IDC Lab: Media
Integrated Design Curriculum
Parsons The New School for Design instructors: Leigh Davis (davisl3@newschool.edu), Cynthia Lawson (LawsonC@newschool.edu), Michie Pagulayan (PagulayaM@newschool.edu)

Office Hours - By appointment Visit course BLOG

DATE
CYNTHIA'S SECTION
LEIGH'S SECTION
 EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
WEEK 1
08/31; 09/02
 Introduction to Course - What is Media?

Warm-up Project: A Personal Techno Campaign PDF icon

Assignments: Keep track of your daily interactions with media, visualize them + read Not So Fast

 Introduction to Course - What is Media?

Warm-up Project: A Personal Techno Campaign PDF icon

Assignments: Keep track of your daily interactions with media, visualize them + read Not So Fast		 Film Screening: We Live in Public
WEEK 2
09/14; 09/09

Class Discussion: Reading

Student Presentations: Weeklong media interactions

Assign bloggers

Assignments: Finish warm-up project. Cynthia's Section: Be ready to present your fully designed campaign including message, audience, place, timing, media, and look & feel of the campaign.

Weekly Blogger: Shelagh

Class Discussion: Reading

Student Presentations: Weeklong media interactions

Assign bloggers

Assignments: Finish warm-up project.

Film Screening: Art & Copy (09/04 - 09/10, various times)

Roundtable Conference: Critical Strategies in Art & Media - RSVP is required! (09/10, 1.30-6.30pm)

Event: Made on a Mac: "Crude" with Director Joe Berlinger (09/10, 7-8pm)
WEEK 3
09/21; 09/16

Critique: A Personal Techno Campaign

Assignments:

  • Cynthia's section:
    • Deploy your campaign in the location(s) of your choice and document the public's interaction with it via video or photo. Upload this documentation to youtube/vimeo (for videos) or flickr (for images) and email the link to Cynthia before the morning of next Wednesday (09/23).
    • Read this, this, and this, and create a 72 dpi 1024x768 (minimum) image that represents Michael Jackson but does not actually show him in it.

Weekly Blogger: Ariel

 Critique: A Personal Techno Campaign

Online Panel: Algonquin 3.0: Don't Write Us Off (09/15, 10-11:30am) - RSVP required

On-campus Panel: From Adaptation to Mutation: Contemporary Narrative Artists Remix Popular Culture (09/17, 7pm)

Festival: Conflux Festival (09/17 - 09/20) - many events and make sure that in your selection you consider the connection to this course.
WEEK 4
09/29; 09/23

Introduction to Project 1: Sliding with MJ PDF iconWorkshop: Image-making and taking

In-class screening: Chris Marker's La Jetée, Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players' Mountain Trip to Japan, Young Hae Chang Heavy Industries' Artist's Statement No. 45,730,944: The Perfect Artistic Web Site, Takeuchi Tijin's Stop Motion with Wolf and Pig, Blu's MUTO, A Wall Painted Animation, Oren Lavie's Her Morning Elegance, Heavy Ammunition's Promo Video

Assignments: Create a slideshow (JPEGs to open in Preview) using the class' images as your only source and that depicts/challenges/highlights one of the issues related to MJ + Image. You cannot add images to the group, but you can crop and layer within the images available.

Weekly Blogger: Amalia

Introduction to Project 1: Sliding with MJ PDF iconWorkshop: Image-making and taking

Assignments:
Write a response to the in-class screening of Chris Marker's La Jetée
Think about how Marker employed the images, what techniques and relationships he created between them through time.
Try to talk about the relationship between form and content in the work, and your experience in viewing it.

Blogger: Monica / Rebecca

Panel: Tribeca Film Institute at The New School: New Forms of Storytelling (09/22, 7pm)
WEEK 5
10/05; 09/30

Workshop: Images in Final Cut Pro

Assignments: Write one-page concept statement for slideshow project & bring storyboard and at least 1/2 of your images to class.

