Dec. 14/15 assignment

Here is a list of student press broadcast winners. Take a look at their projects and analyze what made them winning entries. Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the winners of the Pacemaker Awards.

What do you notice about these entries? Type a thoughtful comment on each one of them and turn in to me on Monday, Dec. 19 at the beginning of class. This is worth 20 pts. summative.

You can comment on their use of opening shots, audio, B-roll, topic covered, who they are quoting, viewer interest, use of special effects, etc. Wow me with your insight. Show me that you reflected on the construction of these winning broadcast pieces.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Dec. 13 assignment - Due Friday

Here are two news stories.
1. NPR link to story about rat empathy here

2. Here is a link to written story in today's NY TIMES.

You are to write a rap, do a news stand-up, comedy sketch, shadow puppet piece, PSA, or song based upon the facts you have learned in this science piece.

Due: Monday, Dec. 19 by end of day. You are to do this in a group of no more than four people.

Rubric:

*Piece contains the information that rats are empathetic and uses irony/humor to demonstrate that maybe they are more empathetic than some humans.
*Piece can (if you wish) introduce a holiday theme and be used on the show for the winter break edition.
*Piece is not longer than one minute.
*Piece is video-taped and on the server by class on Monday end of day. Use the period number file of the class you are in. I will show you how to load it on server when it is time to upload your video.
This is worth 25 points. It is in addition to the pieces you already need to complete this quarter. They are the PSA, the news package, and the film or comedy/sketch/puppet show.
*************************************************************
So what are the steps you should do as a group to get this project completed?
1. Listen to the pieces. Jot down anything that comes to mind.
2. Talk with your group and brainstorm any and all connections you can come up with to do this piece.
3. Develop a project that resonates with humor, that makes you laugh AND is clean enough to be on the morning show.
Ms. Greer Silver Spring, Md

December 6 Assignment

Watch this interview from the Charlie Rose show with the head of Pixar, John Lasseter. Click here.
Watch this show. Take notes and write down everything you learned about how to tell a story. I will return this to you and it will begin your notebook on how to be a creative storyteller. Pay attention. Expect a quiz on this.
Ms. Greer Silver Spring, Md

Check these out - Nov. 28 (show prep)

Nikki M. impersonator link
and here on Ellen's show
Thriller with puppets
Thriller with hand puppets only here
Trent Lott singing duet check out here
Bad Romance cheap improv video here

October 24

This is a podcast from John Beiwen at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke on how to make a good radio piece. He was my teacher for the past three years.

Click here to listen.
Ms. Greer Silver Spring, Md.

Oct. 3, 2011

PUppet style you should see here on this video.

October 3, 2011

Check out this video on the horse puppet for the Broadway show War Horse.

Sept. 26 - Examples for your rotation project

Muppet Example is here

News package example is here

Soundslide example is here#1 here#2 and here#3

Stop-motion animation example is here

September 21/22 - Classwork

Continue to finish your edit with the tracking, etc. It should be finished TODAY for viewing on Friday.

In addition, look at these websites on the Dell computers and answer the questions on each video. Turn in at end of class to the sub. Won't accept if you were in class and just did not do the work.

Please share computers. You may work together BUT everyone turns in a paper. (Worth 15 points)

Here is the first video. How can you see us using a technique like this? In what kind of video would you use this?

Here is the second video How can we use this? We do have After Effects on two computers. No reason we can't use this. But how? Tell me.

Here is the third video. Could you have used any of these cheap tricks in your last exercise? How do you plan to implement them in the future? They do look really cool. Start figuring it out.

Now just check out this last page It will make you start thinking about how much better you can make your videos look. Ms. Greer Silver Spring, Md

Look here for how to write a song (something you will be required to do for several projects)

Sept 16, 2011

Check this out. Amazing lip synching . . .

June 30 - Giant tongue and zit building?

How do they do props on Dr. Oz show?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

OMG -- watch all the way through

Click here for great footage of Transformers movie

April 28 - Inclement weather system

Click here for citizen journalist out of breath for good reason

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

April 26 -- Warm-up

Spring break job

Click here for grade inflation

Click here for college teams cheating on gender

Write a response to this for 10 pts.  -- Does it get a rise out of you?  Do you care about either issue?  Why or why not?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

April 12 -- This is for your info

Click here for cheaper studios

You Tube -- the new studio system?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

April 12 -- Look what this guy did

Click here for Pixar pick-you-up

Copyright violation or ultimate tip-of-the-hat compliment?  I don't think he will get in trouble for this as it just makes us appreciate Pixar more.

