DV Lab: Documenting Science through Video and New Media
Uses documentary video making as a tool to explore everyday social worlds (including those of science and engineering), and for thinking analytically about media itself. Students make videos and engage in critical analysis. Provides students with instruction on how to communicate effectively and creatively in a visual medium, and how to articulate their own analyses of documentary images in writing and spoken word. Readings drawn from documentary film theory, anthropology, and social studies of science. Students view a wide variety of classic documentaries and explore different styles. Lab component devoted to digital video production. Includes a final video project. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to 12.
Fall 2012
This course is an introductory exploration of documentary film theory and production, focusing on documentaries about science, engineering, and related fields. Students engage in digital video production as well as social and media analysis of science documentaries. Readings are drawn from social studies of science as well as from documentary film theory. The courses uses documentary video making as a tool to explore the worlds of science and engineering, as well as a tool for thinking analytically about media itself and the social worlds in which science is embedded. The course includes a hands-on lab component devoted to digital video production, in addition to classroom lectures and in-class film screenings.
Readings
- Ascher, Steven, and Edward Pincus. The Filmmaker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: 2013 Edition . Plume Publishers/Penguin, 2012. ISBN: 9780452297289.
- Readings in these books are complemented by selections from other books and journals. Graduate students are expected to read additional papers and chapters each week.
- On lab days, there is often optional background reading on camera and filmmaking techniques or Final Cut Pro®. This is truly optional. You will be given instruction on how to use the equipment and editing software during class time. The Filmmaker’s Handbook and Final Cut Pro X: Visual QuickPro Guide are intended as reference guides if you need assistance figuring out a problem (with designated chapters to suggest likely places to look for aid). You are not expected to read these chapters straight through.
Prerequisites & course information
Same subject as STS.064[J] Subject meets with 21A.559 Prereq: None U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-3-6 units. HASS-A; CI-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2012
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.