Final Day:

1. Set up a Podcast recording
2. Watch a movie based on a poll

Enjoy your summer!

Last School Day!

It's that time of year to answer some surveys and prepare for your final, which will be to sit back and watch a movie and have fun with friends.

And also, share the URL for your portfolio here.

So-

please take the following survey AND, in the comment section below, recommend a movie you think the entire class would love to watch during your final next week.

Thank you for being such a great and creative group of people. I have loved working with you this year and seeing your ideas take flight. I cannot wait to see what you will do next year!

Mrs. Leather

Film-Portfolio Reflection

The following writing prompts are excerpts from USCs School of Cinematic Arts, NYU's Tisch School of Film and Television, and Chapman's Dodge College Freshman Applications. Select one of the prompts below and write a 300 word response to the question or reflective essay. This is simply practice, not to be used as a final draft for college admissions. Rather, it is intended to give you some time to think about such questions and ponder possible creative answers. Even if you have no desire to attend a film school, the writing prompts are creative and reflective and will allow you to think about yourself, your learning and accomplishments. They may also be springboards you may use to shape a personal artist final statement for portfolio.

USC:

Cinematic Arts Personal Statement (please upload in PDF format under the "Forms" section)

The personal statement will be read by the Film & Television Production Admission Committee as a measure of creativity, self-awareness and vision. We are looking for a sense of you as a unique individual and how your distinctive experiences, characteristics, background, values and/or views of the world have shaped who you are and what you want to say as a creative filmmaker. We want to know about the kind of stories you want to tell. Bear in mind that enthusiasm for watching films, descriptions of your favorite films and the involvement in the filmmaking process is common in most candidates. As a result, we encourage that you focus on your individuality. Note that there is no standard format or correct answer. (1,000 words or less)

- See more at: http://cinema.usc.edu/production/firstyearprocedures.cfm#sthash.wChSOmT1.dpuf

Chapman:

Prompt: Describe something that you are passionate about. How could you use the art of storytelling to share or pursue your passion? How has this passion influenced who you are and what your goals are in life? 

Formatting: One (1) page maximum in length. 12pt. Times New Roman Font. Single-spaced okay. One inch margins.

NYU-Tisch
Part 2.  Leadership and Collaboration Anecdote - Leadership and collaboration are important ingredients for creating successful media projects.  In three hundred words or less (no more than one page, double-spaced), describe an experience in which you exercised leadership and/or took part in a productive collaboration. We're interested in both your insights into these issues and your ability to tell an engaging short story. (Save as a pdf and upload to tischfilmandtv.slideroom.com.)


-----------------------------------------


Following your 300 word writing response, using your 4 samples of collected portfolio work, reflect on the following questions and add to the document to be uploaded-upload link below.

You will also upload the document to this link.

Questions:

1. Name and describe your 4 selected works. Why did you chose the 4 samples of work for your portfolio?
2. Do you consider these 4 samples the best media arts work of your high school career?
3. In looking at this body of work, how have you grown as a media arts student? (include skills, experience, understanding of how projects are developed, audience definition). Is there a single project that best shows your growth as a student? Select and describe.
4. Using 2 pieces of work from the 4, describe how learning from one piece informed the development of another piece of work that followed?
5. What would others say (viewers who do not know you) are the greatest strengths you possess, by looking at your portfolio of work? Why? (this should be at least a paragraph)
6. What would others say (again, viewers who do not know you), are possible gaps in your skills, knowledge as related to the media arts. Identify at least 1 possible gap, or lack of skill.
7. What can you do to close that gap, enhance a skill? (at least a paragraph)
8. Select one work that was mostly individual. Discuss this project as sole creator. Is there ever a  benefit in working independently on projects?
9. Select one work and describe the process of conceptualization through implementation. How did it start? How did you complete it? What were the steps and challenges in between?
10. Based on your own experience, what can you do if a project starts to 'go south'? Do you think projects that 'go south' can be saved? How do you save a project?
11. Describe a project you have not yet created that would take your current portfolio to a higher level of personal expression and satisfaction.
12. What is the single most important thing you have learned from examining your work of the past 2 years?

