Video+Intern+Assignments

Video Intern Assignments
If you are in this class, that means you have been hired as a producer for the Spartan Video Production House.

A Peaceful Spot:

 * Length:** 2 min.
 * Points:** 300 (final video: 200, written work 100)
 * Overview:** Please create a two-minute film that showcases a physical location where you do or could go to find peace. This should be a very descriptive documentary. Please include the following elements:
 * Video:** Careful and deliberate long, medium, and closeup shots of the location, shot with a tripod.
 * Editing:** Compile these clips in a meaningful way that flow with your music and your voice-over.
 * Music:** Select or compose non-copywritten or original music that suits the theme and feel of your film. This must be instrumental only...no words or lyrics.
 * Voice-Over:** You must narrate your film, giving meaningful and artistic words that match your images. Make sure that your music and voice-over are well balanced.
 * Titles:** Begin with a Title Card using a simple font that states your title, and "A short film by Your Name." White font on black background. Fade up from the black to the title, freeze for five seconds, fade back to black, and finally fade back up to your two-minute film. End this film in the exact same way.


 * Written Requirements:** Create a blog post entitled: //A Peaceful Spot//. Please write a 250 word description of a location that you visit when you need to find some peace. Be very descriptive, including all the minor and major details.
 * Shot List:** Create a blog post entitled: Peaceful Shot List. Please list all shots that you are planning to include in this short film, which showcase your peaceful spot.
 * Voice-over Script:** After you have captured your footage, and edited it to length, write a 100-second voice-over to accompany your footage.

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Production Company Stamp
Since you have now been hired to work for the Spartan Video Production House, you must have your own corporate identity that you can stamp on the end of your feature videos. Your stamp must be exactly 3 seconds long, and must have the following features: 1. Still or animated graphic 2. Company name 3. Music and/or sound effect A successful project will be catchy, clever, and representative of your company name. This stamp should make people want to contact you because they recognize your creative genius.
 * Length:** 3 sec.
 * Points:** 100
 * Written Requirements:** Create a blog post describing your corporate stamp, explaining why this will be a catchy and attractive company logo.

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 * Examples:**

**Spartan Edition Stills**
This is an assignment you can use as filler for any down time you might experience while working on your other projects. I would like you to create 10 still frame images using Photoshop, which will appear in a looping slide show on Channel 89. I would like you to take an original image that might have natural text (e.g., a milk truck, a billboard, a street sign, etc.), and in some clever and creative way add the text: Spartan Edition Channel 89. The photo must be 720 pixels by 480 pixels and saved as a jpeg.
 * Points:** 100

Dark and Stormy Night:

 * Points:** 100
 * Length:** 2-3 min.
 * Overview:** This traditional Video Intern assignment challenges you to take the somewhat corny spooky novel opening, "It was a dark and storm night..." and turn this into a short video.

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My Favorite Class
In class each producer will randomly pick a teacher's name from a hat. It is then that producer's job to locate a student who would pick that teacher and one of his/her classes as "My Favorite Class." The producer will interview that student and assemble footage of that student participating in the class. Note: this is a documentary feature designed to promote and recognize great classes at TJ. You will be displaying the following skills in your production: 1. Using copyright-free music that fits the subject (homemade or from [|Free Play Music.com]) 2. Creating a movie in Final Cut Express 3. Using industry standard videography techniques (thoughtful composition, skilled camera work [use a tripod!], quality sound, etc.) 4. Informative interviewing skills 5. Assembling effective and relevant B-roll footage 6. Using text effectively 7. Ability to tell a story without narration Evaluation: A successful project will have a mass student and teacher appeal, capture the essence of the selected class on which you are focusing, and uses all seven of the above criteria in your project. Only those projects selected for publication on the Spartan Edition will receive "A"s. Here are some examples of recent student work with this project. While certain elements of these projects can be improved, they generally serve as good examples of what I am expecting: [|My Favorite Class: Stage Craft] [|My Favorite Class: Yearbook]
 * Points:** 100
 * Length:** 90 sec.
 * Written Requirements:** One paragraph overview of the proposed video, five interview questions, shot list. After the project is complete, a one page self critique essay (form will be provided).

Mash-Up
As discussed in class, we have decided that our general topic will be **Science**. Here is a timeline and the requirements for this project: 1. September 23 - September 30: Browse the [|Prelinger Archives] during class and find clips that stimulate your imagination and help you to form an overall concept for your film. Your projects can be documentary, fiction, or simply works of audio/visual artistic impressions. 2. Due Tuesday, October 5: Write a 250 word concept paper that describes exactly what your project will be, and how it relates to the theme. 3. October 5 - October 14: Create a clip list and download all of your clips ( MPEG2 if available or if not MPEG1 or the other largest file format available ) and convert them to Quicktime Movies using MPEG Stream Clip software. 4. October 15 - November 5: Edit your project, create your soundtrack, and export to Quicktime. 5. November 8 - November 12: Group critiques and feedback for all projects. 6. November 15 - December 2: Make revisions and improvements based on feedback. 7. December 3: Final drafts due. As Mr. Edelman stated, these projects will be judged by industry professionals, and cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Have Fun! Here's an example: media type="custom" key="6995171"
 * Points:** 300
 * Length:** 3-6 min.
 * Overview:** Thanks to guest speaker Larry Edelman, we have been introduced to the "Mash-Up" concept: taking copywrite-free video clips from an archive and repurposing them to suit our own designs. In short, taking someone else's [|ephemeral] footage - most likely from a variety of sources - mashing it up, and creating something entirely new from it. [**Note**: You are also permitted to mix some original footage with clips downloaded from the archives, if it enhances the continuity of the project.]

Feature News Package
Points: 300 Length: 3-4 min. Overview: As shown by our presenter, CBS4 News Reporter (and former Spartan Edition Reporter) Dominic Garcia, you are going to make a feature news package about something happening in the TJ Community. We will complete this project in groups of two: Producer & Directer. However, each student must produce his/her own feature. So, for each group of two there will be two projects completed. Your project must contain all of the following elements: 1. A stand-up (on-camera) reading of a news script introducing the subject. 2. Relevant and professional B-roll footage. 3. Continuous voice-over during B-roll footage. 4. One Primary Source Interview 5. One or more Secondary Source Interviews. 6. On-camera wrap-up.

Complete the Feature News Package Worksheet:

Here are some examples: http://denver.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6277542 http://denver.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6555871

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