Explain how this was edited to the music.  Look at it and then look again.  Write up your thoughts and turn in.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

April 7, 2011 - Classwork

Perspective Project Prep Work


For this project, you will be telling the story of an inanimate object, either from its point of view, as it narrates its own story and interacts with other objects, or as a 3rd person documentary style “human interest” piece, with B-Roll, voice-over, interviews with the object, etc. Be creative, be weird.

Before you start, there is some prep work with perspectives that I’d like you to do. The actual project will be due next Wednesday (deadline Friday)

Take a look at these videos, and for each one, write what new meaning you get from each of the different perspectives you see.



Impressive Soccer Goal (3 different points of view)

Click here for impressive soccer goal




2nd Place Drum line in the World (last year)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftwo73C-FaU

Write about 2 of the different perspectives you see here.

George Mason Drum line Snare cam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LzB094ylT4

Write about how this compares to the previous 2 perspectives.



Rock Climbing 1st person POV shot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV95DJHHfBM

Rock Climbing 3rd person POV shot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAxkLzFhm9w&feature=relmfu

Write about what different meaning you get from each of these shots.



Then, find footage from one of your hobbies/interests that uses multiple perspectives (at least 2), and write about how each of those different perspectives shows you something different.

This lesson is via Mr. Madaio. 

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, MD

April 5 Classwork

Bring up this website and listen to the two stories.

http://storycorps.org/listen

Write a response to the two stories on old people (baseball and Studs Terkel one)

Go to questions generator.

Question generator is here

Look at the list of interview questions.

Pick a teacher you have and make a list of twenty-one questions you would ask them.
Type it up.  Turn it in on Wednesday.

20 pts.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

April 3

Click here for hero just doing his job

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

March 28 - Warm-up

Click here for seniors like you

Nice multi-media work.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

March 28 - Warm-up

Click here for amazing soccer player

Scroll down to see her soccer tricks in the video.  Nice use of voice over.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Hilarious British Animal Voiceovers

March 24

Slide show examples -- the best!

You can do a slide show with a theme in place of a video.  However, you must have your own camera.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

March 21 - Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - BTR Live Studio Scraps [Ep17]

Listen to the influence of the early blues . . .

She says really cool things about her just trying to learn music, writing fast, experimenting . . .

Practicing in a DVD store, creating and finishing a song in one night, learning here for the rest of us about making oneself just do the work no matter what your type of music and not being too precious or thinking it has to be perfect . . . just do it.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Have you seen or heard about Madagascar?

Click here to read about short film and view a clip

Did you read about how the villagers first saw themselves?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

March 8 Part 1 - YouTube can get you in trouble

Click here: Whoa look what happened to this guy's YouTube

What are you thoughts on this?  What should the punishment be?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

March 8 - Learn this material

Review these terms

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

March 7 - Work today on all postings with today's date

Click here for story with video #1

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/02/28/world/americas/100000000672239/squatters-on-the-skyline.html

Both stories are related to the economy.  Write your reactions to both on your paper and hand in to sub.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

March 7 - Warning - there is a graphic video with this article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/world/asia/31flogging.html

WArning: Don't watch this video if you do not want to.

This is shocking enough with just the text.  In parts of the world young girls have no rights at all.

Having videos like this is very powerful.  Please write your reactions in a paragraph and turn in to sub.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

March 7 - Coach gives life lesson

http://video.nytimes.com/?src=vidm

Write reaction. AGain, hand in to sub on the same page.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

March 7 - School lunches

Click here for story on school lunches

What is your reaction to this video? Answer on your hand-in sheet.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Feb. 17 -- Look at this example

Today's warm-up

On a sheet of paper draw the front page of an interactive feature.  Include the topic on some aspect of life at JFK.  What would the other features be that would enhance this?
For example:  What if it was the history of the football team and what will happen now with the appointment of Coach Smith?


