Public Events | Workshops/Info Sessions | LIB 113 Workshops
NOTE: Events below are from Fall 2016; stay tuned for Spring 2017 dates.
Public Events
MDOCS hosts a variety of public events throughout each academic semester. These events are all free and open to the Skidmore community as well as community members from the surrounding Saratoga region. No RSVP is needed.
Doc Date: Portrait and Biography series
Podcast Portraits of Environmental Fieldwork in the Adirondacks
Mon, September 19 at 7 p.m., Wilson Chapel
Speaker: Erika Schielke, moderation by Lucas Willard (WAMC)
Join Erika Schielke of the Skidmore Biology Department and 2016 Storytellers' Institute Scholar, as she presents her science podcast that paints an audio portrait of what field work is really like for local biologists in the Adirondack region.
As an aquatic ecologist, Schielke often found herself engaged in impromptu lakeside conversations about her field research. This fostered her desire to do more public outreach, and in 2009 she was selected as an American Academy for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Fellow. From 2009 to 2010 she produced the Adirondack Science Report at WGFR, a monthly radio feature highlighting regional science stories.
During the Storytellers' Institute Schielke worked on a series of podcasts about regional environmental topics. The podcast pieces combine narration, interviews with experts and natural sound while presenting science in a compelling and accessible way to the general public.
Storytellers' Institute Showcase
Thursday, September 29, 7–8 p.m., Emerson Auditorium
Curious about what your fellow classmates were up to this summer? Learn more about Skidmore's 2016 Storytellers' Institute Scholars and their work. This June they joined documentary practitioners and Skidmore faculty members in a creative-academic intensive five-week residency that challenged their creative process and documentary skills.
Find out what projects they worked on and learn more about their experience while living among professional doc creators in a collaborative environment.
Screening: When War Comes Home with Emmy Award–winning director Michael King
Thursday October 13, 6:30–9 p.m.
Location: New York State Military Museum
MDOCS has partnered with the New York State Military Museum to bring a new documentary
film When War Comes Home to Saratoga Springs. This film follows three Iraq/Afghanistan War veterans returning
home to discover that their post-traumatic stress affects not only their own lives
but the lives of their wives, children and friends. Witnessing these powerful stories
and many others, retired four-star General Peter Chiarelli leads the search for better
treatment for these invisible wounds of war.
Trailer: When War Comes Home
Director: Michael W. King
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Director Michael King and
local veterans. Click here for more info.
Doc Date: Portrait and Biography series
Through a Native Lens: Portraiture, Social Documentary and Narrative in Saratoga
Monday October 17 at 7 p.m. Emerson Auditorium
On October 17, join Daesha Devón Harris, a Saratoga Springs native and documentary photographer who creates powerful multimedia pieces that speak to social issues in a creative and compelling way. The photos depict subjects not as victims, but instead show them in a light of determination illuminating Daesha's relentless optimism.
Moderated by Robert ParkeHarrison
This event is part of the MDOCS series on portraiture and biography in documentary work. One Monday each month, creators from photography, audio documentary and multimedia visit Skidmore to discuss their work and the morals and ethics behind representing someone else's story through their vision.
Chasing the Light: The Rock and Roll Photography of Jay Blakesberg
Tuesday November 1 at 7 p.m., Davis Auditorium
Join Jay Blakesberg for a presentation of his 35-year journey in rock and roll photography, from documenting the Grateful Dead to his latest book Hippie Chick: A Tale of Love, Devotion & Surrender. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Doc Date: Portrait and Biography series
Offset (film): A life blurred and re-envisioned
Monday, November 14 at 7 p.m., Emerson Auditorium
Join filmmaker Adam Hall for a special screening of his feature documentary Offset: Seeing Beauty Through a Brain Injury. A study of a single individual, this film blends elements of portrait and biography
to tell the story of Brian Nice.
After a catastrophic brain injury, renowned photographer Nice was confined to his childhood home. When his health insurance no longer covered physical therapy sessions, Nice embarked on a cross-country road trip testing his physical and emotional limits. Taking his camera with him, Nice photographed the American landscape, capturing the way he now sees the world. Hall's film shares the journey and the work.
Director Adam Hall will be at this event for a moderated Q&A with Nicky Tavares after the screening. More info here.
MDOCS Student Work Showcases
Tuesday December 13, 6–8 p.m., Davis Auditorium: Act I
Wednesday, December 14, 6–8 p.m., Davis Auditorium: Act II
Check out what the students in documentary studies courses have been up to this semester. For two nights, an array of video, audio and multimedia work will be presented in Emerson auditorium.
