COM 248-02 Course Schedule
Fall 2009

Return to COM 248-02 Syllabus

DateTopics Readings
Aug 24 It's All Fake: Creativity in the Media

Class Screening: "Shadowplay," Twilight Zone 		JRB, Chap. 2
Aug 26-Aug 31 Sounds and Images in the Creative Process:
The art of mass production

Class Screening: The Making of Master and Commander

    Study Questions:
  1. In what ways do the mass production technologies of modern media foster creativity?
  2. How might Benjamin assess the digitization of mass media?

 JRB, Chap 11

Benjamin, The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction
Sep 2Digital Design

CLASS MEETS IN
NEFF B88 on September 2

    Study Questions:
  1. What constitutes an effective" website?
  2. Is a web site ever "finished?"

 JRB, Chap 10
Hall, Encoding/Decoding

Kompozer, the sequel to NVU

Student Web Space at IPFW (ITS webpage)

Publishing To The Web (ITS webpage)

Dr. Dixon's Web Page Instuctions for NVU

Sep 7LABOR DAY Break
Sep 9-14-16
 Semiotics: Encoding/decoding
Case Study: The Check-Up

Class Screening: Trojan Evolve Spot

    Study Questions:
  1. How do audiovisual media communicate multiple meanings simultaneously?
  2. In what ways are these meanings culturally determined?

 Barthes, The rhetoric of the image

Robert Seiler, "Selling Patriotism/Selling Beer: The Case of the "I AM CANADIAN" Commercial" (Refer to pages 56-61 for an example of a semiotic analysis of a tv advertisement).

Molsen Ad (via YouTube)
Sep 21-23The Senses: Sound

The Senses: Sight

Class Screening: Narc-The Visual Trip

    Study Questions:
  1. How do we listen to the world?
  2. How do we look at the world?

 JRB, Chap 3-5, 7


Production Terms and Concepts:
Audio


Visuals
Sep 28-30 Narratives and Dramatic Structure

Class Screening: "Pilot," My Name Is Earl

Class Screening: "Quit Smoking," My Name Is Earl

    Study Questions:
  1. How does syntagmatic (semiotic) analysis inform narrative theory?
  2. What is the relationship between narrative fictions and our everyday lives?

Essay # 1 Due: Sept 30

 JRB, Chap 8

Aristotle, Poetics (online edition)

Aristotle, Poetics (downloadable text edition)
Oct 5-7-14 Film and Video
Class Screening : Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography

    Study Questions:
  1. What is the role of the cinematographer in the overall production design?
  2. What are the aesthetic possibilities presented by different aspect ratios and levels of resolution?

 JRB, Chap 9
Oct 12 Fall Break
Oct 19-21 Sight, Sound, and Story: The Creation of the Illusion

Class Screening: The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing


Essay #1 Resubmission Due: October 19

    Study Questions:
  1. How do montage editing and composition in depth reinforce different conceptualizations of the relationship between the image and the audience?
  2. What is the relationship between editing and narrative structure?

 JRB Chap 6
Oct 26-28 Storyboards/Group Project
The Responsive Chord: Media and Persuasion

    Study Questions:
  1. What does Schwartz mean by "The Responsive Chord?
  2. What constitutes adequate and appropriate pre-production planning?



Essay #2 Due: Oct 28

CLASS MEETS IN NEFF B88 COMPUTER LAB ON OCTOBER 28

 JRB, Chap 1

Tony Schwartz, The Responsive Chord
The story of the Daisy Spot
Nov 2-4Genres and Styles

    Study Questions:
  1. What is a genre?
  2. What are the relationships among genre, narrative structure, and semiotics?

 Chandler, Introduction to Genre Theory

Film Genres website
Nov 9-11News and Documentary: Representing Reality

    Study Questions:
  1. What are the myths about media reprentations of reality?
  2. What are the relationships between news/documentary and narrative fictions?

Nov 16-18-23The Television Series
Class Screening: "The One With The Candy Hearts," Friends

    Study Questions:
  1. What are the essential elements of a television series?
  2. How can series television survive the fragmentation of media delivery systems?

Essay #3 Due November 18 		TBA
Nov 30-Dec 2 Sound and Audio: It's All in the Mix
Class Screening: selections from Standing In The Shadows Of Motown

    Study Questions:
  1. Who is the author of a sound recording?
  2. Should audio productions be accurate or convenient?

 Tankel, Remixing as recoding
Dec 7 My Media World Website DUE
In-class Presentations
Dec 9 Final Essay and Class Screening: Frank's Place
FINAL ESSAY DUE
PSA Storyboard Presentations
Friday, Dec. 18, 1-3 p.m.

Fall 2009
Date(s) Calendar Item
Aug. 24 Classes Begin
Aug. 24-28 Late Registration and Drop/Add
Aug. 28 Final Payment Deadline (late registrants)
Aug. 30 Last Day for Full Refund (for full-term classes)
Aug. 28 Weekend Classes Begin
Sept.4-7 Labor Day Holiday Recess Begins at 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 Classes Resume
Sept. 21 Pass/Not Pass and Audit-to-Credit Deadline
Oct. 12-13 Fall Recess
Oct. 14 Classes Resume
Oct. 30 Credit-to-Audit Deadline
Oct. 30 Last Day to Withdraw from Classes (for full-term classes)
Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Recess Begins after Last Class
Nov. 30 Classes Resume
Dec. 14-20 Last Week of Classes and Final Exams
Dec. 20 Classes and Final Exams End
Holidays and Observances:
Aug 19National Aviation Day
Aug 22Ramadan begins
Sep 7Labor Day
Sep 11Patriot Day
Sep 12Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day
Sep 13National Grandparents Day
Sep 16Laylat al-Qadr
Sep 17Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Sep 19Rosh Hashana
Sep 21Eid-al-Fitr
Sep 22Autumnal equinox
Sep 27Gold Star Mother's Day
Sep 28Yom Kippur
Oct 5Child Health Day
Oct 9Last day of Sukkot
Oct 9Leif Erikson Day
Oct 12Columbus Day (Most regions)
Oct 15White Cane Safety Day
  
Oct 31Halloween
Nov 1All Saints
Nov 11Veterans Day
Nov 26Thanksgiving Day
Nov 27Black Friday
Nov 28Eid-al-Adha
Dec 7Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Dec 12First Day of Chanukah
Dec 17Wright Brothers Day
Dec 17Pan American Aviation Day
Dec 18Muharram/New Year
Dec 19Last day of Chanukah
Dec 21December Solstice
Dec 24Christmas Eve
Dec 25Christmas Day
Dec 26Kwanzaa (until Jan 1)
Dec 31New Year's Eve