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CCT 300: Critical Analysis of Media. Class 5: From Understanding to Creating Content. Administration. Comic analysis papers due Assignment reminders – Comic Creation Nov 5, final project Dec. 3 Future assignment questions talked about today
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CCT 300: Critical Analysis of Media Class 5: From Understanding to Creating Content
Administration • Comic analysis papers due • Assignment reminders – Comic Creation Nov 5, final project Dec. 3 • Future assignment questions talked about today • Final project group list on wiki – add your group (or name if you don’t have one.) • Final exam dates/times released – Web Dec 12, 5-7pm, IB120 (location subject to change)
Understanding/Reinventing/Making • McCloud’s trilogy of comics • Today – some notes on the process of making • Following weeks – more the social/political/economic foundations of comics as a medium
Six Steps • Surface as superficial – most people’s first step (e.g., copying work of others) • Expertise = developing a deeper appreciation of medium – practicing craft (e.g., sketches, doodles), different arrangements (e.g., frame sizes/grids), knowing and situating in idiom, experimenting with form, and developing an idea
Background on Maus • A biographical comic about Vladek Spiegelman’s survival of the Holocaust • Animal metaphor – Jews as mice, Germans as cats, Americans as dogs etc. • Critically and commercially successful – one million copies of each of Volumes I, II, and first comic to win a Pulitzer prize • Opened eyes to the possibility of serious comics and brought in new/lapsed audiences
MetaMaus • Interviews conducted with Art Spiegelman over four years, based on his notes/preparatory work/research base • Your paper multiplied by about 100 in other words • Depth of Spiegelman’sreflection and self-analysis quite extraordinary - a worthwhile read
Six steps challenges faced by Spiegelman • Idea– Holocaust stories are difficult by definition; auto/biographical element also difficult; structuring/balancing the animal metaphor (esp in cases where identity was fluid) • Form – a comic about genocide was a difficult sell; moving from 3-page to long form issues; high/low art concerns • Idiom – biographical serious comics were not normal fare when published; roots in alt comics
Continued… • Structure – notes on frame choices (e.g., bleeding pages, circles), use of grid in background as basic structure and of course • Craft – notes on interview (including transcript from interview with his father), reproduction issues, sketches (and their evolution), frustrating panels to draw, ownership issues • Surface – reflection on his early history/influences and styles he admired (more on this in “In the Shadow of No Towers”)
Six steps and your comic • Idea – is the story itself interesting/compelling? • Form – are you taking chances with the medium of visual storytelling? • Idiom – do you have a notion where your comic fits in the grand scheme of comic genres? • Structure – are you experimenting with comic structure at all? • Craft – what artistic challenges did you face? Did you overcome them? Or not? • Surface – comments on look/feel, color, etc. ; also comments on borrowed assets if used
Application to Comic Creation • Many of you create at surface level – that’s OK • Consider webcomics – many are of questionable artistic merit, and that’s fine • This is *not* an art assignment – rather see quality construction and analysis vs. high end art
A look ahead to the final project… • What is a meme? • Some examples
What is likely (and less likely) to go viral? • More • Less
Assignment timeline • Nov 12 – proposal, considering message nature and distribution, plus summary and link to one Know Your Meme episode. • By Nov 26– creation of content and unleashing content to the world • Dec 3 – presentation in class (science-fair style) – nature of content and analytics on its reach • (N.B. this is not a popularity contest)
In-class assignment • http://roflcon.org/roflcon-iii-confirmed-guests/ • Pick one guest – why do you think it could be considered memetic/viral content? • (Also consider going to ROFLCon. It’s fun.)
Next class • Looking at culture jamming and hacktivism – and the role of comics and visual images within it