LEARNING EXERCISES
Below are details of the assignments, along with due dates. All learning exercises are to be turned in hardcopy form (and stapled, if more than one page), with your name clearly printed on the first page.
I also encourage you to post these papers on our blog at http://vislit7.blogspot.com and to freely critique and comment on the work of your classmates. This is part of your participation grade.
Be sure you communicate any questions, problems, or issues regarding the assignments.
Suggested readings – Although there are no required textbooks for this course, two of the following assignments draw directly from these works:
Nick Lacey – “Image & Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies”
Susan Sontag – “On Photography”
You can find them at the library or at reduced prices on Amazon.com. I encourage you to buy them if you can.
NOTE: I am more than happy to read drafts of papers and/or help you produce quality work. This can be done by email, by appointment or during “writing” Fridays in the classroom.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS, REVIEW AND RESPONSE PAPERS
You will write six 2-3 page papers which are detailed below. There is also a seventh paper topic available for extra credit. This will only be accepted if all of the other six assignments have been completed. Writing should be focused, whenever possible, on class readings, visual theory and/or outside texts or articles. General grading criteria for the papers are insightfulness, organization, focus, use and engagement of sources and clarity of writing.
What is Art? - Due: Feb. 1
Answer these questions: What is art? Is art universal? What isn’t art? How might you defend a work as art if someone took exception to your view? Give specific examples for each.
To be clear: Leave your dictionary and other texts unopened. You answer these questions.
Close analysis of an image - Due: Feb. 10
This assignment asks you to do a close reading of an image of your choice. Be sure to first read Nick Lacey’s “Introduction to Image Analysis” from Image and representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies.
First, pick any kind of public image you deem noteworthy or significant (people, of course, do not need to be present in the image). By “public,” I mean any image that is publicly available (and not necessarily commercial). It can be a painting found in a museum or on the side of a building; a photograph in a newspaper or in a glossy magazine; an image used as part of an advertisement or one that perhaps seeks to criticize commercialism. (Be sure the paper briefly explains where the image was/is found, its significance, and why it is worth studying)
Next, clearly distinguish your analysis on two levels: content and composition. Lacey’s chapter will prove helpful here.
When evaluating the content of the image, analyze a range of possible readings. What is the “preferred” reading of the image? Are there other ways the image could be “read?” Why or how? Does the image try to convey a message, idea, or theme? Be sure to address not only how you see the picture, but how others would/might see it as well.
When evaluating the image’s composition, pay attention to the formal features of the image. In what ways do the formal features influence how we “read” the image? Also, do an internet search for “the rule of thirds” and read about this compositional “rule.” In what way does the image fit (or not fit) here? Does this influence how we “read” the image?
Most importantly when dealing with composition, clearly explain the significance of these formal and compositional features in relation to the image. What do they do, suggest, and/or mean?
To be clear: I am looking for you to use, cite, and engage the piece by Nick Lacey for this paper. The most important part here is for these papers to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between composition and content (and Codes, in Lacey’s and others’ term) – and how these two aspects work together to inform a reading?
Finally, along with the paper, be prepared to talk about the image and your analysis in class. If you can, please bring a copy of the image on a USB drive or CD/DVD disk.
Film review of Blow Up - Due: Feb. 22
On February 15th and 17th, Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blow Up will be shown in class. You should consider bringing some paper and a pen or pencil to class, since you’ll want to take notes about the film.
This assignment asks you to write a critical review of the film, attending to any aspect of the film you deem important and/or noteworthy. You need to draw from and cite other reviews of the film, but the central point/observation you make about the film should be your own. (There are a number of decent reviews of the film, which you should be able to easily find on-line. I’ll also post some reviews to the blog this week as well.)
Make sure the paper has a thesis and/or a very specific point/observation about the movie. The best papers will be ones that have an overreaching argument – each paragraph will advance your analysis and point(s).
Image and Reality - Due: Mar. 15
Address these questions: Are there any limits to visual or photographic knowledge? Are some subjects better communicated through photographs opposed to written or spoken words? What examples would you cite?
Responses that engage Susan Sontag’s On Photography in relation to the questions above are particularly encouraged.
The relationship between movies and society - Due: March 29
The “classic” period of film noir is generally located from the 1940s to late 1950s. Largely associated with a genre of movies made in America, the U.K., Europe, and Japan, these films are commonly characterized by a distinct visual style that has roots in German Expressionism, but, more importantly, these movies are also widely recognized as arising from and speaking to the aftermath of WWII, the budding Cold War, and alienation in a bureaucratic, military, and/or increasingly commercialized society. With this in mind, in what ways do more recent films (say, since 2001) speak to contemporary society? Is there a “type” or genre of film (or maybe “media,” broadly defined) that is emblematic of American society right now? Are there themes or subjects or even visual aesthetics that speak to modern-day (or postmodern-day) life?
A single, fleshed-out point or observation with specific examples will work best here. The paper needs to cite scholars, regarded texts, and/or respected reviews of films (that is, reviews from New York Times and the like, not I-Think-Film-Is-Cool.com). If you’re not familiar with it, MetaCritic is an excellent place to find reviews: http://www.metacritic.com/
Don’t over think this. Start with a specific film that you think is popular for some reason. If you think it is popular simply because it is entertaining, then ask yourself why entertainment of this kind is even socially popular? Why this film over others? Once you have a specific movie or two in mind, think about how that movie (or movies) “speak to” modern society. For example, the “Saw” movies have been exceptionally popular. These films are often considered “horror,” but they’re also suspense films. They’re films that seek to both scare people and keep them in anticipation, on the edge of their seat, waiting to see what happens. In many ways these are films that fit perfectly with today’s media-saturated young people, who often feel like they’ve seen everything and tend to be cynical. Horror and suspense films serve as shocks from their routines. These films are pure emotion, which may be a big reason they’re so popular, since other kinds of media, like TV and the web, maybe dull our emotions.
Analysis of Juliet of the Spirits - Due: April 12
On April 5th and 7th, we will watch Federico Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirits. While watching the film, pay close attention to the construction of each and every frame and scene, as this assignment asks you to write a close analysis of the film’s visual elements.
For your paper, do a critical analysis of some aspect of the overall story and the film’s way of visually treating the story. The paper may choose to address the relationship between film, the subconscious, and reality (all of which the film quite clearly addresses), or the paper may also choose to address a particular point about Surrealism as an art form in relation to the film. Be creative and cogent at the same time. Regardless, be sure your analysis addresses at least one specific shot or scene and be sure your paper attends to the overall surrealistic elements in/of the film. More than anything, I am looking for your own considered analysis. You need to, however, absolutely look to and cite readings related to Surrealism as an art form. You don’t need to go crazy here. Just find something that relates to your own analysis. Google “surrealist film” and you’ll find more than you want. I’ll also post some links to the Blackboard discussion forum.
Extra Credit Paper – Due anytime before Apr. 30
This topic is about the adaptation of written works (novels, short stories, etc.) to the motion picture medium (TV included). You will read an original work in its entirety and watch its filmed version. This should be something you have not read or seen. I can give you suggestions if you wish. Here are some of the possible areas you might choose to cover:
What are the similarities and differences between the two? Was the original easy or difficult to adapt? What is the attraction of the original and was that realized in the film version? Was the whole of the written version used or just part of it? Was anything added or subtracted in the process that helped or hindered the film version? Does the film version stand on its own as an artistic accomplishment? Is it greater or less than the original? Is that last question a generally valid one to ask?
The same standards apply to this paper as the other six.
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