sure you have the correct URL for your Drift 1 Blog:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

P.P.S. If you are planning to attend the map drawing workshop, please bring the following materials:

* Any and all notes and sketches pertaining to your Drift (if you feel like some vital info might be missing--street names, major building names etc., you can look this info up online to piece together what you do have.)

* Paper (regular 8 1/2 by 11 paper is great)

* Pencils and erasers

* Coloring tools: markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, ink, etc.; whatever you like. (PRISMACOLOR dual-tip design markers work really well and do not bleed. These are available at the UWM bookstore and sold individually.)

* Black fine-tip marker or pen

Prep for Wednesday, February 13

Hello all.

We meet tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13, in MUS 180 for a series of demos: SonicStage, Audacity, PantherFile, and Blogger. Since these are the key applications you will be using for your Drift 1 assignment (and beyond) it is crucial that you not miss this important lecture.

We will have a last-minute soldering session either on Thursday or Friday, with a time to be determined. I'll let you know as soon as I have something pinned down.

A reminder about the MD Recorders. When you are out recording, and you are going back and forth between Pause and Record, it's important that you at some point press "Stop" and let the recorder save the file and write to disc. Don't jostle or move the recorder while this is happening . . . let it do what it needs to do. Don't remove the batteries (and hope that your batteries don't die) while the recorder is writing and saving or you will lose everything.

And when you do Stop, or turn your recorder on after it shuts itself off, you have to put the recorder back into Manual Gain mode:

* Hold down Pause (II) and press REC (+>) (“Record Pause”)
* Menu (hold for two seconds)
* REC Set
* REC Volume
* Manual

A reminder about e-mails. When you send an e-mail to me or your lab instructor, please include [08116] in the subject line so that we can recognize that the e-mail is from you and not some random spambot.

A reminder about the Drift Map. The TinyURL has to be posted as a comment to this post in the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/drift-maps.html

Remember to keep up on your readings (thanks to those who have completed the first Reflective Response). Up next are Toop and Hill:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Okay, see you all tomorrow.

Prep for Monday, February 11

Hello, all.

A reminder that Seth will lead a soldering session tomorrow, Monday, February 11, from 12:30-2:30 in B-18. Anyone who needs to make last-minute mic or windscreen adjustments is welcome.

We will meet in MUS 180 at 3 PM for an important announcement, and then we will break into the lab sections for mandatory field recording practice sessions. Attendance will be taken. (Remember to bring your gear!)

Some of you may ask: "If I have already gone on my Drift 1 walk this weekend, do I still need to attend?" The answer is yes. If you've already gotten the hang of your recorder and microphones, and you've had some success in collecting good, clean sounds, then your Lab instructor will ask you to share your experiences, both positive and negative, with the rest of the group. You can also help your peers with troubleshooting.

Tomorrow (3 PM) is also the deadline for your first Reflective Response (on mapping), covering one of the following articles: Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, or This American Life (note that Joseph Hart's essay, "A New Way of Walking," is not included among your possibilities). Post your response as a comment to this post on the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/reflective-response-1.html

See you tomorrow.

Follow-up on past deadlines

Hello all.

Just a reminder that we still have quite a number of no-shows on the first three graded requirements for this class. To date, we have received only 56 replies for the Introductory Survey. This was due January 27th.

Only 61 students have registered for the Technical Forum. The deadline for this was January 30.

Only 41 students have posted the Tiny URL to their Drift Maps. This was due February 6.

You can still receive partial credit for following through on these. The Drift Map is worth 50 points, and won't be graded until the end of the semester, but it's important that you get it started now so that we can track your progress as you work through your Drifts. Your Drift Map URLs are linked on the Course Directory:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

Monday, February 11, 3 PM, is the deadline to post your first Reflective Response on Mapping, choosing one article from Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, or This American Life. So far there are only six responses. If you decide to stay home this weekend rather than go out on your Drift walk, then you will have lots of time to finish your readings and craft your response.
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Remember to bring your production kits, mics, headphones, minidisc, and batteries to class on Monday.

See you then.

Glenn
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_syllabus.html

Preparation for Wednesday, February 6

Hello, all.

