Communication 3560 - 001
Video Production I Course Syllabus
Fall 2014
Class meeting: M, W / 10.45 AM – 12.40 PM LNCO 2750
Instructor: Penchan Phoborisut
Office Hours: after class and by appointment
Office: LNCO 2930
Email:
(Email is the quickest way to reach the instructor. Do not send a private message on Canvas)
Recommended Books:
Zettl, Herbert. Video Basics 7. (Seventh Edition) Wadsworth. 2013.
Mick Hurbis-Cherrier. Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production. Focal Press. 2007.
Objectives:
1) To demonstrate fluency in video production terminology.
2) To apply visual communication and photography skills in video production properly.
3) To understand fundamentals of the production process.
4) To demonstrate knowledge of the production team and the duties and responsibilities of each crew position.
5) To demonstrate knowledge of the aesthetics of video production.
6) To effectively produce, direct and edit a program from conception to completion.
Class Procedure:
This course consists of both individual and team projects. It requires commitment from team members and extra hours beyond class time. Everyone is encouraged to have an active role in each assignment. When selecting team members, try to find people who share similar schedule or free time to work on the projects. Details of each assignment can be found in this syllabus and Canvas.
Facility and Equipment
The department will provide HD cameras (primarily the Panasonic AG-HMC 80P). You need to purchase an SD card. Make sure you look for an SDHC speed class 6 or above (4-32 GB). SDXC Memory Cards CANNOT be used with this camera. You may need to have an external hard drive to save your project files in case you want to edit on multiple editing suites. The editing suites are available at the following locations:
Telecommunication Lab: www.communication.utah.edu
J. Willard Marriott Library – Student Computing Labs: www.sci.utah.edu/mmc_sci/index.html
Since the equipment and facility are shared by other classes, students should plan your production and check with the Telecomm Lab. It is important that students save their projects properly into their hard drives, otherwise, it can be impossible to edit on multiple editing suites.
Grading Scale
100-94 A 86-84 B 76-74 C 66-64 D
93-90 A- 83-80 B- 73-70 C- 63-60 D-
89-87 B+ 79-77 C+ 69-67 D+ 59-0 E
Course Evaluation:
Professional Attitude 5%
Quizzes 11%
Midterm 10%
In class exercises 14%
Production Assignments 60%
Professional Attitude (5%)
Students are expected to come to class on time. In the professional world, you are expected to complete and turn in your work on the due dates, check and return equipment on time and treat the Telecom Lab staff with professional manner.
Quizzes (11%)
There are quizzes online or at the end of the class. These are easy multiple choices, short answer or fill in the blank questions.
Camera Exercise Assignment (5%)
Students are to shoot the following shots and camera movements in the following order: 1. CU with proper head room and nose room, 2. ECU then zoom out to a bust shot
3. Frame a two-person shot, zoom in to CU of one of the two. 4. WS of a person walking with proper lead room 5. Pan the person in shot no. 4. 6. Start from an object of your attention and pan either left or right to another object and leave it on for at least 5 seconds before you stop recording 7. Tilt down and leave it on for at least 5 seconds, tilt up again 8. Frame a shot with a foreground and a background 9. Frame a shot with deep depth of field 10. Frame a shot with a shallow depth of field. Editing is not required. Mark the beginning of each shot with a slate. (Download iSlate app if you have an iPhone/iPod/iPad)
Video Postcard total 10%
This 60-second project portrays a place in a variety of shots (CU, MS, WS, etc.) or with different camera movements, with or without people. The place can be a park, a playground, a church, an amusement park, an art gallery, among others.
Video Postcard Production (9%)
Composition 3%
White balance 1%
Sequences 2%
Transition 1%
Music 1%
End credit 1%
Paper:
evaluation (1%) Evaluate your performance, your team members and mention the problems that you face during the production and how you solve them. This must be submitted on canvas.
Continuity Project total 15%
This 3-minute project focuses on how you present your ideas with continuity without dialogue. Each sequence must be shot with continuity in mind.
Continuity Project (9%)
Continuity sequence 4%
Shots and composition 3%
White balance 1%
Music 1%
Papers: 6%
-Storyboard 3% Present your storyboard in class.
-Shooting script or Breakdown 1% This is a shot list that you prepare before the shooting day. Make enough copies for all your team members to communicate the shooting plan for the day.
-Remote survey 1% List locations where you will shoot your project and clear permission in advance. If there are limitations and challenges of each location, state how you will get around those challenges. If not, state why these locations are good for your production.
-Evaluation 1% Each team member must submit an individual evaluation of one's role and contribution to the project and evaluate other team members. This must be submitted on canvas.
Video Magazine Project total 15%
Video Magazine Project (10%)
Content 2%
B-rolls (variety & quality) 2%
Audio (clean & balanced) 2%
Editing (sequence) 2%
Lighting (well-lit) 2%
Papers (5%)
-Proposal (2%) Explore the possibility of a topic that appeals to college students or people your age. It can be a student who starts his own brand of jeans and selling them online or an owner of a fish spa, an avid snowboarder, among others. Set up the interview with a meaningful background and present the subject with appropriate b-rolls.
-Light plan 1% Draw a floor plan of the location where you are going to shoot your projects. Indicate the spots where you are going to put lights and camera to achieve what effect.
-Sound recording plan (1%) State your choice of microphone and audio equipment and reasons why you decide to use this equipment.
-Evaluation (1%) Each team member must submit an individual evaluation of one's role and contribution to the project and evaluate other team members. This must be submitted on canvas.
