VID 101

INTRO TO VIDEO PRODUCTION

Art Institute of Atlanta

Summer 2007

 

Instructor: George King

www.georgeking-assoc.com

 

 

e-mail: gpsking@bellsouth.net

 

           My office at AIA is in Room 318

           Office Hours:  Tues: 12.00pm--2.00pm

           [Please make appointment via email—see above]

 

           Class Meets:           

            Tuesday      2.00pm—3.50pm   Room 324A

            Thursday     2.00pm—5.40am   Room 400

Course Syllabus

 

Course Title: Introduction to Video Production VID 101C

 

Course Description:

Students are oriented to the aesthetics and techniques of telling non-fiction stories through the video production process.  Lectures, readings, screenings, discussions, hands-on equipment exercises and the making of short video productions will facilitate this process.

 

Prerequisites:       None.

Course Length:   10 Weeks

Credit Value:       4.0

 

Course Competencies:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should:

·  Be familiar with creative video production process with emphasis on three stages of production: pre-production, production and post-production.

·  Have learned the basic elements involved in telling a story using the medium of television.

·  Have gained fundamental knowledge of the theories and techniques of non-fiction video production from which the student can progress to more advanced studies and projects.

·  Be familiar with the basic vocabulary of video production.

·  Know the primary controls and be able to operate the Mini-DV camcorders and nonlinear editing equipment.

·  Be able to work individually and as part of a team demonstrating technical and creative methods to shoot and edit a video sequence.

 

Textbook:  Zettl, Herbert.  Video Basics 5.  1st ed.  Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.  Belmont, CA.  2004.  ISBN:  0-534-61245-8.  In AIA Bookstore.

 

Additional materials for required reading will be made available to students as handouts.

 

School Provides: Mini DV cameras, tripods, microphones & non-linear editing facilities, plus lighting and sound recording equipment for in-class demonstrations.

 

Student Provides:  VHS & Mini DV videotapes, and CD & DVD discs at a cost of between $2 and $10 per item, and all other materials needed to complete assignments.

 

STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE CAMERAS AND EDITING SUITES FOR PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME

 

Useful Organizations to join:  IMAGE Film & Video [www.imagefv.org]

                                             Women in Film [www.wifa.org]

                                             NATAS [www.ntasoutheast.tv]

 

 

 

COURSE CALENDAR:

 

Week

Date

Class Subject & Objectives

 

 1

Tues:   7/10

 

 

 

Thur:   7/12

Introduction to the Course & Syllabus.  Tour Facilities. 

Assign Critique [My favorite movie]

Read Chapters 3 & 4 by 7/17

 

Telling a story with pictures--the language of film/video

Introduction to Mini-DV Video Camera.

                                                 

2

Tues:   7/17

 

 

 

Thur    7/19

Scripting.  Defining terms and types of scripts. 

Assign Project #1: Storyboard

Read Chapters 5 & 6 by 7/24

 

Camera Exercises.  Review camera exercises in class.

Critique due.

 

 3

Tues:   7/24

 

 

 

Thur:   7/26

Quiz 1 (Ch 3-6 + Scripting)

Read Chapter 8 by 7/31

Librarian to visit class

 

Project #1 due.  Students present storyboards in class.

Assign Project #2: Shoot/Edit Video in groups

 

4

Tues:  7/31

 

 

Thur    8/2

Read Chapter 7 by 8/14

Midterm exam prep.

 

Intro to Lighting

 

5

Tues:  8/7

 

 

Thur   8/9

 

Midterm Exam

Read Chapter 12 by 8/21

 

Intro to Audio [Field Recording & Theory]

 

6

Tues:  8/14

 

 

 

Thur   8/16

Nonlinear editing concepts

Assign Proposal for Final Project

Read Chapter 13 by 8/28

 

Intro to Editing with I-Movie

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

 

 

Tues:  8/21

 

 

Thur   8/23

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz 2 (Chapters 7,12,13 +)

Editing aesthetics.

 

Capturing Video + Edit Project # 2

Intro to Titles & Transition

Proposal for Final Project due

 

8

Tues:  8/28

 

 

 

 

 

Thur   8/30

 

Project #2 due.  Review & critique projects in class.

The business and organization of production & Roles in video production. 

Read Chapter 1 & 2 by 9/11

[N.B. Friday 9/7 last day to withdraw from class with a “W”]

 

Practical Exam.  Help with Final projects.

