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ATCM 4326 | Mediated Textuality | Fall 2017
Course Information
Class No. 87763
Meets: M 4pm -6:45pm
Location: ATC 2.918
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Information
Instructor: Laura Beltz Imaoka
Email: laura.imaoka@utdallas.edu
Office Hours/Location: M 6:45-7:45pm / ATC 1.909
Course Workspace: http://atcm4326001.pbworks.com
Course Description
As Lev Manovich noted, “New media may look like old media, but this is only the surface.” If we drill
down far enough into any form of the digital we arrive at the level of binary code: 1s and 0s. This
material commonality draws our attention to the layers digital objects possess from the surface, where
text almost always coexists with images, links, and sound, to the source code. This production-intensive
class tasks students with multimodal, multimedia composition. The class focuses on understanding the
signifying strategies of and relationships between different media formats in their analog and digital
forms while taking note of their historical contingencies along the way. It introduces the theoretical and
material connections between text, image, sound, and moving image, detailing the unique affordances
of each while considering how these layers play out atop a foundation of binary code, or that common
materiality that makes the text object both digital and mediated. Students will learn to convey
narratives and ideas in multiple media formats completing a portfolio composed of four separate digital
media objects and a short paper, each of which foregrounds certain modes of making meaning.
Prerequisite: ATCM 3320.
Course Goals
1. Become familiar with the historical, theoretical, and material connections between analog and
digital forms of text, image, sound, and moving image.
2. Investigate the social and cultural implications of new forms of text, image, sound, and moving
image.
3. Investigate a variety of tools of digital production and utilize these tools to communicate ideas.
4. Explore new models of digital production, including short forms and collaboration.
5. Engage in the processes of feedback and revision to improve their work.
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Required Textbooks and Materials
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. ISBN-10: 006097625X
Various chapters and articles available online or through course reserve.
UTD email account that is checked frequently.
Individual account on the course workspace.
Assignments/Grading Breakdown
Participation (25%): Participation is not just about being present, but coming to class on time and
prepared, and having completed the assigned reading and writing in advance, ready to contribute to
class discussions, and to participate in in-class activities. Participation includes attendance, weekly
written think-pieces addressing the assigned readings for that week, reading quizzes, in class activities,
participation in discussion, and preparation. Preparation includes bringing the materials requested of
you to class.
Tool Review (25%): Students will conduct a 15-20 minute review of a digital tool that can be used in
the new models of media production.
Portfolio (50%): Each student will produce a multimedia portfolio in which the same
idea/story/argument is made in different media formats. The portfolio will be composed of four media
objects (text, image, sound and moving image), and one short research paper. Each media object will be
completed as a first version at various due dates throughout the semester. First versions will receive
peer and instructor feedback and will be revised for the final portfolio.
Course Policies
Attendance: Missing more than three classes will impact your grade, and more than five could result in
failing the course. If you need to miss class for religious or academic/school sponsored extracurricular
reasons, please inform me ahead of time. If prior notification is given, these absences will not count
against the permitted number. In addition, absence due to illness will not count against the permitted
number if a written doctor note is provided. Please note, attendance will be taken at the start of each
class period. Punctual attendance for the full meeting time is expected. In addition to not showing up
for class, the following also count as unexcused absences: sleeping in class, being more than 20 minutes
late at the beginning of class or when returning from break, or leaving class early.
Grades
Course grades are based on a 100-point scale. There is no curve. There is no extra-credit or re-take
options. Grades are assigned on the following scale:
A Range: Excellent B Range: Good C Range: Fair D Range: Needs
Improvement
F Range: Failing
Excellent performance,
demonstrates mastery
of material, surpasses
Above-average work,
achieves goals of
assignment in a
Satisfactory, meets
assignment
expectations in an
Assignment
requirements and
expectations not met.
*
3
expectations thorough, solid fashion adequate fashion
A, A- B+, B, B- C+, C, C- D+, D, D- F
*F-grades are given to students who fail to meet the expectations and requirements of an
assignment, who have submitted plagiarized work (see below), who fail to complete much or all
of the assigned work for the course, or who have missed more than five classes.
