Video Essay Atelier,

This course provides students with a practical and critical engagement with the video essay as a mode of audiovisual research and scholarship, thereby familiarizing themselves with a media form that has applications for numerous artistic and professional contexts.

This course is a mix of lectures, viewing and discussion and practical application through video editing and post-production. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and spend a reasonable time outside of the class meetings working on their video essay projects.

Students should have access to video editing software, specifically Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

Throughout the course students will be engaged in a series of practical exercises and assignments. These exercises will initially be carried out in teams to maximize the exchange of learning during a critical phase.  These exercises will be carried out partly in class and partly outside class. These exercises prepare students to take on the individual assignments leading to their final project. Teams will share in class the results of their work during presentations. Students are expected to actively participate in the discussion to practice the skill of giving feedback.

Instead of a final exam, there is final project video essay on a topic of the student’s own choosing, which should demonstrate many of the principles and techniques covered in the class. Additionally, there will be a final self-evaluation essay.