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Foundations Of Art And Entertainment Technologies

AET 304

“In this electronic age, we see ourselves being translated more and more into the form of

information, moving toward the technological extension of consciousness.” – Marshall McLuhan

Spring 2017, JGB 2.324 MW, 2pm – 3:30pm

Instructor: Jack W Stamps, DMA

jstamps@austin.utexas.edu, 210.849.5347(cell)

Office Hours: TBA, MRH 4.180 TA: Thomas Yee, thomas.yee@austin.utexas.edu

I. Rationale: This course presents a broad overview of digital media technologies, software and applications along with the fundamental concepts of digital representations of images and signals. Students will study an assortment of entertainment concepts or experiences, discover the underlying technology involved and learn how this technology is delivered to the participant. For example: What is the relationship between circuit-bending and DIY electronics? How does interactive art work? How do robotic lights move? How can a dancer’s body movements affect the music that accompanies the dance? What goes on behind the scenes of a large-scale live musical performance? How are 3D printers changing art, manufacturing, and medicine? In pursuit of answers to such questions students will also consider the cultural, philosophical, ethical and practical aspects of entertainment technology.

II. Course Aims and Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will:

• Understand the History, Present and Future of Arts and Entertainment Technologies

• Consider the historical landmarks of entertainment technologies and their continuing impact on popular culture and pop culture aesthetics of the present and future

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• Experience and Investigate the Range of Arts and Entertainment Technologies

• Understand and engage arts and entertainment technologies through various creative projects

• Explore the range, reach and combinatorial possibilities of arts and entertainment technologies

• Achieve Cultural Awareness of Arts and Entertainment Technologies

• Consider and discuss the cultural, political and economic issues of entertainment technologies

• Think critically about how, why and where entertainment technologies are deployed

Final Grade Breakdown:

Attendance: 10%

Discussion: 13%

Quizzes: 22%

Written Assignments: 30%

Final Exam and Essay: 25%

1) Attendance: Each class session counts towards the student’s total attendance grade. If one must miss a class session and desire to ask for an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to let Thomas know by email in advance of the absence. If a student is a UT athlete with a touring game schedule that conflicts with classes, the student must bring Thomas an official copy of the schedule from the UT Athletics Department once it has been solidified. It is the student’s responsibility to catch up with material missed due to the absence through classmates’ notes or by scheduling a meeting with Dr. Stamps during office hours. 2) All Graded Discussions, Quizzes, and the Final Exam will be hosted online via Canvas 3) Assignments will be accepted up to two weeks after the due date with an increasing penalty relative to how late the assignment is. After the two weeks are up, any late assignments must be emailed directly to Thomas and can only receive 50% maximum of the original grade value. April 26 is the last call for any late assignments from the semester (graded at 50% maximum value).

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Course Schedule

Unit Date Lesson Topic Assignments Due

Date % of

Grade 1 1/18 Introductions, Syllabus Concert/Performance Attendance 5/3 Extra 2

I. Digital Music Technology “Music & Audio Technology” Emphasis

2 1/23 1/25 1/30 2/1

The History of Music Technology Live Logic X Demonstration They Might Be Giants MC Debris’ CARSON

History of Music Tech (Quiz) Digital Audio: Benefits and Consequences (Discussion)

1/30

2/6

5

5

3 2/6 2/8

Daft Punk Documentary Kraftwerk

The Pop Album in 2025 (Written)

2/15

7

II. Performance & Visual Technology “New Performance Technology” Emphasis

4 2/13 2/15

Nine Inch Nails Tension Tour Robotics and Entertainment

Kraftwerk, NIN, and Robotics (Quiz)

2/22

7

5 2/20 2/22 2/27

Guest Lecture: Jon Haas Max/MSP: Quantifying Art Guest Lecture: Jon Fielder

Robotics, Concert Technology, and Max/MSP (Discussion)

3/1

4

6 3/1 3/6 3/8

Guest Lecture: Neal Daugherty Guest Lecture: Dax Norman Awe and Illusion in Film

Guest Lectures and Film (Quiz)

3/20

10

III. The World of Video Gaming and Mobile Apps

“Gaming and Mobile Apps” Emphasis

7 3/13 3/20 3/22

SPRING BREAK: 3/13-3/18 A Brief History of Video Gaming Guest Lecture: Starr Long

