Set Space

RTF 331Q
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30am-12:30pm
CMB Studio 4B and other locations (TBA)
Fall, 2003

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“The obvious role of architecture in the construction of sets (and the eager participation of architects themselves in this enterprise), and the equally obvious ability of film to ‘construct’ its own architecture in light and shade, scale and movement, allow(s)…for a mutual intersection of these two ‘spatial arts’.”
--Anthony Vidler

“I am kino-eye. I am a builder. I have placed you, whom I’ve created today, in an extraordinary room which did not exist until just now when I also created it. In this room there are twelve walls shot by me in various parts of the world. In bringing together shots of walls and details, I’ve managed to arrange them in an order that is pleasing and to construct with intervals, correctly, a film-phrase which is the room.”
--Dziga Vertov

“In cinema the word ‘path’ is not used by chance.”
--Sergei Eisenstein

“The set in order to be a good set, must act.”
--Robert Mallet-Stevens

Set Space is a studio about the relationship between film and architecture, specifically between the cinematic image and the sites that support it. The film set, one of these sites, is essentially a membrane between real (architectural) space and filmic (illusory) space. We will explore this site and others in the context of the architecture of and within the moving image, the places on and in which it is constructed, and the nature of the spaces of its reception.

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Instructor: Dr. Samantha Krukowski
office: UA9 2.112K / 471.4222
samantha@rasa.net
office hours: by appointment

TA: Scott Nyerges
hutchense@yahoo.com
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Things to buy (or get)

Glue (RC 56 or Neutral Ph Adhesive)
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
Xacto knife and blades, self-healing cutting mat
Scissors
Chip board and other kinds of cardboard (various thicknesses)
Vellum
Architectural ruler
Good drawing paper (should have some tooth)
Cheap drawing paper (various options)
Graphite pencils in various weights (4B, 2B, HB, H, 2H, 4H)
Pencil sharpener
Tuff stuff eraser (or another good brand)
Charcoal
Kneaded eraser
Black pens of varying thickness
Paints, inks, other wet media
String
Model-making materials
Mini-DV tapes
CD-RWs or, better, a portable firewire HD

Materials will vary for each project. Costs are a function of time and materials. The cost of materials can be altered somewhat by decisions you make (i.e.: resource pooling, bulk ordering, alternative methods). Be ready to spend what is required to effectively execute your work and to coordinate your efforts to lower prices.

Places to buy such stuff: The University Co-op, Asel Art, Miller Blueprint, Breed and Company, Hobby Lobby. There are many online resources, and better art supply stores in Houston than in Austin.


Things to Know

Of primary importance should be your engagement with your work, your investment in the labor of making it, your dedication to the evolution of your own sensibility, your concern for craft, and your perseverance in completing individual projects while allowing each one to serve as a ground for the next.

You should be self-motivated to succeed in this course. Work is cumulative. If you are not used to setting your own goals and keeping a fast pace you may have trouble participating and producing work. We are here to help you as you develop ideas, interests and questions. Be prepared to work hard, collaborate with others, stretch your boundaries, share what you learn. Students with no prior background in analog or digital arts are discouraged from taking the course, though there are always exceptions.

The course has a listserv: setspace@lists.cc.utexas.edu. Your e-mail address will be added to the listserv after the first week of class. Use this listserv to communicate with us, your fellow students, ask technical questions, contribute ideas, share resources. In addition, you are encouraged to go to the Convergent Media web site and subscribe to the Converge listserv (http://www.cm.aces.utexas.edu/original/resourceslistservs.shtml). This listserv includes many people who are involved with work of the kind you will be doing in this class; it is an additional resource for you during and after the duration of this course.

Questions you have and develop may be resolved by practice or by other types of inquiry--theoretical, philosophical, scientific, poetic, etc. There should be times during the semester that you get stuck. You should develop the tools to unstick yourself. If you don’t know what to make, go look at what other people have made. If you don’t know what to say, go read something or watch something or listen to someone interesting. If you are still stuck, in all probability you are not making enough stuff to get yourself moving toward a question you can answer through practice or thought. A motto for the course: Make, make, make. If you show up for help, you will be asked what you are making and for evidence of your efforts and research in the direction of your inquiries.

Your technical ability will increase in proportion to your effort. Hack and be resourceful. There are many, many online tutorials and resources for various programs. Lab facilities are limited which necessitates cooperative scheduling. You may need to use resources in several locations, and finding the right equipment at the right time will probably require initiative on your part.


