Skip to Main Content

AMD 328: Video Art History and Theory

Use these sources and tools to research the history and theory of cinematic art.

Let's get started with researching the history and theory of video art...

People in a dark room looking at a large bank of video screens.

Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

Your assignments:

Two 500-word Essays (5 pts each/10 pts total)

Discuss a film of your choice that was screened in class. The essay will be a “close-read” analysis of the film in which the historical context of the work and the theory or theories it represents must be discussed. The essay should also include an analysis of how successful the project was at exemplifying a particular theory. Cite at least 4 sources (the primary source can be included as one of those sources).

 

One Video Essay (30 pts)

Use essay to compare and contrast two theories you’ve explored during class. Use the overlap of these ideas to develop your own theory about poetic cinema. The video essay should be in the style of one of the films we screened over the course of the semester (Equivalent of 1000 words). Essay requirements:

Four sources, proper citation in MLA or Chicago, compares and contrasts two theories presented in class.

What kinds of sources are you looking for?

The sources should include combination of artistic (films, artwork, etc) and scholarly sources. Scholarly sources can include, for example, essays by the artist or critics, critical theory texts, or even scientific articles, if you need them to make your case.