ComS 185 Senior Practicum in Film/Video
Final Critique Final's Week
W 12/17 8 am
Prerequisite: ComS 127, Coms 128, or permission
Office Hours: m/w 9:30-10:30 thurs 1:30-2:30
Instructor: Jenny Stark
(916)278-6285
Mendocino 5027
e-mail
Jump to Class Schedule
Project Proposal Guidelines
Final Cut Pro Quick Reference Guide
Course Description and Objectives:
Assignments in various phases of video production including creative use of
camera, sound and lighting, editing, production design, production
planning/management,
And directing.
Objectives
• The production of a Polished Film or Video that showcases skills learned
throughout the program. This Project can be used as a portfolio piece for
Application to Graduate Programs or for the students’ professional Reel.
• Familiarity with the writing of Clear and Professional Film/Video
Proposals.
• Familiarity with the group dynamics, time commitment, and communication
associated with collaborative film/video projects. The increased capacity
for problem solving and communication within these groups.
• Competence in the creative areas of Film/video production including pre-
production planning, lighting, art direction, audio recording,
cinematography, Direction and editing.
Course can be repeated for Credit: Students in first semester function as
crewmembers for productions. Students taking the class for the second time are
invited to submit proposals for Film/Video projects.
Prerequisite: Chair/Professor approved substitutions are the only exceptions!
This is not an instructional Course. it is a consultation-based class, therefore
you are expected to have skills in video production prior to enrolling.
Equipment: There is simply not enough equipment to go around! There are three
production classes including 185, as well as multimedia demands for equipment.
However, if we learn to cooperate with other professors, students, and the
equipment room, we can make the situation much easier for everyone. See Rules at
the end of the syllabus.
Grading:
Final Project: 50%
Log of Work Hours and Group Evaluations: 25%
Process Deadlines: 20%
Perceived Enthusiasm of student 5%
Final Project: The project will be graded on its artistic/aesthetic merit, whether
or not the project is completed on time, and the technical ability showcased by the
students.
Log of work hours and Peer evaluations: Students are required to keep a log of
their work throughout the semester. Write everything that you do for 185 down,
describe briefly, and write down the date and time in Hours that you do any work
for 185. Get the director or instructor to sign the log. Students should have
well over 60 outside hours logged by the end of the semester.
Student Flake Out Penalty: If a student fails to show up for a meeting with the
professor, a meeting with other students, for a production, or equipment pick up
that student will have 10 points taken off of their total grade per flake. A
student must
call and cancel at least three hours in advance in any of these
instances. Working in the field a student could seriously harm an independent
film or get fired from a studio production for doing the same. If a student flakes
on a meeting time they will be informed of the accusation and given a chance to
explain the situation.
If a student untruthfully signs a production notebook for another student they
will receive a penalty of 25 points off of the total grade.
Course Guidelines
A detailed proposal will be submitted for all projects in order to be considered
for production. The proposal will follow the professor's exact specifications,
and will have little or no errors in grammar or spelling. If this is not the case
the students' project will not be considered for production. The Instructor will
choose the projects and will determine how many projects will be created per
semester based on equipment and crew availability. This proposal will be due the
second week of the semester and chosen projects will be announced during the
following class.
A completed script or documentary project narrative will be completed no later
than seven weeks into the semester. If at this point the script/project narrative is
not complete the student will be asked to take 185 a second time to complete the
project. If that is not possible, the group will be assigned to other projects, or
take a reduction in grade.
Production will be completed by midterm.
If students are working with actors they must audition at least three actors for
every character. The auditions must be videotaped and shown during critiques no
later than 10 weeks into the semester.
Storyboards are required for narrative production and will be due when the
videotaped auditions are shown.
Detailed project narratives will be required for documentary/industrial/reality
projects and will be due 7 weeks into the semester.
There will be a primary and secondary editor for each project. Those students
will be required to complete tutorials in Final Cut Pro during the first seven
weeks of the semester.
Each project will have a separate director and a cameraperson. These individuals
should not be the primary editors on the project. However, it is a good idea for
the director/camera ops to be present during the log/capture process to learn
more about their camera work.
During production video will be logged and captured on the students assigned
computer. This will insure that there will be a back up of the video and allow the
directors to see if re-shoots are necessary. It makes a lot of sense to log and
capture while observing the "dailies." It saves time and familiarizes the editor and
the director with the footage. An editor should watch logged and captured
footage at least three times before beginning the editing process. It helps to be
familiar with the material.
A rough cut will be shown to the instructor 4 weeks before the final project is
due.
If the students are working with a client and it is important that the client is
involved in the editing process a clear editing strategy must be submitted by that
client by midterm. It is up to the students to make sure that the client gets that
information to them in a timely manner. If the students fail to get that
information
the entire group's grade will be reduced. If the student needs help
communicating with a client they need to notify the instructor as soon as a
problem is recognized.
Editing: All clips should be placed in bins either for specific scenes or subject
matter.
For longer projects it helps to edit each scene in a separate sequence combining
all of the sequences as the project is completed.
