First of all, the finalized Documentary film can be found at: http://youtu.be/-FTWJQbTczw
It is also uploaded above...I hope...or perhaps It will refuse to upload...in which case, check the YouTube link.
The previous post discussed this assignment and my responses to putting it together. The purpose of this post, I believe, is to revisit my goals for the first of the semester, see how well I did with them and what would have helped me better achieve my goals. In the original blog post, I discussed how I knew little to nothing about production. Now I know how to set up a camera, hook up a mic, attempt to create decent lighting, set up a tripod - something I had never touched before - shoot, upload, and edit film. I know how to capture sound and use the basic tools of Premiere. I have taken those skills and used them on class projects as well as personal projects. In a few short weeks, I'm not afraid of the camera and editing anymore. I realize that I still have a way to go, but I feel so much more prepared to create projects on my own and teach my students to do so as well.
I spoke about not being so literal and being a better storyteller in my film projects. The focus on story in this class really aided this goal. I learned about screenwriting, storyboarding and narrative on a film level that really helped with some of my projects.
As I proposed in my early goals, I learned how to edit and use something besides my YouTube-learned version of iMovie. I learned about different types of shots and better ways to teach my students about them, beyond a layman's understanding. I think this will also help with the stage work my students do. I wanted to know more about sound and lighting in film, and while I did learn a lot, I know I need lost more practice to help it really sink in. I apparently only learn by doing.
I initially though that I don't really have subjects around me that are all tat compelling, but I have changed that. I think my final documentary project, which is about my best friend is a celebration of the special and the interesting found in the everyday. Further, the lesson plan that accompanies it should help my students to see the same.
I was able to learn much more about documentary and might be able to find a way to incorporate docu-drama into my thesis project...I need to flesh that idea out a bit more. But I think I'm starting to see ways where I can incorporate media projects onto the stage as well, which is really exciting for me.
My overall goal was an attempt to gain the skills necessary to more fully integrate media into my curriculum, and I can honestly say that I am more prepared to do that this year than in the past 8 years of my teaching! The opportunity to create lesson plans...which really translated into units for me...is most helpful in accomplishing this final goal.
So, where do I see myself in a few years, in terms of using production skills for pedagogical purposes and how do I propose to incorporate these practices and technologies into my classroom practice?
I would love to be able to get access to some of the equipment and programs in my realm at the school. I'm wondering if I can do some cross-curricular stuff that proves the necessity and then write some grants. Perhaps there is money out there to be had if one knows where to look and can prove the need. Giving my students the opportunity to work with technology is a major goal. But I would also like to find a way to incorporate the things I have learned using equipment that they have ready access to. I need to plan more lesson plans and units to give all of my classes a way to incorporate media and production skills into my curriculum for each class. I know I will be incorporating some documentary skills and creation of documentary films into my action research project for my thesis and also into a cross-curricular production that I am doing in the spring with the english department and my musical theatre class. These projects are born out of what I have been doing in this program and I am excited to see where they go. If they work, and they will obviously need revisions, but I think it would be amazing to find ways to continue to work with production and technology in my classroom, adapting it for years to come...because, let's face it, I will probably stay at LHS until I die and they burry me under the stage!
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Blog Post 7 - Doc learning
First and foremost, like many of the projects in the class, I find that they are oftentimes much more difficult than I expected! After having taken Brad's Doc class, I think I have a better understanding of what is required for a documentary. Further, I have an understanding of how to interview and just how difficult it is to really fit a documentary into a perfect little mode - when there is clearly overlap. Even if I start out, with a clear intention of doing a participatory doc, there will be observational moments, or even expository moments. But I don't think any film can be particularly interesting if it can be contained in one tightly wrapped little box. I'm a fan of asymmetry...
But in doing the project, I found that I did far more pre-production with this one. I planned on what I would be able to capture, asked many many questions in the interview, brought my camera as much as possible to be able to capture the right footage that would allow me to easily edit. I had lists of the footage I captured and a proposed flow for them as well. But even with all the planning, as I was editing, I wished I had a few other b-roll segments. My subject interviewed fairly well and my final film is a giant mash-up of all the bits I took from his interview. But he said some things that made me think about moments that I failed to capture on film. Moments I witnessed, but I was busy doing other things instead of filming. So, one thing I learned, is that when creating a documentary, to make sure that the actual creating of the documentary and the capturing of footage is the most prime focus. While I might think that I'm good at multi-tasking, it is impossible to film a documentary and be torn in so many other places.
