Class Syllabus

Introduction to Multimedia Composition: Documenting Your World, Fall 2018*

Tuesday (4:30 to 7:30 p.m.) Computer Lab, First Floor, Murray Hall

Aimee LaBrie/aimee.labrie@rutgers.edu 

Office Hours: Wed. 9 a.m. to noon, Room 102, Murray Hall or by appointment 

“Don’t believe everything you think.” ---Seen on a bumper sticker on I-95.

CLASS BLOG: https://aimeelabriefall2018.blogspot.com/

*Please note that blog assignments and readings are subject to change based on class dynamics, collective skill set, and needs.

Course Description:

Sometimes, it feels like the news has everything covered: politics, entertainment, climate change, business. But there’s something only you can report on: The story of your everyday life, how your immediate world keeps changing. The questions at the heart of this course are: What makes your world yours? How do you represent yourself as a character in your own story? To help us answer these and other questions, we will analyze the fragmentary nature of multimedia forms--blog posts, podcasts, and short videos—and explore how we can use them to construct a vision of ourselves  and puzzle out our ever-changing world.

The key to effective and meaningful expression lies in the marriage of content to form. Like all expressive forms, the forms of digital media we will be working in this semester present us with possibilities and constraints peculiar to them. In this course we will identify the essential characteristics of blogs, podcasts, video essays, and video features and consider how we can make use of both their strengths and their limitations to tell our stories. In particular, taking our cue from the prevailing tendency of these digital formats to be compact, we will look at a variety of examples of short narrative forms (e.g., personal essays, lyric essays, short fiction); rhetorical devices such as the use of synecdoche (the part for the whole) and microcosms; and the impact of visual and textual fragments to help us think about how to craft our digital content.

SAS Core Goals:

This course fulfills the following SAS Common Core Curriculum Goals:

•   Engage critically in the process of creative expression. [AHR]

•   Employ current technologies to access information, to conduct research, and to communicate findings. [ITR]

Please note: it is now possible to earn a Certificate in Creative Writing from the English Department (visit the English Department for more information).

Assigned Texts and Required Materials

·         Class readings will be hyperlinked in the course schedule below or provided to you as handouts or PDF files.

·         An internet-accessible computer, smart phone, microphone, and headphones (you will be able to use the laptops provided in our classroom if you don’t have one)

Grading Criteria

Attendance/Participation                                           15%

Blog Postings                                                             20%

Quizzes                                                                      10%

Poetry Photo Project                                                  10%

Audio Story/Dialogue/Podcast                                  15%

Project Proposal & Storyboard                                  10%

Final Multimedia Project                                           15%

Attendance/Participation: College policy is that more than two weeks’ worth of absences puts a student at risk of failure; in this particular class, be aware that—since we meet only once a week—two missed classes will decrease your grade and put you at risk of failure. Program policy dictates that students with more than four absences (in our case, two classes), regardless of the reason for the absence, are not eligible to receive an “A” grade. University policy excuses absences due to religious observance or participation in Rutgers-approved activities, and permits students to make up work missed for these circumstances. Students are expected to attend all classes; if you expect to miss one or two classes, please use the University absence reporting website https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence.  An email will be sent to me automatically. Being twenty minutes late to class constitutes ½ an absence.  Full participation credit requires active and regular engagement with the course material and with the work of your peers (particularly the student presentations).  If you find that you are at a loss of what to say, try to formulate a question in response to the course content; you are encouraged, in fact, to come to class with at least one carefully considered question and comment about the assigned reading. 

Course Blog:  The Course Blog is our home away from home. This is where I will any updates to your weekly blogging assignments/prompts; links to readings and resources; and events at Writers House. You can find it here: https://aimeelabriefall2018.blogspot.com/

Blog Postings:  You will be required to publish a total of 11 blog posts on your own individual blog. Your personal blog will also be used to host your final project.  Each post should be between 500-700 words and include a multimedia component, such as web links, still images, video, and audio links. You are require to post the word count at the top of your entry.  

We will be using http://www.blogspot.com for hosting.

The writing on your individual blog and on the class blog should be clear, carefully considered, well-crafted, and error free; it is advisable that you compose with Microsoft Word before publishing your writing online. 

There are a number of criteria to consider in evaluating the site as you work on i

·         a thoughtful domain name was chosen

·         a thoughtful site title is clearly presented,

·         an “about me” page exists,

·         a theme was chosen and customized reflecting you and the direction of your blog; and

·         blog posts are appropriately categorized and tagged.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All blog posts are due to be posted the Sunday before our Tuesday class to allow others to comment. You MUST set up your blog so that I am notified when a post goes live.

This class operates as a “Mac shop” - meaning that the programs and equipment that will be covered will be Apple brand. The skills that are obtained in the course are transferrable to a PC environment. All of the equipment for the course will be provided through Writers House and the Plangere Culture Lab. Access to USB mics, flip cameras or portable travel drives (if needed for storage) will be made available upon request through the Plangere Culture Lab. Students will have access to MacBook Pro laptops (from the Plangere Culture Lab or the Collaboratory) during class. Laptops can be booked for work on course projects through the Plangere Culture Lab.  

