Prerequisites:

No prior production experience is required, but intermediate college level reading, writing and critical thinking skills are necessary. An additional prerequisite is successful completion of at least two quarters of college-level studies spanning multiple disciplines. This could be satisfied by Evergreen interdisciplinary programs or classes at Evergreen or elsewhere that provide breadth. Students must complete and submit an application in order to demonstrate that they have fulfilled these prerequisites.

 

Description:

This Media Arts and Studies Path foundation program  integrates skill building in media technologies and hands-on production practices with the study of film/video history and theory. In 2020-21, we will place our work as filmmakers in the context of sustainability and justice. Collaborating with other academic programs, we will center one thread of our inquiry on the climate emergency, environmental and social justice, relationships among people and the land, and the sustainability and resilience of human and natural communities; issues that are vital to our well-being and the health of the planet. Students will explore ways that media producers can contribute to debates around energy, the environment and climate change, and learn about the environmental impacts of different media tools and practices.

In this election year, and in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, another thread of inquiry will address critical alternatives to mainstream media. Media has the power to educate and influence attitudes and behavior. As filmmakers and artists, how can we contribute to public discourse, educate people about the economic and political forces that affect them, and support social justice movements? What media strategies will make a difference? By engaging with these questions, students will define and cultivate their voices as artists and public intellectuals.

Working within broad definitions of nonfiction media, students will sharpen essential skills of observation, research, collaboration, design and production, critique and reflection. They will engage in substantial reading and writing while learning to analyze and critique historical and contemporary films and texts, explore strategies to challenge dominant forms and stereotypes, examine the politics of representation in relation to race, class, and gender, and develop fluency in media analysis and criticism. Through hands-on practice, students will gain experience with the tools and materiality of different analog and digital media formats, the distinct qualities of animated and live action imagery, and strategies of representation in documentary practice. Building skills in audio recording and composition, they will also learn how to make images and sounds work together to communicate effectively.

In response to the pandemic, fall quarter will be held remotely, focusing on digital media strategies, DIY practices including setting up a simple home studio, and the social and environmental implications of increasing dependence on virtual communications. To successfully participate in remote learning, students will need a recent model computer that can handle media production software, a work table, smart phone, and robust internet access. The pandemic also calls into question the safety of circulating media equipment, and challenges image-makers to come up with creative solutions to image acquisition. If conditions allow, some College media equipment may be circulated and some production activities may take place in campus media labs. If safety is still an issue, students will need access to their own cameras (DSLRs or other digital video cameras may be used; even smart phones can take great images). Students can expect remote class sessions to include both scheduled, synchronous sessions and asynchronous demonstrations and assignments, mainly using Canvas and Zoom. While these sessions will be remote, we expect to develop a robust and engaged learning community through frequent discussions, seminars, and workshops.

Both in fall and winter, students will develop media production skills as they work through a series of collaborative and individual design problems thematically related to a broadly defined framework of sustainability and justice. In spring, as a culmination of their learning, students will research and draft a proposal for a self-directed, nonfiction media project arising from that broad framework. Projects may take a number of forms, including film, video, animation, audio, installation, performance, and internships. Collaborative projects are welcome.  Students will produce these projects and exhibit them publicly at the end of the year.