MEDIAART 2B06
Student-Led Critical Discussion
Overview
Students will work in teams of 3 to lead a class discussion based on the weekly readings and artists (available below under List of Readings and Artists/Artworks per Week.
Each class session will feature two teams presenting during the first hour:
- Context Crew — presents key ideas, concepts, and examples
- Conversation Crew — facilitates discussion and interactive activities
Teams must enrol in advance for both a week and a role.
Learning Objectives
By completing this activity, students will:
- Develop collaboration and teamwork skills
- Practice summarizing, interpreting, and critically engaging with theoretical and artistic readings
- Lead peers in critical dialogue bridging concepts and creative practice
- Analyze how theoretical ideas operate in concrete film and media examples
Team Roles & Requirements
Context Crew
Duration: 20–25 minutes
Responsibilities:
-
Briefly introduce the author of the reading (1 slide only)
(context, background, and why this text matters for media/art practice)
-
Summarize 3–4 key arguments or concepts from the reading
(focus on ideas, not exhaustive detail)
- Make 1–2 clear connections between the reading and the assigned artist/artwork, such as:
- how a concept from the text is embodied in the work
- how the artwork supports, complicates, or resists the reading
- how formal choices (sound, editing, framing, rhythm, duration) reflect the theoretical ideas
- how the artist’s approach aligns with or challenges the author’s perspective
- Clearly articulate key takeaways for the class
(What should we keep in mind for our own creative practice this week?)
Delivery:
- In-person presentation (slides or media)
- You will use your own computer for presentation – I will bring HDMI adapters
- Slides should be submitted in advance (PDF format)
Conversation Crew
Duration: 20–25 minutes
Responsibilities:
-
Prepare 3–5 discussion questions that promote critical thinking and interpretation
(questions should move beyond summary and invite analysis, reflection, or debate)
- Design at least one structured, non-digital activity to actively engage the class
No computer, cellphone, or tablet-based activities allowed
-
Plan strategies for time management and inclusive participation
(e.g., small groups, turn-taking, prompts for quieter participants)
-
Actively guide discussion back to the core themes of the reading and its connection to the assigned artist/artwork
(How do theory and practice inform one another?)
- Follow the Discussion Plan Template
Delivery:
- Discussion Plan Template (PDF format) + additional media or handouts (PDF format)
- You will use your own computer for presentation – I will bring HDMI adapters
Enrolment, Submission & Assessment Criteria
Enrolment Process
- Choose a week and role (Context Crew or Conversation Crew)
- Sign up using this enrolment spreadsheet
- Check the materials for the selected week: List of Readings and Artists/Artworks per Week
Submission Requirements
Each team must submit materials one day before their presentation:
- Context Crew: Slides and any supporting materials (PDF format)
- Conversation Crew: Discussion plan, activity outline, and questions (PDF format)
- Any additional media or handouts
📌 Submitted materials will be shared with the class and used for grading.
Assessment Criteria
Context Crew (10%)
- Depth of understanding (2.5%) — Clear grasp of main arguments
- Connections (2.5%) — Meaningful links to broader contexts
- Clarity & accessibility (2.5%) — Clear language, logical flow, readable slides
- Audience engagement (2.5%) — Delivery, pacing, and engagement strategies
Conversation Crew (10%)
- Activity design & relevance (2.5%) — Activities support learning goals
- Facilitation of critical thinking (2.5%) — Questions push beyond surface discussion
- Preparation & planning (2.5%) — Clear structure, time management, backup plans
- Discussion leadership (2.5%) — Inclusive facilitation and responsive guidance
List of Readings and Artists/Artworks per Week
Some of the video works listed below are available on Kanopy. As a McMaster student, you have free access.
