This course hub website contains OER (Open Educational Resources)/ZTC (Zero Textbook Cost) resources for faculty teaching Introduction to Contemporary Media (MES 152) at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. These resources are freely available for use by BMCC faculty and beyond. This work was created by Anna Pinkas, Melanie Oram, and Carol Basuru, and funded by the New York State Department of Education.
There are several sections of this course. This site is not attached to any specific section and is meant to serve as a sample. It is recommended that each professor creates a dedicated OpenLab site for their section (cloning this one and editing it is perfectly fine too).
Given the wide scope MES 152’s content, traditional textbooks are not only cost-prohibitive but also often too specialized. Furthermore, this web format allows us to easily update the site’s content from one semester to the next to better reflect the latest shifts in the media industry. Faculty and students should think of this resource as their “textbook” for the course.
The content of the course has been divided into “topics” (each one taking up about one week’s worth of class time). Each topic has a dedicated page with a short introduction outlining the lesson’s objectives, and a breakdown of the topic’s “key concepts/terms” and “resources”. Each “key concept/term” links to a short definition and/or a longer explanation (depending on the complexity of the given concept). The “resources” sections provide external links to relevant PDFs, online articles, videos and sound clips. Some of these may be password protected for copyright reasons (if so, faculty and students will receive a password at the beginning of the semester).
This site is administered by Prof. Melanie Oram and Prof. Anna Pinkas, Professors at the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Media Arts & Technology Department: moram@bmcc.cuny.edu; apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu. Please leave questions, feedback, and request below this page!
ABOUT THE COURSE
MES 152 is a required course for all Media Arts & Technology majors and Communications majors. Unlike other Media Studies courses, the focus of this course is not to examine media’s impact on society or the history of mass media (though these topics can be discussed). Instead, this course focuses on understanding how Multimedia or Transmedia projects are produced, and is taught from a Media Producer’s point of view, so that students learn the basic process of completing a Multimedia project from concept to final delivery.
MES 152 students should learn the basic workflow needed to create various types of media projects, including film/video productions, web & app development, animation and motion graphics. In addition to workflow, students should have an understanding of basic production terminology (for these media forms), key personnel positions, copyright and licensing concerns, and current media distribution methods, including use of the Internet and Social Media.
By the end of the course, each student should be able to conceive and write a proposal for a comprehensive multimedia project, which would incorporate video, animation/motion graphics and web design. This is the “Final Project Proposal” due Week 14 or 15 (depending on class start date).
NOTE TO TEACHERS
The faculty members teaching this course have different professional backgrounds. Some of you may have hands on experience with web development, while others may be more familiar with TV production. While you are required to cover ALL the topics outlined on the syllabus and on this site, you may add to these resources and “key concepts/terms” based on your expertise. Just be mindful of the fact that there is a lot of material to cover and that one topic should not overshadow the others.
The first two topics (“Media Then & Now” & “Project Proposal”) should be covered during weeks 1 & 2. The remaining topics should be covered during weeks 3–14. The order is up to the individual professor. The Final Project Proposal is due on week 14 or 15, depending on class start date. The Final Exam should be given on the final week of the semester (week 15).
There is no printed textbook for this course. All assigned readings and audio visual references are listed on this website. Some of these resources are password protected (if you don’t have the password, please contact Prof. Melanie Oram).
As mentioned above, this website will be updated frequently. Feel free to share any comments or links to other resources with the other MES152 professors by using the “comments” box at the bottom of each topic or email links to Jim Sayegh or Anna Pinkas.
Along with the final project proposal, a final exam is required for this course. Assignments leading up to these two graded items are up to you, but can include team or small group media project proposals, individual visual or storytelling writing assignments, storyboard or scripting assignments, graphic design assignments, and/or website mockups.
If you need sample assignments, please contact the course coordinator, Prof. Melanie Oram: moram@bmcc.cuny.edu, or leave questions, feedback, or requests below!