Weekly Blogger: Athina

Workshop: Final Cut Pro

Assignments: Create a slideshow using the class' images as your only source and that depicts/challenges/highlights one of the issues related to MJ + Image. You cannot add images to the group, but you can use some of the techniques from class to alter the images available.

Blogger: Yiling / Su

Film Exhibition: Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s Where Is Where? (Oct 1 - 7, 2009)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 6
10/12; 10/07

Studio work

Assignments: Finish Project 1: Sliding with MJ (revised concept statement and quicktime file ready to screen)

Weekly Blogger: Anna

Presentation of 1-minute slideshows

STUDIO WORK

Blogger: Alyssa / Nina

Film Exhibition: Spike Jonze Retrospective at MOMA (10/08 - 10/18)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 7
10/19; 10/14

Critique Project 1: Sliding with MJ

Assignments: Look through UBU Wed and NPR. Choose one work (example: sound work, interview, or podcast) and listen up.
Write one page that includes - why you chose a certain piece, what it is, and your response to it. Next class we will have a show & tell - at which point you need to show the example you chose and read your statement on why you chose it.

http://ubu.clc.wvu.edu/sound/
http://www.npr.org/

Weekly Blogger: Anne

CRITIQUE: PROJECT 1- MJ

Assignments: Look through UBU Wed and NPR. Choose one work (example: sound work, interview, or podcast) and listen up.
Write one page that includes - why you chose a certain piece, what it is, and your response to it.
A typed one-two page response is due next class.

http://ubu.clc.wvu.edu/sound/
http://www.npr.org/

Blogger: Jessi / Amanda

Film Exhibition: Spike Jonze Retrospective at MOMA (10/08 - 10/18)

Exhibition: Maya Suess "It it and the Gimme Box" at AC Institute [Direct Chapel] (10/22 - 11/28)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 8
10/26; 10/21

Introduction to Project 2: Sonic Media PDF icon

Examples:

Assignments: By 10/28 email Cynthia three concepts in the form of a project statement for each, as well as how you are defining "media."  The statement should include conceptual & sonic content as well as an audience and form of dissemination. Each statement must include at least one reference to either or both of these readings: R. Murray Schafer's I've Never Seen a Sound, Michel Chion's The Three Listening Modes.

By 11/04 create a sonic storyboard for your final concept & capture all sounds needed for the project to bring to class on Nov. 4th. Sources may include sound effects library, recorded audio, MP3s or other existing material (all sources must be documented and reference in the project.)

Weekly Blogger: Maarit

Introduction to PROJECT 2: Thinking Through Sound

Lecture: Allison Lichter Culture Editor, NPR / WNYC Radio

Assignment: Readings: R. Murray Schafer's I've Never Seen a Sound, Michel Chion's The Three Listening Modes

Blogger: Rebecca / Elinor

Examples: Thinking Through Sound
M. Schaffer http://www.sfu.ca/~truax/FVS/fvs.html
Sound Map http://www.nysoundmap.org/
John Cage http://ubu.com/film/cage_masters.html
Christian Marclay http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yqM3dAqTzs
Cardiff/Mille http://www.cardiffmiller.com/artworks/walks/index.html
Bruce Nauman http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/nauman/
Nina K http://www.ninakatchadourian.com/sound/index.php
http://www.ninakatchadourian.com/confusinganimals/caralarms.php

Gallery Walk: Chelsea GALLERY WALK THURSDAY 23 OCT
3:30-5:30
//////////////////////////////////////////////////
3:30 MEET
One Minute More at The Kitchen
http://thekitchen.org/
512 W 19th Street

Peter Hujar at Matthew Marks Gallery
http://www.matthewmarks.com/
526 West 22nd Street

Sarah Morris at Friedrich Petzel
http://www.petzel.com/exhibitions/2009-10-23_sarah-morris_1/
535 West 22nd Street
(*90 minute piece)

Justine Kurland at Mitchell-Innes + Nash
http://www.miandn.com/#/exhibitions/2009_10_chelsea_justine_kurland/
534 West 26th Street

Maya Suess at AC Institute [Direct Chapel]
http://www.artcurrents.org/gallery.htm
547 W. 27th St, 5th Floor #519-529 & North Alcove
Opening Thursday, October 22nd, 6-8pm
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Exhibition: Maya Suess "It it and the Gimme Box" at AC Institute [Direct Chapel] (10/22 - 11/28)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 9
11/02; 10/28

CYNTHIA'S SECTION IS NOT MEETING THIS WEEK.

