Department of English

This course has two intersecting goals. One is to examine the current state of media production and distribution through readings, class discussions, and on-site visits to the Tribeca film festival in New York. We will spend part of two weekends at the festival in April, watching films and talking with festival staff and industry leaders. The second goal of the course is to master the skills of multimedia criticism. We will watch, listen to, and read about the increasingly popular genre of multimedia criticism (video essays, podcasts, etc). Many major media critics have given up writing about audiovisual media to analyze it through audiovisual media. Even the New York Times splits its energy between written and multimedia reviews. But this is just the most mainstream tip of the iceberg, which also includes avant-garde and amateur work as well. In this class, every student will create multimedia review works that may include video, audio, and even virtual reality. Coursework may be individual or collaborative. Students are responsible for their transportation to and housing in New York.