Syllabus Fall 2013 COM 3340/81438/Digital Media Production

Kennesaw State UniversityDepartment of Communication

Instructor: Amani ChannelMeeting Time: Thursdays, 8p-10:45pLocation: SO #2032, Digital Media Classroom (2nd floor)Office Hours: TBDOffice Location: TBDPhone: (404) 213-2121Email (best way to reach me): achanne2@kennesaw.edu or amani.channel@gmail.com

Please do not email me through WebCT.

COURSE/CATALOG DESCRIPTION:This course focuses on the impact of digital media technology and how it has changed the production experience. It addresses the principles of shooting, sound characteristics, ergonomics, and basic techniques for field recording (timecode, audio techniques, videography techniqes, and mixing). Audio and video formats are examined in the context of non-linear post-production.

PREREQUISITES: COM 2230 or COM 2205 and IS 2101

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1. A basic knowledge of video and audio production equipment will be gained by utilizing cameras, microphones, lighting and editing applications. 2. By working in a full range of crew positions, students will learn the team-based nature of video production. There will be students acting as producers, reporters, sound operators, etc for the video project, for instance. 3. Students will learn how to deal with real-world production deadlines by operating in a time-limited environment. 4. An understanding of terminology, techniques, disciplines and processes related to audio/video production will be obtained. 5. The student will learn how to integrate the skills necessary to write, produce and direct a media production.6. Broadcast delivery will be explored.7. This course will be field production intensive.

TEXTBOOK:Roberts-Breslin, Jan: Making Media, Second Edition: Foundations in Sound and Image Production (Paperback). ISBN: 0240809076

Additional materials for required reading will be made available to students as handouts.

University Provides: camera kits, microphones & non-linear editing facilities.

Student Provides: Mini DV tapes plus blank CDs and DVD-Rs and batteries. External Hard Drives are strongly recommended (with Firewire and USB connections, 7200rpm). Students will also need to supply his/her own digital camera (4 megapixel minimum). Certain laptops on campus will have USB 2.0 connections, but adapters are available. *This class will also cover mobile videography techniques. If you have a smartphone, there will be opportunities to use it for certain productions, however additional equipment is required and will need to be purchased by the student if you wish to use your mobile device.

Special Considerations:1) Students will be required to work on projects outside of class time. 2) No drink of food is ever allowed in any University Lab.3) You must reserve any equipment/facilities from AVTS at least 24 hours in advance (http://avts.kennesaw.edu/). You will be reserving “COM GL Camera Kits”. Normally, you can keep checked out equipment for 3 days. Students are responsible for checked out equipment. Overdue equipment may result in your loss of privileges and/or hold on your credits. It is important that the student check that all equipment is in working order BEFORE leaving MDG. It is also the student’s responsibility (the same student who originally checked out the equipment) to ensure that ALL equipment is returned in neat and tidy order.4) Critiques. We will be creating, exhibiting and analyzing our work together as a class. This is important to grow as a media producer and you shouldn’t take it personally!5) This is a Learn by Doing environment. Some students have never taken a production/lab class before. Please note that studying for these classes are mostly based on field work. While students will have orientations to equipment, the student will be ultimately responsible for using and learning the equipment in a “hands on” experience in the field. This facilitation is extremely useful to familiarize yourself before working on graded productions. You will have lab exercises during class time that you will complete after software/hardware demos or orientation. 6) This class is 80% problem solving. Problems will arise in the field. Ensure you have a contingency plan and proper time management.

EMAIL COMMUNICATION AND NETIQUETTEYou are expected to use your assigned Kennesaw State email account at all times, because university-related information will only go to that address. Please be respectful, courteous and professional in your email communication. Never write an email in anger or when upset. Take a deep breath or, even better, sleep over it first. I will ignore emotionally written emails that show disrespect. To get my attention, make sure to include specific information in the subject line. Be clear in your writing to make it easy for me to respond. Always sign off with your full name. If this information is missing you risk that your email will be deleted because it may mimic a virus or Spam. Usually, I will respond to your email within 48 business hours. Sometimes, I may my hold my response until the next class meeting if I think that the answer can wait and will benefit everybody in the class.

