Course syllabus

Welcome to the practical film course at the MFA in Film at HDK-Valand!

HDK-Valand 

Master of Film

Film Practice (MAFI13) 

Film Reflection (MAFI14) 

Spring 2023 Course Guide

Term

Spring 2023

Course code

MAFI13

Course name

MAFI 13 - FILM PRACTICE  (15 credits)

Program director

Jyoti Mistry

Email

 jyoti.mistry@akademinvaland.gu.se

Course responsible

Mirka Duijn

Email

mirka.duijn@gu.se

Participating teachers (with access to the course canvas-activity)

Mirka Duijn                                                                                    mirka.duijn@gu.se

Jyoti Mistry                                                                                    jyoti.mistry@akademinvaland.gu.se

Fredrik Lange (Accounting and Legal Support)                          fredrik.lange@gu.se

Dan Sandqvist (Accounting and Technical Support)                  dan.sandkvist@hdk-valand.gu.se

Samuel Malm (Technical Support)                                               samuel.malm@akademinvaland.gu.se

Pär Fridén (Technical Support)                                                    par.friden@akademinvaland.gu.se


Guest teachers: Alain Kasanda, Janaina Nagata, René Duursma, Francesco Ragazzi, Cem A, and others.

Schedule: Time Edit

Course on Canvas

MAFI 13: https://canvas.gu.se/courses/66225

Course Syllabus

MAFI 13: https://kursplaner.gu.se/pdf/kurs/en/MAFI13

Credits:

MAFI 13 - FILM PRACTICE 1 (15 credits)

Grading scale: Pass (G) or Fail (U)

2023 Spring Semester

Register for your courses

Don´t forget to register for the course in Ladok services.  Registration opens one week before the start of course. You must also be registered to be able access all course material published in Canvas. If you have problems with the registration or questions about your studies please contact admission@hdk-valand.gu.se

Course Description

The MAFI13 course aims to develop competencies with moving images’ expressive possibilities and as a way to experiment with filmic-forms based on individually formulated enquiries. Students will be invited to transform film ideas into performative filmic works (projects) as part of their training. 

During the course, their own practical film research is interwoven with presentations of film examples and different methods/approaches towards their inquiry-based-work. The course structure incorporates examples from other film texts and film references to advance individual research concerns. Through conversation and dialogue-structured peer-learning with feedback sessions on film projects, the course forms a context for a continuous study of artistic expressions in film.

The course’s educational bases and learning activities are:

Intensives

The MAFI13 H23 Practical Course and the MAFI14 H23 Reflection Course are interwoven, and will be conducted through individual assignments, seminars, workshops and group discussions that are organized in five 'intensives'; Intensive weeks of study. Each intensive revolves around a specific theoretical and practical proposition. An intensive usually spans one week and is preceded by several weeks of self-study. Briefs for the preparation for intensives are shared in advance of the self-study weeks.

Individual Learning

Briefs for the preparation for intensives are shared ± three weeks in advance of intensives. In this brief you will find all information about preparation for the intensive. This usually consists of literature to read and films to watch as well as an audio-visual exercise. Please note: The weeks in between intensives are being kept free of teaching for you to prepare for the intensives. This is a full-time master, expect the workload in the weeks in between the intensives to be substantial. 

Peer Learning

A major part of the intensives will exist out of student presentations and peer-feedback sessions. You will present visual exercises and propositions for inquiry-led practices at multiple moments during the semester. On these occasions, you, as a student, will also be asked to provide feedback to other students' work.

Research-Project Development: Personal Prompt

During this semester your personal inquiry will increasingly be forefronted. In week 9 a Research-Project Development Day will be organized, in which students present the developments around their inquiries, after which feedback sessions are organized. 

One on Ones: Personal Prompt

As a part of the MAFI13 H21 Reflection Course there will be three One on One meetings with Mirka Duijn. The meetings are 45 minutes long and are designated to discuss the students' individual inquiries. The student is asked to come prepared with an agenda and, if necessary supporting textual or audiovisual materials, which should be shared with the teacher two days in advance of the meeting. 

