Assignment 2: Production Site Diagram Students will extensively detail (and diag

Assignment 2: Production Site Diagram
Students will extensively detail (and diagram) a media space of media production, distribution,
or consumption (Amoeba records, The New York Times, etc.). The approximate length of the
profile should be no less than 1250 words (ideally 1500-2000, not including citations).
The goal of the assignment is to produce a detailed understanding of a space at a physical,
operational, and social level. The reader of the piece, in other words, should be able to
understand how the space “works.” This means that it is critical that you assume the reader will have no meaningful understanding of your space, or the industry, in anything but the most
cursory and general way.
Your assignment will include:
• A material and spatial description of the space.
• At least one diagram, either spatial or conceptual, of the space.
It may include:
• An overview of the kind of commercial operations that take place there.
• How this space fits in with broader industry operations.
• Typical patterns of use (describing typical interactions in the space, procedures, norms,
and rules). This may also include a detailed “walk-through” of a typical event in the space (a
session, a workday, a performance, etc.).
• An overview of the kinds of actors (which may be individuals, but may also include
divisions, professional groups, labor classes, etc.) involved in the space, how they inhabit
the space, and what role they play operationally.
It may also include other elements (for example, a history of the space) but the assignment
should focus on active use of the space and not merely detail its origins.