Module: PM7027-30 Visual Music

Level: 7

Credit Value: 30

Module Tutor: Joseph Hyde

Module Tutor Contact Details: j.hyde@bathspa.ac.uk

1.Brief description and aims of module:

This module explores the history of visual music, complimented by support for practical work in areas such as video editing, animation, motion graphics and interactivity.

This module aims to:

• Engage you with the broader historical and contextual concepts surround visual music
• Provide an environment to encourage practical exploration of visual music

2.Outline syllabus

The module considers the history of visual music, both as an idea and as an artform (or at least a significant strand in the development of audio-visual art in its broadest sense), examining critical works that reflect these ideas and developments at their most innovative. This spans pre-cinema artists such as Kandinsky and Klee, through Early Abstract Cinema pioneers such Fischinger and modernist, fluxus and underground artists of the 60s and 70s (the Whitney Brothers, Nam June Paik etc.) to contemporary avant-garde artists, commercial Creatives such as Cunningham, Gondry and Jonze and various New Media practitioners.

You produce a portfolio of creative and practical work exploring the concepts and skills explored by the module, and a selective topic review further exploring some of the areas covered by the seminar series.

3.Teaching and learning activities

A weekly workshop/seminar will explore the history of visual music. At the same time, staff support you to develop practical multimedia skills which facilitate you to make your own visual music works. Individual progress tutorials enable you to monitor and discuss your execution of the work.

1. Weekly seminar (1.5 hours)

2. Weekly practical workshop (1.5 hours)

3. Further online study materials made available weekly on Minerva

4. Student-directed study

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work
• Description: Visual Music Project (5,500 words)
• % Weighting: 80%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work
• Description: Written Commentary (2,000 words)
• % Weighting: 20%