Posts

SOSC301 links readings

  WHAT IS MATERIAL CULTURE? This course will introduce the student to different disciplinary, interdisciplinary and theoretical discussions of Material Culture. It will also focus on empirical examples of what material culture may constitute and we will be looking at topics from the built environment to the body. It is important to remember that material culture also has a strong historical component and as such, any socio-cultural and political discussion of material culture is also entangled with the historical.  What this course is NOT about is materials - we are not studying the properties of materials. This course will also concentrate more on the everyday, and everyday spaces and objects. For this year, we will pay attention to the material culture of the pandemic world and how we might begin to perceive the world around us, our futures differently. What material objects have become prominent, important in your life, what spaces have you missed - what has fallen away in ...

MADT201 diary

Timeline Sept 9 - Introductions to the course. Exercise 1 starts. Sept 16 - Vizzie Assignment Due, Presentations. Lab tutorial for Project 1: Max Sound Composition/Improvisation. Sept 23 - Lab tutorial (Max). Sept 30 - Project 1 Due. Crits.  Oct 7 - Lab tutorial for Project 2: HTML 1 - Basics - 20%  Oct 14 - Holiday. No classes.  Oct 21 – Lab for Project 2 continued. Oct 28 - Project 2 Due. Presentations. Nov 4 - Lab tutorial for Project 3: HTML 2 - Canvas/Webkit Animation. Nov 11 - Remembrance Day. No classes. Nov 18 - Project 3 due via Mosaic blog post. Nov 25 - Project 4: Processing. Dec 02 - Lab for Project 4: Processing. Dec 09 - Project 4 Due. Presentations. Class Software: Cycling 74's Max   (formerly known as Max/MSP) - Max connects objects with virtual patch cords to create interactive sounds, graphics, and custom effects. Processing  - is an o...

MADT202 diary

Timeline Sept 13 – Introductions. Animations starts. Photoshop Image prep overview. Bring mags/paper for next class, if you want additional material. Scanner in back of room is available outside of class time during the week.  Sept 20 – After Effects Introduction. Work period for animating, scanning, questions.  Sept 27 – Animation work period continued. Oct 4 – Animations due. Short screening. Experimental film project (Collab) starts. Camera review, 2 groups formed, scheduling of shoot days, other prep details. Workshop exercise for film shoot. Oct 11 – Studio shoot day for booked group times (everyone helps out) Oct 18 – Film footage returned, editing in Adobe Premiere. Oct 25 – Film Projects due - screened in class. Crits/Discussions. Soundscape Project begins. Intro to Audition/Ableton Live (limited licenses).  Nov 1 – In-class tutorial on compression, EQ and FX. Work period with individual assistance.  Nov 8 – So...

English Links and Articles

Image
This New Yorker article about fan culture might be of interest to some. (Apologies that the New Yorker limits free articles -- if you've already read your allotment you'll have to wait till next month.) http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/16/superfans-a-love-story I have admittedly mixed feelings about fan culture -- on the one hand, I understand that coming together around shared interests is an important way for people to form communities of feeling and a sense of belonging; on the other hand, I am wary of how fan culture can harden conventions and expectations among both audiences and creators. And also, I don't trust the large media conglomerates -- it seems to me they are quick and efficient in how they are able to commodify creative endeavour to exploit fandom. Finally, having read and otherwise witnessed some fan-generated work, I am often underwhelmed by both the lack of originality and the poor execution of the work; there is little doubt that many who c...

Shooting Day!

We had a shoot last week for our next video project. The class was divided into 2 and members were given a role. In our group, Zander was our director, I was the assistant director, Jessica and Sebastian were the production assistants.  The director's job was to tell the actors what our group wants them to do, my job was to make sure we were on time while assisting the director and the production assistants. Jessica and Sebastian mostly helped with the lights and moving things around, making sure nothing's in the way of the cinematographer, which was Carl.  We didn't have any props and our storyboard relied on gestures and the facial features of each actor. This experience definitely made me think I am not one for the camera at all and I would rather be behind the scenes making sure everything goes well. 

What is MADT202?? Experiencing Cut Out Animation Week [Sept 13 - October 4]

MEDIA ARTS 202 is a survey of fundamental practices, practitioners, movements, and current technologies central to the production of time-based art. Students will engage in and create a variety of time-based art forms including video (camera, production, and postproduction), audio (recording, mixing, production), and motion graphics (production) and be exposed to artists and significant works in each genre. -MADT202 syllabus This first project made me terrified. I honestly had no idea there was going to be animation in this class. It was intimidating but I had a lot of fun creating this short animation. For the first week, we introduced ourselves then talked about our the project. We also started cutting magazines for the materials we'll be using for the animation. I had more material but I had a story in mind so I just used these. It starts off with a "commercial" about people and littering. I was experimenting with the fading out transitions and the the...