Syllabus

Video 3/Advanced Video: 
Neighborhood Narratives

Fall 2010, Rutgers University
081: 441: 01; 081: 446: 01
CSB – 326 Downtown
 Wednesdays, 10:00 – 1:00

Instructor: Hana Iverson
Guest Instructor: David Gordon
Email: hiverson@rci.rtugers.edu; hanaiver@gmail.com
Office Hours: After class, by appointment.

Overview

What are some of the differences between video designed on a linear model and interactive video? In Neighborhood Narratives, the urban landscape is a canvas where digital media in the form of text, sound, and image are applied to real places in order to document the definable aspects of place that simultaneously reveal and construct their essence and trigger authentic engagement. Certain aspects of mobile media and interaction will be investigated through a video framework. This process encourages participants to combine the skills of the storyteller (the grounded expert with detailed everyday knowledge) with the flaneur (the mobile observer of the city with a broad overview). 

In Neighborhood Narratives we explore the real and metaphorical potentialities of mapping, walking, and way-finding as methods of developing attachments, connecting, and constructing narratives in a virtual and spatial locality (neighborhood).

The final assignments may be but are not limited to presentation on location in the city.



The course is divided into three themes:

Theme one: Place and Space. The course begins with an examination of the concept of place. We explore questions such as: What is place? What is the difference between place and space? How are places mapped?  What is the relationship of place to location?

Theme two: Embodied Practice. We investigate how the body can function as an interface to trigger media. With sensor-based body actions, the body can enact causal relationships in the environment. The body can trigger media projection, or the body can be a screen for media.  Extending this idea, the body is mediation and the world is the media.

Theme three: Merger of Mixed reality and Mobility. Mobile media are tools that connect the physical to the virtual, by handheld connectivity to networks and webs. New public sites are emerging as a result of this mix - situated storysites, cell phone applications, environmental installations that incorporate technology, to name a few -  that create a new form of experience and authorship.



Schedule of Classes and Assignments
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGES AND ADDITIONS!




Sept. 1
Introduction: What is Neighborhood Narratives? 
The history of the class, case studies. What are some of the differences between video designed on a linear model and interactive video?  What are the issues of public, semi-private and private video display?
Outline of class project + individual projects.

Assignment:  Storyboard your next two weeks on a T-shirt, giving location and event.
Sept. 15
Introduction to Space and Place
Review of T-shirt assignment
Psychogeography: One Block Radius (GlowLab), Murmur Toronto
Equipment, class project team, project design.

Assigned reading:  From Yi-Fu Tuan, Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience; From Body, Memory, Architecture, edited by Kent C. Blommer and Charles W. Moore, Body Movement by Robert J. Yudell.

Assignment: Selecting one block in New Brunswick, go on a psychogeographic drift for a min. of 1 hour, max. of 12 hours.  Select a topic to observe: people (can include interviews), trash, signs, architecture, sidewalks, etc. With a video camera, document your observation.  Video should be min. 1 min., max. 8 min. with all in-camera edits – turn camera on, turn camera off.  Compress in Final Cut and upload to YouTube or Vimeo.

Sept. 22
Place and Space: Review of themes
David Gordon joins class.
Review psychogeography: One Block Radius (GlowLab), Murmur Toronto
Review T-shirts, videos

Reading:  John Cage article from ArtForum; From Ambient Findablity by Peter Morville, A Brief History of Wayfinding
 
Assignment: Map videos to GoogleMaps or GoogleEarth
Sept. 29
Open Space, Open systems
John Cage by David Gordon. David Gordon and all he thinks about.

Assigned Reading: Locative Media Artists in the Contested Aware City by Anthony Townsend; Locative Arts by Drew Hemment

Assignment: Open system video, location-based.

Oct. 6
Embodiment. Cell phone video 
Steve Bull visitor
Review assignments

Assigned Reading: From Site-Specific Art: Performance, Place and Documentation by Nick Kaye, Introduction: Site Specifics;

Assignment: Cell phone video

Oct. 13
Public Art.
Kystof Wodizcko and “Public Address”. 
Public memorials, counter-memorials.
Networked public screens
Review Cell phone video

Assigned Reading: Critical Vehicles; Creating Democracy, A Dialogue with Krzysztof Wodiczko 

Mid-term Assignment:  Put something here

Oct. 20
Public Art and Politics
Mid-term Review: Put Something Here
More about public display

Assigned Reading: From Illuminating Video: Video Installation Art: The Body, the Image and the Space In-between by Margaret Morse

Oct. 27
The Body as Interface
Sarah Drury visitor
http://isc.temple.edu/sdrury/sd/interactive_evokability.htmlhttp://isc.temple.edu/sdrury/sd/interactive_evokability.html
The body as agent for media in a public or performative environment
Akitsugu Mayebashi, Sonic Interface

Assigned Reading: Body, Memory and Community

Assignment:  Body as Interface Videos – installation or…

Nov. 3
Augmented Reality
Craig Kapp visitor

Assigned Reading: Jean Beaudriard, Please Follow Me

Nov. 10
Public/Private
Review Body videos
Janet Cardiff, Sophie Calle

Assignment:  Following

Nov. 17
Public/Private II
Review Following.
Outline requirements for final projects.  How to weave together the themes from the 5 major videos - drifting, live multi-source video, put something here (the public and politics), the body as interface, and following…
Discussion of Papers/Manifestos

Assignment: Following Part II

Mon. Nov. 22
Catching up.
Class project review
Discussion of final projects.

Dec. 1
Final Projects due. On-site presentations (maybe)

Dec. 8
Critique of projects, class etc.

TBD - MGS public presentation of projects and class video