FILM and VIDEO PRODUCTION I – COMM 631 Fall 2009, Fri. 8:30Am to 11:10Am Classroom: MPC 100
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FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION I – COMM 631 Fall 2009, Fri. 8:30am to 11:10am Classroom: MPC 100 Professor: Maggie Burnette Stogner Office hours: Wed. 1–4pm, Fri. 11:30-2:30, and by appointment Office: Mary Graydon Center, Room 321 Tel. 202-885-2160 Email: [email protected] Graduate Teaching Assistant: Kafi Kareem, Final Cut Pro Lab – Room 312 MGC Final Cut Pro-HD Workstations Mon.-Thurs. 10am to 11pm, Fri. 10am to 5pm; Sat.-Sun. 12pm to 5pm Technical Services – Room 314 MGC Tel. (202) 885-2053 (questions about technology in general) Media Production Center Geoff Turner, (202) 885-2092, Equipment Room Manager, Media Production Center New Media Center, 2 nd Floor, Hurst Building Inclement Weather - If you have any doubts about whether or not the university is open and the class will be held, call 202-885- 1100 for the latest information. ***************************************************************** ************ COMM-631: COURSE DESCRIPTION This introductory course is designed to provide hands-on opportunities to learn basic filmmaking skills, including story development, production planning, digital videography, directing, lighting, non-linear editing, and sound design. Through lecture, screenings, in-class demonstrations, reading assignments, and hands-on projects, students will learn to create aesthetically and technically proficient digital video productions. Students will work in small production teams and share responsibilities for planning, executing and completing course projects and assignments. There will accordingly be a heavy emphasis on teamwork. As with most production courses, the workload for this course will be more than a typical 3-credit class. REQUIRED TEXTS (all in bookstore) Visual Storytelling: Videography and Post Production in the Digital Age By Ronald Osgood and M. Joseph Hinshaw, ISBN: 978-0-534-63792-7 Writing Short Films, 2 nd edition By Linda J. Cowgill, ISBN: 1-58065-063-5 A Final Cut Pro user manual Additional articles and texts handed out in class throughout the semester. RECOMMENDED TEXTS Shot by Shot Art and Aesthetics of Filmmaking, by John Douglass A Short Introduction to Documentary , by Pat Aufderheide REQUIRED PRACTICUM You are required to take a Final Cut Pro editing practicum for this course. REQUIRED SUPPLIES >Digital Tapes (Mini DV): You will require four or five 60-minute Mini DV cassettes. These can be purchased from the Equipment Room as needed. >External Discs: You will need to store your media on an external drive, such as a FireWire Media Drive, at least 120 Gigabytes. This will allow you to backup and protect your projects, as well as edit them on and off-campus on any computer running a compatible version of Final Cut Pro. i.e. LACIE “160GB Porsche External FireWire Hard Drive ” available for $150 from most mail order outfits. >DVDs for making dubs of your projects. >Audio Headsets: You’ll need a good set of audio headsets for field sound recording and for use in the Final Cut Pro lab. The Sony Studio Monitor Series Headphones Model MDR-V300 for $30- 50/pair are a good value. CRITICAL: Editing in the digital world means you need to SAVE, BACKUP, and KNOW WHERE YOU SAVED ALL OF YOUR WORK Other items you may find helpful for this class (but not required): 1 “Grip” bag 1 roll gaffers tape (AU Equipment Room or elsewhere) $18 1 canned air (Dominion Camera, Penn Camera, Barbizon) $8 1 camel hair brush (Dominion Camera, Penn Camera, Barbizon) $4 1 packet lens tissue (Dominion Camera, Penn Camera, Barbizon) $5 1 bottle lens cleaning fluid (Dominion Camera, Penn Camera, Barbizon) $5 2 marking pens (Sharpies – extra fine point) $2 1 small flashlight (Maglight) $20 1 pair of heavy leather or gaffer gloves $8 1 pocket knife or multi-tool $50 gel & diffusion sheets (R&R Lighting, Washington Source, Barbizon) $5ea. 1 roll of black wrap for lights (R&R Lighting, Washington Source, Barbizon) $20 1 pkg. of clothes pins (anywhere) $5 Production Equipment Online Sales • www.studiodepot.com • www.markertek.com • www.bhphotovideo.com • www. jr .com American University’s Media & Filmmaking Centers: CENTER FOR SOCIAL MEDIA www.centerforsocialmedia.org CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FILMMAKING http://environmentalfilm.org/ LIBRARY AND SOC MEDIA CENTER RESOURCES www.library.american.edu/about/media/index.html The following resources are available to all AU students with valid I.D.: • 5,000+ movie titles on VHS, laser disc, and DVD are available for student viewing in the library. The collection is housed in the Media Resources section of the library on the basement level. • • A 500+ title movie script collection is also housed in the library. Scripts from many classic and contemporary films can be checked out. The collection is in the stacks on the second floor of the