Cinema
and the
Architecture of the Screen
RTF 331Q, Unique 06842
RTF 393Q, Unique 07280
Mondays and Wednesdays, 2pm-5pm
CMB Studio 4B and other locations (TBA)
Spring, 2004
Instructor: Dr. Samantha Krukowski
samantha@rasa.net
Office hours: Tuesdays, 3-5 pm (sign up)
UA9 2.112K, 471-4222
TA: Scott Nyerges
hutchense@yahoo.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
… "the film experience…is not necessarily a projection of light and shadow on a screen at the end of a room…"
--Gene Youngblood, Expanded Cinema
" …what determines vision at any given historical moment is not some deep structure, economic base, or world view, but rather the functioning of a collective assemblage of disparate parts on a single social surface. It may even be necessary to consider the observer as a distribution of events located in many different places."
--Jonathan Crary, Techniques of the Observer
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cinema and the Architecture of the Screen is a studio about the relationship between cinematic content and the structure of the screen that receives it. The traditional white rectangle set in a black box with rows of seats facing it is rejected at the outset as the site for cinematic occasion. Throughout the course the screen, the content projected onto it and the position of the viewer will be examined, reconfigured and redesigned. We will study some of the filters, lenses, machines, scopes, and tools that construct vision, utilizing their perspectives, modes and outputs to inform projects. We will also consider issues of image division, sequence, and overlay as they relate to scale, material and form. Participants should be prepared to build physical and virtual objects with attention to craft and detail.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Things to buy (or get)
Glue (RC 56 or Neutral Ph Adhesive)
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
Chip board (or equivalent)
Basswood (not Balsa wood)
Xacto knife and blades, The Chopper (optional), self-healing cutting mat
An architectural scale
Scissors
Good drawing paper (should have some tooth)
Cheap drawing paper
1 large pad newsprint paper
Graphite pencils in various weights (4B, 2B, HB, H, 2H, 4H)
Pens, multiple varieties
Paints, inks, other wet media
Paint brushes
Pencil sharpener
String
Tuff stuff eraser (or another good brand)
CD-RWs or, better, a portable firewire HD
Materials will vary for each project. Costs are a function of time and materials. The cost of materials can be altered somewhat by decisions you make (i.e.: resource pooling, bulk ordering, alternative methods). Be ready to spend what is required to effectively execute your work and to coordinate your efforts to lower prices.
Places to buy such stuff: The University Co-op, Asel Art, Miller Blueprint, Breed and Company, Hobby Lobby. There are many online resources, and better art supply stores in Houston than in Austin.
Things to know
Of primary importance should be your engagement with your work, your investment in the labor of making it, your dedication to the evolution of your own sensibility, your concern for craft, and your perseverance in completing individual projects while allowing each one to serve as a ground for the next.
You should be self-motivated to succeed in this course. Work is cumulative. If you are not used to setting your own goals and keeping a fast pace you may have trouble participating and producing work. We are here to help you as you develop ideas, interests and questions. Be prepared to work hard, collaborate with others, stretch your boundaries, share what you learn. Students with no prior background in analog or digital arts are discouraged from taking the course, though there are always exceptions.
Questions you have and develop may be resolved by practice or by other types of inquiry--theoretical, philosophical, scientific, poetic, etc. There should be times during the semester that you get stuck. You should develop the tools to unstick yourself. If you don’t know what to make, go look at what other people have made. If you don’t know what to say, go read something or watch something or listen to someone interesting. If you are still stuck, in all probability you are not making enough stuff to get yourself moving toward a question you can answer through practice or thought. A motto for the course: Make, make, make. If you show up for help, you will be asked what you are making and for evidence of your efforts and research in the direction of your inquiries.
Your technical ability will increase in proportion to your effort. Hack and be resourceful. There are many, many online tutorials and resources for various programs. Lab facilities are limited which necessitates cooperative scheduling. You may need to use resources in several locations, and finding the right equipment at the right time will probably require initiative on your part.
Other details
The course has a listserv: cinemascreen@lists.cc.utexas.edu. Your e-mail address will be added to the listserv after the first week of class. Use this listserv to communicate with us, your fellow students, ask technical questions, contribute ideas, share resources. In addition, you are encouraged to join the Converge listserv, a listserv populated by many of my ex-students and others who are involved with work of the kind you will be doing in this class; it is an additional resource for you during and after this course.
