Lake Forest High School
New Media Production
Spring 2013
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:
New Media is based on Failing Fasts so you can learn quickly. I want you to take risks, try to solve problems, figure things out and share your experience in our safe classroom community. We learn best from our own experiences and I want you to grow quickly- so fail fast! We get to do that on 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. 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, so take advantage of it.
Materials Needed
More Words o Wisdom…
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
Winter Classic Hockey game or Spirit Week editing
Week 4 How to: Field Production
Week 5 How to: Field Production
Week 6 How to: Studio Production
Social Media Project: Jr. High Math tutoring- producing, 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 or Vimeo re-make
Week 11
1st= Music Video Project
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
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:
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, or at least smile.
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 to your specific audience of APT Moms and then hopefully the school community.
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.
Pre- Production Process:
Wednesday January 23- Introduce project
Thursday January 24- Watch and discuss comedies that made the show last year
Friday January 25- Break down the winning comedy structure and brainstorm ideas
Monday January 28- Watch through the first 40 minutes of Moonlight Kingdom in the DMT
Tuesday January 29- Watch the middle part of Moonlight Kingdom in the DMT
Wednesday January 30- Finish Moonlight Kingdom
Thursday January 31- Work on Topic Pitch Proposal for Friday
Friday February 1- Topic/Pitch/Proposal Due at the beginning of class- for class discussion
Monday February 4- Critique Super Bowl commercials
Tuesday February 5- Work on scripting and Shot Sheet
Wednesday February 6- Production Schedule
Production Process:
Thursday-Friday February 7-8: Production time in class for shooting based on Production Schedule
Post- Production Process:
Monday February - 11 Editing
Tuesday February 12- Editing
Wednesday February 13- Editing
Thursday February 14- Rough Draft Due for peer critique
Tuesday February 19- SUBMISSION DAY FOR MOMS- by 3:30pm
Wednesday February 20- feedback from Moms and editing
Thursday February 21- editing
Friday February 22- Media Literacy critique in class
Monday February 25- Editing
Tuesday February 26- Final Project Due to the Server
Wednesday February 27- Final Critique in the DMT
Thursday February 28- clean up and upload to lfhsnewmedia.com and Intro next project
Rubric-
Topic/Pitch/Proposal— 25 points
Scripting/Shot Sheet-- 50 points
Production Schedule— 25 points
Rough Draft peer critique in Google Site- 50 points
Draft for the Moms of Talent Show 50 points
Final edit due on time-- 100 points
TOTAL PROJECT 250 Points