Block Assignment Nov.6/7 - Write up responses and start planning for your summatives

Moving the anchor into position in this archival photo.

Look at the following videos and write up your responses and turn into the sub. (15 points summative)

Remember that these cannot be turned in late unless you have an unexcused absence. No more turning in late, people.

1. Look at this beautiful video done in seventh period on food and tradition by Hajr Avant. See it here. What do you think works about this video? Write it up.

2. Check out what a NY Times photographer has to say about covering the climate march in NY City. right here. What are things he says about how to work events?

3. Here is a video done to stop street harassment. Have you seen this? Do you think it will work? What do you think can be done about this phenomena? Will this work?

4. PBS Student Reporting Labs asked us if we thought we could see ourselves as political candidates at a young age. Here are some of the responses from the labs. An 18 year old girl ran for the House of Delegates in West Virginia yesterday. Did she get elected? Her run for political office generated this response. What do you think about running for political office? Can you see yourself serving the public in that way? Why or why not.

TURN IN YOUR WORK TO THE SUB.

Tomorrow, Ms. Tan will join you. She will share her amazing adventure in the world of media. Please welcome her to Kennedy. She will get your guys ready for competition.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Assignment for Monday , Nov. 3 - DUE AT END OF PERIOD TO THE SUB

Last year at Media Madness with Keegan and Kwaku.

So, now is the time to start thinking about Media Madness which is the MCPS Broadcast Media Festival and Competition. Last year the competition deadline was March 11. It will be something similar this year.

ALL WORK MUST BE ORIGINAL. That is music, video footage, images . . . everything.

Last year, we won the PSA with this.

October 23 - This is where ideas come from

WVU vs Pitt Halloween fun shows comedy is everywhere.

So today in the NYTIMES, there is an article about a fossil discovery. See is here. This is a great explanation of the genome and the history of man's exodus from Africa. But for comedy, it is awesome. What are some of the things you could do to make this funny?

Key and Peele will be all over this in a bit.

Secondly, look at the periodic table of television storytelling.

The Link is here.

If you dig around in this periodic table you will find all kinds of ideas for skits, plays, comedy, etc.

Write up your ideas. Hand in for some points if you make sense and have some good ideas.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

October 21 - Assignment in class today

Sorry I had to be out of school today.

You have assignments you need to finish, but I realize you must shoot the video on your own.

Meanwhile, do the following.

Watch the following videos and write about what you notice about how it was made AND discuss what you learned.

Do not bore me, the reader, and show me that you learned something.

I will try not to bore you with bad picks.

Here is one more about food.

Here is one about water, which is a subject we will be tackling in our PBS Student Reporting Labs this year.

Both of the above are teaching you something. How did the director assemble these videos? Make notes to yourself and sketch out how they it. Write it up for extra points to boost your grade. Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

October 14 Assignment: Previewing News Packages (on food)

Here is your first link

Here is another link to a news package on food.

Here is another link.

Here is another link to check out.

Here is another one.

Finally, here is the final one.

You need to look at all of these videos which concern food in some way. Look at how they are built. Notice the importance of sound. Watch their b-roll. Write up your reactions and what you hope to take from these examples to your own news package about some aspect of food.

(8 pts summative) I have made this a summative paper because you have written plenty about many things AND because this one needs to count more as everyone has ideas, experience and curiosity about food.

On your block day, you must have an idea about a subject around food that you want to produce and be prepared to speak to me about it.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

October 10 - Assignment (8 pts, formative)

Write up what is wrong with this video. How do you change it to make it funny?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Sept. 15 -Assignment (15 points formative)

Grades were put in the Gradebook but projects are missing from the Buffalo and other places. Check on the blog for missing assignment. We can talk tomorrow when I return.

Meanwhile, you are doing a super soak media bath today. Settle down. Get your headphones on and listen up.

Check out the following podcasts:

This is about the broadcast clock.

The is a great radio show/podcast Snap Judgment with Glynn Washington.

This American Life is the most popular show/podcast in the country right now. Click here for an example of the show.

Write your reactions to the way sound is used in this. How do they build the story they are telling? Pay attention to both the content AND how they are telling. Remember, do not bore me. Show genuine insight and tell me things you notice that you think are important.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Sept 8 - To do

Look at all the videos on this page. There will be a quiz at the beginning of Block day (20 pts formative). Take notes and have me sign off on them before you leave class today (10 pts formative).

Tomorrow we will do a video scavenger hunt and you will work in an assigned group.

