Friday, January 25th

Hello,

1. Independent Video Challenge due this Sunday by midnight. It's important these are done by Sunday so the British students will have time to check them out.
   
2. Write a Plan of Action for your role in the documentary project. Describe exactly what your responsibilities are and what you plan to do to get the job done. Include the dates from the handout we reviewed in class detailing when you plan to complete your tasks. You will be assessed on this plan of action and the work that you complete.

The rough cuts of your films are due by the end of next week. The rough cut is exactly what it sounds like- a rough cut. Creating the rough cut is much like creating a rough draft in writing. It's an important step in the process. Your rough cut will be longer than your final film and will be sort of a mess. But it will also be the foundation of your final film. Take your time. This is the best part. You get to take everything you've done and mold it into a cohesive film.

See everyone Monday...

New Independent Video Assignment

So I know finals are a week away. And I also know that we will be very busy with our documentary project over the next few weeks. But I wanted to introduce our next independent video challenge so everyone can at least have it in their minds. Our next video challenge will also be a good way for the British kids who are coming soon to learn a little bit about us, our school, and the community we live in. So they will definitely be checking out our videos before they arrive the first week of February.

Assignment: Create a 90 second video capturing what it's like to live in Silver Spring, Maryland. The film can hi-lite activities or places in or out of school. You could showcase a particular sport and activity you do. Maybe you could take lots of shots throughout one day and create an interesting montage. The possibilities are limitless. The only requirement is that you have some audio of people talking in the film. If you use any music in your film it must be licensed under Creative Commons. The film cannot be over 90 seconds (before the credits roll). All music or sound effects must be cited correctly in the credits.

Have fun with this assignment and BE CREATIVE. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Please let me know if you have any questions or need to borrow equipment for this production.

DUR DATE: Sunday, January 27th

Smile: It's Friday!

Here's a great little profile documentary about a kid in DC who wants to make people smile. As you watch this short film notice some of the ways the film is put together. It's not as simple as it may appear. Pay particular attention to all the sounds, the quality and crispness of the audio, and the subtle music that plays throughout the film. Also, try to pay attention to the pacing or tempo and how the filmmaker uses lots of b-roll footage to tell the story.


I'm still out recovering from the flu. I'll be back Monday. Today, you should complete the following tasks:

1. Continue arranging interviews as needed. Check this CALENDAR for next week as I have set up some interviews myself for a few of the groups. Next week is the last week for interviews.
2. Complete the Pre-Shooting Script Outline. Make sure you send me an invite to your Google Doc page so I can see your outline. Many of the outlines I looked at over the last few days from home are way to general. You need to create this outline like it's your actual documentary. The more thought and time you put into this outline the better off you will be. If you have a creative idea for the structure or something interesting you want to try, it should be represented in this pre-shooting script outline.
3. Once the outline is complete, create a shot list of every shot you think you'll need for this film.  Create a separate list for any archival footage you plan to use.
4. Print out your Pre-Shooting Script Outline and your shot list before the end of class. Make sure everyone's name is on the outline. Staple it all together and hand it in to Ms. Eroraha. 

You will have all of next week to film. However, you must have this pre-shooting script outline and shot list done prior to filming.

Plan for Thursday

I'm out sick today recovering from the flu. It's very important that everyone continues to make progress on their documentaries. Here are the directions for today:

1. Each group member must have a minimum of four notecards created on your group's NoodleTools Page. You can, of course, have more than four. However, everyone will be graded for having at least four notecards completed.
   
   Period 2 & 4: You started the next step in this lesson before break. So today you need to complete the pre-shooting script outline. It's important to understand that this outline will be the basic structure of your eventual film. So you need to put some careful thought and consideration into creating it. Please review the following directions below so you are clear on what you need to do.
   
2. Copy THIS PRE-SHOOTING SCRIPT OUTLINE and paste it into your group's shared Google Doc. This is the Google Doc that you have already created and linked to your group's Noodle Tools page.

This Pre-Shooting Script Outline will help you plan out your documentary. In the left column, write out a rough draft of the script. Weave in facts from your research as you write out your rough draft. In the right column, list all the footage you think you'll need. This can anything visual: A-Roll, B-Roll, archival footage, or still images. Please put some effort and thought into this outline as it will be used as your guide when you start filming and will be the basic blueprint for your eventual film.

BLOG POST UPDATE: Everyone must complete ONE blog post by Sunday, January 12th. This is the last post due for this quarter.