Studio Production total 15%
Record an introduction to your video magazine project in the studio. You should come up with the title of the show and a brief introduction of the video magazine you will introduce. In this project, we will have to pool resource. Two groups must be working together to complete this studio project. You might have one or two hosts of the show and introduce two video magazine projects. Bring the graphic, or your video magazine project. Everyone must be present on the shooting days.
Producing (8%)
Planning 2%
Aesthetic 2%
Managing the studio recording 1%
Working as a team 1%
Working as crew (6%)
Show up on all production days. 1% for each day you show up.
Evaluation (1%)
Extra Credit: It will be announced in class.
Production Agreement:
No real guns and firearms are allowed in filming your class projects.
Submission of Assignments
We submit all projects on YouTube. Username: .
Password will be announced in class/on Canvas.
EMAIL POLICY
This is an upper level course. We will work as colleagues in a production environment, and you are expected to address each other and the instructor in a professional manner. This includes writing professional emails with an informative subject line containing the class (COMM 3560) and a topic, a proper greeting including the name of the person addressed (e.g. Hello Penchan), and a proper closing/signature including your own full name (Thanks, Joe Smith). Spellcheck your emails! Emails that do not include greetings/closings will not receive a response.
Disability Accommodation Policy
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you need accommodation in this class, reasonable prior notice must be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Bldg, 801-581-5020 (V/TDD), http://disability.utah.edu/. CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.
Content Accommodation
The University recognizes that students’ sincerely-held core beliefs might make it difficult for students to fulfill some requirements of some courses or majors. It is the student’s obligation to determine, before the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements conflict with the student’s sincerely-held core beliefs. http://admin.utah.edu/facdev/pdf/accommodations-policy-background.pdf
Class Attendance
The University expects regular attendance at all class meetings. You are not automatically dropped from your classes if you do not attend. You must officially drop your classes by the published deadline in the academic calendar to avoid a "W" on your record. Here are useful links:
Academic Integrity: http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.html
Attendance: http://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/attend.php
Withdrawals: http://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/withdrawal.php
Incompletes: http://registrar.utah.edu/handbook/incomplete.php
Fall 2014 calendar: http://registrar.utah.edu/academic-calendars/fall2014.php
If you have to be absent from class to participate in officially sanctioned University activities (e.g. band, debate, student government, intercollegiate athletics), religious obligations, email me.
Calendar
Date / Chapter / Lecture / Activities (points)Mon, Aug 25 / Course Overview / Online syllabus quiz (1%)
Wed, Aug 27 / Zettl 2 / Production Team / Online Discussion (1%)
Mon, Sept 1 / Labor Day: No class
Wed, Sept 3 / Zettl 3, 4 / Image Formation & Digital Video, Video Camera
Mon, Sept 8 / Zettl 6 / Looking through the Viewfinder / Video Post Card Project assigned, Group Quiz (3%)
Wed, Sept 10 / Zettl 5 / Operating the Camera / Bring SD card
Camera Exercise (5%)
Mon, Sept 15 / Zettl 12 / Video Recording / Bring SD card
Shooting in sequence (2%)
Wed, Sept 17 / Premiere Pro Practice / Bring hard disk & SD card with footage (1%)
Mon, Sept 22 / Premiere Pro/Edit your postcard project / Bring hard disk & SD card with your project’s footage to edit in class
Wed, Sept 24 / Zettl 13 / Screening Video Postcard
Continuity Storytelling / DUE: Video Postcard Project (10%)
Continuity Project assigned
Merge groups
Mon, Sept 29 / Continuity Shooting in sequence / Continuity Shooting in sequence (2%)
Wed, Oct 1 / Editing continuity sequence / Edit the footage from Monday (2%)
Mon, Oct 6 / Continuity Storyboard Workshop / DUE: Storyboard (2%)
(due end of class)
Wed, Oct 8 / Midterm Examination (10%)
Preproduction: Remote survey, storyboard, breakdown / DUE: on canvas, submit files in pdf, doc or xls (3%)
Mon, Oct 13 / Fall Break
Wed, Oct 15 / Fall Break
Mon, Oct 20 / Shooting for Continuity / Online quiz on Continuity (1%)
Wed, Oct 22 / Editing Day / You must have footage to work in class. (2%)
Mon, Oct 27 / Screening: Continuity / DUE: Continuity Project (15%)
Video Magazine Project assigned
Wed, Oct 29 / Zettl 8 / Light, Color, and Lighting / Set up three point lighting (2%)
Mon, Nov 3 / Video Magazine Proposal Presentation / DUE: Video Magazine Proposal (2%)
Wed, Nov 5 / Zettl 7 / Audio and Sound Control/ Interview Technique / In class practice: three point lighting for Interview set up (2%)
Mon, Nov 10 / Editing Audio / Group quiz (3%)
Wed, Nov 12 / Zettl 14 / Screening Video Postcard Projects/
Studio Production Environment / DUE: Video Magazine Project
Sign up for positions
Mon, Nov 17 / Studio Production Demo / Practice (2%)
Wed, Nov 19 / Studio Production Planning Group 1 / Online quiz studio production (1%)
In class participation (1%)
Mon, Nov 24 / Studio Practice
Group 1 / In class participation (1%)
Wed, Nov 26 / Live on Tape Studio Production Group 1 / In class participation (1%)
Mon, Dec 1 / Studio Production Planning for Group 2 / In class participation (1%)
Wed, Dec 3 / Studio Practice
Group 2 / In class participation (1%)
Mon, Dec 8 / Live on Tape Studio Production Group 2 / In class participation (1%)
Wed, Dec 10 / Final Presentation