Syllabus by Prof. Pat Aufderheide, American University
This is a class to familiarize you with audio-visual production for social action, including nonprofit, advocacy, institutional, and museum display. You'll analyze case studies of successful work, map the economic and social environment for media, meet professional media producers, and develop a proposal.
This kind of audiovisual production is distinctive. It is produced for instrumental purposes--teaching, triggering debate, motivating political actions, fostering group identity. Such work to be compelling must be artful, engaging, and within the expectations of your viewers for an audiovisual experience.
But it also is special because such work participates in a relationship with viewers as members of the public, as citizens, as people who can and will make choices about not just their own lives but about their government, school system, environment, immigration policy, and so on. In that sense, especially, this work is critical to shaping public life.
The lead professor for this class is Prof. Pat Aufderheide, a full-time and senior faculty member since 1989, and the codirector of the Center for Social Media. Prof. Aufderheide is responsible for the course as a whole and for the majority of the evaluation.
Team-teaching is Prof. Robin Smith, the founder and president of Video/Action, a leading national producer of strategic media in conjunction with nonprofits. Kindly consult Staff Information on Blackboard for more biographical information, for an extensive bio and filmography please check Course Documents in Blackboard. Prof. Smith will be responsible for evaluation of her portion of the course.
Jan. 14: Introductions and viewing
Speaker: Christof Blackman Putzel, filmmaker of Left Behind
Jan. 21: Producing for US Television
READING FOR TODAY:
VIEWING FOR TODAY: New Americans: Episode I
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
Jan. 21, CSM Event: Citizen King, with Orlando Bagwell, 5:30 Wechsler Theater
Jan. 28: International development and television
READ FOR TODAY:
VIEWING FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
Feb. 4: Nonprofits and Television
READING FOR TODAY:
VIEWING FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
GUEST LECTURER: Ellen Spiro, independent filmmaker
Feb. 4, CSM Event: Photographer Leonard Freed, 5:30 Wechsler Theater
Feb. 11 Video/Action: Partnering with Nonprofits (Case Study: Women of Substance)
VIEWING FOR TODAY: Women of Substance (30-min and 10-min versions) (VHS 7376)
DUE FOR TODAY: Screening summary
Feb. 18 Video/Action: Providing a forum for stories rarely heard (Case Study: We Are Not)
VIEWING FOR TODAY:
DUE on MONDAY before CLASS: E-mailed draft of pre-meeting background memo
DUE FOR TODAY:
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY: Role play meeting with nonprofit client in need of a video
Feb. 21-22: National Gallery of Art, "The Flaherty" screenings
Feb. 25 Video/Action: Special Event Video Productions (Case Study: Through My Eyes)
VIEWING FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY:
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY: Role play pre-production brainstorm meeting
March 3 Video/Action: Gov't-funded Opportunities (Case Study: Terrorism and Hate Crime)
VIEWING FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY:
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY: Students will present proposals to each other for feedback
March 17: Video/Action: Presenting proposals to clients
VIEWING FOR TODAY: Why Walk When You Can Fly?
DUE FOR TODAY:
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY: Students will present proposals to nonprofit client
March 24: Media in Museums
READ FOR TODAY:
VIEW FOR TODAY:
VISIT FOR TODAY: One museum using audio-visual media within exhibits rather than as a movie (any of the Smithsonian complex, for example)
DUE FOR TODAY:
March 24-27: Environmental Film Festival at the Center for Social Media! Check website for details, including the Saturday panel with filmmakers and industry leaders!
March 31: Documentary and human rights
READ FOR TODAY:
VIEW FOR TODAY:
GUEST LECTURER: Ronit Avni, formerly associate producer, WITNESS
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
March 31: CSM, Ronit Avni and the Just Vision project, 5:30 Wechsler Theater
April 7: Video Activism
READ FOR TODAY:
VIEW FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
April 14: Broadcast Outreach and Strategic Campaigns
READING FOR TODAY:
VIEWING FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
April 14: CSM, The Impact of Outreach: The Not In Our Town Project, 5:30 Wechsler
April 21: Participatory media
READ FOR TODAY:
VIEW FOR TODAY:
DUE FOR TODAY: Summary paper
Take home final handed out today!
April 29: Finals due by 11 am (or beginning of class time as later determined!); final discussion and feedback session