Photo Poetry Project

This assignment requires you to combine your own images and text to write a poem or piece of short fiction.  The project will then be posted to your blog and reviewed by the class.

Due: Must be posted to your blog by Sunday, Sept. 23.

Podcast Dialogue Project

Working with a partner, you will come up with a four to five minute scene in dialogue between two characters. The final podcast must include background noises, music, and follow the conventions of dialogue as we discuss in class.

Due: Sunday, Oct. 23 posted to your blog.

Final Video/Photo Project

Your project should be a multimedia work that will be posted on your individual blog. It can take a variety of forms depending on your interests as a writer, and we will talk about multimedia nonfiction, poetry, and fiction in the first few weeks to give you some productive ideas. 

Start thinking about your project early: a 3-4 page project proposal will be required early on in the project. You can use this video project to explore a subject or to tell a story.

The structural guidelines for the project are as follows:

●     That you generate a video that is between three and five minutes in length (no longer than seven minutes) and includes either photos of a related style or video clips.  

●     That you develop a project proposal prior to making the video.

●     That you include either text or voice-over narration.

●     That you include in your project a storyboard and text for the video.

●     That you make creative use of the medium (i.e. the iMovie or Movie Maker software program) - avoid simply collecting and splicing several long take video clips or that you throw a series of video capture clips together without any creative thought behind your construction - remember, as viewer engages with videos in fundamentally different ways than they do with print text, it will be necessary to approach this from the standpoint of a consumer/producer of media (i.e. anyone with a computer and a Wi-Fi connection in the 21st century).

●     Start off by brainstorming.  What is the topic that you are interested in?  What particular issues pertaining to that topic are you interested in exploring (this step may require some online researching or collaborative discussion)?  How would you explore those topics/points visually (in a way that is similar, yet different to generating a text based essay) in a way that directly engages with the viewer's visual/audio expectations? How would you do so in a hybrid that actively juxtaposes text with visuals in a complicated or contradictory nature?

●     Begin to acquire your supplies. If you need to collect video clips, do so. If you need to generate footage, first come up with a list of what you want to capture and what you need to get, if you are in a group, develop a distribution list for what each group member will be working on. 

●     The final draft of your video essay will be uploaded to your blog by  Sunday, Dec. 9 (you must also email me a copy of the  video link: al1048@english.rutgers.edu) 

COURSE SCHEDULE      

Sept. 4

What is multimedia? What is storytelling? How will be using our blogs?

Examples of digital, new media, or multimedia literature.  

Watch Chimamanda Adichie and "The danger of a single story:” https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

In-class writing exercise, “An Introduction” and “An Object.”

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #1:

1.     Write your first blog post in which you introduce yourself and/or your world to your readership. Use a vignette (i.e., tell us about a funny/strange/unexpected thing that happened to you recently) or explain why, when you think about presenting yourself, you always refer to one particular aspect of your personality (a skill or attribute) or your life (e.g., where you’re from).

2.     Take at least eight photos that illustrate your story and include captions. Find the telling detail.  Selfies are boring. Do something interesting. Scan a photo of your mom’s yearbook photo, a picture of your goldfish as seen from above, your fifth grade school picture.

3.     Be imaginative and revealing.

4.     Write in third person, as if you are telling the story of someone else.

ADDITIONAL BLOG POST:  Find two examples of multimedia that you like and post them to your blog.

Due: Sunday, Sept.9

READING HOMEWORK:

·         Review the syllabus.

·         Read “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott: https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf

·         Read Shane McCrae’s “Lines Composed at 34 North Park Street…” https://tinhouse.com/lines-composed-at-34-north-park-street-on-certain-memories-of-my-white-grandmother-who-loved-me-and-hated-black-people-like-myself-july-15-2017/

Sept. 11

Detail and scene. Using language.

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #2:   Write a stream-of-conscious narrative where you focus on at least one aspect of your identity. This could be your gender, sexual orientation, class, race, religious up-bringing, or any other part of you that has shaped who you are. Include three images.

Due: Sunday, Sept. 16

READING HOMEWORK:

·         Billy Collin’s “Victoria’s Secrets,” at http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/cae_core/links/collinsvictoria.htm
·         “One Art,” by Elizabeth Bishop sy https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47536/one-art
·         Review this: https://lithub.com/30-poets-you-should-be-reading/
·         Examine the Lit Hub website and be prepared to have an opinion about its content

OTHER: Bring in hard copies of two poems that you like from Lit Hub

Sept. 18

Digital Narrative/Text & Image. The collage.

Homework: Complete your Photo Project and post to your blog. 

