SOCIAL ADVOCACY VIDEO PROGRAM - Hear Me

The Hear Me 101 Program and Workbook were created and developed by Heide Waldbaum, Project Director, Hear Me 2010-2011.www.hear-me.net

Published by The Hear Me Project ©

SOCIAL ADVOCACY VIDEO PROGRAM

Hear Me 101 is made possible with funding provided byThe Heinz Endowments.

This workbook was written and designed by the Hear Me Team at theCREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University in collaboration with:

The Consortium for Public EducationThe Western Pennsylvania Writing Project

and Pittsburgh Filmmakers

Hear Me would like to give a special “Thumbs Up” to our participants for helping us pilot the first year of this program.

The amazing Students and Educators of:

Clairton High School, Clairton, PAMcKeesport Area High School, McKeesport, PASteel Valley Senior High School, Munhall, PAWoodland Hills High School, Pittsburgh, PA

Our special gratitude to:Melanie Brown and Stan Thompson of The Heinz Endowments for believing in our program.

Hear Me would like to especially acknowledge all the kids who participated in Year One of The Hear Me Project for speaking out and inspiring us to write this program and to

continue to move forward withThe Hear Me Mission.

Portions of this workbook are excerpted with the permission of the authors from “Shot By Shot: A Practical Guide to Filmmaking” by John Cantine, Susan Howard

and Brady Lewis. Published by Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Fourth Edition, 2011.

Copyright 2012 Hear Me.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, without the prior written consent from the publisher.

Published by the Hear Me Project

Printed by Copies at Carson

Designed by Caroline Moore

www.hear-me.net / [email protected]

Hear Me amplifies kids’ voices using MEDIA and TECHNOLOGY to CREATE a world where they are heard, acknowledged and understood, giving them the power to INSPIRE social change.

An initiative of the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, Hear Me is a collaborative network of community organizations, institutions, businesses and foundations working

together to provide a better future for our kids. Hear Me is a conduit for our kids voices that promotes the purposeful and responsible use of media by and for kids that can stimulate

change in their lives, their communities and the world.

Hear Me allows kids the opportunity to become their own leaders of change, and to challenge the public to stand up and take part in creating great change on their behalf and

the issues and concerns they face today.

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt

I. Introduction What is Hear Me 101? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Entry Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Permission Slip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

II. Advocacy Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Session 1: Change Starts with You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Session 2: The Story of My Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

III. Speaking Out Speaking Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Session 3: My School, My Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Session 4: Topic Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Session 5: Topic Selection and Goal for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Session 6: Initial Recordings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

IV. Pre-Production Pre-Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Session 7: Media Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Session 8: Digital Documentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Session 9: Writing 1: Essential and Focus Questions . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Session 10: Interviewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

V. Producing Producing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Session 11: Phases and Roles of Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Session 12: Developing and Producing Your Video . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Form: Shot List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Sample: Sample Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Form: Blank Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Sample: Research Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Form: Location Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Form: Subject Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Review 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

VI. Production Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Session 13: Camera, Lighting, Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Session 13A: After Each Shoot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Session 14: Directing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Session 15: Writing 2: Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Review 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

VII. Post-Production Post-Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Session 16: Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Session 17: Writing 3: Audio/Visual Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Session 18: Putting it All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Review 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

VIII. Presentation Presenting Your Documentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Session 19: Informal Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Session 20: Formal Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

IX. Using Your Piece for Change Using Your Piece for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Session 21: Sharing your Piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Session 22: Getting your Piece Seen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Review 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

X. Final Recordings Final Recordings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 Session 23: Final Recordings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

XI. Wrap Closing Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

XII. Glossary XIII. Journal Pages

{ TABLE OF CONTENTS }

{ I: INTRODUCTION }

What is Hear Me 101?

In Hear Me 101, students will build the confidence and necessary self-esteem to voice their thoughts and opinions to inspire social change in areas of community and education. Youth will learn how to effectively develop and produce their messages in a professional and collaborative manner through video production – creating digital documentaries to advocate for the change they would like to see.

Educators involved will work with the Hear Me Team to lead student groups through the program; researching and selecting an issue, developing writing and production skills, understanding and implementing the use of media and campaigns, working to create change on behalf of the students and guiding students through project completion.

Student groups will participate in the process through a series of individual sessions and group workshops:

Advocacy – The Importance of Youth Voice Topic Selection – Researching and Understanding an Issue Media Literacy – Analyzing and Understanding the Media Video Style – Digital Documentary, Telling your Story Writing - Effectively Communicating your Message Video Production – From Directing to Editing to Final Cut Campaign Building – Strategies for Promoting your Message Project Showcase – Sharing your Finished Work with an Audience

Throughout the program, students, educators and professionals will work together to create a framework outlining the students’ visions for change and the necessary steps to put a plan into action around the selected issues. This framework will help guide the process, addressing both challenges and opportunities, and will be representative of the work of the students as well as the supporting educators, professionals, community and school members. The plan for change will be ongoing, continuing after the completion of the program and help to create sustainable change in the future.

1

As a participant in Hear Me 101 you will not only develop the skills to effectively express your voice, but will produce media that can make a positive impact in your schools and communities.

Hear Me 101 is an opportunity for you to find your voice, learn new skills in media production and to inspire real social change. You will identify areas in your school and communities in which you want to create a positive change; you will produce a high-quality digital documentary; you will present and share ideas with the public and will work with educators, professionals and members of your community and school to plan and build a framework and vision to implement the change you desire.

To get started, we will need you to complete and return the following documents found on the following pages.

Permission Slip _________________________________________________________________________________________Hear Me is a program that distributes the participants’ voices, whether audio recordings, art, written stories or videos, publicly through the use of media and technology.

In Hear Me 101 you will be producing videos that will be representative of your work and the work of your group and school. In order for the Hear Me Team to publicly promote and display your work, you will need to have the form complete in both sections.

Permission Your parent or guardian will need to sign the first section – to approve permission of your participation if you are less than 18 years of age.

If you are 18 years of age or over, you may complete and sign on your behalf.

PledgeAs a participant in Hear Me 101, you are required to read, complete and sign the pledge at the bottom of the form in order to participate.

Entry Survey_________________________________________________________________________________________This survey serves multiple purposes – assessing your experience and knowledge of media and technology as well as an understanding of how you view your voice and your community.

{ GETTING STARTED }

3

The media portrays teens in an accurate way. Yes No

The media and television shows portray teens in a positive way. Yes No

I can relate to teens I see on television. Yes No

Student name: _____________________________________________________________

Email: _____________________________________________________________

School/Grade: _____________________________________________________________

Teacher’s Name: _____________________________________________________________

Media Arts

I am interested in pursuing a career in the Media Arts.

I feel that an ability to create media is relevant to most career opportunities today.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

Teens in the Media

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

Please complete the below Entry Survey for Hear Me so we may get an understanding of your interests, skills and experience with technology and media and your personal views.

{SURVEY}

I like when people ask for my opinion.

Adults could learn from listening to my opinions.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

5

Technical

I have completed a video project before. Yes No

I have experience using a video camera. Yes No

I have uploaded videos to the web. Yes No

I have written a script before. Yes No

I have used video editing software. Yes No

News and Information

I read or watch the news whenever I can.

The news and politics have nothing to do with me.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

__ TV

__ Internet sites like CNN.com, Fox.com, MSNBC.com, etc.

__ Local news websites

__ Social Media sites

__ Print (Magazines, Newspapers)

__ Radio

__ Other _________

I get most of my news from (Check one):

6

I am interested in helping to improve my community.

I feel proud of my school.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Disagree Agree

Contact: [email protected] or (412) 268-5700For more information, go to www.hear-me.net

Hear Me 101 is a Social Advocacy Video Program of Hear Me. In Hear Me 101, youth will learn how to effectively develop and produce their messages through video production – creating digital documentaries to advocate for the change they would like to see in their communities and education.

In order to participate in Hear Me 101, you must have a signed permission form. If you are under 18, you must have the permission of a parent/guardian and take the Hear Me Pledge. If you are 18 or older, please read and sign the Hear Me Pledge.

Please detach the signed form below and return to your teacher, organization’s supervisor or Hear Me representative.

The Hear Me Permission Slip (for Parent/Guardian)

School ______________________________________________________________________________

Date of Hear Me activity ________________

YES! By participating in Hear Me 101, my child (name) _______________________________, will share his/her story as part of a project through their school or program. I understand that my child is voluntarily participating in Hear Me 101 and that (School)_______________________________________ is an official Hear Me partner, and that Hear Me is a learning and advocacy initiative that will share children’s stories, conversations and student produced video pieces with teachers, parents, policymakers, media professionals and the general public through mass media and other public distribution, as long as the project endures. I understand that my child’s video piece, inclusive of their personal story, art, voice and/or their image/likeness may possibly be seen or heard in various mediums and manners, as well as used for promotional or editorial purposes. I understand that neither I, nor my child will receive compensation or remuneration for participating in this project, nor have any copyright to use or sell this material.

I hereby waive any right to review, inspect or approve the content and use of my child’s video piece, inclusive of their personal story, art, voice and/or their image/likeness. I further release Hear Me and its partners from any claims for remuneration associated with any form of damage, foreseen or unforeseen, associated with Hear Me, and its partners’ use of these images.

I acknowledge and consent to the use of my child’s video piece, inclusive of their personal story, art, voice and/or their image/likeness by the Hear Me project, its partners, and the CREATE Lab worldwide and in perpetuity. I further understand that as a Hear Me participant, my child may listen and respond to the stories of others via the Hear Me collection website and all other associated social media sites, and they willfully accept responsibility for respectful and appropriate communication.

Parent/Guardian’s name (print): __________________________________________________ Date_______________________

Signature___________________________ Phone_______________ Email_________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Hear Me Pledge (for Participants)

Yes! By participating in Hear Me, I (child’s name) _______________________________, will share my story and/or my work. I pledge to be respectful and appropriate in my comments throughout all Hear Me activities, including on the Hear Me Internet collection site and all other social media sites associated with the project.

Child’s email: ______________________________________________________________________ Age___________________ Signature______________________________________________________________________ Date______________________

An initiative of the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, Hear Me is a collaborative effort of community organizations, institutions, businesses and foundations working together to provide a better future for our kids.

7

{PERMISSION

SLIP }

Advocacy means to speak out or take action on behalf of a cause, belief or policy. Great changes throughout history start with an idea and a group of people who advocate on behalf of that idea and its cause.

Youth Voice is the opinions, thoughts, knowledge and questions of young people – the ideas and actions of your generation. It is your turn to educate, inspire and advocate on behalf of the issues and decisions affecting youth today.

By becoming an advocate, you will empower yourself and your peers to create positive change around a cause or issue important to you. To be an advocate you need to be socially invested in and aware of what is happening around you, in your school and in your community to actively pursue the changes you want to see. You need to “get involved” if you want something to happen. Play an active part as opposed to sitting by silently on the sidelines.

The decisions that adults make on a daily basis directly affect you as young people. Your voices should and need to be part of these decisions. Youth Movements are happening all over the world, where young people are getting involved in decision-making throughout society.

As the youth of today, you are better suited to voice your opinions now than ever before. Through the Internet and Social Media, you have invaluable resources to educate and inform you on policy and the issues and decisions being made by adults and government leaders.

Hear Me 101 was inspired by the students who participated in the first year of Hear Me, 2010-2011, who courageously shared their personal thoughts and opinions on social issues impacting their lives. Over 3,000 students collaborated with Hear Me to voice their concerns to create awareness around youth voice in our region to inspire change. By joining Hear Me 101, you will be become part of a regional effort of youth who want to make a difference across schools and communities.

We believe in you and your voices.

Thank you for choosing to participate in Hear Me 101 and supporting the Hear Me Mission.

{ }II. ADVOCACY

9

CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU

In Hear Me 101 we are asking you to produce a video piece to create positive social change on behalf or your school and your community. As with any great effort, the success of that effort is determined by the individuals involved. Creating change starts with you. Bringing the right approach and attitude to this program is essential to your success. How do you feel about yourself? What attitude do you carry with you day to day? Is it positive or negative?

Self-reflection is not something we always welcome or choose to do, but it is something we, as human beings, should be required to do. Have you ever wondered how others see you? What image are you projecting out into the world? How do you see yourself? Who do you want to be and how do you want others to see you?

How can you assess issues for change within your school or community if you haven’t first assessed yourself? YOU are part of your school, YOU are part of your community and YOU are where the change starts.

How can you effectively tell a story about positive social change if you are not telling your OWN positive stories? To create positive social change, you need to tell your own positive stories. If you are already telling your own positive story, then you may not have much to change but it is still important to reflect and answer the questions below. You may discover something you didn’t know about yourself.

What is a story?A story describes events, issues, characters and ideas, and can be fiction or non-fiction. They carry messages in three parts – a beginning, middle and end.

What is your story?What events, issues and characters make up your story? How did your story come to be? What situations or events occurred to make your story what it is today? What is the story you want for yourself?

OBJECTIVES

Examine personal narratives and how to tell positive stories

Identify how others see you and how it’s the same or different from how you see yourself

Identify the stories that need to be shared about you and the steps needed to tell the story you desire

SESSION 1CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU

11

ACTIVITY

My Identity?Write 2-3 sentences about how others see you, how you see yourself and WHY.

People see me as:

I see myself as:

What do I want my story to be? (How do I want to see myself? How do I want other to see me?) What character traits do I want to have? What adjectives would I like others to use describe me?

Think about a time when you may have unknowingly demonstrated some of these traits. For example, if you want to be more outgoing, you might describe a time when you transferred schools, had to make new friends and succeeded in finding new friends.

Tell a story demonstrating one or two of the traits listed above.

Michael Hyatt, Intentional Leadership; Change your Story, Change your Life (article)http://michaelhyatt.com/change-your-story-change-your-life.html

SESSION

ONEREFERENCES

NEXT STEPS

Defining and Changing your StoryMake a list of 3-5 key events or situations that have defined your current story. What was the impact each of these experiences had on you personally, shaping who you are today?

Now, write 3-5 things you can do to on your own behalf to counteract any “negatives” from the above experiences. What can you do to change your story around these experiences to “positives?”

JOURNAL IT!Go to your journal and write down your thoughts and suggestions to the above questions on the pages for Session 1.

SESSION 1CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU

12

SESSION 2THE STORY OF MY COMMUNITY

THE STORY OF MY COMMUNITY

Stories told about a community have a direct reflection on a community’s image and reputation, creating either a positive or negative effect that can create a lasting impact.

In the last session, you examined how you see yourself and how others see you. Similarly, the people living in a specific community often view their community differently than those outside of their community. Those living in the community have a more personal and honest account of the people, places and circumstances of the community, where as those on the outside most likely do not have a true account of that community. They only have a “perception” of that community from “stories” they have heard, read or seen.

Many of these stories are told through the media in its many forms: television, newspapers, magazines, radio and the Internet.

A community’s story is often different depending on who is telling it and the context in which they are telling the stories. What stories does the media decide to tell? Do they portray an accurate account of a community as a whole or are they selective about what they choose to tell?

Most often the media chooses to publish the stories that will gain the most “media attention” from the public, meaning the most dramatic and entertaining stories (see Session 7 – Media Literacy).

In many struggling communities around the country, the stories that tend to be told are negative. They focus on economic hardships, the rise in crime, the decrease in property value, the low quality education available to kids living in that community and the lack of positive after-school programs and centers available.

Identify the stories currently being told about your community

Discuss how the stories of those living in the community have the ability to improve the perception of those outside the community have of the community

Empower students to gather and tell positive stories about their community

Challenge the media to cover and publish positive stories

OBJECTIVES

13

A. What stories are being told about your community?What stories are told about your community? What stories does the public hear about your community, from the media or others, that influence their perception?

Research: Look up the press coverage of your community online. Go to the websites for your local and city newspapers and news stations, then search for your community.

What stories are the media sharing about your community?

Based on these stories, what values and stereotypes do others see in your community?

Do the stories being shared by the media about your community accurately represent what the residents experience in your community?

B. Sharing the Good Stories Is your perception of your community different from that told in the media? What positive stories do you want to share about your community to start reshaping its image? Remember, your voice has the potential to change the way the public views your community and the people in your community.

With your group, take turns writing on a dry-erase board, positive “happenings” that are going on in your community. Prioritize these ideas in a list, starting with stories you think have the most potential to gain media attention. Then, list things you can do in your community that can help bring media attention to your community in a positive way.

ACTIVITIES

14

Spread your StoriesWho can you share these stories with to have them reach the largest audience? What is the best way to share these stories (writing an article, promoting it through Facebook, YouTube, twitter, etc.)?

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal for Session 2 in the back of the workbook and write ideas for sharing your stories. Make sure to answer the questions in “Spread your Stories” listed above.

Take your time with this since this will be helpful when your Distribution Team gets ready to make your campaign public (see Distribution Team in Session 11 – Phases and Roles of Production).

NEXT STEPS

SESSION

TWOREFERENCES

Local PressHere are some links to local newspapers and news stations. Use these to see what the media is saying about your community.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviewhttp://www.pittsburghlive.com/x

Pittsburgh Post-Gazettehttp://www.post-gazette.com

WPXI – Channel 11 Newshttp://www.wpxi.com/index.html

CBS Pittsburgh – KDKA Newshttp://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com

SESSION 2THE STORY OF MY COMMUNITY

15

What is the first thing required to initiate change of any kind? A voice. Your thoughts and opinions as the youth of today are the voices that need to be heard.

“Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you don’t move.” Will Rogers

How do you want to move forward in life? What concerns do you have for yourself, your school, your peers and your community?

As young people today, your voice is an important part in creating change for your community, whether voicing educational issues within your school, social issues within your community or economical issues that are directly affecting your future, you need to speak up, discuss the issues and work to find solutions.

{ III. SPEAKING OUT}

17

MY SCHOOL, MY COMMUNITY

To start discussing the issues to voice in your documentary, please answer the questions below openly and thoughtfully and return this paper to your teacher. You do not have to respond in complete sentences and this will not be graded – this is to help you begin brainstorming.

Student name: ________________________________________________________________

Student email: ________________________________________________________________

School/Grade: _________________________________________________________________

Teacher’s name: _______________________________________________________________

What would you change about your school and why? Why does this problem exist? What will it take to change it?

What would you change about your community and why? Why does this problem exist? What will it take to change it?

What is the reputation of your school and community? What reputation would you like each to have?

Do you think it’s important to share your opinions about your school or community? Do you think your voice can make a difference?

SESSION 3MY SCHOOL, MY COMMUNITY

19

TOPIC DISCUSSION

We all face moments where we want to stand up, voice our opinions and try to change a situation or problem for the better.

To get started, we will work with you and your peers to start group discussions about areas in your school and community in which you would like to create change. As you participate, live and play in your schools and communities, you are aware of both the positives and negatives in each that affect your lives on a daily basis and can impact your future.

Brainstorming is a great tool to start thinking about topics and issues that you, as an individual and as a group, want to start to discuss, understand and work together to find solutions. Brainstorming is an open, informal and relaxed way to voice your thoughts and opinions collaboratively with those in your group. This is a time to be free with your thoughts and voice your issues and concerns without criticism and judgment. Brainstorming is a fun way for you to bond with your group and to ultimately select a topic(s) to address and create change through Hear Me 101.

Through this discussion process, we will work together to tackle the issues hands-on and to create a vision and plan for positive change on your behalf. Greater change can happen when your voices are united!

Openly discuss relative issues in your school and community with your group, leader and Hear Me.

Narrow down the issues you, as a group, feel most passionate about.

Perform basic research on the issue(s) selected, understanding each as best as possible.

Propose solutions and plans for change for each issue with your group.

Some reoccurring themes locally, regionally and nationally that youth face today:

OBJECTIVES

MediaEducationLearningDiversityEconomyPovertyAfter School Opportunities

School ReputationDrug/Alcohol AbusePersonal ImageSexualityViolence in SchoolsCrime in CommunityBehavior in School

BullyingNutritionObesityFamilyCommunity PrideIdentity

20

SESSION 4TOPIC DISCUSSION

Tell us what is important to you. Below list three issues that you feel strongly impact your life and that you have an interest in voicing to create change.

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

Tell us what solutions you would propose to help change or improve these issues. Below list a proposed solution that aligns with the three issues listed above.

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY

NEXT STEPS

Take time to really get to know your school and your community. Your assignment is to research the history of your school and your community. You have voiced your issues, now try and understand how they came to be. For every problem, issue or discussion there is a story.

You are aware of the present status of your school and community, but you need to understand both of their histories and how they are a reflection of each other. Do you know the year your school was established? Do you know the budget for your school? Do you know who runs your local city council? Do you know how many residents are in your community?

This is an interesting and easy assignment you can do in your free time.

21

Suggestions: Ask your teacher, administrators, family members, community members, etc. questions for which you would like answers. Look to the older people in your community who have resided there for some time. I bet they can tell you the history and transitions the community has gone through over the years.

