ConvergenceKeywords Wikia



Welcome to the ConvergenceKeywords Wikia
In the spirit of Raymond Williams, this is an attempt to analyze the many Keywords and buzzwords of convergence culture, technology and history. It is primarily being created by English and Film Studies students at the University of Alberta.

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Week 1 (1/4-1/8):
Monday:                Introduction

Wednesday:         Introduction

Friday:                   Introduction to Convergence

Week 2 (1/11-1/15):  KeyWords
Monday:                Raymond Williams, Keywords Introduction; Media; Mediation; Communication; Technology; Art; Mechanical; Science

Wednesday:         Ted Striphas, “Algorithmic Culture”

Friday: ***Assignment:  Locate an entry in Keywords that particularly interests you and appears to be important in contemporary culture                 and technology. Consider how the entry would be revised to take into account a more contemporary usage of the term.

Week 3 (1/18-1/22):  New Hollywood/ High Concept/ Synergy
Monday:                Thomas Schatz, “New Hollywood”

'''                               Watch 'Jaws (1975) and Star Wars ''(1977)

Wednesday:           Justin Wyatt, High Concept, Ch 1 & 5

                               Watch Purple Rain

Friday:                   Janet Wasko, “Expanding the Industry,” How Hollywood Works

James Rocchi, "“The Marvel-Industrial Complex”

Watch The Avengers (2012)

==== Week 4 (1/25-1/29):  Simulation->Simulacrum->Remediation->Premediation   ==== Monday:                    Baudrillard, Simulation and Simulacrum, Introduction; The Implosion of Meaning in the Media

Watch Jurassic World (2015)

'''Wednesday: '''Richard Grusin and Jay David Bolter, “Remediation” ''Configurations. ''1996

'''Watch: 'Strange Days''(1995)

'''Friday:                  Richard Grusin, “Premediation,” Criticism. 2004.

'''Watch: 'Loopers (2014)''

Week 5 (2/1-2/5):  Multimedia
Monday: [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KaOSZIzbr_6d5sz1yBXD_aHDrzbR-pyu-JuhbUP7xZo/edit?usp=sharing Janna Anderson, Imagining the Internet ch 1, 4, 8 & 9] ]

Watch                      ''Max Headroom ''(1987, Ep. 1)

Wednesday:               Lev Manovich, “Post-media Aesthetics”

Ron Becker, Gay TV and Straight America, pp 1-13; 80-108  (Recommended)

Watch                       Hackers (1995)

Friday: History Project #1—Find two print articles on multimedia from the 1990s and analyze how they define the term.

Week 6 (2/8-2/12):  Poaching and Fandom
Monday:                   Jenkins—Textual Poachers, 1-50

Watch:                       “Get A Life” SNL Skit; The Fan (1996)

Wednesday: Jenkins, Textual Poachers, 50-120

**bring in a few meme ish fan things from youtube or other sources

The X-Files (Alone)

Friday:                     Jenkins, Textual Poachers, 190-227

Assignment:  Find a piece of slash fiction and analyze how it employs poaching strategies

'''READING WEEK!!! (2/15-2/19)  '''

'''                               **READ JENKINS, CONVERGENCE CULTURE**'''

Week 7 (2/22-2/26):
Monday:                **No Class                                  

Wednesday:         Meikle—Convergence, ch 1-2

** Pre-Write for your Final Paper and look your term up in the OED!**

Friday: **No Class 

'''                                 Read '''Jenkins, Convergence Culture For next week  

History Project #2—Find two articles on Convergence from the 1990s-2000s and analyze how they define the term.

Week 8  (2/29-3/4): Convergence Culture
Monday:                Discuss Convergence Culture

Watch The Matrix

Wednesday:          William Boddy, “Interactive Television and Advertising Form in Contemporary US Television” Television After TV. P 113.

Lisa Parks, Microcasting (Recommended)

Watch                   

Friday: Vincent Brook, “Convergent Ethnicity and the Neo-Platoon Show,” Television and New Media. 2009.

