Visual Ethnography: An Exploration of Urban Interfaces

Unlock the art of documenting and presenting diverse social and material relations in Berlin through film. Engage with hands-on filmmaking using minimal equipment. Ideal for creative minds exploring societal phenomena.

Engaging with the social and material relations in urban settings raises the question: How do we effectively document and present these multifaceted relations through visual media? Berlin, characterized by its urban interfaces, is a city rife with intricate socio-spatial dynamics that are waiting to be explored. Ethnography, as a method, dives deep into understanding different people and entities by emphasizing their interrelations within their environments. The practice of visual ethnography takes this one step further. It seeks to capture these relations and present them visually, making the intricate weave of urban life discernible and relatable. Within the backdrop of Berlin, participants will immerse themselves in this practice, offering a fresh perspective into the city’s fabric through the lens of its interfaces. Participants will be provided with ethnographic field sites reflecting the diversity of Berlin’s urban fabric, and then asked to film and edit a visual ethnographic short film in these field sites.

The course is anchored in providing participants a basic theoretical and practical understanding of visual ethnography. It aims to prompt participants to dissect the city’s interfaces, while employing visual media as a tool to convey their findings and reflections.

This course is suitable to anyone with an interest in exploring social and material phenomena through a creative lens. We will be covering filmmaking with a smartphone and minimal equipment; however, this course is not an in-depth filmmaking course.

Schedule

Theoretical and Practical Training (Day 1-2):

• An introduction to the foundational tenets of ethnography
• Familiarization with filmmaking techniques
• Introduction to editing
• Reflective sessions on the ethics of visual representation, emphasizing the responsibilities intrinsic to this form of expression.
• Ethnographic film viewing.

Fieldwork and Filming (Day 3-6):

• Initial meeting with collaborators in field sites
• 2-3 days of shooting film
• 1-2 days of editing
• Mentorship will be provided, offering technical support, methodological insights, and opportunities for intellectual exchanges.

Final Presentation and Reflection (Day 7):

• Showcase of the visual ethnography projects
• Structured discussions centered around the process, outcomes, and the capabilities of visual ethnography in articulating urban interfaces.

Prior application requirements

We will be sending you video tutorials for Davinci Resolve so that you can familiarize yourself with this editing software beforehand. In order to get the most out of this course, we recommend you follow these tutorials. Please also note that on Thursday evening, we will be running an ethnographic film night, which will mean the course will go until 10.30pm on that day.

Knowledge requirements

Basic knowledge of working with computers and smartphones. Any familiarity with ethnography or visual art is a plus.
 

Equipment requirements

• Laptop that will run Davinci Resolve (ideally minimum 8 GB RAM – please try out downloading Davinci Resolve – it’s free)
• Smartphone with a came

Deborah Sie studied social and cultural anthropology at the University of Vienna, focusing on racism, post-migrant identities and visual anthropology.

David Lowis is a PhD researcher at Berlin University of the Arts, where he is working ethnographically with unhoused people in Berlin. Concurrently, he is working as a visual content creator for the Munich Security  Conference and the German Bundestag. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals.

https://homeless.media/

Owain Astles is a filmmaker, photographer, and visual activist. His practice focuses on participatory filmmaking and art as activism. Currently he is delivering a project working with individuals in London prisons, creating participatory films based around participants’ experiences.