Portfolio

Reminder: Upload your American Story Project to youtube, post the youtube link on this spreadsheet today so that all teachers may have access to final movies for viewing/grading.
thanks

Please use Google Sites to create a personal website for yourself. You will have today's class period as well as time next week to complete.

Click here for a tutorial

Your website should have at least:

1. Home page (About you, artist statement, areas of experience or expertise, software skills, other such as hobbies and interests). Could also include any awards or ways that you stand out from the crowd. 
2. Page that showcases work you have created, at least 2 movies (sourced from youtube) and 2 or more images. Images could be photographs, photoshop images, scanned images, artwork, etc.
3. Upload a recent resume to your website.
4. Include a section or area for recommendations (such as on Linkedin) from teachers, coaches, peers you have collaborated with, people you have been on teams with, etc).
5. A few examples of your work uploaded as pdf files, for example, this could be significant writing or analysis, math or other work that demonstrates proficiency at something or enjoyment.

Share a link with me when complete

Thank you.

Portfolio and Individual Goals

It is that time of the year to take stock in your work, this year, last year and also your Freshman year.

Respond to this blogspot with the following ideas:

1. Do you have a resume or bio you could include in a portfolio website?
2. Given that colleges normally look for 10-15 solid pieces of work in a portfolio, what media arts pieces have you created in MAP (or outside) would you feature (Make a list). Note what kind of files they are (are they images, movies, 2d, 3d or stop motion animation, photos, designs/logos/visuals, etc).
3. Write a short 1 paragraph (5-6 sentence) artist statement. An artist statement is a brief description of your goals, interests and achievements as an artist, and normally points to work in progress that support your interests. For example, you could say you are a filmmaker that enjoys working with fictional narrative and write about that. For now, this can be in draft format, and included in the blog.
4. Now that you have some ideas together, open Google drive. Look at the available apps and see 'google sites'. This week you will explore making a portfolio website using Google sites. 
5. Following your portfolio development, you will look at connecting to your portfolio using Linkedin.

--------------------------------------------

Start to think about your goals moving forward. Next week, when you have completed your portfolio and linked it to Linkedin, you will be given 2 final class weeks for planning your next media arts steps.  This will include making a short video note to next year's MAP teachers, and creating some possible outline ideas for summer media projects of your own ambition, and possible themes for next year's work.

Monday May 12th

Good Morning! Happy Monday.

Please write a blogspot response (in your comments field below, as normal) to the following question (individual response, 1 per person, this is not group response):

Reflect on the American Story project. Use at least 3 of the following reflective topics as a writing prompt:

1. How do you get from conception of an idea to a fully implemented quality movie? What are the steps along the way? What was successful for your? What improvements would you make if you had to do it again?
2. Like this year, this project has yielded extremely successful results in the past. What are the key ingredients in this project that draw student engagement, participation and desire to create a 'keeper' movie?
3. Regarding your project from this year, did you create what you would consider a 'keeper' film, something you would consider for a student portfolio? Why/why not? 
4. Is the American Story a unique story, or is it a shared story among all Americans and the world? As a writer/director of such work, who is your audience? Is it you and your friends? Is it Americans? Is it an age group within American society? Does your project extend interest to citizens of the world?
5. Why do the time honored traditions and industry standard tools such as script, shot sheet, storyboard, call sheet and schedules matter in the film, tv and video industries? What is the relationship between all of them? Why are they used? Are they all used for all productions?
6. Role play that you are directing your American Story project again, but this time, you are being paid by the hour to develop and deliver a product in a 3 week time-frame to air on a broadcast cable network. What are the first steps as a director you would do to prepare? How would you ensure success of the project?
7. If you are a student interested in applying to film school (any university), what have you learned from this American Story production experience that would be relevant to preparing a portfolio piece for application to a film program at a desirable university (this will require you to pinpoint a school, see what the 2013-14 admissions movie requirement was and use that as a starting point).
8. The most successful creative teams achieve what is called "Group Flow". This concept emerges from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's work around individual creative flow (Prof. at Claremont College, studies collaborative and creative behavior). We see group flow within the most highly successful creative environments such as Pixar, Dreamworks, Google and others. Flow is described below. After you read the description of 'flow', do you desire to work in teams in which Flow occurs? Do you desire to create spaces for yourself in which you experience creative flow? How can you create environments and relationships within members of your group to promote healthy group flow and creativity?