Assignments: Create a sonic storyboard for your final concept & capture all sounds needed for the project to bring to class on Nov. 4th. Sources may include sound effects library, recorded audio, MP3s or other existing material (all sources must be documented and reference in the project.)

Weekly Blogger: Arielle

WORKSHOP: Introduction to sound equipment / Importing and editing sound

Assignment: Finish 1-minute audio piece
about your last weekend, start your final sound project

Blogger: Alex / Joanna

Exhibition: Maya Suess "It it and the Gimme Box" at AC Institute [Direct Chapel] (10/22 - 11/28)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 10
11/09; 11/04

Studio work

Assignments: Finish Project 2: Sonic Media and create standalone file for critique and final project statement.

Weekly Blogger: Andrea

Presentations: One-minute warm-up

STUDIO WORK

Assignment: Finish artist/project statement & all sound clips.
Plan to complete project by next class.

Assignment 2: Write about shows (TBD)

Blogger: Tory/ Emma

Exhibition: Maya Suess "It it and the Gimme Box" at AC Institute [Direct Chapel] (10/22 - 11/28)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 11
11/16; 11/11

Critique Project 2: Sonic Media

Assignments: Aware of their dates of publication, read Vannevar Bush's "As We May Think", watch Web 2.0: The Machine is Us/ing Us and develop one question for discussion to class (bring it written down, but not to hand in).

Weekly Blogger: Chantelle

CRITIQUE PROJECT 2: Thinking Through Sound

Guest Critics- Allison Lichter WNYC Culture Editor / Nina Barnett, Artist

Blogger: IIektra / Ayla

Conference: The Internet as Playground (attend at least one full session on Friday, November 13th or Saturday, November 14th.) You need to register!

Performa 09: Omer Fast's "Untitled" (11/11, 11/12, 11/13 at 7pm) AND Guy Ben Ner's "Untitled" (Daily screenings, at 7pm)

Exhibition: Maya Suess "It it and the Gimme Box" at AC Institute [Direct Chapel] (10/22 - 11/28)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 12
11/23; 11/18

Introduction to Project 3: Your Creative & Online Identity PDF icon

Lecture : Hand-coding basic HTML

Resources:

Assignments: Create an HTML page and upload it to your newschool server account with a proposal for your own website:

  1. A wireframe of all pages and how they are linked
  2. Three links to existing websites after which you want to model your own
  3. A list of all content items you need (all text, image, and other media.)

Bring a big part of that content to the next class.

Weekly Blogger: Huma

Artist Talk - Maya Suess / Discussion about PROJECT 3: You, Online PDF icon

Resources: See PDF

Assignments: Create a proposal for your own website.

  1. A list of your format and how it relates to your practice (see attached for ideas)
  2. Three links to existing websites after which you want to model your own
  3. A list of all content items you need (all text, image, and other media.)

Bring a big part of that content to the next class.

Performa 09: Sirens Taken for Wonders (11/20 at 10pm and 11/21 at 4pm)

Exhibition: Maya Suess "It it and the Gimme Box" at AC Institute [Direct Chapel] (10/22 - 11/28)

Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 13
11/30; 12/02

Workshop: Dreamweaver, CSS, and CMS-hacking

Assignments: First draft, artist statement (for website), all HTML pages complete, one HTML fully designed, all content gathered.

Weekly Bloggers: Sara

 WORKSHOP: You Online, Intro to Indexexhibit / Wordpress (TBA Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 14
12/07; 12/09

Studio work

Assignment: Finish artist statement & website. Burn a DVD with all final versions of your projects to hand in.