Classroom and Online Etiquette
Any successful learning experience requires mutual respect on behalf of the student and the instructor.
The instructor, as well as the fellow students, should not be subjected to any student's behavior that is
in any way disruptive, rude, or challenging to the instructor's authority in the classroom. A student
should not feel intimidated or demeaned by his/her instructor and students must remember that the
instructor has primary responsibility for control over classroom behavior and maintenance of academic
integrity. The instructor can order the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any
student engaged in disruptive conduct or conduct violating the general rules and regulations of the
institution (see https://www.utdallas.edu/oiec/title-ix/). Online participation requires the same
atmosphere of respect. Name calling, harassing, flaming, trolling, etc. is antithetical to the coarse goals
and will not be tolerated.
Lecture and Technology Policy
All mobile devices and personal media devices must be turned off before class begins and left off and
out of sight for the duration of each session. Violation of this policy will result in either surrendering the
device until the end of class or a request to leave the lecture. While students may use laptops to take
notes, other activities during lectures is strictly forbidden.
Due Dates and Late Work
All online assignments are due prior to class on the date listed, unless otherwise noted. Work associated
with participation, in class exams, or the knowledgebase will not be accepted late. There are no make
ups for missed reading quizzes or in-class exams.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, all coursework is still due online by the posted times. Students are
responsible for checking their email for instructions regarding activities that may be scheduled during
the regular class meeting time.
Monday through Friday I check email regularly and will respond to your message within 24 hours. If it
surpasses 24 hours, check your email and resend it. Use UTD email only. Write your name and the class
number in the subject line. I will not respond to course matters that are listed in the syllabus or to
questions about what you missed in class. Please make sure you have the email or phone number of a
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fellow classmate or two to serve this purpose. Also, I will not respond to emails about assignments or
exams 24-hours or less before the due-date or exam administration so plan accordingly.
Office Hours
Students are strongly encouraged to visit office hours to ask any questions or discuss any concerns with
the assignments or course. If you have a reasonable conflict with the scheduled office hours, please
email to arrange for an appointment.
Student Services and Support
Students with disabilities who believe they may need formal accommodations in this class are
encouraged to register with the Office of Access Ability within the first week of class. The office is
located in SSB 3.200, and can be contacted at 972-883-2098 or studentaccess@utdallas.edu.
Academic Honesty
A failing grade will automatically be assigned to any student who violates the academic integrity policy
of the University of Texas, Dallas. All work submitted must represent your own, individual effort. Use of
sources or others' ideas must be acknowledged with proper citations. Please familiarize yourself with
the UT Dallas’ policy on Academic Honesty at http://www.utdallas.edu/conduct/manage-dishonesty/.
Comet Creed
This creed was voted on by the UT Dallas student body in 2014. It is a standard that Comets choose to
live by and encourage others to do the same:
“As a Comet, I pledge honesty, integrity, and service in all that I do.”
Disclaimer
The descriptions and timelines contained in this syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the
Professor.
Course Schedule
Unit 1: Introduction
Week 1 - Introduction
August 21:
Syllabus overview
Think Piece assignment criteria
5
Week 2 – Semiotics + Narrative Across Media
August 28:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Saussure, “The Nature of the Linguistic Sign” from Course in General Linguistics http://faculty.smu.edu/nschwart/seminar/Saussure.htm Bolter and Grusin, “Immediacy, Hypermediacy, Remediation” and “Remediation”
Ryan, “Introduction” from Narrative Across Media
Review: “Semiotics,” from Media Studies 101: A Creative Commons Textbook
https://mediatexthack.wordpress.com/category/semiotics/
Register for PBWorks and request access to the course workspace
Bring one or more magazines that you have lying around. If you have zero magazines, don't go
out and buy one.
IN CLASS
Portfolio assignment overview
Tool Review overview & date assignment
Week 3
September 4:
NO CLASS – Labor Day
Identify 3-5 possible sources that you might adapt for your portfolio. It can be a work of fiction,
a speech, a song, etc. List in homework section of course participant page by 4pm on Sept. 4th.
