UCSC/FILM + DIGITAL MEDIA DEPARTMENT
FILM 171C • "FOUND FOOTAGE" FILM/VIDEO

SPRING 2007

MONDAY + WEDNESDAY 3:30-6:00pm
Communications 113 + 130

 
 
 
 

Professor: Irene Gustafson
[831] 459 1498 / Comm 125
click here to email
Office Hours: Wednesday 2:30-3:30pm and by appointment

 
 

[syllabus last updated: June 4th 2007]

      
 
 

In this production class we will study the found footage film/video. We will consider the practice of “recycling” images and sounds, a characterization that suggests a certain economy and the possibility of finding new use for that which has been discarded, a use perhaps not intended by the original “owner” or “creator.” We will explore the history of the “found object”, collage, appropriation, sampling, as well as issues of authorship and originality, ownership, cultural critique, autobiography, historiography, parody, and other relevant issues through the work of historical and contemporary artists and though the production of several short projects.

This class is designed to be intensive—both in terms of production and study. Students will complete two individual video assignments and will participate in a collaborative group assignment as well. In addition, students will be expected to complete weekly reading assignments and come to class prepared to discuss relevant concepts. Our class time together will consist of lectures, discussion of assigned reading, screenings, critique of student work, and technical workshops.
   
  COSTS:
There is a lab feel of $22.00 due for this course. Additionally each student will be responsible for the cost of materials to complete required projects.
   
  MATERIALS:
You are responsible for providing your own tape stock, digital media [CD, DVD], and are also expected to have a suitable hard-drive for editing. Please use Panasonic tapes.
   
 

REQUIRED READING:
Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig (ISBN 01430.34650)
Select essays (available as PDF files on the course website)
   REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING CREDIT
   
   •ALL PROJECTS ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS/DVD
  Your final evaluation and/or grade in the class will be based on the following:     
       
  • Attendance and Participation
includes student presentations 		ongoing  20%
       
  • Assignment #1 [max. 5 min.]
Hollywood/TV re-edited 		due M 4/23  30%
       
  • Assignment #2 [max. 5 min]
Reconfiguration		 due M 5/14, 5/20  30%
       
 

• Assignment #3
Public Space “Detournment”
This is a group designed final project. Each student will be turning in their individual work [as a piece of media and 2 page write-up] but the emphasis of this assignment is on group process and collaboration

 due W 6/6 20%
       
  • Attendance is mandatory; punctuality is required. 3 unexcused absences or excessive lateness will result in a NO PASS.
• All assignments must be completed and turned in on time. All assignments must be completed and turned in to receive credit in the class
• Active and thoughtful participation in class discussion and critique is required.
• You are expected to follow the rules for equipment checkout and are expected to take reasonable care of our shared equipment and facilities.
   
  SCHEDULE
    jump to week:
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1.



......WEDNESDAY APRIL 4th
Introductions, Overview, Production Groups
     
   

2.

......MONDAY APRIL 9th

What is a “Found Footage Film or Video”? Where did the genre come from? Why make a found footage project?
The Film/Video maker as detective, researcher, scavenger, critic, pack-rat and opportunist.

 
   
SCREENINGS:
 Slow Gin Slow Stallion (Animal Charm, 1996, 2:30min.) VT9846
Alone Life Wastes Andy Hardy (Martin Arnold, 1998, 15 min.)
Bush Sunday Bloody Sunday (youtube.com)
Removed (Naomi Uman, 1999, 6 min) DVD3027
         
   
READING DUE:
William Wees, “Surveying the Field” [pdf file]
   

 

......WEDNESDAY APRIL 11th

What is a “Found Footage Film or Video”? [continued

   
SCREENINGS:
 Sonic Outlaws (Craig Baldwin, 1995, 80 min.) VT3701
     
READING DUE:
William Wees, “In the Domain of Montage: Compilation, Collage, Appropriation” [pdf file]
     
     
 

 

 

 

3.

......MONDAY APRIL 16th
TECH 1: finding, extracting, converting and using
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS-- Charley Weston, Owen Smithyman, Timothy Paul
   
READING DUE:
 Lessig, “Introduction,” “Piracy” (from, Free Culture)
   

 

......WEDNESDAY APRIL 18th

Hollywood and TV re-edited

 
   
SCREENINGS:
 Decasia: The State of Decay (Bill Morrison, 2004, 67 min)
         
   
READING DUE:
 Rick Prelinger, “Beyond Copyright Consciousness” [pdf file]
     
     
   

4.

