Asian American/African American/Chicana/o Studies XXX
Diasporic Nonfiction: Media Engagements with Memory and Displacement 1
Winter 2015
Tu/Th: 2-5
Location TBD
Dr. D. Andy Rice
ASPIRE Fellow in Socially Engaged Media
andyrice@ucla.edu
Office Hours: Rolfe 3326
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This video production course will emphasize autobiographical, critical, and
performance‐based modes of nonfiction media making, drawing on the practices of
diasporic filmmakers who have grappled with suppressed collective memories of
displacement, trauma, exile, and migration. Readings, discussions, and video projects
will grapple with the following overarching question: what does it mean to make videos
about memory in places where the direct cues to remembering cannot be seen? A weekly
lecture will introduce and situate concepts from films and readings. Production
assignments and screenings will focus on questions of how to represent history, memory,
family dynamics, and lived experience according to the perspectives and interests of
diasporic subjects. Student work should interrogate relations of power that force certain
kinds of movement amongst diasporic peoples. Readings and films will be drawn from
the LA Rebellion filmmakers, postcolonial documentary theorists, performance scholars,
and theorists of experimental ethnography. Production assignments will require students
to practice environmental recording, the writing of voiceover, elicitation interviewing,
and reenactment staging as documentary production tools. These projects will be
screened and discussed at the end of the quarter in a public screening. Students will be
responsible for writing reflexive paper about this experience, as well as developing a
proposal for a longer project they will undertake in the spring quarter. This video will be
centered in a particular collective that students believe to have important social or
cultural implications.
Note: Access to audio-visual equipment and video editing software will be provided freeof-charge to students enrolled in the course.
Attendance and Participation Policies:
Course sections are lengthy (3 hours) to accommodate film screenings, workshops in
video production techniques, and discussions of your projects as they develop. They are
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This course was generously funded by the Academy for Social Progress in Responsible Entertainment
(ASPIRE), a non-profit entity that partners with universities, community organizations, scholars, and
activists to advocate for social justice through media-focused teaching and research. ASPIRE teaches
digital media production to undergraduates of all majors to enhance their lifelong capacities to undertake
social issue advocacy.
vital to our learning and goals. For this reason, attendance at all sessions for the course is
mandatory. Each unexcused absence will drop your final grade by half a letter. Each
excessive tardiness (more than 15 minutes) will count as half an absence. Students in the
course are expected to treat one another respectfully, and to offer constructive criticism in
course discussions about their classmates’ work.
Grade Breakdown:
Project 1: 20%
Project 2: 30%
Reflection Paper: 10%
Project 3 proposal: 20%
Attendance and Participation: 20%
Week 1: Introduction: What is diasporic nonfiction?
Screen:
History and Memory (Rea Tajiri)
Frantz Fanon: Black Skin White Masks, Isaac Julien
Ten Thousand Waves, Isaac Julien (excerpts)
The Dawn at My Back, Carroll Parrott Blue
Readings:
Cohen, Robin. 2008. “Four Phases of Diaspora Studies.” Global
Diasporas. 1-20.
Flores, Juan. 2009. “Thinking Diaspora from Below: Lines of
Definition.” The Diaspora Strikes Back: Caribeño Tales of Learning and
Turning. 15-31.
Fanon, Frantz. 1952. “The Lived Experience of the Black Man.” Black
Skin White Masks. 89-119.
Laura Marks. The Skin of the Film excerpts on Tajiri.
Assignment: Silent, in camera portrait of a space
Week 2: World War II, Neo-Realism, and the Time Image
Screen Project 1, Part 1
The Bicycle Thieves, (Vittorio de Sica, 1948) (excerpts)
Shoah, Claude Lanzmann (excerpt)
Killer of Sheep, (Charles Burnett, 1977) (excerpts)
Lumumba: Death of a Prophet, Raoul Peck (excerpts)
Readings:
Gilles Deleuze. “Introduction.” The Time Image.
Laura Marks. The Skin of the Film. Introduction.
“The House I Live In: An Interview with Charles Burnett,” Aida Hozic.
Callalloo 1994, 171-187.
Assignment: Project 1, Part 2: Write voiceover story or memory, record GoPro
movements and pickups
Screen:
Begin editing (Project 1, Part 3)
Week 3: Performance and Documentary Theater
Screen:
Cornered (1988), Adrian Piper
Tongues Untied (1989), Marlon Riggs (excerpts)
Twilight, Los Angeles (2000), Anna Deveare Smith
Readings:
Piper, Adrian. “Xenophobia and the Indexical Present II: Lecture.”
Radical Street Performance: An International Anthology. Edited by Jan
Cohen-Cruz. 125-32.
hooks, bell. 1995. “Performance Practice as a Site of Opposition.” Let’s
Get it On: The Politics of Black Performance. Ed/ Catherine Ugwu. 21021.
