Course Details

Audio and video remixes have emerged as one of today’s most popular modes of expression. From DJ Spooky’s “Rebirth of a Nation” to DJ Earworm’s mash-up of the year’s top pop music videos, remixes have the power to convey a multiplicity of meanings. In this class we will explore the discourse and practice of remix, paying close attention to those that successfully convey cultural critiques. We will trace the roots of remix to core concepts (e.g., imitatio and mimesis) and practices (e.g., film collage, plunderphonics, fan-vidding, dub, and hip hop). In parallel, students will examine and create remixes that critique normative notions of politics, race, gender, consumerism, and more. This work will be grounded in an exploration of audio/video portals and archives as sources for these remixes. Student remix projects will be screened at an open, end-of-the-quarter event, as well as archived in the UW Libraries’ permanent collections.

Goals and Learning Outcomes
– Develop an understanding of remix culture and a familiarity with the field of remix studies.
– Make remixes that employ radical juxtaposition and scholarly practices such as rhetoric, persuasion, and critique.
– Create remixes that question and/or resist dominant paradigms and privileged narratives.
– Analyze remixes, asking what they convey and what cultural critiques they deliver.
– Critique media sources and archives as sites of privilege and control.
– Develop audio/video/film editing skills and grasp of copyright law, especially fair use.
– Present and archive student remixes in the UW Libraries.