I am waiting word that the Buffalo is working.

If it is, then we will turn in our "What I Like About JFK" pieces.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Sept. 3 and 4 - Working with Final Cut files

Make another file with new “What I like” files . . .

Note that the shots do not match, that the lighting is different . . .

Check the web site www. incompetech.com for royalty-free music. Find something you like that does not have lyrics or an instrumental and download it to your machine.

Then import it to your Final Cut X file. Watch your levels so that your music isn't too loud for your talking person/head.

Try to cut the the video so that you make it shorter (2 min is about the max attention span for viewers).

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

August 27 - Welcome Back, TV Staff!

Photo by Roxy

Yesterday, we walked around the building. You saw a few things that had story potential.

One of the biggest cliches you hear a journalism teacher say is "stories are everywhere." But it is true.

Every waking minute has potential from the breakfast at school to a student getting stung sixth period from the tin man sculpture. (I am not lying)

Make a list of 10 story ideas that have occurred to you lately. Remember, some kid started wondering about the gum on the sidewalk and that was a story.

Class editors are going to pick the best and start assigning stories.

Ten (10) story ideas. Write them up. (10 points formative).

This is due on Friday.

Welcome, back. This is going to be fun.

Also, do you agree with this article? Check this out.

Also, look at the format we will be using for our Friday show.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

June 2 - Video analysis - (20 points formative)

Look at the following video and write up a quick analysis.

Check out this video and write up your reaction.

Check out this video, too. Write up your reaction to this piece. What worked and what didn't?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

May 30 - Assignment (15 pts formative)

Look at this link.

Write a response to this video on a courtroom artist. What does it make you think about? What did you like about it?

Turn in to Mr. Brewer.

Continue to work on your news packages, either planning or editing. I realize that many of you cannot get cameras today.

If you know any seniors going on the Kings Dominion trip, have them get some footage for us.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

April 29 - Check this out

Look at and write up your comments.

Here is the movie. It is made by students in high school who are also part of the PBS Student Reporting Labs. They are in Detroit.

Here is the "making of" video. Check out how they did it.

You need to write up your reaction to this and tell me how you think they came up with the concept and how they executed it.

10 points formative.

p.s. You might want to look at this on shoes

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

April 10 - Assignment

1. You must sign up for a sporting event to cover. If you do not, I will select one for you to cover. You may work with one partner.

2. You must decide on one news package you are going to cover that will air on the show. Write up a proposal pitch for one and turn in to me tomorrow.

3. Watch the following videos and write a response to them. Some of them you may have seen before but, for example, the Pixar one, they give lessons you need to heed.

4. When we return from break, all students will film a four min fiction piece that you will write collaboratively. You will film outside of school.

Here are the links you must write a response to. They will help prepare you for your movie.

Here is number one to re-read.

Here is number two.

So now, what are your insights about how to tell a story and how will you change what you are doing with your scripts? Write this up in one page today.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

April 8 - Look down the list of winners . . . what do you see?

Click here for the link to the NYTIMES vocab contest we entered last semester.

April 8 - Quiz today --

We need to see if you making the vocabulary videos helped you retain the meaning of the words.

Take 8 minutes and watch these videos:

Turncoat

Paranoia

Tenacity

Ramble

Sloth

Hypocritical

Omnipresent

Agility

Fluke

Vaporize

March 24 - Comments and winding up this quarter

Your work should have been in the Buffalo server. I noticed that some people did not export correctly or did not put it in the correct file.

If you do not have a grade or you have a failing grade, this may be why. I have written notes on the rubrics to those that are incorrect.

I also want you to check out what a worm's eye view is. Here is a link that shows the worm's world view and the shot you SHOULD have made.

March 12 - What do you have to do to finish this quarter?

Checklist for wrapping up THIRD QUARTER

Two field trips:

March 20 – Juniors only to the Young Professionals Conference. If you have not turned in your money or your permission slip, they are needed as soon as possible. No money, no go.

April 1 – Media Festival Competition at Blake High School. Get a permission slip and get it back to me. First people who get to go are the people who have entries submitted. After that, it is first people who get paperwork back to me and can be trusted on a field trip.

Your Course work to be graded:

1. Where do you put it? You need to export media from your Final Cut project to the desktop and then drag it into the appropriate file for your period on the Buffalo sever (you can find that under Applications). Make sure all names who worked on it are on the title.
(If it does not work or you get a log-in screen, you need to give me your name and ID number and Mr. Dullaney will fix it.)

