Arts Network Lesson Plan Experimental Video 4/2009

Lesson Name Date(s)

I. Goals & Objectives

Goal(s):

• After learning both the fundamentals of narrative and documentary filmmaking, students will become acquainted with the history and practice of experimental film and video.

• By articulating an idea in a visually abstract way, students will gain an understanding of the creative process and a new means for self-expression

Objective(s): • Students will watch select films and videos from the history of

experimental/avant-garde film and video art • Students will reflect on a key moment, or “Rite of Passage,” in their lives

and articulate this experience in a visual way.

II. Preparation

Materials: • Screening Materials: any collection of experimental films/videos on dvd or

downloaded from the web (suggestions: Matthew Barney, Maya Deren, Chris Marker, Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage, Bill Viola, Nam June Paik, William Wegman, Bruce Nauman, Steina and Woody Vasulka, Joan Jonas, Charlotte Moorman, Paul Chan, Cory Arcangel, Doug Aitken, Shirin Neshat, etc…Electronic Arts Intermix is a good resource: www.eai.org and The Video Data Bank: http://www.vdb.org/ although the videos are very small)

• Journals • Video cameras, still cameras, scanner (whatever technology is necessary

to create the projects)

Learning Environment Setup:

• Begin with a screening setup, then individual work stations Classroom Management Strategy:

• Give students a note-taking task during the screening (try using the Audio/Visual Elements worksheet) to help them keep focus and encourage active viewing

• Create a schedule with the students to enable effective sharing of the equipment (Students A and B use camera on Tuesday, Student B uses scanner on Wednesday, and so on)

Teaching Assistant(s) & Roles:

III. Activities Warm-up:

• Have students do a free write in their journals about a key moment in their lives, something that changed their view of the world, something that marked a transformation, a “first,” etc.

• Ask volunteers to share their stories Introduction Activity:

• Write and define the following terms on the blackboard: o Experimental or Avant-garde film: describes a range of

filmmaking styles that are generally quite different from, and often opposed to, the practices of mainstream commercial and documentary filmmaking, often characterized by the absence of a linear narrative, the use of various abstracting techniques, the use of asynchronous sound or even the absence of any sound track

o Video Art: a type of art which relies on moving images and comprises video and/or audio data. Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, and is still widely practiced.

• Screening: A selection of experimental films and videos, preferably

shorter in length or 3 - 5 minute segments of longer ones. • Students should take notes on the Visual and Audio Elements in each

piece, the Audio/Visual Elements worksheet has a column for each to simplify list-making

Introduction Q&A: After each film/video, ask the following questions:

• What were some things that you saw? • What were some things that you heard? • What was the subject matter of the film/video? • Describe the editing • What was the overall feeling of the piece

Main Lesson:

• Ask students to think back as far as they can and recall key moments that brought them to another place of experience/growth. For example, moving, graduation, a first kiss, a competition, going on trip without parents, first job, getting a driver’s license, a traditional rite of passage ritual, etc.

• Have students create timelines for these events in their lives. • Ask volunteers to share these experiences and discuss why they were

significant • Based on what the students describe as significant, develop a definition

for a “rite of passage” with the larger group • Share the dictionary’s definition:

o n., pl. rites of passage - A ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, such as from adolescence to adulthood.

• Work with students individually (or in small groups) to develop ideas for an

experimental video that describes one or more of these experiences, ask each student to think about the following:

o Visual material (video, photos, animation, etc) o Audio material (a song, a poem, narration, ambient, none, etc) o Style of cinematography that might reflect the feeling of the

experience(s) (B&W, special effects, natural light, studio, found footage, camera phone, etc.)

o Style of editing that might reflect the feeling of the experience (slow motion, fast-paced, rhythmic, repetitive, etc)

• Begin projects - schedule camera use and other equipment for each

student, ask students to bring in any other materials from home - production and post-production should take about a week.

Follow-up

Keywords(s): Avant-garde, Experimental Film, Video Art Assignment(s):

IV. Assessment Assessment/Reflections: Plan B: If some students are having trouble developing ideas or the project, pair them with other students and assign roles such as Director and Assistant Director

Screening Notes NAME: DATE: Film Title: VISUAL ELEMENTS AUDIO ELEMENTS