3 Comment

1. 

   tutorphil says:

   15 December 2009 at 08:44

   Online Interim Review 15/12/09
   
   Hey Matt,
   
   Not sure you've yet got a firm hold on your precise intention for your scene; can't say that the manacle idea is working for me particularly; it just seems a bit 'heavy-handed' - my experience tells me you're a little bit too happy with your Maya manacle and it's eclipsing other conceptual opportunities.
   
   Crewdson's work often plays with a sense of 'invasion' - of forces external to the home (often nature) gathering at its edges; he seems to suggest that nature has an intelligence or knowingness that makes humans uncomfortable; perhaps you might consider playing with this idea yourself? There's also more than a whiff of 'alien abduction' about some of his work - particularly the image above; perhaps you might consider developing ways to describe some kind of sudden disappearance, by using abandoned objects; Crewdson also uses the symmetry of the circle to create a vague sense of anxiety - rather like crop circles; I'd suggest you'll have more success at creating strangeness if you look again at Crewdson's own motifs and recurrent symbols and then ask yourself 'why do they make me feel a particular way?'
   
   Using Crewdson as your essay subject is a sound choice - but be sure to make appropriate use of research materials; let the artist speak for himself in your essay, and then gather the views of other critics etc. by which to frame your discussion. You must avoid being too subjective; think like a journalist, and not a fan.
   
   Also - and it's a general point - but I think maybe, now you're confident with blogger, you might consider giving your online journal a bit of a make-over? Have a look at the blogs of your peers, and you'll see they're beginning to move towards more professional looking platforms...
   
   I'll follow this post with 2 more re. the written assignment.

2. 

   tutorphil says:

   15 December 2009 at 08:45

   Written assignment Unit 3 Part 1
   
   Consider carefully the following learning outcomes for your essay and structure your assignment accordingly. You must demonstrate:
   
   1) Knowledge and understanding of ‘the Uncanny’.
   
   You should begin your essay by defining ‘the uncanny’ in theoretical terms (i.e. according to Sigmund Freud, Jentsch, and anyone else with a helpful or clear definition). You will be expected to include a quoted source by which to demonstrate your understanding; the essay, ‘The Uncanny’ by Freud is rich in useful observations – so use it; you’ll want to consider the concept of the ‘unheimlich’ and the sorts of motifs/artefacts that create the uncanny experience.
   
   2) A developed ability to engage in research.
   
   At this stage of your course, you are expected to research your subject area in order to enrich your discussion and corroborate your analysis. No essay at this stage should be written ‘off the top of your head’ or without a clear research agenda. Research might include a variety of film reviews, artist statements, images, books, critiques and articles. Research requires that you READ and take notes! For instance, if you are looking at Invasion of the Body-Snatchers in relation to the uncanny, first cross-reference lots of reviews/articles about the film. Make a note of any recurrent terms or ideas and when you come across a term you don’t understand or are unfamiliar with – investigate it! Try google searching associated terms together– for instance ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers & uncanny’ – as you may find research material that relates very specifically to your discussion.
   
   There are no short-cuts to an intelligently written assignment – focused research = successful essays; without research and a body of evidence, your essay is simply ‘chat’ and of no academic significance. Be significant!
   
   3) The ability to synthesise a range of research applied to arguments.
   
   Put more simply, this means that once you’ve completed your research and gathered together your key ideas, you are then able to use them to ‘unpack’ your chosen subject; think of your research as a precision tool-kit especially selected by you to ‘dismantle’ your case-study or studies (i.e. the film, image, programme, artwork you’ve chosen to discuss)
   
   4) The ability to clearly and academically communicate ideas.
   
   This is all about your writing style and your ‘voice’ – too many of you are writing as if you’re talking, and it’s a habit you need to lose asap in this context. So you must avoid slang and clichés; you’re not on the street or down the pub, you’re in a formal space with formal conventions.
   
   Avoid the first person; instead of writing ‘I think that Invasion Of The Body-Snatchers is about the fear of conformity’, consider instead ‘It is arguable that Invasion of the Body-Snatchers is about the fear of conformity’.

3. 

   Ath31as says:

   16 December 2009 at 05:30

   Matt just a few reminders of what we spoke about today:
   
   Invasion conspriacies
   Suburban America
   Unsafe
   Aliens
   Alien sightings/fish (?)
   Parnoia / anxiety
   Look up what critics thought of Crewdson's work.