Back
RTF
331R
an ACTLab New Media course
www.actlab.us/death
Instructor: Allucquere Rosanne Stone (sandy@actlab.us, phone: 302-9933 cell: 695-6732)
Office: The ACTLab. Office hours by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Brandon Wiley
Class meets in the ACTLab Wed 12:00-3:00
Summary: This is a course about change, transition, breakage, and rupture, in which death means not necessarily finality but rather process. We will examine the peculiar and powerful place of death and its accompanying corruption (or cleansing) in Western culture, but a great deal of our focus will be on death in the broad sense as a transformative idea, source of spiritual and aesthetic power, topic of narrative fascination, means of control, and all-purpose problem solver. Further, we'll expand the definition to include the undead, the brain-dead, the nearly dead, the apparently dead, the walking dead, the extremely dead, and the (your term here) dead.
As with all ACTLab New Media courses, the main thrust of the course is making. There are no written exams. Instead you will produce two mini-projects and one substantial final project during the semester, based loosely on the theme of Death. All our classwork has the goal of providing ideas and methods for these projects. You will start with simple projects and move to more complex ones, using humor, irony, uncommon approaches, and bizarre techniques. Projects may be in any form, such as film, video, sound, performance, computer animation, collage, sculpture, assemblage, or any other media or combinations of media, but they must incorporate the theoretical and methodological work of the semester.
Class
is in studio and discussion format. This means that your active participation
is a requirement of the course. During the semester I expect you to contribute
your own ideas and arguments to the discussions, and to be willing to take
the risks such contributions imply.
The following six things are required for you to receive a grade: Course
Schedule: The
Fine Print:
Take risks! Amaze us! In ACTLab courses we assume a high
level of motivation on your part and your willingness to self-start, set your
own goals, think independently, collaborate with others, seek help when you
need it, and take risks. Let's make it an interesting time!
Readings and Resources: All class readings are available
on the Resource webpage, http://www.actlab.us/death/resources.html
. Some of the resources are there for you to browse as you feel the urge.
Also, remember your best resource is always your own curiosity, and Google
or Dogpile or AltaVista are your best tools. Experiment with keywords and
see what happens. When you find something interesting, share it, either in
person or via the Death mailing list death@actlab.us .
Mailing list: Outside of class time we keep in touch via
the Death class mailing list . Use it to swap ideas, ask questions, get and
give alerts of schedule changes, share weird urls, and whatever else you can
think of. Most of you have already been subscribed to the list, but we didn't
have email addresses for a few. Be sure to give us your email address the
first day of class.
Things we supply: Among other things, we have digital video
cameras for you to check out. These cameras are meant for the special purposes
of ACTLab projects: they are small, light, quick to set up and shoot, and
they plug right into the ACTLab computers so you can download and edit quickly
and easily, but they are not meant for full-bore production video work and
don't provide that kind of image quality. In addition to the video and sound
equipment, the ACTLab New Media digital equipment (in cmb 4.110) is there
for you to use, play with, and experiment with. A lot of it is state-of-the-art.
Don't waste the opportunity to stretch your creative skills in the digital
domain. We have computers, DJ turntables, quadraphonic sound system, and other
stuff. We'll try to help you locate odd and exotic items you may think of
during the semester that you'd like to use. We also have some gear that we've
never used yet, and we invite you to play with it and see what you can make
it do.
Things you'll need:
Scissors, glue, construction paper or board (for class date TBA). Anything
else you stumble on or think might be useful to make evocative objects about
Death. Loose clothing that you can get dirty. If we do narrative or sound
work in the dark, remember the floors in both ACTLabs are hard; so if you
decide to listen while lying down on the floor, bring something soft to lie
on.
What I expect you to do for a reading assignment:
1. Do the reading!
2. When you come to something that intrigues or excites you, make a note about
it.
3. When you come to something that puzzles you, make a note about it.
4. When you come to something that drives you up the wall, make a note about
it.
Here's what I expect from you during discussion:
1. Ask or talk about the parts of the text that you made notes about.
2. Participate. Talk. Ask. Argue. Laugh. (some of the readings are ludicrous.)
None of this stuff is holy, none of the opinions are cast in concrete.
3. Bring in stuff -- maybe text, maybe just stuff -- that you feel relates
to the reading. Throw it on the table, say why it's there, and see what happens.
4. My main job during discussion is to listen. My role is to make an opening
or framing statement to start from. I'll guide when necessary, and clarify
tough points. Discussion time gives me my best sense of how you're thinking
about the theoretical part of our work together.
Participation is one of the keys to success in this class. You can't participate
in discussion in a real way unless you've done the reading. Consequently Rule
Number One is: Do The Reading!
Experienced Labbies say: One of the worst mistakes you can
make is to leave the documentation for the last minute! Start thinking about
your web site from the very first class day. Keep notes about your ideas for
it, so you'll have a good supply as you build the page.
Films: We see films and excerpts from films in class, but only a few are scheduled
here. We'll choose the rest in class, based on what we think would be useful
or interesting or fun or all of the above.
Extra Credit items: There are two. One is the class web page;
the other is the final presentation poster. You can volunteer to do these,
on a first-come-first-served basis. If successfully completed, each one raises
your final grade by one half a grade, i.e., a B+ to an A. If you volunteer
and fail to complete what you said you'd do, it will lower your final grade
by one half a grade.
1. Attendance at all classes.
2. Reading all assignments and coming to class prepared.
3. Participation in discussion.
4. Successful completion of two mini-projects and one final project.
5. Successful completion of documentation webpage. Your webpage must be on
the ACTLab server, nowhere else. All links, rollovers, animations, streaming
video/audio, etc., must work.
6. Full cleanup of the ACTLab following final presentations. Leave it the
way you found it -- no better, no worse.
