COMM 103 - MEDIA AND MESSAGES/VISUAL LITERACY     (5 Cr.)

Room L218                   Monday and Wednesday 12:30 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.

 

INSTRUCTOR:            Michael Korolenko

OFFICE:                      A200C

PHONE:                      425-564-4109

EMAIL:                       mkorolen@bcc.ctc.edu

OFFICE HOURS:         by appointment

 

TEXTBOOKS:             available at college bookstore

 

                                    SIGHT/SOUND/MOTION-Applied Media Aesthetics

                                    by Herbert Zettl           

 

                                    MEDIA UNLIMITED                          

by Todd Gitlin

 

You must also pick up Scantron cards, available at the college bookstore.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course presents the mechanics and aesthetics of media production including lighting, editing, color, and audio.  Through a series of lectures which include clips from a variety of videos, films, and digital media as well as guest speakers, the student will gain insight into the aesthetics of media production and how production skills can make a presentation more powerful and impactful and the effect of the that impact on the viewer.

This course will also include discussion of how these now constant messages influence us, our sense of history, and our sense of being and ethics

 

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1.                   view media presentations in a critical manner and analyze

the origin, impact, and  meanings of visual media messages as they relate to

            ourselves and our culture.

2.         describe how a story's author, content, audience, and

            media work in concert to convey a given message's goal.

3.         describe the production techniques utilized to create

            media images and messages, including:  film editing,

            video editing, digital media editing, audio production

            and editing, lighting techniques, and computer graphic

            design.

4.         describe and explain the ability of film and video

            editing to define the pace and flow of a given pro-

            duction and its visual message.

5.         describe and explain how mood and message can be

            affected by the use of light, shadow, and color.

6.         Be able to define a variety of terms including montage,

            cameo lighting, jump cut, accelerated motion, and

            emotional literacy.

7.         define "cultural metaphor" and list three examples

            in which visual media supports the definition and

            affects the content of our culture.

 

 

WEEKLY TOPICS AND DISCUSSIONS:

Week 1 - INTRODUCTION AND VIOLENCE PORTRAYED ON SCREEN

 


Overview and Fundamental Elements of Film and Television
Violence in the Media
The Visualization of Violence On Screen

FOR WEEK 2: Read chapter 1 in ZETTL

 

Week 2 – THE STORY

 

The base of all productions
The Importance of Story
Images From The Past
Creating Films of the Past in More Modern Times

FOR WEEK 3: Read chapters 2 and 3 in ZETTL/Introduction in the Gitlin book and DISCUSSION OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE INTRODUCTION TO GILTIN’S BOOK

 

Week 3 – LIGHTING

 

Lighting for Video and Film
Lighting techniques - the use of light and shadow
establishing mood and atmosphere - early Film Noir
Lighting for black and white tv

FOR WEEK 4: Read chapters 4 and 5 in ZETTL/Read Section 1 in Gitlin (pp. 12-70)

ASSIGNMENT DUE NEXT WEDS.: An essay, no more than two pages, discussing how light and shadow were used in the most recent film you've seen. Just describe one scene in the film and note the director and cinematographer

 

Week 4 – COLOR PERCEPTION

 

The Extended First Field - Color
How We Perceive Color
How Color is Relative
Color Energy

FOR WEEK 5: read chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 in ZETTL

 

Week 5 – VISUALIZATION

 

Aspect Ratios
Digital Technology
HDTV, Plasma, LCD monitors, etc.
The six major types of field forces
where the camera sits - Cinematography and Photograpy

FOR WEEK 6 - Read Chapters 12 and 13 in Zettl/Read Section 2 in Gitlin (pp. 71-117)

 

Week 6 – THE USE OF TIME AND MOTION

 

or images in the fourth dimension
The Notion of Time
Time After The Industrial Revolution
The Electronic Revolution and Time
The Human Sense of Duration
Other Theories of Time
Time and Movies