Click here for interactive feature

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

February 15 --Today's assignment

Good morning.  Rosa Tellez would not let me use this picture (I think Yihenew Belay or David Hernandez shot photo) in the school newspaper's article on basketball.  Eric, I will take this off after this morning.  I have no clue if this is the image a tough basketball player wants out there or if he didn't want his picture taken or he is looking tough on purpose.  It is used here really just to get your attention.  I know it is early in the morning.

Assignment.
Choose a topic from below and write a short paper on what you find out.  Answer the specific questions.  YOU MUST TURN IN A SHORT PAPER TO THE SUBSTITUTE WITH PROOF OF WORK for credit today.

1.  Local angle that satisfies the proximity issue in news.  Why proximity?  Because the thing is right in our front yard.  Read on.
Search for articles/info on Matthew Henson, the explorer.  It is actually an amazing story about that anchor on the JFK lawn and the journey it took on the Roosevelt cutting through ice to get to the North Pole.  Parts of it are ripe for reenactment.  Admiral Peary might have been the second man at the North Pole and he got really mad about it.  The African-American was probably really the first man at the true north as the Admiral was feeling poorly that day and stayed in his tent.  Both men are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.   Write up the interesting things you find out about these guys.

2.  Facebook and the role it played in Egypt
Click here for most recent take on this

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june11/egypt2_02-14.html

Click here for footage (at 5:37 it begins) about Facebook's role to the people in Egypt

What would you do with your social media?  What if the state cut off your access?  Would you spill into the streets and protest (Egypt was about way more than social media, btw)?  Do you think the Facebook people are staring at this event with shock?  Who knew that this would get so big?

3.  Chicago high school has new, unusual learning plan

This school is doing something innovative.  What do you think of this?  Should it be incorporated at JFK?  Would it help our scores?  Are we doing this already?  How would you structure a news report on this story?

That's it.  Have a great day.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Vimeo contest of all contest!

Click here for a crazy contest with multiple possible shorelines!

This could take a long time to view . . .

What do you think of the first chapter?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Environmental Fairy Tales -- Next Assignment

$1000 prize for changing people's behaviors.  We are trying to reach little kids with humor, behavior change, etc. 

Three Little Pigs
Three Bears
Rumplestilsken
Princess and the Pea
Little Red Riding Hood
Hansel and Gretel
Three Billy Goats Gruff
Sleeping Beauty
Jack and the Beanstock
Rapunzel
Paul Bunyan
Johnny Appleseed
Jack and Jill
Peter Pan


First Period will work on this tomorrow.  Today look up the fairy tale and see what you could use as a environmental angle.  For example, the forest animals can be mad at Hansel and Gretel for not using biodegradable foodstuffs on their way into the forest and hijinks ensue.

Light show from collapse of Pepco's Kensington substation

$1000 Winner!!!! Go for it!

Click here for environmental comedy competition

March 1deadline -- Go to the site to see the winner and runners-up!

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Monday, Feb. 7 --Listen to this! Even if you haven't seen this great film!

Click here for Social Network music/score composers!

Those of you who are making music, this is one for you.  Check out their studio, their creative process.  Old vintage equipment in some cases, too.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Feb.4 Activity

Click here for amazing sound/slide from Haiti

Does this move you?  Why?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Great Penn State link for photography

                                       Photography by Andy Truong

Great link from Penn State that illustrates photography terms

Can you make a beat or write music to this?

Click here for environmental music

Shot this Saturday at a car wash in Staunton, Virginia.  Had no idea what to do with it but thought about Stomp (they are in town this week) and making some kind of beat to this.  Best sound comes at :35 seconds into the video.

Music is everywhere.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 14 -- Happy Dance

Semester is almost over so dance like this!

Jan. 13 -Exam Review Fun

Click here for Mr. Rogers

Click here for more

Theme song to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

Sesame Street tone

Sesame Street Counting to Four song

Usher teaches a word

Bill Nye Science Guy teaches about tears

Morgan Freeman teaches a Word

Morgan Freeman teaches another word

JohnJohn (world's cutest kid) counts

JohnJohn again

Jan. 13 -- Stand up pointers

Click here:

Jan. 11 - In Class

Jan. 11

Current events  web scavenger hunt with your analysis      15 pts

1.      1.   Explain the debate about crosshairs in the events in Arizona over the weekend.  Do you agree or disagree and why?

