In this workshop you will be introduced to basic and some more advanced techniques in animated gif (Graphics Interchange Format) creation.  We will think about how this popular new media format can be used for experimental literary forms. Animated gifs are like the neon of the web: flashing, simple, short attention-getters that are some times cheap and tacky—like dancing insurance ads—but also have been taken up as a distinctly 21st century, democratic art form (e.g. http://bit.ly/kahHi5).

The workshop will include some discussion/introduction to animated gifs and its potential relation to poetic creation, tutorials on how to create simple animated gifs (although more advanced users are welcome to extend the conversation), and some workshop time to create.  This workshop will hopefully be very open-ended with no strict preconceptions of how we will make alliances between poetry and new media.  Participants will be encouraged not only to make gif-poetry, but also to think about how poetry could be gif-esque, or how to “write through” a gif, or utilize one for performance, etc.

All participants will be required to bring their own laptop. This workshop will be taught from a Mac. Bringing a PC is Ok, just be aware that there will inevitably be differences that may or may not be easily addressed.  Laptops with Photoshop are a plus, but we will starting with free, open source software.  (Other useful tools in Gif creation include a webcam, Snapz Pro X, YouTube downloader, QuickTime Pro, AfterEffects.)

Because of the nature of some of the websites we will be exploring participants should be aware that they may encounter some “inappropriate content” in the course of the workshop.

7P
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
SPLAB
Suggested Donation: Pay What You Can

Joe Milutis is a media artist and writer whose  interdisciplinary work includes experimental sound and radio; video works; new  media; experimental narrative; theoretical writings; and various media and  literature hybrids. He is the author of the book Ether: The Nothing That Connects Everything, and is Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts at UW-Bothell, where he
teaches courses in experimental writing, media, and cultural studies.