CAM.3020 Video Activism
Activism and activist movements are central to our democracy. Living in a mediated world, media production is now a necessity to most activist movements. There is power in media and media messages that work to further equality. From creators like Ava Duvernay to Agnès Varta to the Guerrilla Girls, visual media can contribute to important movements around the fight for equality. This course includes extensive examination of the history and format in which video activism has been used in the past. Paired with knowledge from previous courses, students will develop an understanding of various concepts related to activism. Then, students will create their own works in video format. Their projects will represent a particular issue in which they feel passionate, which should include methods and theories inspired by media activists of the past and present. This also gives students the opportunity to put their understanding of equity and inclusion into practice and allows them to learn another way to communicate important messages about diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is a course that is heavy conceptually on history and methods of video activism with a large project-based production component so students can apply the theories and concepts they learn to something that they make.