Digital Tools for Media Arts

 

Course code: ART 276

Semester and year: Spring 2024

Day and time: Tuesdays 18:30-21:15

Instructor: Douglas Arellanes

Instructor contact: douglas.arellanes@aauni.edu

Consultation hours: 60 minutes before each class and by appointment

 

Credits US/ECTS	3/6	Level	Intermediate
Length	15 weeks	Pre-requisite	TOEFL iBT 71
Contact hours	42 hours	Course type	HSC el, PS el, JC el, VA req, CEA

1. Course Description

As with so many other fields, digital technology is radically transforming the way art is documented and even experienced. Despite it being one of the most important long-term investments aside from the artwork itself, the practice of documenting art has tended to be underemphasized even in an analog environment. This class will give students an opportunity to try out currently used digital tools in the context of documenting art, and will explore practical and ethical issues related to their use. Students will get hands-on experience documenting events and daily life using a variety of digital media — photography, video, audio and text. The focus of the class is on multimedia documentation for the World Wide Web, social networks as sources of news and opinion, and how to use online storytelling tools effectively. The class assumes some familiarity with blogging, digital photography, audiovisual recording and the software platforms of social networks. Students are strongly advised to have their own computers and cameras (mobile phones are OK), and a subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud are strongly recommended but not required.

2. Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Use modern digital tools to fulfill art documentation tasks effectively

• Identify subjects worthy of documentation, and research, edit and deliver documentation on the work

• Critically evaluate online presentations by themselves and others

• Understand how online culture and social media affect the values, practices and techniques of documentation

3. Reading Material

Required:

• “Documentation for Artists,” GYST, https://www.gyst-ink.com/documentation/

• w3schools.com HTML tutorial, https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp

• “CSS Tutorial,” W3Schools.com, http://www.w3schools.com/css/

• Joanna Duchesne, et al. “Video Production: Filming a Story,” chapter 4 of Video for Change, http://www.mediafire.com/download/rbhcy460twzvh8a/ EN_V4C_Chapter_4.pdf

• Adam Dachis, “The Basics of Video Editing: The Complete Guide,” LifeHacker, http://lifehacker.com/5785558/the-basics-of-video-editing-the-complete-guide

• Marco Solorio, "Audio Techniques for Visual Editors," https://library.creativecow.net/ articles/solorio_marco/magazine_audio_techniques.php

• Mike Russell, "How to set up your own internet radio station," Media.info, https://media.info/radio/how-to/how-do-you-set-up-your-own-internet-radio-station

Recommended:

• See “Resources” list on the course website

4. Teaching methodology

Students will learn by doing, discussing and reading. Discussions, demonstrations, information gathering, hands-on editing and production work will fill much of the class time, supplemented with lectures, in-class browsing and guest speakers. In addition, students will be expected to contribute to an online forum accessed through the class website as an extension of the in-class discussions. Pointers to additional online resources related to class topics can be found on the course website.