2. Upload your PSA to the Buffalo server. Include all names of those who worked on it.

3. Also, upload your Bocce Ball to the Buffalo if you have not done so already or I have not given you a grade.

Continuation of the Five-Day Project (60 pts. summative)

Block: We are going to review everyone’s project and give feedback and hear from the people who made them. Then we are going to re-do the project with improved shots, sound, acting and story lines.

So: TODAY, EVERY GROUP MUCH UPLOAD THE PROJECT TO MS. GREER’S HARD DRIVE FOR VIEWING.

You will meet with your group to discuss feedback and plan how to re-shoot. The new version of the project will be due on March 24.

THE OLD PROJECT WILL BE PUT TOGETHER WITH THE NEW, IMPROVED ONE IN A VIMEO FILE THAT WILL BE ON THE WEB AND USED AS A TEACHING TOOL. THAT IMPROVEMENT WILL ALSO FACTOR IN FOR YOUR GRADE.

YOU STILL NEED THE PROP AND THE LINE OF DIALOGUE. Same Genre, too.

In real moving-making, the film company may do matching shots to cut into their old footage. If you take that road, you must be sure that all clothes and locations match. If you doctor your sound, the lip sync must also match.

THE RUBRIC FOR THE MEDIA FESTIVAL WILL BE USED SO I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU USE IT IN YOUR STORY AND SHOT PLANNING.

IF YOU DO NOTHING, YOUR GRADE WILL STAND. Creativity, collaboration, resilience, and problem-solving are all on the table here.

This is a great project for learning from our mistakes. Remember "Fail early" is what Pixar wants when they make movies like Toy Story -- so they can fix them right away./p> ALSO - Two more current events quizzes on Fridays.

Ms. Greer

Silver Spring, Md.

Feb. 27 -- Two film festival things looming . . .

We have two film festivals on the docket right now. The MCPS Festival at Blake has a March 6 deadline with the exception of the Five-Day Film.

Next week is the 5-Day Film Challenge.

The categories are: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Super Hero, Time Travel, Musical and Buddy Movie. The video will be 4 minutes MAXIMUM.

On Monday morning, we will get the required 2 lines of dialogue AND the prop.

These must be in your film. All music must be royalty free or original. Otherwise, you are disqualified.

So the challenge is to write, shoot and edit a four-min. film in five days. Are you up for this?

Paint Branch has 8 teams already set up. Blake will have at least 3x that number. We will discuss teams on Friday.

Feb. 27 - MCPS Environmental Film Festival

Click here for info on the Environmental Film Festival that the county puts on.

We generally do very well at this festival with environmental shorts. Start planning for that NOW.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Feb 25 - Today and Block Day

Pippin starts on Friday. Potential for many stories on the actors, the tech crew, etc.

We are going to shoot our PSAs today.

There is no time left. Deadlines are a friend sometimes.

Before the end of the quarter you will have shot a news package and a PSA.

Tonight is senior night. We need people to shoot that.

Friday we have two playoff games. Girls at B-CC and Boys at Whitman. We need people to shoot that.

Sports always turns into a beautiful news package. So maybe step up and think about taking that on.

Some of you will be doing special other projects for the competition (notably stop-motion or fiction or the five-day challenge). Everyone will be responsible for the PSA AND a news pacakage AND a special project before the end of the nine weeks.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Feb 19 - PSA

Please look at your handout.

You will also get a storyboard for planning.

This is commit time.

Due Date: Friday end of school day.

PSA is done by every student in television production. It is a summative grade. 40 points.

You do not get a camera to go and shoot until you have turned in a good idea with a storyboard.

Here is a cool example that is pretty simple to do.

Another one is here.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 18 - Snow Days make us lose momentum for competition

Let's get our act together today.

1. Make sure that your video scavenger hunt is uploaded to YouTube and the link was emailed to Joannagreer@mac.com. Include all members of your group in your email with their whole name.

2. Fill out the paper that I give you with your comments.

3. Bocce Ball video needs to be uploaded to the Buffalo (you all need to learn how to deposit your media there).

We have, however, had a tough time getting everyone access. That should be fixed today. So I want everyone to have it loaded to the Buffalo by the end of day tomorrow.

4. The next assignment is the public service announcement. You will be doing this on your own.

You can hire any actors or tech crew you would like.

They must be either :30 seconds OR 1 minute long. EXACTLY.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Feb 6 and 7 -- Read this or . . .

As many of you heard, I am out the next two days in training to learn how to better do documentaries at Duke University (Go Terps!). I expect you to stay on task in my absence.

