TED Talk Research (Due 1/30)

The upcoming first ever TEDxCalArts conference is about Performance, Body and Presence.  In addition to short performances and live and virtual speakers from many disciplines, the conference will include two existing video TED talks that will help expand our concept of contemporary performance.  

Your mission is to mine the remarkable library of TED talks for talks that engage ideas of Performance, Body and Presence.  This may be a talk actually by an artist or performer, or it may be a talk that somehow explores an idea about one of these three keywords from a different point of view - maybe that of a scientist or philosopher or engineer.  

Once you've chosen a talk that you're passionate about, your assignment is to write two paragraphs.  The first paragraph is a short summary of the talk, with an emphasis on pitching why this talk has a unique perspective on one or more of these three themes.  You'll want to discuss the content of the talk, but also think about the effectiveness of the presentation style in the talk.  

What made it so watchable that you want to share it? 

The second paragraph will expand the talk's context.  Do some research on the speaker or artist giving the talk, or background research on the subject matter, and write about anything you discover that supports your nomination.  It might be additional biographical information you think is relevant, examples of the artist's work that were not covered in the talk, or other quotes/ideas from that artist strengthen and deepen your interest in the speaker. 

One page or less, bring two copies to class next week, Jan 30th.

Please be sure to include the name of the talk as well as the URL link to it. Be prepared to pitch the talk to your section without the video itself.