Weekly Bloggers: Kerrie

STUDIO WORK

Assignment: Finish site and produce a presentation for final critique.

Blogger: Shriya

 Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)
WEEK 15
12/14; 12/16
Final critique:Project 3: Your Creative & Online Identity

FINAL CRITIQUE: You, Online

Deadline to hand in all writing assignments (printed) and all updated projects.

 Exhibition: Triennial ICP- Photography and Video (Oct 2, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010)


Course Description

Students work with various digital applications (including, but not limited to digital imaging, presentation, video and audio tools and internet) as platforms to investigate the concepts and processes of making, creating, imaging and representing the media in society today.   The course is both a hands-on introduction to various software applications as well as an exercise in bridging theory and practice.  A special emphasis will be placed on digital media for purposes of representation, dissemination and critique.

Learning Outcomes

The objective of this course is for you:

  • To use reading, writing, and digital media as a means to better understand the relationship between theory and practice and its importance to your development as an artist or designer.
  • To develop a personal conceptual process and to bring your process into play with others through group discussion and peer reviews.
  • To increase your ability to observe and identify, describe and analyze ideas and aspects of your work in order to deepen and expand the possibilities of exploration and experimentation.
  • To understand the different processes and meaning of invention through the experience of reading, reflection, and working with digital media.
  • To develop technical skills in imaging, presentation, and video, and understand the rela-tionship of technique to concept.

Course Deliverables
Students’ learning will be assessed through one warm-up assignment and three projects.  Students are also required to participate (via writing during one week and via reading and commenting the other weeks) on the course blog, which will serve as the repository for critical insight and reflection on the themes in the course, the projects produced, and the readings assigned.  Lastly, students are required to attend at least two of the extracurricular events suggested by their faculty throughout the semester and submit a written critique (not a summary, but an insightful and short reflection on the event) after each.

Working with Technology

All students are expected to

  • Keep copies of every version of every file
  • Hand in a CD or DVD with the final versions of both the project and artist statement the day of final critique.
  • Use hardware and software in The New School computer labs - for schedules and more information see http://www.newschool.edu/at
  • Know the policies on file deletion from Works in Progress and Drop Box.   Students are encouraged to purchase an external hard drive to backup their work.
  • Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.   Please keep this in mind when planning your week (ie. do not leave your homework for Sunday nights!


Department and Class Policies

Student Responsibilities
•    Treat class time as an opportunity.
•    Arrive to class on time, with all materials, ready to work steadily throughout the ses-sion. Be prepared with all your required materials for every class. Complete all as-signments on time.
•    Participate in all class discussions and critiques. Confront difficulties in your work in the spirit of learning, creative exploration and personal growth. Ask for help from your instructors when needed.
•    Respect your fellow students at all times. Disruptive behavior is not tolerated. You are responsible for cleaning up after yourself at the end of each class.
•    No radios, players, walkmans, beepers or cellular phones are allowed in class.
•    NO SMOKING ANYWHERE IN THE BUILDING

The New School Statement on Academic Integrity and Honesty

Academic honesty is the duty of every member of an academic community to claim authorship of his or her own work, and only for that work, and to recognize the contributions of others accurately and completely.   Academic honesty is fundamental to the integrity of intellectual debate and creative and academic pursuits.   All members of the University community are expected to conduct themselves in accord with the standards of academic honesty.   Students are responsible for knowing and making use of proper procedures for writing papers, present-ing and performing their work, taking examinations, and doing research.

Plagiarism and cheating of any kind in the course of academic work will not be tolerated.   Academic honesty includes accurate use of quotations, as well as appropriate and explicit cita-tion of sources in instances of paraphrasing and describing ideas, or reporting on research findings or any aspect of the work of others (including that of instructors and other students).   These standards of academic honesty and citation of sources apply to all forms of academic work (examinations, essays, theses, computer work, art and design work, oral presentations, and other projects).

It is the responsibility of students to learn the procedures specific to their discipline for correctly and appropriately differentiating their own work from that of others.   Compromising your academic integrity may lead to serious consequences, including (but not limited to) one or more of the following: failure of the assignment, failure of the course, academic warning, disciplinary probation, suspension from the university, or dismissal from the university.  