A particular state of heightened consciousness. He (Csikzzentmihalyi) discovered that extremely creative people are at their peak when they experience ‘a unified flowing from one moment to the next, in which we feel in control of our actions, and in which there is little distinction between self and environment; between stimulus and response; or between past, present, and future.’”

American Story Film Narrative

Lukas, Shayan, Komdean, Yosh
Parsa, Andrew, Samie
Alec, Saha, Maddy, Teddy, Alex, Addison, Noah
Maddy, Rebecca
Kate, Gonzalo, Maddy, Nate, Reilly (and Ryan who also created story panels for several groups)
Mihir, Sydney, Samir, Kevin
Tony, Trung

Tuesday, April 29th

Blogspot group questions for today:

1. Look at your schedule (Smartsheet or Excel). Are you on schedule or not? (y/n)
2. If you have fallen off schedule, why did that happen, can you get back on task, or not?
3. How complete is your project? (give some detail here through your schedule, what tasks are complete, what still needs to be done). Share an updated schedule with me today.
4. What tasks in the schedule will you prioritize for today and Thursday?
5. How will the members of your group know what they are doing today/Thursday?
6. Does everyone have access to the schedule?

Update Smartsheet or Excel, and reshare with me today for 10 participation points in time/project management.

Production Planning

Due 4/24 (end class) for the following Aeries points:

1. Final Script (most have turned this in, but include revisions, shared with shsmap2013@gmail.com 20pts
2. Shot Sheet 10 pts
3. Project Schedule (Excel or Smartsheets) 10pts
• Planning
• Script
• Shot Sheet
• Storyboard
• etc
• Production
• Casting
• Read through/rehearsals
• Production shoots
• Dailies viewing (view when material is available-do you need to reshoot???)
• Audio, selection of any newsreel or other footage
• Post-Production
• Editing
• Effects compositing
• Audio sweetening
• etc
4. Call Sheet (for extra credit) 10pts

Thursday-Team Preparation

Please take this survey. Thank-you!

Spend the rest of the class period in your groups planning for your project.

Short exit reflection will ask you to jot down concerns or areas you need support.

Thanks!

Preparing for your shoot

AGENDA:

• Shot sheets
• Call Sheets
• Project and Time Management 

Preparing for the shoot, watch this movie!

SHOT SHEETS
See handouts with examples of shot sheets.

Please read the following excellent article about preparing for a production shoot.
This article is authored by Valentina Valentini, and follows a number of indie filmmakers, including Robert Ballo, Senior Lecturer at USCs Schools of Cinematic Arts.

As individuals please respond to the following questions in a google doc to share with me at shsmap2013@gmail.com (and with your team mates):

1. “With shot lists, it’s a creative give and take as to what each person feels they need in order to cover the scene effectively to tell the story,” explains Ballo. What do you think you personally need in order to execute a shot within a scene? Are you the kind of person that needs organization and likes working from lists in an organized manner? Are you someone who likes to work more creatively open-ended? Do you fall somewhere in between the two extremes?
2. “It’s about having the shot list ready with probably a little more than you need, and then it’s about being confident and flexible enough to deviate from that,” says Ballo. What benefit might a detailed shotlist provide? What is the risk if your team follows the shot list to strictly and does not allow for creative flexibility along the way?
3. How well do you think you know your script? Do you feel that you can visualize the story in your head, in a scene by scene fashion, or not?
4. Like Ballo, Liford believes that being prepared is key. “I usually always know what I need and want going into it,” he adds. “I think it’s a good idea to go into it all with a solid plan, because that gives you room to experiment.” Do you agree with Liford? Do you believe that as a student of film still learning the ropes that being overly prepared is beneficial?
5. What is your interpretation of Mollner's description of the Scorsese or Kubrick school of filmmaking? What is Mollner really saying? It appears he says he doesn't use floor plans, but he spends much time with the script to establish visual images in his head. What does his shot list consist of, or become, rather than just a 'list of shots'? Do you feel experienced enough to approach a project in this manner?