Thanks for your patience and perseverance in soldering your microphones. Nearly all of you were able to build a finished, working stereo microphone. However, we will have an additional soldering session tomorrow, Wednesday, February 6, starting at 1 PM, in B-18. So, if you were unable to finish your mic, or you need to test your mic or fix a windscreen, please feel free to drop by.

We will meet as a class at 3 PM in B-91 before breaking out into the lab sections for a mandatory field recording practice session (we will be taking attendance). Bring your production kit, mics, Hi-MD minidisc, headphones, and fresh batteries.

Hopefully it will stop snowing by class time, but, if the weather is still really bad, we'll pick some indoor or sheltered locations. You can protect your MD recorder by wrapping it in a plastic bag and keeping it in your pocket, and your microphones should be fine for a few minutes in light snow with the windscreens, but you can also protect them with plastic bags for stationary recording.

There were some bad links on the syllabus, which led some of you to last semester's version of the syllabus. Hopefully I've fixed these errors and you'll now be pointed to the correct information. (Sorry for the confusion.)

To clarify: After you finish creating your Drift Map (preferably with a Start Point indicated), post the Tiny URL as a comment to this post on the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/drift-maps.html

The deadline for this is tomorrow, February 6, 5 PM.

Remember that the Drift Map is an ongoing space where you will be documenting all of the sights, sounds, and events for all three of your Drifts. The hand-drawn map is a requirement for Drift 1 (and an option for Drifts 2 and 3) that will serve as the visual component for the sounds posted in your Drift 1 blog.

Remember to read Hiss and Westerkamp.
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Please note that the syllabus (as well as all of the sub-pages) are being updated throughout the semester, so remember to refresh your browser when viewing the syllabus.

See you tomorrow.

Glenn

P.S. Someone left Kit #44 in B-18. I have it in my office--you can pick it up during my office hours tomorrow 10-11, or during class.

Reminder for Monday, February 4

Remember that we meet as a group on Monday, February 4, at 3 PM in B-91. At that time Brooke Swelstad, Equipment Room Manager, will make a presentation and then distribute the Production Kits. (Bring some batteries to test out your gear.)

After the checkout procedure is complete, we will then break out in the individual labs to finish the microphone building.

If you have finished and tested your mic, then you don't have to stick around, unless, of course, you wish to invest in your karma by helping out with your peers who are still soldering.

See you tomorrow.

Glenn

P.S. Remember to keep up with your readings: Lopate, Lippard, Russolo.
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Mic Building Prep for Wednesday, Jan. 30

Hello, all.

Just a reminder to bring all of your supplies to tomorrow's microphone soldering session:


* two Rapid 35-0190 Mic Capsules
* one stereo mic cable with 1/8" stereo plug
* two alligator clips for attaching windscreens
* one pair of enclosed headphones for testing mics
* Optional: swatches of faux fur for a fancier windscreen


We will be meeting in the lab sections at 3:00, so check the course directory to make sure you have the right lab (I will also post a list outside my office door, B-60):
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

Review the Soldering Guide: http://tinyurl.com/2be3p7

Review the handbook for the MiniDisc recorder you will be receiving in your Production Kit next Monday: http://tinyurl.com/2cx4d2

Also, make sure you read Cresswell and Debord:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

See you all tomorrow!

Glenn

P.S. For those interested in the Milwaukee International Film Festival Internships, I have the Word document here: http://tinyurl.com/2smw9e

Welcome to Spring 2008

Hello, all, and welcome again to Film 116. This is a reminder of some of the things you need to do this weekend to get ready for class on Monday.

Buy the required supplies for the class and bring them to class on Wednesday, January 30.

Register to use the class Technical Forum by following directions in the "How to Register" section. Set your User Profile settings by following directions in the "User Profile Settings" section. Register by Wednesday, January 30.
http://www.freeforum101.com/forum/index.php?mforum=06116filmforum

Complete the survey and post it as a comment to this post on the Course Blog by Sunday, January 27, 5 PM (you will need a Google account to do this).
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/film-116-survey.html

Read the articles by Hart, Cross, and Ferrington (please note that the Hart article does not count as a possibility for your Reflective Response).
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Monday in MUS 180.