End of the Semester and Congratulations

Once again, the end of the semester snuck up on us, and students are filling the Multimedia Lab with

lively chatter as they finish their final assignments.  These projects include short films, stop motions, animations, and websites which will be presented by students to receive their final grades.  Today from 1-3, Professor Palana’s Web Graphics and Design class presented personal websites which featured students’ work, such as photography, writing, and video.

Professor Palana was not with us for the last few weeks of the course due to her pregnancy…but congratulations are in order because on December 7 her family was joined by a beautiful baby boy named Nicolas Aiden Hemling.

Congratulations Professor Palana!

We made it, well, almost!

“We made it, well, almost!” That’s what I have been thinking for the past two weeks. At this point I have only two days left. To tell you the truth I was a little afraid this semester would never end. I created a website, produced a film, wrote numerous papers, and passed some exams, hopefully. The AUR Communication building has been bustling this semester. Students have been finishing animations, stop-motions, websites, 5-7 minute films, and other various presentations that are critiqued in class during the final exam period. During these presentations all groups participate and give feedback on their peers work. Digital Filmmaking will be presenting tomorrow, Wednesday. All students are bringing snacks to eat after all shorts have been viewed and discussed. This years class has four projects, Coca-Cola Light, Henrietta Style, Il Vestito, and Tiramisu. Some of these might be in the student show next semester during Comm Week.
Hope everyone had a wonderful semester and has a safe and fun break! I won’t be in Italy next semester, but I will return in the Fall.

Refat Ara Jerin’s Capstone Senior Project

Film major Refat Ara Jerin is currently working on her Capstone project.  Refat is 22 years old, and has attended AUR since 2008.  I talked with her to find out more about her project.

What is your Capstone project?

I’m making a short narrative film about arranged marriage in Bangali culture.  It is in original language with English subtitles.

How did you come up with your idea?

My parents went through an arranged marriage and I took my parents’ concept of arranged marriage to portray our culture. My mother never saw my father before they were married. First of all, my mom’s mother was the only person in her family because my grandfather died when she was very young, so it was my grandmother’s responsibility to take care of her children, to get them married. Girls who are supposed to get married have no right to reject a proposal. My mom decided it must be for the best, that’s the decision, you can’t change it. So when my dad’s family came to see her, my mom was asked not to raise her eyes, look up, or talk, just to answer their questions. That’s why my mom never got to see my dad. However, my mom did try to see my dad through the crack of the door, unfortunately his back was facing toward her, not his face. And that’s how i got the idea.

What are you currently working on?

I’m in pre-production now, script breakdown auditioning shooting schedule. Hopefully i will start shooting after Fall Break, so in November.

CICO 324 – Cult Film and Television

A new class, Cult Film and Television (CICO324), is being offered this semester.  The class is a combination Cinema and Communication course taught by Professor Paul Zinder, Chair of the Department of Communication and English at AUR.

Thus far, Prof. Zinder has covered cult horror auteurs such as producer Val Lewton and director David Cronenberg, sexploitation director Doris Wishman, blaxploitation films, and midnight movie directors John Waters and Ed Wood.  Now that the first half of the class is complete, Professor Zinder will begin teaching about cult television, a topic which he has written extensively about, including a book chapter on Veronica Mars which was published in February 2011.

Spring Registration Already!

    Spring Registration begins Monday, October 17th and end Wednesday, October 26th at AUR.  Professors in the Communication lab already have sign up sheets on their doors and students rushing in to ask questions.  Classes offered in the MultiMedia Lab have a cap of 12 students which means that we often end up battling it out for classes.  I will be first in line to register!
Students have the opportunity to pre-register for classes online but, are required to meet with their advising professor for guidance and approval of classes.
You may click here for the list of classes offered in Spring 2012:

Spring 2012 Course Offerings

Acting Audition at AUR

Professor Zinder’s Digital Filmmaking class has begun preproduction for their 5-7 minute shorts films.  Students are grouped into three groups of three and one group of four.  On Monday and Tuesday auditions will be held for all groups.  I personally believe you should show up to the audition at 12:30-2:00 in Villa Sciarra.  Now, I might be a little biased seeing as that is when and where my group will be holding auditions.  If you feel like gracing us with your presence we will be giving out snacks to those who audition.

These short films will be completed at the end of the Fall semester and include many different parts. So I think I’m going to go write my to-do list now…

Hey! I’m Caely!