But I am pleased with the final version. I came in several hours early to work on it, in the hopes of being able to complete and upload at BYU; which I was able to do. I think that this example will be a great springboard for my lesson plan with my students into a character study. I think it's also a project that they will enjoy doing.
But in doing the project, I found that I did far more pre-production with this one. I planned on what I would be able to capture, asked many many questions in the interview, brought my camera as much as possible to be able to capture the right footage that would allow me to easily edit. I had lists of the footage I captured and a proposed flow for them as well. But even with all the planning, as I was editing, I wished I had a few other b-roll segments. My subject interviewed fairly well and my final film is a giant mash-up of all the bits I took from his interview. But he said some things that made me think about moments that I failed to capture on film. Moments I witnessed, but I was busy doing other things instead of filming. So, one thing I learned, is that when creating a documentary, to make sure that the actual creating of the documentary and the capturing of footage is the most prime focus. While I might think that I'm good at multi-tasking, it is impossible to film a documentary and be torn in so many other places.
But I am pleased with the final version. I came in several hours early to work on it, in the hopes of being able to complete and upload at BYU; which I was able to do. I think that this example will be a great springboard for my lesson plan with my students into a character study. I think it's also a project that they will enjoy doing.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Creating a narrative
First, the film is available here and can also be found at: http://youtu.be/wG11OS4k9sk
BUT SERIOUSLY, WATCH IT ON THE YOUTUBE LINK, NOT THE BOX POSTED BELOW - I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THE QUALITY IS TONS BETTER ON YOUTUBE!
And now let's discuss the process of creating a narrative assignment...
The lesson plan is shared on a google doc that can be found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Qmd7A5DPV5Z0M5OEV3ZW15WlU/edit?usp=sharing
And the shooting script found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Qmd7A5DPV5S0JHbVlkcjZnd3M/edit?usp=sharing
To begin, I was actually excited about this assignment. I, as stated in blog posts prior, really do love the art of storytelling. And I find it exciting and challenging to open up storytelling with my students in a new way, and specifically creating a process through which they can encounter, interact with, and create media. To be honest, that is the main reason I decided to do this program. I love teaching, and to be forthright and blunt, I am pretty darn good at it. I have seen lots of success in my eight years at Lehi, but I find myself falling behind the students daily interactions with their mediated world. I wanted to find a way to bridge the gap and incorporate media into what I am currently trying to do in the classroom and on the stage.
Now, as with all of these assignments we have encountered thus far, I certainly faced an uphill battle with more challenges than I originally anticipated. And I might hate myself for saying this later, but I really appreciate that we are not only designing lesson plans, but trying them out ourselves. I have had some moments go beautifully and some become tragic failures. But the process of creating and adapting has been surprisingly refreshing and rewarding. (If only my tired brain could retain all the things I am learning, so I don't have to keep asking the same questions...)
While perhaps my idea of taking a song and turning it into a short film may seem strange, I try to choose hooks and inspiration that I think my students will enjoy tackling. They are always so excited to share their music with their friends, and with me, that I thought this would be a nice and fun approach. Further, I think my idea of collaboration with the video production class will be really rewarding. I know that class is often looking for material, and we live in an age where the term "cross-curricular collaboration" is like music to an administrator's ears. I have spoken with the teacher at my school about this idea and he is excited to try to do something together. Honestly, he wants us to get to the place that we are team teaching and creating a full fledged film with our classes...but this class has taught me that I need quite a bit more work and training before I'm ready for something like that!
The lesson plan has to be more like a 5-class period unit in order to assess that they have learned the material and have the opportunity to view, create, and critique new media. But I like the prospect of taking their learning and skills up to this point and finding a new way for them to get excited about sharing it. I further realized, that due to time and resources, or lack thereof, that this must be done as a group project. While often group projects are hard because some slide by while the rest do the work, I make it a point in all of the group projects that I do in my classes for my students to, upon completion, give me a self assessment and a peer assessment for everyone in their group as well as a justification for each grade. Further I assign the groups. I find that this helps to prevent a lot of the problems usually accompanying group projects.
