writing with video
During the 2005-2006 academic year, I participated in a series of weekly meetings between Writing Studies and Art and Design scholars. These meetings were centered on an advanced composition course titled "Writing with Video." The course assignments all involve shooting and editing video, as well as significant writing at all stages of production. During the meetings we brought our varied disciplinary perspectives to bear on the issues raised by the course. As writing researchers, those of us in Writing Studies talked about the ways writing could be used throughout the course to help students develop the ability to remain reflective throughout production (planning the shoot, during editing, assembling the assignment, revising the video, and presenting the final project). Art and Design participants shared, among other things, their expertise in shooting and editing video. As a group, we discussed the ways assessment operates in standard writing and art courses, and how these strategies could be shaped for Writing with Video. To gain a better perspective on the assignments, each participant completed many of them to share with the group. Below are two of my attempts.
Motif project: This assignment asks for a one-minute video that communicates a clear theme or motif, such as recurring shapes, people, objects, etc.
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Representing others: This assignment asks for a documentary video of a person with a story to tell or someone who knows a particular place very well.
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