Students need to name clips according to scene titles, numbers, or specific-easy to
recognize subject matter.
Before taking on a specific project it is very important to understand where FCP is
placing the students' "Capture Scratch." All editors are responsible for
understanding file management before the editing takes place. If a project can't
be completed on time because of lost files due to simple management issues the
entire group's grade will suffer.
Do not erase any files that do not belong to you! Make sure that if you are
throwing away files that they are your files even if you are throwing away
footage from your own folder. If a student is caught deleting files that do not
belong to them, they will lose access to the lab and receive a grade of F for the
class.
Students who get caught tampering with computers or removing any wiring, hard
drives, or computers from the lab will loose access to the lab and receive a grade
of F for the class.
Students who get caught bringing food or drink into the Video Editing Lab will
lose access to the lab and receive a grade of F for the class.
Rules for Work Journal (Between 120-150 hours spent for perfect score):
All pre-production, production, and post work should be logged in journal and signed by group leader.
Any research time spent on the project should be logged in journal.
Students may log up to ten hours of time doing the following:
Attendance of Grant Writing Seminars
Attending job related seminars
Attending a technical conferences
Attending a class or receiving counseling for CV/Resume writing
Searcing for Jobs
Searching for Graduate Schools
Proof of this must be submitted along with the student's journal.
Rules for Checking Out Equipment:
1. Reserve equipment in advance if you expect to have it for your shoot.
2. Equipment is to be checked out for 24 hours on weekdays and through the
weekend if checked out on Friday
3. You may only reserve equipment designated for ComS185 in advance and not
equipment designated for other classes. If there is equipment designated for
another class that has not been checked out by students, you may (if approved by
Dave Felipe) check that equipment out. This rule doesn't apply to cameras
specifically designated for another class.
4. Dave Felipe, under all circumstances, has the last word when it comes to
checking out equipment.
If he says no, he means no. He will not check out equipment to you that you are not
authorized to use.
5. As soon as you sign a checkout slip and leave with the equipment it becomes your
responsibility financially and otherwise.
6. Do not reserve and take out more equipment than you need. You, your fellow
students, and your crewmembers will all be happy if you keep your shoots as
simple as possible.
7. If you are going to be late picking up equipment call Dave Felipe at 278-6328 and
tell him.
If you are more than 10 minutes late (without calling) he will check the equipment
out to someone else.
8. If you return equipment late without calling, your assignment will be dropped a
grade.
9. Any food or drink brought into the video editing lab (3005) will result in the
student losing access to that room.
10. Leaving the editing room (3005) propped open and unattended will also result
in the student losing access to that room.
Equipment List for 185:
• Mole Richardson Lighting Kit 4 Lights 1000 watt each light Huge case—may not fit into
some cars
• Soft Light Kit 1500Watts
• MoleRichardsonsoft light (750 watt) on roll around stand
• 500 wattLowellkit
• 650 watt strand kit
• 300 watt strand
Buss’s stuff (can be checked out to you on a limited basis, but not reserved in advance)
• 2 1k kits
• 3 650 kits
• 1 1500 soft light kit
• 1 750 soft light on roll around stand
• 1 Portable LCD monitor
• 1 ugly portable monitor (needs to be plugged in)
Grip:
• 4 c-stands w arms
• sand bags 3
• multiple extention cords
• 3 flags
• 1 cookie
• 1 finger
• 1 single net
• 1 double net
• 2 silks
• 1 violet scrim
1 spectra meter
(1 restricted for Buss)
Sound:
• 3 Senheiser shotgun mic
• 3 Cardiod Mics
• 2 Lavilier Mics
• 1 fishpole
CLASS SCHEDULE
9.2 Introduction
9.4 Open Meetings (I'll be in my office)
9.9 Proposals Due (Turn into my box)
9.11Proposal announcements
9.16 Equipment Demo for Cinematographers and Directors (Camera)
9.18 Equipment Demo for Cinematographers and Directors (Continued)
9.23 Directors Present
9.25 Directors Present (Continued)
9.30 Critique 1 Audition Tapes (Directors Present)
10.2 Open Meetings (In my office) Come if you need to
10.7 Editors Meeting (Editors Present)
10.9 Editors Meeting (Continued)
10.14 Midterm Critique (All students present)
10.16 Critique Continued if needed
10.21 Open Meetings (In my office)
10.23 Open Meetings (In my office)
10.28 Critiques with individual Directors
10.30 Critiques with Individual Directors (Continued if needed)
11.4 Open Meetngs
11.6 Open Meetings
11.11 Holiday
11.13 Open Meetings
11.18 Critique (All students Present)
11.20 Critique Continued
11.25 Open Meetings
11.27 Open Meetings
12.2 Director's Critique
12.4 Director's Critique if needed
12.9 Critique (All Students Present)
12.11 Critique Continued
Final Critique Final's Week
W 12/17 8 am
Project Due Final’s Week
Date: TBA
Lets Bring Refreshments!