Go online and research your community’s local website, or even read about it on Wikipedia. Learn who the leaders are in your school and community. Who has the power to create change and make decisions?

The more you know about your environment – school and community – the easier it will be to select a topic/issue for your documentary, as you will have established a history and better understanding of the world you live in.

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal in the back of the workbook, write your research, questions and results on the page for Session 4 so you can document and reference your work throughout the program.

What issues do you think youth face?Here are some links to references to help you in your research and to provide you with an understanding of the issues facing youth today:

Edutopia; What Are the Biggest Challenges Young Adults Face Today?: Students Speak Up (short article on issues affecting today’s youth)http://www.edutopia.org/what-are-biggest-challenges-young-adults-face-today

Helium; The Youth of Today Are Not Ready for the Challenges of Tomorrow (debate)http://www.helium.com/debates/71448-todays-youth-not-ready-for-the-challenges-of-tomorrow/side_by_side

United Way Common Good Forecaster (change the levels on various factors that influence quality of life)http://liveunited.org/pages/common-good-forecaster

Education Nation (tour a virtual display, take quizzes and watch videos about our educational system) http://www.educationnation.com

SESSION

FOURREFERENCES

SESSION 4TOPIC DISCUSSION

22

SESSION 5TOPIC SELECTION AND GOAL FOR CHANGE

TOPIC SELECTION & GOAL FOR CHANGE

Now that you have brainstormed and discussed various issues in your school and community, it is time to select a topic for your group documentary.

The most memorable part of a documentary is the STORY. From the research and discussions you have done, you have gathered ideas for your story. Now you have to decide what story you will tell. This all starts with you and your group. Your passion, interest and dedication to the topic you select will show in your work. Which topic will make for the most interesting story and have the ability to impact the audience to inspire change?

How do you choose the best topic along with a goal for change? Documentary projects are most effective when you work collaboratively with your group. Coming together on a central issue by unifying your voices will help amplify your message and increase your chance for successful change. Follow these steps when selecting your topic:

1. List the top three issues from your group discussions, combining related points as applicable.

2. Have the group vote, selecting the best issue of the three – which issue is most important to voice and has the most potential for change?

3. Make sure as a group you are passionate about the issue and you have the overall consensus.

4. Why would this topic make for a good documentary?

5. Consider the purpose of the documentary and its topic. What questions do you want it to answer and what goals for change do you want it to achieve?

Other items to consider… •Whoisyouraudience? Will they be interested in and motivated by your story to help support change?

•Youdon’tneedtoknoweverythingaboutyourtopic.Researchispart of the process, so you will learn along the way all the elements and factors that make up your story.

23

OBJECTIVES

Work with your group to list the top three issues from your brainstorming session

Discuss the top three, and make a final selection collaboratively of the best topic to voice

Write out a specific goal(s) for change you would like to see from your selected topic

ACTVITIES

A. What key points will you cover to tell your story? What angle will you take?You now have a topic. How will you define, explain, argue and express your story?

Take time to think about all the parts and sides to your story. What are all the different parts you and your audience will want to know about to fully understand the issue you selected? What is most important? What is the focal point? (Please use the references at the end of the session to assist you with this activity.)

Below list 5 story points, various factors and angles you want to cover.

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

4.________________________________________________________________________________

5.________________________________________________________________________________

B. What change are you advocating for? For every issue, there should be a purpose for telling its story along with a selected goal for change. Think about the issue you are voicing and write three solutions and proposed goals to help you achieve the desired change.

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

24

SESSION 5TOPIC SELECTION AND GOAL FOR CHANGE

NEXT STEPS

Get to know your subjectYour assignment is to start preliminary research on your topic, and not just the basics! Think of all the levels and angles there are to the topic you selected. How are you going to find out all you need to know to effectively tell your story? What are the right questions to ask to find the information you need?

Your research might not be typical research (instead of looking up magazine articles you might take a poll of other students or interview people), but you will have to gather information on your topic. Remember, you have one of the best resources that helps you access information from everywhere – the Internet! Other sources to use are your school or local libraries, talking to students, adults and others in your community or school, watching the news, reading your local paper, etc.

There is information to be found through multiple sources, but it is up to you to find this information so that you can fully cover and articulate your story!

Suggestions:Most likely, your issue is one that is universal, meaning it exists elsewhere and is a shared issue by many people who are interested in creating change on its behalf.

What is the current state of the issue you are voicing? What leaders and organizations in your community, region and state are already advocating for the same or similar issue?

What are the challenges and obstacles that exist? It is important for you to understand the history and current state in order for you to move forward in advocating your cause.

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal in the back of the workbook, write your research, questions and results on the page for Session 5 so you can document and reference your work throughout the program.

Videomaker – Your Guide to Creating and Publishing Great Video; How to Find the Story in Your Documentary (video on finding the right angle for your documentary) http://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/tutorials/648/documentary-storytelling-finding-the-story

University of Richmond; Writing Center (beginning a story, finding a lead) http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/journalism/begin.html

MediaCollege; How to Write News Stories (short tips)http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/news/write-stories.html

SESSION

FIVEREFERENCES

25

INITIAL RECORDINGS

In the first five sessions, you worked to voice who you are, how you see yourself, how others see you and the identity of your school and community. From here, we collaboratively discussed issues and topics where you want to inspire change – starting with you as individuals, then areas that need addressed in your school and community, selecting a final topic for change.

Hear Me takes great pride in creating an inspirational, educational and memorable experience for every student participating in Hear Me 101. This session is to help us assess, during the early stages of the program, how you personally feel about inspiring change and the need or value you feel this program will bring to you, your school and community.

To do this effectively, we want to hear your “voices.” In this session, we will complete audio recordings of each of you, having you answer the questions below to provide us with an assessment at the beginning and end of this program (Session 23 – Final Recordings). This will help us in the future to do the best work possible for this program and all of the students participating.

This program was written for you, so we need your input to make it the best it can be.

This is also a way for each of you to assess yourselves – hearing and understanding your thoughts and ideas as you begin Hear Me 101, and then being able to hear how you feel after going through this program. It will give you the opportunity to reflect on changes you see within yourself, your peers, school, community and the issue for change in your video.

Making an audio recording is simple. Here are a few tips to remember when being recorded. This will help ensure your recording is of the best quality:

•Speakclearly.

•Answerquestionsincompletesentences.Thepersoninterviewingyouwillbeedited out of the recording, so it’s important to make sure listeners understand what you’re talking about when the interviewer’s voice is removed.

•Trytokeepfrommoving.Sounds,likeapenclickingorachairmoving,willbe captured by the audio recorder and distract from your voice.

•Ifyoumakeamistake,startyoursentenceover.Mistakescanbeeditedoutof the recording.

•Usetheanswersyouwrotetohelpguidewhatyouwanttosaywithoutdirectly reading off of your paper.

•Ifpossible,recordsomeoneelseasatesttohearhowotherssoundandwhythese tips should be followed. Make sure to record in a quiet place.

26

SESSION 6INITIAL RECORDINGS

OBJECTIVES

Communicate your thoughts and ideas upon beginning this program

Record your ideas. Practice using your voice

Learn how to communicate clearly and effectively – understanding your voice

ACTIVITY

Preparing for your RecordingComplete the questions below to prepare your thoughts for the audio recording. Be as thorough as possible when answering, writing a complete paragraph (4-5 sentences) for each response. Take your time and be honest!

1. Why did you choose to participate in Hear Me 101?

2. How confident are you in your voice and speaking out about what matters to you?

3. Why is the topic you selected important to you?

4. What changes would you like to see made for yourself, your school or community?

5. How will media and technology help voice your message?

6. What value do you think Hear Me will have in your school and community?

27

Anytime you are shooting a film, documentary or video, many details need to be considered and planned in advance prior to when physical Production – actual filming – begins. This planning and preparation phase is called Pre-Production.

In Hear Me 101 you will be telling your story in the form of a documentary. As this is a student led project, the planning phase will include different elements than a narrative feature film.

In the Pre-Production workshop, you will go through a series of informative and participatory sessions:

• UnderstandingMedia Literacy • StylesofDigitalDocumentaries • Writing1:EssentialandFocus Questions • BasicsofInterviewing

{ IV: WORKSHOP ONE: PRE-PRODUCTION }

29

MEDIA LITERACY

Did you know that today, all 50 states mandate some form of media literacy as part of their educational framework? Understanding the media can present enormous opportunities for learning. Kids and youth today are expected to become media savvy and have the ability to really analyze and understand the media. They have to not only interpret the media, but also communicate their messages in the media using technology.

The definition of literacy used to be “the ability to read and write.” The idea was that if you could write, then you were able to communicate any idea possible. Similarly, if you could read, then you were able to understand the ideas that other people wrote.

Today, we get information in a wide variety of ways, involving words, images, sound and motion. The “new” literacy involves a more complex set of skills, which we refer to as media literacy.

Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms (Center for Media Literacy).

The word media is the plural for “medium.” A medium could be any form of communication, such as radio, TV, art, speech, print, film, photography, music, video, journalism or the Internet.

The term mass media refers to those media technologies that are used to reach many people. Think of the Internet, newspapers, television and others. Mass media also refers to the companies that own these operations.

ACTIVITIES

A. Student GovernmentIn order for you to understand how powerful these companies are, consider the following situation:

“Imagine that the student government in your school consisted of six students. These same six students picked all the co-curricular and after-school activities. They voted on the cafeteria menu, designed the layout and wrote all the articles for the school newspaper and

OBJECTIVES

Comprehend the types of media

Consider the motives for the creation of media

Analyze pieces of media using critical thinking processes

SESSION 7MEDIA LITERACY

31

List your “Big 6” findings here:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

planned the prom. They chose the homecoming king and queen, took all the yearbook pictures and gave all the speeches at commencement.”

What is the problem with a set-up like this? Take the time to discuss this with your group.

Take the time also to think about if set-ups like this already exist in your school or community and, if so, what impact they are having. Is it possible to change them?

B. The “Big 6”Think of all of your favorite cable TV channels. If you can find them in this word search it means that they belong to one of the “Big 6.”

32


NEXT STEPS

How do you really learn media literacy? Or how do educators teach media literacy? Learning Media Literacy is not like learning math (figuring out simple equations) or science (conducting tests to determine outcomes). It is not even as simple as reading (learning how to interpret words, signs and symbols). Media literacy requires more than that. It demands in depth thinking – for students to examine their own thoughts, feelings and opinions about a subject.

Your next assignment is to watch and read different types of media. Go online and find different sources, whether news based or entertainment based. Watch local and national news, entertainment news, films and documentaries, read the paper and magazines. Analyze each, trying to understand how the stories were created, what they are about, why they chose to focus on certain aspects or why they used certain footage. How is the story the same or different from other sources communicating the same subject?

Suggestions:As a consumer of media (information), you have a responsibility to ask these questions before you accept anything as “truth”. Credibility refers to trustworthiness and expertise.

Ask Yourself, “What Am I Looking At?”Is it news, opinion, a personal blog, gossip? Advertising? Propaganda? How can you tell the difference?

And this is only television! We have not even mentioned all of the newspapers, movie production companies, Internet outlets and publishing companies owned and operated by the “Big 6”.

With so few companies controlling such a large part of our information, can we be sure that the information can be trusted? What if the people who make the decisions for these companies have a hidden agenda, motive or intention for choosing what they show and tell us?

33

Center for Media Literacy:http://www.medialit.org

Edutopia, Navigating the Multimedia World:http://www.edutopia.org/media-literacy-skills-video

SESSION

SEVENREFERENCES

Think Critically about News and InformationWho created the reports and editorials and for what purpose? Is the information verified? If so, how? What is the documentation? Is it presented in a way that is fair?

Learn to Spot BiasWatch for loaded or inflammatory words. Does the author have an agenda? Is more than one side of a story presented? Did the subject respond?

Beware of Information Found on WikipediaEntries can be changed by anyone at any time. This calls into question the accuracy of the information at any given moment. The primary sources linked in the entries are often reliable information.

Don’t Allow Yourself to be FooledNobody likes to be duped. If something sounds incredible, it probably is. Good places to check urban myths are the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s FactCheck.org and Snopes.com.

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal in the back of the workbook and document your findings in the material you chose to reference on the page for Session 7. Use the suggestion questions as you are referencing each and make notes, completing your own analysis of the specific mediums.


34

SESSION 8DIGITAL DOCUMENTARY

DIGITAL DOCUMENTARY

Documentaries are one of the most important, cultural art forms today. They educate, inspire and motivate people to take action.

In Hear Me 101, your projects are about social issues that are of personal interest to you and your group and are about an issue you are passionate about voicing to create a powerful impact to evoke social change. Documentaries can have powerful social, political and cultural influence. Documentaries strive to tell strong stories that have something at stake and are communicating a message that keeps the audience engaged.

Documentaries are films that depict some aspect of “real life.” A documentary filmmaker uses the world around him/her and situations and people that actually exist, as source material. Among the earliest filmmakers, France’s Lumiere brothers began making documentaries in the 1890’s. They filmed everyday occurrences, such as a train arriving at a station or workers leaving a factory. Over the decades, filmmakers have documented events of global significance, such as wars and social upheavals, as well as smaller subjects such as ordinary individuals.

Most films, including documentaries, are narratives that simply tell a story. They are scripted and usually have a plot and characters whose actions advance the story. Most theatrically released motion pictures fall into this group.

Sharing your voice and issue is best suited for a documentary style video because it is real, true and compelling.

35

There are many approaches you can take when creating your documentary. Below are various methods you can choose to help focus your story. These are traditional conventions, but you can take your own direction by combining some of these methods or coming up with your own unique style.

Character-Driven storiesA narrator is the primary storyteller or sometimes IS the story. The audience identifies with and learns about the topic and issues with the narrator (this can also be done with an on-camera Director).

While researching and interviewing, there may be one or two people who can take on the same role as primary storyteller; this may help make your video more interesting to hear the same story from more than one person.

Plot-Driven stories (or Action-Driven stories)A story in which a specific chronology and sequences lead the story to its climax are plot-driven. The structure and action, rather than a character’s traits or decisions, drive the story. Action-driven stories follow a conventional plot structure such as “Man versus Man,” “Man versus Nature” or “Man versus Self.”

Location or Place-Driven storiesA story about a place which itself becomes a character in the story. It can have traits and a past, present and future. A profile of a place changing throughout the story can be a powerful way to convey a message about a culture, group of people or state of mind.

Event-Driven storiesA story about an event in the past or documenting one that is happening or about to happen. They can follow a chronology, or time-line of events and can include archival footage. The story moves forward from the beginning to the middle to the end based around the event’s happening.

Process-driven storiesA story that has a clear beginning, middle and end typically adheres to a timeline, following a natural sequence in the story. A story that is driven by a process, such as an experiment or the creation of an art project can engage the viewer in the character’s journey.

STYLES

36


Documentary films use various techniques to translate their story. Some popular techniques:

Cinéma Vérité The use of footage of the subject(s) in a seemingly observational way without staging or planning.

On-Camera PersonOften the Director, this person guides the viewer through the film.

Archival Footage/Historical PhotosFactual or historical evidence that supports an argument or translates a story.

Voice-Over NarrationThe use of an unseen narrator helps explain footage/images and crucial parts of the story from the filmmaker’s point of view.

Text-on-ScreenCan be used instead of narration (voice-over) for emphasis or to articulate information that does not have a visual component.

Fly-on-the-WallSimilar to Cinéma Vérité, the camera merely documents something happening over a period of time without the filmmakers interfering.

On-Camera InterviewsDepict experts or characters that lend a voice to an issue.

ReenactmentsThe staging of events that happened in the past; can be controversial because their intentions are easily manipulated.

TECHNIQUES

37

ACTIVITY

Watch examples or excerpts of documentaries with your group and discuss how they fit into the above styles and techniques. Talk about what your favorite parts were.

OBJECTIVES

Comprehend and identify the types of documentaries and their purposes

Consider how different techniques motivate a story

Determine what style suits your topic

NEXT STEPS

Now that you understand the techniques and styles in documentaries, determine what style suits the topic you want to document. Take some time to research various ways that similar topics to yours have been filmed. Talk with your group members and other students about what technique(s) fit your style. Start making a list of visuals you need as part of your technique. What will your audience need to see and hear?

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal and start to keep a wish list for Session 8 of things you envision in your video: photos, home movies, archival footage, newspapers or interviews you and your group will need to collect. Creating a log of this information will help you start to organize your production.

Videomaker - Your Guide to Creating and Publishing Great Video; How 3 Types of the Documentary Genre are Madehttp://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/tips-and-tricks/515/how-3-types-of-the- documentary-genre-are-made

Film Education; Documentary Resource: Documentary Style http://www.filmeducation.org/resources/secondary/topics/documentary/documentary_style.php

SESSION

EIGHTREFERENCES


38

SESSION 9WRITING 1: ESSENTIAL AND FOCUS QUESTIONS

WRITING 1: ESSENTIAL AND FOCUS QUESTIONS

A good documentary identifies and attempts to answer an Essential Question. In attempting to answer an Essential Question, a documentary will often pose and answer a number of Focus Questions.

Essential Questions Are broad and have no simple or obvious answer Are not answered with one word or one sentence Are often at issue, meaning folks disagree over their answer Are best answered after soundly researching them with more focused questions May require the documentary filmmaker to take a stand when answering

Focus Questions Are used to guide research that will help answer an Essential Question Are much more narrow than Essential Questions

Types of Focus Questions What questions– get at the important facts So What questions – ask what the facts tell us; probe how the facts relate to the Essential Question; ask why the facts are important to know Now What questions – ask what has been learned; look at what the next steps are; investigate the implications of what has been learned.

OBJECTIVES

Identify the central question of short documentaries

Prepare to do in-depth research for the documentary

Analyze pieces of media using critical thinking processes

39

ACTIVITIES

A. Identifying the Focus QuestionsBelow are two samples of youth-produced documentaries. In this activity you will view the following videos, attempting to identify the Focus Questions for each. The Essential Question has been provided, but it is up to you to come up with the Focus Questions.

“President says dropping out of high school no longer an option” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djkxtoRZaxI)

Essential Question: Why is it important to prevent high school dropouts and how can this problem best be addressed?

Focus Questions:

“Beyond the Books” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzcYuVhf55Y)

Essential Questions: What makes a great teacher? What makes a successful school? What do you think of the Pittsburgh Promise?

Focus Questions:

B. Identifying the Essential QuestionsReread and share your thoughts to the survey you completed in Session 3 – My School, My Community. After sharing with three other students in your group, consider some good Essential Questions that you would like to answer in a short documentary.

1. What are some possible Essential Questions? (Write at least three.)

40

SESSION 9WRITING 1: ESSENTIAL AND FOCUS QUESTIONS

NEXT STEPS

How will you answer your questions? Reflect on how your Focus Questions will dictate what kind of research you will do. You already know about your community and what you want; you have decided what you are passionate about. Think about the research and brainstorming sessions you have done already and talk with your group about the process of creating your piece – where and how will you find the information you need?

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal for Session 9 and answer this question: How do you think the process of answering the Focus Questions will inspire change?

SESSION

NINEREFERENCES

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; How to Write a Documentary Script (click on the link with this title) http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/official-documents/programme-documents

Digital Documentaryhttp://gaudet.info/digidoc/digitaldocumentary.html

Teachers for Tomorrow; Implementing 21st Century Skills: Collaboration, Risk-Taking, Reflection (blog with videos and other resources)http://www.teachersfortomorrow.net

2. Now choose one of the Essential Questions and list several Focus Questions that you think will help answer that Essential Question.

WHAT Questions

SO WHAT Questions

NOW WHAT Questions

41

OBJECTIVES

Comprehend the types of interviews

Compare question structure and answers

Practice techniques for different types of interview situations

INTERVIEWING

You have probably seen a lot of filmed interviews, and they look easy, but they actually take a lot of preparation. When you get a great interview, it will be well worth your effort because few things lend credibility to your work like interviewing an expert.

Interviewing for print, audio and video all require different techniques. In print, you want short concise answers. In audio, you guide your subject to tell stories. In video, you’ll ask questions that will elicit a reaction.

The two common types of interviews are Informal (often called Man-on-the-Street or Street Interviews) and Formal (in which the subject has prepared and is in a pre-arranged and lit space.) There is also Vérité style, in which people are interviewed as they go about daily life. The type of interviews you choose will be based on your topic and style.

42

ACTIVITIES

A. Effective Questioning

Open-Ended Questions vs. Closed-Ended Questions

A closed-ended question is one that requires a short or single word answer, like “Yes” or “No.”

An open-ended question is a question that encourages meaningful answers. This technique will enable you to cut out the off-camera question being asked through editing. An open-ended question should begin with, “Why...” or “How...” or phrases like, “How does that make you feel?” or “Tell me about...”

SESSION 10INTERVIEWING

Example Question 1:Closed-Ended Question

Answer Desired Answer

Will your district need to cut programs if the budget passes?

Yes.(This is not a complete answer and provides no further information.)