Grading:
Participation in discussion 15%
First mini-project 15%
Second mini-project 20%
Final project 25%
Documentation 25%
Total 100%
How to get an A: Shortly there will be a link from the Resources
page called How to get an A. It spells out, as clearly as I could manage,
what the ACTLab emphasis is, because what I expect of you may be different
from what you're used to having professors want you to do. Re-read "How
to get an A" as often as you need to.
Aug 25 Biz, intro to each other and the course, intro to
the ACTLab course style, what we expect of you, what you can expect of us.
Short presentation (gaah...PowerPoint!) of previous Labbies' work. For next
week bring examples of representations of death and dying (we'll explain in
more detail what we expect).
After the first class meeting: If you've been admitted but
haven't received any mail from the class mailing list, sign up by surfing
to the Death list maintenance page, http://www.actlab.us/mailman/admindb/death
Sep 1 Loosening up. In-class exercises in presentational
improv. Your basic tools and a drill in using them. More examples of previous
Labbies' work. Discussion: Representations of death and dying, real and imaginary.
Lab time: Developing a timeline. Working on the timeline in relation to your
own project and its documentation. What's important to those folks out there
in industry, and how (and why) to think about what they think when they see
your work. For next week read excerpts from the Tibetan Book of the Dead (handout).
Sep 8 Discussion: Experiencing one's own death: comparative
accounts. Tibetan Book of the Dead. Death clubs. In-class exercise: Representing
self-annihilation in image, sound, and performance.
Sep 15 Discussion: The process of dying. Hospice discourse.
Medical discourse. When are you dead? Flatlining, "gorking", the
twilight zone. Discussion of your first mini-project: What to do and how to
do it, sorta.
Sep 22 First mini-project presentations. Sign up for the
order in which we present (Joe and I present too, if time allows).
Sep 29 Discussion: Mass death. Representations of Total Holocaust,
e.g., Terminator, Shoah. Genocide. Representations of the Bomb in American
and Japanese media. In-class film clips.
Oct 6 Discussion: Plague and plague narratives. Representations
of bioterrorism. Goth. Neil Gaiman's approach to representing death. Vampirism
imaginary and real. Role of sadomasochism in representations of annihilation.
Second project equipment requests: If you need equipment,
make sure you coordinate with Joe no later than Oct 8.
Oct 13 Field Trip: The Morgue. Meet outside the Travis County
Morgue at 1:00 p.m.
Oct 20 Discussion: The Morgue. Organ donation and other uses
for fresh corpses.
Oct 27 Second Mini-project presentations.
Nov 3 Near-death and other quasi-spiritual death experiences.
Representing liminality.
It's time to get in shape for the long pull. When we did time budgeting, you
most likely found that you can't finish your project using only class hours.
For the last few days before due date, most Labbies work around the clock.
Remember to take breaks and keep hydrated. Drink lots of water or fruit juice.
Soda tastes great but doesn't do much for your electrolyte balance. And remember
the floor is cement and there are only two couches, so it's a good idea to
bring some kind of bedroll for that 3 a.m. nap.
Final Presentation equipment requests: If you need equipment
for your final presentation, make sure you coordinate with Joe no later than
Nov 5.
Nov 10 Communicating with the dead: Edison and the phonograph.
Seance. Raudive voices and Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). In-class sound
clips for examples.
Nov 17 Death and ritual, real and invented. Dia de los Muertos.
Samhain. Halloween. Build-your-own ritual of the dead. Studio time.
Nov 24 Studio time.
Dec 1 FINAL PRESENTATIONS. Wrap-up.
Dec 6: DROP DEAD DATE FOR DOCUMENTATION AND WEB PAGES.
Dec 8, 9:00 a.m: Drop-Dead Date for professors to submit
grades. You know what that means.
This syllabus is V.0.1. May be updated as necessary.
Regarding Scholastic Dishonesty: The University defines academic
dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying
academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in
the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited
to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or
an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially
the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of
the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines
and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonesty damages both the student's
learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work-career.
Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject
to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course
and/or dismissal from the University. For more information on scholastic dishonesty,
please visit the Student Judicial services Web site at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/.
About services for students with disabilities: The University
of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations
for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the
Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
About the Undergraduate Writing Center: The Undergraduate
Writing Center, located in the FAC 211, phone 471-6222, offers individualized
assistance to students who want to improve their writing skills. There is
no charge, and students may come in on a drop-in or appointment basis.
Warning: This class may contain explicit descriptions of,
or may advocate simulations of, one or more of the following: Nudity, satanism,
suicide, sodomy, incest, bestiality, sadomasochism, adultery, murder, morbid
violence, paedophilia, bad grammar, deviate sexual conduct in a violent context,
the use of illegal drugs or alcohol, or offensive behavior. But then again,
it may not. Should your sensibilities be offended at any time, you are free
to leave the classroom without penalty provided that you notify either the
instructor or teaching assistant when you do so.
Fragile: Do not bend, fold, spindle or mutilate. May be hazardous
to your health. Not recommended for children. Do not purchase if seal has
been tampered with. Not responsible for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential
damages resulting from any defect, error or failure to perform. May be too
intense for some viewers. Batteries not included. For recreational use. An
equal opportunity employer. Some settling of contents may occur during shipping.
Use only as directed. No other warranty expressed or implied. No postage necessary
if mailed in the United States. Substantial penalty for early withdrawal.
Slightly higher in California. Keep away from fire or flame. Any rebroadcast,
reproduction, or other use of this game without the express written consent
of Major League Baseball is prohibited. Please keep your hands and arms inside
the car while ride is in motion. Any resemblance to real persons, living or
dead, is purely coincidental. Contestants have been briefed before the show.
Do not write below this line.