Intro to Videography

Course Supplies 

Students will need a smartphone capable of audio/video recording, the ability to download a free app for editing, and the ability to upload media online. Students will also need a Gmail account and a Youtube account. A smartphone tripod is beneficial but not required. 

Course Reading 

All assigned reading and resources will be freely available online articles, videos, or other resources. 

Course Description 

1. To develop students’ basic skills and understanding of digital media including photography, videography, and online media. 
2. To develop students’ utilization of videography techniques and styles. 
3. To develop students’ ability to produce photos and videos in Persuasive, Informative, and Entertaining media content. 

Methods of Instruction 

The primary means of student learning will be through a combination of lectures, workshops, at-home study and practice, and projects. Students should expect no more than 1 hour a week for all out of class work, with projects having extended deadlines. At-home work is crucial for development and is expected to be completed to prepare the student for the next week’s work. All submitted work will be sent via email of files or Youtube links. 

Projects 

Project 1 – Photo Essay – Students will utilize their smartphone and submit a photo essay. The 5-photo essay will be focused on each photo conveying a different emotion: Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Bored. Students will accomplish this using inanimate subjects that do not include people, animals, or utilizing written words. Examples might include a weeping willow tree as “sadness” or three prong electrical outlet as “fear”. The project must demonstrate composition, design elements, and quality. The finished photos should be sent via email. 

Project 2 – 5×5 – Students will create a short video that demonstrates understanding of the variety of shots and how they edit together. Students will record several shots of someone performing an action that can be filmed from different perspectives. These shots will be edited together to form a sequence of 5 individual shots that last 5 seconds each. The shots must be: a wide shot, a medium shot, two different close ups, an over-the-shoulder shot. The finished sequence should flow seamlessly and be uploaded to Youtube. The Youtube link should be emailed for submission. 

Project 3- Interview- Students will complete an interview with someone on a topic of their choosing but should be able to include BROLL. The interview should have proper framing, competent lighting, and clean clear audio. In editing the interview, BROLL should be overlaid to show what the interviewee is talking about while they are talking about it. The total interview needs to only be between 45 seconds to a minute with BROLL covering about half of the video. The finished project should be uploaded to Youtube. 

Project 4- Short Film- Students will work together with the instructor on creating a short film from writing, filming, and editing. This will all take place over the final series of classes with students rotating through a variety of production roles. Filming and editing will be done on professional equipment as an introduction to more advanced videography. This will be supplied by the instructor.