If the budget passes, we will most certainly have to cut programs like after-school tutoring, foreign languages and art.

Rephrase Question 1:Open-Ended Question

Answer Desired Answer

How will your district be affected if the budget passes?

If the budget passes, we will most certainly have to cut programs like after-school tutoring, foreign languages and art.

SAME– the answer to the left provides detailed information.

Review the interview examples below and try the practice question with a partner.

Write an Open-Ended Question below to achieve the desired answer.

Desired Answer

The district appoints a special committee to examine the budget and determine what programs are essential.

43

B. Observing Techniques

As a group, watch two clips from documentaries that have different styles. Write down your impressions on these different approaches to interviewing.

1. What kind of relationship did each interviewer have with the subject? Describe how they acted.

2. How did those relationships affect the interviews?

Now, watch an “On-the-Street” interview clip with “raw” footage. “Raw” footage is film that has not been edited. When a documentary filmmaker cuts out all the unusable film, he or she can typically expect to be left with about 1/10 of the original footage.

3. What parts of this particular clip will probably not be used in the final cut?

C. Role Playing: Man-on-the-Street Interviews

1. Watch a short news segment on a breaking news topic. Break into three teams. Have each group come up with five questions to ask a regular citizen about their opinion on the subject.

2. In front of the whole group, give each team ten minutes each to role play the interview (including set up of room, etc.) and get feedback from the group about their interviewing.

3. Group members should rotate the roles of interviewer and various interviewees. In one, they should play someone who is in a real rush, someone who answers everything with one word and someone who talks too much. In addition, you might want to choose a context for each interview (the middle of a protest, a parent with their child, a lawyer in their office) that will challenge the group to think about how to effectively film the interviewee in their environment.

4. Discuss:

What were the challenges of this kind of interviewee?

What did the team do successfully to meet this challenge?

How might you tackle these challenges differently next time?

44


Preparing for the Interview: Pre-interviewing •Contactsubjectstosetupinterviews. •Rememberthatfirstimpressionsaddtoyourcredibility and the person’s willingness to interview. •Explaintheproject:Who,whatandwhy. •Planthelocationwiththesubject:Asktomeetatyoursubject’s house, work, or a location relevant to the story.

Before the interview, do research on the topic and ask the subject for background information. •Thisisagoodtimetostartthinkingaboutphotos,videos,letters and other materials you can use for B-Roll. •Brainstormquestionsasagroup. •Thebestquestionsareopen-ended questions rather than “yes” and “no” questions. •Thesequestionsshouldtriggeremotionandproducepowerful sound bites. •Startwiththeeasyquestions. •Practiceyourquestionsfirst. •Bringyourquestionlisttotheinterview.

Conducting the Interview: Listening •Don’tforgettheRelease(locatedattheendofSession 12 – Developing and Producing your Video). •Actprofessionallybutapproachable. •Ontherecord,establishthefullname,titleofpersonbeing interviewed and the person’s involvement in the topic. •Instructthemtoanswerinthecontextofthequestion,andguide them with your open-ended questions. •React–showconcern,knowledgeandinterest. •InterviewingisreallyallaboutLISTENING.

INTERVIEWING CHECKLIST

45

•Thinkaboutnaturaltransitionsbetweenquestions. •Askfollow-upquestionsthataren’tonyourlist,butthatyouare interested in. (Ask things like, “Can you give us an example of that?”) •Avoidsteppingontheirwords:Nodandsmileinsteadofsaying “Yeah” or “Mm-hmm” which can ruin audio. •Pauseaftertheythinkthey’vefinishedanswering–givethemthe chance to continue and give more detailed information. •Ifyouhavethecrew,designatesomeonetotakenotesofimportant soundbites and note the time it happened.


NEXT STEPS

As you plan your documentary, make a list of types of people or even specific people who could talk as experts about your subject. Keep in mind, an expert does not always have a “Dr.” in front of their name – they can be members of your community who may represent the voice of a group of people. Remember that they must be credible.

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal in the back of the workbook for Session 10. LIST your potential interview subjects, writing one sentence on WHY you should interview each and what you feel will be the most important thing the subjects will contribute.

New York Times “Beyond Question: Learning the Art of the Interview” by Sandhya Nankani and Holly Epstein Ojalvo http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/beyond-question-learning-the-art-of-the-interview

Student Filmmakers, How-To, Techniques, & Best Practices Channel http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/news/052109_documentaryinterview.shtml

SESSION

TENREFERENCES

46

{ V. PRODUCING}

Producing refers to the process in which you create your film, whether it’s a documentary or a feature. To produce a film means to take a concept, idea or existing story and turn it into a marketable idea, distributable to the public.

Producing a film involves hard work and dedication to the material, the vision and overall success of the film.

As you go through the process of making your documentary, consider all the elements that need to be in place – the schedules, timelines, crewmembers, the script, the style and final delivery including the marketing and distribution of your piece – this is “Producing.”

Producing encompasses all aspects of a film from inception to completion. Learning the elements of producing involves many aspects that we will cover in this session:

• ProductionPhasesandRoles • DevelopingandProducingProcess • CreatingandTrackingaShot List • PlanningandImplementingaProductionSchedule • ResearchLogandReleases

47

PHASES AND ROLES OF PRODUCTION

There are essentially five phases to producing a film:

•Development(findingastoryandwritingascript)

•Pre-Production(theplanningphase)

•Production(thephaseinwhichyougatherorshootfootage)

•Post-Production(theediting, colorization, graphics and titles phase)

•Distribution(releasingyourfilmtoanaudience)

All successful film projects follow one universal rule – films are created collaboratively by a group known as a “film crew.” Every member of a film crew plays an important role.

Understanding RolesThe value and goal of Hear Me 101 is to work together to create change on behalf of your school and community. Your group will be divided into various Production departments, similar to a real film crew in Hollywood, but centralized to your documentary for change. By establishing these specialized departments, each crewmember and team will focus strongly on their specific role within their department, working independently yet together, as in traditional filmmaking.

Familiarize yourself with the “roles” below so you may better understand their individual responsibilities.

DEVELOPMENT

Writer /Researcher Who is this? The writer is responsible for writing the “story” being told in the film style chosen, in your case a documentary. The writer is part of the development phase of the film, but continues to adapt the story throughout Production and Post-Production as the story frequently evolves and changes during filming when new elements and aspects are learned and discovered.

To be a great writer, you must know your story and know the message you want to convey within your story. In order to do this you must not only be a writer, but a researcher. Research involves finding out as much information as you can about your story or topic – factual, historical and its current state of affairs. Your research will involve listening to interviews, reading articles, watching related documentaries and short videos and referencing pictures and photos available to you. You should look for all the information you can find!

SESSION 11PHASES AND ROLES OF PRODUCTION

49

ResponsibilitiesThe Writer/Researcher coordinates research assignments and keeps track of all information gathered; drafts the Essential Questions and submits the Treatment; writes interview questions with the Director; analyzes the footage after it has been logged and writes the AV (audio/visual) script for the video before it is passed on to the Editor. Most importantly, the Writer/Researcher assures that the writing flows in continuity throughout the production.

Executive Producer Who is this?The Executive Producer supervises the work of the Producers and ensures the film is completed on time within budget and to the agreed standards, both artistically and technically.

ResponsibilitiesExecutive Producers are less technically involved in the film overall, and play more of a creative role, from securing the “property” (story) to distributing and packaging the film.

Note: In Hear Me 101, the EP is both your Advisor and the Hear Me Team.

PRE-PRODUCTION

ProducerWho is this? The Producer handles all aspects of a film’s production. A Producer is part of the project from its earliest days to completion of the project, its distribution, as well as overseeing marketing and publicity.

ResponsibilitiesThe Producer oversees all aspects of the production, pieces together the film crew and organizes and manages schedules and deadlines. The Producer is responsible for the day-to-day smooth operation of the film crew. Within your group you may chose to have one Produceror two Producers, referred to as “Co-Producers.”

Director Who is this?The Director is the “visionary.” He or she visualizes and defines the style and structure of the film. The Director helps tell the story and is the team leader who makes the vision a reality.

50

ResponsibilitiesA Director defines and implements a way for achieving his or her vision. The Director gives input to all parts of a film, from writing, to choosing talent, selecting locations, determining the artistic style as well as all technical aspects of a film – camera, lighting and sound. In a documentary, the Director can also be the “Talent”, asking questions “On or Off Camera.”

Production Designer Who is this?The Production Designer’s role is to achieve the visual look and style of the film the Director envisions. The look of a set or location is crucial in setting up your story and for grabbing the attention of your audience.

ResponsibilitiesThe Production Designer assesses the story and determines the visual qualities needed to bring the story to life. For your documentary, the Production Designer will “dress” the locations as needed, provide talent with “props” (items used by talent relevant to the story as they are filmed), take notes on costuming and shot composition, review the footage before leaving the shoot (in case anything needs to be re-shot) and assure that the style and look of the video is consistent throughout.

PRODUCTION

For your documentary, the production will be handled somewhat differently than your typical film. Films typically have a “Director of Photography” who is responsible for the cinematography and also oversees all of the Camera Operators. In your group, you will have several C.O.s who will each shoot different parts of the documentary as designated on a detailed shot list determined by both the Producer and Director, and supported by the Production Designer. One of these three individuals will be assigned to each camera crew to track shot lists and maintain continuity.

Camera Operator (C.O.)Who is this?As a Camera Operator you will work with the Director to determine the best shooting style and “photographic” look for your video. Great cinematography helps tell a story in many ways by creating interesting and defining images that tell us more about a character or location.

ResponsibilitiesCamera Operators will work with the Director and Producer to put together individual shot lists and will determine shot composition and possible camera moves for each to capture the best images representative of the story.


51

Additional Camera CrewWho are they and what do they do?

Assistant to Camera (A.C.)The A.C. assists the Camera Operator to set up the camera, transport it, manage tapes or memory cards, hold and charge batteries, keep a log of the shots, adjust the lighting, hold bounce cards and run the slate (if using an external microphone).

Sound The Sound Tech sets up the microphone and monitors the sound using headphones. They ensure that the dialogue being recorded is clear and without unwanted noise when filming.

Production Assistants (P.A.)Production Assistants support the crew in a variety of roles wherever and whenever they are needed, such as holding bounce cards for the camera, controlling crowds, scouting potential interviewees on the street and taking pictures or notes on set. *Production Assistants are used in almost every department to serve the department’s specific needs.

Talent (On-Camera or Off-Camera)Who is this?The role of the Talent in your documentary is to help guide and, at times, tell your story. Not every documentary utilizes an On-Camera Talent to tell their story, meaning the Talent is visibly in your video. Many times the Talent can be Off-Camera, meaning you may hear them but not see them, like an interviewer or narrator. As mentioned above, in many documentaries the Talent is the Director but may also be a person specifically selected to play this role.

ResponsibilitiesThe Talent conducts interviews (with the Director’s guidance) and functions as the On-Camera person or “host,” or as a narrator Off-Camera. The Talent’s main role is to inform, educate and engage the audience.

POST-PRODUCTION

Editor Who is this?The Editor works closely with the Director and Producer to refine and determine the final edited version of the film that best represents the story and the vision of the Director. The Editor makes sure the story flows together both literally and visually from beginning to end.

ResponsibilitiesThe Editor takes all the final footage for the film and edits it together into one coherent film. Editing a film not only involves picture editing but also sound editing, music editing, incorporating graphics needed, sound effects, and title design.

52

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution involves launching your film to the public marketplace. Your film is a product. To sell your product you must deliver it to the widest possible audience. Distribution is key to the success of your film and your mission for change.

For your “documentary for change” the distribution will be handled somewhat differently than your typical film. Your “Distribution Team” will work together to devise a plan that will include not only showcasing and premiering the documentary at various venues, to various audiences, but a plan for promoting, marketing, campaigning and advocating strongly for change on behalf of the story being told in the documentary you produce.

Distribution TeamWho is this?The Distribution Team will develop a release strategy for your video using various promotional and publicity tools: screenings, events, DVD mailers, newspapers, posters, flyers and online tools such as websites and social media sites.

HowThe Distribution Team will create a marketing campaign around the release strategy. Marketing and publicity play a vital role in determining the success of your campaign. Successful campaigns are planned in advance – upon the inception of your story. You will begin promoting your message while your video is being produced, spreading the word early to create better results.

WhoThe Distribution Team will work to reach their target audience. Knowing your audience is essential when distributing your film. The Distribution Team will need to determine who they want to watch their video and hear their message.

The Distribution team will establish and build community connections by researching and networking with those in their community who have the power to create change. Finding the “power players” is key! The team will work to piece together a local advisory board of leaders – city council members, the Mayor, local businesses and non-profits, alumni, teachers, school administration, parents and citizens to come together to work to create the desired change on behalf of your group.


53

OBJECTIVES

Learning the Process of Producing

Understanding Crew Roles

Marketing and Advocating for Change

ACTIVITIES

A. A Film and its “Behind the Scenes”

Think about the film, “The Social Network” – a film most of you have seen. If you haven’t yet, watch some of the clips online or the complete film if you have access to a copy.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4152690201

As you are viewing, ask yourself the following questions.

a. What is the story? Is it simply about Facebook or is there much more to the story?

b. How is the story adapted? What is the central focus? Was it told successfully?

c. Did you notice a particular design or photographic style that was used? Was it unique? Did it help make the video more interesting?

d. What did you notice about the editing? Did the story and visuals flow correctly?

e. How did the music and sound add to the film?

Now watch the accompanying “Behind the Scenes” footage for the film.

http://www.movieviral.com/2011/02/02/feature-length-behind-the-scenes-documentary-of-the-social-network-posted-online

a. What roles and work was contributed that you were unaware of?

b. What challenges came up in the making of the video?

c. What parts of the story were not included in the final edited version?

B. “Bowling for Columbine” – The Movie, The Website and The CrewWith your group, watch the film “Bowling for Columbine” as provided to you by Hear Me.Discuss the following with your teachers and peers.

54

a. What was the style of documentary?

b. How many roles does Michael Moore have in this film?

c. What other roles do you see On-Camera?

d. How did the camera work affect the film?

e. How many crewmembers do you think it took to complete this film?

f. How do you think this film was distributed? For what audience was the film intended?

Go to the film’s website, http://www.bowlingforcolumbine.com, and read through the material on each page. Discuss and answer the following with your group.

a. Why is the website needed to market the film?

b. Does the synopsis accurately describe what you watched?

c. What benefit does the “Library” section provide?

d. What is the purpose of the “Action Guide”?

e. Review the Credits to see how many roles were needed.

f. Is the poster a strong marketing piece? What does it tell us?

NEXT STEPS

What role are you? Now that you know the phases of Production and the roles involved in each, think about which role you are interested in playing and is best suited to your personality and skills.

•Selectyourtoptwodesiredroles.

•Writeoutalistofskillsthatyouthinkarerequiredtoperformthose roles successfully. Do you have these skills technically and personally?

•Writeoneparagraphaboutwhyyouareinterestedineachrole,and why you think you are the best person for the job!

*From here, your Advisor and Hear Me team will work with your group to assign each of you a role to put together the strongest film crew for your video.

JOURNAL IT!Go to your Journal for Session 11 and write out the answers to your Next Steps, “What role am I?”


55

DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING YOUR VIDEO!

Now that you understand the Production process and all the roles involved, it is time to begin piecing together all the parts you will need to produce your video. Below is a quick four-step process to get you on your way!

Q - R - V - M

Questions: Have you thought of all the questions you need to “ask” about the topic you selected to write your story effectively? Research: What information do you need to research to accurately tell your story?

Vision: How do you envision telling your story?

Marketing: Who is your audience and how will you reach them?

QUESTIONSAsk the Right QuestionsWhat is the question that your story will investigate? You should be able to use this question to explain your project to people, for example: “We are students doing a documentary project that asks if school lunches are always nutritious.”

Next, determine the Essential Questions in your research phase: What do you need to know about your topic to speak confidently about it when you conduct interviews and present your project and campaign to an audience?

The purpose of your Research is to find answers to your Focus Questions that will guide your research and the story you want to tell in your documentary. Your story may adjust based on new information you find, but you need to have at least one central question to direct you as you get started. From this question many others will arise, leading you to do further research.

RESEARCHDo your ResearchThe Research step is important because your knowledge of the topic is directly reflected in the quality and understanding of your project. The more you know about your topic, the stronger your story will be. (Refer to the preliminary research you did in Session 5 – Topic

56

Selection). With detailed research, you will discover the root of your story, and be able to describe how the information connects to your own opinion and experiences. Research requires the use of many different kinds of CREDIBLE sources, meaning they are factual, not controversial.

Resources•BooksandPeriodicals •InternetSources •PrimarySources•ExperientialSources •GovernmentPublications •PersonalPhotographs•Archival Footage (Videos)

Research also requires some thinking – strategies – to quickly and effectively find the information you need.

StrategiesDevelop a list of keywords derived from your Focus QuestionsUse Librarians to help guide you – they know the best resources availableLook at magazine and newspaper articles as they are published more frequently than books when looking for “current and up-to-date” information on the subjectLook for websites that focus on your issue. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs might not provide the facts, but are good resources to see what conversations are circulating around your subject, offering both opinions and solutionsPeople can be some of the most interesting and compelling sources of information – research “experts” on your subject online, through universities, companies or organizations Search for all your local contacts online through your city’s website and by working with your advisor to familiarize yourself with your school board members and city council members

Remember: Respect the intellectual property of others with proper citations – make a list of all of your research and write down the author, source and date and keep it in your Producer’s binder. Use what you learned in Session 7 – Media Literacy to determine the reliability of the sources you uncovered.

CopyrightAny original work can have a copyright. Once you claim “copyright” you have the right to be credited for your work. This goes for all novelists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, artists, etc. It is important for you to take credit for your work but also to respect others’ work. If you use any images, music or footage that is not part of the public domain, you must obtain permission from the copyright holder. Public domain refers to works or information (not physical objects) that are available for use by anyone. If you find anything online, find out who owns it. If you can’t, use stock websites like those listed below.

SESSION 12DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING YOUR VIDEO

57

a. http://creativecommons.org/ b. http://creativecommons.org/legalmusicforvideos c. http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/ d. http://freemusicarchive.org/curator/creative_commons

VISIONWhat is Your Vision? When you think of your story, what plays in your mind? How will you create the look and feel of your film? What Documentary Style will you choose? (Refer to Session 8 – Digital Documentary about “Styles” to determine which is the most interesting and suitable way to tell your story – Character-Driven, Plot-Driven, Place-Driven, etc.)

In your research, look for identifying story elements like photographs, archival footage, newspapers and original source materials. How will this material be used? Will it be connected to a narration or interview? Identify a few films or documentaries whose “look” you prefer. What do you need to do to achieve this “look?”

Remember your vision includes not only the visuals but literal aspects as well. How will the story be written? How will it flow and how will it end? Consider all the necessary factors to make your vision a reality.

MARKETINGWho’s your audience and what tools will you use to grasp their attention?Consider the following: Who can relate to your story? Who will be interested in watching your video? Who will want to respond to and act upon hearing your message?

Your group’s Distribution Team will start marketing your video before it is even finished. They will begin creating a campaign around your message, and will start connecting with and identifying people inside and outside of your community who are interested in supporting your efforts for change.

Together you will need to consider the best media strategies for having your message heard and finding the best audiences to take action on your behalf.

58

ACTIVITY

Get started! Reference your preliminary research in Session 5. Create new keywords or keyword combinations that you can search. Your advisor will delegate whether you are using the Internet, books, magazines or another resource. Begin your search and find three sources that you think you might be able to use as part of the documentary or to help develop interview questions. Print it, write down the video URL or make a photocopy and record it all in your Research Log.

NEXT STEPS

Assemble your development team and begin finding information that you can share with the whole group in your first Production Meeting. Share your most interesting pieces and talk about how you might be able to use them in your video or to inform interview questions or narration. If you need to interview people, begin identifying them and how to contact them.

JOURNAL IT!Continue filling out your research log in your journal on the pages for Session 12. Justify the purpose of each source. Write how each one would be used in your video. Would it need narration to explain it? Is it public domain or do you need to ask permission to use a copyrighted work? Make sure you properly cite any printed articles and make a note of where you found physical objects like books, microfilm or videos online.

Bright Hub; Tips for Organization in Documentary Project (short article with tips)http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/video/articles/69839.aspx

Marketing to Moviegoers (collection of articles)http://www.marketingmovies.net

Cornell University Library; The Seven Steps of the Research Process (quick research guide)http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill1.htm

SESSIONTWELVEREFERENCES

SESSION 12DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING YOUR VIDEO

59

{}

SHO

T LI

STH

ear

Me

10

1

Sho

t Li

st a

nd L

og

Pro

duct

ion

Com

pany

:

Pro

duct

ion

Titl

e:

Pag

e __

_ of

___

Dat

e:

Shot

#

Loca

tion

Shot

Ty

peDe

scri

ptio

n of

Ac

tion

& A

udio

Log

Not

es

from

Sho

otFi

le N

ame

01

Sch

ool

LS

Subj

ect

Sch

ool

Bui

ldin

gLS

Zoo

m o

f th

e H

igh

Sch

ool w

ith

natu

ral s

ound

.S

hot

afte

r in

terv

iew

; di

d 3

tak

es; La

st t

ake

was

the

bes

t on

e

To b

e na

med

in t

he

logg

ing

proc

ess.