Assignment: Edit (Project 1, Part 3)
Identify a subject for Project 2
Week 4: Third Cinema Beginnings
Project 1, Parts 2 and 3 due
Screen:
Completed Project 1, all parts
Black Girl (1966), Ousmane Sembene
Now! (1965), Santiago Alvarez
Manzanar (1972), Robert Nakamura
Child of Resistance (1972), Haile Gerima
Shopping Bag Spirits and Freeway Fetishes: Reflections on Ritual Space
(1979), Barbara McCullough
Readings:
Teshome Gabriel. 1995. “Towards a Critical Theory of Third World
Films.” Cinemas of the Black Diaspora: Diversity, Dependence, and
Opportunity. Edited by Michael T. Martin. 70-89.
Julio Garcia Espinosa, 1979. “For an Imperfect Cinema.”
Noriega, Chon. 1998. “The Aztlán Film Institute’s Top 100 List,” eJump
Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media.
http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC42folder/TopAztlan100.h
tml
Young, Cynthia. 2005. “Shot in Watts: Film and State Violence in the
1970s.” Soul Power: Culture, Radicalism, and the Making of a U.S. Third
World Left. 209-244.
Assignment: Complete Project 2, Part 1 interview
Week 5: Activist Reenactment in Documentary Film
Screen:
Project 2, Part 1 interviews due
S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine, Rithy Panh (excerpts)
Maquilapolis (2005), Vicki Funari and Sergio de la Torre
The Couple in the Cage: A Guatinaui Fantasy (Coco Fusco and Guillermo
Gomez Peña, 1993, 32 min.)
Readings:
Coco Fusco, “The Other History of Intercultural Performance.” English is
Broken Here: Notes on Cultural Fusion. 1995. 36-64.
Boyle, Deirdre. “Shattering Silence: Traumatic Memory and Reenactment
in Rithy Panh's S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine” Framework.
Assignment: Complete Project 2, Part 1 transcription
Begin Project 2, Part 2
Week 6:
Globalization Theory and Transnational Identity
Project 2, Part 1 transcripts due
Project 2, Part 2 pre-production complete
Screen:
Student Project 2 rushes
First Person Plural, (Deann Borshay Liem, 1999, 56 min.)
Readings:
Arjun Appadurai, “Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural
Economy”
Eleana Kim (2003) “Wedding, Citizenship and Culture: Korean Adoptee
and the Global Family of Korea.” Social Text (174): 57-81.
Assignment: Shoot reenactment scene and everyday life scenes (Project 2, Part 2)
Begin editing (Project 2, Part 3)
Week 7: Activism 1: Hybrid Agents, Social Media and Net Art
Screen:
Domestic Tension, Wafaa Bilal (excerpts)
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012), Alison Klayman (excerpts)
Readings:
Shoot an Iraqi, Wafaa Bilal
Assignment: Edit (Project 2, Part 3)
Draft flyer for end of quarter screening
Week 8: Activism 2: Labor and Border
Project 2, part 3 due
Screen:
Project 2
Calavera Highway (2008), Renee Tajima Peña (excerpts)
Documented (2013, Jose Antonio Vargas) (excerpts)
Readings:
Mae Ngai. 2005. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of
Modern America. 1-55.
Assignment: Complete soundwork and revisions on Project 2, Part 3 based on class
feedback.
Create flyer for end of quarter screening
Begin organizing and writing Project 3: Collective
Week 9: Activism 3: Incarceration and Trauma
Screen:
The House I Live In (2012), Eugene Jarecki
Lyrics from Lockdown, Bryonn Bain
Readings:
“Prisoners’ Bill of Rights,” Bryonn Bain.
Assignment: Organize and publicize end of quarter screening
Complete organizing and writing Project 3: Collective Project Proposal
Make trailers for Project 3
Week 10: Finishing
Screen:
Student Final Projects
No readings
Assignment: Complete trailers for Project 3
Organize and publicize end of quarter screening
Plan out and lead discussions about student work
Final Exam Week
No Final Exam
No readings
Assignment: Write a 2-3 page reflection on the experience of making the video and
holding the screening.
Begin production on spring quarter collective video projects
Project 1: Space and Memory (20%)
Part 1: Image (6%)
Find a space that intrigues, angers, or comforts you. Ideally, this space will offer a
variety of shapes, colors, textures and lighting environments.
Carefully plan a sequence of tripod shots that will evoke whatever it is that drew you to
the space. You can use the viewfinder to help previsualize the shots. Disregard sound as
you are shooting. In your planning, include notes about the length of each shot and any
possible camera movements, like pans, tilts, etc. Do not include any shots that you cannot
repeat (tracking a person who happens to walk through the frame, for instance), and do
not ask anyone to perform for you. The sequence should be about a minute long, though
there is no need to make it exactly this length. A bit longer or shorter is fine. You are
free to use as many or as few shots as you like, but you must use the tripod for all of the
shots. Please do not zoom.