So . . . what are your tasks you might ask?

1. Get the bocce ball tape in order. I understand that you cannot tape your audio today or tomorrow unless you use your phones. So, you must have everything ready EXCEPT the audio which you will add in on Monday at end of class.
So write up your audio script and my advice is to keep it simple. I will be looking for simplicity, energy and good game explanations.
This is a formative grade of 25 points. New students who are just learning will be given some slack on my expectations, but do the best that you can.

2. Current Events Quiz. Every Friday. This week is different, however.
You are going to look at our news from some other perspectives on the following web sites. You will cruise around in these sites looking for what you think are important stories. Then you will write a current events quiz of 10 questions.
NOTE: ANYONE WHO COPIES DOING THIS WILL GET A ZERO.
I will be taking your test when I get back on Monday.
Turn your quiz into the sub before the end of the period on Friday. 10 pts. formative. Any question I miss you get an additional point.
BUT THE QUIZ MUST BE REASONABLE TO GET THE POINT.

3. You all know about The New York Times and The Washington Post as good sources for news.
But there are others. Especially from people who may have a different perspective. Here are the links to some of them:

Click here for the BBC.

Click here for the German and mid-European perspective.

Click here for The Guardian (they are the ones who have brought us much of the info from Mr. Snowden, the NSA leaker.

Click here for alternative news.

Click here for news from the Middle East.

Click here for another source of news that Bill Moyers claims he is dependent upon.

I offer these to you to look for ideas for your PSA's, too. Looks like they have plenty of environmental news if that is your choice.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

February 3 - Formative Grade (20 points)

First up, the Super Bowl was disappointing ad-wise. However, there is one Budweiser commercial that is great with storytelling.

You must watch this and take notes of all the techniques that the storytellers used to make this work. Write at least 20 techniques down and turn in for a formative grade. 20 points. I want a hard copy that shows you took notes while you watched the video. Turn in before the end of class today.

These techniques will make you better at media and will increase our competitive edge when we go to the Media Festival.

Secondly, Continue refining your bocce ball video. If you are finished, please call me over to watch it on your computer and grade it.

Last, the following are videos you should look at to increase your skills. Watch them and pay attention to how they were shot and the story they tell.

Check out Eddy Alvarez here.

Click here for the GoPro link.

Click here for a piece on aging and dance.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 29 - Scavenger shot activity postponed

Due to the weather and the late start, we will pick this up next week as block is cancelled for this week.

Today, today and tomorrow finish your bocce ball min. video.

I will come around and talk to you about your PSA idea.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 27 - Stuff for this week

Assignments this week

1. Public Service Announcement - 30 seconds or 1 minute EXACTLY (60 pts summative)

Create a public service announcement (PSA) for the competition with all original materials, intended to educate, inform or persuade a target audience

Examples: Don’t drive and text, or don’t smoke or get in shape or give to a charity or animal rights or be a vegetarian or don’t abuse others or support mental health initiatives, etc.

Today, we will go over possibilities for subject matter. You will start researching. This can be a music video, a rap, an animation, etc.

Planning sheet: 15 pts. Due Wednesday/Thursday

2. Block Day – Scavenger Hunt with video shots (60 pts formative)

This will be so that you can practice the way your visuals look. You will work with a partner.

3. Current Events Quiz on Friday

Jan. 24 - Today film shot homework AND current events quiz

Why? Current events quizzes are your friend. They will help you be more interesting, improve your comedy, make you a better conversationalist and develop your powers of empathy. They will also make you a deeper reporter and artist.

Think of them as power juice for journalism super heroes. I AM NOT KIDDING.

They will happen every Friday. Look at the news everyday like old ladies do their knitting. Pick it up every day like a habit.

Next, start working on your powers of perception. Look at the following to help you with your work next week. You will be doing these shots, so heads up.

Also, you may be one who can draw or sculpt and want to work with animation. Talk to me. In the meantime, check out this site by a very ambitious animator.

Monday, all about shots.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 7 -- Baby it's cold outside . . .

I want you to look at this link.

Then read this piece by the dancer. Then I want you to read the article I copied for you.

Write two paragraphs about your project and why it did or did not happen. (15 pts formative)

Turn in at end of class today.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 2 - 20 Hour Project updated

We will present on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Today, you need to upload all of your data, video, journaling about your process to your computer and begin editing your video presentation. We will add the video of your show-and-tell to the end of it.

Remember, these videos are going in the longer documentary about our project.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.