Unit 2: Text
Week 4 – Text I
September 11:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Barthes, “Death of the Author”
Mod, “The Digital Death of the Author”
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2010/11/storytelling-20-the-digital-death-
of-the-author.html Fenzel, “The Death of the Author and of Katy Perry”
https://www.overthinkingit.com/2012/01/31/death-author-katy-perry/
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
Week 5 – Text II
September 18:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Manovich, “The Principles of New Media”
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Jerz, “Somewhere Nearby is Colossal Cave”
http://www.digitalhumanities.org/dhq/vol/001/2/000009/000009.html
Stefans, “Language as Gameplay” at electronic book review
http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/electropoetics/gameplay
Play Colossal Cave Adventure
http://www.amc.com/shows/halt-and-catch-fire/colossal-cave-adventure/landing
Browse Electronic Literature Collection, Volume II
http://collection.eliterature.org/2/
o Identify one to discuss in class. Post link to the homework section on the workspace.
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
Week 6 – Portfolio Workshop – Text Object
September 25:
BEFORE CLASS
Text object, version 1 due
IN CLASS
Review Workshop
Unit 3: Still Image
Week 7 – Still Image I
October 2:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: McCloud, Understanding Comics
Bring your favorite comic book, webcomic, or graphic novel
IN CLASS
Watch “The Rise of Webcomics”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6redB3Xev14
Tool Reviews
Week 8 – Still Image II
October 9:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Cruz & Meyer, “Creation and Control in the Photographic Process: iPhones and the
emerging fifth moment of photography” from Photographies
Hochman and Shwartz, “Visualizing Instagram: Tracing Cultural Visual Rhythms” from
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Technical Report WS-12-03:
Social Media Visualization
7
Manovich, “Watching the World” from Aperture
http://aperture.org/blog/watching-world/
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
Week 9 – Portfolio Workshop – Image Object
October 16:
BEFORE CLASS
Still image object, version 1 due
IN CLASS
Review Workshop
Unit 4: Sound
Week 10 – Sound I
October 23:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Douglas, “The Zen of Listening” from Listening: Radio and the American Imagination
Altman, “TV Sound” from Studies in Entertainment: Critical Approaches to Mass Culture
Chion, trans Brewster, “Quiet Revolution...and Rigid Stagnation” from October
Watch “The Foley Artist”
https://vimeo.com/124053378
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
Week 11 – Sound II
October 30:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Hosokawa, “The Walkman Effect.” Popular Music Vol. 4 (1984).
Behrendt, “Playing the iPhone” In Snickars, Pelle and Vonderau, Patrick, eds. Moving
Data: The iPhone and the Future of Media.
Listen / browse Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night
http://unsilentnight.com/index.html
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
8
Week 12 – Portfolio Workshop – Sound Object
November 6:
BEFORE CLASS
Sound object, version 1 due
IN CLASS
Review Workshop
Unit 5: Moving Image
Week 13 –Moving Image I
November 13:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Eisenstein, “A Dialectic Approach to Film Form”
Bazin, “Evolution of the Language of Cinema”
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
Week 14 – No Class
Week 15 – Moving Image II
November 27:
BEFORE CLASS
Read: Bogost, “The Rhetoric of Video Games” from The Ecology of Games
Muller, “Where Quality Matters: Discourses on the Art of Making a YouTube Video”
from The YouTube Reader
Horwatt, “A Taxonomy of Digital Video Remixing: Contemporary Found Footage Practice
on the Internet” from Cultural Borrowings, ed. Iain Robert Smith
Watch 3 – 5 selections of your choice from Recycled Cinema Playlist
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D52BD242C8855525
IN CLASS
Tool Reviews
Week 16 – Portfolio Workshop - Moving Image Object
December 4:
BEFORE CLASS
Moving image object, version 1 due
IN CLASS
9
Review workshop
Finals Week
Monday, December 11th before 5pm:
Portfolio due
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