Event organized by students in DS 251B "Festival Programming"
Followed by a reception with light snacks and refreshments.
Workshops and Info Sessions
MDOCS sponsors workshops by faculty members and documentary profsesionals that are open to everyone in the Skidmore community. This semester, the program is focused on offering tips on incorporating different forms of storytelling into the classroom. The Info sessions are geared to students passionate about the creative arts. It's specified when RSVP is needed. In addition, the Collaborative and Project Vis offer workshops in LIB 113 led by students.
Ethics Bowl: The Ethics and Law in Media Production
Tuesday, September 27, 6–8 p.m., Emerson Auditorium
Tackle the issues facing today's nonfiction storytellers and prepare yourself for the roadblocks to public use that media creators may come to realize only after wrapping production—often too late to resolve crucial rights and relationships. The session will combine brief presentations on law, ethics and methods with background and tips and group discussion by attendees who will grapple with a real-world case and come together to present solutions.
This hands-on training session is a must-have knowledge base for all students planning on creating media work now and in the future. Hosted by Media & Film Studies and MDOCS
Workshop: Map Storytelling
Friday, October 14, 10–12 p.m., GIS Lab
Join Tom Hart for a workshop on the power of telling stories through GIS mapping.
"Getting Data on a Map: Google Mapping Tools": You may already use Google Maps and
Google Earth Pro for driving directions. In this workshop, learn how to tap into these
free online resources to map all sorts of information. Get an introduction to Google
Maps and Google Earth Pro mapping engines, geographic information systems (GIS), the
GIS Center, good map design, web publishing and collaborating to bring mapping into
class. Participants will acquire tools to find data and quickly produce maps from
the information gleaned with the workshop case study, mapping lead levels in Flint,
Michigan. Participants will have an opportunity to map their own data. Reach out to
Tom Hart (thart@skidmore.edu) for advice on formatting if this is of interest.
Preparation: A Google account is required. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel is helpful.
Faculty/staff: RSVP to mdocs@skidmore.edu.
Off Campus Networking Night
Thursday October 20, 5–7 p.m., Saratoga Arts
Looking to set up an internship at a creative workspace? Meet regional professionals working in art, media, film, photography, event management and more at the MDOCS, Arts Administration, and Media and Film Studies Networking Night. A skill-up workshop offering networking tips and communication starters for Skidmore students will precede this evening of mingling.
AA, MFS and MDOCS students: RSVP to mdocs@skidmore.edu.
Workshop: Audio Guides in the classroom, walking tours, and more...
Monday October 24, 10–11 a.m., LIB 113
Dan Curley (classics) and Greg Spinner (religious studies) will lead a discussion on how to use the audio guide kits in the classroom and on the street. These simple devices can enhance the classroom experience and create a dynamic learning environment once you know how to use them.
You’ve seen them before—that group of students and teachers on a field trip, shouting themselves hoarse in an effort to be heard in a museum or on a city street. Perhaps you and your class have been That Group, and have worried whether you’ve ruined the ambience for other patrons and passers-by. Worry no more! Thanks to the MDOCS audio tour equipment, you too can craft an excursion that allows everyone in your group to be heard and leaves those outside your group in peace. This workshop will detail best practices for integrating audio gear into your next museum visit, travel seminar or North Woods venture and will offer a hands-on field demonstration of the MDOCS equipment. Bring your earbuds and leave the shouting behind.
Faculty/staff: RSVP to mdocs@skidmore.edu
Workshop: DSLR Photography Basics
Friday October 28, 2–4 p.m., LIB 113
Still stuck in the auto-function of your DSLR camera? Learn the basics of DSLR photography and get some tips on how to create more engaging, lively images. Led by Eric Jenks, Skidmore alumus and Capital Region photojournalist.
RSVP to mdocs@skidmore.edu.
Using the Web for Academic Projects
Monday November 7, 10 a.m.–noon, LIB 113
This workshop provides an overview of web design for academic or student projects, with an introduction to approaches to the architecture of a website as a system of navigation and textual, visual and media content. We will also discuss basics of visual design.
Faculty/staff: RSVP to mdocs@skidmore.edu
Storytellers' Institute Info Session
Wednesday, November 9, 5:30–6:30 p.m., LIB 113
Skidmore students and faculty: Do you have a documentary project to advance?
The 2017 Storytellers' Institute is a unique experience where students have the opportunity
to work alongside documentary practitioners and Skidmore faculty members as their
peers in a hybrid creative-academic experience. Learn more about the Institute and
the application process at this informal info session hosted by MDOCS. Pizza included!
Stay posted on all upcoming MDOCS events at our Facebook page.