When I began filming, I faced quite a few sound problems and by the time I had them resolved, I didn't have my actors for much longer. So we had to hurry and reshoot, and I wasn't able to get all of the shots I would have liked. But this just taught me to test all of my equipment before and assure that I use my actor's time wisely. It was a good lesson to learn. Overall, I am pleased with how the project turned out, especially with the time constraints and learning curve. I appreciate my former students coming to my rescue. It's such a blessing to have people who will just take my direction and run with it, who trust me implicitly. Of course, I wish there was better lighting, that I had turned off my air conditioning to have better sound, that I had a few more shots (especially shot, reverse shots, and a better transition between the day and night scene), I still found the process to be informative and fun. And for extra measure, I added a truly cheesy moment at the end...but wasn't that the point of 80s hair band ballads? Let's just call it my ode to Bon Jovi!
BUT SERIOUSLY, WATCH IT ON THE YOUTUBE LINK, NOT THE BOX POSTED BELOW - I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THE QUALITY IS TONS BETTER ON YOUTUBE!
And now let's discuss the process of creating a narrative assignment...
The lesson plan is shared on a google doc that can be found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Qmd7A5DPV5Z0M5OEV3ZW15WlU/edit?usp=sharing
And the shooting script found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Qmd7A5DPV5S0JHbVlkcjZnd3M/edit?usp=sharing
To begin, I was actually excited about this assignment. I, as stated in blog posts prior, really do love the art of storytelling. And I find it exciting and challenging to open up storytelling with my students in a new way, and specifically creating a process through which they can encounter, interact with, and create media. To be honest, that is the main reason I decided to do this program. I love teaching, and to be forthright and blunt, I am pretty darn good at it. I have seen lots of success in my eight years at Lehi, but I find myself falling behind the students daily interactions with their mediated world. I wanted to find a way to bridge the gap and incorporate media into what I am currently trying to do in the classroom and on the stage.
Now, as with all of these assignments we have encountered thus far, I certainly faced an uphill battle with more challenges than I originally anticipated. And I might hate myself for saying this later, but I really appreciate that we are not only designing lesson plans, but trying them out ourselves. I have had some moments go beautifully and some become tragic failures. But the process of creating and adapting has been surprisingly refreshing and rewarding. (If only my tired brain could retain all the things I am learning, so I don't have to keep asking the same questions...)
While perhaps my idea of taking a song and turning it into a short film may seem strange, I try to choose hooks and inspiration that I think my students will enjoy tackling. They are always so excited to share their music with their friends, and with me, that I thought this would be a nice and fun approach. Further, I think my idea of collaboration with the video production class will be really rewarding. I know that class is often looking for material, and we live in an age where the term "cross-curricular collaboration" is like music to an administrator's ears. I have spoken with the teacher at my school about this idea and he is excited to try to do something together. Honestly, he wants us to get to the place that we are team teaching and creating a full fledged film with our classes...but this class has taught me that I need quite a bit more work and training before I'm ready for something like that!
The lesson plan has to be more like a 5-class period unit in order to assess that they have learned the material and have the opportunity to view, create, and critique new media. But I like the prospect of taking their learning and skills up to this point and finding a new way for them to get excited about sharing it. I further realized, that due to time and resources, or lack thereof, that this must be done as a group project. While often group projects are hard because some slide by while the rest do the work, I make it a point in all of the group projects that I do in my classes for my students to, upon completion, give me a self assessment and a peer assessment for everyone in their group as well as a justification for each grade. Further I assign the groups. I find that this helps to prevent a lot of the problems usually accompanying group projects.
When I began filming, I faced quite a few sound problems and by the time I had them resolved, I didn't have my actors for much longer. So we had to hurry and reshoot, and I wasn't able to get all of the shots I would have liked. But this just taught me to test all of my equipment before and assure that I use my actor's time wisely. It was a good lesson to learn. Overall, I am pleased with how the project turned out, especially with the time constraints and learning curve. I appreciate my former students coming to my rescue. It's such a blessing to have people who will just take my direction and run with it, who trust me implicitly. Of course, I wish there was better lighting, that I had turned off my air conditioning to have better sound, that I had a few more shots (especially shot, reverse shots, and a better transition between the day and night scene), I still found the process to be informative and fun. And for extra measure, I added a truly cheesy moment at the end...but wasn't that the point of 80s hair band ballads? Let's just call it my ode to Bon Jovi!