60

“CO

MM

UN

ITY

CR

US

AD

ER

S”

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N S

CH

ED

ULE

Janu

ary

20

12

SU

ND

AY

MO

ND

AY

TU

ES

DAY

W

ED

NE

SD

AY

T

HU

RS

DAY

FR

IDAY

S

ATU

RD

AY

1

2

3 4

5

6

7

8

9

1

0 1

1 1

2

1

3 1

4

15

16

17

1

8 1

9 2

0 2

1

22

23

2

4 2

5 2

6 2

7 2

8

29

30

3

1 1

2

3

4

Bac

k to

sc

hool

“Tre

atm

ent”

Le

sson

Mee

t w

ith

Adv

isor

aft

er

scho

ol

Mee

t in

sm

all

grou

ps t

o fin

ish

trea

tmen

ts

Sm

all g

roup

s re

sear

ch d

ue t

o P

rodu

cers

HM

10

1

Pro

duct

ion

Ses

sion

Day

9-3

Mee

t in

gro

ups

to d

evel

op s

hot

list

Res

earc

hers

set

up

inte

rvie

ws

Res

erve

cam

era

for

shoo

t on

Tu

esda

y

Pro

duce

rs g

et

perm

issi

on t

o sh

oot

at h

igh

scho

ol

Sho

ot in

terv

iew

#

1S

hoot

com

mun

ity

even

ts a

nd B

-rol

l at

HS

Bas

ketb

all

gam

e

61

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N S

CH

ED

ULE

____

____

____

____

_ 2

01

2

SU

ND

AY

MO

ND

AY

TU

ES

DAY

W

ED

NE

SD

AY

T

HU

RS

DAY

FR

IDAY

S

ATU

RD

AY

1

2

3 4

5

6

7

8

9

1

0 1

1 1

2

1

3 1

4

15

16

17

1

8 1

9 2

0 2

1

22

23

2

4 2

5 2

6 2

7 2

8

29

30

3

1 1

2

3

4

62

Hea

r M

e 1

01

R

esea

rch

Log

Nam

e:

Pro

duct

ion

Com

pany

Nam

e:To

pic:

Sour

ceAu

thor

/Ow

ner

Type

Purp

ose

Not

es

UR

L,

Boo

k,

Mag

azin

e,

Per

son’

s na

me.

..

Aut

hor

nam

e,

Com

pany

na

me,

cr

eati

ve

com

mon

s lic

ense

...

Vide

o,

phot

os,

audi

o,

text

, ch

art,

in

terv

iew

...

Sele

cted

Info

Tim

ecod

e,

Pag

e#..

.W

hy t

his

info

was

sel

ecte

d an

d ho

w it

mig

ht b

e us

ed

{}

RE

SE

AR

CH

LO

G

63

Location ReleasePermission is hereby granted to “Producer” – Hear Me and its Affiliates, (partnering organizations, schools, other) and its employees and students of ____________________________ to enter in the property located at _______________________________________________ (the “Property”) for the purpose of photographing and recording for a video documentary currently entitled ________________________________ as of (Date) _______________.

Producer may use the inside and outside of the Property located from the day of _______________to the day of _________________ during the hours of _____________to _______________. Producer will use the Property as a location for photographing, videotaping and/or making sound recordings.

Producer may photograph, film, videotape and record sound on the Property and use the resulting materials in any way Producer chooses for the video and any related materials. I, _________________________ (Owner) grant permanent, exclusive rights, worldwide, in perpetuity to Producer to own all rights to all that the Producer records and photographs in all manner and media. I waive the right to inspect or approve any and all recordings. Producer may bring crews and equipment into the Property. Producer agrees to restore the Property to its original condition at the conclusion of photography.

Property Owner agrees to release Producer and all “affiliates” from all claims, losses, liability, costs or expenses that may be caused by Producer’s employees or equipment.

I consent that I am over 18 years of age and have authority to grant permission to the use of the property. If I am not over 18 years of age, my legal parent and/or guardian is required to sign below on my behalf.

Student Information/Signature

Name (Student): _____________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Age: ___________ Signature ____________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________ Email: _____________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature

(Students under 18): ________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Parent/Guardian Name (printed): ______________________________________________________

Parent Contact Info (phone): _______________________ or (email)___________________________

64

www.hear-me.net

www.hear-me.net

Consent and Release Form - Subjects and Students

*Students that are not direct participants of Hear Me 101 will need to sign below if being filmed for any purpose.

I hereby release to “Producer” – Hear Me and its Affiliates, (partnering organizations, schools, other), which includes students and the district of ________________________ (school) rights to my image, likeness, and sound of my voice as recorded for the purpose of the video tentatively entitled ____________________________________________on (Date) ___________________.

I authorize Producers, without limitation, the right to reproduce, copy, exhibit, publish or distribute any such video, and waive all rights or claims I may have against the Producers and/or any of its Affiliates, Subsidiaries, or Assignees. I further release rights to my image, likeness and sound of my voice related to the promotion of the video and associated materials. I hereby release any and all claims against the Producers arising in connection with the usage of my image, likeness and voice in all manner and media throughout the world in perpetuity without limitation.

Subject Information/Signature (If over 18 years-of-age, inclusive of Students)

Name (Student): _____________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Age: ___________ Signature ____________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________ Email: _____________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature of Subject (or Student)

(If under 18 years-of age): ________________________________________ Date: __________________

Parent/Guardian Name (printed): ______________________________________________________

Parent Contact Info (phone): _______________________ or (email)___________________________

65

INTRODUCTION - PRODUCING

You have completed the 1st series of sessions – Sessions 1 - 12. Let’s recap!

We learned: Advocacy – Inspiring change starts with you Issues – Selecting a topic and goal for change Media Literacy – Analyzing, understanding and using media Documentaries – Styles and purpose Questions – Essential and Focus Questions of a documentary Producing – Phases, roles & steps

We completed: Research about our school and community Research about your selected topic Identity, Me and my community Media Literacy and credibility Reviewing Documentaries Determined Essential and focus questions Interviewing drills QRVM – Questions, Research, Vision and Marketing

Have you completed all of the above?If not, please go back to each session and do the “Next Steps” as they are crucial to the development of your documentary and your message for change!

If you have completed the above work, then it is time to move on to the next series of workshops. Let’s move forward!

REVIEW 1INTRODUCTION – PRODUCING

66

{ VI: WORKSHOP TWO: PRODUCTION}

Your Production Workshop will train you on the basics of video production – how to translate

your vision into video and how to technically produce a quality video with basic equipment.

Learning the elements of producing involves many aspects. In the Production workshop, you

will go through a series of informative and participatory sessions:

Camera, Lighting and Sound •Cameras–typesofcameras,individualfunctionality,commoncamerafeaturesand

how to use them to your advantage

•QualitySound–coveringcommonsoundrecordingsituationsandtipsonhowto

record the best quality audio

•PrinciplesofLighting–Lightingasitpertainstoyourspecificcameraaswellashow

to manipulate available light if you do not have access to professional lighting gear

Directing •Stepsandresponsibilitiesinvolvedindirectingaqualitypiece

Writing 2: Writing a Treatment •Anoverviewofhowyouraudience will view of both your story and its structure

Even if you have a strong story and your message for change in your documentary is clearly

stated, the technicalities of your video need to be equally as strong. Strong “directing” is

essential to translating your vision successfully inclusive of proper camera moves, lighting

and sound. You will want to deliver the most professional piece allowing for your audience to

have the best experience.

67

There are different types of video cameras: some cameras record to a hard drive, flash memory or a memory card, while others, like mini-DV cameras, record to tape. A good rule of thumb for quality footage is to understand your camera’s features. You will need to know what camera you are using and check the references below for finding your manual to your camera!

A video camera uses a lens to collect light rays and converts light to electronic signals, which are then focused onto a video chip called a charge-coupled device (CCD). Three-chip cameras are recommended over one-chip cameras because they process primary colors separately and can produce a higher quality image. Camera operators should be familiar with important features on a camera but all members of a crew need to understand camera fundamentals.

Most cameras also have a screw eyelet on the bottom to allow for a tripod adapter. Shooting interviews with a tripod is preferable because it makes it easier for the viewer to watch. A tripod is a 3-legged support for your camera that allows for steady shots.

Exposure: Brightness and ContrastExposure refers to the amount of light allowed to fall on the video chip sensor. The range a video camera can see or record, from the brightest to the darkest images, is called the contrast range. The human eye has a very large contrast range; a person can simultaneously see detail in deep shadow and in sunshine hundreds of times brighter. A camera has a smaller, more limited contrast range. Filmmakers must control the light so that the range of the brightness in a shot falls within the camera’s very limited range to look good. Most cameras allow you to adjust the exposure to some degree.

OverexposureOverexposure refers to too much brightness in part or all of the frame, due to too much light entering the lens. This causes a loss of detail in this part of the video frame. A bright window, for example, may be shown as a featureless white rectangle on video, though the human eye may see trees and buildings outside the window.

UnderexposureIf too little light travels through the lens, it causes a loss of detail due to shadows or darkness. A person standing in deep shadow may be visible to the human eye, but the shadow will be rendered in the video signal as black and the subject will not be seen.

CAMERAS

Underexposed Correctly Exposed Overexposed

SESSION 13CAMERA, LIGHTING, SOUND

69

Video Gain FunctionIf there is little light striking the CCD, the video signal will be very weak and the image will be dark. This image can be made brighter by amplifying the strength, or gain, of the voltage. Making an image brighter by boosting the gain can result in an inferior image with areas of random brightness that are referred to as video noise. Most camcorders have the gain function as a switch or toggle.

White BalanceLight from different sources (the sun, tungsten light bulbs or fluorescent lights) has unique color qualities. (For example, the light from a lamp will look yellow while the sunlight could look blue.) The white balance of a camera adjusts the sensitivity of the color components in the camera to change the overall color of the image. Automatic white balance lets the camera read the color of the primary light and adjust the sensitivity of the CCD so that the light appears correct (as white light), thus balancing the camera to white. If the type of light changes, the camera may rebalance in the middle of a shot, causing all the colors in the frame to change suddenly.

Manual white balancing is preferable to automatic balancing and can be done one of two ways: by adjusting to the light actually present, or by setting the camera to a standard white balance “preset.” White balance presets can read either tungsten light or daylight as white light.

On some cameras, the white balance controls will be accessible in the menu settings. In others, the camera will have a white balance button or dial. Some cameras allow you to switch between a “Manual” or “Auto” white balance mode and some cameras work in only the automatic mode.

TIP: To manually set the white balance of the camera, hold a white card in front of the camera. The white card should be held under the light that the subject is to be shot under. You then set the white balance by pressing a button or switch on the camera and holding it until a display in the viewfinder indicates that the white balance has been set.

LensThe basic function of a video camera lens is to gather light rays and focus them onto the CCD chip. A lens is referred to by its focal length. Focal length is a description of the lens size, usually stated in millimeters (for example, a “50mm” lens). The focal length determines a lens’s degree of image magnification.

Lenses are manufactured in many different focal lengths, but most consumer video cameras have a zoom lens that can be manipulated by pressing a button or lever on the camera, marked “W” and “T.” Zoom lenses have a continuous range of focal lengths, from wide-angle to telephoto. A shorter focal length will give you a wide angle and a longer focal length will give you a narrower angle (achieved with a telephoto lens.)

70

The Zoom Shot: If you change focal length while recording a shot the result is a “zoom” shot. Before you use the zoom effect in a shot, as with any other camera movement, ask yourself why you want to do it. Zoom shots should be designed to add or reveal important information within a shot. Zooming that is not motivated by what is happening in the shot or the scene can be distracting and can look sloppy.

FocusManipulating the lens controls the clarity of the recorded image, or the focus. Some video cameras have a lens with a focusing ring that can be adjusted to alter the focus. Some consumers’ video cameras have a lever or dial that allows you to change focus and an auto focus feature. Some cameras, like the Flip, have only auto focus.

TIP: A good Camera Operator uses manual focus whenever possible and always checks it before rolling.

It is usually necessary to supplement, modify or invent lighting conditions when shooting video. Many beginners believe that additional lighting is usually unnecessary but video doesn’t interpret light in the same way the human eye does. In most inside situations and often when shooting outside, the natural or available light is insufficient to produce a good exposure. For these reasons, it is necessary for beginners to know about the characteristics and uses of light.

Hard and Soft LightA hard light source produces parallel light rays that hit an object from a single angle. When hard light strikes an object, it creates hard-edged, well-defined shadows and emphasizes the texture of the objects that it hits. If a person’s face is illuminated by a hard light source, every whisker, blemish and scar will cast a distinct shadow and will tend to stand out. Sunlight on a clear, cloudless day is an example of hard light.

Soft light tends to wrap around an object, casting less distinct shadows, de-emphasizing texture and smoothing over blemishes. Sunlight on a cloudy day is a good example of soft light because the parallel light rays of the sun are diffused (or scattered) by the clouds.

Three-Point LightingVery few sets are lit by a single light source. Usually, several lighting units are involved. A common approach to lighting a subject combines three lights, each one serving a specific purpose. Three-point lighting makes use of both hard and soft light sources and always involves a variety of lighting angles. 1. The key light is the primary source of illumination and may be a hard or soft light. It is often placed roughly 45 degrees off the camera/subject axis and above the subject. This light produces a shadow pattern that helps give the subject a three-dimensional appearance.

LIGHTING


71

2. The fill light is used to illuminate shadow areas created by the key light. The fill light is almost always a soft light source so that it doesn’t create a distinct second set of shadows. It is normally placed close to the camera/subject axis at eye level.

3. The third light is the back light, placed behind the subject and high enough to be out of the frame. This is often a hard light positioned to create an outline of light around the subject’s head and shoulders. The back light separates the subject from the background, adding apparent depth and a 3-D element to the shot.

Shooting in Available LightWhether you are shooting inside (interior) or outside (exterior), there are strategies to use to help you achieve good exposure even if you don’t have access to lighting equipment.

If you are shooting outside, avoid shooting at high noon on a sunny day. This will result in a very high-contrast shot with hard shadows. Usually shooting in the morning or afternoon when the sun is lower will result in a better image. Overcast days are a good time to shoot because the cloud cover diffuses the sunlight and reduces contrast.

TIP: Avoid backlighting. If you are shooting in daylight keep the sun behind the camera. If you are shooting inside, don’t position the subject in front of a window or light. Both situations can result in silhouetting. The subject will appear as a dark mass with no detail because of the brightness of the light from behind.

An available hard light source can be used to create soft light. A hard light can be bounced off a white surface (like a wall or poster) and the resulting light will be soft. If the walls aren’t white or if they are too far away from the subject being lit, a large piece of white foam core (available at most art supply stores) makes a good bounce card.

TIP: Think about the type of existing lighting in different rooms. Can you move lamps, close blinds or bring lighting with you? Don’t be afraid to visit your location before the shoot date to test the lighting with the camera. (You wouldn’t take the SATS without doing some practice questions, right?)

72

Using the Camera’s Microphone:Most video cameras have a built-in “onboard” microphone. These mics are usually “Omni directional,” meaning they will pick up sound from all around. It is not designed to isolate sound coming from one direction (like someone talking). If you want to record the sound of someone talking using the onboard mic, the camera should be placed close to your subject in a quiet location.

TIP: Avoid loud environments, like busy streets, crowds of people or near noisy electrical appliances.

Using an External MicrophoneSome cameras have an audio input jack that allows you to use a separate microphone. A microphone can be handheld or attached to a pole, called a boom, and the mic can be positioned just outside of the frame allowing the audio to be recorded at a closer proximity than a built-in mic. A lavaliere mic is a small microphone that can be attached to the subject or placed discreetly on the set to pick up sound.

Recording Sync SoundFor cameras that do not have an audio input, your other option for recording high-quality sound is to record to a separate audio recording device and use the onboard mic as a backup, in a process called sync sound. For cameras that do have an audio input, you can record through a separate audio recording device that is built to feed into the camera, or simply use a microphone. Sync Sound (short for Synchronized) must be lined up with the video in the editing process, so to help yourself do that, you will need to slate each shot. A slate is a marker for sound and video that is recorded on both the camera and audio recorder. If you don’t have a slate, an alternative is to clap your hands horizontally once in front of the camera and near the audio recorder.

Monitoring your AudioTIP: If your camera has a headphone jack, it is important to wear headphones to monitor the audio. This will help you make sure it is clear and there isn’t any distracting background noise. This is particularly important when recording interviews. Often background noise will be much more noticeable on the video recording than in real life.

If your camera has an audio level monitor in the viewfinder, the level should “peak” or be loudest at between -6 and -12 decibels (dB). If you do not have a level monitor or a headphone jack on your camera, do a few “test” recordings and play back the video to check the audio before beginning to record your actual footage.

It is important to record good audio on the set, especially if you are interviewing someone or recording dialogue. If the location you are planning to shoot in has too much background noise, then you should consider shooting in a quieter location. If your audio recording is poor, you will not be able to correct it satisfactorily during the editing process.

RECORDING SOUND


73

Demonstrate knowledge of basic camera features

Consider the camera’s functionality and audio when choosing shooting locations

Analyze practical scenarios for shooting video with minimal equipment

OBJECTIVES

A. Bounce CardUse a white piece of foam core, poster board or even copy paper to make a bounce card. Practice bouncing light from a window or lamp onto a subject. Notice how you can increase or decrease the amount of light on the subject by manipulating the bounce card.

Quick Tips: Lighting

•Alwaysshootwiththesunatyourback

•Donotshoottowardsawindow;itwillsilhouetteyoursubject

•Useabouncecardtodirectlightontoyoursubject

B. Getting to Know your CameraIt is important to know the camera you are using. Hear Me 101 and its partners can suggest cameras to you or you can identify resources available through school. Whatever the camera provided, make sure you know how it “really” works. All of the above mentioned factors discussed need serious consideration.

Take time to learn the functions of your camera by exploring the various camera menus and practicing basic controls like white balancing and focus settings. If you do not have a manual for your camera, you can find it by searching for you particular camera make and model online (see references provided).

Next...

Split into groups and distribute one camera to each.

Plan and shoot a one-minute documentary (without editing!) during the rest of your session.

Screen it with your group and talk about what each group did well and what you could have done better.

Quick Tips: Video RecordingAlways test your equipment and prepare it for each shoot! Remember to set the white balance.

•Usevideogain sparingly to avoid video noise •Usezoomingfunctionthoughtfully

ACTIVITIES

74

Quick Tips: Sound Recording •Avoidloudplaceswithcrowds,machines,fansandmusic

•Avoidrecordingoutsideinthewind–ifnecessary,shieldthemicrophoneandpointit away from the wind

•Alwaysmonitoryoursoundwithheadphones

•Soundshouldpeakonthelevelmonitorbetween-6and-12db

Start Shooting!Once you have taken the time to really understand your camera and all it entails, you should start moving forward with your video shoot. Take your shot list as assigned to you by the Director and Producers and start filming. Don’t forget to make detailed notes in your shot list (see Shot List Template). Tracking your shots is of utmost importance and crucial to the editing process. Without this list, how will you know what was shot? You will waste energy and time by having to go back and re-watch everything you shot if you don’t track your shot list. Make sure you have all of the proper releases going forward! Releases can be found at the end of Session 12 – Developing and Producing your Video! Remember everyone has their specialized role, so be respectful and mindful of your crewmembers!

JOURNAL IT!As you are practicing with and learning the “ins and outs” of your camera, go to the journal in the back of the workbook and make your own “cheat sheet” of short cuts and settings you prefer to use with your camera on the pages for Session 13.

NEXT STEPS

Videomaker – Your Guide to Creating and Publishing Great Video; Intro to White Balance (short article with tips)http://www.videomaker.com/article/13535

Videomaker – Your Guide to Creating and Publishing Great Video; Master your Camera Controls: Focus, White Balance Iris and More (video of tips) http://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/tutorials/546/mastering-your-camera-controls

Videomaker – Your Guide to Creating and Publishing Great Video; 10 Common Audio Mistakes (short article with tips)http://www.videomaker.com/article/14914

Camera Manuals You May Need!Sony: http://esupport.sony.com/perl/select-system.pl

Canon: http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders

Canon and Others: http://www.retrevo.com/samples/Canon-Camcorders-manuals.html

SESSIONTHIRTEENREFERENCES


75

AFTER EACH SHOOT - PREPPING FILES FOR POST-PRODUCTION

After you wrap a shoot, the Production team becomes responsible for the media (the video shot). The Production Designer (P.D.) who, during filming was assigned the role of tracking and logging all of the camera data on the shot list, will now be responsible for properly handing off the files to the “Editing Team.” The Editing Team will store the files on the hard drive of the computer they will use to edit the video. Prior to handing off the files, the P.D. will work with the Editor to correctly name and organize all the completed shots (as tracked in the “shot log”) to assure the files are properly labeled and categorized for the Editing Team to assemble the files into an edited “Cut.”

