Everyday Literacies

GLIT 6756: Remix Workshop

This remix workshop has two purposes: (1) to give you time and space to muck around with a range of remix tools and processes, and (2) to critically examine your own experiences in constructing some kind of remix in light of local or regional literacy curriculum frameworks, standards or criterion-referenced tests.

1. Working independently or in small groups, complete one or more of the following activities:

(a) Photoshopping as remix

• Add to the Lostfrog.org meme


• Add to the LOLcats meme (http://icanhascheezburger.com and/or http://www.dropline.net/cats and see especially: http://granades.com/2007/05/02/loltrek); source pictures can be found at Cute Overload and elsewhere


• Access a recent Worth1000 photoshop contest and create your own submission (see: cognizable characters or storylines from extant films (or other sources)

If you don’t have image editing software on your machine (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Paintshop Pro), then use Fauxto online (requires registration).

(b) Second Life machinima remixes

• Register with Second Life and download the client onto your harddrive (PC and Mac) here: http://www.secondlife.com


• View some Second Life machinima here: http://www.machinima.com/films.php?engine=10


• Play around with bringing a favourite poem to life using Second Life sets and characters (e.g., “Silver Bells and Golden Spurs”)


• Or, play around with creating a music video set within Second Life or with creating a movie trailer for some as yet-unproduced film, based on bringing together recognizable characters or storylines from extant films (or other sources)

Public access places within Second Life you can visit:

• Help Island


• New Citizen’s Plaza


• Laguna Beach


• Frisch (186,160,68)


• Paris 1900


• ABC Island


• Leda 210, 28, 54 (free stuff available in Yadni’s Junkyard)


• Caledon (Victorian themed)


• Roma


• The Sistine Chapel, on Vassar Island


• Alliance Second Life Library


• SploLand


• Edgar Allen Poe

Role-playing areas in second Life (compiled by Gary Hayes, www.lamp.edu.au)

• Sigil - Wild west roleplaying at Sigil (141,137,28)


• Star Trek - RolePlay meeting area at Yulmu (213,72,79). Main RP area at Galaxy (165,89,103)


• Star Wars - A wide range of (mostly scheduled, join the various SW groups) RP groups across several sims and builds. Main headquarters at Starfleet Sector001 (62,193,21)


• There are large communities of Goreans and Furries that role play consistently on many sims, but again pretty mature. (eg: Tancreds Landing (46,159,22) for Gorean)


• Roleplay alley - Alston (196,11,501) - very poor design, a mix of spaces, good for groups to go cause hardly anyone around most of the time...


• Elbow Room - Mare - always folk around, bar atmosphere, more social than rp, but many do the 'cheers' thing (personal RP)


• Phasma (47,217,138)

(c) Video edited remixes

• Using Windows Movie Maker for PC (download free here) or iMovie (on Macs), experiment with creating your own video remix using extant video clips
  
• Film resources include: Youtube.com, Google Video, Break.com, Veoh, Blip.tv


• Create your own live-action video footage using your mobile phone, digital camera or video camera


To download videos from YouTube etc. to your harddrive, use:



• Video Downloader or


• Keep Vid




To convert flash (*.flv) files downloaded from YouTube to *.avi or *.mov files to use with your video editing software, use Vixy (Tip: don't use mp4 files in your video editing work--they're too unstable).


• Remember that remix involves bringing two different things together to create something “new”. So, if using your own family video footage, you might choose a favourite song to synch with the footage. If wanting to use White Stripe’s “I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends”, for example, you might want to find animated clips that logically “match” the song in some way, then weave these together in your video editing software.

(d) Fraps/iShowU and Google Earth remix

• Although most Google Earth movies are made using Google Earth Pro (the not-free version) and an inbuilt filming function, movies can still be made using screen capture video software like Fraps and iShowU—along with video editing software like Movie Maker or iMovie


• Experiment with remix and making a movie using Google Earth as your main resource. You’ll need to register and download the client software at: http://earth.google.com


• A free copy of iShowU (for Macs only) can be downloaded here


• A free version of Fraps (for PCs only) can be downloaded here (the free version lets you film in 30-second chunks only)


• You’ll find a tutorial on making movies with Google Earth here


• Remember to focus on remix-—bringing two disparate texts together in a new way. So, you might take the song “Workin’ 9 to 5” and recreate your day, moving from where you live to work and then wherever in synch with, say, the chorus of the song for starters.

Additional, more or less free practical resources, tools, and software etc.

• Animation: http://alice.org


• Scene Maker (online application): http://www.scenemaker.net (requires free registration)


• Stop motion software for Mac: iStopMotion. Offers a free limited-time demo version for downloading.


• Phade's Guide to Good Anime Music Videos


• Online video capture application: Video Downloader

2. Working in small groups with literacy policy and curriculum documents, discuss the following questions:

• To what extent does your school’s literacy curriculum (or any other relevant literacy policy or curriculum document to which you are answerable) make space for the kinds of literacies practiced in digital remix? To what extent should it, and why? (if you don't have ready access to policy documents, then you can use New Jersey's literacy standards to ground your discussion).


• Examine the literacy tests you’ve brought with you, or visit the Ets.org/iskills website and Certiport.com and examine their tests. To what extent might such tests be useful or not. Why?


• Thinking positively and working in an ideal world (i.e., laying aside issues concerning school internet filters, moral panics about safety online, etc.) how would you go about incorporating remix practices into your own teaching in manageable and engaging ways, while still meeting curriculum and/or learning expectations in your school?


• Some educators argue that assessment will more or less kill student interest in any attempts to include new literacy practices in classrooms—what do you think?


• Discuss copyright issues and remix and how teachers (and students) might respond. For more about copyright issues, watch: Good Copy, Bad Copy


• Optional: Feel free to generate one or more questions you’d like to ask the entire group concerning some aspect of remix practice and classroom teaching.