......MONDAY APRIL 23rd

ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE: HOLLYWOOD/TV RE-EDITED [A-O]


......WEDNESDAY APRIL 25th

ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE: HOLLYWOOD/TV RE-EDITED [N-Z]
     
   

5.

......MONDAY APRIL 30th

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS-- Deva Anderson, Bret Malley, Kassandra Krause
Personal Artifacts/Memory and the Personal
   
SCREENINGS:
 The Maelstrom: A Family Chronicle (Peter Forgacs, 1998, 58 min.)
         
   
READING DUE:
 Portuges,”Home Movies, Found Images, and ‘Amateur Film’ as Witness to History” [pdf file]
www.homemovieday.com
     
   

......WEDNESDAY MAY 2nd

Personal Artifacts/Memory and the Personal [cont.]
   
SCREENINGS:
 The Smell of Burning Ants (Jay Rosenblatt, 1994, 21 min.) VT5297
Marilyn Times Five (Bruce Conner, 1973, 13 min.) VT1345
History and Memory (Rea Tajiri, 191, 32 min.) VT3683
Rock Hudson's Home Movies (Mark Rappaport, 1994, 63 min.) VT3221
         
   
READING DUE:
 Coco Fusco “Who’s Doin The Twist? Notes Towards a Politics of Appropriation” [pdf file]
     
     
   

6.

......MONDAY MAY 7th

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS-- Matthew Longoria, Mike Santaella, Michael On
   
SCREENING:
 Phantom of the Operator (Caroline Martel, 2004, 66 min.) DVD2749
       
   
READING DUE:
 Lessig, “Property” (from, Free Culture) 
         
   

......WEDNESDAY MAY 9th

TECH 2: Soundtrack Pro

 
     
     
   

7.

......MONDAY MAY 14th

ASSIGNMENT #2 Rough Cut DUE: RECONFIGURATION

......WEDNESDAY MAY 16th

ASSIGNMENT #2 Rough Cut DUE: RECONFIGURATION

TECH 2: Aftereffects

 
     
   

8.

......MONDAY MAY 21st

ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE: RECONFIGURATION [N-Z]

 

......WEDNESDAY MAY 23rd

ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE: RECONFIGURATION [A-O]
     
   

9.

......MONDAY MAY 28th

NO CLASS

 

......WEDNESDAY MAY 30th

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS-- Idil Tabanca, Anne Heinrich, Kalley Offerman, Stephanie Wilson
Group meetings for Assignment #3

 
     
   

10.

......MONDAY JUNE 4th

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS-- Jack Winton, Jack Hayden, Hunter Hadfield, Meghan Shepp
   
SCREENING:
 The Personal Collector INCOMING MESSAGES
       
   
READING DUE:
 Irene Gustafson, “Longing at the Found and Lost” [pdf file]
   
Lessig, “Puzzles,”   “Balances,” “Conclusion” (from, Free Culture)
     
   

......WEDNESDAY JUNE 6th

ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE: PUBLIC SPACE DETOURNMENT

DUE: DVD (project as a viewable DVD and a "data file)

Also, DVD label (as PSD file) and $4.00 cash

 
   

FINAL EXAM: MEET IN STUDIO A ON MONDAY JUNE 11TH @ NOON

 
     
   

 

R E S O U R C E S

SLUGFILM [checkout, reservation, facilities]:

http://slugfilm.ucsc.edu/


• Linda Garfield, Operations Manager 459-2348 lindag@ucsc.edu
• Brian Moffet, Digital Media Specialist 459-4242 bdmoffet@ucsc.edu
• Nick Dulin, Checkout Manager 459-4062 ndulin@ucsc.edu
• Zach Davis, Digital Media Specialist 459-3512 zdavis@ucsc.edu



FCP Resources:
http://www.dvguys.com
http://www.2-pop.com

 

FINDING and CONVERTING:

Archive.org http://www.archive.org/index.php

Prelinger Archive http://www.archive.org/details/prelinger

MPEG Streamclip http://www.squared5.com/

FFMpegX http://homepage.mac.com/major4/

MactheRipper.org http://mactheripper.org/

MactheRipper Manual [pdf file]

Handbrake http://handbrake.m0k.org/

isquint http://www.isquint.org/

Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

 

Recycled Cinema http://recycledcinema.blogspot.com/

Glath Video http://video.glath.com/

 

COPYRIGHT:

Tales From the Public Domain: Bound by Law http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/

Creative Commons: http://creativecommons.org/

US Copyright Office http://www.copyright.gov/title17/

Lawrence Lessig website http://www.lessig.org/