Organizing your FilesFirst, set up your project on the computer that you will be using to edit. Save a “project file” with your group’s name. With most systems, you will set up the project by opening your editing program (software) and saving your project file within the program. Then, on your computer’s hard drive, set up a folder where you will put your media, labeled “Media” and your “group” name.

Storing your FilesEditing Systems reference a specific file folder when it plays back in your editing software interface (like iMovie, Final Cut or Windows Movie Maker). For example, if you download any files, they should be saved to the same folder as the rest of your footage because the computer “looks” for those files in that location and expects them to be there. You also avoid the “project-halting scenario” of having your files accidentally deleted. Any files you plan on using in your project should be stored in a file on your computer’s hard drive. Avoid saving files on a server. Files being accessed on a server when editing take much longer to retrieve and process, slowing the editing process. Accessing files from a server will slow down your computer as well.

Capturing your FootageThese are the two most popular ways that media is recorded on a camera:

TapeRead your camera’s manual to determine what type of data cable you will need to connect to your editing computer. It is preferable to use a deck to play your tape and capture, but if you don’t have one available you can use your camera in VTR mode. Once connected, re-open your project and then choose file import or file capture. Your tape, if not already labeled, should have a unique number with date and “scene” name (or in this case, the interview subject or footage subject), for example: “Tape01_GroupName_030312_Interview_Heide_Waldbaum_001.” Review “Naming Your Files” below.

76

HD/Flash MemoryThese cameras typically have digital data cables, like the tape-based camcorders, and some have a direct USB connection. When you plug it in, you can move the files to your “Media” folder. RENAME these files to something that makes sense. (Follow the naming conventions outlined below.)

Naming your FilesWhen you are organizing your files, the naming conventions for each are very important. Imagine if you just named all your shooting files in an unsystematic manner without proper labels to clearly define what is in each shot. When you go back to them later, how will you know what they are? How will your Editor be able to cut together the files?

Most likely your files will be .mov, .mp4 or .wmv depending on the camera and editing software you are using. These type of “movie” files included in a file name are known as the file “extension.”

Leaving the file names as they are when exported directly from the camera will not give you detailed information of what was shot. Also, it will leave you wondering what they are, and you will have to take the time to review each. Below are simple examples of how to organize and name your files so that you know exactly what has been shot in each file.

What is your Group or Project Name? Let’s say as an example it is “Changing My School.”Using the acronym “CMS” in all of your files is an easy way to keep the title of your project in your file name. Next, lets consider the shoot date (January 1st, 2012), a brief description, what, who, where and the take or version.

An Interview:CMS_010112_Interview_PrincipalSmith_001GroupName_Date_What_Who_Take

A Location:CMS_010112_MySchool_Exterior_001GroupName_Date_What_Where_Take

An Event:CMS_010112_Graduation_Commencement_001CMS_010112_Graduation_ValedictorianSpeech_001GroupName_Date_What_Details_Take

SESSION 13AAFTER EACH SHOOT

77

TIP: If you feel further clarification is needed, you may add an additional “underscore” and description before the file extension. Avoid using more than four descriptors, as the file names will become lengthy. CMS_010112_MySchool_Exterior_Day_001CMS_010112_MySchool_Exterior_Raining_001CMS_010112_Graduation_ValedictorianSpeech_MarySmith_001CMS_010112_Graduation_ValedictorianSpeech_Crowd_001

Examples with “extensions” that will be on your hard drive:CMS_010112_MySchool_Exterior_Day_001.movCMS_010112_MySchool_Exterior_Raining2_001.mp4

By following these simple naming conventions, you will be able to sort and search for your files more quickly as they will be grouped by date, take and subject matter, making the files more “user-friendly” in Post-Production. These file names should now be entered on the Shot List so that all of the information for the material shot is referenced in one central location.

Remember your file extension (.mov, .wmv., mp4) will vary depending on the camera you are using. There may be some file converting that needs to be completed prior to Editing. Reference Session 13 – Camera, Lighting, Sound to understand the type of camera you have and the associated file types.

Logging FilesOnce you have all of your media files on your hard drive, open your project and choose the file command to import files to the project. Your “files” are now “clips.” Some editing programs will allow you to use a bin to organize clips into folders and make it easier to visualize what kind of content you have. It also allows you to split a clip with a lot of content into more than one clip. In this example you could split the clip “CMS_010112_Interview_PrincipalSmith_001” into “CMS_010112_Interview_PrincipalSmith_001_budget_cuts” by using “in points”, “out points” and “subclip” options. (A process where a new clip is created inside the editing program from an existing master clip, but not on the hard drive.)

Programs like iMovie and Windows MovieMaker will display your clips like a storyboard rather than a list of clips. Your Editing Team should make a list of the file names from the shot list with descriptions.

Once you have properly named and prepped the files for Post-Production, the Editor will begin to work with the Director, Producer and Writer to start editing your documentary.

Reference Session 16 – Editing for more information on logging and editing.

SESSION 13AAFTER EACH SHOOT

78

The primary responsibility of the Director is to control the set and get the shots and audio necessary to create the film and tell the story. The term coverage refers to getting the necessary shots to create a scene or sequence. On a documentary set, the Director is concerned with getting good coverage.

Much of the work of directing takes place before you shoot. During the Pre-Production process, the Director will lead research and plan how to shoot the video. This includes determining the visual style of the video and thinking about the type and number of shots that will be used to tell the story. If you are making a documentary, the Director decides the approach or style.

Scouting locations is an important part of Pre-Production. This means visiting the locations where you intend to shoot ahead of time, if possible. This applies to both interior and exterior locations. The locations you choose should be visually interesting. Make sure adequate electrical power is available if it is necessary for lighting. Accessibility is crucial in choosing a location, so be sure to obtain the necessary permission to shoot (see the Location Release in Session 12 – Developing and Producing your Video!) It is a good idea to establish a backup date in case the weather is uncooperative or shooting takes longer than anticipated.

Once you have scouted a location and researched your subject, it is a very good idea to create a “Shot List” (Refer to Chapter V – Producing). In the case of a documentary, a shot list is a list of the specific kinds of shots you will need to shoot at a particular location.

Once you are at a location, you will want to get all of the necessary coverage so you don’t have to go back. It is always better to shoot more than less. This will allow you to have any and all extra footage that may be needed to piece together your final edit.

Films are typically shot out of order as opposed to “in continuity.” If you are making a film with a scene in a library followed by a scene in a kitchen and then a scene back in the library, you wouldn’t shoot the library scene, then the kitchen scene, then go back to the library. That would be unnecessarily time-consuming. The best approach is to shoot all of the scenes required at a particular location before moving to another location. It is much more efficient to shoot “out of order” and put everything in the correct order during the editing, or Post-Production process.

Once on you are on the set and ready to begin shooting (the Production phase), the Director is in control of what is being shot and the progress of the film. Most often there is a limited amount of time to get the shots, which is determined by the production schedule. Your interview subject might only have 10 minutes to talk with you or the location might be available for only a specified period of time. The Director, along with the Producer, must make sure the necessary coverage is shot in the amount of time available.

DIRECTING

SESSION 14DIRECTING

79

On large crews, there is an Assistant Director (A.D.). A.D.s are responsible for putting together the production schedule, preparing for each shooting day and keeping the Director and crew on schedule. This allows the Director to concentrate on filming and creating his vision.

In the Pre-Production phase and during Production, a Production Designer (P.D.) will be helpful on your project. The P.D. will support the Director to find and secure locations that are visually appealing.

In this section we will learn about the basic types of shots used to create films. The exercises will encourage you to watch films closely and recognize the shots.

ShotsThe frame is the basic unit of visual material from which films or videos are constructed. A continuous series of frames constitutes a shot. Each time the camera is turned on, a new shot is exposed or recorded. When the camera is turned off, or when the shot is cut in the editing process, the shot is over. Shots are edited together to build scenes.

A scene is a group of shots meant to be interpreted as being continuous in time and space. A jump in space (from a character’s bedroom to the street outside) or time (from the bedroom today to the same bedroom six months later) is usually interpreted as a change of scene.

Shots and Image SizeShots are most often defined by the size of the subject within the frame. There are three basic types of shots. They are usually abbreviated in scripts and storyboards as follows: LS: Long Shot MS: Medium Shot CU: Close-up

If a person is the subject of your shot, then a long shot would show the entire person and the majority of the background. A medium shot might include the individual from head to waist. A close-up shot might include the person’s head and shoulders. These are general guidelines. The different types of shots are relative to each other and there are no strict rules.

Of course, films are not constructed from only these three types of shots. A film or a scene made up of too many similar shots can be visually uninteresting. Most films contain a variety of shots and image sizes, ranging from extreme long shot to extreme close-up. There are many shot variations within the three basic types. Some of the most commonly used shots are described as follows:ECU: Extreme Close-up If shooting a person’s face, an ECU might only reveal their eyes.MCU: Medium Close-up This falls somewhere between a medium shot and close-up.MLS: Medium Long Shot This falls somewhere between a medium shot and long shot.ELS: Extreme Long Shot This would show the entire person within the complete environment. The person would be very small within the frame.

FRAMING AND SHOTS

80

Extreme Long Shot Long Shot Medium Long Shot

Medium Close Up Close Up Extreme Close Up

SESSION 14DIRECTING

In addition to image size, camera angle must also be considered when setting up a shot. Shooting with the camera placed at an appropriate vertical angle to the subject will emphasize the content of a shot. For instance, if the camera is placed at an angle above the subject (high angle shot) the subject appears to be physically diminished. The action or object often takes on a sense of insignificance or vulnerability. The effect when photographing from a low angle is just the opposite. In a low angle shot, the subject seems to have added importance or power and appears dominant in the frame.

A filmmaker might also choose to tilt the camera slightly, creating a Dutch angle shot, which can create the feeling that the subject is unbalanced. A villain or a character in a dangerous circumstance is often presented in Dutch angle shots.

CAMERA ANGLES

High Angle Low Angle Dutch Angle

81

Medium Shot

If you are shooting a home movie, it might be alright to manually carry the camera to capture the action. Most home movies are shot handheld, but handheld shots are often shaky. A film with many handheld shots can look amateurish, like a home movie, if not done properly.

When shooting a landscape, a building or anything that doesn’t move, the shot works best when the camera is as steady as possible. Even a slight wobble can detract from the shot’s effectiveness when you are shooting static objects. To keep the camera steady it can be mounted on a tripod, a three-legged support. Unless there is a reason for a handheld effect, it is always a good idea to use a tripod to steady the camera.

Just as it allows you to take the steadiest possible static shot, a good tripod also enables you to move the camera smoothly. In order to pan (short for panorama shot), pivot the camera along its horizontal axis so that the frame moves to the left or the right. You can pan along the horizon to show a landscape, or pan along a car from front bumper to back bumper. You can also pan to follow the subject’s movement.

A tilt is a movement in which the camera pivots along its vertical axis. You can tilt up from the base of a skyscraper to the top, or you can tilt down from a person’s face to her feet.

If you put the camera on wheels (a wheeled platform, a wheelchair, a car), you have a dolly that can be used to move the camera smoothly in many ways. You can dolly in toward the subject to enhance the emotion of the moment. You can also start with a close-up and dolly out to show more of the setting or to add dramatic emphasis by revealing a crucial detail. You can dolly left or right to follow someone or you can dolly past a group of people waiting in line, from the front to the back of the line. A dolly shot, because it moves the camera through space, can be very dynamic and effective.

Quick Tips: When shooting a shot that requires panning, tilting or other unique camera moves, rehearse the shot several times before shooting. Position your body so that you are in a comfortable stance at the end of the move. If you make a camera move that will put you in an off-balanced position, it will be difficult to create a shot with smooth movement.

CAMERA MOVEMENT

Objects or subjects that are centered in the frame tend to seem static. A centered composition can create a sense of stability, but it is also viewed passively since the eyes of the viewer do not tend to move through the frame. Most of the time, filmmakers are concerned with keeping the audience visually engaged by encouraging their eyes to scan the frame. The Rule of Thirds is a guideline that filmmakers use to make the audience scan the frame.

RULE OF THIRDS

82

The idea of the Rule of Thirds is to divide the frame horizontally and vertically into thirds. By placing objects of key interest (a person’s face, for example) at one of the four points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect, a filmmaker can draw the viewer’s line of sight to the most significant elements within the shot.

SESSION 14DIRECTING

Demonstrate the concept of framing

Articulate and identify different types of shots

Understand the role of the Director

OBJECTIVES

A. Framing ShotsCreate a frame using your thumbs and index fingers, and use this frame to create “shots.” Notice how perspective changes as you move around an object you are framing, and how the frame can emphasis or minimize objects.

Quick Tip: BordersWhenever you are composing a shot, be sure to look at the entire frame, not just the main subject. Make sure there aren’t unwanted objects in the background or objects protruding into the shot from outside of the frame.

B. “Silent Movie”Watch a film without any sound – simply mute the audio.

1. Watch a movie for at least five minutes and focus on the types of shots that are being used. Pay attention to where one shot cuts to the next. Can you name the types of shots? Are they long shots or close-ups? What is the angle of the shot? Does the shot move?

ACTIVITIES

83

Refine your Shot List!In Chapter V – Producing, you created a preliminary shot list of shots you want to include in your documentary – locations, people, etc. Now that you have learned about shots, framing, camera angles and moves, go back to your shot list and fill in the “shot type” for each shot on your list. Insert any additional notes to the description of the action, dolly, pan, etc. that you want to notate. Now that you know all these cool moves, get creative and add more scenes and shots to your list that will make your documentary stand out. Remember, the more you plan in advance, the better off you will be on your shooting day!

JOURNAL IT!Regardless of what role you are playing, you all are responsible for the final outcome of your documentary. So whether or not you are the official Director, your input is needed, valued and welcomed, as all films are a collaboration. Take the time to go to Session 14 in your journal and write what you envision for your group’s documentary. What plays in your mind when you are telling the story – what type of shots, style, etc.? Write your own vision and your ideas of what you feel should be included and share them with your group. You may have the next best idea!

NEXT STEPS

Videomaker - Your Guide to Creating and Publishing Great Video; Nice Shot: A Guide to Common Video Shot Types http://www.videomaker.com/article/7575

BBC College of Journalism Blog; What a Documentary Director does in the Cutting Room http://www.bbc.co.uk/journalism/blog/2011/06/what-a-documentary-director-do.shtml

The Documentary Insider; What is Required to Direct a Documentary?http://thedocumentaryinsider.com/blogs/stephanie/2011/jul/dd/what-required-direct-documentary

Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on the Ethical Challenges in Their Work http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/making-your-media-matter/documents/best-practices/honest-truths-documentary-filmmakers-ethical-chall

SESSIONFOURTEENREFERENCES

SESSION 14DIRECTING

2. Look for scenes. Notice how different shots create scenes. Can you see where one scene ends and another begins? 3. Can you understand the story or content without hearing the audio? This is a real test of the quality of the film. Does it visually flow together without support of the audio?

84

Now that you have an Essential Question and Focus Questions for your documentary, it’s time to visualize how you will answer them in your documentary. To help you do this, you will need to write a treatment. A treatment is a short overview (1 page) and description of the documentary before it is actually shot. A treatment allows documentary filmmakers to articulate a structure for the Essential Question they are exploring. Over the course of the project, a treatment may be revised several times to allow for new information and new directions.

A treatment serves several purposes: It explains and legitimizes the documentary project to others. It helps the documentary makers gain support (money!) for their project. Fortunately, you do not have to worry about this. It helps the filmmakers to be aware of their own expectations and ideas for the documentary. It is a description of the film that the filmmakers want to make and believe they can, given their knowledge AND what resources they have access to when the actual filming begins. It provides an overview of how the audience will experience the documentary. It describes the people who will be interviewed, the places the documentary will visit, the topics to be discussed, and the areas of conflict that will be explored.

Why a treatment and not a script?Unlike narrative film, documentaries rarely have a script before the shooting begins. The documentary filmmakers cannot control what will happen when the cameras start rolling.

A treatment is not a technical breakdown of the documentary; however, it should use active language, the present tense and describe possible shot sequences. Here’s an example:

SESSION 15WRITING 2: TREATMENT

WRITING 2 - TREATMENT

85

The South Loop Campaign is the first segment of a thirty-minute video documentary tentatively titled “The Other Convention,” which is one part of a three program series entitled “Conventions.” The intent of the series is to examine how the democratic process unfolds in one city at a particular point in 1996. The first program looks at community action organizations committed to political action, the issues involved and the tactics used by these organizations to achieve results.

The South Loop Campaign organized by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is a perfect example of a legitimate issue needing address by the government. The goal of the campaign is to maintain or replace the existing one thousand SRO (Single Room Occupancy) units in the South Loop. The campaign is both legitimate from almost any viewpoint and certainly achievable. The campaign is not opposed to development but wants development without displacement.

The Problem: The South Loop represents prime urban real estate. Economic circumstances make it ready for upscale development. For the past several years, buildings have been turned into loft space. Close to the center of the city and the lakefront, with plenty of vacant land and vacant or low-revenue generating but rehabilitatable buildings, the South Loop is a developer’s dream. The mayor lives in the South Loop and has recently pushed the City Council to turn Meigs Field Airport into a lake front park. SROs and mixed-income housing may not fit into a developer’s plans. The South Loop Campaign seeks to keep the area a mixed-use neighborhood with mixed incomes and to prevent developers from displacing current residents thus aggravating an already serious housing problem for low-income citizens.

The documentary will examine this issue utilizing the following shooting sequences: Interviews with John Donahue, Executive Director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Matt McDermott and Les Brown organizers of the campaign. The intent is to focus the issue giving the history of the area and the ongoing status of the campaign.

A visual tour of the lake front area that includes example of high-income and low-income housing.

Interviews with affected residents living in SRO housing.

Any public actions the campaign may organize.

Any strategy discussions to which we may get access.

Acquisition of news footage from the July 25 action footage.

Acquisition of the 18th St. ground breaking footage.

Acquisition of footage and possible collaboration with the Chicago Video Project.

Possible interview with John Knight of Mandel Legal Aid at the University of Chicago in his office.

Possible acquisition of footage of lower Wacker Drive sweeps.

SAMPLE TREATMENT: AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CHICAGO

86


KEY FEATURES OF A TREATMENT

Synopsis – a brief summary and overview of the project. Some treatments try to capture the synopsis in one sentence, known as a logline.

Logline – contains the overview (or plot) and an emotional hook. Example: “Twenty male in-mates in a Kentucky prison rehearse and perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest over the course of one year.”

The Big Idea/Problem – an identification of the main conflict and the essential question the documentary is trying to answer.

Structure – a proposed shooting sequence that indicates who will be interviewed, locations for shooting and resources

OBJECTIVES

Identify the elements of a story in a treatment

Practice writing skills

Draft the pieces of a treatment

ACTIVITIES

A. Complete the Questions Below to Start Developing your Treatment

Consider these Quick Tips as you go through this process.

Use active language and the present tense. Examples:

1) The documentary opens in front of the school with students talking about bullying.

2) The camera sweeps across the empty playground covered in weeds.

3) A college student sits at his computer playing World of Warcraft. As he plays, a narrator speaks about the controversy surrounding the game.

*Avoid overly technical language about camera angles and distances. Focus instead on hooking the reader with sensory language.

87

Write three different versions of a logline (one-sentence overview with an emotional hook) for your documentary.

1.

2.

3.

Describe the big idea in your documentary. What is the documentary about? What is different about your documentary? What new ideas will it contain?

How will the problem or conflict in the documentary be represented? Who will represent the different sides of the issue? Who will be interviewed (characters)?

Where will the documentary take place? What are some locations where you hope to shoot?

How will the documentary open? How will it end?

Describe the sequence of scenes that will take place between the opening and the end.

88


How to write a documentary treatment http://www.lightsfilmschool.com/blog/how-to-write-a-documentary-treatment/335

Documentors: Make Your Documentary Film http://www.documentaryhowto.com/documentary-tips/131-documentary-tip-7-writing-a-strong-treatment

How to write a film or TV documentary treatment of proposalhttp://writemindset.com/copywriting/130/how-to-write-a-film-or-tv-documentary-treatment-or-proposal.html

SESSIONFIFTEENREFERENCES

B. Draft Your Treatment

Follow these guidelines:

Introductory Paragraph: Explain the main topic or ideas of the documentary. The explanation should include the essential and focus questions.

Middle Paragraphs: Describe how the information will be presented. Indicate how the story will be told. List the segments/scenes to be included. Describe what the audience will see, think, feel.