Readings

There is a reserve list for this course at PCL. Some of the books on reserve include required readings, some do not but extend the field for our discussions and production. You may wish to purchase some of the books since many are wonderful. Take advantage of this catered-to-you mini library.

To see the reserve list for this course online, go to: http://reserves.lib.utexas.edu/courseindex.asp or to my website: http://www.cm.aces.utexas.edu/faculty/skrukowski/professorial/curentcourses.html and click on “reserve list” for Set Space.


Grading

Projects 1-3 70%
Documentation and Presentation 30%

A high grade will be assigned to those students who work hard, participate extensively and continuously, demonstrate a clear understanding of the readings and course concepts, and produce work that shows evolution in terms of sensibility, process, craft, scope and final composition / work.

A failing grade will be assigned to any student who does not complete all of the projects, misses more than three class sessions, and / or who misses any part of any review.

Documentation and presentation are both large parts of your participation in the course—invest in them.

As in any creative class, grading criteria are necessarily subjective. You may not agree with our personal evaluation, but decisions are final and no post-grading negotiation will be permitted. I discourage incompletes.


Projects

# 1 The Map| The Ground

Part 1: Derive

Choose a point of departure. Enact and experience a derive that begins at the designated location. Your derive must last at least four hours, but there is no time limit for it. Do not document your derive while you are engaging it.

Part 2: Psychogeographical Mapping

Locate an Austin map that includes the range and boundaries of your derive; enlarge it to 36”x36”. Overlay a 36”x36” piece of vellum on the Austin map and on it, make a map of your derive from memory. Scale, time and direction can be guides, but their axes can be mutable since the psychogeographical content of your derive and the means of its representation should be your focus and primary concern. You may find the need to invent mapping techniques as you go. Some potential inclusions: encounters, conversations, edifices, places and spaces, textures, substances, temperatures and weather conditions, modes of locomotion, interruptions, surprises, emotions, images, sounds, physical sensations, bodily needs, auras and atmospheres, barriers, entrances, exits, behaviors and reactions, repetitions, patterns.

#2 The Nodes | The Sets

Part 1: Location

Locate five nodes in the two-map overlay. These should be zones of importance: they should intrigue you and inspire you to investigate them further. Encircle them. Xerox the circles (from both maps). Enlarge or reduce as desired. Revisit the site of each node (with circles in hand) and excavate each one further. The excavation may be autobiographical (in the sense that you dig through yourself and your interests and experiences to divulge more content) and/or it may be contextual (in the sense that it documents the characteristics and histories of the actual (physical) nodes). Using any and all means necessary, record as much information as you can for each node. Then, make an index, in the form of a three-dimensional “book”, that itemizes what you have noted, researched, and collected at each node. The index should be constructed so that it is a resource to which you continually return, and it should present a preliminary narrative progression through the nodes and your representations of them.

Part 2: Construction

For each node you have identified and indexed, create a model that describes its spatial character. Choose your materials carefully. All five models should be the same scale, and should be constructed with attention to craft and detail.

# 3 The Document | The Stage

Your final task is to develop the narrative (maps and indices), its characters and objects (collections, recordings, excavations) and its spaces (models, architectures) cinematically. There are two parts to this project:

1) a film or video of at least ten minutes
2) a screening | exhibition | installation | location | device that is integral and necessary to its content

Documentation and Presentation

Website and CD-ROM

Throughout the semester you will develop a website that documents your work in the course. This site should be designed in such a way that it evokes the character of the work you pursue and complete. You will be given a personal directory on the Convergent Media server where you can store your files. Post-dates for online project representation are the same as project due dates. At the end of the semester this website and its dependent files should be duplicated on a CD-ROM for archival purposes and turned in.

Mini-DV tape, Project #3

Make a copy of your mini-DV tape for Project #3 and turn it in at the end of the semester.

Semester presentations

You will be asked often to discuss readings, ideas and the progress of your work with the class and /or visitors. Be prepared for these discussions, and participate in them fully. The location, date and time for the exhibition of your final project will be determined once we’re rolling.


Faculty Information

To find out more about Samantha Krukowski see: http://www.rasa.net

University Speak

Regarding Scholastic Dishonesty: The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonest damages both the student's learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work-career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. For more information on scholastic dishonesty, please visit the Student Judicial services Web site at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/.

About services for students with disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.

About the Undergraduate Writing Center: The Undergraduate Writing Center, located in the FAC 211, phone 471-6222, offers individualized assistance to students who want to improve their writing skills. There is no charge, and students may come in on a drop-in or appointment basis.