CURRENT SYLLABUS

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COM 232: VISUAL LITERACY
FALL 2011 / T-Th – 8 AM & 10 AM
Professor: Tom Hammond
Office: TBA
Office Hours: by appointment
Phone: 813-900-4759
Email: thammond1946@yahoo.com

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

It is one of the great ironies of contemporary existence that we are beset, informed, controlled and constructed by images, yet we receive almost no formal training in understanding and creating visual communication.

Considering ideas from art history, photography, film, mass media and cultural studies, students are asked to analyze visual rhetoric, begin to see critically, articulate meaning, and author visual rhetoric of their own.

COURSE OBJECTIVE:

This course provides an introduction to the varied ways of understanding, analyzing, and theorizing visual culture. We will cover a few major concepts and debates in the broadly defined field of visual studies while exploring a number of key works and traditions in the visual arts.

COURSE GOALS:

The goals of this class are to learn to “read” visual images at a sophisticated level and to express your own informed ideas about visual communication.

READINGS:

You do not need to purchase any books. Suggested readings will be posted at our class website, http://vislit7.blogspot.com or distributed in class. Several of these books have chapters that are vital to some of your papers. You can get them at the library, share them or purchase them inexpensively (used) at Amazon.

REQIIRED VIEWING:

Since there is no required text purchase and most of this class revolves around film and various other visual mediums, you will be required to subscribe to Netflix. It is $8 per month and the first month is free. Only films which are “streamable” will be assigned as required viewing.





LEARNING EXERCISES:

There are three areas of learning evaluation. Details are in the “Assignments” section.

(1) Response, Analysis and Review Papers: 6 papers, 2-4 pages each (60% of grade)

(2) Final Project: A visual essay to be presented in class. (20% of grade)

(3) Participation. You should regard class participation and attendance as an assignment. Participation is required and is a component of your final grade. Consider this a seminar and come prepared to contribute. Come to every class ready to discuss the topic. (20% of grade)

GRADING:

All learning exercises are given a letter grade.
100-94 A Outstanding
93-87 A/B Excellent
86-81 B Very Good
80-76 B/C Good
75-70 C Average
69-74 C/D Below Average
63-60 D Pass, Unsatisfactory
59-0 F Failure

ASSIGNMENT POLICIES:

Please follow these guidelines on all work turned in for evaluation:

1) All assignments must be typewritten or done on a computer. No hand-written assignments will be accepted. Multiple pages must be stapled.
2) You may hand in a hardcopy or post your paper to the Blog. No email submissions please. Either way it must be submitted by class time on the due date.
3) Late papers are counted down one full grade for each day they are late.
4) Grades are posted on Blackboard. A “0” in any column means I did not receive the assignment. “0s” turn to “Fs” a week after an assignment is due.

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is linked to the “class participation” portion of the final grade. No distinctions are made between excused and unexcused absences.

TARDINESS:

Late arrivals are noted. Any such pattern will hurt your grade.


GETTING HELP:

I’m happy to talk to you about the course, any assignments, general ideas, careers, favorite movies, or anything else that is on your mind. Currently, my office hours are by appointment or availability before and after class. Contact me in class or email me to schedule a time.

HONOR CODE:

All written work submitted in this class must be solely your own product. I expect that you know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. If you have questions regarding this policy, error on the side of caution and raise them with me prior to turning in an assignment. Cheating, plagiarism, copying and any other behavior that is contrary to University standards of behavior will not be tolerated. Students found guilty of such offenses will be given an "F" as a final course grade and appropriate action taken with the University.

DISABILITIES STATEMENT:

If there is any student who has special needs because of a disability, please go directly to the Academic Center for Excellence in North Walker Hall. You may phone 813-258-7251, or e-mail jdelvalle@ut.edu to report your needs and provide documentation of your disability for certification. Jennifer Del Valle is the associate director of the Academic Center for Excellence, Student Disability Services. Please feel free to discuss this issue with me in private if you need more information.

SCHEDULE

Listed below is the tentative reading and assignment schedule, subject to change as our semester together progresses.

A NOTE ABOUT THE MEDIA SHOWN IN CLASS:

We will be watching media clips and entire films for every class meeting. Whether something is “good” or “bad” and whether we found it enjoyable or boring, it is crucial to keep in mind that we’re not here to be entertained. We’re here as students and scholars. We must move beyond the surface of things and ask “why” and “how?” Given that a few of the films shown in this class deliberately seek to subvert traditional forms of entertainment, some of you may find them difficult to watch. These films, however, have been highly regarded by a number of people. They have been deemed significant and worthy of study by respected scholars and critics. If you’re bored or even offended by a film, I hope you’ll re-consider that first response by asking why someone else might find the work interesting and by thoughtfully considering the film’s visual content and techniques.





CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
Below are details of the assignments, along with due dates. All learning exercises are to be turned in hardcopy form and stapled, 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”
Neil Postman – “Amusing Ourselves to Death”
Louis Giannetti – “Understanding Movies”
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 after class sessions.


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 on class readings, outside texts or articles and assigned viewings. General grading criteria for the papers are insightfulness, organization, focus, use of sources and clarity of writing.