------Once finished with the self-analysis, discuss as a group differences you may have with each other over style. Do some members like organization, while other members may prefer a more free-style approach  with lots of flexibility? How will you reconcile your different approaches to project development? 

Read this linked article for a quick and simple explanation of blocking a shot. Discuss blocking your shots with your group. This requires you to determine shot type, camera angle, position and movement of actors, lighting, and stage set up with props. Take your most complex shot within a scene and discuss how you will block and stage the shot within your group. Be prepared to discuss your ideas with Mrs. L.

CALL SHEETS 
Look at these samples. 
Lost
James Bond
Roswell (Fox Television)
Template

Call sheets are an essential part of professional productions, Film, TV, Commercial, Music Videos etc. Based on looking at the example call sheets answer the following within your groups:

1. How do you think a Call Sheet benefits productions, both large and small? 
2. How is a call sheet different than a Shot List?
3. Discuss with your group if a call sheet would help you manage your production or not? List one way in which you might find a call sheet useful, you can use a provided sticky for idea collection and sharing.

SCHEDULE

Google App-watch demonstration. Director should start to fill out and finalize Thur, end of class. Share with group and teacher (shsmap2013@gmail.com).

Assignments due Thursday April 18th, end of period

1. Final script shared with me (shsmap2013@gmail.com)
2. Shot sheet-defining scenes, shot within scene, cam angle, movement, notes/comments (For our purposes, include location and actors in shot sheet if you do not intend to use a call sheet. If using a call sheet, you can put locations and actors in the call)
3. Storyboard panels for specific scenes
4. Call sheet-consider whether useful for your production. Create at least 1 call sheet, simple format, for some important aspect of your movie. (This could be the scene with inciting incident,  as example).
5. Schedule of production backward planning from Fishbowl. Include:

• Planning
• Production (all production shoots-break this down into as much detail as possible, listing all shoots required)
• Research, sourcing material to be used in movie
• Editing
• Effects or Animation (if needed)
• Audio editing
• Integration of audio
• Final Render
• Assign roles and dates work will be done.
• Identify days that are light and days that are heavier in terms of workload. What can be done on lighter days to keep the project moving forward.
• Every class period needs an assignment for each student in your group. If you cannot do this, there are too many people in your group.
• Assign dependencies (as in, editing is dependent upon what, what must the editor have to perform that job?)

Story Pitch Cont., peer/self evaluation

Agenda:

1. Form Groups
2. Select Story Pitch to use
3. Plot your story in the way Vince Gilligan's writers team would do it (completed and checked off by end of period)
4. Analyze your plot in terms of Truby's Seven Keys below (google doc, upload in the Story Pitch Folder on the Google Drive, end of period)
5. Fill in team chart on google drive linked here
6. Open your google drive-locate the Google App called Smartsheet and add it to your Google Drive Create options
7. Scripts must be complete when you return from Spring Break. You will upload final scripts the Monday you return from break. On Monday we will learn Smartsheet and you will create a schedule for film development from production through post production, and preparation for Smash'n!
8. Ample time will be given in class for planning and editing. The assumption is that most shooting will be done outside of class time. When you return I will have a schedule posted for days you will use class time for making your movie. Between now and the end of the year you will also be watching movies, analyzing story, production, post-production technique. You will also be learning project management skills you can apply to future projects in all classes. 
9. No Cel Phones, no working on homework. 

