Strategies of Alterity: Sci-Fi, Other Worlds, Space  

COURSE SCHEDULE WINTER 2017

January 10 - March 18, 2017
Office Hours – Wednesday 1:00 - 1:50pm and 4:30 - 5:20pm at VAF 511

OVERVIEW:
Broadening our definition of “other” to include a science-fiction imaginary of the off-world, the cyberpunk, and the distant future, this Advanced Production class will explore the images, sounds, and designs of science-fiction. The course presents a critical and historical look at science-fiction ideation and storytelling with an emphasis on rigorous pre-production methodology. Advanced-level media-projects, including short video projects, will be required. Prerequisites: VIS 70N and VIS 174. Open to media majors only. Two production-course limitation.

FINAL GRADE CALCULATION
60% will be based on all assigned exercises and quizzes.
40% will be based on class participation in discussions and critiques.

N.B. Participation requires active engagement in the discourse of our course. Examples include: provide individual insight into examples show in class, asking questions about course content, provide feedback to peers during critique, visiting Office Hours with questions or ideas to discuss, active discussion during class-time of assigned readings. If you have discovered other ways to participate, please do so and speak to me to discuss whether or not these variations will be recorded by me as meeting this standard.

ASSIGNMENTS:
#1: Pre_production portfolio - Due Week 4
#2: VFX and Sound portfolio - Due Week 7
#3: Motion-picture - Due Week 10

These Assignments are not up-for-discussion. You will be required to demonstrate the skills you have learned in previous courses (especially at the Intermediate level) and prepare work suitable for critique. Incomplete work or work that is not prepared for critique will result in a considerably lower respective grade.

Extra Credit Production-Drills: Throughout the quarter, students will be assigned short, focused "production drills" designed to facilitate practice with the techniques learned in class. Each succsesfully completed production-drill will be awarded ONE point towards your final grade.

LATE-WORK POLICY:
I will only accept assignments late if you have an excused absence from class or in an emergency situation about which you have spoken with me directly. Late assignments will be accepted at Instructor’s discretion.
INSTRUCTOR WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE FINAL PROJECTS.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to attend all of every class meeting. “Absence” is a word describing “the state of being away from a place.” If you are away-from-class, you will be considered absent (notwithstanding absence due to illness). If you are ill, you may miss class provided you present official documentation indicating your illness (a note from student health-services will suffice).

Two absences = Lower final grade by one letter
Each additional absence = Lower final grade by an additional half-letter

Arriving to class late twice will be noted as an “absence.” Thus, arriving to class late four times will lower the final grade by one letter.

Back

updated January 2, 2017