Dialogue Editing Exercise
AKA...the hair twirling debacle.
Video is available here or can be found at: http://youtu.be/5c776LMob1I
But the quality is much better on the Youtube link. I would suggest watching it there instead!
Video is available here or can be found at: http://youtu.be/5c776LMob1I
Monday, July 28, 2014
Initial thoughts on teaching narrative film...
Much of what I teach in a drama class is focused on narrative. Either construction or de-construction of the narrative plays a central part in my day to day instruction. Of course, this is because I teach drama and the focus is on story and the techniques involved with telling the right story, the right way. I love story and I love teaching students how to break apart its pieces, figure out how it works and put it back together. There is pure joy found in the minutia.
Teaching narrative film is another beast entirely. I think the most perplexing part is the introduction of technology. While a lot of the preliminary work involved does flow chronologically, and therefor logically, once production commences, technology seems to take the forefront and all flow seems to disappear. Ok, perhaps I am being slightly melodramatic, but the references to hair twirling as of late have got me second guessing a lot lately. I think the point is to try to find continuity mixed in with all the technology. And that is when narrative film starts to take place.
Perhaps it is easier in an ongoing film class, particularly in college, to teach these things, but as I begin to finalize and test out my lesson plans, I find that multiple days of instruction are necessary to really help students understand composition, continuity, and narrative. Just a simple cursory overview will in no way be substantial enough to assess that they understand it all. Further, they need hands on participation and application in pre-planning, filming, and editing in order to really give them any sort of a background. They need to actually do it themselves to understand and do it several times.
So, my initial thoughts are these: that it takes careful planning and substantial time and resources to really teach these principals. But if all we can initially do is get them to think more thoroughly about the films they watch and contemplate their construction, then at least we are giving them a foundation for real assessment and reflection on the media they so readily consume.
Teaching narrative film is another beast entirely. I think the most perplexing part is the introduction of technology. While a lot of the preliminary work involved does flow chronologically, and therefor logically, once production commences, technology seems to take the forefront and all flow seems to disappear. Ok, perhaps I am being slightly melodramatic, but the references to hair twirling as of late have got me second guessing a lot lately. I think the point is to try to find continuity mixed in with all the technology. And that is when narrative film starts to take place.
Perhaps it is easier in an ongoing film class, particularly in college, to teach these things, but as I begin to finalize and test out my lesson plans, I find that multiple days of instruction are necessary to really help students understand composition, continuity, and narrative. Just a simple cursory overview will in no way be substantial enough to assess that they understand it all. Further, they need hands on participation and application in pre-planning, filming, and editing in order to really give them any sort of a background. They need to actually do it themselves to understand and do it several times.
So, my initial thoughts are these: that it takes careful planning and substantial time and resources to really teach these principals. But if all we can initially do is get them to think more thoroughly about the films they watch and contemplate their construction, then at least we are giving them a foundation for real assessment and reflection on the media they so readily consume.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Composition Exercise
First, The video portion of this assignment can be found at: http://youtu.be/SjvyxuXDwt0
The assignment can be found at: https://drive.google.com/a/alpinedistrict.org/file/d/0B8BtsF97JUhfcDZIWTJUcm9ETG8/edit?usp=sharing
So...let's talk about the process...
My goal with the lesson plan was to introduce different shots to my students, and help them both start to notice the composition of those shots in the media that is around them today and learn how to create those same shots. I think specifically, I wanted them to be able to identify which shots would work best in each moment so that they could create story boards and shot lists that would actually make sense. After designing the newer version (the video one) of this lesson plan, I was sure that it would be accessible and fairly easy to accomplish.
But I didn't take a few factors into account.
First, I thought that taking their existing screenplays and deciding which shots for several moments would help to simplify the process, and while it did, I also found it highly limiting. While shooting, I found that some moments weren't really conducive to the shot that I originally planned. Additionally, during the editing process, that I wished that I had more shots and better angles than I had planned. In retrospect, it would have been wiser to have them get 2-3 different shots for each moment that they could then use to determine the best one for the final project. While this is more time consuming, it would give them a practical understanding of how elements of composition need to work together to tell a full story. I thought that the shooting process could be easily accomplished in one class period. After all, I was only asking them to get 10-12 of the shots they had planned out prior. But even for me, shooting in one location, the process took over two hours.