Final Paragraph: Describe why this documentary is important. Tell who the intended audience is. Indicate what you hope the audience will learn.

NEXT STEPS

Finish and revise your treatment, considering the “change” you are looking for within your

project. Now that you have an idea of what you want to explore, take your ideas back to your

large group. In your next session, you will pitch your ideas, choose the strongest treatments

and start selecting crews who will produce the documentaries.

JOURNAL IT!Go to the pages for Session 15 in your journal and continue to polish your treatment. Also

start writing out your thoughts on how you feel the treatment you created is going to begin

the process of creating change. Who do you want to watch your piece? What influence do you

hope your piece will have? (1 paragraph)

89

PRODUCTION

You have completed the 2nd series of sessions – Sessions 13 - 15. Let’s recap!

We learned:

Camera Features – Using the features and types of shots

Exposure – Brightness, contrast and noise

White Balance – Matching light to white

The Lens – Focal length and zoom lenses Focus – Manual and auto-focus

Lighting – Available light, hard light, soft light all have different effects

Microphones – Onboard mics and External mics

Getting Great Sound – Monitoring audio

Planning to Shoot your Video – Scouting locations, making a shot list

and schedule

Treatment – Articulate your idea

Preparing for Post-Production – Organizing your files after a shoot

We completed:

Bouncing light with a bounce card

Exploring the functions, menus and controls of our cameras

Filming and tracking shots on our shot list

Making a list of shortcuts and preferred settings for our cameras

Organizing our files on our computer

Framing shots

Making a shot list Developing, writing and revising a treatment

Have you completed all of the above?If not, please go back to each session and do the “Next Steps” as they are crucial to the production of your project!


REVIEW 2PRODUCTION

90

{ VII: WORKSHOP THREE:POST-PRODUCTION}

Your Post-Production Workshop will train you on the basics of video editing – how to transfer your Treatment into an A/V Script and putting the finishing touches on your documentary.

In the Post-Production workshop, you will go through a series of informativeand participatory sessions: Editing Theory Editing Mechanics and Systems Phases of Editing Basic Terms and Tools for Editing Titles, Transitions and Graphics Writing 3: Audio/Visual Script How to write your final script, derived from your footage before you go into the editing room Putting It All Together A final checklist to produce and package a successful, quality piece

Just as your Pre-Production and Production phases needed to be well-planned, your Editing process will go more smoothly if you develop a well thought out and organized plan.

Take the time to read through this section before you start the editing process to assure you deliver a professional documentary. Editing is a key component to telling your story effectively and to producing a high quality video.

91

Editing is the process of selecting, cutting apart and joining together various shots. Often, a series of shots is necessary to convey information or to move quickly through time and space. Editing enables a filmmaker to concentrate the viewer’s attention on the most important aspects of the story.

Continuity EditingWhen editing a scene, sometimes a filmmaker wants time and space to seem uninterrupted. A scene in a film might consist of several shots but the edited result can seem to be a continuous, unbroken sequence of action with no apparent jumps in space or time. Continuity editing tries to achieve this smooth, unobtrusive quality. Its goal is to move the film forward without calling attention to the editing process, preserving the illusion of reality that a film creates.

Example: Imagine a scene with a long shot (LS) of a woman picking up a cup moving to a close-up (CU) as she drinks from the cup. The filmmaker might want the gesture to appear smooth and continuous, like a single action, even though there were two shots (one long shot and one close-up) that created the action.

Match cuts maintain continuity of action or movement from one shot to the next. They match screen position, timing and direction of movement to create an illusion of continuous movement within a sequence that actually consists of a number of shots. Match cuts make the edits appear seamless.

Unlike a match cut, a jump cut is a jarring cut that calls attention to it. A jump cut can be the result of an edit between two shots in which there is too small a change in the image size or the camera angle (or both) resulting in a slight, but very noticeable, displacement of the image on the screen. The use of jump cuts as an editing strategy has become much more common in films and television today.

Continuity editing is only one approach to editing and one that works best when making narrative films.

MontageThe term “montage” is commonly used to describe virtually any sequence comprised of many brief shots. A montage is more than just a lot of quick, flashy cutting. The term “montage” is the French word for editing, but the early Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein defined montage as a “collision” of shots (and sounds and ideas) that creates something new. The placement of shots in a good montage creates meaning that the individual shots cannot convey alone.

The CutawayA cutaway shot is a shot of something related to, but outside of, the immediate action of the scene. In a scene about two people having a conversation, a cutaway might be

EDITING THEORY

SESSION 16EDITING

93

a shot of someone or something else in the room that is relevant to the story. Usually, cutaway shots are used to add meaning or context to the scene but they are also very useful in altering the length of a scene, covering mistakes in continuity or cutting out lines of dialogue.

B-RollWhen shooting a non-narrative film (like a documentary), cutaway material is called B-Roll. This is usually footage of what a person might be talking about in an on-camera interview. An on-camera interview is sometimes referred to as the “talking head” or A-Roll.

B-Roll is shot separately, usually after the interview has been conducted. If the person was describing a location, the B-Roll might show that person in that location. If the interview is about a process like making a pizza, the B-Roll would show someone making a pizza.

Cutting away to B-roll allows the Editor to condense the interview into the most important or interesting comments. It can also enable the Editor to change the meaning or intent of a person’s interview by cutting and re-arranging the recording.

A non-linear editing system uses a computer’s random access capability to edit video as digital files that can be easily manipulated with no loss of quality.

A simple non-linear editing system consists of a computer running an editing software application such as Apple’s iMovie or Final Cut, Adobe’s Premiere or programs made by Avid Technologies. (Linear Editing refers to the process of copying from tape to tape using a deck or VHS recorder; linear editing has been replaced commercially by non-linear systems as of the late 1990s.)

In non-linear editing, the first step is to get the video and audio information into the computer system, usually by connecting a camera or video deck to the computer. If you are capturing video or audio from a digital tape, the camera or deck plays the tape while you select the portions of the footage that will actually be used for editing. If the video and audio was recorded as digital files on a memory card or hard drive, you can select the files that will be used and copy them to the computer’s hard drive.

Before you Edit - The Logging ProcessRefer to Session 13A – After Each ShootBefore you start cutting, you should watch and log your shots. As you watch your footage, create a list of what you shot and take time to label each clip. This task is usually delegated to the writers and editors in order to write the script.

EDITING MECHANICS

94

TIP: If you just start editing without first watching, logging and labeling, you will ultimately create more work for yourself and it will affect your final product.

As you log any interviews, make notes of important or interesting comments. As you log the B-Roll, you can make notes of which shots work best. You can also note any additional B-Roll you will need to shoot. After you have watched and logged your footage, you can begin the editing process.

Understanding your Editing SystemThe interface of a non-linear system is the collection of on-screen windows and buttons that allow you to manipulate video and audio. Though every system’s interface is different in the details, they have many of the same features. There is a “bin” or “browser window” that stores the clips available to be edited, a source window in which incoming video is previewed, a record-monitor window that shows the edited video and a timeline that shows the final sequence of the video and audio clips in the edited piece.

The TimelineThe timeline consists of multiple video and audio tracks. A track is a visual representation of video or audio clips, showing their order and length in the edited sequence. A sequence is a series of clips and edit information, many of which can be represented in different tabs on the timeline.

How It Works:Blocks that represent the edited clips are laid end-to-end on each track of the timeline. A clip that appears to the right of another clip is played after that clip. The point at which two clips touch represents the cut or transition from one clip to the next. A clip that appears directly above or below another clip plays simultaneously with that clip. If a music clip on an audio track is below a close-up on a video track, the music will play when the close-up is seen. Using multiple tracks of audio allows several sounds to play at once, creating a layered, complex soundtrack.

Editing PhasesThe three basic phases of the editing process are the assembly, the rough cut and the fine or final cut. As you begin to edit, you will go through various “drafts” or versions of your sequences. The big advantage of computerized editing is that it allows you to experiment with your footage.

If you have shot interviews, you can begin by creating an assembly of the parts of the interview that you have noted during the logging process. Create a rough assembly of the interview before you begin to edit the B-Roll over the interview. You can create various versions of the rough cuts until you have a finished fine cut. Like writing, editing is a process of revision or “re-editing” until you reach the final version.

SESSION 16EDITING

95

Before the video is complete, titles, transitions and graphics can be added. Most editing software has the capability to create simple titles such as lower thirds that show an interview subject’s name near the bottom of the screen or ending credits that scroll up the screen. Specialty software can create elaborate animated titles that can be imported into the project.

Transitions define what happens at the edit point between clips on the timeline.

A cut is the simplest transition from one shot to another, created when sections of clips are placed beside each other on the timeline.

A fade-in is a transition in which a blank (usually black) screen gradually reveals an image until that image is fully realized on screen and is often used to begin a scene.

A fade-out is a transition in which a shot at full value gradually diminishes to a blank screen. Fade-outs often occur at the end of a scene and are generally used to suggest a passage of time.

A dissolve is a transition in which it appears as if one image blends into another image. A dissolve is actually a fadeout superimposed with a fade-in.

A wipe is a transition in which one shot replaces the other by replacing a small piece of the image area on the screen and taking over more and more of the frame until the outgoing shot is completely gone. Wipes, split screens and dozens of filters that can alter the video image in a variety of ways are among the available options.

TIP: The easy access to so many flashy options can be a distraction that leads beginners to over-use effects, which can hurt the project. Effects should be used for a specific reason and serve a real purpose.

TITLES, TRANSITIONS AND GRAPHICS

(Keep in mind that many of these terms apply to professional end editing systems but, in general, the concepts still apply to your work.)

Interface TermsBrowser - A window for organizing your project’s clips (media) by sorting, renaming or rearranging them. The browser contains project media and a tab for effects.

Bin - A folder inside the Browser that can contain clips, sequences, transitions, effects and text/title generators. Use bins to organize these elements, sort them, comment, re-name items and so on.

FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND AN EDITING SYSTEM

96

Viewer (or Source Monitor) - A window in your editing program for previewing or preparing source clips for editing, or adjusting clips and audio already in the sequence.

Canvas - Window for viewing the edited sequence on the selected timeline.

Audio Meters - Measures audio in decibels. A safe level is between -6 and -12 decibels, so Red levels mean the audio is peaking or could become distorted.

Timeline - Displays clips used in an edited sequence. The timeline is where the project is actually built.

Sequence - An arranged series of video, audio, and text clips, edit information and effects edited together to create a program. Sequences are created created on the timeline.

Track - Audio or video layers in the timeline that are part of a sequence.

Playhead - A tool to move through a clip in the viewer, canvas and in the timeline, which refers to a specific frame over which it is placed.

ToolsSelection Tool – The default arrow-shaped pointer that allows you to select items (clips, edit points, tracks) in the interface.

Blade or Razor Tool - Cuts a clip into separate distinct clips at the point where the tool is applied on the timeline.

Link - Located in the top right corner of the timeline (in FCE or Premier), allows you highlight a clip in the timeline and separate the audio from the video.

Snap - A function that “snaps” clips or the Playhead to the nearest frame of a clip in

SESSION 16EDITING

Learn how to log and process footage

Connect the process of Pre-Production with Post-Production

Begin editing projects

Identify types of cuts and motivation for them

OBJECTIVES

97

CNN; Edit Video Tightly and Precisely (article with definitions)http://www.cnn.com/2011/IREPORT/09/09/edit.video.bootcamp.irpt/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2

SESSIONSIXTEENREFERENCES

Exquisite Corpse Video MontageThe “Exquisite Corpse” is an art-making technique in which a group assembles words or images.

Using the video camera, each person will take one 5 – 10 second shot and pass the camera onto the next person. Each person should try to take a shot that is different from the one before. After everyone has had a turn, play the video back for the group. Discuss what kind of connections or message is conveyed through the spontaneous montage. This can also be done with still pictures from a digital camera.

ACTIVITY

Continue the process of logging your footage. Write the A/V script and let the Editor organize the clips. Then follow the A/V script, making the necessary cuts and giving suggestions that might help move the story better. Remember the tips above and think about how your editing decisions can contribute to the story, and how the music, text and graphics can inspire the change you want to see.

JOURNAL IT!Watch the footage that you have already shot. Where do you see it fitting in your documentary? If you haven’t shot yet, imagine topics your interview subjects would discuss. What kind of music do you hear? Will you only show them talking? What could be good B-Roll to make it visually interesting? Note all these answers in your journal for Session 16.

NEXT STEPS

SESSION 16EDITING

98

SESSION 17WRITING 3: AUDTIO/VISUAL SCRIPT

WRITING 3 – AUDIO/VISUAL SCRIPT

When your group begins the Production phase, stop and ask, “Is our treatment still accurate?” It is standard process to revise your treatment in the early phases. During the Post-Production process, always ask, “Is what I am editing relevant to the treatment we proposed?” You might have discovered new information that requires you to rewrite the treatment.

The Distribution Team will use your treatment for posters, speeches, pitches, meetings, etc. to explain your group’s goals and to get people interested in the film. You can edit the treatment to become the official synopsis of the project, or create a catchy tagline from it.

Having an approved, updated treatment will help you going into Post-Production to write your A/V Script.

What is an A/V Script?A/V script stands for Audio/Visual Script. Instead of writing your documentary as a screenplay, the A/V script is the perfect tool for a documentary because audio and visual elements of a documentary are often recorded at separate times. The A/V script helps the team of documentary makers to fully integrate the visual and sound elements in the final cut. A/V scripts can be done on the computer or by hand. Whichever method is used, the A/V script follows a basic two-column structure with video description on the left and audio and dialogue on the right.

A/V Script Template

VIDEO AUDIO

The left side of the script is for video, graphics and Computer-Generated information.

The right side is for narrative, natural sound and sound bites.

Tips for Writing Good Audio in your A/V ScriptListeners cannot (or are not likely to) go back to clarify meaning as they do when they are reading. Your message has one chance to be absorbed by the audience before the story continues. An audio script has to be clear and simple.

99

Lose your grammar book. If you listen to the way people actually talk, you’ll notice how different it sounds compared to the way we write. We tend to talk in short sentences and we often use fragments, which are discouraged in writing. We speak in contractions (“don’t”) and simple words. This tends to go against what we’re taught to do when writing. For your audio script, you should write the way people talk. It doesn’t matter what your writing looks like on an audio script, as long as it will be easily understood by the listener and get your message across.

Connect with your audience. If you use a voiceover in your documentary, strangers will be listening to your voice. To make a connection with the listener, reach out to them with inclusive language such as “we” and “our.” Invite them into your world!

Be brief. In addition to using simple, everyday language, you need to convey ideas in short, self-contained chunks. Too much talking is just that – too much talking. Break up your talking with other audio (music, ambient sound, other people speaking) and video.

Get rhythm. Pay attention to the variation of your sentences and how they sound when they are read aloud. Studies show that listeners pay better attention when there is variation.

Hit pause. Your audience needs time to absorb what they are seeing and hearing. Write pauses into your A/V script, especially with voiceover narration. Hint: Frequent pauses make it easy to edit your audio recordings later.

Simplify stats. If you are giving statistics, think about rounding numbers off so they will be easier to say and hear. Try this out. Say the number, “11,678.” Now say, “about 12,000.” Round numbers are far easier to grasp and understand.

Tune in. If you want to hear how the pros handle audio, listen to radio, including advertisements or podcasts. National Public Radio contains many shows with lots of excellent audio content. You can check out NPR at http://www.npr.org. Modeling the audio styles you hear on the radio and in professional podcasts will help improve your own scripts.

OBJECTIVES

Director will collaborate vision of the documentary

Begin drafting the project’s A/V Script if possible

Practice writing skills for the documentary medium

100

ACTIVITY

You are writing a script for a 30-second advertisement for your school. The video that will play during the advertisement shows a montage of images of sports (football, basketball and swimming), the marching band and the high school musical. The only audio will be the voiceover you write.

Now write the voiceover, using the script template below. Use the tips above and keep in mind that you want your words to work in tandem with the images.

The A/V Script

VIDEO AUDIO

The left side of the script is for video and graphics. This is where the footage is detailed.

Opens with a scene of a football player running down the sideline to score a touchdown (7 seconds)

Cuts to a female basketball player nailing a three-pointer (6 seconds)

Cuts to a close-up of a swimmer doing the butterfly. (4 seconds)

Cuts to a marching band making an intricate pattern on the playing field. (7 seconds)

Cuts to a singer playing the Phantom belting out a crescendo on stage. (5 seconds)

The right side is for narrative, the voiceover


101

FrugalMarketing.com; Tips for Writing an Effective Audio Scripthttp://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/audio-script.shtml

J R Martin Media Inc.; Writing a Shooting Script and Editing Script for Documentary Film or Non-fiction Project (article)http://www.jrmartinmedia.com/writing-a-shooting-script-and-editing-script-for-documentary- film-or-non-fiction-project

SESSIONSEVENTEENREFERENCES

NEXT STEPS

The Editor will have been logging the footage (making a list and organizing all of the media and content so the cutting process goes quickly) and noting the “usable” footage. After this, the Editor, Writer and Director will write the A/V script, noting how long they think the shot should stay on screen and how the audio should sound. They can start drafting it before the footage is all shot. This will help them decide if other shots will be needed or if content is missing.

JOURNAL IT!Watch the logged footage and see how much of it will be usable in the video. It is common for less than 30% of what you shoot to be used in the film. What are some of your favorite parts? Even though you like them, does using these parts serve the project and make the film better? Consider the idea that your audience doesn’t need you to show them extensive explanatory material to “get” your ideas. Make notes in your journal for Session 17 as you review the footage, noting positives, negatives, what is working, what isn’t and what is still needed.


102

SESSION 18PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

You should now have a rough cut of your film to review and polish to perfection. Often, we are our own worst critics, but it is important for you to review your piece with an objective eye and take the time to thoroughly check your work. Review your rough cut, answering the following questions honestly.

Is there a story?Did you hit all the points of your story? Does the story make sense? Can you identify the beginning, middle and end? Is any crucial information missing from your story?

Is the piece engaging?Is your piece interesting to watch? Is it clear what you want from the viewer? Will the viewer have unanswered questions?

Check the visuals!Do the shots look right? Do they show what is needed? Is the lighting and camera work effective? Do you have all the shots you need? Is anything essential missing?

Test the sound!Can you clearly hear all the dialogue? Is the music at the right level? Does the music fit the documentary? Is there a balance between silence and music?

Pay attention to the cuts!Is the editing too fast or too slow? Do the main titles and section titles look appropriate? Are they in the right place? Are the transition effects motivated and timed well?

Will your project inspire change? Is the piece motivational? How do you feel about your video’s power to encourage the change you want to see? How do you expect the audience to respond?

Final To-Dos•Prepareyour“Credit List” and submit it to the Producer and Executive Producer for approval

•Screen your Rough Cut for the Executive Producer and others to get additional feedback

•AddtheTitleSequenceandFinalCreditstothecut-makesureallfontsareconsistent

•ReviewtheSoundMixandlistenforanyerrorsthatneedcorrected

•Exportyourprojecttoitsfinalfileformat–playitthroughtomakesureallisworking

•DesignandCompleteDVDcovers(YourDistributionTeamshouldhelpwiththis)

•PostyourvideotoYouTube(withpermission),Facebook,etc.(SeeSession 21 – Sharing Your Piece)

•MakeDVDstodistributetothenetworkofindividualsyourDistributionTeamputtogether, including your crewmembers (See Session 22 – Getting Your Piece Seen)

103

POST-PRODUCTION

You have completed the 3rd series of sessions – Sessions 16 - 18. Let’s recap!

We learned:

Logging Footage – Labeling each clip

Editing Techniques – Each cut has a purpose

Editing Phases – Assembly, rough cut and the final cut Types of Transitions – Cuts should be motivated

Interface of editing systems

Tools – Selection tool, blade or razor tool, link, snap, render A/V script – Writing the script before you edit

How to Review your Rough Cut – Objective criticism

We completed:

B-Roll, music and footage placement in the documentary

Drafting the project’s A/V script

Writing an advertisement for your school using an A/V script

Reviewing our footage and noting positives and negatives

Preparing a credit list to submit to Producers and Executive Producers Screening our rough cut for our executive Producer

Adding a title sequence and soundtrack

Completing DVD covers and making DVDs

Have you completed all of the above?If not, please go back to each session and do the “Next Steps” as they are crucial to finishing your edit in a professional way!


REVIEW 3POST-PRODUCTION

104

{ VIII: PRESENTATION }

Presenting Your Documentary

You have made your documentary that tells your story effectively, looks professional, is visually interesting to watch and clearly communicates your goal for change.

The next important step is to present your documentary to an audience who will be interested in your story and willing and wanting to support your efforts.

When you present your documentary and pitch your message for change, you are not just trying to allow your audience to have a feel good experience; you are trying to get them to respond to clear objectives – What are you asking the audience to do and why should they do it?

