Video 2 Winter Break Short Movie Homework

When you get back from break you will have two class periods (at least) to shoot a short movie for the SC/SW Film Festival. You will also need to shoot at least one day away from class.
Movies can be as short as three minutes or as long at eight.
You may work with a partner or four people can create a PART 1 and PART 2 of a specific story.
You may start shooting over winter break.
Simply put, this should be the best fictional story you have created.
A mockumentary style movie is OK.
You will be required to edit at least once during TAP or after school.

Please answer the following questions in great detail. This document is due the first day back from winter break.


1. What genre will you shoot? Action? Suspense? Comedy?
2. Describe at least three characters in great detail. Examples: age, hair color, personality traits, occupation, and disposition. What motivates your characters?
3. Describe the plot of your movie from beginning to end. Use three to four sentences to describe each section. Please describe shot locations within each section.
a. Intro
b. Conflict: All stories have some form of conflict. What are the characters trying to do or achieve?
c. Conflict Resolution 

4. Will you work with anyone in class?

Documentary Outline

First, read this section on interview techniques here.

When you are done, please turn this assignment into the classes folder on the staff server using the naming convention_narration assignment. This is due today.

Intro
Write three to four sentences describing topic in great detail . Give crucial information and history as needed. Feel free to use documented statistics.
For example, if you are doing a piece on gas prices then find out how expensive gas has been over the last twenty years. Why the change? What are the factors etc? Do cars get more or less miles per gallon?

Next, list at least five specific examples of of B-Roll you will use. Provide dates, locations, and shot type of the footage.
Will you use any footage from sources other than your own camera? If so, what will they be?

Again, if you are doing Gas prices you might want to show people filling up at the gas station, a shot or two of gas price signs, people driving cars, and money exchanging hands etc.

Body
Narrate or use text to move from one interview to the next. If you do your interviews well, the interviews will tell the story and your narration will be minimal.
For today’s assignment, pretend you have three different examples and interviews for your topic.
What will you cover in this section? What will the audience learn? Please list the people who have interviewed or will interview and also list the B-Roll that will play underneath those interviews.

Closing
What did you conclude from your documentary (using both sides of course)? You aren't trying to prove a point here as this is more of a recap of what we saw in the body of your documentary.
What should the audience know that ties all the information together? What is next for your subject or subjects?
Your closing narration should be at least three to four sentences.

Again, drop this assignment in the classes folder. Hopefully this helps you organize your documentary.

Video 1: Documentary Treatments are Due Today.

Please put them in the classes folder (period 6) on the STAFF server.

1. What is your documentary subject?
2. Why did you choose this subject? Why would this be interesting for us to watch(two-three sentences)? Why is this subject important to you? How is it personal?
3. What do you think your audience can learn from your documentary? (one-two sentences)
4. What type of B-Roll will your video need (three-four specific examples)
5. How will you make sure you can cover all sides of this subject? Who will you interview and where will you interview them? (two-three sentences)?

The Social Experiment Trailers and Media

http://www.shorelinesocialexperiment.blogspot.com/

Social Experiment Documentaries/News Stories

Mr. Mitchell’s 4 Hints to create better documentaries
1. Keep the camera rolling, capture as much footage as possible.
2. Research your topic…become an expert.
3. Come prepared at interviews with a list of questions. Ask how and why questions.
4. Avoid bias in your story. Tell the facts and avoid taking sides.

Documentary Questions

First, read this section on interview techniques here.

1. What angle will you take on The Social Experiement? A first-person, school wide, or SC vs. SW angle?
2. Who will you interview and why? If you are doing a first person story you can interview more than just yourself.
3. Please list five questions you can ask three different people (or different types of people). 15 questions total.
4. Now list the B-Roll video that can go along with these questions.
5. What can you do to make this news story interesting for a general audience?
6. How can you become an expert on this subject? What type of statistics can you find?
7. What day or days next week would you like a camera?

Documentary Treatments are Due Today.
Please put them in the classes folder (period 4) on the STAFF server.

Today you will create a list of 30-40 documentary questions that you will ask at lest four to five people involved with your subject.