Syllabus

DTC 491 | Advanced Digital Cinema

Spring 2024

Class Time: T 5:45pm-8:30pm
Location: VMMC 111
Instructor: Will Luers
Phone: 503-975-3254
Email: wluers@wsu.edu
Office Hours: T 4:30pm-5:30pm in the Digs or on Zoom most days after 12pm

NOTE: All matters associated with this course are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to students.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

In DTC 491 / DIGITAL CINEMA, students will explore the theories, techniques, and aesthetic possibilities of cinema in the age of digital media. Through reading, viewing and discussing canonical works and creating short video assignments, students will work towards an innovative final project. Students will be exposed to a range of digital cinema styles and approaches – video essays, loops, “webisodes”, cinematic games, hyperlinked video, video installation and database cinema-–and will ultimately choose the approach that fits best with their creative goals.

The course will give students experience in working with the digital camera, editing with Adobe Premiere, sound design, developing storyboards for linear and nonlinear structures, integrating video on a webpage and preparing and distributing video for the web. This course will approach video production less as a set of specialized technical skills using high-end equipment, and more as a set of composition practices using commonly used tools. Students are encouraged to use their own (or borrowed) digital cameras, phones or hybrid devices that they can carry with them everywhere. There will also be a range of semi-professional video and audio equipment available for check-out from the equipment room.

Learning Goals

Required Course Activities	Student Learning Outcomes and Activities	University Learning Objectives	CMDC Goals & Objectives
1. Short Assignments	SLO1: Critical and Creative Thinking Understand the principles of framing, continuity, time frames, montage, spatial montage, practical videotaping needs like a job profile, hybrid space, hypervideo, database cinemaSLO4: Communication Learn to make effective presentation of your work in varying scenarios from formal to personal critiques of work	Combine and synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways. Express concepts propositions, and beliefs in coherent, concise, and technically correct form.	Goal 3: Employ the principles of visual form for sophisticated image manipulation
2. Blogging	SLO1: Critical and Creative Thinking Gain a better understanding about how to engage in self-reflection about your own work through blogging about your process, methods, and ideasSLO4: Communication Become more adept about writing about your work by blogging about your insights and influences.	Combine and synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways. Express concepts propositions, and beliefs in coherent, concise, and technically correct form.	Goal 7: Recognize various forms of language processing and their implications for media authoringGoal 10: Be practiced and capable communicators in all mediums
3. Final project	SLO1: Critical and Creative Thinking Produce the script, storyboards and other items needed for the final digital cinema projectSLO2: Information Literacy Become adept at working with tools related to video production, including cameras and softwareSLO4: Communication Be able to articulate your ideas in the 250-500 statement that accompanies your final project.SLO7: Depth, Breadth, and Integration of Learning Synthesize a broad array elements of multimedia elements (sound, movement, images)	Combine and synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways. Determine the extent and type of information needed. Express concepts propositions, and beliefs in coherent, concise, and technically correct form. By applying the concepts of the general and specialized studies to personal, academic, service learning, professional, and/or community activities.	Goal 3: Employ the principles of visual form for sophisticated image manipulationGoal 5 : Understand the production and assessment of media objects

COURSE STRUCTURE

• Focus on the conception and creation of expressive video
• Readings, discussion of concepts, and application of theory
• Multiple assignments and projects

REQUIRED TEXTS/SUPPLIES

• Extra computer storage for video editing
• Headphones or “earbuds”
• Digital camera and monopod (available to check out)
• $10 for online movie rentals and app purchases

COURSE POINT-EARNING POTENTIALS

Blogging (20%)

• Ten 250-500 word blog posts based on readings, viewings and discussions (2% each post)

Assignments (25%)

• one day in 30 secs  – 5%
• make space  – 5%
• break space – 5%
• loop series – 5%
• AI cinema – 5%

Video ESSay (15%)

• a 1-3 minute video essay about one of your favorite causes, ideas, topics, person(s), places or objects. Use cinema language and text or voice-over.

a database VIDEO Project (15%)

• create a web page or series of pages with a selection of 4-6 short video loops (10-60 seconds each) about an idea or passion. what connects the separate videos? how do their differences and sameness create echos and networks of meaning?

Final Project (25%)

• a work of digital cinema that engages with at least two of the class modules and other ideas and techniques explored in class
• 250-500 word statement about your project