Video Game Proposal (Written)

4/5

15 8 3/27

3/29 Gender and Gaming Guest Lecture: Yuliya Lanina

9 4/3

4/5 4/10

The VR/AR Revolution Our Mobile Lives Mobile Music Collaborations

VR/AR Crowdsourcing (Discussion)

4/10 4

IV. Technology and Culture — Today The Center for Art and Entertainment Technologies

10 4/12 New Media: Podcasting Podcast Review & Analysis (Written)

4/19 8

11 4/17 4/19

Makerspaces and the UT Foundry Arduino and Raspberry Pi

Last Call for any Late Assignments (at 50% credit)

4/26

-

13 4/24 4/26 5/1

AET and Gaming Innovation NOW The Device: A Heuristic Fable Subversive Technologies & Politics

Final Essay (Online)

5/8

10

V. Final Summaries AET 304

14 5/3 5/8

5/13

Course Wrap-up and Takeaways Online Final Essay Due Online Final Exam Due

Final Exam (Online) 5/13 15

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III. Course Requirements:

1. Class attendance and participation policy: (a) Expected classroom behavior (b) Ground Rules for participation in discussions or activities (c) Civility statement and code of conduct

Religious Holy Days By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

2. Course Readings/Materials:

Text: Various online PDFs and other resources No textbook purchase necessary!

3. Assignments, Assessment, and Evaluation

Regular and punctual attendance at all classes is required. Absences of each student are recorded without exception from the official date of her/his enrollment. The counting of absences begins on the first day of a student’s enrollment in the course after classes begin.

Both tardiness and early departure from class are forms of absenteeism. If you are more than 20 minutes late, this constitutes an absence. Lesser tardiness will affect your class participation grade for that day. Students are expected to be in class the entire class period and actively engaged in classroom activities at all times. Absences from the room in either body or spirit will negatively affect your grade.

4. Use of Canvas in class

In this class I use Canvas—a Web-based course management system with password- protected access at http://courses.utexas.edu —to distribute course materials, to communicate and collaborate online, to post grades, to submit assignments.

IV. Grading Procedures:

Please see course schedule for breakdown of assignments & grading

V. Academic Integrity

University of Texas Honor Code The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

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VI. Other University Notices and Policies

Use of E-mail for Official Correspondence to Students � All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the

student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at http://www.utexas.edu/its/help/utmail/1564 .

Documented Disability Statement Any student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at (512) 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone). Faculty are not required to provide accommodations without an official accommodation letter from SSD. (Note to Faculty: Details of a student’s disability are confidential. Faculty should not ask questions related to a student’s condition or diagnosis when receiving an official accommodation letter.)

§§ If you require accommodations on completing assignments and quizzes/exams, please bring your accommodation letter from SSD to the Lead TA, Thomas Yee, as early in the semester as possible. We will be happy to provide accommodations as specified in the accommodation letter from SSD.

§§ Please notify me as quickly as possible if the material being presented in class is not accessible (e.g., instructional

videos need captioning, course packets are not readable for proper alternative text conversion, etc.).

§§ Please notify me as early in the semester as possible if disability-related accommodations for field trips are required. Advanced notice will permit the arrangement of accommodations on the given day (e.g., transportation, site accessibility, etc.).

§§ Contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone) or

reference SSD’s website for more disability-related information: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/for_cstudents.php

Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual’s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.

Q drop Policy The State of Texas has enacted a law that limits the number of course drops for academic reasons to six (6). As stated in Senate Bill 1231:

“Beginning with the fall 2007 academic term, an institution of higher education may not permit an undergraduate student a total of more than six dropped courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, unless the student shows good cause for dropping more than that number.”

Emergency Evacuation Policy Occupants of buildings on the UT Austin campus are required to evacuate and assemble outside when a fire alarm is activated or an announcement is made. Please be aware of the following policies regarding evacuation:

§§ Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of the classroom and the building. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when you entered the building.

§§ If you require assistance to evacuate, inform me in writing during the first week of class. §§ In the event of an evacuation, follow my instructions or those of class instructors.

Do not re-enter a building unless you’re given instructions by the Austin Fire Department, the UT Austin Police Department, or the Fire Prevention Services office.