Tirtza Even

The course is survey of documentary film practice, from its inception up to current times. Throughout the course we will review the change in formal, thematic and ethical concerns underlying documentary filmmaking, with an emphasis on the ways in which technological development impacted the production of time-based journalism, the presentation of subjective perspectives on political and social issues, the use of documentary as a political tool for generating impact or propaganda, narrative structures in the documentary format etc. Emphasis will be placed on the question of the use of visual media as a form of knowing, recording and telling.

Viewings will typically include films by Lumiere Brothers and Edison, early documentary filmmakers such as Flaherty, Vertov, Lenny Reifenstahl, Pare Lorenz, Walter Ruttman, Joris Ivens and John Grierson, the lyrical documentary work of Basil Wright, the social documentary films of Humphry Jennings, Direct and Verita filmmakers such as Rouch, Weisman, Maysles brothers, Leacock, Pennebaker and Ross McElwee, the audio documentaries of Glenn Gould, the archival documentaries of Ken Burns, contemporary social reflection and engagement by filmmakers such as Errol Morris and Michael Moore, the work of the Sensory Lab and much more.

In the course of the semester students will be researching, assembling material, interviewing and editing video for three short assignments and a final, longer, documentary project that will be incorporating the material viewed and discussed in class and demonstrate a mastery of -- and inquiry into -- the documentary film/video tradition.

The goal of the course is to understand, analyze and confront in practice various aspects of installation art in general and video installation in particular. The course will focus on themes such as site specific work; positive and negative spaces (use of light and projection); formation of an event or a situation (use of material, gesture and movement); the integration of video within sculptural/architectural, as well as narrative configurations etc. The examples shown in accordance with each topic will demonstrate various solutions to the issues discussed in class, and will include gallery and museum field trips as well as possible guest artist lectures. Visual examples will range from Cornell's boxes, minimalist and post minimalist art work, site specific projects by artists including Walter de Maria and Smithson, through pioneer installation makers such as Nauman, Bill Viola, Gary Hill and up to contemporary video installation makers such as Eijal liisa Ahtila, Stan Douglas, Isaac Julian, Doug Aitkins and many others. Readings will include articles by Peter Selz, Michael Archer, Fried Michael, Barbara London, Chrissie Iles, John Hanhardt and numerous others. Students will be required to plan and draw installation sketches as well as to videotape and construct actual video installation work. Class Requirements include weekly reading of relevant articles, two in-class team presentations of relevant artists, as well as 3 short installation production assignments and a more elaborate final project.

The seminar will explore the concept and implementation of autoethnography in film and video work (both single channel and installation) through readings, viewings and in-depth critique of students¿ studio work. Readings will include Catherine Russell, Paige Sarlin, Pooja Rangan, Alisa Lebow, W.G.Sebald and Trinh T. Minh-ha as well as Walter Benjamin¿s Arcades Project, Deleuze¿s analysis of the fold, Stuart Hall's 'Cultural Identity and Cinematic Representation' and others.

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.