Follow this link to set up your Kanopy account:
Kanopy (McMaster Library Access)
Week 3
- Keywords: Walking as practice, observation vs. control, everyday space, movement and meaning, presence, environment as collaborator
- Reading:
de Certeau, M. (1984). Walking in the city. In The practice of everyday life (S. Rendall, Trans., pp. 91–110). University of California Press. (Original work published 1980)
- Artist/Artwork:
News from Home (1978) by Chantal Akerman (Belgium); full film available on Kanopy (McMaster Library Access
Week 4
- Keywords: Continuous shot (long take), duration, cinematic time, camera as witness, framing as narrative, colour continuity, movement vs. montage
- Reading:
Bazin, A. (2005). The ontology of the photographic image. In What is cinema? (Vol. 1, pp. 9–16). University of California Press. (Original work published 1945)
- Artist/Artwork:
Russian Ark (2022) by Dir. Alexander Sokurov (Russia); full film available on Daily Motion
Week 5
- Keywords: Audiovisual scene, sound–image relationship, rhythm and pacing, diegetic vs. non-diegetic sound, synchronization, sensory perception, sound as narrative guide
- Reading:
Chion, M. (1994). The audiovisual scene. In Audio-vision: Sound on screen (C. Gorbman, Trans., pp. 66–94). Columbia University Press. (Original work published 1990)
- Artist/Artwork:
Koyaanisqatsi (1982) by Dir. Godfrey Reggio (USA), music by Philip Glass (USA); available on YouTube
Week 7
- Keywords: Conceptual storytelling, film as embodied practice, personal and situated narratives, memory and place, sound as structure, non-linear time, relational authorship, intention before narrative
- Readings:
- Hopinka, S. (2019). Film is the body. In J. Yue, M. Gallagher, & P. Y. Huang (Eds.), Temporal territories: An anthology of Indigenous experimental cinema (pp. 89–94). Archive Books.
- Kite, S. (2019). Winyan Yamni: Three Dreams. In J. Yue, M. Gallagher, & P. Y. Huang (Eds.), Temporal territories: An anthology of Indigenous experimental cinema (pp. 169–191). Archive Books.
- Artists/Artworks:
Week 8
- Keywords: Film as social practice, language and power, collective authorship, long take as ethics, cinema and community, situated production, responsibility of representation, filmmaking in context
- Reading:
Hilari, M. (2019). Reflections on language based on the all-encompassing sequence shot: Formal processes in Bolivian cinema. In J. Yue, M. Gallagher, & P. Y. Huang (Eds.), Temporal territories: An anthology of Indigenous experimental cinema (pp. 239–268). Archive Books.
- Artist/Artwork:
Film examples discussed in the reading, including works from Bolivian cinema that use the sequence shot as a social and linguistic strategy.
Week 9
- Keywords: Pacing and rhythm, editing as storytelling, repetition and variation, non-linear time, affective structure, montage as meaning, temporal tension
- Reading:
Eisenstein, S. (1949). The structure of the film. In Film form: Essays in film theory (J. Leyda, Trans., pp. 160–180). Harcourt, Brace & World. (Original work published 1929)
- Artist/Artwork:
Meshes of the Afternoon — directed by Maya Deren (Ukrainian); available on YouTube
Week 10
- Keywords: Embodied spectatorship, cinesthetic perception, critical film analysis, audience experience, affect and emotion, pacing and rhythm, sound–image coherence, reflective viewing
- Reading:
Sobchack, V. (2004). What my fingers knew: The cinesthetic subject, or vision in the flesh. In Carnal thoughts: Embodiment and moving image culture (pp. 53–84). University of California Press.
- Artist/Artwork:
Beau Travail (1999) — directed by Claire Denis (French); available on YouTube
Week 12
- Keywords: Sound film, listening as authorship, sound as narrative structure, silence and absence, sonic atmosphere, affect and dread, sound–image hierarchy, ethical use of sound
- Reading:
Chion, M. (1994). Sound film—worthy of the name. In Audio-vision: Sound on screen (C. Gorbman, Trans., pp. 141–156). Columbia University Press. (Original work published 1990)
- Artist/Artwork:
Chernobyl (HBO series, 2019), sound by Hildur Guðnadóttir (Iceland); watch excerps available on YouTube
Article/Interview: Hildur Guðnadóttir on sound, silence, and emotional storytelling.
Video/Interview: ‘Chernobyl’ composer created entire haunting score from real power plant sounds.