MEDIA 218 : Popular Music on Screens
Arts
2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Music isn’t only sound but ‘the gift of sound and vision’ (Bowie, 1977). Music listening often happens with moving images, and a wide range of audiovisual content incorporates the sounds of popular music. In this course we explore the myriad relationships between popular music and visual media, including film, television, video and social media. We look at these media as audiovisual technologies with particular affordances. We consider their textual forms and storytelling techniques e.g. music documentaries, biopics, television shows, feature films, episodic series, music videos, gifs and memes. We explore the presence of musicians, fans, songs, genres and dancing on screens. We examine the visual styles associated with music genres and cultures past and present and from around the world. We consider the production, distribution and social meaning of these musical visuals, and how they are embedded in debates about popular culture and power relations, particularly those marked by issues of economic class, gender, sexuality, race, indigeneity and nation. The course engages with a range of theories, methods and approaches to music and screens in media studies and communication, film and television studies, cultural studies, popular music studies, sound studies, performance studies and dance studies. Students are not expected to have specialised knowledge of music to take this course.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Develop skills for the analysis and close reading of sound and image in a range of audiovisual texts in various media technologies (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
- Understand music-image combinations in the contexts of media industries and viewing experiences (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Conduct independent research (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Create a blog post on a relevant topic of their choice that combines music, moving images and writing (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Write an academic research essay on a relevant topic of their choice (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Present and discuss ideas from viewing, listening, reading and research during group exercises and workshops in tutorials (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Advance their close reading and analysis of scholarly writing in several academic fields (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Think piece | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Research essay | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Quizzes | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Tutorial discussions | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| 4 types | 100% |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, each week, you can expect 2 hours of lecture, a 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours of viewing and notes, and 4 hours reading, researching and writing for tutorials and assessment.
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information,
look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894),
which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.