CAMI5005: Semester 1, 2020

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Units CAMI5005 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

CAMI5005: History and Theory of Screen

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

The aim of this unit of study is to provide you with a theoretical and historical understanding of moving image and screen-based forms within the contemporary context. The history of film and associated media will be considered both in relation to key technical and conceptual developments as well as changes in reception and dissemination. In this regard, particular importance will be given to the emergence of networked space and more specifically the internet as a defining paradigm of the contemporary era. A range of films, experimental video, media and interactive works will be examined and discussed in relation to key concepts surrounding film theory and new media. In addition to this a number of key works and concepts from the pre-history of cinema and computation will also be examined to provide a historical context to the discussion.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	CAMI5005
Academic unit	Sydney College of the Arts
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Stefan Popescu, stefan.popescu@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Major essay n/a	50%	Formal exam period Due date: 19 Jun 2020 at 09:00 Closing date: 19 Jun 2020	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Seminar presentation n/a	30%	Week 08 Due date: 24 Apr 2020 at 09:00 Closing date: 24 Apr 2020	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Class posting n/a	20%	Week 10 Due date: 08 May 2020 at 09:00 Closing date: 08 May 2020	300-500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Seminar presentation: students will arrange themselves into groups of five or six to present a 10 minute powerpoint presentation or video-essay using OBS software (or a similar software) on an historical movement in film, television or new media. They will present their group work on an historical movement in cinema such as a New Wave movement (French, Japanese, Czech, Taiwanese), German Expressionism, Italian Neorealism, Film Noir, Dogme, etc.
Class posting: students will each post a brief statement to the class blog or vlog on one of the readings, discussing one point or argument made and why they agree or disagree. They should relate the reading back to a film, video work or video game of their own choosing.
Major essay: explore how one of your own artworks, films or videos relates to a theory or concept studied in class. Your essay must make use of a reading from class and an external reading. How does the reading or theory help to understand your work, or how has it contributed to your understanding of your work?

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Cinemasticity class discussion: What is cinema, what was cinema and what constitutes cinema in the 21st century? Can video art, games, and cave shadows be described as cinematic? Is cinema dying or expanding? What is meant by the word ontology of film, cinema, etc	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	The Essay Film and Documentary: the film essay and its relation to documentary, key events in documentary and its evolution and touch contemporary forms of essay films on YouTube and the emergence of Gonzo documentary. What distinguishes documentary from fictional narrative?	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Hyperlink and Hyperreal cinema: precursors to hyperlink films, working from recent films backward. Lev Manovich's "The Language of New Media" and "New Media: a User's Guide."	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Video-gaming: cinemasticity of gaming, how video games have changed cinema and television	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Posthuman Screens: how the theme of the posthuman is linked to cinema's history, Metropolis and avant-garde works of cinema, Ex Machina and innovations in contemporary art.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Concepts and histories of the cinema	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Haunted and haunting screens: the idea of hauntology comes from Jacques Derrida. History as type of hauntology and how cinema and video art works are hauntological.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Seminar presentation	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Psychoanalysis: the male gaze, cultural memory in terms of war, the abject and the uncanny.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Mass media and politics: politics of mass media, Guy Debord and the Frankfurt school.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	The Avant-Garde, the underground, and the B Movie	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Uncanny animations: animation and its prevalence	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Spectatorship shifts: viewing morgues and wax museums, walking in a media installation or watching a Kiarostami film, shifts in spectatorship.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of the conceptual and historical underpinnings of contemporary moving image and new media production
LO2. conceptualise and situate their practice as filmmakers and media artists both in terms of media specific debates and the broader context of contemporary art and media discourses
LO3. effectively evaluate the ethical implications of contemporary filmic and new media technologies and forms
LO4. effectively prepare a range of media for presentation in online environments
LO5. use appropriate technologies and media to effectively gather information
LO6. critically evaluate information.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered'.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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