Further, I wish so much that I hadn't chosen to do an outdoor scene, and I wish even more that I could have gotten people at a different time. But as it was, I could only get those kids together on a Saturday afternoon when the sun was blaring down, the light was terrible, it was 102 degrees outside and my actors were miserable and wanted to leave...not a pleasant mixture for a decent film. As much as I tried to adjust the camera, the white balance, the f-stop, etc., I still feel like the project came out with really harsh colors and looking amateurish. And I know I could be capable, even with my inexperience, of creating a better final product.
Were I do actually do this with students, I would put them into groups and only choose one screenplay to work with. I would give them plenty of class time in which to complete the product. I would have them discuss and plan out shots beforehand, storyboarding it with stick figures, so they could cut down the set up process. I would have them focus primarily on the shots and deciding which worked best to create a final project. They would need editing tutorials to be able to finalize it, but that could be in a follow up lesson plan or two. Further, I think finding proper equipment is going to prove difficult. I need to find a solution for that issue.
Overall, I found this informative and discouraging all at once. I thought I had enough footage to make a decent final project, and though I accomplished all the tasks on my worksheet check list, I don't feel like it really allowed them to see why each shot works. That's why I would make the changes discussed above. I know there are several aspects of composition that I didn't cover in my lesson plan, but, knowing high school students as I do, you have to build upon concepts. And the foundational elements, the basics, first need to be mastered (or at least clearly understood) in order to really add to the end goal of practical and thorough application.
The assignment can be found at: https://drive.google.com/a/alpinedistrict.org/file/d/0B8BtsF97JUhfcDZIWTJUcm9ETG8/edit?usp=sharing
So...let's talk about the process...
My goal with the lesson plan was to introduce different shots to my students, and help them both start to notice the composition of those shots in the media that is around them today and learn how to create those same shots. I think specifically, I wanted them to be able to identify which shots would work best in each moment so that they could create story boards and shot lists that would actually make sense. After designing the newer version (the video one) of this lesson plan, I was sure that it would be accessible and fairly easy to accomplish.
But I didn't take a few factors into account.
First, I thought that taking their existing screenplays and deciding which shots for several moments would help to simplify the process, and while it did, I also found it highly limiting. While shooting, I found that some moments weren't really conducive to the shot that I originally planned. Additionally, during the editing process, that I wished that I had more shots and better angles than I had planned. In retrospect, it would have been wiser to have them get 2-3 different shots for each moment that they could then use to determine the best one for the final project. While this is more time consuming, it would give them a practical understanding of how elements of composition need to work together to tell a full story. I thought that the shooting process could be easily accomplished in one class period. After all, I was only asking them to get 10-12 of the shots they had planned out prior. But even for me, shooting in one location, the process took over two hours.
Further, I wish so much that I hadn't chosen to do an outdoor scene, and I wish even more that I could have gotten people at a different time. But as it was, I could only get those kids together on a Saturday afternoon when the sun was blaring down, the light was terrible, it was 102 degrees outside and my actors were miserable and wanted to leave...not a pleasant mixture for a decent film. As much as I tried to adjust the camera, the white balance, the f-stop, etc., I still feel like the project came out with really harsh colors and looking amateurish. And I know I could be capable, even with my inexperience, of creating a better final product.
Were I do actually do this with students, I would put them into groups and only choose one screenplay to work with. I would give them plenty of class time in which to complete the product. I would have them discuss and plan out shots beforehand, storyboarding it with stick figures, so they could cut down the set up process. I would have them focus primarily on the shots and deciding which worked best to create a final project. They would need editing tutorials to be able to finalize it, but that could be in a follow up lesson plan or two. Further, I think finding proper equipment is going to prove difficult. I need to find a solution for that issue.
Overall, I found this informative and discouraging all at once. I thought I had enough footage to make a decent final project, and though I accomplished all the tasks on my worksheet check list, I don't feel like it really allowed them to see why each shot works. That's why I would make the changes discussed above. I know there are several aspects of composition that I didn't cover in my lesson plan, but, knowing high school students as I do, you have to build upon concepts. And the foundational elements, the basics, first need to be mastered (or at least clearly understood) in order to really add to the end goal of practical and thorough application.
Friday, July 11, 2014
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