FOR WEEK 7: Read Chapters 15 and 16 in ZETTL

MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM ON WEDNESDAY

 

Week 7 – EDITING

 

and Motion
Structuring the 4-Dimensional Field
Eisenstein - Early Editing Pioneer - and Montage
Theories of Time and Motion
Types of Motion
The Greatest Car Chase of All

FOR WEEK 8 - read Chapters 17 and 18 in Zettl

 

Week 8: THE USE OF SOUND

 

Sound In Film and Television
Music In Films
MTV History, style, content, techniques, and f/x
Rushkoff and Gitlin
Media Unlimited

FOR WEEK 9
Read Chapter 10 in ZETTL/Read Section 3 in Gitlin (pp. 118-175)

 

Week 9 – F/X

 

F/X History
Cityscapes Yesterday and Tomorrow
Computer Technology in Film and Video
Digital F/X In Motion Pictures

FOR WEEK 10
Read the Epilogue in Zettl/Read Section 4 in Gitlin (pp. 176-210)

SECOND MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM ON ZETTL Wednesday

 

Week 10 - STUDENT PREPARATION OF FINAL PRESENTATIONS - PRESENTATIONS DUE LAST WEEK OF CLASSES

                                    ESSAY DUE WEDNESDAY BY 5:00 PM (PST):
Write an opinion essay - what is Todd Gitlin's main thesis - do you agree with it? Why or why not? Give examples of how recent films or television shows have reflected, mirrored, or influenced society. How, in the long run, do you think an "unlimited" number of media messages will effect us.

 

 

 

 

GROUP PRESENTATION DUE LAST WEEK OF CLASSES

Work with your assigned group to create an online presentation dealing with a specific film or television episode and one or two scenes and the techniques utilized to get the messages across to the audience.

 

 

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS:

There will be two multiple choice exams covering material gone over in class and in Zettl.  There will be two essays, one on the Gitliln book.  For the Final Assignment - students will be put into groups, each of which has to an in-class presentation dealing with a specific film or television episode and one or two scenes and the techniques utilized to get the messages across to the audience.

 

GRADING:  Each exam and essay is worth 100 pts.  The final presentation is worth 100 pts.  Class participation is also very important and can add or detract points from the final grade.  Grades will be counted the following way:

 

500

Total Possible

 

 

 

475

A

 

 

 

 

450

A-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

434

B+

 

 

 

 

417

B

 

 

 

 

400

B-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

384

C+

 

 

 

 

367

C

 

 

 

 

350

C-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

330

D+

 

 

 

 

317

D

 

 

 

 

316

Less = F

 

 

 

 

 

 

THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT OFFERED IN THIS CLASS.

 

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON NEXT PAGE:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS AND ETIQUETTE:

1.       Arrive to class on time and ready to work.  If you are absent more than three times twenty points will be taken off your final grade.  If you are late to class by more than ten minutes, you will be marked absent.

2.         Bring all needed materials.

3.         Do not bring children, pets, or other wild animals that can disrupt class or

            eat other students.

4.         No smoking in any BCC building.

5.         For each day an assignment is late without a medical or family crisis excuse,

            ten points will be taken off the grade.

6.         Students caught doing personal work or work for any other class while this

            class is in session will be removed from class.

7.         Any excessive talking or disruption of any kind will cause you to be removed from

            the class.

8.         Except for illness, a death in the family, or a particular activity approved prior

            to the activity by the instructor (for instance:  a wedding or job interview) there

            will be no make-ups given and NO EXTRA CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN. 

9.         All students must attend all final presentations!! To miss the final day of    presentations will cost a full letter grade.

 

 

COURSE POLICIES:

More than three absences will lower your grade a full grade point (a B will be lowered to a C).  Being late to class more than three times will count as one absence. (students who are late tend to disrupt the class, particularly during class discussions).

 

 

MEETINGS WITH THE INSTRUCTOR will be by appointment, made either after class or through the Business or Arts and Humanities office.