Feel the film whirring through the camera, get your hands wet in the darkroom, and hear the click-click of the projector. Revisit the origins of moving image and how it evolved into your mobile device and contemporary practice. This course will explore the medium of Super 8 filmmaking in the tradition of the experimental and avant garde. We will focus on the physicality of the film stock, the basic mechanics of the camera and projector, and how these elements translate into a visual language and aesthetic. Students will learn how to shoot, process, edit, splice, project, and transfer their own super 8 films. This course will balance the technical, conceptual, and historical aspects of small gauge or amateur analog filmmaking, and address what it means to work in this medium at the beginning of the 21st century. The course will include presentations, readings, and discussions on contemporary and historical artists in the medium, as well as film screenings and lectures. Classroom visits by artists and field trips will also provide an informed context for the primary course objective.
Prerequisites: ARTS 1704; Students must complete ARTS 3780 or be an MFA student before enrolling in ARTS 5780; or instructor consent.