THE FAIR USE REMIX INSTITUTE
A project of: OPEN YOUTH NETWORKS
A program of: CHICAGO FILMMAKERS
Instructors: MINDY FABER AND JONATHAN MCINTOSH
Website: www.reminstitute.net
SYLLABUS
JULY 7-18 2008
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS: IMPACT ON YOUTH
I. Increased Understanding and Awareness of fundamental principles of copyright, intellectual property and the Fair Use Doctrine, and how these specifically apply to Video Remix and Youth Communication Rights.
II. Increased knowledge and skills in online video remix creation and sharing.
III. Increased ability to speak confidentially and fluently in public around issues of remix and fair use.
IV. Increased experience and use of web 2.0 applications for social and political networking and information access.
VII. Increased development of leadership skills in community based organizing work using technology.
VIII. Demonstrated ability to quote copyrighted material in order to analyze it, repurpose it and reframe it as a means of critical commentary.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS: IMPACT ON AUDIENCE
I. Increased public understanding and awareness of: the relationship of remix to youth communication rights; the value of remix as a media literacy tool; the difference between remix and piracy; and the important perspectives and critical analyses of urban youth about issues that impact their lives.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS: IMPACT ON ISSUES
I. Youth participate in public policy debates on remix as a cultural PRACTICE of youth relevant to their communication and First Amendment rights.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES
I. FURI participants apply their digital knowledge to community organizational and school-based civic engagement, peer mobilizing and social change efforts.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
I. What is the difference between remix, political remix and piracy?
II. How does copyright protect us and when does it limit our freedom of speech?
III. What are the ethical as well as legal considerations that should guide our production process?
IV. What are the dominant narratives about youth and how can we use remix to rupture and transform those narratives?
V. Is remix an important cultural right for youth and if so, should youth be part of the policy debates around fair and flexible copyright and filtering laws?
VI. How does the process of producing remix impact your learning, critical thinking and political consciousness?
DAY ONE:
Goals: DEFINING OUR COLLECTIVE INQUIRY
1. Who are we, why are we here and what do we each bring to this enterprise? (PhotoTag and Blogging)
2. Why copyright, remix and fair use matters to youth? (Discussion)
3. Guest speaker: Gordon Quinn: How Copyright laws both protect and limit artists’ rights.
4. Assignment: Read Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video (handout)
DAY TWO:
Goals: WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE FOR REMIX
1. Posting remixes to blog and tag sites (Deli.cio.us)
2. Present examples and group tag them according to style, content, form and genre.
3. Group Read and discussion of reading.
4. Break into groups to define questions for Pat.
5. Online Video Skype with Pat Aufderheide
6. End of Day BlogReflectionPost
7. Assignment: Research a song to remix on topics of safety or fear
DAY THREE:
Goals: THE PROCESS/PURPOSE OF REMIX: BEGIN THE THREAT OF YOUTH PROJECT
1. Tutorial: Stages of Production Overview (Identify Problem, Research, Script the Argument, Production, Editing and Distribution)
2. Identify the Problem: Group Concept Map on Youth Culture, media, fear and safety
3. Screen The Internet is a Series of Tubes
Reading: Youth Culture as Terrorist Threat
Screening: The Boston Bomb Scare
Screening: Lawrence Lessig TedTalk on Remix
4. Locate source footage and beats (archive.org, remix America, united streaming, Creative Commons)
5. Blogreflection post
DAY FOUR:
Goals: FROM TEXT TO SUBTEXT: REMIX AS TRANSFORMATION
1. TUTORIAL: How to rip and download media files, set up FCP Project and import files into FCP.
2. Log, name, sort and trim clips. Laydown soundtrack.
3. Transcribe the source footage and create three lyrical phrasings and a chorus
4. Begin laying down images to sound track.
5. Blogreflection post
DAY FIVE:
Goals: POLITICAL HAIKU COMPLETION AND MASHUPS
1. Complete editing. Upload to Blip or YouTube
2. Viewing and Discussion and Blogging
3. The Obstacle Course: A vigorous physical interactive game for identifying obstacles and solutions
4. Weekend Work: Prepare a teach-in about an issue impacting your community for Collective Intelligence Day
DAY SIX:
Goals: COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE DAY
1. What are the dominant narratives and the untold stories about youth and the issues that impact your communities and lives.
2. View: George Bush Doesn’t Like Black People, Reverend Wright remix, Beyond Beats and Rhymes and others.
3. Conceptualization and planning of final project
4. Blogging
DAYS SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE AND TEN:
1. View the various genres and techniques of remix for inspiration.
2. Conceptualize and script final projects
3. Work in progress peer critiques
4. Tutorials on Kaltura, Remix America final cut prop advanced techniques (green screen, compositing, superimposition, filters and split screen)
5. Planning future screenings and advocacy
