Wednesday, October 31, 2012

October 31 -- Finish up the Quarter

We can look back and think about how far we have come. The computers did not work the way we needed them to for many weeks. Things are much better now and you are all learning Final Cut and starting to think like video producers.

1. Get all of your blog assignments in by Thursday end of day. They have been sitting there for weeks asking for your attention if you did not do them. Next quarter we will have more stringent deadlines and late work will not be accepted so readily. Now that we have the equipment to do better, we will do better.

2. Final Cut project (I will look at Friday with you).

3. Look on Edline and see what you are missing. I am still entering in grades. You need to look at the blog and if you do not recognize the assignment, then chances are you did not do it. Do it.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Sunday, October 21, 2012

October 22 -- To do list

I will be back tomorrow and will be checking your videos. Do not waste time.

See my post from Thursday (October 18) to see what is in store tomorrow.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Thursday, October 18, 2012

October 18 -- While I am away

If you are missing work, do it.

When I return on Tuesday, you will have finished a video project of some kind. Some of you have practice video of the Chicago marathon or of the ropes course or of the open mic night. You need to be practicing Final Cut X on some kind of video. Those of you who cannot get in because of memory problems, I would like you to try and upload video to Iphoto. If you still get this memory allocation message, please let me know. That must be fixed.

Your mission is to have a video for me to look at on Tuesday that YOU or your group shot. I gave you the practice video so that you could explore the software and learn it. I will be asking questions like" how do you add music or how do you make a clip play faster or how do you mute . . . etc. Be familiar with the buttons and levers.

ALSO, look at the blog for any missing assignments. I am not sure how well our internet is going to work in West Virginia, but everything that is assigned in the blog WILL be in the gradebook. Get it together. You have until Wednesday to get it all done.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

October 16 - What is photojournalism?

Click here on this video for answers.

Also, click here on this video for answers.

Answer the questions on paper and hand in. 10 pts.

What are elements of photojournalism?
What do you think are the most important take-aways from these two videos?
How does this make you want to improve your own videos in this class?

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Monday, October 15, 2012

October 15 -- Assignment

Look at the newspaper online. The Nats lost. The Redskins won. We lost to Poolesville's varsity football team and the game was more competitive than the score reflected. ( Reggie shot video.)Around Kennedy we had an amazing open mic on Friday in the Band Room. They say we will do it monthly. Really fun, it was. Try to stay on top of national news and local news and news of our school. It will make you a better television director/producer. You will be able to talk knowledgeably about many subjects. So there it is, folks, enough justification for reading newspapers, etc.

You will be shooting and editing the next few days. Take this time to look at Final Cut X tutorials online. Working with your own video and sound will help you learn this program. Do not edit in IMovie.

I will be talking to you about your grades thru Wednesday.

Ms. Greer
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Friday, October 12, 2012

October 12 -- Great audio

Sixteen-year-old Claressa Shields has a dream, to be at the 2012 Olympic finals and hear the announcer call out, "The first woman Olympian boxer at 165 pounds - Claressa Shields!"

But first, Shields, a high school student and middleweight boxer from Flint, Michigan, has to qualify for the team. At the Olympic trials, Shields boxes against women who are almost a decade older and much more experienced. But Shields has beaten the odds before.

CLick here to listen.

Your objective is to listen to the richness of this audio (it won the award for best at the conference Mr. Madaio and I attended in Chicago last weekend). We want to be that good with both our videos and our audio pieces.

Write up your impressions (likes and dislikes) for 5 points. Turn in. Then let's get organized on your videotaping for packages.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

October 10 &11 Warm-up -- Read and answer questions

Here is a story to make you appreciate your education. 6 pts.

Who is the Taliban? 1 pt
What do they believe? 1 pt
Where did this happen? 1 pt
Why did they shoot this girl? 1 pt
Describe a commercial you would direct that would counteract appeal to moderate people in the area to stand up to this type of violence. Think about how to appeal to the masses. Would you appeal with the notion that educated girls make for a stronger country? What do you think would work against a foe like the Taliban? This, in essence, is the biggest challenge in the counter-terrorism community. How do you appeal to people who might sympathesize with the Taliban or be too afraid to stand up to them. Put on your "I am a Leader" hat and think about what you would do for your PR campaign here. 2 pt

Today you plan a shoot with a group that you select (no more than three people). Write your ideas and your group mates. Remember, you are competing with other classes, so make yours really good and make sure that it isn't already being done. It will finished and due next Tuesday. Today plan you shooting. If you want to practice editing, I can load in some cross-country footage for you. Do not troll the internet all morning. I am watching.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

October 9 -- Morning Listen

Listen to the first section of this podcast from Radio Lab, the coolest show on radio. Particuarly listen to how they use sound to illustrate their points. Click here for Musical Language

This serious listening will make you a better producer. Don't kid yourself . . . listening, really listening, is hard work.

