Tuesdays 7-10PM:  1 credit. Fulfills a general requirement for all theater majors and minors. No prerequisites. Can be cross-listed with FMST by permission of FMST.
Instructor: Tara Webb ‘94
Office: 610-957-6212 (the Costume Shop)
Email: twebb1@swarthmore.edu

COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the application of various visual and audio technologies to be used in live theater and dance performance. The first portion of the class time will include discussion of the historical and theoretical contexts of contemporary multimedia performance and relevant viewings. The second half of the class time will include lab explorations of the available software and hardware relevant to multimedia work.

GOALS
The supporting course materials used will be flexible according to the interests of the students enrolled.  We will investigate the approaches of practitioners situated at this intersection through readings, viewings, physical experiments, and discussions.

The class will also look at the expansion of 21st century theatrical and choreographic storytelling through new media and investigate relationships between performance and technology as related to production design. We will focus on implementation of media as a scenic element and touch on other media components.

Emphasis will be placed on creating video and visual media, telling stories, generating conceptual ‘scores’ and storyboards, audio accompaniment for visuals, and integrating media into performance-based contexts. We will work on digital platforms and networking as a collaborative process. The focus will primarily be on generating media content, but we will touch on live programming as well.

The class will include the conceptualization and preparation of a series of individual studio projects culminating in a larger final project that incorporates material covered in class. Projects will include components of content development, technical setups, and production values we learn about in class. The final project will showcase skill development and learning in media design for live performance.