Let's take a look at Script Structure by looking at this informative website

You will fill out a story board, such as Vince Gilligan's writers use for Breaking Bad. This board will provide a structure for your story and act as a visual outline. Remember this is a written board (this is not a drawn storyboard). You will begin with teaser or hook, include 3 acts, inciting incident that starts the main conflict, escalate conflict, resolution, descending conflict. Remember as you are plotting your story, how do we get the character's backstory? How do we come to identify and empathize with your character? When do we feel concern for your character? When do we first meet the obstacle or antagonist? Once you have your structure, you can focus on making scenes that are memorable, full of impact. You can also dive into your character's motivations, external and internal, exposing them scene by scene through the story arc.

Truby's Seven Key as analyzed in House by Mark McBride:

1. Weakness and need: a hero with a weakness (think of TV’s House…his bum leg, his arrogance, his social dysfunction) and a need (House needs to know he can love and be loved) 2. Desire: the backbone of the story that drives the hero (House must solve the case and prove his intellect)…notice that the desire, the want, isn’t the same as the “need”
3. Opponent: this character, often the antagonist, must go against the protagonist by wanting the same thing (House has a lot of different opponents–Foreman, the hospital rules, the patient who lies, even the disease)
4. Plan: heroes who want something need a plan of action (House figuring out how to beat the disease)
5. Battle: when the story boils to a crisis (House arguing with the other doctors, the patient almost dying….cut to commercial!!!)
6. Self-revelation: here the hero realizes what he wanted wasn’t what he needed…..I want to say this again, The hero wants something (with House, e.g., to prove reason trumps love) but he realizes that what he wanted wasn’t what he needs (cue alone time with dramatic music, House looking somber)
7. New equilibrium: with the new knowledge the world changes for the character (House sometimes doesn’t change, but he has,–e.g., he stops taking vicodin or reaches out to Wilson in an act of friendship)

(from: The Seven Key Steps of Story Structure)


Resources:
Syd Field
Blake Snyder-Save the Cat (Awesome site about screenplays, scriptwriting)
Peter Dunne-Emotional Structure
Drew Yanno-Constructing the ending

(Completed):

1. Pitch stories
2. Peer review of 4 pitches using document comments, use the 5 prompts below for each review. You will review each person at your table and one other script you find interesting or great that you want to give input to. You must peer review those at your table + 1
• Does the logline give you enough information about the story in terms of who the hero is, the hero's goal, and finally an overview or understanding of the conflict? (More than yes / no - if it does, describe your understanding of the conflict)
• Do you connect with the protagonist in terms of the kind of character proposed, the internal and external motivation, other? Why?
• Is the conflict presented universal in nature? Do you think you will be able to empathize with the emotions presented in the film as a result of the conflict? Will you care, or not? If not, why?
• Is the history presented at this point with clarity-do we know time and location? Site the time/location of the story?
• Is there any book, movie, television show, or short that has gone before with success that has influenced or inspired this work? Does it remind you of anything?
3. Nominate 3 stories to fund as you act as a producer - give votes to Mrs. L. We will discuss the qualities seen in the 3 top voted for pitches.
4. Write reflectively about the strength of your story- what are your next steps? Do you find a team to help you envision it? Do you scrap it and start over? Do you see modifications you should make? Please download the linked sheet and then upload back to the Story Pitch Folder.

Story Pitch & Character

Please upload all pitches here

Please answer the blog response question below:

With regards to character motivation and goals, there are the character's internal goals that may be included in the plot backstory. But the character also has an external goal.  In the case of breaking bad, the character's internal goals are driven by the fact that he has cancer, is cash-poor and needs a quick way to provide for the long term financial security of his family. His external every day goal however is much different. These goals transform this character from a standup guy with morals and values to compromising his values for the sake of his family.

Select a character from a book, play, movie or tv show and describe the internal and external goals that drive the main character. Do these goals transform the character over time?


