MCST 210 - Video as Activist Medium

This course focuses on the rich political possibilities of video as intervention, propaganda, prank, advocacy, technique, educational tool, act of witness, subversive art practice, legal or physical defense strategy, etc. We will examine the politics of access, alternative and underground means of production and distribution, and strategies for collective process. The course will trace a history of radical video, from the initial use of the Porta Pak in the 1960s through the development of video collectives, the establishment of public access television, AIDS activist video, indigenous cultural preservation efforts, culture jamming and tactical media actions, and recent web & cell developments. Coursework will include screenings, readings, writing, in-class presentations, and critique. There will be various class trips to community video organizations in the Twin Cities, and individual students are expected to undertake significant research in an issue of their choice. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)