Please note: this part of the project must be executed entirely in the camera and not edited
on the computer. You may do as many takes as you like, but the final one must be
completed beginning to end in the camera. We will screen these silent portraits in class
in week 2.
Second, record clean tracks of ambient sound (2 minutes of continuously recorded sound
for each take) as well as sonic details that you feel evoke the space. While in the space,
listen very carefully. Move to different positions and listen from each. If there are any
specific sources of sound, go close to these and listen. Then, using the video camera and
external microphone, make a clean, evocative recording of what you hear. Try as many
different microphone positions as you wish, listening carefully through the
headphones. Produce recordings with no camera noise, no microphone handling noise,
and no extraneous sounds of any kind (such as shifting around). Be sure that the
recording mode on the camera is set to manual and that the level is good. Since these
sounds will likely be quiet, they will probably produce only a moderate reading on the
meter.
Third, record sound details that you will layer into your sequence underneath the ambient
sound in weeks 2 and 3. You will be using Adobe Premiere Pro to incorporate these
sounds into your project, so you should record multiple takes and longer durations of
sound than you will need. Record a number of these, and imagine the sense of off-screen
space that they will create when they accompany your image. You may create your own
sounds, as well, where you feel this is appropriate.
Write a page or so of notes about what it was about the space that appealed to you, and
how your video expressed that sentiment.
Part 2: Voice and Movement (6%)
Write out or construct a memory that this space evokes in you. You need not force this
connection in your language, or make explicit linkages between the words said and the
things seen. Rather, tell a story about something small and specific. When told, the story
should last no more than 1.5 minutes. You may write in the first or third person. Practice
reading the story out loud, and think about the tone and voice inflection that best suits it.
Re-edit if something feels off, missing, or too long. Then use the lavalier microphone
with the camera to record your story. You may record as many takes as you wish. Use
your own voice. Optional and editable starting lines are below, intended to spur your
thinking rather than constrain it:
“One day, when I was ___ years old, I learned something new.”
“My mother/father grew up ________. I think about this now because . . .”
“__________ spoke two languages, in a sense, but s/he nonetheless felt as though s/he
had not yet found a home. This was because . . .”
“______ had no history, at least none that s/he could discuss, read about in a book, or see
on the streets of Los Angeles. But every now and then s/he felt something like the past in
her/his bones. One time, for instance . . .”
or . . .
Second, after you have written your voiceover memory, return to the space and record 45 movement shots using the GoPro. These may be handheld, affixed to a body part, or
connected to a moving vehicle like a bike or a car. Explore how movement shapes the
images you make, and think about how these images complement the memory or story
you’ve written. You may also take the camera and tripod with you to record several
additional shots if you feel unsatisfied with your in camera portrait of a space. Perhaps
you want to return to your space at a different time of day. You may record more sounds,
as well. Do not shoot more than 2-3 minutes of additional footage and 2-3 minutes of
sounds. You may record silent models, dancers, or yourself where appropriate (this is not
required), but may not record actors speaking lines or reenacting the activities you
describe in your story.
Part 3: Editing (8%)
Record your voiceover memory, transfer all of your images and sounds to your hard
drive, import your material into Adobe Premiere Pro for editing, and construct a 1.5-3
minute sequence. This sequence should include:
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A recording of your voiceover memory or story, properly paced and delivered
The 1-2 minute silent video portrait of a space, reedited as you see fit
Movement shots taken with the GoPro, edited into the sequence
An ambient track of sound beneath the entirety of your video
Selected shorter additional sounds from your space or of your own making
Start with the voiceover memory or story, making sure it is paced properly. Then
construct the image track to complement it. Third, layer in the ambient tracks and
additional sounds. Focus the bulk of your editing energy on the sound. Adjust the levels,
fades in and out, and position of the sounds. Write a title card for the beginning of your
piece (shortcut is command T) and a credit for the end. Output your final project to an
mp4 Quicktime movie, and upload to the class YouTube page. We will watch and
discuss these projects in class.
Project 2: Reenactment (30%)
In this project, you will work in pairs to make a short video about a remembered work
process using the method of reenactment. Find a subject who lives in Los Angeles, but
used to live somewhere else. Ideally, your subject will have worked in a different
occupation or lived in a notably different way in their former place of residence.