You will need to emotionally and intellectually move your audience. Most importantly, you will want them to remember your words – your message – long after the presentation is completed.

105

Now that you have completed your video, it is time to present your documentary. All of the work that you have put in to your documentary will go unnoticed without an impactful presentation. Think of this as your “Pitch.” With your presentation you are “selling” your documentary – the story and message for change.

The informal presentation is your rehearsal – you will work out any issues with your presentation, recognizing your strengths and improving upon your weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to try different ways and techniques to find the presenting style that works best for you.

When delivering your presentation, it is helpful to think of yourself as a performer and this is your dress rehearsal for your stage debut. Most presentations are on average 30 minutes. So for your 30 minutes give the performance of your life – smile, be confident, enthusiastic and “act” your heart out to engage and inspire your audience in your mission for change.

How can you make sure that your presentation runs smoothly?

1. Consider the audience – Be sure the content in your presentation matches the needs of your audience.

Who are they?

Why are you presenting to them?

What is it that you want from them?

What are they capable of doing?

*Also, remember to speak to your audience, listen to their questions and respond.

2. Know your material – Be prepared! Make sure you have done thorough research on your topic and are ready to answer any and all questions. Confidence in your subject is key to any presentation. *You do not want to be stumped by questions you are unable to answer.

3. Create an outline – Give structure to your presentation by including a welcome, an introduction to your story, a transition to your video and a conclusion that initiates a response. The video will do most of the talking, but you will need a logical sequence to your presentation. A strong opening and conclusion will engage your audience and get them to take action.

4. Practice your presentation – Rehearse in front of your peers, in front of a mirror or even record yourself with a camera. This is the most important part of the informal presentation – practicing and perfecting your technique. Your peers, teachers and the Hear Me Team will give you constructive criticism to help you to improve your presentation skills.

INFORMAL PRESENTATION

SESSION 19INFORMAL PRESENTATION

107

5. Consider the flow of your speech – Are you using stammer words like “ya’know,” “hmm” or “like?” Have your peers take note of how many times you use these words and try not to use them. You want to be as articulate and professional as possible by focusing on not using those words.

6. ENUNCIATE! – Speak slowly and clearly, and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to your topic. Your audience needs to hear and understand what you are saying. If you are passionate about your topic and your goal for change, let it come through in your speaking.

Other things to consider…

Does your opening line immediately pull in your audience? Will they want to hear more?

Is your presentation interesting to watch? Would you want to watch it?

Remember to pause – don’t race through your presentation.

Make eye contact for about 3 seconds at a time. This will help your audience to feel involved without making them feel uncomfortable.

Do not read from notes for long periods of time.

Stand up straight and confidently.

Use hand gestures if they come naturally.

Check your A/V equipment in advance to make sure all is working to show your video.

Prepare informative handouts for your audience.

Work with your group to find the best presentation style for you and your project

Create an outline to help guide your presentation

Listen to criticism and continue to practice improving your techniques

OBJECTIVES

108

Write an outline using the following format.

I. Hook – the first line should get the audience’s attention. “Reel them in!” Think of surprising statistics, a brief story or a quotation from an influential person.

II. Synopsis – This is where you tell your audience the purpose of your presentation or your argument.

III. Transition – Write a simple introduction for your video – who, how, where and why.

IV. Show your Video.

V. Summary – Write down 3 main points to review after you show your video

VI. Ending statement – Write one or two sentences that end your presentation and provoke a call to action from your audience.

Peer Review – Practice your presentation in front of your peers, teachers and others. Have the audience write down two strong points and one weak point from your presentation. Be open to constructive criticism from the group; don’t take it personally as their input will only make your presentation stronger.

ACTIVITY


109

SESSION NINETEENREFERENCES

Below are some quick links to provide you with an even more in depth guide to giving a great presentation.

Rhythm Rhyme Results; Public Speaking (song to learn public speaking techniques)http://www.educationalrap.com/song/public-speaking.html

101 Tips for a Successful Presentation (quick tips)http://feh.osu.edu/design-project/References/101 Tips for Effective Presentations.htm

Practice, practice, practice! The more comfortable you are delivering your presentation, the more impact your presentation

will have on your audience. You want to have a natural flow to your speech. Don’t try to

use language that is unfamiliar to you. Remember that you already have the audience’s

attention. They want you to inform them, so relax and practice speaking at a normal pace in a

normal tone.

Suggestions:Watch how speakers like President Obama present their arguments. He is one of the

most influential speakers of our time. He presents his arguments very clearly with a great

deal of confidence.

Here is a clip from a speech during his 2008 campaign

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R83xMWtEp7k. He includes the audience by using the

term “our moment.” He stands up straight and speaks clearly.

Is there anything else you noticed about this speech or any others? Make a note of it and try

to apply it to your presentation.

JOURNAL IT!Go to Session 19 in the journal in the back of the workbook and write out tips and strategies

for your presentation that you learned from watching the above clip.

NEXT STEPS


110

FORMAL PRESENTATION

You have practiced your informal presentation and now it is time for the real thing.

This is your big moment to have your voice heard and to premiere your video to the “Powers that Be.”

Your formal presentation is your chance to influence and move your audience to support your mission for change. Your formal presentation will now be presented to an audience beyond your peers and teachers. With support of the Hear Me Team, your teachers and the work of your Distribution Team, you will be presenting your work to groups who will include: local mayor, school officials, community leaders, city council, local police, supporting foundations of Hear Me and hopefully state and government officials!

While your rehearsal should have prepared you with the basic knowledge and skills involved in presenting, there are additional factors to consider when presenting to a formal group in a public setting. 1. Be on time – If you have an appointment to meet with your audience, make sure you show up in advance – at least 30 minutes. First impressions count, and showing up on time is the first way to make sure you are well received by your audience.

You will want to give yourself time to gather your thoughts, prepare materials, check your A/V equipment, test your video, get a feel for the setting and have time to breathe before beginning your presentation.

2. Dress appropriately – Wear clothes that make you feel confident and suit the occasion. The documentary presents YOUR voice, so dress in a way that represents you.

3. Research your listeners – Find out as much as you can about your audience in advance. What is their point of view? Is there a reason they support or don’t support your point of view? How can you persuade them otherwise or reinforce their view? If they don’t support your views, how can you persuade them to agree with you? If they do, how can you reinforce these thoughts?

Most likely there will be many people attending who represent different areas of influence and who have various professional roles, study each of them individually. Remember they will be asking questions and you will need this knowledge to answer them intelligently and confidently.

SESSION 20FORMAL PRESENTATION

111

4. Be Confident – Most people become anxious or nervous before presenting. Relax and remain calm. Replace any negative thoughts with positive thoughts, visualize yourself doing a great job and remember that the audience chose to attend the event to support your efforts – they want to see you give a great presentation!

You have thoroughly prepared for this moment. Believe in yourself and the work you are presenting. Go forth and speak with conviction!

5. Engage and Impact – As mentioned in the Session 19 – Informal Presentation, when you start your presentation your opening statements need to “reel in your audience,” so remember to engage them from the start. Speak with passion throughout to create a lasting impact on your audience, reinforcing your mission for change, so they stand up and take action!

Your closing summary needs to be strong, clearly reminding your audience of your mission, your goals and need for their support.

6. Answer questions respectfully and honestly – As mentioned above, there is a good chance that members of your audience are going to ask you questions about your presentation. They may even disagree with your point of view. It is important that you give proper consideration to all questions regardless of their individual opinions or views. Listen thoroughly to the questions and take the time to respond in a thoughtful and respectful manner.

Other items to consider…

You already have the audience’s attention; they are interested in what you have to say.

You are proud of your documentary, so make sure this comes through in your presentation.

The more you practice your presentation, the easier it will be.

OBJECTIVES

Confidently present your ideas in a clear manner while keeping the interest of the audience.

Discuss your potential audiences and how your style might be different for each one.

Be prepared for questions about your presentation

112

ACTIVITIES

A. Confident or Nervous?Write three things that make you confident about your presentation and two things that make you nervous.

Confident:

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

Nervous:

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

Write why you feel confident in the three areas listed above?

Write why you feel nervous in the two areas listed above? What can you do to be more confident in these areas?

B. Test QuestionsPresent your documentary to two different groups of adults either in school or out of school. Ask each group to prepare “test” questions for you, about your video, your topic and how you intend to create change.

You want to ask them to come up with challenging questions so that you can test yourself on not only how much you know about your project, but how effectively you can answer these questions.


113

University of Pittsburgh; Speaking and the Disciplines (tips to control speech anxiety)http://www.speaking.pitt.edu/student/public-speaking/speechanxiety.html

YouTube; Ep 4. Creating a Good First Impression (video of presentation tips)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HefbYuYuYNw

SESSIONTWENTYREFERENCES

NEXT STEPS

You have completed your formal presentation, so now what?After you have presented you documentary, the next step is to continue expanding your audience by bringing continual attention to your project. It is up to you to continue to promote your mission for change. Keeping the momentum going is essential to creating the desired results.

An easy, free way to do this is through social media, blogging and YouTube.

Social media is a great tool to promote your documentary because of its infinite potential for networking. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account then you are already networking with your friends and followers. Uploading your video to your account is a great way to start promoting your project.

Continue working with your Distribution Team to find distribution outlets for your video, to plan additional presentations, and to continue your overall campaign for change with your community advisors.

JOURNAL IT!In your journal for Session 20, take the time to write out your thoughts prior to your final presentation. Reflect on all you have done in Hear Me 101 to make your presentation successful. Use the power of positive thinking. Write out how you envision your presentation being a big success!


114

Although you formally presented your documentary to a selected audience who is passionate about your vision and message for change, it is important to continue to spread your message for change and reach out to all those who can help support your mission. Learning how to market and distribute your video and message plays an important role in the success of your project.

One of the most effective ways to market to a wide audience is through the use of Internet Campaigns – using social media, websites and blogging to promote your cause. A knowledge and use of traditional promotional tools is also effective, including networking, community support, distributing posters and flyers. When you share your documentary on a larger scale, you also need to know whom you need to reach. How do you connect and align yourself with the people, businesses, organizations and media outlets that have the power to promote and create change on your behalf.

The most important thing is to have a well-thought-out plan before launching your campaign and to have built a list of people you want to reach.

{ IX: USING YOUR PIECE FOR CHANGE }

115

Now that you’ve presented your documentary to your immediate audience, it is time to share it with the world. Your message needs to be heard beyond those in your immediate community. Your message is universal and has the power to gain further momentum and additional support from those not only in your city, but the region, state and country. A quick and effective way to do this is to set up an Internet campaign!

Most of you already know how to navigate your way through the Internet. Your generation was raised on the Internet, which is a benefit in sharing your campaign; you are more familiar with this technology than many adults. Think about how you network with your friends and peers to share information, conversations, music and videos online. Sharing your documentary is similar, except that you will be networking with a broader audience, sharing your documentary in a professional and purpose driven way and asking for a specific response or steps to take on behalf of your campaign.

You have the power to create social change around your issue if you can get people to listen!

Here are a few ways to share your documentary.

1. Create a Facebook, YouTube and twitter account for your cause. Take your time writing the description and mission for your campaign; a well-written “synopsis” will help establish your credibility. Upload your documentary to your Facebook and YouTube pages. The content on your page should be focused around the story in your documentary and have a direct “call to action” to let the viewer know why they should help and what they can do.

SHARING YOUR PIECE

SESSION 21SHARING YOUR PIECE

117

2. Networking – Connect with local, regional and national businesses, organizations, school districts, governments, clubs, etc. The more your network, the more support you will gain. The more support you have, the easier it will be to get additional support and funding. Look to your Distirbution Team to help with these efforts.

3. Blogging – Start a blog about your cause. Read blogs with a similar purpose and mission to see what other organizations are writing about. Update your blog at least once or twice a month to let people know how your effort is going and how your story is evolving.

Blog Creation Tools www.wordpress.org www.blogger.com

Other items to consider…

Is your audience on the Internet? Having a good website is a great way to not only help promote your cause, but a place where all of the detailed and important information can be found about your campaign.

Reference Chapter V – Producing, where you were asked to review the “Bowling for Columbine” website. This is a fairly simple site, straight and to the point. All of the necessary information is there to understand the story, the goal, the people involved and organizations that you can support around the topic.

Remember, if you are directing people to your website as the first place for retrieving information about your project, the website needs to look professional, be easy to navigate, provide all of the necessary information and be visually interesting. A poorly designed website can cause your visitors to question your project’s credibility. It could also cause a lack of response to your mission or deter possible future supporters from returning to the site.

118


Free Website Creation Tools http://www.weebly.com http://www.moonfruit.com

Web Hosting Sites http://www.webhostingfreereviews.com/10-best-website-builders-3/ ?k=free website building&ad=G_build&ty=319

Although Facebook and YouTube are the largest social media sites, there are many others to consider. Take some time to research other sites online. The key is to invest time in your campaign, be creative and use many beneficial resources.

List of Top Social Media Sites http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-networking-2011_b12969 Book: “Social Media for Social Good,” by Heather Mansfield

Create a Facebook page for your campaign.

1. While you are logged into your Facebook account – go to www.facebook.com/pages and click the “create page” link at the top right.* If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to www.facebook.com/pages, “create page” and, when prompted, select the “I do not have a Facebook account” option. Follow the given steps.

2. Select the “Cause or Community” option for your cause.

3. Name your page. This will be the name that people see when they view or search for your page. It should be short, but explain the purpose of your page. For example – “Creating a Greener City,” “Rethinking Pittsburgh.”

ACTIVITY

119

Network with groups and people who can help you create social change

Spread awareness about your issue and gain the support of the public

Promote yourself in a way that represents the change you want to see

OBJECTIVES

4. Upload an image for your campaign. This should be a picture that represents your campaign, like a brand name or logo. If you have graphic design experience, design a logo; if not, use a picture (to which you own the copyright) that represents your campaign. 5. Invite your friends to “like” your campaign. You may want to wait until you have your page setup before inviting. You want to get as many people to like your page as possible. This will show other organizations that your cause is strongly supported in your community.

6. Write a draft about your cause before putting it in the “description” part of your page. Your description should tell viewers what you are doing and what they can do to help. Proofread it, have a friend proofread it and proofread it again! You will appear unprofessional if there are typos and misspelled words in your description.

7. Update your page often and network daily! There is not only one way promote on Facebook. Tools, applications, surveys and polls are useful, but exercise your creativity or look at what other successful campaigns are doing for ideas.

120

Facebook; Oceana (notice that the first page you come to is an “adoptions” page instead of their “wall”; this is called a “landing” page and your page can have one as well) https://www.facebook.com/oceana?sk=app_318867324807397

YouTube; How to Create a Facebook Landing Page (video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vid=QQ36ugmXsO4&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_724712&v=4bZgo3f0_58

Facebook; Old Spicehttps://www.facebook.com/OldSpice

SESSIONTWENTY-ONEREFERENCES

Old Spice ran one of the most successful social media campaigns in history. Look at their campaign on Facebook and YouTube and notice the creative ways they are promoting themselves.

You need to think how to creatively market your cause.

Think of some creative ideas that you can use to promote your campaign. Think outside the box. On Facebook, you can create polls and use other Apps. Network with local media outlets on YouTube and try to make all of your pages interactive. You want users to keep coming back to your pages.

Remember that you are the most social media-savvy generation and you have the power to make an impactful campaign!

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal Session 21 in the back of the workbook and write out a list of social media sites you can use to create a campaign around your issue. Go on the various social media sites and learn about the bonus features they offer to help you attract a big audience to your cause.

View the Old Spice site and make notes about all they used to create a successful campaign. Read articles on the Internet about its success and the planning behind the campaign.

NEXT STEPS


121

Now that you have set up a strong campaign for your documentary, let’s talk about getting it seen locally and nationally. You should start with your local market; people in your community will be excited about the idea of youth-led change. Developing a strong local following will give you a foundation on which to build a larger campaign. Start thinking of ways to get your documentary seen locally and to build support for your campaign.

Here are some steps to help get your documentary seen:

1. Research a. Research all of your local media outlets including newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV stations – anyone who has an audience. Make a list of contacts with phone numbers and email addresses.b. Research potential locations for flyers and advertisements. This can mean local businesses, theaters and bus stops – any place that people will see them. Make a list of these locations.c. Find local Film Festivals and Screenings (such as Pittsburgh Filmmakers, a Hear Me Partner). Make a list of these events along with a calendar of dates.

2. Write a short press release explaining the “who, what, when, where, why and how” of your project and notify the press of any upcoming screenings or events. It should be less than one page and tell the press why your project is newsworthy. Send your release to the media outlets on your contact list.

Writing a press release http://www.inkhouse.net/how-to-write-a-press-release-people-will-read Press release templates http://www.pressreleasetemplates.net

3. Street Marketing is a chance to creative by making flyers, posters, stickers, business cards, etc. You can include a link to your video and social media sites or QR codes for viewers to scan. Ask business owners if you can hang them in their stores.

Free QR Code Generator http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

GETTING YOUR PIECE SEEN

122

4. Phone Calls – Reach out to city council members, school boards, police, local government and anyone else you think will be helpful. Call them to talk about what you are doing and why they should support you. It’s a good idea to write a short pitch to follow before you call.

5. E-Newsletter – Email can be a very effective tool in campaigning.a. Create an e-newsletter using a service. Have a “subscribe” link on your blog, social media sites and website. b. Bring a sign-up sheet to screenings of your video and encourage people to sign up and leave their name, organization and email to help build your network. c. Send out short, personalized emails (E-Blasts) to your subscribers about twice a month, informing them of updates relating to your campaign, events and even asking them to donate money.d. Send a “thank you for subscribing” email after new subscribers sign-up.

Mail Chimp Email Service http://mailchimp.com How to make an EBlast http://www.ehow.com/how_5134875_make-eblast.html

Quick tips•Areyougettingfeedbackfromyouremails,socialmedia,phonecallsand press releases? Don’t expect everyone to respond, but you need to adjust your strategy if you’re not getting any responses.•Doyouhaveyourinformationandcontactsorganized?Keepallyourcontact information organized in a spreadsheet or document.•Areyouusingallofyourresourcestogetyourdocumentaryseen?Ask everyone you know to help with screening your video.

Build a database of contacts for your campaign

Attract a large number of people to your screenings and other events

Spread awareness about your cause and your documentary through the press and street marketing

Gain strong community support for your campaign

Get your documentary seen

OBJECTIVES

SESSION 22GETTING YOUR PIECE SEEN

123

ACTIVITIES

From your media research above, list six media outlets and an individual from each you are interested in contacting. Write the name of the outlet and the individual’s contact information: name, title, phone-number and email address. Do they have Facebook, twitter, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn or any other social media?

1. Media Outlet: _________________________ Contact: _________________________________

Title: ___________________ Phone: _________________ Email: ________________________











124

What Do You Stand For?; 10 Best Practicies for Pitching Cause Efforts to the Media (blog post)http://www.coneinc.com/best-practices-for-pitching-cause-efforts-to-media

PublicityInsider.com; How to Write a Great Pitch Letter (how-to article)http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp

ereleases; How to Write Perfect Email Pitcheshttp://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/how-to-write-perfect-email-pitches

SESSIONTWENTY-TWOREFERENCES

Network, Network, Network! You’ve laid the foundation for launching your campaign. Now you need to continue to network with individuals and organizations. You determine how much effort is put into promoting your documentary, and extra effort will be reflected in the level of support and attention you receive. You have the power to inspire real change and make people take action on you behalf. Don’t forget to make a list of all your contacts!

JOURNAL IT!Go to the journal and keep notes in Session 22 of possible contacts. It is always smart to keep not just their contact information, but personal notes as well about those you meet. Making “personal” connections is always beneficial in establishing and maintaining relationships.

NEXT STEPS

SESSION 22GETTING YOUR PIECE SEEN

Write a pitch asking one of the above people to support your campaign. Do you want them to watch your documentary, donate money or promote your cause? Determine what you want them to do, stating why and how you need them to help.

Select another person from a different organization on your list and write a second pitch to support your campaign. Try a new approach. Notice the different ways you can sell your campaign depending on your audience.

125

PRESENTING AND USING YOUR PIECE FOR CHANGE

You have completed the 4th series of sessions – Sessions 19 - 22. Let’s recap!

We learned:

Our Audience – Different presentation styles for different audiences

Practicing Presentations – “Reel them in” and end strong

Professionalism – Being on time, dressing appropriately, speaking clearly

Being Creative with Media – Facebook, YouTube, twitter and Blogs are free tools

Networking – Meeting people who can help your cause

Making a Successful Campaign – Phone calls, E-newsletters, Street marketing

Writing a Press Release – Get your message out there

Building a Database

We completed:

Researching your audience

Developing your presentation style Mapping out your presentation Practicing your presentation

Analyzing media campaigns

Making social media accounts Expanding a campaign

Making a database of contacts

Networking with potential supporters, friends, family and media outlets

Have you completed all of the above?If not, please go back to each session and do the “Next Steps” as they are crucial to presenting, promoting and distributing your piece to the public!


