Playing with video | Learning tools | Memoir | Storytelling | Introductory | Short activity / assignment
Make a short film about a decision. Your phone is a perfectly acceptable tool for this, so no need to get fancy unless you want to! Your film should run for at least 30 seconds and no longer than two minutes. The decision it chronicles can be ridiculously trivial, melodramatic, or life-altering. Up to you! (Note: Yes, you can include Boomerangs and TikToks, or set this up as a Snapchat-story-style experience. After all, most of y’all make movies this way on the regular.)
If you want additional resources for your filmic experience, see the Video Toolkit on our course site, and you can check out all kinds of audiovisual equipment for free from the library (including camcorders, microphones, green screens, and the like): https://www.lib.ua.edu/using-the-library/equipment/.
The Title Shot
Playing with video | Collaboration | Introductory | Short activity / assignment | Bonus assignment
1. Compose a montage of clips from your day-to-day life that introduces yourself to your party, and post it to your Mission Log. This should include eight or more 3-10 second clips.
OR
1. Film a short vlog (video-log) of yourself introducing yourself to your new team. This can be in whatever format you want, but will likely run between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long.
Note: While I do want you to post this on your blog, you are welcome to make it a “private” post, just so long as myself and your group members have access, or you show it to them.
Meet the Cast
Playing with video | Collaboration | Introductory | Short activity / assignment | Bonus assignment
1. Team-up with your team members.
2. Collaboratively compose a short (1-2 min.) video that represents everyone in your group, and your party dynamic. You may re-use clips from previous assignments.
3. Post a link to your creation to all of your blogs!
Analyzing and Evaluating Videos
Analyzing video | Collaboration | Genre | Short activity / Assignment
Instructions
1.Divide into groups.
2.Take notes while we observe a short video clip.
3.Record your responses to the texts on this handout.
4.Keep this as a reference for defining your own criteria. Apply these questions to fit your subject and consider ways of creating criteria for why you do or don’t like something, its strengths and weaknesses.
Please take brief notes of what you see (images, things, brands, people, text, etc. from start to finish:
As a group, share your reactions to this clip. Did you enjoy it—why or why not?
PURPOSE
What is the purpose of this short/skit—to persuade, to inform, or to entertain? And how does it do this? Bring in both visual and audio details/evidence.
If you consider humor or parody as the main topic, how are these things being addressed in this clip? What argument is being made and what (visual and audio) details contribute to this interpretation? You might consider the comparisons that are made or the events (scenes/transitions) of the clip.
AUDIENCE
Who is the intended audience for this clip and how can you tell? Consider language, dialogue, visuals, people, etc. The audience is often those who have the power to change or respond to the argument being made.
GENRE
SNL is a mostly a sketch comedy late night show. The show fits within the aforementioned genres, as well as the TV series and comedy/satire. What are some constraints or limitations of one or more of these genres? For example, you might consider how the argument regarding parody or humor is limited in the late night show.
Write a short list of criteria that you could use to evaluate this clip—what are the clips strengths and weaknesses?