For the next two weeks, you’ll be exploring the ideas of remixes and mashups, the artistic recasting of existing media into new forms by creative combination and editing. This will build off of your previous work in all media forms. And we will even remix assignments.

“Mish Mashed” Some rights reserved by cma3 on Flickr.

What is Remix?

Before you get started making your own remixes, we want you to spend sometime exploring the concept of remix and mashup. As part of your understanding, you are tasked with reviewing at least two of the references listed below on the concepts and analyzing at least 3 of the examples listed.

Write up a blog post summarizing your understanding of remix, and explaining how the examples you watched demonstrated the form. Share your thoughts on whether this is a creative act and as well explore what it means for the entities that retain copyright over the media forms that are remixed. Include links and/or embeds of any media you reference.

Tag your blog post RemixThis.

References on Remix

Everything is a Remix http://www.everythingisaremix.info/

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Let Us Never Speak Of This Thing Again resources and audio from a ds106 session in 2011 from Brian Lamb

RIP: A Remix Manifesto a documentary on mashup culture featuring the work of Girl Talk

For some interesting perspective on art and remix, see Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist a book based on a compelling blog post

Steal Like An Artist Book Trailer from Austin Kleon on Vimeo.

Disney used to Explain Copyright

Examples of Remix

Below is an assortment of remix examples, review at least 3 of them for your assignment or feel free to locate your own examples, just be sure to justify how they are remixes.

• Buffy vs Edward: Twilight Remixed – two different sources re-edited to be coherent story
• Two Gentlemen of Leobowski mashing up Shakespeare and the Big Lebowski
• Star Wars Call Me Maybe a remix/recut mashup of Star Wars dialogue to tell a new tale
• Don’t Tase Me Bro/MC Hammer – news event mashed up with music

• Scary Mary (recut movie trailer – family movie reversed to Horror)
• The Shining Recut (recut movie trailer – horror movie reversed to be love story)
• Star Trek Meets Monty Python – redubbing

Slagsmålsklubben – Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

• Kel McKeown: Instructional Video – creating new sounds from recut instructional videos
• Hitler Downfall DMCA Takedown – retelling via captioning
• Literal Video Versions – music videos form literal interpretation of lyrics

suggested bv ds106 student Amber R

• Odd Kid – lip sync and remix
• Sweded Films – low/no budget remakes of hollywood films
• Weird Al Yankovic Bob parody plus a twist, lyrics are palindromes
• Comic Strips Mashups

suggested by ds106 student Nathan W

suggested by ds106 students Haley C

• Datamasher create interesting combos of data, rendered as visuals
• Overlooked ReMIX remixing video game music
• Make your own Obamaicon and read more about the issue of copyright claims on this well known design
• 30 Classic Music Albums Recreated With Lego

Running into Copyright

If it has not happened to you yet, it will likely in this section- a notice from YouTube about copyright violation. They use a technology called ContentID that is automatically able to determine if a users upload includes video or audio that matches copyrighted content. Sometimes you just get a warning, sometimes it prevents you from embedding media, and in some cases your video night be removed outright.

You have a few options if this happens.

• Upload your video to vimeo, which does not employ content ID (but you agree that anything you upload is not copyrighted content)
• Appeal the YouTube action under the realms of fair use. See the Fairuse Tube site for detailed information on what steps you can take.

If you have modified the clips and are using only a small amount of original material for non commercial purposes, you should be covered by provisions of fair use. But for more insight see Kind of Screwed – Andy Baio’s tale of trying to do everything right in doing a derivative work and still getting sued. Opens many questions on copyright, fair use, derivative works.

Mashup Assignments

Complete at least 7 stars of assignments from the Mashup Category of the assignment repository. Most of these require video editing and are are not trivial to complete. Start early!

If you don’t see an assignment you like, and you have an idea for one, submit it (Remember: Submitting and completing 2 new assignment ideas is a class REQUIREMENT for UMW ds106 students!).

Remix An Assignment

For this week, we are going to remix an existing ds106 assignment.  Here is how it works… go to the ds106 remixer site at http://remix.ds106.us/ The new tool we have created is called the Remix Generator. When it loads, it will randomly choose one of the hundreds of ds106 assignments; as well it will serve up one of what we call “Remix Cards” which is a certain twist or variation to apply to the assignment.

Your task is to then interpret this as a new assignment — and complete it. Not only that, we want you to look at the examples that were done for the original assignment, and use media from one of these as your starting point.

For example, one combination is combining the Wiggle Spectroscopy (visual assignment) with the Go Emo remix card – so the challenge there would be to create a wiggle visual that features an emo type character. To do this I might download the GIF created at http://floriyann.com/?p=53 and try to edit it to change one of the soccer players into say a more emo type player.

It’s tricky! (And some combinations may not even be possible!) We are not as interested in what fabulous creations you can make, but how you can write up your and justify your interpretation of the remix assignment. If the remix generator gives you something that does not make sense, just reload it and make another.

For this week, you must complete and write up one Remix Assignment using the Remixer. Be sure to include all of the tags provided by the Remix generator.

Using Recycled Media

Do you remember back in weeks 7 and 8 when we asked you to contribute 5 pieces of media left over from your projects to our recycle bin? Well, this week you will be doing the recycling.

We have loaded all of the files into a site at minus.com where they can be downloaded – http://minus.com/mvKXzhhcO. To complete the cycle you have the choice:

• Completing the Recycle the Media assignment as part of your 7 stars worth of assignmentsOR
• Using at least 5 pieces of these media in your other mashup work. If you choose this route, be sure to include in your final summary blog post which ones you used and where.

Tutorials & Assignment Ideas

This is a reminder! 10% of your grade in ds106 is comprised of your completing two detailed tutorials for assignments in the assignment repository AND creating and completing two NEW assignment ideas. These must be completed by Sunday, December 9th at midnight! You will need to write up two blog posts (one for tutorials and one for assignment ideas) in which you link to your work. You must submit links to these posts in Canvas (there is an assignment already in the course for this).

Please review the syllabus for details about what’s required for both your tutorials and assignment ideas!

Final Story Project

After the remix/mashup unit, we are in the home stretch of ds106. In the last two weeks, you will be wrapping up the course and completing a final story project (worth 10% of your grade). We are introducing the final project this week because there is some preparatory work we want you to complete.

Please review the final project assignment NOW. The actual final product is not due until December 14th, but there is a planning blog post that is due by Sunday, November 25th at midnight. We want to see this so we can provide feedback early on your idea.

Weekly Summary & Recap

Your weekly summary for weeks 13 & 14 is due by midnight on Sunday, December 2nd. It should include the following:

• Link to your RemixThis blog post, in which you investigate the remix resources and examples provided above.
• Links to blog posts for your seven points of Mashup assignments.
• Describe how you used the recycled media (either for the assignment or using them in other mashup/remix projects).
• Link to your blog post for your Remixed assignment.
• Summary of your work and final reflections on remix/mashup. Note that in your reflection we are looking to see some thought given to what you have learned about Remix/Mashup and where it may apply to other work or acts of creativity you may do or see. Or write about where they place is in realm fo culture and media. Or speculate on the implication for copyright.

*** In addition, by Sunday, November 25th at midnight, you must have a final project planning post published, and submit the link to this post in Canvas. ***

Finally, if you haven’t completed your new assignment ideas and tutorials, you should be working on them. They are due by Sunday, December 9th at midnight in Canvas.