Constructing Alternative Realities

Constructing Alternative Realities is a class that
will begin by studying composition and
characteristics of the film frame. How do time,
space, rhythm, movement and sound contribute as
key constituents? In this regard, the class will
be a study in visual literacy. All films and
videos construct alternative realities, but this
class will concentrate on creating realities other
than the physical world we know and inhabit. The
emphasis, instead, will be on the portrayal of
other dimensions: memory, trance, the mirror,
illusion, the dreamscape, the hallucinatory, the
haptic, the window. How can one create moving
images that speak of other planes? What is
abstraction? How does one create immersive screen
experiences which are convincing, evocative,
mysterious and strange?


Students will be asked to present analysis of film
frames and scenes to identify key visual and aural
components. There will be short assignments to
shoot various types of images. In addition,
students will be required to make a film that
contains an alternative reality as a key element.
The class is both a study in composition as well
as a workshop/seminar in exploring ways to create
alternative visions.