--------------------------

Story Pitch Feedback:
1. Clear logline that includes hero (protagonist), goal and obstacle.
2. Backstory gives the audience an idea of the hero's life up until the beginning of the conflict.
3. Character is well presented, we understand hero's internal and external goals and how these goals may transform the character as the character faces challenges within the overall plot.
4. Conflict is presented with clarity.

Loglines, Pitch

Please download this file to read and follow in class today.

Please download this file to write loglines today

Planning for last project

1. What do you think it takes to make a good movie?

2. How do you think you will write your script? Watch

2. How important is it that the final movie reflects the original idea or plan? Watch

3. How can you prepare best for your movie, once you have a script? Watch 

3. The writing process and previsualization Watch (or read)

4. What do you think you can do to best direct your movie? Watch 

Private reflection/exit ticket:

1. What is your goal for the final map project of the year? (Ex. could include, 'I want to make a keeper movie for my portfolio', 'I have a certain story that I want to tell', 'I want to find a story to tell and create it', 'I want to win at SmashN', 'I want to prove something to myself, and that is...', 'I want to use this project as a prelude to making a movie for college entrance, as a way to practice making a good movie that turns out as I expect'

Please write your response and hand in to Mrs. L

NOTE: Please bring the camera you plan to use for production tomorrow to class for practice and time to gain mastery of production skills. If you need to get a camera from the library please do so, or bring your camera from home. You will be given time to gain more mastery over your production process.

Film School Application Movies (Students accepted, USC or NYU)
NYU Tisch/USC
USC
Chapman
Chapman
Chapman
Chapman 
Chapman
Chapman (rejected)
Chapman (rejected)

Chapman: Visual Storytelling Assignment
Look at Chapman FTV 130; Intro to Visual Storytelling

Gump Reflections

As students of media, language and history, please reflect on the following questions in a google doc and share with me at shsmap2013@gmail.com.

This should be at least a 2 page response.

1. What can you learn from Forrest Gump about the relationship between history and story in this stellar movie?
2. This movie has some interesting symbolism? What might the box of chocolates represent, or the feather, or the people sitting with him at the bus stop? Can you think of other symbolism in the movie?
3. What do you think the production crew responsible for filming the movie had to take into consideration during the shoot in particular for the scenes involving Lt. Dan without legs, Forrest meeting Pres. Kennedy, and Forrest on the Dick Cavett show with John Lennon?
4. What can you learn about camera movement, angle and depth of field from the movie?
5. What challenges would you have if you had to shoot an actor over green screen to composite into historical footage for use in your movie? What might be the steps? (take an educated guess).
6. What are the emotional highs and lows of the movie?  (name at least 3). 
7. Do you think this movie script followed a 3 act structure, or does the script break the 3 act structure? If it breaks the rule, what then is the structure of the script?
8. Why does the audience stay with this movie? What about it hooks the viewer and keeps the viewer tuned in wanting more?

Monday-DSLR, and camera settings

Please watch this movie and look at the camera note link below. Watch the movie, and answer the camera notes at the same time, the questions in the notes follow the movie. About half way through the camera notes, you will be asked to look at the camera you will use to identify ways to make the best possible video in terms of quality and style.

Camera notes-click here

Practice shooting:

Demonstrate a good shallow/narrow depth of field by:

