Students from Dr. Richardson’s and Prof. Jameela Hammond’s Second Draft Project class (JOUR 499), are joined by Alton Glass and Roman Combs (center) from GRX Immersive Labs at a visit to the USC Fisher Museum of Art.
by Ava Brown
The Bass Lab is experimenting with journalism in new dimensions — three, to be exact.
Dr. Richardson’s Second Draft Project class (JOUR 499) visited the USC Fisher Museum of Art on Oct. 18 to learn about photogrammetry from LA’s own GRX Immersive Labs.
Photogrammetry is the practice of creating 3-D images from a series of hundreds of photographs. The students’ job was to select an image from Kara Walker’s “Cut to the Quick” traveling exhibit that they felt resonated with Malcolm X’s legacy. The 3D images will become multimedia companions to the Second Draft Project podcast that students are producing in JOUR 499.
The Second Draft Project strives to tell news stories that were once poorly or inaccurately told in a new light, bringing much-needed revisions for those who have been maligned by the press. Photogrammetry helps push the boundaries of art and social justice even further, by allowing news audiences to experience a story in 3D.
The JOUR 499 students brought Bass Lab iPads with them to the Fisher Museum, and throughout the hour they collected hundreds of pictures of the different art pieces from the MacArthur “Genius” Kara Walker. Walker’s art, which evokes controversial scenes from slavery, moved many students to silence in the stillness of the museum. The exhibition of violence, imperialism, sexism, and slavery was astonishing.
The collaboration between the Bass Lab and GRX Immersive Labs, which led the photogrammetry training, created an irreplaceable learning environment. The shared feelings of unity and exploration flew through the air, leading the students to traverse every nook and cranny of the museum as they absorbed the incomparable experience together.
Students will debut their work on Charlotta Bass Day next year. Save the date, on Feb. 13, 2024.
