The Media Analysis Lab at Simon Fraser University provides a critical and creative environment for making, analyzing and researching the changing role of mediated social communication in our society. Our goal is to foster a synergy between critical thinking and creativity in the application of these two faculties to democratic public communication in the areas of education, advocacy and community development.

Background

History:
The lab was established by Bill Leiss in 1989 with a mandate to support research and teaching in the field of media analysis and applied communication . Since 1990, its Director Stephen Kline has tried to develop a flexible resource which could encourage and facilitate both course development in the field of media analysis and design as well as applied media research projects in the School of Communication. Over the years, the lab has been used for many research projects by both undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty members and sessional instructors. Additionally, MAL has helped create teaching materials and provided support for courses in the media analysis stream [including 363, 223, 323, 320, 421] which have made extensive use of the lab facilities. We have also developed new courses on digital and interactive media design for social communication [286, 386 and 486] have enhanced the applied communication and production opportunities available to our students.

Mandate:
The Media Lab has an ongoing mandate to analyze the variety of production paradigms that are developing due to the emerging digital video technology.There is also an emphasis on the production of diverse media within a multi-format andcross-platform production facility. Continual monitoring of developments in both hardware and software formats as well as digital asset management and archive processes keeps the lab up-to-date with industrial video production practices.

 

 

 

Projects can be found in the Archive or by using the search below