J250

VISUAL COMMUNICATION
FALL 2008
WEDNESDAY 5-6:45pm, MZ130
Office hours: M 12-2, Th 1-2
(818) 677-3144

Email: david.blumenkrantz@csun.edu

Fall 2008 syllabus (word document)

Survey of the most significant techniques and examples of visual communication as employed by the mass media, including newspapers, magazines, television, cinema and advertising. Discussion and demonstration of the tools used in analyzing these techniques.

Among the key issues addressed in this course:

• The physiology and psychology of “seeing,” including theories of perception, and the relationship of images to meaning.  This course is more concerned with how people use the media to transmit messages, rather than how art is made.
• The pervasive influence of the visual components of mass communication, as seen in typography, design, illustration, photography, cinematography, television and advertising. Ethical issues: How and why visual techniques are used, whether consciously or not, to influence public opinion. What is propaganda, and how is it used in the various forms of media?
• As students of journalism, how aware are we of potential bias in the visual content of our own work?

REQUIRED TEXT
VISUAL COMMUNICATION: Images With Messages,
4th edition, by Paul Martin Lester ISBN# 0-534-63720-5

TEXTBOOK COMPANION WEBSITE
(There will be homework assignments on this site)

COURSE STRUCTURE
J250 is presented through a series of visual demonstrations and lectures, along with various discussion formats, group activities and presentations. Weekly Internet assignments will be posted on this page.

GRADING
Based on: quizzes; online written assignments; magazine cover design assignment; participation and attendance (3 points deducted for each absence, 2 points for each tardy); final exam.

LATE WORK Will only be accepted one week after the deadline, and will be worth half credit only.

ATTENDANCE
Three points deducted for each absence; two points deducted for each tardy. Leaving for long periods of time in the middle of class., or bugging out early will count as a tardies, with the resultant two-point deduction applied.

PREREQUISITE
Students must earn a `C’ or better in this class in order to enroll in J331. `C-‘ does not count as a `C.’

COURSE OUTLINE

Aug 27: Course introduction
Readings: Preface, Chapters 1 & 2

Online homework assignment: Companion website, Critical thinking with images, Chapters 1-4, choose any two questions from each (due Sept. 10)

Sep 3: Eye and the Brain/Visual Cues: Color, Form, Depth & Movement
Readings: Chapters 3 & 4     
Video: NOVA Mystery of the Senses

Sep 10: Visual Theories: Gestalt, Constructivism, Semiotics, Cognition
Readings: Chapter 5       
PowerPoint Presentations on Gestalt, Semiotics

Sep 17: Visual Persuasion: Shock Advertising, Persuasion and Propaganda
Readings: Chapter 6     
DVD/WRITING ACTIVITY: The Persuaders

Online homework assignment: Companion website, critical thinking with images, chapter 6, questions 1-5

Sep 24: Media Stereotyping
Readings: Chapter 7

Oct 1: ANALYZING VISUAL MESSAGES: SIX PERSPECTIVES
Reading: Introduction to Section Four (pgs 111-120)

Oct 8: Typography/Graphic Design
Readings: Chapters 8 & 9     
PowerPoints: Typography, Elements of Design

ASSIGNMENT: Magazine Cover Design (20pts)

Oct 15: Cartoons
Readings: Chapter 11          
PowerPoint: Political Cartoons

Oct. 22: Photography
Reading: Chapter 12   DVD: American Photography/A Century of Images

Online Homework Assignment: Chapter 12, Critical thinking with images, 1-5

Oct 29: Photograph: Ethical issues in photojournalism                                                    
DVD: American Photography/A Century of Images

Nov 5: Motion Pictures  MAGAZINES DUE TODAY
Readings: Chapter 13          
DVD: Visions of Light

Nov 12: Television and Video
Readings: Chapter 14        
Video: Television Captures the World

Nov 19: Computers
Readings: Chapter 15

Nov 26: World Wide Web
Readings: Chapter 16

Dec  3: Review for final exam
Readings: Chapter 17

PLAGIARISM: DEPT. OF JOURNALISM STATEMENT
Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated, and anyone caught cheating will be reported to the dean of students and will receive a failing grade in the course. For a further explanation of disciplinary procedures, consult pages 522-524 of the 2002-2004 CSUN catalog. Please also remember that much of the information posted on the Internet is protected by U.S. copyright laws. Passing this information off as your own is a violation of  CSUN’s plagiarism policy, and carries the penalties outlined above.

JOURNALISM DEPT. POLICY STATEMENT ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Students in this course are strongly encouraged to broaden their journalistic experiences, with the instructor’s help, by including in their work people and subjects such as ethnic, racial and religious minorities; the elderly, disabled and poor; gay men and lesbians; and other similar groups. The intent is to ensure that student work reflects the diversity of the community.