Spring 2018 - CA 235 E200
Experimental Film and Video (3)
Class Number: 13038
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Wed, 5:30–8:20 p.m.
GOLDCORP -
Exam Times + Location:
Apr 15, 2018
Sun, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Joseph Clark
jec10@sfu.ca
Office Hours: Mondays 3-5pm (GCA3550) Tuesdays 3:30-5pm (TBA)
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Prerequisites:
One of CA (or FPA) 135, 136, 137, 167 or 168 or 30 units.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
A survey of the key works and ideas that have informed contemporary moving image art practice nationally and internationally. Beginning with antecedents in painting and photography, the course will move forward from the early European avant-garde to the lyrical and structural works of the seventies, the issue-based work of the eighties, and finally the gallery-based practices of the present day. Intended for all students with an interest in the moving image as an art form. Students with credit for FPA 235 may not take this course for further credit.
COURSE DETAILS:
From its inception film has been an experimental medium. Filmmakers, artists, scientists, and performers have used film to expand notions of art making and investigate the nature of representation itself. These experiments have produced works that test the boundaries of cinema and force us to reflect on the nature of the medium. In doing so, experimental film has been a laboratory for filmmakers of all types. Like scientists doing pure research that engineers can apply in often-unforeseen ways, experimental film asks and answers questions about cinema that can inform the work of narrative and documentary filmmakers. This course will take a conceptual and methodological approach to experimentation rather than focusing on genres and movements. Instead of chronologically, the course is organized around theoretical points of experimentation in order to show how experimental filmmakers test and expand the language of cinema. Each week we’ll look at films from the earliest pre-cinematic experiments to contemporary works in digital video to see how filmmakers have experimented and continue to with film form in order to expand our understanding of the medium. The primary goal is to see how artists have used film to ask questions about the nature of representation and the cinematic image and to encourage you to ask those same questions.
Grading
- Film Journal 20%
- Short essay 20%
- Midterm (take-home) 20%
- Final project 30%
- Participation 10%
NOTES:
Canvas (canvas.sfu.ca) All the required and recommended readings will be found on Canvas. You can also find copies of the syllabus, assignments, lecture Powerpoints, and additional materials. We will also use Canvas for submitting class assignments. You access Canvas using your SFU computing account – please make sure you can access the course material.
Library Resources A link to the DVDs and books on reserve at Belzberg Library for this class will be posted to Canvas.
Film Journal Students will submit weekly journal entries based on the screening (and readings) for that week. These journal entries are an opportunity to reflect on and react to the films we watch. Journal entries should be between 100 and 200 words. They will be graded pass/fail (10%) and the lowest 2 grades will be dropped at the end of the semester (so if you miss a class due to illness etc you do not need to make them up). Students will choose 2 entries to submit/revise for formal evaluation (5% each).
January 3 Introduction
January 10 Experiments in Motion
January 17 Experiments in Light
January 24 Experiments in Time
January 31 Experiments in Materiality
February 7 Experiments in Sound and Colour Short Essay Due
February 14 Reading Week February 21 Experiments in Identity / Performance Take Home Exam due
February 28 Experiments in Alterity / Otherness
March 7 Experiments in Corporeality
March 14 Experiments in the Archive
March 21 Experiments in Memory / History
March 28 Experimenting with Screens and Spaces
April 4 Presentations
Sunday April 15, 2017 Final essays due
Essays and Midterm Exam You’ll receive detailed prompts for the essay assignments and take-home midterm exam in class – these prompts will also be posted to Canvas. All assignments should be submitted on the day they are due. Extensions will be granted only in advance and under exceptional circumstances. Late assignments will be graded down each day (i.e. B+ becomes a B, etc). Students must complete all exams and assignments in order to pass the course.
Final Project For your final projects in this course, you will choose a filmmaker (experimental or otherwise) and show how their work has been influenced by the cinematic experiments we have looked at in this course. You will have the option of writing a traditional essay or creating a video essay. Those who choose a traditional essay will present a report on their filmmaker in class on April 4 (10%) and submit a full essay on April 15 (20%). Those who choose to create a video essay will screen their films on April 4 (20%) and submit a short (500 word) artist statement on April 15 (10%).
Seminar format This class is designed as a seminar. Each class will include short lectures and/or introductions of films, film screenings, and discussion. As most of the films we’ll watch are relatively short, we’ll normally have several mini lectures, screenings, and discussions each class. To facilitate discussion please print all readings so that you can refer to the text in class.
Office Hours and Correspondence Students are encouraged to visit me during my office hours: Mondays 3-5pm (GCA3550), Tuesdays 3:30-5pm (TBA) or by appointment. The best way to reach me is always via email, jec10@sfu.ca.
Participation As discussion is a big part of the course, attendance and participation will be crucial to your success and the success of the class overall. Come to class having completed all the readings and prepared to discuss them and the films thoughtfully with your classmates. If for any reason you miss a class, you are responsible for seeing the films on your own. Most -- not all – films will be on reserve or available online. All absences will affect your participation grade (10% of your final grade), but any student missing more than four classes will receive a 0 for participation. Missing more than 6 classes will result in an F for the course.
Academic integrity and dishonesty Students are responsible for understanding and following SFU’s standards of academic integrity. You are strongly encouraged to complete the plagiarism tutorial on Canvas in the first week of the semester. Students are encouraged to consult the following websites for more information and for links to the policies that govern academic integrity at SFU: http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/academic-integrity/plagiarism https://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html
Writing assistance It is difficult to provide all the support necessary for learning to write well in this course. I will offer some writing tips before I hand out the first assignment and feel free to see me during office hours to discuss your papers. I don't however have time to edit your papers or provide help with serious problems with writing, grammar or usage. All students can benefit from seeking assistance at the Learning Commons in the library. You can make an appointment to discuss your papers there. Visit http://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/branches-depts/slc for more information. Additional resources – especially useful for those who speak/write English as a second language – can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
A final note on computer use in class: As we will be switching frequently between discussion and film screenings and because screens can be distracting to others, computers, laptops, cell-phones, etc are not to be used in class without prior permission from the instructor.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
The majority of readings for this course will be writing by filmmakers themselves as opposed to academics. By reading manifestos, artistic statements, and interviews with filmmakers, we’ll aim to understand the methodologies and theories as expressed by the artists themselves. * All required readings will be posted to canvas
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS