General information


Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Rafael Suarez Gómez

Trimester: Third term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Cristófol Casanovas Casanovas
Jorge Oter Gonzalez 

Teaching languages


Teachers:

Cristòfol Casanovas and Jorge Oter 

Skills


Specific skills
  • E5_Design and make an audiovisual product (consisting of still or moving images), taking into account both its technical and artistic aspects, in all its components

  • E8_Design the lighting needs of a space according to its characteristics and the final purpose of the product to be recorded, photography or video

  • E10_Apply processes, methods and techniques to develop creativity and innovation in audiovisual production, multimedia development and video game programming

  • E14_Acquire knowledge of the history, aesthetics, evolution and dynamics of cinema, television, radio, press, Internet and video games, how to recognize aesthetics through viewing and analysis

Description


This subject is about talking, analyzing, reflecting and experimenting on different topics related to night and night light, from different angles, especially cultural, focused on audiovisual tools: photography and cinema.

An investigation that, in the end, we want to bring us a new vision, and new uses, of the night, oriented to a more conscious way of making images.

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured. 

Learning outcomes


At the end of the course, the student must be able to:

LO1 - Understand aspects of biology, geography and physiology related to circadian rhythms (day-night). (Competences G1, G3, E14)

LO2 - Recognize and analyze the archetypal aspects inherited from the social vision of the night before the appearance of electric light and its persistence in the models reproduced in photography and cinema. (Competences G1, G3, E14)

LO3 - Understand the evolution of the presence of night lights in the ways of reproducing cinema and photography, and their influence on our perception of the world. (Competences, G3, E14)

LO4 - Analyze and reflect on the current use of night light, starting in the sociological and industrial aspects, but delving into the historical evolution of the presence of night and night in artistic representations. (Competences G5, E14)

LO5 - Analyze and interpret situations, spaces, images or facts visible with artificial light that refer to classical archetypes, as well as know the evolution of the technical tools that have facilitated the use of night light, both sociologically and in ways of artistic representation, especially audiovisual. (Competences E5, E8, E10, G4)

LO6 - Develop an experimental, theoretical and technical ability related to night and night light. (Competences E10, E14, G5)

Working methodology


The sessions of the subject are divided into theoretical sessions (4 hours per week) and laboratory practices (2 hours per week). In addition, the subject provides for the completion of exercises in the time allocated to autonomous learning by students.

Different teaching methodologies are used in the theoretical sessions, which may involve a part of the time devoted to directed learning, such as the following:

  • Expository class sessions based on the teacher's explanation.
  • Discussion seminars on previously assigned readings.
  • Presentations of topics by the students.
  • Case study.

The following methodologies are used in laboratory practices:

  • Carrying out individual and group work.
  •  Practices carried out in computer rooms to deepen in the concepts explained in the theoretical classes and seminars by means of his application to real data.

However, depending on the needs of the session, some methodologies may be combined.

This course, due to the situation generated by COVID, some of the large group sessions will be held in hybrid format: face-to-face and online (via streaming). This will allow students to rotate to face-to-face classes, respecting the maximum number of students per classroom imposed by the distance measures. When they are not in contact, they will be able to follow the class online from home.

With regard to internship sessions in smaller spaces (such as laboratories, studios or sets), where appropriate, work will be carried out simultaneously in several spaces in order to ensure that the conditions established by the safety protocols are met.

Contents


The contents of the subject are divided into two parts that will be taught interspersed:

Part 1:
1.1. Aspects of Biology, Physiology, Psychology, Sociology, Architecture, related to the night. 1.2 Current events and technical aspects.

      1.2.1. Current and night photography and video. Topics and resources. Lightpainting.

      1.2.2. American Night and Plato Fictions: Diegetic Lights

      1.2.3.Night light in music clips


1.3 History of nocturnal representation in painting. The fire, the moon, and the night.

1.4 Night photography: Brassai, Weegee and W. O Link.
1.5 Art and experimentation

Part 2:

2.1. The symbolic. A semiological approach to the symbolic construction of discourse. 2.2. The shadow. History and use of a figure.
2.3. Horror movies: Val Lewton. From generic keys to an authorial case.
2.4. The film noir. Visual style of the classical cycle.

2.5. Gothic in cinema. From literature to its embodiment in cinema. 2.6. The American Gothic. Regional evolution of Gothic fashion.

2.7. The voyeur. Prohibited visual pleasure and representation in images.

2.8 Night and stars. Representations and relationships derived from the representation of the moon and celestial bodies.

2.9. Night and celebration. The night space as a festive platform.

Learning activities


Laboratory practices (20%):

Individual and group activities. Made in class (set and laboratory). It includes individual deliveries that can be scored.

In the practice sessions, different activities are programmed aimed at the reflection and exercise by the students of the contents taught in the theory sessions, as well as their training for the realization of later exercises.

Progressive activity on set. Individual work:

Portrait and atmosphere in the Moonlight. (In three parts)

1: Set sessions: Night atmosphere, Portrait (2) and experimentation.

2: Autonomous realization by the student of at least one image of the full moon.

or macro and Moon.

3 Photoshop integration of images of the Moon with set portraits.

Laboratory activities:

- Translation in images of these cultural of the s. XIX related to the night.

- Transformation of daytime and nighttime images.

- Integration of the images made on the set.

The internships are compulsory. A minimum attendance 80% of the time is required to qualify for an internship score.

Support Material:

- Plato, with study flashes and continuous light.

- Cameras.

- Laboratory: Statements of the activity. Photoshop and the Internet

Specific objectives:

- Use photography and artificial lighting to build images with night content.

- Experiment with different materials, to create images of night / dream content

- Translate traditional written concepts into pictures.

- Transform existing images with Photoshop.

Related to learning outcomes: RA2, RA3, RA6

In case of confinement the practices will be of individual realization, with methodology adapted to the tools of each student. Including the use of a mobile phone camera, with professional software and simulation websites in photographic technique.

Final work (20%):

Carried out in the students' autonomous learning time.
Description
Based on the topic proposed at the beginning of the course by the teachers in the research work, the student carries out another work on iconographic / audiovisual support chosen by him. Free technique: (video, photography, collage / writing), painting.

The final version of the work is presented during class hours, where the student also delivers an explanatory text, in addition to the work done.

Support Material:

-state of the activity.

Specific objectives:

- Recognize and apply content taught in class.

- to transform into images knowledge acquired throughout the course.

- to experience.

Related to learning outcomes: RA4, RA5 and RA6

Film Analysis Exercise (20%):

Individual work. 

Exercise of analysis and interpretation of a piece or a cinematographic fragment, according to the abilities acquired along the degree for the comprehension of the audiovisual language, and for the application of the contents worked in the asignatura.

Support Material:

-state of the activity

-analytical decoupage of the video to be analyzed

Specific objectives:

-Recognize and apply contents taught in class.

-Actively analyze pieces or audiovisual fragments related to the night.

-integrate the breakdown of images as a useful tool for analysis.

-express and justify ideas in a logical and formally correct way.

Related to learning outcomes RA2, RA3, RA4 and RA5.

Report (10%):

Individual work. Carried out in the students' autonomous learning time.

Practical exercise that proposes the creation of a discourse from different expressive subjects and that can combine the use of written text, photography or other images. Thematic references and suggestions will be provided, which may coincide with the topics worked on in other exercises.

Support Material:

-state of the activity

- references

 

Specific objectives:

-Reflect on the conditions and expressive possibilities of different subjects

Reflect on the enunciation of the nocturnal

-construct a story in a well-founded way and that the student can argue.

-creatively express a meaning around the night.

Related to learning outcomes RA2, RA3, RA4 and RA6.

 

Examination (30%):

Individual work. Made in class according to calendar.

Exercise that may contain methodologically different tests (test, analysis and questions). Evaluates the assimilation of the contents taught and exercised in the subject, both in theory classes and in practices.

Support Material:

-state of the activity

Specific objectives:

-show the degree of acquisition of the contents taught in the subject

-demonstrate the ability to analyze the night from a cultural perspective

Related to learning outcomes RA1, RA2, RA3, RA4, RA5 and RA6.

Evaluation system


Continuous assessment (70%):

Laboratory practices (mandatory) 20%
Final work 20%
20% film analysis
Photographic story 10%

Final exam (30%):

30% exam

To access this weighting it is essential to have achieved an average of 5 in both the continuous assessment and the final exam. If the student has a lower average in one of the parts, he / she does not access this weighting and fails with the grade of the suspended part.

The part of continuous assessment is not recoverable.

The exam part is recoverable in the Recovery Exam. To access the weighted calculation of the grade it is necessary to get a grade of 5 in the recovery.

The statements of the different exercises will be provided throughout the course. These should provide for penalties for misspellings.

Failure to complete an exercise or non-compliance with the deadlines or forms established for its completion by teachers is a grade of zero.

The detection of plagiarism in any of the exercises involves an automatic rating of zero, regardless of other processes or actions that may be undertaken.

REFERENCES


Basic

Lance Keimig. Night photography. Omega 2012

Mario Rubio. The photographer at night. Mario Rubio 2014

The night in the lighting of current music videos. Cristòfol Casanovas UOC 2013. http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/handle/10609/36001

“The obsessive gaze: images of time in the avant-garde European cinema of the 20s ″ Mª Soliña Barreiro http://hdl.handle.net/10803/31884

 “Light and Emotions: A Study of the Influence of Urban Lighting on Emotions; based on Emotional Design ”Amparo Berenice Calvillo Cortés  http://www.tdx.cat/bitstream/handle/10803/6138/TABCC1de1.pdf?sequence=1

"Praise of the shadow" by Junichiro Tanizaki. Siruela 2010

Sense of light, He. Ideas, myths and the evolution of the arts and shows from light to cinema. Castillo Martínez de Olcoz, Ignacio Javier  http://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/1378

Complementary

Schrader, P. (1972). Notes on Film Noir. Film Comment, 8 (1), 8-13. (Spanish version: http://www.historiadeltraje.com.ar/archivos/notas%20sobre%20el%20film%20noir%20paul%20schrader.pdf)

Barthes, R. (1993). Elements of semiology. Barcelona: Paidós.

Vieira, MA (2019) Darkness, Darkness: The Films of Val Lewton: Looking Back at a B-Movie Master. Retrieved from: https://brightlightsfilm.com/wp-content/cache/all/darkness-darkness-films-val-lewton-looking-back-b-movie-master/#.XI-1tShKhPY

T Gunning - Camera obscura, camera lucida: Essays in…, 2003 - Amsterdam UP Amsterdam

Baxter, Peter. On the History and Ideology of Film Lighting Screen (1975) 16 (3): 83-106

Vernet, Marc; Photo, painting, theater: night lights in the Triangle. Cinema Archives. http://cinemarchives.hypotheses.org/627

Alekan, Henri, Lights and Shadows. Paris, Le Sycomore, 1984 and Ed. The Collector 's Bookstore 1991

Loïe Fuller and the Art of Motion: Body, Light, Electricity, and the Origins of Cinema

1896: Pyrotechnics. A history of incendiary cinema Directed by Thierry Lefebvre, Laurent Le Forestier and Philippe-Alain Michaud http://1895.revues.org/157

Masters of light Conversations with cinematographers. Dennis Shaeffer / Larry Salvato Ed. PLOT 1992

Cueto, R. (2010). What is Gothic? The adjective that became a genre. In AJ 

Navarro (Ed.), Nightmares in the Dark. Madrid: Valdemar.

VV. AA. (2009). The shadow. Madrid: Thyssen-Bornemisza.  

Metz, Ch. (2001). The imaginary signifier. Psychoanalysis and cinema. Barcelona: Paidós.