The Politics of [media] Preservation

This course introduces one of the most complicated (and under-studied) components of the media industries:  Preservation.  Beginning with a contextualization of the field, and of its precedents in European collecting practice, public records offices, and museums, the course will employ both a theoretical and practical approach to archiving media product.  Debates over the merits (and drawbacks) of defining media product as "artifact" will be complemented by larger discussions over the practical ramifications of copyright and physical deterioration - increasingly problematic areas for both the filmmaker and academic researcher.  Topics include:  preservation principles, the impact of access programs and strategies, and the role of the archivist or curator.  Utilizing the literature available as well as film and video resources of the University of Texas and the Austin community at large, students will combine an analytical approach to the history and theory of collecting with "hands-on" research - from Hollywood features and educational films, to home movies and the ever vanishing footage of the public domain.