ATTENDANCE: Due to the pace of a Semester, 10 points may be deducted from his/her final grade for each absence or chronic tardiness. If you are not in class when roll is taken, I have no record of your attendance, so it is your responsibility to communicate with the instructor. Tardiness is defined as attending class after roll has been taken and class has started. Chronic tardiness is defined as two tardy arrivals. ON-TIME Attendance is very important for this course as we often are shooting in the field and your team will not wait for you and some in-class labs will have a “set” start time. Your late arrival will disturb your fellow classmates and instructor. Missing more than 15 minutes of any class counts as an absence. Missing 25% of your classes overall will constitute a final grade of “F”. Course dates indicating lectures, production demonstrations, and in-class labs are mandatory. During open lab dates, your production supervisor will set the team’s schedule.

Tardy or absenteeism on project due dates will negatively impact your grade and could result in a score of “0”.

If you are absent or tardy, you will miss important information you need to know. If you're absent from a team (group) project shooting or editing session, you put extra work on your team members. Each group will be graded by each individual group member in addition to

being graded by the instructor. Individual roles in each production team will be assigned.

CLASS POLICIES:1) Instructor may change syllabus and course summary at any time, if so, students will be notified.2)Students are expected to attend ALL class meetings and be prepared to work for the entire class period.3)Students should always bring to class videotapes, syllabus, textbooks and all handouts to every class period.4) If you intend to use our laptops, you will be required to have something to save it (external hard drive) and headphones (if editing). “Out Loud” is not an option.5) Students must familiarize themselves with the Digital Media Lab Manual and policies.

PROJECTS:You are required to use school equipment outside of class time to complete individual and group projects. You must plan ahead. Time management is key for this course. No one will bail you out. You can reserve your equipment & facilities (2) weeks in advance. ALL Projects must be approved by Instructor before you begin shooting. You will be evaluated for shot composition, production standards (scripts, raw footage, and other production materials), editing, audio and other elements based on project needs and instructor discretion. Details will be presented in class.

POLICY ON LATE PROJECTS AND EXAMS:Meeting deadlines is central to broadcasting if you want to keep your job. For some, this amounts to a rude awakening when they get into the field. Therefore, in this course, deadlines on homework and projects will be absolute. Without explicit exemption from the instructor, failure to take an exam or turn in a project may result in a score of “0”. If you miss a deadline because of a DOCUMENTED illness or emergency, you must make it up within one week. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor to arrange this within 24 hours of incident. Otherwise, a late project will not be accepted and will warrant a score of “0”. Tardy arrival on exam dates will result in an automatic letter grade deduction if another student leaves before you arrive. An exam starts at the beginning of class and ends when the last student in attendance turns in their finished exam or when the class time has ended, whichever is sooner. Predetermined events of this nature need to be communicated and documentation should be produced as soon as possible, which would require work to be completed ahead of the deadline (if a non-emergency).

Late work is defined as assignments not turned in before or at the BEGINNING of the class period in which they are due.

GRADING/ EVALUATION AND MINIMUM STANDARDS(Students are responsible for keeping returned assignments, tests, and exams)

The following is how the final grade will be averaged:

Class Participation 50 pointsQuizzes 25 pointsProject #1 (Photo, PR) 75 pointsMidterm Exam 100 pointsProject #2 (News, Video) 75 pointsProject #3 (Audio, Advertising) 75 pointsFinal 100 points

500 points total (5% deduction in grades may occur if students consistently receives poor peer evaluations).

LETTER GRADE ASSIGNMENT

Numerical grades will translate into letter grades as follows:A = 90-100%; B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = 59% and below.

