Convocatoria

ISTITUTO SUPERIORE ETNOGRAFICO DELLA SARDEGNANUORO, SARDEGNA (ITALY)In collaboration with David and Judith MacDougall from the Centre forCross-Cultural Research, Australian National Universitywill offer a 7-day VIDEO WORKSHOP IN VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY6 - 12 September 2008at the Istituto Superiore Etnografico della Sardegna in Nuoro This workshop is being offered to persons with little or no priorexperience of video production who wish to use video in forthcomingresearch projects. It is open to graduate students and others with atleast three years of tertiary education. The workshop will include basicvideo training and theoretical discussions of how video may be applied toresearch and publication in anthropology and relateddisciplines. The emphasis will be upon the conceptual rather than thetechnical side of video practice. The workshop is intensive and will beconducted all day for each of the seven days, with morningsessions normally reserved for group instruction, screenings, anddiscussion, and the afternoons for individual practical exercises in andaround Nuoro. Although the workshop will not provide directinstruction in video editing, it will make use of a strategicapproach to filming and "editing in the camera" so that students willlearn to produce materials that can be edited effectively. We believe video can be used effectively in field research withoutextensive training, provided one learns certain basic skills andovercomes the most commonly made mistakes. We also believe video can beused to do more than merely gather visual records. It can be used toapproach knowledge in new ways, in a form of discoursesignificantly different from that of written texts. We thereforeapproach this medium as a new "language" that researchers can acquire andapply to their own disciplines. The workshop will be conducted over 7 days, from 6 to 12 September 2008,at the Istituto Superiore Etnografico della Sardegna in Nuoro. It will belimited to a maximum of 12 students. 5 places will bereserved for qualified Sardinian applicants, 2 places for qualifiedAustralian applicants, and the remaining places will be open to allapplicants. In view of Sardinia's geographical position in theMediterranean, students from north Africa are encouraged to apply.Participants will be selected on the basis of: 1) having completed atleast three years of tertiary education; 2) having proficiency inEnglish; 3) their intention to apply video to an imminent fieldresearch project; 4) the relevance of video to the proposed project; 4)how soon the project will commence; and 6) their need to acquire basicvideo skills. Students will be expected to provide their own videocameras for use during the workshop, as well as at least two hours ofvideotape. Cameras using most current analogue or digital formats areacceptable; however, the camera used should haveprovision for the connection of an external microphone, which will beprovided by the workshop. A set of relevant readings will beprovided. Readings, instruction, and discussions will be in English. Agood command of English is therefore essential. Participants will beexpected to attend all sessions for the full seven days. THE INSTRUCTORS: The workshop will be conducted byinternationally-known ethnographic filmmakers David and JudithMacDougall. The MacDougalls have produced over twenty-fiveethnographic films and have wide-ranging experience in teachingethnographic film and video techniques in Australia, USA, Norway, India,and China. Among their recent prize-winning films are Photo Wallahs,Tempus de Baristas (a co-production of ISRE), Diya, The Age of Reason,The Art of Regret, SchoolScapes, and Gandhi's Children. APPLICATIONS: Applicants are requested to complete the application formand supply a statement in English of not more than one pageindicating their prior experience and reasons for wishing toparticipate in the workshop. The application form is available at thebottom of the following web page:http://www.isresardegna.it/index.php?xsl=528&s=82363&v=2&c=4077Priority will be given to applicants who intend to conduct theirfield research in the near future. Participants will be responsible fortheir own travel to and from Nuoro, however accommodation and meals willbe provided for the period of the workshop by theIstituto. The deadline for receipt of applications is July 15, 2008.Applicants accepted for the workshop will be informed by July 31, 2008.