Due:  Sunday, Sept. 23

READING HOMEWORK:

·      “Office at Night,” by Pam Painter: http://www.smokelong.com/office-at-night/ and read author interview at http://www.smokelong.com/smoking-with-pamela-painter/

·         Poetry by Tyehimba Jess:

“Sissieretta Jones” 

“Sam Patterson, Harlem: NY:Dec. 12, 1924"

Sept. 25

Confessional poetry. Voice. Podcasts. Attend reading by Tyehimba Jess in 302 Murray Hall 

HOMEWORK: 

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #3: You will be assigned an artist.  Using “An Office at Night,” for inspiration, write a fictional account of what’s happening in the painting you choose. Include the painting your post.

READ: 
"Black Box," by Jennifer Egan  
"To Do," by Jennifer Egan 

Due: Sunday, Sept. 30.

ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK: Listen to episodes 2, 3, and 4 of Homecoming on i-Tunes 

Oct. 2

Attend the  Inside the Writer's House event. Meet in 302 Murray Hall. Writer: Jennifer Egan.

Sound & Story. The arc of a Podcast. Interviews. Music and Sound Effects.  In class-writing with partner.   

In class: Listen to “Serial, episode 1”

HOMEWORK:

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #4: Using the first line of dialogue that you receive in class, write 750 words of a conversation between two characters with the following constraints:

1. Characters must be in a fight about something. 
2. They can never directly mention the thing they are fighting about. 
3. Scene must be set in a very particular place that enhances the conflict (for example, if it's an argument about money, put them in a location where it would be very difficult to talk about finances, such as a funeral).
4. Argument must be resolved by the last line.  

Due: Sunday, Oct. 7.

READING:  

·         Play excepts (handed out in class)

·         “Dialogue” by Anne Lamott (handed out in class)

Oct. 9

The Podcast script. Work with partner to complete your podcast script.

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #5:  Type up a full character sketch for one of your characters in your podcast.  Use the blog post provided for the types of questions to answer. 

Work on your podcast script. Try to get at least two minutes (four pages) completed.  Bring in 5 hard copies of the script to class.  

 Due: Sunday, Oct. 14

LISTEN: To the remaining Homecoming episodes (Season 1, 5 and 6)

Oct. 16

Podcast script workshop. Bring in 10 hard copies of your script to be reviewed in class.  

BLOG POST #6: Record your podcast and post it to your blog. Write a 500 analysis about your process.

Due: Sunday, Oct. 23 on your blog as a WAV file uploaded to SoundCloud.

READING HOMEWORK:

·         Read George Saunders’ ”Victory Lap” 

Oct. 23

Podcast Listening. 

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #7: Write 500 words about something that obsesses you. It can be anything, anyone.  Include images. 

Due: Sunday, Oct. 28.

READING HOMEWORK:

·         “The Tower and the Net,” by Janet Burroway: 

·         Amy Bloom’s “SilverWater” 

Oct. 30

Discuss Video Project and learn i-Movie. 

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #8:  Begin working on a draft of your project proposal. Write at least 500 words. 

Due: Sunday, Nov. 4. Hard copy draft at the conference 

READING HOMEWORK: Read Jo Ann Beard’s “Fourth State of Matter”

Nov. 6 Conferences: No class. Vote. 

Bring a hard copy of your proposal to conference, 

Due: Sunday, Nov. 11

Nov. 13

Revised proposal due in class. Bring in a hard copy. 

Video Essay examples. Watch student video samples. Introduction to storyboard and the different ways you can tell a story.  Discuss camera shots. In class writing.

READING/WATCHING HOMEWORK:

·         Read Cinemography Shot Lists and Shot lists

·         Watch one of the films on our viewing list and be prepared to discuss it in class.

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #9: Write a response to the film you watched over break (from our list), detailing how the director visually told the story, what camera shots s/he used, and how successful the movie was in creating mood and structure. Your reading assignment will be helpful in knowing the language to use.  Length: 700 words. 


BLOG ASSIGNMENT #10: Go back to your class freewrite and type up at least 700 words from it. You can also use the prompts to write whateer you like. 

DUE: Sunday, Nov. 25

Nov. 20 

Thanksgiving Recess/No class/Observe a Thursday Class Schedule

HOMEWORK: Two blog posts (see above). Both are due the Sunday before we return.  

Nov. 27

Video Scavenger Hunt. 

HOMEWORK: Complete 16 frames of your video storyboard. You can sketch or actually pull in the images you will be using, as well as the related text. Bring in five hard copies to class. This is worth 5% of your final video project grade.

Here are a few resources for creating storyboards: 

• Canva
• Storyboard templates
• Storyboard templates Part II

Due:
Tuesday, Dec. 4. Bring four hard copies to class.  

ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK:  Put together the first one minute of your video essay and post to your blog. 

READING HOMEWORK:  

·         “This is Water,” by David Foster Wallace

Dec. 4

Story-Board Workshop. In-class video editing.

BLOG ASSIGNMENT #11: Review your progress for the semester. Evaluate yourself and what you’ve learned, what you would still like to learn, where you would like to pursue your interests. Include photos, and videos that relate to your experience.

HOMEWORK: Post your final video on your blog with a short description about the process and aim of the piece.

Due: Sunday, Dec. 9

Dec. 11

Concluding discussion and peer video watching.

HOMEWORK: Continue to write, think, create, learn, question.

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