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Ideas for Creating a Media Program within your School

My mission is to prepare  professionals to demonstrate capable performance and insightful leadership, and to provide advanced study and professional growth opportunities for practicing media based applications.

 

Based upon research and emerging technologies, the core of the program is committed to:

  • Advancing the study of effective learning techniques 

  • Designing instruction that integrates appropriate application of technology

  • Advancing message development knowledge and skills

  • Advocating effective integration of technology to support learning

Media production courses are designed to be an introduction to the aesthetic and technical theories of photography/videography. Students learn the basics of using a Micro 4/3 mirrorless camera and the technical components of visualization. They work on developing a critical eye for composing photographs and video, as well as explore how to post-process their work in Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. Using project-based assignments, students photograph and edit, collaborate, review and critiquing each others’ images. A strong emphasis is placed on experimentation, exploration, and how to use media as a form of creative expression. The class focuses on answering the question of how to develop a critical eye and evolve from picture takers into image makers, as well as what makes a successful photograph/video.

What is Visualization?
Syllabus

Unit #1: Introduction to Visualization and Media. Photos, Images, and Photoshop.

  • Aesthetics and Language of Visualization for Photography

  • Cameras and Lenses

  • Composition Rules of Photography

  • Working with Layers: Introduction to Composition

  • The ways in which aesthetics manipulate quality

  • Audience appeals: pathos, logos, ethos in the form of images

    • Ethos or the ethical appeal, means to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character.

    • Pathos or the emotional appeal, means to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions.

    • Logos or the appeal to logic, means to convince an audience by use of logic or reason

The Multimedia Profession

Learning to use the growing number of multimedia tools available is a complex and never-ending endeavor. Many of the tools require hours of experimentation, reading manuals, taking tutorials, consultation, trying, and retrying. New versions of software and changing hardware requirements add to the complexities of skills one must acquire.

 

Unfortunately, if one wishes to use multimedia tools creatively, there is no way to avoid the many hours it takes to learn to use them. More often, however, the time spent pays off in successful and sometimes even spectacular results.

 

More important, however, are the concepts and ideas that come into play after learning the software. When studying the concept of “editing,” the learner must understand that editing is a process of arranging images, sounds, scenes, shorts, and other elements in ways that make assertions, persuade, inform, teach, move, touch, scare, and lead viewers to make inferences. The multimedia tools that one chooses to do the work of editing can be anything from simple Google slide shows to social media posts, but the effective use of any of the applications requires an understanding of the concept. 

Visualization can be defined as the creative process of translating abstract ideas, thoughts and feelings into concrete sounds and images. This demands strong conceptualization skills and a good understanding of multimedia production methods and techniques. Quality production requires an ability both to organize one’s creative thoughts, and also to operate or supervise the operation of various pieces of hardware and software. However, multimedia production requires more than knowledge of technology and techniques. It’s also an artistic process that demands relative thinking and the ability to make sound aesthetic judgments. How should you approach a specific topic? What techniques should you use? Important choices need to be made. To make them properly, you must be aware of the many possibilities and approaches.

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Abridged from Introduction to Media Production-Kindem and Musberger (3rd Edition)

Unit #2: The Video Camera-Getting Familiar with the equipment

  • Lighting-Outdoor vs. Indoor

    • Set-up and what to look for

    • Three-Point Lighting 

 

  • Looking through the Viewfinder 

    • Operating the Camera- Introduction to Visual Grammar

      • Long Shot (LS), Medium Shot (MS), Close-Up Shot (CU), Point of View (POV) 

      • For Straight Storytelling = LS-MS-CU-LS

      • Slow pace, gradually increasing interest =   LS-MS-MCU-CU

      • Fast Pace = LS-CU

      • Suspense, Drama = CU-CU-CU-LS

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  • Design and appropriate applications of technology in design

  • Effective integration of technology to support projects/learning.

  • Translation of abstract ideas, thoughts and feelings demands understanding of conceptualization skills and understanding of multimedia production methods and techniques.

  • B-Roll-What is it? How is it used? 

Understanding By Design Framework
Essential Questions

  • What is visualization?

  • How is videography art

  • In what ways do images affect people?

  • What makes a successful video?

Enduring Understandings

  • Students will know basics of video production

  • Students will know the power of images and their role in an image-driven world

  • Students will understand the essentials of color, form and compostion

Skills

  • Use of a micro 4/3 mirrorless camera

  • Set up and storage of production equipment

  • Basics of Photoshop, Final Cut Pro X and Garageband

Transfer Goals

  • Students will understand how personal lens (culture, religion, gender, etc.) affect the way we read images and image-text relationships

  • Student will be able to utilize rules of visual grammar, composition, and sound design to create meaningful work 

Knowledge

Unit #3: Introduction to Audio and Video Editing 

 

  • Audio 101-Getting familiar with the equipment

    • Proper use, storage, and maintenance

    • MICROPHONES (“Mics”) convert sound energy in the air into electrical energy that can be used by other equipment

      • Omni-directional Pattern

      • Uni-Directional Patterns

      • Cardioid

      • Shotgun

      • Wireless Mics

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  • Audio: The Invisible Medium

    • Introduction to foley sound effects

    • The Art of the Interview

      • Techniques and tricks to get the best interview

        • Camera and audio set-up

        • Hand mic vs. Wireless Mic

        • Question Preparation

        • Getting interviewee comfortable

        • Proper positioning of interviewee

        • How to conduct interviews online  (etiquette)

        • Introduction to Garageband, Logic Pro X, Mainstage

  • Students will understand the role of composition and its relationship to the production process

  • Students will understand and be able to navigate both pre and post production planning and processes

  • Students will understand both their individual role and team-member role as they relate to video production process. 

  • Students will understand the importance of critiques, peer-reviews, and revision.

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