5. Course Schedule

   Date	Class Agenda
   6 Feb	Topic: Introduction & course overview Description: What this course is about. Net Art – the Rhizome Anthology. Digital tools for media production. Social networks in news distribution. Wafaa Bilal’s “Domestic Tension” as both digital work and cultural commentary. Examples of digital art. Reading: Photoshop User Guide https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/user-guide.html Assignments/deadlines: Create your first altered image – cut someone out of a photo
   13 Feb	Topic: Marshall McLuhan and Critical Thinking Description: An introduction to the concepts Marshall McLuhan covers in “Understanding Media” and “The Medium is the Massage;” An introduction to critical thinking as a prerequisite for creating and evaluating content on the internet. Reading: Photoshop user guide Assignments/deadlines: Edit a photo and remove a person from a group photo.
   20 Feb	Topic: Image manipulation in history Description: A look at manipulated images from the birth of photography to now Reading: The Verification Handbook, edited by Craig Silverman Assignments/deadlines: Complete the First Draft “Basics: Quick start to verifying online media” course.
   27 Feb	Topic: Verification Description: An introduction to methodologies and tools used to verify content on the internet Reading: The Verification Handbook, edited by Craig Silverman Assignments/deadlines: Using Photoshop, create a fake image that could be believable online
   5 Mar	Topic: Social media: You are the product Description: Understanding the mechanisms by which social media platforms track their users for benign and not-so-benign purposes. Examining art/activism/technology projects such as The Markup’s “Citizen Browser Project” (https://themarkup.org/citizen-browser). Net Art Anthology: Ricardo Dominguez, “Zapatismo Digital” After-class reading: “You Are The Product,” by John Lanchester, London Review of Books, 17 August 2017 “Six Ways Social Media Has Become a Direct Threat to Democracy” by Pierre Omidyar, Washington Post, 9 October 2017 Assignments/deadlines: Work on your midterm multimedia project.
   12 Mar	Topic: A crash course in film editing Description: Discussions of what to strive for when editing clips. Alfred Hitchcock explains some of his own philosophy toward film editing. Net Art Anthology: Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries, “Samsung”. Introducing Mural (www.getmural.io), a software platform for multimedia storytelling. Reading for next class: The Mural Manual (https://www.getmural.io/Mural-manual-v0.2.7.pdf) Assignments/deadlines: Put together multimedia project for after the midterm break
   19 Mar	Topic: Text in multimedia storytelling Description: What makes text effective, and how is authoring for multimedia different than other media? How is it the same? Net Art Anthology: Antoni Muntadas, “The File Room.” Reading for this class and next: Marino, Jacqueline, “The importance of words in multimedia storytelling,” Nieman Storyboard Assignments/deadlines: Prepare midterm project for presentation
   26 Mar	MIDTERM BREAK
   2 Apr	Topic: Presentation and criticism of midterm projects Description: Students present and discuss their midterm projects. Reading for this class: Artnet: 12 Sound Artists Changing Your Perception of Art Assignments/deadlines: video editing project due 15 November
   9 Apr	Topic: An introduction to sound editing Description: Examining tools for recording and editing sound, focusing on the open source Audacity sound tool. History of the MP3 format. Net Art Anthology: Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, “Airworld” Reading for this class: “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek,” NY Times; “Fire Storm,” The Guardian; “Put Yourself In My Shoes,” Ida Hansson and Miljana Babic Assignments/deadlines: Create a 60-second sound art project
   16 Apr	Topic: Photoshop and imaging software, Part I Description: Using imaging software like Photoshop is crucial for any number of visual tasks, including resizing images and changing aspect ratios. Reading for this class: Photoshop user guide https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/user-guide.html
   23 Apr	Topic: AI and generative content Description: Tools and techniques for using AI tools to create content Reading: Smart ways journalists can exploit artificial intelligence, Nieman Reports, https://niemanreports.org/articles/artificial-intelligence-newsrooms/ Assignments/deadlines: Create a generated image using an AI tool
   30 Apr	Topic: Where do we go from here? Description: Trends in technology and their implications for artists. Deepfakes, AI generated art, Amy Webb’s predictions. Archiving and “Digital Frailty”– losing material, Rhizome, Webrecorder and digital archeology. Take home assignment: Katie Patterson, “Earth-Moon-Earth,” House of Natural Fiber: C6H12O6+02 Reading for next class: Marina Abramovic – “Documenting performance,” https://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/videos/96/569 Assignments/deadlines: Continue work on final project
   7 May	Topic: Review of class projects Description: Presentation of longform multimedia documentation projects.. Assignments/deadlines: Longform multimedia due this week
   14 May	FINAL PRESENTATIONS PART I
   21 May	FINAL PRESENTATIONS PART II (if necessary)

6. Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

Assignment	Workload (average)	Weight in Final Grade	Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes	Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes*
Attendance and Class Participation	42 hours	20%	Understand how online culture and social media affect the values, practices and techniques of journalism	1,2
In-class Assignments	40 hours	25%	Demonstrate familiarity with the tools used	1,2
Readings	30 hours		Understand how online culture and social media affect the values, practices and techniques of journalism	1
Midterm project	19 hours	25%	Use modern digital tools to fulfill artistic tasks effectively; Identify good subjects for artwork or documentation and research, edit and deliver multimedia longform about them; critically evaluate online presentations by themselves and others.	1,2,3
Final project	19 hours	25%	Use modern digital tools to fulfill artistic tasks effectively; Identify good subjects for artwork or documentation and research, edit and deliver multimedia longform about them; critically evaluate online presentations by themselves and others.	1,2,3
TOTAL	150 hours	100%

*1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action

7. Detailed description of the major assignments

Midterm Multimedia Longform Presentation:

Students are required to produce a multimedia longform presentation on an artwork of their choice, subject to approval by the lecturer in a ‘story pitch’ process.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Technical quality of overall presentation	20%
Technical quality of video	20%
Technical quality of audio and other multimedia	20%
Content interest	20%
On-time delivery of finished product	20%

Edited video:

Students are required to produce an edited video report on an artwork of their choice, subject to approval by the lecturer in a ‘story pitch’ process.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Technical quality of editing	50%
Interest of content	25%
On-time delivery of finished product	25%

Final Multimedia Longform Presentation:

Students are required to produce a multimedia longform presentation on an artwork of their choice, subject to approval by the lecturer in a ‘story pitch’ process.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
Technical quality of overall presentation	20%
Technical quality of video	20%
Technical quality of audio and other multimedia	20%
Content interest	20%
On-time delivery of finished product	20%

 

General Requirements and School Policies

General requirements

All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar with the academic rules available in the Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work.

Electronic communication and submission

The university and instructors shall only use students’ university email address for communication. It is strongly recommended that any email communication between students and instructors take place in NEO LMS.

