This course introduces basic media arts production to non-production majors. The focus will be on developing technical and conceptual skills in a manner that will enhance the student's understanding of the medium firsthand. This practical experience will provide a deeper understanding of the close relationship between media theory and media practice. This course will explore the aesthetics and mechanics of shooting digital video, the importance of sound and how to record and mix it, and how to develop a project from concept to final cut. Course work will include classical theoretical readings and written assignments, which will address a range of narrative, documentary and experimental approaches to moving the image. The class will also offer an historical and theoretical context in which to think about technique and form, and general media literacy. The projects will cover the basic stages of short video production, diverse visual strategies, and how to apply them in several camera and sound exercises, short production exercises, and one final project that grows out of one or more theoretical and formal approaches we explored during the semester. A fundamental premise of the course is that we are exploring the moving image as an art form: an intellectual process with creative choices.