{"id":172,"date":"2019-12-30T11:45:26","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T16:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/dme\/?page_id=172"},"modified":"2019-12-30T11:45:26","modified_gmt":"2019-12-30T16:45:26","slug":"video-op-doc-assignment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/dme\/video-op-doc-assignment\/","title":{"rendered":"Video op-doc assignment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Opinion-Documentary<\/strong> (op-doc) (From Professor Renstrom’s RH104 couse)<\/p>\n

Either alone or with a partner, shoot and edit a 5-7-minute-long \u201cop-doc\u201d that covers and offers commentary on some aspect(s) of the Digital Revolution that you have personally observed or engaged in during your time in London. For example, you could focus on car-sharing apps or autonomous vehicles, video games, virtual or augmented reality, life extension, human-machine merging, human-robot\/machine interactions, data harvesting, social media, or many other potential topics. Any topic that explores technology or humanity in the Digital Revolution works\u2014just be sure to be specific and coherent in your focus. Note: If you work with a partner, you will both receive the same grade.<\/p>\n

The Form: You will have a take or main point on the topic (the opinion part) that you\u2019re looking to demonstrate via the footage and the commentary (the documentary part). You\u2019ll incorporate researched evidence as well as personal elements, such as photos, videos, and\/or voice-overs. In this assignment, you\u2019re not just trying to persuade viewers–you\u2019re also trying to teach them and move them through imagery and sound. In achieving the three aims of informing, persuading, and moving viewers, you will demonstrate an understanding of pathos, ethos, and logos, as well as how to employ those rhetorical techniques across mediums.<\/p>\n

Requirements: Combine firsthand (taken by you) video footage and\/or photos with effective captions and\/or voice-over narration, as well as sound effects and\/or music to provide an compelling opinion informed by experience and research.<\/p>\n

Research: In at least three points during your op-doc, you should refer to information you found via research that helps inform the point you\u2019re making. Perhaps you want to use a statistic or a result from a scientific study in a caption or voice-over, etc. You can refer to course readings as well.<\/p>\n

Filming: Capture far more photos, sounds, and video than you think you need. Make sure moving shots are stable. Make conscious choices in terms of distance, angle, lighting, color, depth, movement (pan, tilt, zoom in, pull out) as you film. Take advantage of the city and landscapes around you, and get footage that colorfully and compelling illustrates whatever point you\u2019re making about the Digital Revolution. Having a partner to help film\u2014especially if you\u2019re narrating or demonstrating something about that place\u2014can be very helpful!<\/p>\n

Editing\/Post-production: Edit your material in accordance with logical, deliberate organization. You\u2019ll order sequences of shots\/clips, create transitions, include voice-over and soundtrack, supply captions, change the duration and pacing of images and clips, etc. You should know how to do the following:
\n\u2022 Create dissolves or fades\/other transitions between clips\/frames
\n\u2022 Sync good quality voice-over over images\/video\u2014be precise, articulate, employ appropriate vocal emphasis, pacing, etc.
\n\u2022 Provide captions where necessary
\n\u2022 Pace the video in an engaging and appropriate way
\n\u2022 Add emotionally appropriate soundtrack, sourced according to copyright laws
\n\u2022 Fade between musical clips\/audio soundtrack
\n\u2022 Compose and select good quality clips (no shaking\/good lighting)
\n\u2022 Compose images and audio in a logical and coherent order
\n\u2022 Use establishing shots (for environments), long shots, close-ups, pans, tilts, and other camera angles in a way that supports the content (B-roll shots)<\/p>\n

Artist Statement: A ~2 paragraph description of your video, its purpose, and your interest in and motivation to explore the topic, as well as a description of your approach and methodology in putting the video together. Essentially, you want to cover the what, why, where, and how. Artist statements often reveal the personality of the artist in word choice, tone, and style. If you worked with a partner, please also specific who did what. You\u2019ll submit this statement on Blackboard, along with a Bibliography (unless you\u2019ve put yours in the \u201ccredits\u201d slide) AND a link to the video. Since you\u2019ve only got 1-2 paragraphs to describe your work, please pay attention to every word and punctuation mark.<\/p>\n

Citations: Present the bibliography as end credits in your video OR submit a written Bibliography with the artist\u2019s statement. Either way, it must be properly formatted in Chicago style!<\/p>\n

