COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
Loyola University Chicago
FALL SEMESTER 2015
INSTRUCTOR
JOHN C.P. GOHEEN
CLASS LOCATION: Water Tower - School of Communication- Room 003
OFFICE LOCATION: Lewis Towers Room 910A
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 1:00 – 6:00 p.m.
or
by appointment
OFFICE PHONE: 312.915.8537
E-MAIL ADDRESS: jgoheen@luc.edu
Email messages from students will be answered
within 48 hours. An email on Friday may not
receive a response until Monday.
INSTRUCTOR WEB PAGE: Sakai
CLASS HOURS: Wednesday 4:15 – 6:45 p.m.
PREREQUISITE: None
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
A. COURSE DESCRIPTION
COMM 135-203 is an entry-level course that will serve as an introduction to basic
video/film/audio production. The goal of the course is for the student to develop the
ability to capture great video images and audio, and to be able to edit those two
elements together to tell a story.
During the course each student will be taught:
• The basic understanding of operating a video camera.
• The basic principles of how to capture great video and audio.
• How to edit video and audio.
• How to tell a story by combining video and audio.
B. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
The primary design of this course will be lecture, group discussion and individual
participation. Homework assignments will require students to execute the basic
fundamentals being taught in the classroom.
Building a good foundation is critical to success and a clear understanding of basic
standards is essential before advancing to the next level. Initially students will work
in groups of two. Working as a team, students are expected to share what they know
with one another in order to reach a common goal of successfully completing each
assignment. These group assignments will be graded individually.
Everyone’s work will be evaluated and critiqued during class. Students will be asked
to participate in the process of critiquing each other’s work. Constructive criticism
should never be taken personally, understanding that filmmaking is often a
collaborative process.
Hands-on training is where each student develops the physical and mental skills
necessary to perform each task successfully. This may require some students to put in
more time and effort to be successful. Students should reach out to those in the class
who may have more knowledge, skill and a willingness to help those with less natural
skill or experience.
C. COURSE OBJECTIVES
• Learn to operate a video camera.
• Capture well composed video images.
• Capture great sound.
• Edit video and audio into a compelling story.
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
D. Class Schedule – Wednesday 4:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
August / September
WEEK
First Day of Class – Introduction of Course – What’s your story? Assign teams of two.
Purchase – At least 1 Class 6, 8 Gig - SD card (2 preferred).
1
August
Bring to class next week portable hard drive formatted to MAC.
26
Make sure the drive is clean of any other material and is properly formatted for editing on the
school’s equipment. If you need help, see Andi Pacheco for assistance (SOC 004).
Meet Andi Pacheco - Audio and Visual Production Coordinator. Do’s and Don’ts.
Learn the basics – lecture on composition – rule of thirds – screen direction – the nose rule –
framing – light elements – tri-pod use – wireless mic - Lecture on capturing audio in the field.
2
September Reading Assignment - Camera manual for SONY NX5U and screen Video Tutorial (Quiz next
2 week on this).
Learn to edit. Desperate Housewives Video.
Bring to class next week – 1 Class 6, 8 Gig - SD card.
Learn the equipment – In-class lecture and presentations.
Video Group Assignment #1 – Provide 16 examples of nicely framed shots/2 Interviews.
Include people in at least 8 shots. The purpose of this exercise is for you to demonstrate your
3 ability to compose shots following the rule of thirds, proper use of a level and steady tri-pod,
September proper color balance, focus, exposure and good audio. Lecture on Interviewing and how to
9 follow the NOSE rule.
Bring to class – 1 Class 6, 8 Gig - SD
card.
Quiz on Camera Tutorial and manual.
Come to class with Video Group Assignment #1 footage and hard drive. Learn how to ingest
footage during class time. Individually edit Video Assignment #1 into a 60 second sequence
4 on the timeline.
September
16 Lecture on incorporating video and audio to tell a story.
Assign Video Assignment #2 Neighborhood/Business Profile.
DUE - Assignment #1
Learn how grading rubric works.
5
DUE – Group Video Assignment #2 Neighborhood/Business footage ingested
September
on individual hard drive.
23
Converting video. Begin Edit on Group Assignment #2.
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
DUE Group Video Assignment Neighborhood/Business (#2 ) Fully Edited.
6 Instruction of audio dissolves. J and L cuts. Advanced Editing techniques –Text, dissolves.
September
30 Introduce Loyola Music Library.
October
Assign First Individual Video Assignment (#3) – Shooting into Frame/Matched Action/
WEEK Cut-a-ways.
