21 courses with the subject DS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
DS 110Storytelling Toolkit: Video1-2
Fundamentals of storytelling. Any storyteller, whether evidence-based or creative, needs a toolkit of skills to present a story. These skill-up classes offer students an introduction to basic production and/or post-production skills used in evidence-based or creative storytelling. Students will either bring existing content and apply the new skill, or work with project materials supplied by the faculty member.
Fundamentals of storytelling. Any storyteller, whether evidence-based or creative, needs a toolkit of skills to present a story. These skill-up classes offer students an introduction to basic production and/or post-production skills used in evidence-based or creative storytelling. Students will either bring existing content and apply the new skill, or work with project materials supplied by the faculty member.
Fundamentals of storytelling. Any storyteller, whether evidence-based or creative, needs a toolkit of skills to present a story. These skill-up classes offer students an introduction to basic production and/or post-production skills used in evidence-based or creative storytelling. Students will either bring existing content and apply the new skill, or work with project materials supplied by the faculty member.
Fundamentals of storytelling. Any storyteller, whether evidence-based or creative, needs a toolkit of skills to present a story. These skill-up classes offer students an introduction to basic production and/or post-production skills used in evidence-based or creative storytelling. Students will either bring existing content and apply the new skill, or work with project materials supplied by the faculty member.
Fundamentals of storytelling. Any storyteller, whether evidence-based or creative, needs a toolkit of skills to present a story. These skill-up classes offer students an introduction to basic production and/or post-production skills used in evidence-based or creative storytelling. Students will either bring existing content and apply the new skill, or work with project materials supplied by the faculty member.
Fundamentals of storytelling. Any storyteller, whether evidence-based or creative, needs a toolkit of skills to present a story. These skill-up classes offer students an introduction to basic production and/or post-production skills used in evidence-based or creative storytelling. Students will either bring existing content and apply the new skill, or work with project materials supplied by the faculty member.
Presentation of geographic spatial information begins with maps made following good design. What makes a good map design in terms of color composition, scale, and density of information? How does one present multiple scales and time series? Good design is only the beginning. Once content is mapped, how and with what media can the visual information be best presented? This course will explore map design and appropriate use of increasingly complex presentation strategies starting with PowerPoint, followed by Google map engines and embedded internet applications and culminating with ArcGIS Online driven story mapping. Students with prior GIS experience will be able to create their own map data, while those uninitiated in GIS will be able to use existing data sets to achieve powerful and appropriate visualizations. The course allows for those with significant presentations at the end of the semester, such as capstone projects, to apply visualization and presentation methods gained in this course in those projects.
Fundamentals of nonfiction storytelling. Topics may focus on one or a number of foundational skills for making documentary work, including video documentation, video editing, oral storytelling, archival transcription, oral history (or other approaches to the art of the interview) and will introduce students to the materials, design and structure of nonfiction story as well as the ethics of truth, representation, and author-subjectrelationships, and will carry MDOCS' signature emphasis on interdisciplinary breadth, multimedia experimentation, and engagement with off-campus communities.
An introduction to local, national, and global documentary traditions in film, sound, photography, exhibition and multimedia, through readings, screenings, classroom discussion, and engagement with practitioners. Students will engage with theoretical and practical issues related to documentary work, including critical analysis of existing work and of the distinct ethical and aesthetic concerns associated with developing and telling stories that matter. The course emphasizes how the narrative, analytical, and structural frames of audio, visual, and written media shape the work, its audience, and impact. Rather than focusing on the production of a documentary in any one form, students get a hands-on experience of various media, and an overview of technical aspects, to help them prepare for extended work in one or more documentary media.
A topical workshop or lab/studio experience sponsored through documentary studies. DS 202 may be linked to a regular course offered or as a freestanding academic experience.
DS 205Participation, Co-creation, Social Practice3
An exploration of participatory approaches to documentary, performance, and artistic creation within the wider landscape of socially-engaged art or Social Practice Art. The socially-engaged or participatory art methodologies enlist non-artists as collaborators alongside professional artists, question the line that divides these two categories, and critique exclusivity and elitism within art itself. In both studying and creating Social Practice Art, student will consider questions such as How is access to the means of cultural production related to agency and power? How does art articulate or create community? What is or should be the place of creativity in the lives of individuals and societies?