Every student at Parsons signs an Academic Integrity Statement as a part of the registration process.   Thus, you are held responsible for being familiar with, understanding, adhering to and upholding the spirit and standards of academic integrity as set forth by the Parsons The New School for Design Student Handbook .

Attendance Policy
Class attendance is mandatory. There is no substitute for working and participating in class. The attendance policy applies to everyone. There are no exceptions. Students must return to class promptly after breaks. Undo tardiness following a given break will result in an absence. Leaving the class before it is over will be considered an absence.

Absences
For classes meeting one time per week for 15 weeks, 3 absences constitute grounds for failure.

Tardiness
Two (2) tardies will be counted as one absence.
Class begins on the hour sharp. The door to the classroom will be closed at that time. Anyone walking in after the door has closed (class has started) will be marked late. 5 minutes is con-sidered tardy, and over 20 minutes is considered an absence.
The following may be counted as tardy:
•    Coming to class without the required materials
•    Sleeping in class
•    Being asked to leave class because of disruptive behavior.
•    Doing other course work in class.

Academic Warning
Students who do not complete and submit assignments on time and to a satisfactory standard will fail this class. It is a student's responsibility to obtain missed assignment sheets from other classmates and make-up the work in time for the next class.

Evaluation and Grading

Course Expectations
In order to receive a grade for this course, students must complete all presentations, and ac-tively participate in classroom discussions and critiques. Any student that does not present work during any of the formal presentations will automatically fail. Expectations for the pres-entation are clearly defined. The presentation will be evaluated on the following basis:

•    if the project fulfills the requirements and objectives of the assignment
•    if the student demonstrates initiative and inventiveness in the exploration
•    if the student has improved
•    if the project is carefully considered and consistently iterated and developed

Assignments and work in progress must be completed on time and included in class discussion & critique. Late assignments will be penalized. Consideration will be given to how much a stu-dent's work has developed and how well that development demonstrates an understanding of the concepts of the course in conjunction with the arguments present within your project.  Students will also have an opportunity to re-do the major projects before the end of the se-mester for extra credit.

Your grade is determined by your performance in following:
Blogging: 15%
Extracurricular: 5%
Weekly Progress: 10%
Warm-up: 10%
Project 1: 20%
Project 2: 20%
Project 3: 20%


Grade Descriptions: (from Parsons Student Handbook & Core Studies Faculty Handbook)

A      
4.0
Work of exceptional quality.These are projects that go above and beyond the expectations and requirements described in the assignment. They d substantial effort and achievement in the areas of critical thinking, technique and presentation.
95-100%
A-     
3.7 
Work of high quality. 90-94%
B+     
3.3   
Work of high quality, higher than average abilities  
86-89%
B     
3.0
 Very good work that satisfies goals of course.  
The "B/B+" student offers a clear and convincing structure to a visual endeavor that is more complex and unique than a project at the average level. The creator's point of view and point of the project are merged successfully and organized fairly consistently throughout the project. Although minor structural problems may be present in the assignment, they do not hinder the overall outcome.		 83-85%
B-    
2.7    
Good work. 80-82%
C+     
2.3     
Average work, Average understanding of course material. 76-79%
C    
2.0    
Adequate work;   passable.     The student demonstrates some success in engaging with the assignment. The project will show that the creator can identify and work with key ideas and examples found in reference material. Typical of a "C" project is that the original problem or assignment once approached, does not move forward. Projects may also have organizational, technical weaknesses. 73-75%
C-   
1.7    
Passing work but below good academic standing. 70-72%
D     
1.0    
Below average work; does not fully understand the assignments.
                                                                        

Although this is passable work, the project only answers the minimum requirements of the assignment. The projects shows very little effort, is incomplete, late or incorrect in its approach. The outcome shows a lack of understanding and commitment on the part of the creator.

60-69%
F
0          
Failure, no credit. 0-59%