2012 Spring Syllabus
Lake Forest High School
New Media Production
Spring 2012
Instructor
Steve Douglass
Course Overview
This class will teach you how to tell stories visually, in a hands-on way that allows you to make people think, laugh or cry through the video production process. We will critique current media to better understand how story elements affect you as a viewer and producer of media. You will then have the tools to create your own meaningful creative media based on your new media literate understanding of how stories are told in our postmodern world.
Big Ideas and Goals:
We have now gone tapeless. We use the very latest platform for visual storytelling- FCPx and the Digital SLR. We are blessed. We have a professional level studio that provides the opportunity to tell compelling stories to our school community through www.lfhsnewmedia.com. Now with over 50,000 viewers with over 12,000 being unique viewers, clicking through over 150,000 times. We continued to build the digital portfolio process that helps students get into the top films schools in the nation. We continue to take part in the dual credit program with CLC, offering 4 free credits of college credit for A and B quality work. A lot of cool things are happening, if you want to take advantage of it.
Materials Needed
- You will need at least 1 SDHC card for your personal projects by the end of January. We don't have a book, so this is the only class cost, unless you're late with equipment. You can buy SD cards (Class 6 minimum to work well in the cameras) in the bookstore at a substantially discounted rate- we buy them in bulk and give you the discount.
- I would suggest buying an External drive to store your video, take home to work and keep all of your work during your years in New Media. This enables you to continue to work and develop your projects as you grow more in your understanding of Final Cut Pro and Adobe software packages.
More Words o Wisdom…
- Please come in with clear expectations for what you want to get out of this class, yourself and me as an instructor…it will make your time investment much more enjoyable. If you need help, I’m available around my office- or just email me.
- Personally check out every piece of equipment with Mr. Douglass because you’re financially responsible for all school equipment you check in/out- LATE FEES for equipment will be strictly enforced because we have a very limited amount of expensive equipment we need to keep track of so everyone can use it. EACH LATE CAMERA WILL BE A $5 FINE.
- Challenge yourself to expand your ideas, if you come with something your passionate about, and you develop it well… I want to help you to make it happen.
- There are plenty of places to get involved to help clarify your passion, please be proactive and ask about live shoots, Scout Stories, independent projects, cross curricular projects, helping out Advanced and CP projects…
Telecom 1- 6
Tentative Course Schedule--Check class site for details from each project.
DATE TOPIC
Week 1 Introduction to Media Literacy—
Talent Show Comedy – writing, shooting and editing
Week 2 Understanding the Production Process
Week 3 How to: Field Production
Shooting the New Spirit week
Week 4 How to: Field Production
Week 5 How to: Field Production
Week 6 How to: Studio Production
The Yearbook Class Project- shooting and editing
Week 7 How to: Studio Production
Teacher Interview Project
Week 8 How to: Editing with Interview project
Week 9
End of 1st quarter
Week 10 Finishing Interview project
AP= Advanced Independent Project
CP= Music Based Video Project
Week 11
1st= Music Video Project
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
End of the 2nd Semester *CP/AP projects
Telecom 2 and beyond- College Prep and Advanced Projects
College Prep (CP):
Shorter projects, averaging 4 weeks, are designed for students to be challenged at a high level, with minimal outside of class time needed, so they can grow in all aspects of the production process including: planning, shooting and editing. Project objectives include organization, responsibility with deadlines, working independently and within a team.
Students can choose CP projects and when they show consistent mastery, which will be determined by receiving an A for the complete project (pre-production, production and post-production). After two CP projects they will be given the opportunity to jump up to the Advanced Project.
Student taking on the CP projects will be responsible for 2 Live Production Shoots where they will take leadership by taking one of the key camera positions or directing the shoot.
Advanced Projects (AP):
Students who have mastered CP projects by receiving an A for the completed project will be given the opportunity to take on an Advanced Project which will challenge them with their time management, creativity and production ability. The student will be responsible for 3 Production Shoots where they will either Direct or work in the Control room to lead the crew.
This project-based curriculum will be structured around specific production skills that will prepare students for the Film School application process. Each project will include: Writing, Directing, Cinematography, Producing and Editing. Projects are expected to be of the quality to be shown on lfhstele.com, lfhs.org and on the LCDs around school. These will build their digital portfolio for college through the inclusion of all aspects of the production process (script, digital storyboards, production calender, rough cut, rough draft and final draft).
Teaching Assistants:
Experienced students in each class period will have the opportunity to volunteer to be a Teachers Assistant for their class and the program. These students will selflessly MODEL intrinsic motivation in their planning and development of their individual, group and live projects ideas. They lead their peers by example, demonstrating professionalism through every step of the production process with the ultimate goal of creating powerful visual storytelling.
For this program:
- Students will co-facilitate a media literacy based discussion for the class at least once each semester centering around creative visual storytelling they find particularly profound, interesting or constructive for class discussion.
- Work directly with 1st Semester students to help teach Final Cut Pro, direct ideation and the actual Studio Production and model on location shooting and directing for the music based project.
- Lead individual 1st Semester students through commenting on their Digital Portfolio
- Learn Final Cut Pro through watching additional How To videos to gain enrichment
- TAs receive a custom recommendation for college, gap year or career
- Access to Final Cut Pro while enrolled as a TA in the New Media Program
- They get a really great New Media t-shirt at BOT the Friday night before Memorial Day
Talent Show Comedy Shorts-
Assignment: Create a compelling comedy short that is relevant to the Talent Show audience. These shorts need to make your audience, of 8-88 year olds, from our community laugh.
Due: 4- 30 second pieces that can stand alone and collectively tell a 2 minute story that is relevant and funny. The creative writing and production values need to be extremely strong to effectively communicate your humor in a short amount of time.
Goal: To understand the complexity, detail and timing needed to produce excellent humor. To take the conventions we see in past successful productions and produce a unique idea that is appropriate and acceptable for the Talent Show moms.
Pre- Production Process:
Wednesday January 18- Introduce project and brainstorm ideas
Thursday January 19- Watch through the first 40 minutes of Moneyball
Friday January 20- Watch and discuss comedies that made the show last year
Monday January 23- Watch and discuss Moneyball in the DMT
Tuesday January 24- Watch and finish up Moneyball in the DMT
Wednesday January 25- Watch through behind the scenes features and work on comedy TPP for Friday
Thursday January 26- Work on ideas in class
Friday January 27- Topic/Pitch/Proposal Due at the beginning of class-
Monday January 30- Work on scripting ideas in class
Tuesday January 31- Scripting/Shot Sheet
Wednesday February 1- Production Schedule
Production Process:
Thursday-Friday February 2-3: Production time in class for shooting based on Production Schedule
Post- Production Process:
Monday February 6- Critique Super Bowl commercials
Tuesday February 7- Editing
Wednesday February 8- Editing
Thursday February 9- Rough Cut Due with Mr. Douglass
Friday February 10- Media Literacy critique in class
Tuesday February 14- - Editing
Wednesday February 15- Editing
Thursday February 16 Rough Draft Due for peer critique
Friday February 17- Media Literacy critique in class
Monday February 20- Editing
Tuesday February 21- Final Project Due to the Server
Wednesday February 22- Final Critique in the DMT
Rubric-
Topic/Pitch/Proposal— 25 points
Scripting/Shot Sheet-- 50 points
Production Schedule— 25 points
Rough Cut in Google Site-- 25 points
Rough Draft peer critique in Google Site- 25 points
Final edit due on time-- 100 points
TOTAL PROJECT 250 Points