DUE - Group Video Assignment #2 Screen in Class
Enterprising story ideas – Bring to class 3 fully developed ideas for Final Project.
7
October
Assign Individual Video Assignment #4 “Napoleon Dynamite.”
7
Edit on Assignment #3.
8 FALL BREAK – Monday and Tuesday Classes only.
October
14 DUE First Individual Assignment Shooting into Frame (#3)
9 Begin Edit on Napoleon Dynamite Assignment (#4).
October DUE - Present Final Project Ideas in front of class.
21 Assign Final Project Instructions.
10 DUE – Napoleon Dynamite Assignment (#4).
October
28 Begin Edit on Final Project.
November
WEEK
11
November DUE – Final Project Edit during class
4
12
November DUE - Rough- cut Final Project – This is a graded assignment
11
13
November Fine-cut of Final Project DUE – This is a graded assignment.
18
14
November THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY BREAK – NO CLASS
25
December
FINALS
WEEK
15
LAST DAY CLASS MEETS
December
Final Project DUE –This is a graded assignment.
2
December
8 Final – Projects Due by Noon
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
E. TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED
No Textbook is required for this course.
Supplies
• "AA" batteries
• Lens Cleaning Tissue
• 1 Roll of Clear Medical Tape
• 2 - Portable Hard Drives (1 recommended as a back-up drive)
• The Sony camera we are using this semester requires a Class 6
SDHC card. Sony recommends an 8 Gig card. This chart
illustrates the various storage capacities for different size cards.
It is recommended each student obtain at least 160
minutes of storage in the form of multiple cards.
Class 6 SDHC card (Required) 2 GB 4 GB 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
Fine mode (Best Quality) 20 min. 40 min. 80 min. 160 min. 320 min.
You may currently have a drive that does not have a connection that is compatible with the
MACs. If you have a drive with a Firewire 400 or 800 connection this will not work with the
computers without a cable that adapts to fit the port on the iMac computers.
If you are purchasing a new hard drive it is recommended it have a USB 3.0 port. If you have
an older drive with only Firewire, you will need to purchase a converter cable that converts
Firewire to Thunderbolt (current port on iMacs).
The drives should meet the following specifications:
Minimum USB 3.0. It works best to not have a drive that you have to plug into external AC
power. Look for a drive that powers off the computer.
Minimum of 120GB (the larger, the more versatile) Minimum 5400 RPM (7200 RPM
recommended, especially for video/film concentrators).
There are many different brands that will serve you will. Some brands to consider would be
Toshiba, Maxtor, Seagate, Western Digital, and Lacie.
Many online and local retailers provide these kind of drives. Local stores such as Best Buy,
Apple, OfficeMax, Office Depot, etc., are good places to consider a purchase as well.
When possible, come to class with your hard drive without any material on it. If the drive is
brand new, make sure it is properly formatted before attending class. If necessary, see Andi
Pacheco in tech support (SOC 004) for assistance.
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
F. GRADING PLAN NUMBERICAL VALUE
A 4.0 A
95-100 = A
A- 3.67 92-94 = A-
B
B+ 3.33 89-91 = B+
86-88 = B
B 3.0 83-85 = B-
C
B- 2.67 80-82 = C+
77-79 = C
C+ 2.33 74-76 = C-
D
C 2.0 71-73 = D+
68-70 = D
C- 1.67 65-67 = D-
F
Non–Passing Below 65 = F
D+ 1.33
D 1.0 D- .67 F
Grading System
• In-class participation accounts for 20% of overall grade – this includes
attendance, quizzes, exams and classroom involvement in critique and
question and answer sessions.
• Individual and group projects account for 40% of grade.
• Final project accounts for 40% of grade.
G. CAUSE FOR DEFICIENCIES
Attendance
Regular and on time attendance is essential for the educational process to work.
Loyola University expects all students to attend every scheduled class on time.
Exceptions may be made for University sponsored or work related activities,
illness, or valid emergency situations.
You should make every effort to inform me ASAP of any absence. If you know of a
conflict with a school program outside this class, please don’t wait to inform me at
the last minute. You will not be allowed to make up any in-class work on a day you
are absent unless it is an excused absence. Remember, we are in the School of
Communication...so please make an effort to communicate. More than two
unexcused absences will automatically result in a lower attendance grade.
