Programme: Communication and media studies Bachelor’s Programme from 2021/22/Term 1
Subject Role: Elective
Recommended semester: 0
Programme: MA in Communication and Media Studies
Subject Role: Elective
Recommended semester: 0
Objectives
The course provides a hands-on introduction to documentarism, engaging with photography and film while immersing in the city through walks, exhibition visits, artist talks, and short- and long-term assignments. These activities foster new ways of seeing and visual storytelling that can enrich participants’ existing creative practices.
Academic results
Knowledge
- Solid knowledge of conceptualization for studying communication and media phenomena
Skills
- Ability to recognize social and communication problems, and to choose appropriate solutions
Attitude
- Avoidance of being biased, prejudical
Independence and responsibility
- Independence
Teaching methodology
Inspired by historical attempts to capture totality—such as atlases, encyclopedias, and typologies—each participant will define one or more aspects of the urban environment. The resulting personal projects will form an immersive, collective vision of the city, manifested as an exhibition.
Materials supporting learning
- ● Jorge Luis Borges – The Library of Babel
- ● Paul Auster – City of Glass
- ● Umberto Eco – The Infinity of Lists
- ● Italo Calvino – Invisible Cities
- ● Michel Foucault – The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences
- ● Aby Warburg – Mnemosyne Atlas
- ● Walter Benjamin – The Arcades Project
- ● Henri Lefebvre – The Production of Space
- ● Julian Barnes: The History of the World in 10 Chapters,
- ● Péter Esterházy: Introduction to Fiction
- ● Péter Nádas: Parallel Stories
General Rules
Mandatory participation, no more than 3 missed classes
Performance assessment methods
Assessment of class, group and independent work
Percentage of performance assessments, conducted during the study period, within the rating
- Activity: 30
- homework: 30
- final project: 40
- sum: 100
Percentage of exam elements within the rating
Conditions for obtaining a signature, validity of the signature
Participation
Issuing grades
| % | |
|---|---|
| Excellent | 97-100 |
| Very good | 90-96 |
| Good | 80-89 |
| Satisfactory | 70-79 |
| Pass | 60-69 |
| Fail | 0-59 |
Retake and late completion
Retake and make-up test options are defined by the valid regulations of the University’s Code on Education and Examination.
Coursework required for the completion of the subject
| Nature of work | Number of sessions per term |
|---|---|
| classwork | 84 |
| homeworks | 156 |
| sum | 240 |
Approval and validity of subject requirements
Consulted with the Faculty Student Representative Committee, approved by the Vice Dean for Education, valid from: 02.06.2024.
Topics covered during the term
This project-oriented course introduces participants to collaborative and experimental approaches to documentary photography and filmmaking through playful, immersive exercises. Together, attendees will create a collective encyclopedia of Budapest’s urban landscape, culminating in a multimedia exhibition by the end of the semester.
| Lecture topics | |
|---|---|
| 1. | 1. Encyclopedism & Subjectivity: Our Starting Point |
| 2. | 2. Play as a Method of Exploration |
| 3. | 3. Modes of Storytelling |
| 4. | 4. Typologies in Film & Fine Art |
| 5. | 7. Technical Skills & Tools |
| 6. | 8. Exhibition & Installation Basics |
| 7. | 9. Exhibition Visits & Artist Talks |
Additional lecturers
| Name | Position | Contact details |
|---|---|---|