the most postmodern thing i've ever done

The final project for my "Intro to CCT" class was basically a glorified vocabulary test. We were encouraged to be innovative and creative in our approach to the project, even to have a little fun, but there was a great deal of grumbling outside of class. I was probably among the loudest grumblers.

However, once I came up with a topic, I completely nailed it, and the end result may be the coolest academic products I've produced.

My project was called Timecode Redux: A Real-Time Analysis of Mike Figgis' "Timecode". Below is the abstract, roughly as it was displayed when I turned it in. The original design was done in InDesign, with a little help from Photoshop.

Timecode Redux: A Real-Time Analysis of Mike Figgis' "Timecode"

Abstract

Timecode (2000), directed by Mike Figgis, is a 93 minute split-screen film displaying four continuous shots, taken simultaneously with four cameras. As the ensemble cast of characters weaves through Los Angeles, so weave the cameras. The characters and narrative drift from one quadrant of the screen to another, while the director uses nothing but variations in volume to guide the viewer’s attention between the four quadrants.

In the same playful but meaningful spirit, I wrote this paper in real-time, while watching the film. In an ideal world, you would watch Timecode while reading and grading my project, as well, to immerse yourself in the intertextual experience. However, just in case you don’t want to spend 93 minutes with my paper, I’ve also tried to make it stand on its own, as best it can.

Like the film, however, this paper will be both planned and unplanned, narrative and collage, produced and sampled. Please be patient with the format. Thank you.

The filmstrip on the left side of this entire document consists of individual frames captured from the film. With the exception of the opening and closing credits, the frames depict what I was watching when I began writing each section. At those times when I was more focused on writing than watching, I included a black and white copy of the most recently captured frame.