FILM 389: Digital Media and Culture
Emory University, Fall 2013
Class: M/W/F 10-10:50 am, Callaway S108
Screening/Lab: Mon 6-8 pm,
White Hall 110 OR Cox Hall Computing Center, Classroom C (TBA each week)
Instructor
Dr. Tanine Allison
tanine.allison@emory.edu
Office: 109B Rich Building
Office Hours:
Mondays 11-12 pm, stop-by anytime
Thursdays 1-3 pm, email first
Teaching Assistant
Jesse Anderson-Lehman
jesse.anderson-lehman@emory.edu
Course Description
This class will look at the ways computers and digital technologies have changed how we think, communicate, express ourselves, learn, and interact with the world. We will cover such topics as the relationship between computers and culture, the way the Internet changed the dissemination of knowledge, the role Wikipedia and search engines play in the organization and archiving of information, the rise of media convergence and conglomeration, the cultural impact of social networking, and contemporary changes in digital entertainment industries, such as television, movies, and video games.
This course is designed as an upper-level seminar for Film and Media Studies majors and minors. As such, students will be expected to read and be ready to discuss complex, theoretical texts. Although digital publishing and some computer-based creative work will be required, this is not primarily a production course or a how-to marketing course.
Required Texts
Domain of One’s Own
This course is part of the Domain of One’s Own pilot project. As part of the Domain of One’s Own project you will author and administrate a personal website, create multimodal texts, and complete course work with a variety of digital tools.
Assignments and Grading
Attendance and Participation (worth 15% of final grade)
Attendance and participation at both lectures and screenings/labs are mandatory, even days designated as “discussion/lab days.” You are expected to have read and thought carefully about the required texts before class, so that you are ready to fully engage in class discussions. More than three absences from lecture and two absences from lab will count against your grade. If I get the sense that people are not doing the readings, I will institute quizzes and/or additional writing assignments.
Domain of One’s Own Personal Website (worth 10% of final grade)
This is a grade for completion of the personal website, including a welcome page, About Me page, and other website architecture.
3 Short Digital Essays (each worth 10% of final grade; 30% total)
You will write three short (700-1000 word) essays that are “digitally native,” meaning they will be composed and constructed for the web. They will often include non-text items, such as pictures, videos, and links to other sites. They will reside on your personal webpage and need to be published there by the deadlines that will be provided.
2 Creative Projects (each worth 12.5% of final grade; 25% total)
You will choose from among a wide range of digital projects, such as a video remix, create your own meme, Fakester social network satire, Twitter poetry, tactical media project, webisode, or simple video game. In addition to the creative project, you will write a short accompanying paper relating the project to concepts from our readings and discussions.
Final Project (worth 20% of final grade)
You will do a longer/more extensive creative project and write an accompanying paper connecting the project to multiple concepts from our readings and discussions. The final project can be an extension of one of your earlier creative projects.
Course Policies
Computers and Media in the Classrooms
Although this is a class about digital media, our use of digital media in the classroom will be carefully controlled. Because our classroom has computers in it, you are encouraged to not bring your laptop to class. During some class times and screenings, I will ask that you bring a laptop or smartphone to class for tweeting. You should not use your desktop computers, laptops, or phones for anything other than course-related assignments in class—so no Facebook in class unless I specifically ask you to go to Facebook in class! No texting, tweeting, surfing, hacking, or playing on computers or phones unless it is a specifically designated time for texting, tweeting, etc.
Also, the book is a medium that has particular properties that are quite handy. Therefore, it is required that you purchase copies of each textbook and bring it to class with you. PDF readings should also be brought to class as printed copies that can be written on.
Plagiarism
You are expected to follow the Emory College of Arts and Sciences Honor Code (http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/policy/honor_code.html). The honor code is in effect throughout this semester, and relates to all aspects of the work you do in this course. By taking this course, you affirm that it is a violation of the code to cheat on exams, to plagiarize, or to deviate from the teacher’s instructions about collaboration, on all work that is submitted for grades. You agree that the teacher is entitled to move you to another seat during examinations, without explanation. You also affirm that if you witness others violating the code you have a duty to report them to the honor council.
All assignments turned in for this class must be the student’s own work or must be properly attributed to the original source with proper citations. Please consult your instructor if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism or how to properly cite material.