1. Place the subject or actor against an interesting background, but one that you intend to defocus (or blur out- blur can go from slightly blurred or defocused to achieving a Bokeh look which produces magical looking almost soft bubbles in the background - very desirable, not always possible to achieve)
2. On your camera go into aperture priority mode (A), or Portrait mode if your camera has a portrait setting
3. Chose a large aperture for your aperture setting (remember, the small number is the larger opening, so F1.4-F3.5, these are letting lots of light into your camera, opening the lens). With so much light though, you risk over exposure-so we'll discuss that next. You also may experience more out of focus shots, so it is advisable to stablize your camera on a tripod, or something stable, rest against a tree, etc. If you shake just a little, you risk an out of focus image.
4. The exposure triad include aperture, shutter and ISO. Now we'll look at ISO. As aperture controls the amount of light the lens allows onto the sensor, the shutter controls the speed at which the shutter is released. Shutter speed also is a great way to achieve certain effects, such as motion and zoom blurs and the like. Shutter at high speed is also used to freeze things such as drops of water from a fountain, etc. So first, set your ISO to about 100. Remember, you can always increase ISO, but for now take it down.
5. Now Shutter-start with setting shutter to twice your frame rate as instructed in your video. If you are shooting at 24fps, then set shutter to 48, and so forth.
6. Now back up from your actor, further away (don't go over a cliff), and now zoom your lens into desirable compositional framing. Have your actor display some kind of emotion. 
7. NOW - without any mic attached to your dslr, have your actor say something (4 score and 20 years ago, for the lack of anything better). Now move up 1/2 distance to your actor, and again, record with audio. Finally, move up within a couple feet of your actor-record audio. This can be used to test the audio on your camera and see what issues you will run into with audio. For those of you with DSLRs, identify the sound input options. Can you use a boom mic if desired?

Deliverable:
Log and Transfer your series of tests
1. Depth of field shot trying to achieve cinematic film quality (24fps), with shallow depth of field (20-30 sec in length, 1080p) Simple shot, talking head is fine
2. Same shot, but with 3 different audio takes demonstrating audio quality at various distances from actor.
3. 1 experiment you have performed on this video to better understand the color correction filters in either FCE, FCP, Premiere. Be experimental, see what they do, what improvements would you like to make?
4. Taking the most inaudible of your files, using the editor of your choice, increase the volume while monitoring for introduction of noise. Increase gain, normalize and let's also look at hum reduction. This is a good time to play with those audio filters.

Upload for to the videostorage server by Thursday, end of class so we can share results.

DSLR vs. Camcorder

1. DSLR-audio. What are the audio consideration when using a DSLR. Are there advantages for audio in using a DSLR? Are there disadvantages to audio with a DSLR?
2. Pick 3 leading DLSR or HD-SLR cameras and describe the storage capability for video at HD and 1080p. Make a comparison with the storage on the Canon Vixia HG20 as example camcorder. Describe any concerns a producer might find with heat interrupting the record process.
3. What is the exposure triad and how might the aspects of exposure lead to better cinematic quality, or allow the project to achieve a more 'filmatic' look. And, finally, what is a 'filmatic' look, how would you describe it?
4. Describe the resolution and frame rate available with 3 leading DSLRs and compare that to the HG20 Canon Vixia.
5. Describe the issues a photographer/cinematographer may run into when using a DSLR in terms of focus, live view and image stabilization. Compare a DSLR to the Canon Camcorder in terms of these factors.
6. What are the benefits of using a DSLR over a camcorder such as the Canon HG20, Vixia, as used in class. What does a DSLR provide that is better? See if you can provide an example of video output that appears like film to make your point.

Final Project Preparation

Please take the time-management quiz linked here.
Score yourself. Analyze the results. What did you learn? Share your learning with a neighbor.

Please download and complete the attached paper.-completed



Resources:

Techhive-excellent overview article - focus on using DSLR cameras for video
Nikon Cinema-another excellent article, focus on Nikon HD-SLR
Recommended Cameras (DLSR) for video
Digital Camera World-Good article, also points to the challenges of using a DSLR in terms of focus, audio and more

Career Week

For the blogspot today:

You are never too young to think about the things you like to do, and to identify your skills and strengths. Do some fun and creative brainstorming in answering the following questions for today's blogspot:

1. Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
2. Where do you see yourself in 7 years?
3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Our hope is that you can start thinking about jobs and careers that might be of interest to you. Once you think about a potential career path, you can start to look at the skills and requirements of that career or job.

In class work-Linkedin
Watch a Linkedin Demo by Mrs. L

If you do not have a Linkedin Account-Set one up today!

Visit Linkedin.com and search on jobs you think sound interesting.

Use this linked doc to answer questions-please download this doc to work on during class.

