REMIX (15 points)
In pairs, you will make a 2-4 minute podcast where you:
1. Select two or more texts dealing with gender. Possible texts to choose from are books, short stories, films, TV shows, Youtube videos, songs, and commercials. If you have ideas for texts not listed here, let me know. The texts you choose should have words that you can read to us on the podcast or sound that you can quote from.
2. You will take snippets of those texts and mix them together in a way that makes us think about them in a new way. Your options are basically limitless but here are some possibilities: you can create a feminist text out of sexist texts, you can show us that certain texts are sexist, you can tell us your personal stories around gender by quoting from texts that were meaningful to you growing up or that are meaningful to you now, you can explain how certain texts use gender by quoting snippets and analyzing them, you can tell a story about gender by piecing various texts together. You can also come up with your own options as long as they include remixing the texts and making us see them and gender issues in a new light.
3. We will learn how to use Audacity (a free sound editing software) to record and edit sound. If you decide to use narration in the piece, you can use Audacity to record with your computers’ built-in mics. The recording will be of much higher quality if you use a MacBook Pro to record, so if one is available to you, please use it. All narration recording MUST take place inside to avoid background noise. Try to position yourselves at the same distance from the mic during each recording session to avoid too many fluctuations in sound levels.
4. If you’re working with a book or something else that doesn’t come with an added soundtrack, you should consider adding music. If you want to use Creative Commons music, you can find it on these sites: http://www.freesound.org, http://www.jamendo.com/en, and http://ccmixter.org.
5. Post your podcast to SoundCloud. You can make an account at https://soundcloud.com. SoundCloud will lead you through the upload process.
1. Select two or more texts dealing with gender. Possible texts to choose from are books, short stories, films, TV shows, Youtube videos, songs, and commercials. If you have ideas for texts not listed here, let me know. The texts you choose should have words that you can read to us on the podcast or sound that you can quote from.
2. You will take snippets of those texts and mix them together in a way that makes us think about them in a new way. Your options are basically limitless but here are some possibilities: you can create a feminist text out of sexist texts, you can show us that certain texts are sexist, you can tell us your personal stories around gender by quoting from texts that were meaningful to you growing up or that are meaningful to you now, you can explain how certain texts use gender by quoting snippets and analyzing them, you can tell a story about gender by piecing various texts together. You can also come up with your own options as long as they include remixing the texts and making us see them and gender issues in a new light.
3. We will learn how to use Audacity (a free sound editing software) to record and edit sound. If you decide to use narration in the piece, you can use Audacity to record with your computers’ built-in mics. The recording will be of much higher quality if you use a MacBook Pro to record, so if one is available to you, please use it. All narration recording MUST take place inside to avoid background noise. Try to position yourselves at the same distance from the mic during each recording session to avoid too many fluctuations in sound levels.
4. If you’re working with a book or something else that doesn’t come with an added soundtrack, you should consider adding music. If you want to use Creative Commons music, you can find it on these sites: http://www.freesound.org, http://www.jamendo.com/en, and http://ccmixter.org.
5. Post your podcast to SoundCloud. You can make an account at https://soundcloud.com. SoundCloud will lead you through the upload process.
REMIX PROPOSAL (1 point)
In your remix proposal, you will answer the following questions:
Remix Content
1. What texts are you planning to use? Briefly explain why you chose them
2. What are you hoping to accomplish with this remix? (See point 2 above for ideas)
3. Are you planning on being in the podcast? Will one or both of you speak?
Roles
4. Who will play the following roles?
Remix Planner and Reflection Writer: This student will be responsible for—with the editor’s help—selecting the snippets that will be used from each text and suggesting the order they should go in. This student will also write any text that is to be spoken on the podcast. Once the remix is finished, this member will write the reflection (see description below).
Editor: This student will use Audacity in order to record and edit the remix with the remix planner’s help. This student will create various drafts of the project after taking into account comments from the remix planner and from classmates (provided during our in-class critique). The editor will read and edit the reflection before it is turned in.