One on Ones: Productional Support

As a part of the MAFI13 H21 Reflection Course there will be several One on One meetings with Samuel Malm, Fredrik Lange and Dan Sandqvist. The meetings are designated to support the student productions, working towards the second year exam-project. This support is technical, as well as productional, focussing on budget and legal work. The student is asked to come prepared with an agenda and, if necessary, supporting textual or audiovisual materials.

Production Workshops

During this semester two ‘production workshops’ will be arranged, in which several teachers and technicians are involved (a.o., Fredrik Lange, Samuel Malm, Pär Fridén and Dan Sandqvist). In these production workshops the productional, technical and legal framework of the student productions will be discussed. 

Students are required to prepare for the workshop meetings by collecting all current information about the development of their inquiry, and the plans for the second-year independent film work. These developments and plans will be presented and discussed during the production meetings. 

CPH:DOX Academy

In March students will visit the CPH:DOX festival to take part in DOX:ACADEMY. The festival welcomes students from film schools, art academies and universities all over the world to take part in DOX:ACADEMY. The ACADEMY CLASSES are a line of highly intensive courses taking place during week 13. There are two sessions a day supplemented by group discussions and a tailored programme of films and festival activities. The Academy will be fully hosted by CPH:DOX. 

In-Between meetings

There will be four one-hour meetings organized that are dedicated to ‘housekeeping’ issues. In these In-Between meetings wants and needs can be put on the table, practical questions can be discussed and/or unclarities in briefs for intensives can be taken up. We ask each group to appoint a Student Representative. This representative can collect agenda points for the In-Between from the group of peers. If wanted, the student representative can share these points of their peers or anonymously.  

Additional Lectures, Screenings & Artist Talks

As a part of each semester additional (public) lectures, screenings and artist talks will be organized. Announcements will be made during the semester. As a part of this spring semester this will a.o., contain: the HDK-Valand Research Day (January) in January and a public lecture by artist Cem A (February).

Course Evaluations

The course will be evaluated orally at its conclusion and also in writing and anonymously via a course development survey, where students will have the opportunity to provide your views on the course. After this, the instructor will write a course report containing a summary of the various evaluations, including key observations made by the students and the instructor’s summary, analysis and action plan for the course. 

Elective Courses

As a part of your education at HDK-Valand students will be offered ‘elective courses’, a selection of interdisciplinary courses. The elective courses are offered on Fridays. This is not part of MAFI 13 or MAFI 14 and therefore not added to this course guide.

2023 Spring Semester Schedule

This is the overall schedule for the spring semester. Detailed schedules of your courses are always published on our digital tool Time Edit. 

Week 2 (Fall Semester)

Tue 10/1 - Wed 11/1

Course Evaluation (Zoom)

Re-Exams (Zoom)

Week 3 (Spring Semester)

Tue 16/01 - Thu 19/1

Now that we are Back

In-Between Meeting #1: Introduction to the Spring Semester

Brief for Intensive #6

Week 4

Mon 23/1 - Fri 27/1

Intensive #6: The Archive

Research Day

Week 5

Mon 30/01 - Sun 05/02

Intensive #7 Brief

DCP Workshop

Film School Day

MA2 GIFF Exam Screenings (weekend)

Week 6

Mon 06/02 - Thu 16/02

Self-Study

MA-Forum #6

Week 7

Mon 13/02 - Fri 17/02

Intensive #7: Security Vision, Mediating Images

& Meme Cultures Workshop

Week 8

Mon 20/02 - Thu 23/02

Intensive #8 Brief

Intensive # 8 Screening

Schedule has changed: this is BOTH scheduled on Monday.

 

Week 9

Mon 27/02 - Thu 02/03

In-Between Meeting #2

Project Development Workshop (Personal Prompt)

One-on Ones: Personal Prompt #1

Self-Study

Week 10

Mon 06/03 - Thu 09/03

Production Workflow Meeting

MA Forum #7

Week 11

Mon 13/03 - Thu 16/03

Intensive #8: De-Doc-Donkey

Week 12

Mon 20/03 - 24/03

CPH:DOX

Week 13

Mon 27/03 - Thu 30/03

Intensive #9 Brief

In-Between Meeting #3

One on Ones: Personal Prompt #2

Week 14

Mon 03/04 - Thu 06/04

Intensive #9 Brief Follow Up

One on Ones: Production & Technical Assistance #1

Self-Study

Week 15

Tue 11/04 - Thu 13/04

Self-Study

MA Forum #7

Week 16

Mon 17/04 - Sun 23/04

Intensive #9: In Situ, Norway


Please note that this Intensive will not be two full weeks. It will be a one week (seven days) intensive, which will run over week 16 and 17. Precise dates will be shared at a later moment.

