Today’s Plan:
- Interview #6
- Kalman Project Timeline
- English Department Project
Interview #6
I wanted to take a moment and say that I am extremely pleased with the quality of your interviews. A few had audio issues (volume was a bit too low, adjust volume/gain in Premiere or Audition), and there was some shaky camera here and there (remember that you can use the Warp Stabilizer in Adobe Premiere). But the overall quality was really strong–especially in terms of head room and shot alignment. Y’all have come really far since August. Your growth would be commendable even if we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic and all the other crap that is going on.
Kalman Project Timeline
As of writing (11:57am), I’ve received 7 Kalman prospecti. I anticipate a few more will make theur way between now and the start of class. My plan is to sit down and comment on all those submitted today after class.
Someone emailed me that I set the wrong due date in Canvas–they were supposed to be due this Sunday (Nov 8th), but I set it for next Sun (Nov 15th). Whoops. I guess that’s why I am still missing the rest, right?
Here’s our remaining class schedule:
- Wed, Nov 11th: Start English Department 4+1 Credit Intro (see below)
- Mon, Nov 16th: Storyboard Kalman Project
- Wed, Nov 18th: Continue ENG 4+1 Credit
- Mon, Nov 23rd: Mix ENG 4+1 Promo Video
That’s the rest of our f2f class sessions. I’ve detailed the ENG 4+1 assignment below–it is my belief that we can complete at least 50%, if not more, of this project in class. Perhaps that’s optimistic, but I don’t think so.
After Thanksgiving, I will have office hour appointments available M-F from 10am to 2pm. I can meet you online (via Zoom or discord or via phone call) or can meet you on campus in the lab (if you are having technical issues and need help with the computer stuff; this is generally much easier to do f2f, provided you have a way of moving your files quickly and easily–a remote hard-drive or a flash drive).
As you are probably well aware, COVID rates in Colorado are on the rise. Rates in Greeley are trending higher than the state average. I am unsure how much the university has communicated with students, but they have told faculty multiple times to prepare for fully online teaching (for all classes, regardless of size). I am still of the belief that classes after Thanksgiving will be completely remote (since it is unlikely they want students traveling home with these infection rates and then returning to f2f classes). I do not want to be alarmist here (and I have no idea how the move to online classes would affect the dorms). I simply want to be transparent about why we are only meeting f2f 4 more times. And to ensure you that I am available to help you complete your projects in whatever ways I can.
As I indicated in my responses to your Interviews, I am quite pleased with your progress this semester. I sincerely hope that you found this course useful, that you feel you got a return on your investment of time, energy, and money. I like teaching this class because, unlike in many writing classes, it is easier for me to see your growth. I am so looking forward to your final Kalman projects.
Speaking of the Kalman projects, let’s talk final due date. I am thinking that a final due date of Monday, December 14th. I imagine that a lot of you will have exams and projects that drag out a bit more than usual this semester, so I want you to be able do dedicate the weekend after finals to the project if you need it. But, when I say “final,” I mean final, since grades are due Wednesday, December 16th. I would much prefer that the projects be completed December 4th (just get them finished!), but I feel that the most just thing I can do this semester is to give you as much time as possible.
ENG 4+1 Project
There’s one remaining project I’d like us to complete this semester. Last year the English Department unveiled a 4+1 MA program: undergraduate majors can enroll in a program that allows them to complete their masters degree in just 1 additional year. Students in the MA can apply for graduate teaching positions (although those are limited) that come with tuition wavers. This is a pretty cool program. Our problem is that very few students know about the program. So the department would like to create a short video that advertises the program. That’s where we come in.
Here’s what will hopefully happen this week: I will develop a short script for faculty to read and record. My plan, to keep things simple, is for them to simple schedule and record a solo Zoom meeting in which they read that script. We can then do two things.
- First, we can edit the video cutting back and forth between different speakers
- Second, we can develop a cool intro with music and some transitions
As I indicate above, I feel like we can do the majority of this work in class. And, this is a nice test of your editing skills: taking video someone else has shot and polishing it into a finished product.
The plan is to distribute this video via the department’s social media channels and to play the video on the television that hangs outside the office. Also, this is something that instructors can play in classes once a semester to advertise the program.
Homework
In next Monday’s class, I am going to ask you to storyboard your Kalman project. This requires you do two things between now and then.
First, you need to draft a script of your Kalman project. The script can/should include original material (stuff you write) and what I like to call borrowed material (think about the Kalman I shared in class that repurposed Rosevelt’s speech on conservation). Spend about an hour researching your topic this week. Cut and paste. Brainstorm. Do whatever things you do when you are inventing ideas and writing. (Note: if you are doing an interview, develop questions in advance!)
Then think about the order of that material. Perhaps order it like a 3 or 5 act play. Start imagining what shots/scenes you’d like to pair with particular sentences.
Finally, gather some still photographs to go with your script. Visit one of your two shooting locations and simply take some still photos. (I recognize that it might be inconvenient/impossible for some of you to do this–in the past many people film the entirety of this project in a single weekend or over the Thanksgiving break). So, if you can’t go to a location, then collect some google images of the location or shots similar to the ones you want to pull off.
In next Monday’s class, I’ll ask you to assemble this material into a Google Slides presentation. My plan is to come around and talk with everyone individually, to check in on your progress.