REVIEW 4PRESENTING AND USING YOUR PIECE FOR CHANGE

126

{ X: FINALRECORDINGS }

You have finished all the sessions of Hear Me 101 – produced your documentary and started your campaign for change. How do feel about all the lessons you learned and the work you completed?

As discussed in Session 6 – Initial Recordings, we will record each of you a second time to assess your personal experiences with Hear Me 101 along with your feedback about the program itself.

Your thoughts and opinions will help us to guide and to continue to improve the program and experiences for future participants.

127

In this recording session, we will be asking you to reflect on your participation – changes you personally see within yourself, your peers, school and community. Whether these changes or experiences made a big or small difference in your life, it is important to take the time to voice your thoughts and opinions as a participant in Hear Me 101.

Re-listen to your original audio recording from Session 6 – Initial Recordings to hear how you felt and “sounded” in the beginning of this program. Is there a change in you and your voice? Do you speak more confidently about yourself and your issue?

Even though these will not be part of your documentary, they are a great tool to help Hear Me, your teachers and you see the changes that have resulted from your dedication and participation in Hear Me 101.

This recording is also an evaluation tool for the program itself. We need your honest feedback to continue to improve Hear Me 101 for future participants. We want to know what you see as the successes and failures.

Don’t forget these quick tips when recording: •Speakclearly. •Answerquestionsincompletesentences. •Trytokeepfrommovingandfromcreatingunwantednoise. •Mistakesarefine–thiswillbefixedintheediting. •Useyouranswersbelowtohelpguideyou.

*Remember, this program was written for you, the students, so we need your input to make it the best it can be going forward.

PROGRAM AND PERSONAL ASSESSMENT – POST

Communicate your thoughts and ideas upon completing this program

Provide a project evaluation for Hear Me and teachers

Help the Hear Me Team to improve this program in the future

OBJECTIVES

SESSION 23FINAL RECORDINGS

Preparing for your RecordingComplete the questions below to prepare your thoughts for the audio recording. Be as thorough as possible when answering, writing a complete paragraph (4-5 sentences) for each response. Although you will not record your answers to every question, it is important to answer all of the questions. Take your time and be honest!

ACTIVITY

129

Project Assessment1. What was your role in the production of your video? Did you enjoy this role?

2. What new skills have you learned from participating in Hear Me 101?

3. Do you feel the sessions and workshops were taught effectively?

a. If NO, explain why?

b. What can be improved?

c. Was the workbook valuable to this program?

d. Are there any elements missing from this program you feel should be included?

4. What positive changes occurred or do you think will occur for you, your school or community?

5. How would you rate Hear Me 101 – on a scale of 1-10?

a. What was the best part?

b. What was worst part?

6. Would you recommend Hear Me 101 to friends, other students and schools?

7. Would you participate in this program again?

Personal Assessment1. What have you learned about yourself as a result of participating in Hear Me 101?

2. What new things have you learned about your school or community from your participation?

3. How will your experience with Hear Me 101 help you in the future?

4. Will you continue to campaign for change around your issue? How?

5. Has your interest in producing media increased? Explain.

6. After participating in Hear Me 101, what understanding and responsibility do you feel you have to the world around you to help create positive changes?

7. Did Hear Me 101 affirm or change your view on the power of youth voice to inspire change?

SESSION 23FINAL RECORDINGS

130

{ XI: WRAP}

HEAR ME – FINAL WORDS

Hear Me 101 is not simply about making a video, but about advocacy and the importance of youth voice in our society today. Hear Me 101 focuses more on understanding how to use your video as a tool to create a positive and lasting impact in your school and community.

A documentary is a compelling way to tell a story in a form that can be shared and distributed across multiple media outlets – allowing you to reach a wide audience who can help support your campaign for change.

Whether you want to be a filmmaker, scientist, athlete or teacher, having the knowledge and skills to effectively produce a powerful message centered on advocacy is an invaluable tool; a tool that you will continue to use to be a responsible and active citizen, a strong leader and a change-maker.

HEAR ME 101 – A CURRICULUM

We hope this program and your videos become part of regional and national efforts to promote youth voices and support their movements and campaigns for change. Hear Me 101 strives to give you a credible outlet for your voice, and works to support you in creating the change you desire in your school and community.

We hope going forward that teachers, educators and mentors to youth will use this program as an official “curriculum” to build on the value of youth voice everywhere.

Hear Me 101 can easily be adapted to a classroom setting and aligned with state standards.

131

A-Roll: The primary footage in a film (or in a documentary, the on-camera interview) sometimes referred to as a “talking head.”

Archival Footage/Historical Photos: Factual or historical evidence that supports an argument or translates a story.

Assembly: The first phase of the editing process in which the parts of the interview or major scenes of the story are assembled in an approximate order of how you would tell the story.

Assistant to the Camera: The A.C. assists the camera operator to set up the camera, transport it, manage tapes or memory cards, hold and charge batteries, keep a log of the shots, adjust the lighting, hold bounce card and run the slate (if using an external microphone).

Audience: The spectators or listeners either assembled at a performance, attracted by a radio or television program or intended readership for a piece of writing.

Audio Input Jack: An input on you camera that allows you to use a separate microphone.

Audio Meters: For monitoring audio in decibels during Editing. A safe level is between -6 and -12 decibels. Red means the audio is peaking or could become distorted. Available Light: The natural light in a given setting.

B-Roll: Cutaway material or secondary footage in a documentary.

Back Light: A light that is placed behind the subject and high enough to be out of the frame in Three-Point Lighting.

Backlighting: A term referring to when your light source is behind the subject. The subject will appear dark with no detail or silhouetted because of the brightness of the light from behind. Big Idea/Problem: The main conflict and question the documentary is trying to answer.

Bin: A folder inside the Browser that can contain clips, sequences, transitions, effects and text/title generators. Use bins to organize these elements, sort them, comments, re-name items and so on.

Blade or Razor Tool: Cuts a clip into separate distinct clips at the point where the tool is applied on the timeline.

Boom: A pole that you can use to position the mic just outside the frame. It allows you to record the audio at closer proximity than a built-in mic.

{ GLOSSARY }

Bounce Card: A white object used to bounce hard light off of to make soft light or help add light to a frame.

Browser: A window for organizing your project’s clips (media) by sorting, renaming or rearranging them; contains project media and a tab for effects.

Camera Operator: The Camera Operator will work with the Director to determine the best shooting style and “photographic” look for a video.

Canvas: Window for viewing the edited sequence on the selected timeline.

Charge-Coupled Device (CCD): A video camera that uses a lens to collect light rays and coverts light to electronic signals, which are then focused onto a video chip.

Cinéma Vérité: The use of footage of the subject(s) in a seemingly observational way without staging or planning. In Vérité style interviews: People are interviewed as they go about daily life in an informal manner.

Closed-Ended question: Requires a short or single word answer, like “Yes” or “No.”

Close-Up Shot (CU): In framing a shot, a CU might include the person’s head and shoulders.

Extreme Close-Up (ECU): An ECU might only reveal the person’s eyes. Medium Close-up (MCU): This falls somewhere between a medium shot and close-up.

Consumer: A consumer of media (information) also refers to the audience and has a responsibility to ask questions before accepting anything as “truth.”

Credible Sources: Sources that are factual and believable; not controversial.

Credibility: Refers to trustworthiness and expertise of someone cited, referenced or featured in media.

Contrast Range: The range a video camera can see or record, from the brightest to the darkest images.

Copyright: The right to be credited for your work. If you use any images, music or footage that is not part of the public domain, you must obtain permission from the copyright holder.

Coverage: Refers to getting the necessary shots and B-Roll to create a scene or sequence. Cut: The simplest transition from one shot to another, created when sections of clips are placed beside each other on the timeline.

Cutaway: A shot of something related to but outside of the immediate action of the scene.

Diffuse: A term used to refer to scattered light rays.

Director: The “visionary” of the film. He or she visualizes and defines the style and structure of the film and implements a way to achieve his or her vision.

Dissolve: A transition in which it appears as if one image blends into another image. A dissolve is actually a fadeout superimposed with a fade-in.

Distribution Team: A team that will develop a release strategy for your video using various promotion and publicity tools: screenings, events, DVD mailers, newspapers, posters, flyers and online tools such as websites and social media.

Documentaries: Films that depict some aspect of “real life.” A documentary filmmaker uses the world around him/her, situations and people that actually exist, as source material. Documentaries can have powerful social, political and cultural influence.

Dolly Shot: A camera movement that can be used to move the entire camera smoothly in many ways using an apparatus with wheels, intended to enhance a shot.

Dutch Angle Shot: In framing, a shot that looks “crooked” which can create the feeling that the subject is unbalanced. A villain or a character in a dangerous circumstance is often presented in Dutch angle shots.

Editing: The process of selecting, cutting apart and joining together various shots. Often a series of shots is necessary to convey information or to move quickly through time and space. Editing enables a filmmaker to concentrate the viewer’s attention on the most important aspects of the action.

Continuity editing moves the film forward without calling attention to the editing process, preserving the illusion of reality that a film creates with a smooth, unobtrusive quality.

Editor: The Editor works closely with Director and Producer to refine and determine the final edited version of the film that bests represents the story and the Director’s vision. He or she takes the final footage for the film and edits it together into one coherent film, including pictures, sound and music editing and incorporates graphics, sound effects and title design. The Editor can have assistants that specialize in designing each of these elements.

Essential Question: The question that your story is going to investigate.

Executive Producer: The “E.P.” supervises the work of the Producers and ensures the film is completed on time, within budget and to the agreed standards, both artistically and technically.

Exposure: A term that refers to the amount of light allowed to fall on the video chip sensor.

Extension: Or File Extension, indicates the type of file you are using. Common movie file types are mov, .mp4 or .wmv, meaning they are moving image files and can be processed by your editing system.

Fade-in: A transition in which a blank (usually black) screen gradually reveals an image until that image is fully realized on screen and it is often used to begin a scene.

Fade-out: A transition in which a shot at full value gradually diminishes to a blank screen. Fade-outs often occur at the end of a scene and are generally used to suggest a passage of time.

Fill Light: A light used in Three-Point Lighting to shadow areas created by the Key Light.

Final Cut: Also called the ”Fine Cut,” the completed and last draft of your project, which includes final music, titles, text, graphics, narration, etc.

Fly-on-the-Wall: Similar to Cinéma Vérité, the camera merely documents something happening over a period of time without the filmmakers interfering.

Focal Length: A description of the lens size, usually stated in millimeters.

Focus: The clarity of the recorded image.

Focus Questions: Questions that will clearly guide your research and the story you want to tell in your documentary.

Formal Interviews: Interviews in which the subject has prepared and is in a pre-arranged and lit space.

Frame: In editing, this is the basic unit of visual material from which films or videos are constructed. A continuous series of frames constitutes a shot. In Production, a frame is the entire scope of details in a shot.

Gain: Refers to the voltage strength of a video signal inside the camera. Adding gain can result in loss of quality of an image.

Genre: A category of media texts characterized by a particular style, form or content.

Hard Drive: The location where files are stored on a computer.

Hard Light Source: A light source that produces parallel light rays that hit an object from a single angle. It creates hard-edged, well-defined shadows and emphasizes the texture of the objects that it hits.

High Angle Shot: If the camera is placed at an angle above the subject the subject appears to be insignificant or vulnerable. In Point: The edit point that specifies the first frame of a clip to be edited into a sequence, made by placing the playhead at the frame and selecting the “make in point” button or shortcut letter “i.”

Informal Interviews: Impromptu interviews which include Man-on-the-Street or Street Interviews.

Intellectual Property: Ideas in which the creators have exclusive rights.

Interface: The collection of on-screen windows and buttons that allow you to manipulate video and audio in a non-linear editing system.

Jump Cut: A jarring cut that calls attention to itself, as opposed to being unnoticeable.

Key Light: The primary source of illumination in Three-Point Lighting, which may be a hard or soft light.

Lavaliere Mic: A small microphone that can be attached to the subject or placed discreetly on the set to pick up sound.

Link: Located in the top right corner of the timeline (in FC or Premiere) or a menu selection in iMovie under the “Clip” menu to “Detach Audio,” linking or un-linking allows you to separate the audio from the video and manipulate them separately or delete one.

Lens: A part of the camera that gathers light rays and focuses them onto the CCD chip.

Log or Logging: The process of watching, listing and labeling each shot/clip in your editing project is typically done before you write the documentary script.Logline: A one-sentence synopsis that contains the overview (or plot) and an emotional hook of a documentary. Long Shot (LS): In framing shots, this shows the entire person or subject and the majority of the background. Extreme Long Shot (ELS): This would show the entire person within the complete environment.

Medium Long Shot (MLS): This falls somewhere between a medium shot and long shot.

Low Angle Shot: The camera is placed at a high angle and the subject seems to have added importance or power and appears dominant in the frame.

Lower Thirds: Simple text that shows an interview subject’s name near the bottom of the screen.

Mass Media: Refers to those media that are designed to be consumed by large audiences through the agencies of technology.

Match cuts: In Production, maintaining continuity of action or movement from one shot to the next, for the Editor to cut together. They match screen position, timing and direction of movement.

Media: The plural form of medium has come to mean all the industrial forms of mass communication combined.

Media Literacy: The process of understanding and using the mass media in an assertive and non-passive way; the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms. (Center for Media Literacy)

Medium: The singular form of media, the term usually describes individual forms such as radio, television, film, etc.

Medium Shot (MS): Between a close-up and a long shot, a frame of a medium shot might include an individual from head to waist.

Montage: The French term for editing is commonly used to describe virtually any sequence comprised of many brief shots that together create meaning.

Narratives: Most films are narratives, which tell a story, usually fictional. They are scripted and usually have a plot and characters whose actions advance the story. Most theatrically released motion pictures fall into this group. Non-Linear Editing: An editing system uses a computer to edit video as digital files that can be easily manipulated with no loss of quality.

Omni-directional Mics: Microphones that they will pick up sound from all around the environment.

Directional Mics: Only pick up sound from one direction.

Onboard Mics: Microphones built into the camera.

On-Camera Interviews: Depict experts or characters that lend a voice to an issue.

On-Camera Person: Often the Director, this person guides the viewer through the film.

Open-Ended question: A question that encourages meaningful answers.

Out Point: The edit point that specifies the last frame of a clip to be edited into a sequence, made by placing the playhead at the frame and selecting the “make in point” button or shortcut letter “o.”

Overexposure: Occurs when there is too much brightness in a part of the frame due to too much light entering the lens. This causes a loss of detail in this part of the video frame.

Pan (Panorama Shot): A camera movement that pivots the camera along its horizontal axis so that the frame moves to the left or right to follow a subject’s movement.

Playhead: A tool to move through a clip in the Viewer, Canvas and in the Timeline that refers to a specific frame over which it is placed.

Producer: The person who handles all aspects of the film’s production from the earliest days to completion, distribution, marketing and publicity of the film.

Production Assistants: The P.A. supports the crew in a variety of roles wherever and whenever they are needed, such as holding bounce cards for the camera, controlling crowds, scouting potential interviewees on the street and taking pictures or notes on set.

Production Designer: His or her job is to achieve the visual look and style of the film the Director envisions.

Production Values: Describes the quality of a media production proportional to the money and resources spent on the project.

Project File: The file associated with a project of an editing platform. The project file is the skeleton that references the media files, which are stored on the computer’s hard drive.

Reenactments: The staging of events that happened in the past. This can be controversial because their intentions are easily manipulated.

Render: A function that processes video and audio with any applied filters or transitions for real-time playback. Un-rendered clips will have a red bar above them in the timeline.

Rough Cut: The second phase of the editing process in which you make many drafts and progress the structure of the story, edit B-roll over the story and re-arrange to make sense.

Rule of Thirds: A guideline in which filmmakers invisibly separate the frame using two horizontal and two vertical lines, with the intent of keeping the audience visually engaged by encouraging their eyes to scan the frame and draw them to pieces of the frame. For example, a subject’s eyes.

Scene: A group of shots to be interpreted as being continuous in time and space.

Selection Tool: The default arrow-shaped pointer that allows you to select items (clips, edit points, tracks) in the interface.

Server: An institutional way of storing files across a network. Files being accessed on a server or file server, when editing take much longer to retrieve and process during the editing process.

Scouting: Visiting locations in which you intend to shoot ahead of the scheduled shoot date.

Sequence: An arranged series of video, audio, and text clips, edit information, and effects edited together, many of which can be represented in different tabs on the timeline.

Shot list: A document that details all of the shots the Director wants to get while on a shoot. Lists location, description of action and can include notes to detail what was actually shot.

Slate: A marker for sound used in dual-system and sync sound recording that is recorded on both the video and audio recording devices. An alternative is to clap your hands horizontally once in front of the camera and near the audio recorder.

Snap: A function that “snaps” clips or the playhead to the nearest frame of a clip in the timeline.

Soft Light Source: A light source that tends to wrap around an object, casting less distinct shadows, de-emphasizing texture and smoothing over blemishes.

Sound Tech: The person who sets up the microphone and monitors the sound using headphones. He or she ensures that the dialogue being recorded is clear and without unwanted noise when filming.

Stereotypes: A form of media representation in which instantly recognized chacteristics are used to label members of social or cultural groups.

Structure: A proposed shooting sequence that indicates who will be interviewed, locations for shooting and resources.

Subclip: A process where a new clip is created inside the editing program from an existing master clip.

Sync Sound: Recording sound using a separate audio recording device linked to the video.

Synopsis: A brief summary and overview of the project.

Talent: The role of the talent is to help guide and, at times, tell your story.

On-Camera Talent: Talent that is visibly in the video.

Off-Camera Talent: Talent that you can hear but not see, like an interviewer or narrator.

Target Audience: The people that you want to watch your video and hear your message to create change on your behalf.

Text-on-Screen: Can be used instead of narration (voice-over) for emphasis or to articulate information that does not have a visual component.

Three-Point Lighting: An approach to lighting that combines three lights, each one serving a different purpose. It makes use of both hard and soft light sources and always involves a variety of lighting angles.

Tilt: A camera movement in which the camera pivots along its vertical axis, as opposed to a pan.

Timeline: Shows the sequences of the video and audio clips in the edited piece.

Track: In Editing, visual representation of video or audio clips in layers, showing their order and length in the edited sequence.

Transitions: What happens or the effects applied at the edit point between clips on the timeline. See Cut, Fade-in, Fade-out, Dissolve and Wipe.

Treatment: A short overview (1 page) and description of a documentary before it is actually shot. A treatment articulates a structure for the central question of the documentary.

Tripod: A 3-legged support for your camera that allows for steady shots.

Underexposure: Occurs when too little light travels through then lens and causes a loss of detail due to shadows or darkness.

Video Noise: Areas of random brightness caused by boosting the gain that results in an inferior image.

Viewer AKA Source Monitor: Used for previewing or preparing source clips for editing or adjusting clips and audio already in the sequence.

Voice-Over Narration: The use of an un-seen narrator helps explain footage/images and crucial parts of the story from the filmmaker’s point-of-view.

White Balance: Adjusts the sensitivity of the color components in the camera to change the overall color of an image.

Wipe: A transition in which one shot replaces the other by replacing a small piece of the image area of the screen and taking over more and more of the frame until the outgoing shot is completely gone. There are various types of wipes.

Wrap: The official end of the Production phase.

Writer: The person responsible for writing the “story” being told in the film style chosen.

Zoom Lens: Lenses with a continuous range of focal lengths, from wide-angle to telephoto. A shorter focal length will give you a wide angle and a longer focal length will give you a narrower angle. Most consumer cameras come with a zoom lens.

Zoom Shot: Occurs when you change focal length while recording a shot.

WORD SEARCH SOLUTION

A AND E (A&E)

ABC

BET

BRAVO

CARTOON NETWORK

CBS

CINEMAX

COMEDY CENTRAL

CNN

THE CW

ESPN

FOX

FOX BUSINESS

FX

HBO

LIFETIME

MSNBC

MTV

NATGEO

NBC

NICK AT NITE

NICKOLODEON

SCIFI

SHOWTIME

SOAPNET

TBS

TNT

VH ONE (VH1)

{ WORD SEARCH }

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

{ JOURNAL:SESSION 1}

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This book is dedicated to the Hear Me Team for their immense commitment and contribution to writing and creating this workbook

Jessica KaminskyRyan Hoffman

andJessica Pachuta

© Hear Me 2012

Hear Me and the CREATE Lab give thanks to our contributing partners:

The Consortium for Public Educationwww.theconsortiumforpubliceducation.org

The Western Pennsylvania Writing Projectwww.wpawritingproject.org

and

Pittsburgh Filmmakerspfm.pittsburgharts.org

The Hear Me Project is a project of the CREATE lab at Carnegie Mellon University.www.communityrobotics.org

SOCIAL ADVOCACY VIDEO PROGRAM - Hear Me

Documents