A multimedia exploration of Black foodways and traditions, structured around a blend of traditional seminar content and hands-on, community based cultural preservation. We will focus primarily on culinary expressions that are unique to the U.S. and shaped by its specific history, conditions and lived experiences, recognizing that the history and presentation of African American cuisine is as varied and boundless as the Diaspora itself. Students will participate in an ongoing effort to create a community archive through field trips and hands-on experience, conducting interviews with community members, visiting regional sites of relevance, and documenting cooking demonstrations. We will explore the many places Black foodways manifest in visual art, literature, autobiographies and historical documents. We will consider how the migration and displacement of Black people—both voluntary and forced—have influenced culinary traditions and food preparation methods. Through interviews, demonstrations, archival material, audio/video media, and oral histories students will pay special attention to cultural histories and customs that are revealed through food conversations. Students will examine how place impacts and influences traditional recipes by identifying unique ingredients based on the landscape, ingredients used out of practicality and availability and by exploring the stories behind substitutions based on personal preference. Through experiential learning students will practice basic methods of documentation and production techniques while collaboratively contributing to the preservation of these cultural practices.
An introduction to the technologies, tools, and skills of creating audio documentaries. Working individually and in small production teams, students will produce original sound works for radio broadcast and podcast and listen to and critically analyze examples in the medium. Students will also learn to research and report a story, observe ethical guidelines and legal norms of permissions, and apply different methods of sculpting an audio experience, telling stories, and representing reality. The course assumes no prior knowledge of audio technologies.
A hands-on introduction to making documentary films, grounded in critical viewing and debate. The world is full of stories waiting to be told. Yet what makes a story worth telling, who ought to tell it, and how one should tell it - these are some of the most crucial questions any documentarian must answer. From initial concept through to the final edit, this course will ask students to grapple with this process of documentary development, in order to acquire a robust set of practices from which to tell the stories of the world around us.
Partner with a local organization to communicate science to the general public. Project format will vary and will be determined by the partner organization; examples include (but are not limited to) educational signage, a webpage, or a podcast. Students will analyze example works to evaluate how language and design contribute to successful public science communication. They will translate scientific information into clear and understandable text or narration, and will identify or create appropriate images or video to convey their message. They will collaborate with the partner organization as they develop their project, ensuring that the final product meets the organization’s goals. There may be one required weekend field trip. The course is repeatable for credit with a different project.
Topically organized courses covering methods, approaches and issues within documentary studies at the intermediate level. The specific approaches to be explored will vary from course to course, but all topics courses will engage both theory and practice.
Subject
DS
Credits (min)
1
Credits (max)
4
Credit unit
Credits
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated with a different topic for credit.
An advanced topical workshop or lab/studio experience sponsored through documentary studies. DS 302 may be linked to a regular course offered or as a free-standing academic experience.
Topically organized courses covering methods, approaches, and issues within documentary studies at the advanced level. The specific approaches to be explored will vary from course to course, but all topics courses will engage both theory and practice.
Subject
DS
Credits (min)
1
Credits (max)
4
Credit unit
Credits
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated with a different topic for credit.
An opportunity for qualified students to pursue independent study or research in Documentary Studies under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. The written study proposal must be approved by the MDOCS director.
An opportunity to work on the Skidmore-Saratoga Memory Project with a faculty member and/or documentarian. Students will gain practical experience in documentary research, writing, production or post-production. This course is intended for those interested in applying and enhancing skills acquired in Documentary Studies workshops or courses, or within their majors, while advancing the projects supported by MDOCS and/or Skidmore College faculty. Permission of instructor is required.
DS 399Professional Internship in Documentary Studies1-4
Professional opportunity for advanced students whose curricular foundations and cocurricular experience have prepared them for more autonomous professional work related to documentary studies. With faculty sponsorship and the director's approval, students may extend their educational experience into such areas as filmmaking, sound recording, exhibition, archives, and other professional areas.
