This is the second course in the Animate Arts core sequence. Here we continue to study art, music, and programming, but also begin to study narrative, film, video, and computer game design. Students are expected to have mastered the material in Animate Arts 101 (taught in Fall 2005 as CAT-380, see Animate Arts 101: Perceptual and Mathematical Spaces). If you have not taken 101, contact the teaching staff immediately.

Prerequisites

Anim Art 101 or permission of instructors

Staff

Instructors:

• Phil Williams (RTVF)
• Ian Horswill (EECS)
• Jay Alan Yim <jaymar@northwestern.edu(Music)

Texts and materials

• Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics. HarperCollins, 1994, ISBN 006097625X.
• Cantine et al., Shot by Shot: A Practical Guide to Filmmaking. Pittsburgh Filmmakers Press, 2000, ISBN 0963743325.
• Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN 019285383X.
• Michael Tierno, Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters, Hyperion Press, 2002, ISBN 0786887400.

• Blank DVDs and CDs (rewriteable = OK)
• miniDV tapes

We also recommend that you have a USB disk drive (either hard disk or keychain drive).

Software

Open source:

• Audacity (Linux, Mac, Windows)
• Meta (Windows only)

Commercial (available on Macs in Studio)

• Final Cut Pro
• GarageBand (entry level), Soundtrack Pro (more powerful, same metaphors as GB) , Logic Pro (industrial strength (soon to be installed); other programs such as Pro Tools, Audition, Digital Performer, et alia, can be used instead for sound design, but Soundtrack Pro and Logic Pro are especially well-suited to being integrated with Final Cut Pro (surprise, surprise).
  

Tentative schedule

• Week 1
  
  
  • Monday, 1/5
    Introduction;
    Video: La jetée (France, Marker, 1962)
    Video: "Strange to Meet You" from Coffee and Cigarettes (USA, Jarmusch, 2003)
    
    
  • Wednesday, 1/7
    Audio Lecture: Storytelling. Tuning (concord versus discord).
    Audio Assignment 1: Ten Adjectives (Due Wed. 1/21)
    
    
  • Friday, 1/9
    Film Screening: The Falls (UK, Greenaway, 1980)
    Assignment: Read Culler (for Monday)
    
    
    
• Week 2
  
  
  • Monday, 1/12
    Film Lecture: Constructing the Real
    Video Assignment 1: The True Story (Due Tues. 2/3)
    • Clip from Salesman (US, Maysles, 1968)
    • Clip from Small Change (France, Truffaut, 1976)
    • Ambition (US, Hartley, 1991)
      
      
  • Wednesday, 1/14
    Art Lecture: 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird; Audio Lecture: 13 Ways of Listening to a Blackbird
    Read: McEvilley (PDF is in the assignment)
    Assignment: Thirteen Ways (Due Wed. 2/11)
    
    
  • Friday, 1/16
    Imperative Programming
    
    
• Week 3
  
  
  • Monday, 1/19
    Martin Luther King Day (holiday) no class
    
    
  • Wednesday, 1/21
    Critique: Ten Adjectives
    
    
  • Friday, 1/23
    Film Screening: Back to the Future (USA, Zemeckis, 1985)
    Assignment: Read Tierno (for Monday)
    
    
• Week 4
  
  
  • Monday, 1/26
    Film Lecture: Aristotelian Narrative
    
    
  • Wednesday, 1/28
    Class hierarchies: gui programming, and collection classes; defining new classes and methods (slides attached at the end of this page)
    Assignment: play Myst
    
    
  • Friday, 1/30
    Film: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (France, Buñuel, 1972)
    
    
• Week 5
  
  
  • Monday, 2/2
    Editing: Continuity and Discontinuity
    • Clips from The Birds
    • Clip from Rope
    • Clips from October
    • Intro to Hiroshima mon amour
  • Assignment: Hacking Exercise 1, due February 11, 11:59pm
    
    
  • Wednesday, 2/4
    Critique: The True Story
    
    
  • Friday, 2/6
    Film: A Clockwork Orange (US/UK, Kubrick, 1971)
    
    
• Week 6
  
  
  • Monday, 2/9
    Video Assignment 2: The Journey
    Visual Style
    • Clip from Lola
    • Clip from Royal Tenenbaums
    • Clip from Metropolis
      
      
  • Wednesday, 2/11
    Critique: 13 Ways Team Presentations
    
    
  • Friday, 2/13
    Game design; adventure game shell (slides attached at the end of this page)
    Assignment: Programming Exercise 2
    
    
• Week 7
  
  
  • Monday, 2/16
    Audio Lecture: Appropriation (Jay)
    Audio Assignment 3: Subversive Soundtrack
    Due Wed. 3/4
    
    
  • Wednesday, 2/18
    Film Lecture: Intensified Continuity, Genre
    • "Cafe scene" from The Shop Around the Corner
    • "Cafe scene" from You've Got Mail
    • Clip from Hondo
    • Clip from High Plains Drifter
    • Clip from White Sun of the Desert
      
      
      
  • Friday, 2/20
    Film: Dog Day Afternoon (USA, Lumet, 1975)
    
    
    
• Week 8
  
  
  • Monday, 2/23
    Visual Art Lecture: Appropriation (Marlena)
    
    
  • Wednesday, 2/25
    Critique: The Journey
    
    
  • Friday, 2/27
    Film: Hitler: A Film From Germany, Part I (W. Germany, Syberberg, 1977)
    
    
• Week 9
  
  
  • Monday, 3/2
    Film Lecture: Experimental Film
    
    
  • Wednesday, 3/4
    Critique: Audio Assignment 3 Subversive Soundtrack
    Assignment: Maximum Originality Mashup
    
    
  • Friday, 3/6
    Film: Metropolitan (US, Stillman, 1990)
    
    
• Week 10
  
  
  • Monday, 3/9
    Film Authorship
    
    
  • Wednesday, 3/11
    Critique: Audio Assignment 3, continued
    
    
  • Friday, 3/13
    TBA
    
    
    
• Final Critique Maximum Originality Mashup, Thursday 3/19, 7-9pm , MANDATORY ATTENDANCE
  Pizza will be provided

  Grading

  • Assignments: 65%
  • Final assignment: 15%
  • Critique participation: 10%
  • Other class participation: 10%

  Attendance

  Class attendance is required. If you are going to miss or be late for a class, contact the teaching staff in advance. Three unexcused absences will drop your final grade by a full letter grade.