Week 17

Mon 24/04 - Thu 26/04

Intensive #9: In Situ, Norway

Intensive #10 Brief (Zoom)


Please note that this Intensive will not be two full weeks. It will be a one week (seven days) intensive, which will run over week 16 and 17. Precise dates will be shared at a later moment.

Week 18

Tue 02/05 - Thu 04/05

Self Study

Week 19

Mon 08/05 - Thu 11/05

In-Between Meeting

One on Ones: Personal Prompt #3

One on Ones: Production & Technical Assistance #2

Self Study

Week 20

Mon 15/05 - Wed 17/05

Intensive #10: Exam MA1

Week 21

Mon 22/05 - Thu 25/05

Intensive #10: Exam MA2

Workflow Meeting #2

MA Forum #8

Week 22

Mon 29/05 - Fri 02/06

One on Ones: Exam

One on Ones: Budget

Course Evaluation

End of the Academic Year events



Learning Objectives

MAFI 13 - Film practice II

Learning Aims:

The course aims to develop competencies with moving images’ expressive possibilities and as a way to experiment with filmic-forms based on individually formulated enquiries. Students will be invited to transform film ideas into performative filmic works (projects) as part of their training. 

During the course, their own practical film research is interwoven with presentations of film examples and different methods towards their enquiry-based-work. The course structure incorporates examples from other film texts and film references to advance individual research concerns. Through conversation and dialogue-structured peer-learning with feedback sessions on film projects, the course forms a context for a continuous study of artistic expressions in film.

Learning outcomes:

  •   identify and account for artistic expressions and exploring methods across different project enquiries (one’s own and that of others)
  •   to be able to account for (through discussion and writing) methods and artistic choices in one’s own practice.
  •   description of working methods and artistic choices in individual practice
  •   through film works (projects) methodically develop performances of formulated enquiries
  •   complete and discuss own film material, with a view to preparing and participating in constructive criticism of others’ film material or projects
  •   independently reflect one’s individual artistic film work (projects) and that of others on the basis of aesthetic and social aspects
  •   critically reflect on one’s own practice and its relationship to others' filmic practices.

 

Modes of Examination 

Each intensive is an official ‘exam-moment’. There are five examination occasions in the course, three during the courses itselves and one at the end. The first four occasions are at the intensives #6, #7, #8, and #9. The last exam occasion is at intensive #10, also called end-examination. Over the whole the learning outcomes will be examined through:

 

  1. For the course MAFI 13 - FILM PRACTICE II:

1.1. A visual presentation of the exercises/tasks given by the teachers/workshop leader (intensives #6, #7, #8 and #9). The tasks may vary in content and length between the different workshops, but the presentation should meet the required regulations. Please note that a detailed brief will be given prior to each intensive. 

1.2.  A visual and a verbal presentation of the exam project (Intensive #10) along with a submission of a project dossier of the exam project. Please note that a detailed brief will be given before the exam.

1.4 Acting as supporting opponent on MA2 exam. A detailed brief will be given prior to the task.

  

Students submit their texts via CANVAS

Assessment criteria

To pass this course the student must adequately demonstrate that they have achieved the identified learning outcomes. They should have fulfilled requirements and should have submitted the requested course materials by the stated deadlines.

  • Students should submit all video files in mp4 format, files should not  exceed 500mb.
  • Students should submit all documents for each intensive and MA Forum in Word format. Either use a reliable open source word processor that can save in .doc or .docx format (LibreOffice is recommended and can be downloaded for free for all platforms) or use the free educational edition of Microsoft Word, available at: https://products.office.com/en/student/office-in-education

 

Re-examinations

Students will be informed of their course grade within 15 days of the end of the course. Students who did not sit the examination or who fail will be offered the following opportunities for re-examination:

  • Third Friday in March
  • Third Friday in August
  • Second Friday in December

In addition to the above dates, the course director may offer more opportunities for re-examination.

