This will be your first task that involves editing and arranging film and not just still pictures.  It is more challenging, but also a much more powerful medium.  Use it wisely.  Study other documentaries. Get a feel for the rhythms of how they tell their stories.  Watch how they create mood, use music, and how they go between narration and interview footage.

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If you missed it the first time, re-watch this video by Francisco Mugnani that deals with Video Composition

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Assignment Two: Three-Minute Film

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The second assignment is a three-minute film on a topic or assignment that connects to your curriculum.  This task is usually a weighty quarter-ending assignment, the halfway point in block-length courses.  In my course, the film substitutes for a 3-page paper on a reading assignment or a research project, depending on the year.

 

The most important aspect of this assignment is that you still want students to express the same nuanced views and understandings that they might in a paper, just on film.  

Be just as demanding about the use of language and the proper analysis of important points.  Students cannot use as many words in film, but somehow, poor understanding is even more clear in the visual/spoken medium than it is on paper, perhaps because it is so public.  

 

Encourage students to thoughtfully search Creative Commons Media either at creativecommons.org or archive.org or other sources to find stock footage and interviews to extract commentary from.  

 

Regarding the use of other clips and the analyses of others.  The comments and productions of adult experts should not be used to tell the story--no three-minute excerpts from CNN.  Use expert adults for  emphasis statements and short takes that substantiate what students have said themselves.

 

As with the previous assignment, have students produce a rough draft, a Beta project.  I give mine two weeks for the research and production of the Beta, then we screen all of the pieces together and talk about them.  They will have a week from that day to turn in their Final Project.  

 

Screening the Betas

Always be encouraging about the Beta.  They will almost always be terrible, and they will know it already by watching them.  Many will be embarrassed, so refer to shortcomings, but only after pointing out positives, even if they are hard to find.  Give broad brush strokes about improvements that they will/should make, but remember that you will sit with them or their team privately to watch the film again, so save your most detailed criticism.  Later is the time for being specific and concrete and all about the improvements that they must make. For now, talk about possibilities, point out rookie errors in a comforting and understanding way, focus on how great they can make it.  

The Second Screening with Each Project’s Team

Have a sit-down with each individual (or group if they were a team).  Keep a notepad or Google Doc in front of you for revision notes.  Start with a pre-viewing assessment of broad strokes and general themes of improvements that are needed or great things done so far.  

 

Then, watch the film, pausing and rewinding as necessary to point out aspects, shots, things to crop out, things to include or add, places where the transitions are glitchy, where the volume is off, where brightness could be brought up, or happier/sadder/more ominous music could be chosen.  Write these down as you discuss them.  Make sure that you write film timeline times on each prompt--i.e.”1:38 sound drops out.”

 

You will find that students are right there with you.  They often understand the problems and are grateful for suggestions.  They also appreciate things that you notice that are good and like advice on how to capitalize on them. Give them the list or share a copy of it.