Film 46.09 Critical Approach to Media Production
What is the nature of creative labor and collaboration in U.S. media production? How is labor organized to produce a creative vision? What is the work before the work? (What does it take to land a job in media production?) What is the importance of craft? How does behind-the-scenes labor directly or indirectly impact a creative vision and cultural production (and reproduction)? What is the meaning of authorship in a collaborative media production? How is creativity and collaboration fostered or encumbered by technological innovation? How is this changing with generative artificial intelligence?
This course considers production practices in U.S. media production to better understand labor dynamics, collaboration, art, craft and creativity in conjunction with technological innovations and systems of commerce. Through readings, screening, media creation, and guest speakers from an array of media positions and scholars of media production, we will explore the nature of creative labor and collaboration, probing how media production can reinforce or challenge social stratification, and how media production and collaboration is changing alongside adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Students should emerge from this course with a strong understanding of creativity and collaboration in media production, as well as hierarchies of labor and a sense of everyday practices.
Active Learning Course: This course is designed for active engagement in the investigation of the nature of creative labor and collaboration.
Learning Goals
This course has the following specific aims:
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To excite students about creative collaboration and media production
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To help students understand the nature of collaboration, creativity, craft and problem solving in different roles in media production
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To identify how creative labor is organized, recognized and rewarded
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To help students discover how behind-the-scenes representation and divisions of labor can impact on screen cultural production
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To consider how generative artificial intelligence in media production alters labor, creativity, collaboration, craft and cultural production
Objectives
In this course each student will:
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Collaborate as a crew member in a variety of media production roles
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Reflect on how collaboration impacts media production
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Learn from guest speakers about the creative labor behind media production
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Reflect on the impact of people in below-the-line roles on media production
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Reflect on how generative artificial intelligence alters creative labor, collaboration and cultural production
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Understand how technological changes can impact creative labor
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Experiment and create a short scene using generative artificial intelligence