Each e-mail sent to an instructor that is about a new topic (meaning not a reply to an original email) shall have a new and clearly stated subject and shall have the course code in the subject, for example: “COM101-1 Mid-term Exam. Question”.

All electronic submissions are carried out through NEO LMS. No substantial pieces of writing (especially take-home exams and essays) can be submitted outside of NEO LMS.

Attendance

Attendance is required. Students who are absent 35 percent of classes will be failed (or administratively withdrawn from the course if most absences are excused). Students might also be marked absent if they miss a significant part of a class (by arriving late or leaving early) as specified in the syllabus.

Absence excuse and make-up options

Should a student be absent from classes for relevant reasons (illness, serious family matters), s/he must submit to the Dean of Students an Absence Excuse Request Form supplemented with documents providing reasons for the absence. The form and documents must be submitted within one week of the absence. If possible, it is recommended the instructor be informed of the absence in advance. Should a student be absent during the add/drop period due to a change in registration this will be an excused absence if s/he submits an Absence Excuse Request Form along with the finalized add/drop form.

Assignments missed due to unexcused absences cannot be made up which may result in a decreased or failing grade as specified in the syllabus.

Students whose absence has been excused by the Dean of Students are entitled to make up assignments and exams provided their nature allows for a make-up. Students are responsible for contacting their instructor within one week of the date the absence was excused to arrange for make-up options.

Late work: No late submissions will be accepted – please follow the deadlines.

Electronic devices

Any electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops…) may be used only for class-related activities (taking notes, looking up related information…). Any other use will result in being marked absent and/or being expulsed from the class. No electronic devices may be used during the tests.

Eating and drinking is not allowed during classes. Students may bring to class their water bottles.

Cheating and disruptive behavior

If a student engages in disruptive or other conduct unsuitable for a classroom environment of an institution of learning, the instructor may require the student to withdraw from the room for the duration of the activity or for the day and shall report the behavior to the Dean.

Students engaging in behavior which is suggestive of cheating (e.g. whispering or passing notes) will, at a minimum, be warned. In the case of continued misbehavior the student will be expelled from the exam and the exam will be marked as failed.

Plagiarism and Academic Tutoring Center

Plagiarism is “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.” (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Edition, Random House, New York, 1993)

Turnitin’s White Paper ‘The Plagiarism Spectrum’ (available at http://go.turnitin.com/paper/plagiarism-spectrum) identifies 10 types of plagiarism ordered from most to least severe:

1. CLONE: An act of submitting another’s work, word-for-word, as one’s own.

2. CTRL-C: A written piece that contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations.

3. FIND–REPLACE: The act of changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source in a paper.

4. REMIX: An act of paraphrasing from other sources and making the content fit together seamlessly.

5. RECYCLE: The act of borrowing generously from one’s own previous work without citation; To self-plagiarize.

6. HYBRID: The act of combining perfectly cited sources with copied passages—without citation—in one paper.

7. MASHUP: A paper that represents a mix of copied material from several different sources without proper citation.

8. 404 ERROR: A written piece that includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about sources

9. AGGREGATOR: The “Aggregator” includes proper citation, but the paper contains almost no original work.

10. RE-TWEET: This paper includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text’s original wording and/or structure.

 

As the minimum policy the types of plagiarism from 1 through 8 results in the failing grade from the assignment and must be reported to the Dean. The Dean may initiate a disciplinary procedure pursuant to the Academic Codex. Allegations of bought papers and intentional or consistent plagiarism always entail disciplinary hearing and may result in expulsion from AAU.

If unsure about technical aspects of writing, students are encouraged to consult their papers with the tutors of the AAU Academic Tutoring Center. For more information and/or to book a tutor, please contact the ATC at: http://atc.simplybook.me/sheduler/manage/event/1/.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities are asked to contact their instructor as soon as possible to discuss reasonable accommodation.

8. Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage*	Description
A	95 – 100	Excellent performance. The student has shown originality and displayed an exceptional grasp of the material and a deep analytical understanding of the subject.
A–	90 – 94
B+	87 – 89	Good performance. The student has mastered the material, understands the subject well and has shown some originality of thought and/or considerable effort.
B	83 – 86
B–	80 – 82
C+	77 – 79	Fair performance. The student has acquired an acceptable understanding of the material and essential subject matter of the course, but has not succeeded in translating this understanding into consistently creative or original work.
C	73 – 76
C–	70 – 72
D+	65 – 69	Poor. The student has shown some understanding of the material and subject matter covered during the course. The student’s work, however, has not shown enough effort or understanding to allow for a passing grade in School Required Courses. It does qualify as a passing mark for the General College Courses and Electives.
D	60 – 64
F	0 – 59	Fail. The student has not succeeded in mastering the subject matter covered in the course.

* Decimals should be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Prepared by and when: Douglas Arellanes, 24 January 2023

Approved by and when: School of Humanities and Social Sciences, January 2023