Part 1 (10%):
Interview your subject. Both members of your group must be present for this shoot. This
exercise will allow you to get to know your subject better and provide you with material
for part 2. Use a lavalier microphone, and record the interview in a quiet, comfortable
place, ideally inside. Avoid traffic noise, airplanes flying overhead, nearby construction,
wind, and the hums of air conditioners or refrigerators as much as possible. In addition to
asking your subject general questions about their life before and after moving to Los
Angeles, ask specific questions about the routine of their work, religious, or domestic life
prior to making this move. What did your subject do in her/his everyday life? Think
about what kinds of activities lend themselves to cinematic expression. Ask about these
activities in detail. If your subject did a lot of cooking an you chose to focus on this
activity, for instance, ask about the arrangement of the cooking space, the steps required
to make a particular meal, places gone to pick up ingredients, economic considerations
related to cooking, and the experience of meals after finishing the food. How does your
subject feel about those activities now? Does your subject retain elements of this former
activity in their contemporary lives, and if so, how? Research your subject’s life both
individually as a member of a diasporic collective and prepare around 20 questions to
ask. Think of questions that will lead and allow your subject to remember and reflect.
Your interview should last 40-60 minutes, although a bit more or less time is fine.
Transcribe your interview and upload the transcription to the class Google Drive site.
Part 2 (10%):
Stage a reenactment of your subject’s former work or domestic life. Both members of
your group must be present for this shoot. Identify a location in Los Angeles that
resonates with, complicates, or contradicts in some fashion the activity that you intend to
represent. Discuss potential locations with your subject, and consult with them as you
plan your reenactment. This space need not be silent—in fact it might be interesting to
find spaces that are busy as background for your shooting. The space should be an actual
location rather than a set. Consider the time of day in which you will be shooting. Think
about how you might use the GoPro to record subjective images of the routine your
subject will reenact. Consider the use of props to stand in for objects key to the routine
that do not exist in Los Angeles. To continue with the cooking example, you may ask
your subject to “cook” a meal on a street corner, miming the actions of each step with
substitute implements. If appropriate, choose a space for your reenactment that may shed
light on an injustice or sense of solidarity with a collective that your subject feels. Think
about how the images you record will integrate with segments of the interview you’ve
recorded.
Also record a scene or two from your subject’s everyday life now that might provide
context for her/his character. What will your viewers need to know about this person to
understand their story? How can you communicate these textures, tones, or pieces of
information visually?
You may use relevant archival footage, as well, but are not required to do so.
Part 3 (10%):
Edit together a 4-6 minute video about your subject’s work routine. Include title cards at
the beginning and end, complete fine cutting, soundwork, and color correction. You may
integrate a limited amount of music if you work with a student composer to write
something for your piece. Barring reasoned cases, you may not use “rights free” music
downloaded from the Internet. We will screen these projects in week 8.
Project 3: Collective Project Proposal and Trailer (20%)
Building on discussions about your Project 2 videos and readings from the class, begin
work on a collaborative video focused on an issue or experience pertinent to a particular
collective of diasporic peoples. By the end of the winter quarter you must:
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Identify group members for this project (4-6 persons per group).
Identify, connect with, and secure the cooperation of at least 1 non-profit or
community group invested in your particular issue.
Write a proposal for your project (about 4 pages, double spaced, with 12 pt. font
and 1” margins).
Edit together a 1 minute trailer on this project that will play at the end of quarter
screening. If you lack footage, be creative in communicating the central point of
your proposed project.
The written proposal will take the most work. Take some time on this. The final draft
your group turns in should include the following:
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A title for your project that reflects the central idea (not “Project 3”)
A brief review of relevant and contemporary research (films or written papers)
that has led you to this broader subject and particular question. What overarching
question will your video(s) address? How will you contribute to a particular body
of research?
A description of your film(s) in more specific terms. What subjects, topics,
individuals, or ideas will your project engage? How will each film proceed from
one section to the next? What formal strategies will you employ to express these
views and why? What will you record? Will you include expert interviews, and
if so, who are the experts you will be interviewing? If not, who and what will you
shoot and why? These should be actual people with names who have agreed to be
interviewed or videotaped in everyday life for your project. If you are staging a
performance of some kind, use the name of an actual location, and describe how
many people your performance will involve. Include names of performers or
performance groups if possible. Make this explicit.
An outreach plan. What are the names, missions, and involvements of non-profits
or community groups with which you are working? How have they said they
would participate in the production and distribution of your film? Who is your
target audience, and how will you reach them? How do you anticipate your film
being used by these stakeholders?
Individual Post Screening Reflection Paper (10%)
Please address the following questions in 2-3 double spaced pages.
1. What was your contribution to project three? Please include commentary on the
group dynamic if you feel it's appropriate here.
2. What was it like to see your project with an audience present with you?
3. How did you feel about the conversation on your work at the end of the screening
event?
4. What did peers, subjects, or others have to say about your projects outside of the
discussion? Anything that surprised you?
5. What are you most pleased with about your video or project and what do you
think could have been improved?
6. Did you or do you plan to share a link of your video with any groups or
individuals? If so, with whom and how did they respond? If not, why not?