The Field of Photography and New Media Art - Research Proposal Example

Name Institution Course Date Initial Project Proposal on MA Photography Introduction MA photography has been practiced by photographers allover the world to critically explore areas of photography that have remained unexplored. It is a forward and a beautiful looking course that is experimental in nature. Overall Aim The overall aim of this proposal is to look at MA photography as a championing tool that tries to combine the traditional theories and new digital photographing technologies that requires experimentation and curiosity of the highest order (Batchen 14). General Objective With regard to the MA photography course, it is expected that after completion of the course, I will be able to understand theories and principles that govern contemporary performance, design, and analytical thinking techniques that current drive the digital photography field (Batchen 15). Specific Objectives The following specific objectives will be targeted so that at the end of the training, they will have been achieved (Batchen 20). 1. The course will help to explore and investigate photography as a new entity that combines technology, fine art, aesthetics, and new media ideologies (Batchen 19). 2. The course will be of great help and benefit because it will provide knowledge on art scanning principles, chemical B and W printing (Batchen 15). 3. The course will provide the necessary required research skills in the field of photography and new media art. (Batchen 15). 4. The course will also explore areas that require well directed research strategies and more innovations (Batchen 17). Rationale No single theory can currently be termed enough to define the new world changing art and media technologies. There is need to explore the new media field by applying experimental approaches like photography to serve as a historical analysis tool, an inquisitive research tool, and as a recording tool to understand aspects of media technology (Batchen 18). Personal Relevance After completing my bachelor’s degree I gained experience from the non paid works that I got attached to. Working as a scripts writer opened up my mind to know that the field of arts and film technology was a broad field that needed a research based overview and photography was noted and agreed upon to have been the best method of data collection in the current contemporary world (Batchen 16). Areas of Investigation During the course, I will be much concerned at knowing and understanding the major role of a photographer in shaping the social and ethical responsibilities of an identified community or society. Creative intentions are good but their relevance is analyzed while looking at the social and traditional changes that do occur in the contemporary photographic world (Batchen 17). The second area of investigation will be to look at how new media has shaped the social status of communities in China and in other parts of the world (Batchen 10). Methods Data collection will involve use of observation as a primary data collection method. Class demonstrations and complex actions will be one of the sources of information that will be noted down through observations. A checklist of events and behavior will be used to monitor and record events and observations (Batchen 16). Photographing will also be used to obtain information from images and portraits that are quite often availed through pictorial illustrations or long time recorded documentaries (Batchen 18). Documentary analysis will also be used to obtain data on relevant areas of investigation and in noting challenges that they experienced during their case studies (Batchen 20). Challenges Images with writings or description written in different languages are the major challenge that is expected during the time the investigation will be carried out (Batchen 24). Denial to access some important points and function areas is also one of the major challenges that will be a drawback during the investigation. Timescales This is done to effectively allocate resources and so that time is managed well without long extensions or without incurring unnecessary delays (Batchen 26). The timescale for this proposal is indicated in Table 1 of the appendix. Materials The materials expected to be use in this research will include a camera, pen, writing materials, scanning gadgets, and a printer (Batchen 20). Initial Project Proposal : MA performance Design and Research It is a course that looks keenly at how traditions have shaped theatre performance and how change in theatre performance is constantly shaping the contemporary world. It looks at time based design practices and the significant territories in which the performance is practiced. It promotes understanding of knowledge in the area of contemporary performance while at the same time directing efforts of performers towards understanding new entities that new theatres should have (Schechner 7). Overall aim To look at what acknowledge performance as the core course that drives the contemporary acting world. Theatre technology is essential because it is changing with the current changes in theatre technology (Schechner 8). Objective To learn new technologies and traditions that are currently being used in modern theatres and how theatre practices have been aligned and programmed to shape societies (Schechner 9). Rationale New media technology is a huge branch in arts that consists of significant theories which are constantly being used to shape the new world. Many organizations have come up to recognize the new technology changes and how they have been able to change the new media technological world (Schechner 16). However, it will be good to evaluate practices that currently exist in the new media technological world. Personal relevance All my previous studies have been looking at how new technologies are shaping the new media and journalism world. It is concrete and empirical that digitization has brought more changes in new media technology (Schechner 14). During my masters in new media technology, I realized that new media technology is a broad field and area of concern and it is necessary to explore one field. Areas of investigation During my studies, I will be much interested to take in-depth analysis of how the theatre performance is changing and how it is shaping the contemporary world. Cultural ideas and how societies are being shaped through media technology will also be of a major concern because the current changing theatre technology can be understood by incorporating new traditional analysis of societal theories and models (Schechner 11). Methods Data will be collected by applying observation techniques. Images will be observed through this method and it will also be used where by interviewees will be shy to respond to the questions that will have been asked. Photographing theatres performances will also be utilized as a method for data collection and (Schechner 8). Photographs of exhibitions and of images in documentaries will also be taken in a systematic way. Documentary analysis of existing documents will also utilized in collecting data from the previous studies that have been conducted. Challenges Challenges are expected in any research and it will be empirical therefore to ensure that they do not affect results and generation of conclusions that will be made in the research. One is that some respondents may feel shy to give enough information (Schechner 5). Aligning findings of other research findings or documentary analysis with the objectives of the research is a new entity that will require a precise reading to determine the relevance and valid levels. Timescales Since the research is a qualitative in nature, it be of great importance if activities will be outlined with reference to the required research frameworks. Assigning time to activities safeguards researchers from making unnecessary mistakes and from delaying to accomplish research findings. In the early times, many researchers ended up delaying to accomplish their research within effective timeframes or they ended up spending much than what was expected to be done within the timescales they had previously provided (Schechner 10). To combat such mistakes and errors, each task and activity will be aligned with specific objectives so that exaggerations of results are avoided. For each activity to be accomplished, there are expenditures. This means that any extra involvement of a researcher in extra activities not outlined in the objectives may lead to greater losses. Time for each activity has been outlined in Table 2. Materials Since it is a qualitative research, there are possibilities that if good materials will not be applied and used during the research, the final findings and research outcome will have flaws. A camera will be used to take photographs and images of exhibitions as well as in taking photographs or documented images (Schechner 4). A pen will be used to jot down observed images and diagrammatic representations that will be rendered difficult to be taken by use of a camera. Writing materials will serve as objects on which findings will be documented. Works Cited Batchen, Geoffrey. Desiring Production Itself: Notes on the Invention of Photography’, in Roslyn Diprose and Robyn Ferrell (Eds), Cartographies: Poststructuralism and the Mapping of Bodies and Spaces. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1991. Print. Schechner, Richard. Between Theater and Anthropology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1985. Appendix Table 1 ACTIVITY DURATION Data collection Photographing Documentary analysis Observation Interviewing 2 weeks 2 weeks 2 weeks and it will be carried out concurrently with photographing 1 week DATA ANALYSIS Photographic analysis Observed notes analysis Documentary analysis and conclusion 2 days 2 days 2 days Report writing 1 week Presentation 1 day Table 2 ACTIVITY DURATION Data collection Photographing of images Documentary analysis of previous studies or documentations Observation application Interviewing 1.5 weeks 1.5 weeks 2 weeks and it will be carried out concurrently with photographing 1 week DATA ANALYSIS Photographic based analysis Observed data analysis Documentary analysis Refinement of findings 1.5 days 1 days 1.5 days 1 week Report writing and refinement 1.5 weeks Presenting the findings 1 day Read More