I name is Caely Rose and I am currently a junior Communication major and Film and Digital Media minor.  I attend the American University of Rome and work as a student assistant in the Multimedia Lab or the “Mac lab” as I refer to it.
I was born in Connecticut but, moved to Florida when I was very young and grew up on a  small island, Cedar Key, with about 700 full time residents.  I graduated from high school a year early and came to Rome to go to school and hopefully learn the language!
P.S: Sorry this is late… I wrote it and then didn’t upload…oopsy!

This is Me!

The Multimedia lab will be open the following hours:
Monday and Wednesday: 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm
Tuesday and Thursday: 12pm-2pm and 5:15-7:30pm
Friday: 9am-5:30pm

An Introduction and a Guest Speaker

Hello everyone, I am Chelsea Graham.  I am one of the two new student assistants in the AUR Multimedia Lab.  I am a Communication major and a Social Science minor, and this semester marks the beginning of my senior year.

I am 21 years old, was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and moved to Rome in August of 2009.  Here in Rome, I spend most of my time running around between work and class, attempting to catch the bus, figure skating, and attending concerts.

 

Today, we’re starting off  what looks to be a great semester, with a presentation by guest speaker Eric Smialek, entitled A Brief Tour of Extreme Metal Scholarship.  The discussion will take place today, Monday, September 12, at 7:00PM in Room B304.

“Eric Smialek is a doctoral student of Musicology at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal as well as Graduate Representative, International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Canadian Branch (IASPM–Canada) and Student Member, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT).”

Don’t forget to check out this blog regularly for weekly updates on Communication and English Department events and student work!

Capstone Presentations

Hi everyone.  This past Tuesday were the official Communication Department capstone presentations, which took place in our very own Multimedia Lab.  Although stressful and nerve-racking as the culmination of a year’s work, they are not as bad as they seem!  For those of you who are future communication or film students, our capstone (thesis) projects work quite differently from the other departments.  You have a choice of writing a traditional thesis paper, creating a website, magazine, or advertising campaign, a short film or animation, and anything else you can think of (if approved by your advisor, of course).  Instead of one semester, you have a year to plan, prepare, research, create, shoot, write, or edit.

Which brings me to Tuesday.  Unlike most formal dissertation “defenses” or presentations, ours are held early and are based on a “work in progress” attitude, where the student describes their creative process over the past year and screens their work to a slew of department professors.  You are then given feedback and have a month to correct and finalize your piece.  All in all, an ultimately rewarding and not-too-traumatizing experience… and best of all, they’re over!

Communication and English Department Week Recap!

For those of you who weren’t able to make it to Comm. Week this year, you missed a great line up! We kicked off the week with the Black Maria Film and Video Festival. It is the 10th year that the Black Maria has screened at AUR.  The festival caters its selection of films to the students.  This semester, an Experimental Film and Video course is running here at AUR, so some experimental shorts were included in the lineup.  Some of my top picks of the night were Pinburgh by Doug Cooper, La Premiere by Nick and Michael Regalbuto, and Grandpa Looked Like William Powell by David Levy.

The AUR Student Media and Photography Show was held on the second night of Comm. week, and featured the best work of both AUR Resident and Study Abroad students from the past year.  There was a great student turn out, with a standing-room-only crowd in the auditorium.  The night started with a slide show that included both digital and slide photography.  A series of student-directed music videos, narrative, and documentary shorts were then screened along with the student multimedia compilation which included a mix of interactive media, graphic design, and stop motion photography.  The audience was quite impressed with the student photography and media, as usual! You can check out the student work on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/AURcom?feature=mhum

On Wednesday night, Visual Artist C. Finley screened and discussed her collaborative dance film Finite and Infinite Games. The great crowd present to hear about her experiences on the film included world-renowned artist Chuck Close!  The making of Finite and Infinite Games involved choreographers, dancers, artists, fashion designers, and musicians.  The beautiful piece is dynamic and unique among films that we usually screen at AUR.  Finley stayed afterwords to meet with students and spoke enthusiastically about the challenges of collaboration in independent film.  If you were unable to make it I strongly suggest you check out the film’s website!  http://www.finiteandinfinitegamesfilm.com/

We finished out the week with the launch of Volume 5 of Remus, the AUR Student Literary Journal, and a student reading of their work.  Samples of many genres were read, including short stories, poems, and screenplays. The publication of Remus is a great opportunity for students to share with their peers the writing they have worked so hard to create.  Once the reading was complete, everyone celebrated with amazing Bangladeshi food.  Congrats to everyone who read!  Remus is now published online.  You should all check it out! http://remuslitjournal.wordpress.com/

Overall, AUR’s Seventh Communication and English Week was a huge success.  We hope to see you all next year!