1. WRA 150: EVOLUTION OF AMERICAN THOUGHT THURSDAY, OCT. 31, 2013

2. AGENDA  Housekeeping  Remix Assignment  What is a remix?  Watch and discuss different examples  What’s next

3. GOALS FOR TODAY  Tie up any loose ends with the disciplinary literacies paper.  Begin conceptualizing what it means to remix, what counts as a remix and why it matters.  Look at examples of successful and maybe not so successful remixes to use as models for our own work.

4. REMINDERS  11/11: Final drafts of Project 3 due by 11:59 pm  I will be giving feedback to those who want it on their first drafts…please let me know.  Any questions?  Revisions for previous papers are due by 11/15  Questions?

5. REMIX!

6. THE ASSIGNMENT  For this project you will transform one of your essays into an alternative form. Starting with the same focus and purpose as the original, you’ll transform the message to respond to a new rhetorical situation.  Instead of a traditional writing process, you might choose to create a video, a photo essay, a PowerPoint presentation, a web page, a painting, a brochure, a poster, a basket, jewelry—whatever it is you think will successfully (re)present your writing.  Basically, this is the place where you “let your rhetoric hang out”

7. (TENTATIVE) TIMELINE  There are two dates for the proposal  The presentation will be on 11/12  The written proposal will be due on 11/14  Rough drafts and peer review workshop will be on 11/21.  Final drafts will be due 12/10.  Presentations of our final projects will be held during finals week.

8. TIMELINE CONT’D  Because the process of making your remix is valued at a higher level than the actual product of your remix, we will have—much like with paper 3— individual meetings so that I can stay on top of how you’re doing with this project.  This is also partly because everyone will be doing different things that require different levels of engagement, and meeting individually will make this unit more useful for you…hopefully.

9. ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE LOGISTICS

10. Depends on what you’re making. Assess the amount of effort it takes to write a paper and try and put the same amount of effort into your remixes. As a guideline, for videos, aim for around 3-5 minutes. HOW LONG SHOULD IT BE?

11. Again, that depends. If it can be submitted electronically—email it to me UP UNTIL the start of class on 12/10. If it is a “tangible” product, hand it in to me on 12/9. HOW DO I TURN IT IN?

12. About the logistics of this project? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

13. WHAT IS A REMIX?  Get into to small groups and come up with your own definition of what remix is.  Some questions to consider: 1. What is considered a remix? 2. How can you tell when something is a remix? 3. What are the limitations of remixes? What is NOT a remix by your definition?  Share your definitions with the class

14. REMIX: DEFINED  Basically…  Making new media from old media  Three of the main components of remix: copy, transform, combine

15. EVERYTHING IS REMIX https://vimeo.com/14912890 https://vimeo.com/19447662

16. WHAT DID YOU THINK?  Does viewing the first part of this video series challenge your definitions of remix?  If yes, how so?  How does the argument that “everything is remix” challenge concepts of originality?  How do we measure originality? Is it valued differently in different contexts (academic papers vs movies vs songs vs paintings)?  “Good artists copy, great artists steal”  how does this quote fit into definitions of remix?  We will be watching the other parts next class.

17. EXAMPLE: THE SHINING

18. HOW IS THIS A REMIX?  What is the original media, what is the new purpose?  Why?

19. EXAMPLE: BREAKFAST CLUB/LISZTOMANIA  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq741YqlP7w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq741YqlP7w

20. BREAKFAST CLUB/LISZTOMANIA  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MFC0xageYo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MFC0xageYo

21. HOW IS THIS A REMIX?  What is the original media, what is the new purpose?  Why?

22. EXAMPLE: COLLAGES

23. HOW IS THIS A REMIX?  What is the original media, what is the new purpose?  Why?

24. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER GOOD EXAMPLES?

25. WHY REMIX IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS CLASS?  The purpose of the assignment is to make rhetorical purposes, moves, and effects more visible by asking you to do something that helps you become more aware of the rhetorical choices you make.  Your own rhetorical purpose will depend on the original project you choose to remix.  For example, you may want to present the information you wrote about in your disciplinary literacies paper in a website format. Or you might want to turn your learning memoir into a mini-movie.

26. WHY REMIX?  Writing today often requires composers to draw upon multiple modes of representation and meaning making— think of all the things you likely encountered while researching for your disciplinary literacies paper.  What different modes of expression call upon non-textual literacy practices?  Today's computers and robust networks allow composers to choreograph audio, video, still images, text and more--often simultaneously.  Writers may not have the rhetorical tools to create audio, video and other visual elements for their multimedia compositions. This is where remix comes into play.

27. OWNERSHIP AND AUTHORSHIP  Remix allows composers to borrow the work of others and make that content work toward new rhetorical ends.  Despite how great it is that we have resources at our fingertips and the fact that remixing opens the door to new and creative ways to express yourself as a writer—a composer—you must be even more aware of copyright and intellectual property.  Because this is a very serious issue when it comes to working with media, we will discuss fair-use and copyright next class.

28. BOTTOM LINE: YOU’RE THE EXPERT  You guys already know what makes a successful remix—you have been the consumer of such media for a majority of your lives.  Think about all of the media you consume in your daily life and the ways that you evaluate the success of such media as a gauge for making your own.  Use the models you have already encountered in life as a stepping stone for you to create your own.  Creation requires influence  this is a basic tenant of remix culture in general and something you will put into practice for your projects.

29. TO SUM UP  Remix lets your rhetoric hang out. It lets you really think about the success of different modes for different rhetorical purposes.  Remix is all around us, we encounter it everyday. Being aware of how we repurpose and reuse things toward new rhetorical ends is an important tool to use as a writer.

30. FOR NEXT CLASS  Read:  “I hate Buzzfeed” (on course website)I hate Buzzfeed  Find more examples of remixes to share with the class.  Might go without saying, but bring your phones to class and be ready to download some apps…