Independent study

I am considering putting together an independent study for next term in conjunction with Mike (and hopefully a few other VSPers). In reality, I'm ripping off his already-completed and brilliant idea for a class.

There is a strange and disturbing fascination with distopias in conceptual architecture at the moment; a glorification of the "coming apocalypse;" the imagined world post-petroleum, post-financial crisis, post-global warming.

This project sums up a number of the issues nicely.

The view is negative, and the fear level rising, evidenced in the growing number of "ironic" or "clever" projects. No one is certain what will happen, and either craft scenarios about a difficult and distopic future [a la Bartlet unit 15] or hide behind jokes.

So the class would :
-research manifestos from groups like the futurists or constructivists, and their connection to media and form of writing
-research / choose a narrative to direct focus: i.e. an economist's projections for the next 20 years, film like The Day After Tomorrow, etc... and create a fictional society based on the future they project
-write manifesto for this society
-using imagery and propaganda through all forms of media (publications, writing, film, radio, architecture) design and sell the new society

The idea is to incorporate a diverse range of media (I want to play with film! and publications!), focus on a semi-realistic future that is more positive than negative, and potentially suggest meaning or direction for new tech advances.

=)