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
Late work or failure to complete assignment(s)
Any work turned in after the designated due date will receive a 10 point grade
reduction for each week it is late, even if by one day. No work will be accepted after
two weeks have passed from the due date and that assignment will receive a 0 or
incomplete grade.
H. COURSE COMPONENT SPECIFICS
Students will be given multiple homework assignments to be completed outside the
normal scheduled classroom. Initially these assignments will be conducted working
with assigned partners. Students will do their best to coordinate times to work on
each project at the same time.
Group participation
Some initial homework assignments may involve working in teams. This will require
each individual to be responsible to their teammate(s) for meeting deadlines, be it to
shoot an assignment or to edit an assignment. It’s expected that these assignments
are to be completed as a team. Inevitably, there are always individuals who show up
late or not at all, and yet they expect the others in the group to “carry” the load for
them. When this occurs and is brought to my attention, there will be a one-grade
reduction for that assignment to the individual responsible for letting their team
down. If this occurs on more than one occasion, a failing grade will be awarded to the
student for that assignment.
Class Participation
Participation is always valued and is expected of all students. Each student should
make an effort to contribute in all classroom discussions. Class participation will be
considered as a grading criteria for your Final course grade.
Grading Components
The following are the major areas by which each assignment may be reviewed and
graded:
• Video stability
• Tri-pod usage
• Hand-held shots
• Jump cuts
• Content
• Following directions of assignment
• Audio quality
• Framing
• Screen Direction
• Use of proper settings on camera
• Pacing
• Sequencing
• Use of audio
• Storytelling
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
I. LOYOLA’S POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Loyola Students are called upon to know, to respect, and to practice a high standard of
personal honesty.
Plagiarism is a serious form of violation of this standard. Plagiarism is the
appropriation for gain of ideas, language, or work of another without sufficient public
acknowledgement and appropriate citation that the material is not one’s own. It is
true that every thought probably has been influenced to some degree by the thoughts
and actions of others. Such influences can be thought of as affecting the ways we see
things and express all thoughts. Plagiarism, however, involves the deliberate taking
and use of specific words and ideas of others without proper acknowledgement of the
sources.
The faculty and administration of Loyola University Chicago wish to make it clear that
the following acts are regarded as serious violations of personal honesty and the
academic ideal that binds the university into a learning community:
Submitting as one’s own:
• Material copied from a published source: print, internet, CD, audio, still photos,
video, etc.
• Another person’s unpublished work or examination material.
• Allowing another or paying another to write or research a paper, shoot or
edit a video for one’s own benefit.
• Purchasing, acquiring, and using for course credit a pre-written paper or video
story.
The critical issue is to give proper recognition to other sources. To do so is both an act
of personal, professional courtesy and of intellectual honesty.
Plagiarism on the part of a student in academic work or dishonest examination
behavior will result minimally in the instructor assigning the grade of “F” for the
assignment or examination. In addition, all instances of academic dishonesty must be
reported to the chairperson of the department involved. The chairperson may
constitute a hearing board to consider the imposition of sanctions in addition to those
imposed by the instructor, including a recommendation of expulsion, depending upon
the seriousness of the misconduct.
J. ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
Documenting with either audio or video, being present at an illegal activity or
knowingly violation of any local, state, or federal laws related to the execution of any
assignment will automatically exclude it from being accepted for a grade. In addition,
the same exclusion applies if you learn after the fact that your actions were of an
illegal nature.
Incorporating the use of nudity and or other socially unacceptable images or audio
into your work will automatically exclude it from being accepted for a grade.
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
K. CLASSROOM RULES OF CONDUCT
Please turn off cell phones and other electronic devices such as iPods before entering
class.
You will not need a personal laptop for this course, so please do not bring it to class
unless you have your own editing software on that computer with the intention of
using it for that purpose. Once class has started, do not sign onto a classroom
computer unless instructed to do so. Non-compliance will have a negative impact on
your participation grade. Be respectful of other people’s opinion in discussions.
Do not take naps or fall asleep during class. It is disrespectful toward the other
students and the instructor. If you sleep during class you will be asked to leave and
your participation grade will be negatively affected.
Do not leave class early. Do not come to class to take a quiz and then leave. If you
foresee that you will not be able to stay the whole class, let me know beforehand.
If you have any questions or concerns, let me know as soon as possible.