Proposal Delivery
In order for your proposal to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the proposal as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Remix Proposal 1, followed by the last names of both partners in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Remix Proposal followed by the last names of both partners in alphabetical order.
Both partners need to be Cc-d in the email.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
Remix Content
1. What texts are you planning to use? Briefly explain why you chose them
2. What are you hoping to accomplish with this remix? (See point 2 above for ideas)
3. Are you planning on being in the podcast? Will one or both of you speak?
Roles
4. Who will play the following roles?
Remix Planner and Reflection Writer: This student will be responsible for—with the editor’s help—selecting the snippets that will be used from each text and suggesting the order they should go in. This student will also write any text that is to be spoken on the podcast. Once the remix is finished, this member will write the reflection (see description below).
Editor: This student will use Audacity in order to record and edit the remix with the remix planner’s help. This student will create various drafts of the project after taking into account comments from the remix planner and from classmates (provided during our in-class critique). The editor will read and edit the reflection before it is turned in.
Proposal Delivery
In order for your proposal to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the proposal as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file. The subject of your email should be Remix Proposal 1, followed by the last names of both partners in alphabetical order. The name of the document should be Remix Proposal followed by the last names of both partners in alphabetical order.
Both partners need to be Cc-d in the email.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
REFLECTION (4 points)
The final draft of your remix will be accompanied by a 3-4 page (900-1,200 words) reflection, which will address the following questions in essay form:
1. What are you trying to accomplish with this remix and do you think you have succeeded?
2. Which texts from our course inspired you as you worked on your remix and what did you imitate and/or avoid from each text? (You should list at least three texts)
3. What aspects of your final product work particularly well and why do you think you succeeded in making those parts of the remix work?
4. What aspects of your final product are problematic and what caused the issues? What could have been done in order to avoid the problems you experienced while working on the project?
Make sure to add both your names to the reflection document and to refer to all group decisions as “we.” If you want to mention something one of you did, refer to her/him by their last name.
Reflection and Remix Delivery
In order for your reflection and remix to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the link to the remix in the body of an email and attach the reflection to [email protected]. The subject of your email should be Remix and Reflection, followed by your last names in alphabetical order. The reflection should be a Microsoft Word file. The name of the document should be Remix Reflection, followed by your last names in alphabetical order.
Both partners need to be Cc-d in the email.
I will deduct a point if you do not follow the delivery instructions above.
1. What are you trying to accomplish with this remix and do you think you have succeeded?
2. Which texts from our course inspired you as you worked on your remix and what did you imitate and/or avoid from each text? (You should list at least three texts)
3. What aspects of your final product work particularly well and why do you think you succeeded in making those parts of the remix work?
4. What aspects of your final product are problematic and what caused the issues? What could have been done in order to avoid the problems you experienced while working on the project?
Make sure to add both your names to the reflection document and to refer to all group decisions as “we.” If you want to mention something one of you did, refer to her/him by their last name.
Reflection and Remix Delivery
In order for your reflection and remix to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the link to the remix in the body of an email and attach the reflection to [email protected]. The subject of your email should be Remix and Reflection, followed by your last names in alphabetical order. The reflection should be a Microsoft Word file. The name of the document should be Remix Reflection, followed by your last names in alphabetical order.
Both partners need to be Cc-d in the email.
I will deduct a point if you do not follow the delivery instructions above.
ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR
Remix Proposal
Due date: 4/9 by class time
Remix Draft 1
Due date: 4/23 by class time. Incomplete drafts will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Remix Draft 2
Due date: 4/28 by class time. Incomplete drafts will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Remix Final Draft and Reflection
Due date: 5/1 by midnight
Due date: 4/9 by class time
Remix Draft 1
Due date: 4/23 by class time. Incomplete drafts will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Remix Draft 2
Due date: 4/28 by class time. Incomplete drafts will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Remix Final Draft and Reflection
Due date: 5/1 by midnight
questions
If you have questions about this assignment, feel free to email me, stop by my office hours, or make an appointment.