Ryan Griffis +

arts343 :: time arts 1

syllabus

Spring 2008 :: T/R 4-6:40 :: Room 308
ryan griffis
office hours: wed 12 - 2pm, room 131 a+d bldg.
rgriffis[at]uiuc[dot]edu

course objectives

Time Arts 1 explores the potential of TIME-BASED MEDIA for creative expression and communications within the context of visual art and design. This class will include assignments in sound, video and their combinations. We will look at examples of contemporary works (media objects and events that may be considered art) and the history of time-based art for inspiration and precedent. We will also be working under the assumption, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, that time-based media are uniquely suited to interdisciplinary projects that assume no one formal context or history. This means that the work we view, and that you will be asked to complete, in class may or may not match your initial expectations of cinema or video as an art form.
While some students will bring pre-existing skills with video and audio to the class, others will have virtually no previous experience. This class assumes no prior knowledge of video editing or the use of video cameras. It does expect a certain, very basic understanding of computer use and an exposure to some elementary art/design/culture theory. By the end of the class, you can expect to have some historical and theoretical understanding of time-based art as well as the basic skills to make some of your own.
The class depends on providing and receiving thoughtful feedback on the developing work.

methodology

Our goal will be to attend equally to the formal, contextual/historical, and technical aspects of each subject we address. Work will consist of:
• in-class studio: short and long-term exercises & projects
• out-of-class projects: short and long-term projects completed alone and in groups
• training and proficiency sessions in the computer lab
• discussion and critique
• presentations
• viewing of works in various media, in and out of class
• some reading of relevant theories, histories
• research of relevant artists, artifacts for source materials and examples

required texts

Specific readings, made available on the web or reproduced for you in PDF format, will be required of you throughout the course. Often, these readings will introduce conceptual and/or technical frameworks for the work produced in class, and are therefore extremely important. There will usually be short writing assignments for each reading as well as in class discussions.
Strongly recommended software books:
Final Cut Pro VQSG (from amazon)
After Effects CS3 VQSG (from amazon)

supplies

You should expect to spend as much as $100.00 on storage media such as DVD-Rs, DV tapes, and other supplies. Large capacity portable hard drives would be extremely useful, although it is not expected that everyone can buy their own.

facility fee

Students taking courses in the Art+Design Resource Lab are all assessed a $75 facility access fee and a $10 materials fee. The facility fee supports acquisition and maintenance of computers, peripheral equipment and software,and helps provide technical support. The materials fee provides the means to purchase items for direct use and consumption by the class and may include video rentals and other materials that are entirely consumed by your specific class.

grading criteria

Regular attendance is a necessity, as is classroom participation. Both will have a crucial bearing on your final grade. Excessive absences [3 or more] can lower a grade by one full letter or more.

Credit/no credit technical quizes will be given periodically.

Students will also be given occasional writing exercises. These will be graded on a credit / no credit basis, and will also be a deciding factor in each student's final grade.

The artwork created in class will be evaluated and graded according to the following criteria:

A outstanding; thoughtful and intelligent ideas presented in a clear, organized, and engaging manner; among the very best.
B good; the ideas are interesting and successfully presented; shows potential, but not necessarily distinctive; roughly equal in quality to the majority of work completed by other students.
C mediocre; achieves minimum requirements of the assignment, but not particularly clear, successful, or ambitious. quality of the work is below that of most other projects submitted.
D poor; does not satisfy the minimum requirements of the assignment; generally unsatisfactory in terms of quality and clarity.
F you probably didn't submit a finished assignment.

Your final grade will be determined roughly as follows:

100 points for each project, 10 points for each reading/writing assignment, 50 points for participation (cumulative).

workload i suggest you budget 5 - 6 hours a week for doing course work outside of our classtime.

Be aware of the University's Policy on Academic Integrity + Nondiscrimination as they apply to this class