Use this linked doc to do a skills match-up and reflection regarding desired skills for high-growth jobs

Feb 24 Revision week

This is the week to revise your documentary. You will have Tuesday and Thursday to make modifications in class. Although we will begin to move on next week, you will have additional time to revise and enhance your work.

For today's response (individual)
List at least 3 things you would like to modify right away with your documentary. Be specific. For example, if you have an interview with low audio, make sure you address low audio, don't say, 'fix audio'. We want to target problems to find solutions, particularly in the audio area.

When finished, get with your group and exchange ideas, review feedback.

To hand in today (group):
Printed list of revisions you would like to make to your project in list, with student assigned to each task or list item. Hand in to Mrs L.

Some of you will be doing hands on editing, After Effects or more. Others might be doing research to help find photos, track down audio solutions, find music, etc.

Finally, for the few people who do not have a specific role/task for the week, you will be assigned a Linkedin career research project to present to the class next week.

Documentary and Gilded Age

This blogspot requires an individual response. At this point, you may have an individual response to the question that may be influential in how your group perceive's the integration of history into documentary. Please provide a response per person and identify the group you are in.

Your documentary should provide a connection/link to the Gilded Age in terms of identification of a reformer, their reform and the condition leading to the reform. Identify these 3 facets of interest and how you intend to integrate them seamlessly in your documentary.

Does providing a connection to history strengthen your premise and essential question? Why/Why not?

Thursday-Goals, Tasks, Timelines

Agenda:

Goals/Tasks/Timeline Graphic Worksheet.
Pinpoint concerns
Infographics/After Effects Teams start
Scriptwriters will watch the CELTX tutorial and work on scripts.
Start B-Roll, Sound
Exit Ticket

Week Jan 27th

Tuesday
Teamwork Video-High School Animation - Shanghai, Award Winner
Self Assessment-Contributions to the project
Project Work-what contribution will you make today?

Thur Jan 23

Agenda:

Question for blog response:

What is the best way to hook your viewer in your documentary? Would you use emotion or facts? Which (emotion or facts) is more successful at evoking empathy in the viewer?

• Project To Do List 
• Skype Interviews
• Hoop Dreams-Part 1

Emotional Graph

Story Graph

1. Scripting using CELTX
2. Hoop Dreams-CELTX sample
3. Write an introduction and hook for your script, start a CELTX file that will be used to develop your script.
4. Misc:
   Photo sources-to emulate Ken Burns
   C-Span (transcript search-Trung's good idea)
   
   

Week Jan 20th

Agenda:

• Discussion of preliminary script
• Lance Armstrong Documentary Script Sample
• Interviews
• Group Worksheet-goals, tasks, accomplishments
• Rubric-Script detail 
• Review milestones for project-Scripts due week of 1/27 staggered, based on interview progress
• Discuss Mrs. Ritchie script review process

Blog Response for Tuesday:

You will write a preliminary script this week, with a final script for submission to Mrs. Ritchie beginning the following week. What do you think are the key components you already know must go in your script. List as many as you can. Work in groups. Submit 1 blog response for your entire group. 

Worksheet
Please download and fill this form out at the beginning and end of class, hand in a printed document at the end of class that outlines your goals, responsibility and achievements for the day.

Please take survey

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OfvX_-XyHQbYDXx4dUSqaOKiV4_qFTHn8LKA7Fnn5Ys/viewform

Week of Jan 6th

There is no official blogspot comment to make this week, but here is your agenda for this week:

• Review documentary guide document available online
• Review assessments related to the project:
• Planning/Analysis doc (classwork grade)
• Questions (classwork grade)
• Final Script (with a rubric for script)
• Documentary (with a rubric)
• Watch The Line
• Complete planning/analysis document as a group-upload

For web development group:

• Completed wireframes that describe the user experience and include the requirements set forth in the blogspot. (Adobe Illustrator)
• Determine coding environment (Aditya suggests Dreamweaver Code view, I agree it is fine)