Emory University, Fall 2013
Class: M/W/F 10-10:50 am, Callaway S108
Screening/Lab: Mon 6-8 pm,
White Hall 110 OR Cox Hall Computing Center, Classroom C (TBA each week)
Instructor
Dr. Tanine Allison
tanine.allison@emory.edu
Office: 109B Rich Building
Office Hours:
Mondays 11-12 pm, stop-by anytime
Thursdays 1-3 pm, email first
Teaching Assistant
Jesse Anderson-Lehman
jesse.anderson-lehman@emory.edu
Course Description
This class will look at the ways computers and digital technologies have changed how we think, communicate, express ourselves, learn, and interact with the world. We will cover such topics as the relationship between computers and culture, the way the Internet changed the dissemination of knowledge, the role Wikipedia and search engines play in the organization and archiving of information, the rise of media convergence and conglomeration, the cultural impact of social networking, and contemporary changes in digital entertainment industries, such as television, movies, and video games.
This course is designed as an upper-level seminar for Film and Media Studies majors and minors. As such, students will be expected to read and be ready to discuss complex, theoretical texts. Although digital publishing and some computer-based creative work will be required, this is not primarily a production course or a how-to marketing course.
Required Texts
- The Language of New Media, by Lev Manovich (MIT Press, 2001)—Manovich below
- The Social Media Reader, edited by Michael Mandiberg (NYU Press, 2012)—SMR below
- The New Media Book, edited by Dan Harries (BFI, 2002/2008)—NMB below
- Other essays will be provided in electronic form
Domain of One’s Own
This course is part of the Domain of One’s Own pilot project. As part of the Domain of One’s Own project you will author and administrate a personal website, create multimodal texts, and complete course work with a variety of digital tools.
- No prior experience with web design or digital authoring is required for successful completion of course work.
- Student work will be published to the web and available to reading publics beyond the class and university.
- Once you have completed the course, the site you built is yours to continue to develop into a personal cyber-infrastructure that may include, but is not limited to, course projects, a professional portfolio, resume/CV documents, social media feeds, and blogs.
- Extensive assistance is available to you from the Writing Center, the Domain program staff, and your instructors. More information will be forthcoming shortly.
Assignments and Grading
Attendance and Participation (worth 15% of final grade)
Attendance and participation at both lectures and screenings/labs are mandatory, even days designated as “discussion/lab days.” You are expected to have read and thought carefully about the required texts before class, so that you are ready to fully engage in class discussions. More than three absences from lecture and two absences from lab will count against your grade. If I get the sense that people are not doing the readings, I will institute quizzes and/or additional writing assignments.
Domain of One’s Own Personal Website (worth 10% of final grade)
This is a grade for completion of the personal website, including a welcome page, About Me page, and other website architecture.
3 Short Digital Essays (each worth 10% of final grade; 30% total)
You will write three short (700-1000 word) essays that are “digitally native,” meaning they will be composed and constructed for the web. They will often include non-text items, such as pictures, videos, and links to other sites. They will reside on your personal webpage and need to be published there by the deadlines that will be provided.
2 Creative Projects (each worth 12.5% of final grade; 25% total)
You will choose from among a wide range of digital projects, such as a video remix, create your own meme, Fakester social network satire, Twitter poetry, tactical media project, webisode, or simple video game. In addition to the creative project, you will write a short accompanying paper relating the project to concepts from our readings and discussions.
Final Project (worth 20% of final grade)
You will do a longer/more extensive creative project and write an accompanying paper connecting the project to multiple concepts from our readings and discussions. The final project can be an extension of one of your earlier creative projects.
Course Policies
Computers and Media in the Classrooms
Although this is a class about digital media, our use of digital media in the classroom will be carefully controlled. Because our classroom has computers in it, you are encouraged to not bring your laptop to class. During some class times and screenings, I will ask that you bring a laptop or smartphone to class for tweeting. You should not use your desktop computers, laptops, or phones for anything other than course-related assignments in class—so no Facebook in class unless I specifically ask you to go to Facebook in class! No texting, tweeting, surfing, hacking, or playing on computers or phones unless it is a specifically designated time for texting, tweeting, etc.
Also, the book is a medium that has particular properties that are quite handy. Therefore, it is required that you purchase copies of each textbook and bring it to class with you. PDF readings should also be brought to class as printed copies that can be written on.
Plagiarism
You are expected to follow the Emory College of Arts and Sciences Honor Code (http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/policy/honor_code.html). The honor code is in effect throughout this semester, and relates to all aspects of the work you do in this course. By taking this course, you affirm that it is a violation of the code to cheat on exams, to plagiarize, or to deviate from the teacher’s instructions about collaboration, on all work that is submitted for grades. You agree that the teacher is entitled to move you to another seat during examinations, without explanation. You also affirm that if you witness others violating the code you have a duty to report them to the honor council.
All assignments turned in for this class must be the student’s own work or must be properly attributed to the original source with proper citations. Please consult your instructor if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism or how to properly cite material.