Watch                   ''The Fast and the Furious''

Week 9 (3/7-3/11):  Paratexts and Transmedia
Monday:                Jonathan Gray, “Show Sold Separately” p 1-47

Wednesday:         Henry Jenkins, “The Reign of the Mothership […]” ''Wired TV''

Derek Johnson, “Authorship Up For Grabs […],” ''Wired TV Recommended''

Friday: John Caldwell, “Post-Network Reflexivity:  Viral Marketing and Labor Management,” Wired TV

                                    Denise Mann, “The Labor Behind the Lost Arg” Wired TV

Week 10 (3/14-3/18):  Spreadable Media
Monday:                Spreadable Media, Introduction

Watch: The Susan Boyle Meme Video

Wednesday:         Spreadable Media, Ch. 4 & 6.

Friday:                   Spreadable Media, Ch. 7 and Conclusion

Week 11 (3/21-3/25):  Platforms
Monday:                     Dale Leorke, “Rebranding the Platform,” ''Digital Culture & Education'', 2012

Thomas Apperley and Jussi Parikka, “Platform Studies’ Epistemic Threshold” Games and Culture, 2015

** Thesis Assignment due:  Submit the Introduction with Thesis Statement), outline and annotated bibliography of your Final Paper onto the discussion board.  Groups will read each other’s thesis and prepare to discuss on Wednesday

Wednesday:         Thesis Workshop

Friday:                   NO CLASS

Week 12 (3/28-3/31):
Monday:                NO CLASS

Wednesday:         OUT OF TOWN   

                               Assignment:  Paper Draft Due!!!

Friday:                   OUT OF TOWN   

'''Assignment:  Read Each other’s paper drafts and provide    detailed feedback via the forum!'''

Week 13 (4/4-4/8):  Remake/Reboot
Monday: Jonathan Gray, “In the Game” Wired TV

Wednesday:              Anna Westerstahl Stenport and Garrett Traylor, “The Eradication of Memory […]” ''Cinema Journal'', 2015.

Watch:  ''The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo''

Friday:                   Finales

'''**Final Paper Due Finals Week (Date and Time of Scheduled Final Exam)'''

Final Papers: Introduction & Bibliography Assignment
Josephine Hendrick

Multimedia Projects
Nick Goulet

Tanisha Kotowich

Caitlin Thompson

Meghan Rannells

Janice Vis

Catherine Andrews

Neelam Gill

Brianna Bukowsky

Jessica Jack

Madi Corry

Natasha Onyskiw

Regan Kaasten

Jingru Hu

Josephine Hendrick

Slash Fiction
Meghan Rannells

Regan Kaasten

Caitlin Thompson

Nick Goulet

Jessica Jack

Janice Vis

Josephine Hendrick

Catherine Andrews

Madi Corry

Brianna Bukowsky

Evan Regan

Neelam Gill

Tanisha Kotowich

Laura Osgood

Rachel Wieringa

Convergence Culture
Regan Kaasten

Meghan Rannells

Jessica Jack

Janice Vis

Madi Corry

Rachel Wieringa

Caitlin Thompson

Evan Regan

Tanisha Kotowich

Laura Osgood

Lucas Stevens

Brianna Bukowsky

Josephine Hendrick

Catherine Andrews

Natasha Onyskiw

Neelam Gill

Nick Goulet

Reading Presentations/Discussion Sheets
Vincent Brook, "Convergent Ethnicity and the Neo-Platoon Show" (Handout & Presentation)

William Boddy, "Interactive Television and Advertising Form in Contemporary U.S. Television" (2004)

Handout & Powerpoint Presentation

Henry Jenkins, Textual Poachers. Janna Anderson, Imagining the Internet.
 * Class Handout
 * Powerpoint Presentation

Thomas Schatz, "New Hollywood" (1993)

Justin Wyatt, High Concept (2003)

Janet Wasko, How Hollywood Works (2003)

Lev Manovich, Post-Media Aesthetics (2001)

Jean Baudrillard, ​Simulacra and Simulation (1981) Jonathan Gray, Show Sold Seperately (2010)
 * Class Handout
 * PowerPoint Presentation

Denise Mann, The Labor behind the Lost ARG
 * (Handout)
 * (Presentation)

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