Things you should already have with you: a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, familiarity with website design and production, some foundation in both design and writing, an understanding of basic video techniques (shooting, importing, exporting). We will be using FormZ, a 3D modeling and animation program, and you should be prepared to learn and work with this complex software.
Readings
Reader (available at the University Co-op)
In addition:
There is a reserve list for this course and most items are on reserve at PCL. Some of the books on reserve include required readings, some do not but extend the field for our discussions and production. You may wish to purchase some of the books on reserve since many are wonderful. Take advantage of this catered-to-you mini library.
To see the reserve list for this course online, go to: http://reserves.lib.utexas.edu/courseindex.asp or to my website http://www.aces.utexas.edu/sam/professorial/currentcourses.html (click on “reserve list” for the course).
Grading
Projects 1-4 including online documentation 80%
Participation and Presentation 20%
A high grade will be assigned to those students who work hard, participate extensively and continuously, demonstrate a clear understanding of the readings and course concepts, and produce work that shows evolution in terms of sensibility, process, craft, scope and final composition | work. The standard grade rules apply: A=excellent, B=good, C=average, D=below average, F=failing. Remember that C is an average grade and only students who reach beyond this level will earn a higher grade.
A failing grade will be assigned to any student who does not complete all of the projects, misses more than three class sessions, and / or who misses any part of any review.
Documentation and presentation are both large parts of your participation in the course—invest in them.
As in any creative class, grading criteria are necessarily subjective. You may not agree with our personal evaluation, but decisions are final and no post-grading negotiation will be permitted. I discourage incompletes.
Projects (more description and discussion of each project to follow in class)
#1 Spectacles
Create two pairs of spectacles, one an exercise in lens design, and the other an exercise in scale and structure. Both pairs of spectacles must:
Be wearable
Be well-crafted and made of carefully chosen materials
Change the nature of sight and | or the subject of sight
#2 Vision Machine
Research and re-create an historical vision machine. It must:
Work
Be absolutely, perfectly crafted and beautiful
Be made of carefully chosen materials, with evidence you have investigated how to handle them well
Demonstrate your research into and understanding of the machine you chose
Using your vision machine, create ten representations that show how it frames, clarifies, distorts and/or obscures that upon which it is focused.
#3 Screen
Design three screens:
1. A screen that is an exploration of form and material
2. A screen that is an exploration of division, sequence and overlay
3. A screen that is an exploration of scale and position
These designs should be produced in physical and virtual form; preparatory drawings and model sketches are required for each. The physical versions should be no smaller than 1/2” = 1’. The virtual versions should be produced in FormZ, also to scale. Multiple stills should be taken of both the physical and virtual models, from different perspectives and ranges.
#4 Cinema Place
Build, at full scale, one of the screens you designed. Create the cinematic content that will be projected onto it. Develop the projection methods necessary to it. Consider carefully the position and role of the audience.
Documentation and Presentation
Website and CD-ROM
Throughout the semester you are required develop a website that documents and extends your work in the course. This site should be designed in such a way that it evokes the character of the work you pursue and complete. Use your site as much to document your work as to order it, extend it, research and discover things about it.
You will be given a personal directory on the Convergent Media server where you can store your files. Post-dates for online project representation are the same as project due dates. At the end of the semester this website and its dependent files should be duplicated on a CD-ROM for archival purposes and turned in.
Mini-DV tapes
Any video projects must be duplicated on mini-DV tape and handed in at the end of the semester for archival purposes.
Semester presentations
You will be asked often to discuss readings, ideas and the progress of your work with the class and /or visitors. Be prepared for these discussions, and participate in them fully.
Faculty Information
To find out more about Samantha Krukowski see: http://www.rasa.net
University Speak
Regarding Scholastic Dishonesty: The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonest damages both the student's learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work-career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For more information on scholastic dishonesty, please visit the Student Judicial services Web site at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/.
About services for students with disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
About the Undergraduate Writing Center: The Undergraduate Writing Center, located in the FAC 211, phone 471-6222, offers individualized assistance to students who want to improve their writing skills. There is no charge, and students may come in on a drop-in or appointment basis.