 

Support Structure

General information about HDK-Valand

 

Personal student information

You have a student ID and a student e-mail address. We urge you to use this email address for all your correspondence. Emails are sent using the Canvas-platform email system. 

 

Student Portal

The Gothenburg University has a student portal where you can find general information about the university as well as your courses. You can log into the portal using your student ID. 

 

Student Guide

Each new academic year a ‘study guide’ is being published in which you can find general information about our HDK-Valand faculty, and the support structures that are available. This guide is being shared during the first weeks of the semester and has been added as a pdf to your MAFI13 Course on our digital learning environment Canvas.

 

Digital Environment

Canvas

The Gothenburg University used the digital platform Canvas as the basic digital tool for learning. You have access to all your courses on Canvas upon enrollment in courses (This semester that are the courses MAFI11, MAFI12 and your Elective Course). All information about courses, all briefs and study material, as well as guides to equipment and regulations for production, are always published on this platform. 

To pass exam-moments students are also required to submit all their audio-visual or textual exercises on Canvas. Always upload text documents in word-format, not pdf. Videos should be mp4 H264, and not bigger than 500 mb. If videos can't be uploaded: upload to the designated Vimeo school-account, make the video open for download and add the link to the video to Canvas. Instructions for accessing the Vimeo Channel can be found on Canvas. 

Time Edit

Detailed schedules for courses are always published and updated on the digital platform Time Edit. Enter the code for your course (MAFI11, MAFI12 or your Elective Course) in the Time Edit search function to see the specific schedule. Information about locations for teaching can be found here too. 

 

The Premises

MA Corridor

The MFA in film has its own corridor in the HDK-Valand faculty at Vasagatan 50. This corridor is shared with the second-year students. In this corridor you will find working spaces where you can work with your own laptop, as well as several computers and editing suits. 

Other studios and spaces

HDK-Valand also has screening rooms, sound, and film studios, as well as a grading booth and several editing suits that are available to all HDK-Valand students. You can book these spaces through the HDK-Valand booking system for students. For some studios a short introduction moment needs to be scheduled to become eligible to make a booking. More information about this can be found in your MAFI11 Course on Canvas. 

Technical support

HDK-Valand offers technical support for all students in the form of available equipment as well as the possibility to get tutorials. Film equipment-lists, as well as technical tutorials and guides for all students at the HDK-Valand film unit are gathered in the AKV post-production Course on Canvas. This is an open-source course made available to support individual learning. You can find the course here: https://canvas.gu.se/courses/30491 

Join the course by clicking on the 'join the course' button in the upper right corner of the main page of the course. The course is divided into four parts so either navigate to the part you are interested in through ‘Modules’. If you have problems getting access to the course contact course responsible Samuel Malm, samuel.malm@akademinvaland.gu.se

Course development survey

The course will be evaluated orally at its conclusion and also in writing and anonymously via a course development survey, where you will have the opportunity to provide your views on the course. After this, the instructor will write a course report containing a summary of the various evaluations, including key observations made by the students and the instructor’s summary, analysis and action plan for the course. The compiled course development survey and course report will be published in GUL no later than eight weeks after the course ends.

Equal Opportunity, Equal Treatment

Equal treatment means that harassment and discrimination against students or employees on the basis of gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation, or age may not occur at the university. It is also forbidden to commit reprisals against someone who has lodged a complaint, i.e. to get revenge on someone who files a report. Students and staff may contact the head of department as their first recourse. As a student, you may also contact any other representative of the university, such as your instructor, program director, study counsellor, the student union, or the equality representative.

Course Literature

A detailed literature list will be given when briefs for Intensives are shared, three weeks prior to each Intensive. 

Student Portal

The University's Student Portal gathers information and services for you as a student. Under My studies you will find information that is specific to students at HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design.

Study Counselling

If you need help with planning your studies or need study support during your studies, for example when you have a disability that can effect your learning, we advise you to contact the Study Counsellors at HDK-Valand. Read more at My Studies