Academic HonestyKennesaw State University and the Department of Communication are committed to the highest standards of academic and professional ethics. We expect our students to adhere to those standards. Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest independent of whether or not the effort is successful. Please see the Student Handbook for details on academic honesty.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIESKennesaw State University does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Public Law 101-336, gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. This statute guarantees equal opportunity for this protected group in the areas of public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. If you have a visible or invisible disability and will require academic accommodations in this course, I would be happy to discuss your needs. Accommodations are coordinated through Disabled Student Support Services. If you have a documentable disability is your responsibility to contact Carol Pope at cpope@kennesaw.edu or call 770-423-6443. This must be documented through DisAbled Services before your first graded assignment and cannot be retroactively initiated.

FERPAThe Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records once the student has reached 18 years of age (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). Under that law we cannot release your student ID number, grades, performance evaluations, or any other personal or academic information to anyone but you, unless you provide written permission to do so. Also, I cannot discuss grades with you or anyone else over unsecured lines such as email or phone.

Children on CampusAccording to the KSU Staff Handbook (504.3c Children in the Workplace), the University cannot acccommodate children of employees and students on campus during normal operating hours. Children are welcome to make brief visits and to attend scheduled events.

Special thanks to Dr. Stephen Neil for providing assistance with this syllabus.

COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULESubject to change

Aug 22First day attendance is mandatory for this course. Overview of the course including issue of syllabus along with introduction of students. Chapters 1 & 2. Assignment: Post Photo displaying proper framing on WebCT.

Aug 29Chapter 2 continued, Chapter 3. Shot composition, aesthetic, and outdoor/indoor lighting will be discussed. Assignment: Bring Digital Camera (or smartphone with acceptable camera) for Photo Assignment. Photo Assignment is given and teams are formed. The rest of the class is Open Lab for Photo Assignment. NOTE: Video production groups will be assigned on this date and a camera pack must be checked out before September 6 class.

Sept 5

Open Lab – Digital Photography. Photo Assignment due next week. Bring MiniDV tapes and AA batteries to future classes.

Sep 12Students will present their Photo Assignment at the beginning of class. Post all assignments to the class blog http://www.ksudigital.blogspot.com before this deadline. The video camera’s manual functionality will be discussed (Zoom, Pan, Focus, Tilt). Soundbites, Voiceover, b-roll and standups are all discussed. In-Class Camera Quiz. Students will review Camera Quiz with instructor. Chapters 5 & 6, including types of microphones and sound conditions (indoor and outdoor). Assignment: Groups will be assigned to write a short news piece that will be shot in the following class session.

Sep 26 Groups will go out to shoot and record indoor/outdoor dialogue and Nat. sound along with DV cameras and mics. Scenes should feature three key shots and all components of news package. Class discussion of chapter 6 including the correct way to use a boom and lavaliere microphones. Time code will be discussed. Project 2 is assigned with Scripts due next class period.

Oct 3

Open Lab – Project 2

Oct 10 Midterm Examination on chapters 1-6 and in-class notes.

Optional Meeting time with Instructor (Project 2). Students use additional class time for continued production on Project 2.

Oct 17

Mandatory Editing Demo – Final Cut Pro. Students will begin optional in-class Project II editing. To accomplish this, student must bring camera pack and firewire, necessary firewire external hard drive with at least 7200 rpm, AND HEADPHONES. Students may also use outside editing or computer facilities.

Oct 24Chapter 9 and 10, Editing Project II. Open Lab

Oct 31Open Lab – Exporting Project II.

Nov 7 Project II due with optional in-class screening. Non-linear audio editing is introduced along with audio recording configuration. Project III is assigned. Assignment: Students must interview clients and compose a script BEFORE next week's class.

Nov 14

SFX, vocal effects and audio mixing are explored, using Audition.Students will begin editing Project III. Students will record voiceovers in the recording booth, followed by sweetening Assignment: Add music and sfx to commercial before mixing down. Project III due December 6. Nov 21No class, fall break

Nov 28Project III due. Students will receive review for Final.

December 5Final Exam: Chapters 7-11, in class notes and handouts.