VJ-U/VJ-U undergraduate survey

A survey-style class taught to students at the undergraduate level.

Outline

This is a hands-on course on the tools and techniques of the Video Jockey, including computer and standalone hardware tools for audiovisual clip production, live performance and screening.

VJ-U @ Eyebeam is an intensive immersion into the realtime cinema-making process. Students will individually and collectively make new work every week, which will be seen by audiences attending Open Lab audiovisual 'jams' at Eyebeam, surfing the web and watching public access TV.

Students will help to develop custom tools including "Vidymis", a digital interface for analog video synthesis. Guest artists will include VJs, video artists, musicians and programmers. VJ-U @ Eyebeam will examine if the increasing accessibility of technological tools is fostering a global dialog in a wordless language. The course will culminate in a final audiovisual composition of the students’ own design and execution.

This course is extremely hands-on. It is assumed that most project work will be completed during class time, and as such class attendance will be essential to completing project work. Access to Eyebeam’s facilities and equipment is limited to class and lab hours. In addition, there may be some field trips that fall outside the class hours, and regular jams will be held during Eyebeam's Ed Lab 'Office Hours' on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm. The course will also include limited readings and assignments.

Your final grade for VJ-U @ Eyebeam will reflect your attendance, completion of assignments, project work, and class/lab participation.

Syllabus

• WEEK ONE - Video/Persona/Shadow

Examine 'viral' media on the web and preliminary design of students' individual and collective public media presence. Make 'shadow' self-portraits

• WEEK TWO – Viral Videos

Students continue to shape their media presence in a series of 'mirror' exercises

• WEEK THREE – Avatar Self

Examine Second Life and make avatars. Guest VJ Dan Winckler

• WEEK FOUR – VJ Branding

Use of graphics/image processing to establish students' media "brand". Use VDMX to make media. Guest VJ David Lublin of Vidvox and LMNOPF Assignment: make clips to bring in next week’s class

• WEEK FIVE – Video Music

Using GRID to scratch clips and make VJ-style shorts.

• WEEK SIX – Mixing It Up

Video mixers, realtime montage & compositing.

• WEEK SEVEN – Old School Tricks: In-Camera

History of VJing, part 1. Students make shorts with strictly optical techniques

• WEEK EIGHT – Old School Tricks: Image Processing

History of VJing, part 2. Analog signal processing

• WEEK NINE – Old School Tricks: Digital [DOES NOT EQUAL] Computer

History of VJing. Students use digital image generation & processing techniques within/without computers. Guest: Bill Etra

• WEEK TEN – Synaesthesia

Overview of Audiovisual Synthesis. Students use and critique Vidymis. Guest: Stephan Moore

• WEEK ELEVEN – Live Video Bands/Multichannel Video Art

With guest artist 99 Hooker of rev.99.

• WEEK TWELVE – Putting it all Together

Students make audiovisual compositions for live performance

• WEEK THIRTEEN – Putting it all Together

Students make audiovisual compositions for live performance

• WEEK FOURTEEN – Present Final Projects / Final Critique

• WEEK FIFTEEN - Present Final Projects / Final Critique