What common sounds do you think you could turn into music? Write up your answer. (5 easy points)

Think of things around JFK that might be rolled into a musical mix. We will be taping some of these sounds and experimenting with new mixes.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Sunday, October 7, 2012

October 8 -- Daily Work

>Dear Students, Okay, so you know that I have been in Chicago for an audio conference. This assignment may sound stupid unless you actually listen to the link I have given you below. We will be doing a lot of audio/radio work this year so you need to think of great sound being like a movie of the mind.

Please click here for a piece that is one of the most important radio pieces I have ever heard.

Listen to "Musical Language" from Radio Lab on the link above and think about how much music surrounds you on a daily basis. Please think of different possible musical riffs that surround you here at Kennedy and write what they might be. For example, the way the PA Ladies tell you that you only have 5 minutes to get to class every day. How can you make that into music?

Describe some sounds that are like the sounds in the above piece from Radio Lab that you hear in your daily life (for 8 pts). Think of two and write it up. How could you use these in an audio piece? A rap? A song that repeats? Write up and give to Mr. Brewer.

When you are done, make sure you have your Garageband piece together AND the video edit from last Wednesday or Thursday. Things are going to get great with the editing now.

p.s. I shot video of the Chicago Marathon and you will get to see that later this week.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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Thursday, October 4, 2012

Oct. 5 -- First of Two Tasks Today

Here is your weekly current affairs quiz.

1. What is the MacArthur Genius Award?

2. What happened with the Pennsylvania voter ID law this past week and explain what the implication of this law might have been?

3. Why is Sesame Street upset over Mitt Romney’s debate?

4. What was the latest development on the murder of the Libyan ambassador that has caused criticism of the Obama Administration? What do you think could have caused this?

5. It is generally assumed that President Obama lost the first debate to Mitt Romney on Wednesday night. What exactly happened to make people think this is true? Explain several examples where the President might have lost points.

Three points each.

Make sure you have answers that demonstrate analysis and that you definitely looked around the web for the answers. Do not copy each other. Good reporters have to know many things and things they don’t they dig up (in your case on the web.)

Ms. Greer/Mr. Madaio
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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

October 5 -- Warm-up

Click here for a high school sports show. Check out the coach and the host and the nervous laughter. What do you think of this show? 5 pts. Write up a short analysis and put in my hand-in folder clearly marked with date and your name.

In addition, you will have another assignment today that will be announced.

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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October 3 and 4 - Block Day Project

Check this again for the five shot rule.

You will be in groups of three and will shoot a scene with subject talking about something and then doing something. Your group will edit this short vignette before the end of class in Final Cut X.

Student will look into camera and talk about how they pack their locker. Camera-operator will follow the five-shot rule. You are educating 8th graders who will be coming here on DCC Night next Monday. The best vignettes will make the DVD shown in the auditorium.

Result will be one-minute video with all five shots covered. Aim for a good story that shows a slice of life to the 8th graders who will be coming here for DCC Night. Don't try to be hilarious or scary. This is just a straight exercise.

All shooting done first part of period.
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Oct. 2 -- In-class work

Check this out, scroll down to a radio story called "Grasshopper" and answer the following questions.You will be producing stories like this shortly with lots of sound and story. (10 pts)

Answer on a separate sheet of paper and turn in to Ms. Greer. Continue your Garageband edit in your spare time.

1. Name three sounds you think work and why (6 pts)
2. Narrator is telling a story. How does it resemble the Pixar video about telling a good story? Give examples. Refer to Pixar entry and scroll through if you have forgotten. The date of Pixar in the blog was September 10's entry. (4 pts.)

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.

NOTE: YOU WILL HAVE A CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ ON FRIDAY. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEARCH THE INTERNET AND CONFER WITH OTHERS. HOWEVER, ANSWERS MUST BE IN DEPTH AND BE YOUR OWN. YOU NEED TO STAY CURRENT ON THE NEWS.
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Monday, October 1, 2012

October 1, 2012 - Garageband

Assignment: You need to complete your football (mellow) assignment. I will be checking for that on Friday. It needs to be one minute long and be quiet enough and hopeful enough that it can be the sound bed to an interview with football players about the challenges they have had this season. So, be thinking about the mood you are putting out there.

10 pts.

For inspiration, you might want to listen to Studio 360 (a show that plays on the weekend on NPR about the arts.) They had a DJ Remix competition. I listened to the winners over the weekend while I was on a car trip. Please listen to the original stem of music before you listen to the winners. Really interesting and makes me so excited about what you will be able to do in this class.

Here is the original music stem.

Here are the winners. Don't listen until you have thought of what you would do. Most composers know that listening to other music corrupts your choices while making music. It gets in your head and you can't shake it. That is just so you know. Musician Bon Iver went to the woods in Wisconsin for six months to stay in a cabin with only Northern Exposure DVDs while he wrote his Grammy-awarding- winning CD

Ms. Greer
Silver Spring, Md.
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