 

9

Tues:  9/4

 

Thur   9/6

Final Exam (Written exam based on syllabus).

 

Final Project due.  Review and critique projects in class.

 

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

 

Thur  July 19th

CRITIQUE due

Tues  July 24th

Quiz 1

Thur  July 26th

PROJECT #1 due:  Storyboard (Individual)

Tues  Aug 7th

Midterm Exam

Tues  Aug 21st

Quiz 2

Tues  Aug 23rd

PROPOSAL for Final Project due

Tues  Aug 28th

PROJECT #2 due:  1—2 min video (Group)

Thur  Aug 30th

Practical Exam

Tues  Sept 4th

Final Exam

Thur  Sept 6th

FINAL PROJECT due:  3—5 min documentary video (Individual)

 

 

 

ADVICE FROM FORMER STUDENTS:

      1)   Always check ALL equipment before leaving AIA.

2)     Do not attempt to shoot your final project on your own (Its too complicated—trade-off with another class member; or work with friends, other students, family…)

3)     Give yourself TIME, including time for contingencies.

 

 

CLASS POLICIES:

·  Instructor may change syllabus at any time and will notify students of any changes.

·  Students are expected to attend ALL class meetings and be prepared to work for entire class period.

·  Students should bring class videotapes, syllabus, textbook and all handouts to every class.

 

PROJECTS:

You are required to use camera & editing suites outside of class time to complete individual and group projects.  You must plan ahead. You can reserve your equipment & facilities two (2) weeks in advance.  Please recognize, “Murphy’s Law – the dictum that states: anything that can go wrong will go wrong” – is a reasonable description of most video projects!

All Projects must be approved by Instructor before you begin shooting.

 

WRITTEN CRITIQUE:

You are required to write a critique of a your favorite film—it can be fiction or nonfiction. 

Do not write this from memory—you must watch the film to write the critique. 

Students may quote other writers, but must cite all sources used for the paper.

Your, at least, two, typed pages, double-spaced in 12pt courier font papers should assess:

visual style, soundtrack, content, perspective, editing, and overall interest and effectiveness.

 

ABSENCES:

A student is permitted one absence without penalty.  Each absence thereafter will be charged against the student.  5 points may be deducted from his/her final grade for each absence.  Student will be suspended from class with fourth absence.  This is an Art Institute policy.  Please read your Student Handbook carefully so you fully understand the Institute’s policy on absences.

 

If you are absent, you’ll miss important information you need to know.  If you’re absent for team project shooting or editing, you put extra work on your team members. 

Plan to come to every class.

 

EVALUATION:

All projects you turn in this quarter will be graded.  Grades for a project are based on criteria specified for that assignment.  Generally you will be graded in 4 areas:

·  Execution -- How effectively the project includes theories & techniques we’ve discussed

in class.

·  Problem solving -- How inventive you are within the limits of the assignment.

·  Quality -- Overall quality of project based on the creative & technical standards we’ve discussed in class.

·  Accuracy -- How well you follow the specific criteria & directions for a project.

 

PRACTICAL EXAM

There will be a practical camera exam to evaluate student’s knowledge and skills of basic digital video camera operation.  Students grades will be factored into their ‘participation’ grade.

 

 

 

LATE ASSIGNMENTS:

Any assignment handed in after the due date will be downgraded a full letter grade. (Eg: B+ > C+).  NOTE: I do not accept projects more than one week after the deadline.  This is the policy of the Video Department and is in line with professional deadlines in the industry.

 

GRADE LETTER ASSIGNMENT:

 

         A      Excellent                A 100-93         A- 92-90

         B      Good                     B+ 89-87         B 86-83           B- 82-80

         C      Adequate               C+ 79-77         C 76-73           C- 72-70

         D      Poor                      D+ 69-67        D 66-64

         F       Failure                   69 or below…

 

 

FINAL GRADES ARE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING:

 

Mid-Term Exam                                                                                              10 points

Final Exam                                                                                                      10 points

Written Critique                                                                                               10 points

Quizzes (2)                                                                                                      10 points

Project #1                                                                                                        10 points

Project #2                                                                                                        10 points

Treatment for Final Project                                                                             10 points

Project #3                                                                                                        20 points

Attendance, behavior…                                                                                  10 points

 

Total:                                 100 points             (69 points or below = F)

 

USEFUL WEBSITES

Internet Movie Database , ScreenSite , Movie Tickets, Society for Cinema Studies , Rotten Tomatoes,