L. SPECIAL NEEDS
Students are urged to contact me should they have questions concerning course
materials and procedures. If you have a special circumstance that may have some
impact on your course work and for which you may require accommodations, please
contact me early in the semester so that arrangements can be made with the Services
for Students with Disabilities (SSWD). Additional information about the services
available at Loyola, including eligibility for services, is on the SSWD website:
http://www.luc.edu/sswd/index.shtml
M. LIABILITY ISSUES
Students will be instructed prior to their first assignment on the general nature of
privacy and trespassing laws. From time to time students may find themselves in a
position where someone may not approve of them capturing their image. In cases
such as this, it is best to honor the wishes of this person. Even though you may very
well be within your rights to gather this information to include both audio and video,
it would be best if students “walk away” from the situation before it escalates.
In the event something does occur, please do the following:
• Contact faculty advisor
• Contact the department head
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
N. EQUIPMENT USE
Loyola University prides itself on providing state-of-the-art equipment for its
students to learn the craft of visual story telling.
The School of Communication provides cameras, tripods, microphones, lighting and
editing equipment that can be checked out from the Equipment Room in SOC 004.
This equipment passes through the hands of many students and in order to assure
that the equipment remains in good working order, treat it like your own. You are
financially responsible for all of the equipment you use and should treat it with great
care. This kind of equipment is not indestructible and it is susceptible to various
environmental situations such as a dirt, dust, rain, snow, water, and heat. Caution
should be taken when transporting all equipment as this equipment is fragile and can
easily be damaged. Be aware of your environment and where you are at all times. This
type of equipment is popular with thieves and can easily be pilfered if you are not
paying attention. Do not rely on others to be the one responsible for “watching” the
equipment.
In the event something should happen, everyone in the group will be considered a
responsible party.
Do not leave equipment in a parked vehicle where it can easily be stolen from the
backseat. If you do have to leave equipment in your car, do so by placing in the trunk. But
again, as a reminder, do not let the equipment roll around uncontrollably.
You may use your own equipment, but first clear this with me before any assignment.
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION - PRODUCTION FACILITIES WATER
TOWER CAMPUS SOC 51 E. PEARSON Audio and Visual Production
Coordinator: Andi Pacheco 312.915.8830 or apacheco@luc.edu
FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT RULES
• Schedule all equipment use through Andi Pacheco. When individuals request
use of the equipment outside of class time, the request should be made 5
working days in advance of the desired time. Andi will schedule requests for
equipment and facilities in person, by phone, or by e-mail. Do not assume
equipment is reserved unless you have confirmation from Andi. Equipment and
use of facilities are available on a first come first serve basis anytime they are not
being used for classes.
• Whenever possible, students should telephone Andi well in advance of their
scheduled equipment pick-up or facility appointment should they anticipate a
problem in arriving at the scheduled meeting time. Anyone more than 15 minute
late for equipment pick-up may forfeit the use of the equipment at that time.
Students who are repeatedly delinquent may lose their equipment privileges.
• Audio and video equipment is checked out on a 24 hour basis during the week
and Friday to Monday on weekends. Equipment must be signed out in room
SOC 004 with authorized personnel. Students will responsible for returning
COURSE SYLLABUS Intro to Video Production COMM 135-203
equipment and materials within 24 hours and in their original condition.
Students must report immediately any damage or theft of equipment. Failure to
do so may result in a suspension or loss of equipment privileges.
• Students may bring additional crew members, if needed, to the lab for
production.
• There is no smoking in any lab space. No eating or drinking at any work/edit
station.
• Students are responsible for careful handling of all equipment, and for abiding
by all rules and regulations governing the use of the facility.
O. SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS
• Treat the class like a job
• Show up on time
• Come to class prepared
• Pay attention
• Do the work
• Stay for the entire class period
• Be fully engaged in class
• Pay attention and take good notes
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Be resourceful
• Take the initiative to learn and succeed
• Communicate
• Make no excuses
• Don’t wait until the last minute to do the assignment
P. INSTRUCTOR BIO
John C.P. Goheen has been an award-winning broadcast television journalist and documentary
filmmaker for over 35 years. He has traveled the world documenting major news events and
sharing stories with all the major American television networks and international clients. He
continues to shoot and produce for various domestic and international news organizations.
He has received over 300 local, national and international awards with work he has produced for
a variety of U.S. television networks, local TV stations and international broadcasters. He has
received virtually every major broadcast award there is, to include a dozen Emmys, as well as
being honored three times with the most prestigious award a television photojournalist can
receive, the National Press Photographer’s Association Television News Photographer of the
Year.
He has produced dozens of documentary films, many having received top awards at various film
festivals from across the United States.