library. Additionally, the SOC Media Center (Mary Graydon Center, third floor) has additional script titles in a smaller collection. These scripts are available for checkout through the SOC Media Center Coordinator. • Two sound effects collections on CD are available for student use in the Media Resources Section of the Library. These are the BBC Sound Effects Collection and the Hollywood Edge Collection. Students are allowed to listen to any CD’s at the library and can check at up three discs at a time for up to six hours. This should be ample time to capture the CD’s as Final Cut Pro media files. • Music Library at Katzen Performing Arts Center. AU FILM/VIDEO LISTSERVE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! The AU listserve is a valuable resource for any student interested in pursuing film and video more in depth. Screenings and events are posted as well as job openings in the field. To sign on to the list serve, send an email to: [email protected] and write in the body of the memo (don't write anything else!): subscribe AUFILM-L You will receive a confirming email from the system and you must respond to it to confirm you want to be on. So keep an eye out for it for the next day or so after you log on. To post to the listserve, send an email to: [email protected]. Please exercise good list etiquette: Remember when responding to something on the list to respond to the individual who posted the message. If you just hit your REPLY button, your response will go out to everyone. If you have any problems, contact the help desk at (202) 885-2550 or http://help.american.edu . Also, if you want to sign off from your old email, send a similar message from that email to [email protected] and put "unsubscribe AUFILM-L" in the body. CLASS POLICIES Assignments: There will be a detailed information sheet distributed for all assignments, projects, written work, etc. The information sheet will include a description of the assignment and the DUE date. If you have any questions about an assignment be sure to speak with the professor before the assignment DUE date. Late Work: Unexcused late work will be penalized ½ grade for each day passed the DUE date. Incompletes: According to SOC policy, a grade of “I” incomplete may be given to a student who because of circumstances beyond his or her control was unable to complete the course during the semester. The grade of incomplete may only be given if the student is receiving a passing grade for the course work completed. Arrangements for incompletes must be made in advance of the final exam. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. If you anticipate missing more than 2 classes this semester please speak with the professor before signing up for the course. Issues: If you have any conflicts, issues, problems that may interfere with your performance in this class, please talk with the professor as far in advance as possible. A note about participation, effort and professionalism In the business of video and film production, most learning undoubtedly will come through hands-on experiences. Trial and error is a great teacher and your experiences may not always be pleasant when faced with the pressures of deadlines, working with new equipment, and learning to work with others. In light of this, a big emphasis will be placed on personal effort, respect for your classmates, class participation, and a professional attitude that is collaborative, not competitive. Grading Policy : • The grade of A is awarded for excellence, the very best work in the class. An A student turns in all work on time with consistently very high standards of quality, creativity, and original thinking. This person produces outstanding products and performs exceptionally in presentations and critiques. • The grade of B is awarded to students who have turned in all work on time, and consistently completed work in a high quality manner. The work shows creative thinking, extra effort, and care in presentation. This person has demonstrated knowledge that surpasses the basic material and skills of the course. • The grade of C is earned when all class work is turned in and the student has mastered the basic material and skills of the course. This person participated in class and demonstrated knowledge of the basic material and skills. This is the average grade in the class. • The grade of D or F is given for work that is incomplete, late, and/or does not demonstrate mastery of the basic material and skills of the course. Grading Scale: A+ 98-100 B+ 88-89 C+ 78-79 D 60-69 A 94-97 B 84-87 C 74-77 F Below 60 A- 90-93 B- 80-83 C- 70-73 If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, please don’t hesitate to consult with me. In addition to the resources of the department, a wide range of services is available to support you: Academic Support Center (885-3360, MGC 243) offers study skills workshops, individual instruction, tutor referrals, and services for students with learning disabilities.