2.     2.   What was the family back story on Chelsea Clinton’s new husband?

3.     3.   A year ago tomorrow what event took place and what has happened since?

4.     4.   What is mountain top removal?  Who was Judy Bonds and what prize did she win?

5.     5.   Who is Tom DeLay and what did he do that got him in the news?

Fill out on piece of paper and turn in to me before end of class.    

Jan. 7 --Work to do today

1.  I still have the flu, so bear with me.
2.  If you need a camera for your project, Mr. Madaio will be checking them out at the end of the day (he is going on a field trip to the Newseum).
3.  You are still responsible for your video even though I am ill.  This was assigned on December 4, so you have known about it.
4.  Mr. Bentz will be here on Monday to hook all of our computers up to a LAN system. Not sure what that entails for editing, but we will try to work around it.
5.  I am rethinking the deadline for the second video, but don't for a minute think that you do not have to do it.
6.  I will be doing the gradebook as soon as I feel better and that means your cell phone or study habits videos, too.  No more tweaking.
7.  COMMENT ON ALL POSTS DOWN TO DANIEL SHIFERAW.  TURN INTO SUB TODAY.  WON'T ACCEPT LATER.

PLEASE SOMEONE SHOOT THE BASKETBALL GAME TODAY.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Jan. 7 --Watch how this is edited

http://bop.nppa.org/2010/tv_and_web_video/news_photography/winners/

I had trouble with the sound.  Stop it and wait and then start playing again.

How do you feel after a piece like this?  Does it give you the sense of "place" and that we have met someone the we would like?  That is part of what makes a good video.  It is like finding a new friend.  I don't mean that to sound stupid . . . I think there is a lot of truth in that.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Another random thing you should know about animation/science

Click here for good hair

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Did you know this about the knee?

Click here for http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10325


Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Jan. 7 - There are stories everywhere if you pay attention

Click here for video that went viral but original newspaper pulled it back

What is the follow-up to this video?  What has become of this guy?  Can you find out?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md

Daniel Shiferaw (JFK '05) has a crazy video success story

Click here for: Former student's blog that got him in the Redskins Press Box (for real)

This little video (scroll down in his blog, The Swinging Gate) got a lot of hits and brought attention to his blog which got him hired by a company (sbnation) that got him press passes and a gig reporting on the Redskins in addition to other sports.

 He visited me at school yesterday and is as surprised by this as anyone.  He is a computer software engineer and currently going to grad school at Hopkins.  He was a slacker television student in the sense that he worked on his academic classes and watched the hilarity of other's work.He remembers only making one video his senior year.  He remembered enough about IMovie to make the above spoof.   This tells me that even those of you who don't look busy have a great deal of latent potential.  This makes my little teacher heart flutter a little bit faster with happiness.  But I digress.  Now Daniel is figuring out how to do audio and needs to learn Final Cut, etc.

What kind of blog would you write?  Could you back it up with videos?  Could you tweet six to ten times a day bringing attention and retweets (where others repost your twitter content)?  Daniel says people like attitude, the use of tone that feels like a personal conversation, and above all, funny, funny, funny.  His love of sports detail, his experience with never backing a winning team (he missed the two good football years here at Kennedy) , and timing all contribute to this crazy ride for him.  He is going to pursue sports reporting seriously and is looking for a radio or television gig to supplement all of this.

Fun, right?  Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dshif.

Ms. Greer

Silver Spring, Md

Jan. 4 Warm-up -- What are the issues with this site and the video?

Click here for future of food?

Write up a short paragraph of your analysis of this issue as presented in the video on the left side of the screen.  Analysis.  Not a re-cap of what she said.  What are the implications of this movement (if it is that) and what about the way the message is reaching others?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

Jan. 3 -- Let's hear it for a creative 2011!

Click here for Marcel

This is the closest I could get to a shell in my photo collection  (blog should be illustrated with something that at least resembles subject matter).  So here is the full disclosure.  This is stuff my friends collect near their cabin in Montana . . . rattlesnake tails, plant junk, etc.  They keep this in the trophy bowl.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.