Remember to use signal phrases in your voice-overs (ie, introduce information orally by saying something like, \u201caccording to a study done at the University of London, 38% of people\u2026\u201d). You can also indicate the author\u2019s last name after a direct quote or after paraphrased information in a caption (ie, \u201c38% of people experience debilitating technostress\u201d ~ Joe Smith). You can also cite an image or information on the bottom of the slide itself (like a footnote).<\/p>\n

Submission: You can uphold your video to Blackboard, YouTube, Digication, or any other site. You must submit your Artist Statement with a link to the uploaded video to Blackboard.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll work on these projects during the last week of class, so bring your laptop.<\/p>\n

Due Sun, June 30 by 11:59 pm EST \/ Boston time<\/p>\n

Rubric<\/strong><\/p>\n

Artist Statement: 10%
\n\u2022 Describes the motivation for the project
\n\u2022 Describes the methodology\/process for planning and filming
\n\u2022 Articulates the target audience
\n\u2022 Specifies who did what (if you worked with a partner)
\n\u2022 Well-written and polished (no errors)
\n\u2022 Reflects critical thinking about visual rhetoric, ethos, pathos, logos, etc.<\/p>\n

Hook\/opening (attention-getting, compelling, thematically consistent): 5%<\/p>\n

Main idea\/take on the topic (the \u201copinion\u201d part of the doc): 10%<\/p>\n

Supplementary research: 10%
\n\u2022 Uses 3 sources found via research (stats, quotes, background, etc)
\n\u2022 Thoughtfully chosen for the audience and medium
\n\u2022 Supports the argument<\/p>\n

Logical organization: 5%<\/p>\n

Conclusion (thought-provoking, compelling, consistent): 5%<\/p>\n

Attention to design principles (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity): 5%
\n\u2022 Contrast (of colors, sizes, etc.)
\n\u2022 Font type, size, and color
\n\u2022 Alignment on the slide
\n\u2022 Proximity\/juxtaposition of information on a slide
\n\u2022 Thematic\/design consistency
\n\u2022 Slides not too crowded
\n\u2022 Easy to read (font, color, etc)<\/p>\n

A-roll footage: 15%
\n\u2022 Well delivered (doesn\u2019t sound robotic, doesn\u2019t sound like you\u2019re reading, has personality, well enunciated\/articulated, good use of volume, good use of pacing, etc.)
\n\u2022 Narration explains and analyzes evidence \/ observations (to support the main idea)
\n\u2022 Footage is well-staged and filmed (not shaky, doesn\u2019t cut off the top of one\u2019s head, etc)<\/p>\n

B-roll visuals: 10%
\n\u2022 Visuals are well-chosen and match the A-roll (ie, an image of a cab if the narrator is talking about
\ntransportation)
\n\u2022 Visuals are smoothly integrated into, or overlaid on top of, the A-roll
\n\u2022 Provides establishing shots of locations for context<\/p>\n

Sound: 5%
\n\u2022 Sound effects have a clear purpose
\n\u2022 Song(s), if used, have a clear purpose
\n\u2022 Appropriate for the audience
\n\u2022 Match the visuals
\n\u2022 Help support the argument<\/p>\n

Post-production\/editing: 10%
\n\u2022 Transitions (dissolves\/fades) between visual cuts are smooth
\n\u2022 Transitions between audio cuts are smooth
\n\u2022 Noises such as car horns or dogs barking have been removed
\n\u2022 Background noise has been removed
\n\u2022 Captions if\/where necessary (and properly spelled, etc)<\/p>\n

Bibliography \/ Credits: 5%
\n\u2022 ALL outside sources cited (information, photos, videos, sounds, songs, etc.)
\n\u2022 Properly formatted in Chicago style
\n\u2022 Evidence introduced in captions or voice-over where appropriate\/helpful<\/p>\n

Overall effect\/feeling of video (think of this as the visual equivalent of \u201ctone\u201d or \u201cmood\u201d): 5%
\n\u2022 Appropriate for the audience and for the argument
\n\u2022 Achieves desired effect (to surprise, sadden, galvanize, etc)<\/p>\n

Examples <\/strong>(professional quality)<\/p>\n

“Ley Lines and Avebury Henge, the Better Version of Stonehenge” by Tom Scott
\n