What is Art? - Due: Tuesday, Sept 13th
Answer these questions: What is art? Is art universal? What isn’t art? How would you defend a work as art if someone took exception to your view? Give examples for each.
Although I encourage you to research this question, your response should be personal.

Close analysis of an image - Due: Tuesday, Sept. 27th
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 interpretations. What is the preferred “reading” of the image? Are there other ways the image could be “read?” 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 might see it as well.
When evaluating the image’s composition, pay attention to the formal features of the image. In what ways do they influence how we “read” the image? Aside from lectures in class, I will supply you with a handout and a Blog posting that outlines these features.
Be prepared to discuss your image in class. Please bring a copy for showing (digital is best).

Film review of Blow Up - Due: Tuesday, Oct. 11th
On Tuesday, Sept. 20th
, Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blow Up will be shown in class.
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: Tuesday, Oct. 25th
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 encouraged.


The relationship between movies and society - Due: Tuesday, Nov. 8th
The “classic” period of Film Noir is generally located from the 1940s to late 1950s. Associated with a group of movies made primarily in America, these films are commonly characterized by a distinct visual style that has roots in German Expressionism. They are also recognized as arising from and speaking to the aftermath of WWII, the budding Cold War, and alienation in a bureaucratic, military, and increasingly commercialized society. With this in mind, in what ways do more recent films reflect contemporary society? Is there a “type” or genre of film that is emblematic of American society right now? Are there themes or subjects or even visual aesthetics that speak to modern-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. If you’re not familiar with it, rottentomatoes.com is an excellent place to find reviews. Start with a specific film that you think is popular. If you think the public likes it simply because it’s entertaining, then ask yourself why entertainment of this kind is socially popular? Why this film over others? Once you have a specific movie or two in mind, think about how that movie (or its type) “speaks to” modern society. For example, “zombie” films might seem like superficial entertainment to many, but there are underlying themes in many of them that deserve attention. “Night of the Living Dead” had impact because it reflected the splintering of classes and generations during the Vietnam War. “Dawn of the Dead” is about the destructive aspects of American consumerism. The “28 Days Later” films are concerned with the deconstruction of modern society, a fear that is currently shared by many.

Analysis of “Blue Velvet” - Due: Tuesday, Nov. 22rd
During the second week in November you will be assigned to view David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet”. While watching the film, pay close attention to the construction of 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, or the paper might deal with a particular point about Surrealism as an art form in relation to the film. Be sure your analysis addresses at least one specific shot or scene and be sure you attend to the overall surrealistic elements of the film. More than anything, I am looking for your own considered analysis. You should also cite readings related to Surrealism as an art form. Google “surrealist film” and you’ll find more than you want. I’ll also post some links on the Blog.

Extra Credit Paper – Due: anytime before end of semester
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? Why? 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?
Here are the topics you must cover:
How have the filmmakers chosen to visually represent the original work and why? Were they successful and why?
The same standards apply to this paper as the other six.


GENERAL SUBJECTS & REQUIRED VIEWINGS BY WEEK

• Basic Visual Theory – The Beginnings of Film – Lumiere Bros., Georges Melies, Edwin S. Porter, D.W. Griffith (in class)

• Montage vs. Mise En Scene – The Silent Era – Assigned: “Battleship Potemkin”, “The Last Laugh”

• Art & Experiment – Avant-Garde Cinema 1920s & ‘30s (in class) – Assigned: “Vampyr”

• Art & Experiment – “Blow Up” (in class)

• Classical Technique & The Hollywood Style – Assigned: “To Be Or Not To Be” (1942)

• The Addition of Sound – “Singin’ in the Rain” (in class)

• Artistic Movements in Media: Expressionism – Assigned: “The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” (1919)

• Artistic Movements in Media: Surrealism – “Un Chien Andalou” (in class) – Assigned: “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie”

• Genre Studies – The Horror Film – Assigned: “Videodrome”

• Genre vs. Style – Film Noir – Assigned: “Detour” (1945)

• The Auteur Theory – David Lynch – Assigned: “Blue Velvet”

• Gender Studies – Sex, Violence & Censorship – Assigned: “This Film is Not Yet Rated”

• Documentary Theory – Non-Fiction Films – Propaganda – Assigned: “Triumph of the Will”

• The Advent of Television – Social Impact of Electronic Media – Assigned: “Network”

• Artist & Society – Federico Fellini & Italian Neo-Realism – Assigned: “8½ “

• Projects


FINAL PROJECT

Here are the guidelines for the final project:

• You will create a visual essay that will either tell a story or make a point.

• It will consist of twelve (12) photographs taken by you. No more, no less.

• You may use sound, but only music. No dialogue, narration or sound effects.

• No text unless it naturally occurs in the photo (street signs, etc.).

• Project to be submitted on a disc and presented as a projection to the class.

• Submit a short paper (1-2 pages) explaining the project and pertinent details about the photos.

We will be viewing these projects during the last two weeks of class. Try to incorporate as many of the concepts that we learned about during the semester. You will show your project first without comment. A class critique will follow along with a second viewing. Be prepared to discuss the details of your choices and your process in putting the project together.

If you wish to do this assignment as a video rather than still images, talk to me about the possible guidelines.