MAC 250 Topics in Media Theory and Practice

This hybrid media theory and practice course directly engages the interrelationship between discursive and creative production. Classes will include screenings, lectures, discussion, and hands-on experiences in producing and collaborating on digital media projects.

Remix Media and Culture Jamming.

What is Remix Media? Remixing, reusing, and reworking separate media elements from different sources to produce an entirely new work with a different meaning. What is Culture Jamming? A term popularized by cultural critic and 1982 Occidental alumnus Mark Dery for creative practices that "jam the signal" or subvert the products of dominant media culture. This theory/practice course takes a critical look at the history of remix culture -- from Dada to Machinima -- along with the gamut of aesthetic, political, and social concerns addressed by remix artists and musicians and the reception (and even appropriation) of their work by the corporate entertainment industry. Students will put theory into practice by producing their own remix projects including a subvertisement series and remix video. We will also explore issues around copyright and fair use in the sampling of both commercial and independently-produced works.