DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING ASSIGN EXAMPLES

RESERVE YOUR EQ at least 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE! Email your eq reserves.

Your email should include the following:

TCF 312

Your Name

Pickup Date:

Return Date:

Detailed list of EQ desired (BE SPECIFIC!)

Examples:

Please note: We will watch some of these examples in class but I encourage you to watch as many as you're able. Note: due to snow day, we won't have time to watch in class. 

When you watch the examples, consider WHAT is the story or stories being told (what do you think is the filmmaker's message, or what do you take from his/her piece?), and HOW is the story told visually. 

What are the levels of filmmaking - technical skill, aesthetics/style, color, camera work, etc... being deployed to work in service of the media message?

Think CONTEXT, CONTENT & FORM.

Here are some (hopefully) inspiring examples:

Uptopia #3

D-Nice's "Experiencing the Dream"

Brian B+ Cross "KEEPINTOKYO" and "TEEBS"

Noisemaker Media's "Spanish Harlem Hop Park Jam" and "True School Park Jam Series 2010 Trailer"

pouringdown.tv - "of all the things that can happen" and "the skies uptown"

Examples from past 312 students:


Lynita Motes Art from Jana Patton on Vimeo.



TCF 312 Portrait of a Place from Henry Busby on Vimeo.



The 15th Lake from Xavier Burgin on Vimeo.


Examples from projects on Vimeo:


Harlem Elvis from John X. Carey on Vimeo.



Kickflip from I Am Los Angeles on Vimeo.



Look Up at the Stars, Portugal! from Matty Brown on Vimeo.



Shelter from the Storm from John X. Carey on Vimeo.


The Guardian from Carly Palmour on Vimeo.



D-Nice Presents: Experiencing The Dream from D-Nice on Vimeo.



2012 True School Park Jam Series Trailer from Noisemaker Media on Vimeo.


Please also see what other TCF students have done before you. Visit the right sidebar and look for "Portrait of a Place" in the blog post title.

TUTORIAL: HOW TO EXPORT & POST GROUP ASSIGNMENTS TO COURSE BLOG

As a group you need to "edit" your exercises and post to this course blog.

Please type name/# of exercise in title and type of all group member names in body of post. Share any important notes such as type of camera, camera log information, etc.

+ + +

Here are the steps you will need to follow:

1. Set up your project file in FCP

Probably 1080 24P (but this depends on the camera and your setting filmed with

(Instructions on handout)

2. Log & transfer (HD footage) using card reader or with mini-usb connecting camera to workstation

or

Log & capture (for HDV tape) using Canon H40

3. Edit your clips in sequence. Add desired effects and required titles.

4. When your video is finished, you must render and mixdown

a. Sequence > Render All > Both to render video and audio

b. Sequence > Render Only > Mixdown to render all audio

5. To export FULL RESOLUTION Quicktime File:

File > Export > Using Quicktime

Make sure "Make a self contained movie is checked!"

This export will export HIGH RESOLUTION if you are exporting "same as sequence settings".

By cntrl clicking (or right mouse clicking) you can GET INFO (Cmd I) and determine file size. This file is NOT optimized for upload with Vimeo.

6. To export a COMPRESSED (or smaller file) Quicktime File:

Follow the settings noted here (shown as screenshots below)

VIMEO COMPRESSION SETTINGS GUIDE

--> The right side of the window gives you video clips on Exporting with FCP7 & uploading to Vimeo.

1. File > Export Using Quicktime Conversion a. CLick on OPTIONS b. Click on VIDEO SETTINGS:

2

2. Change your video settings as follows: 

a. Make sure H.264 is selected

b. Make sure current FPS (or desired fps) is selected

c. Change Data Rate: from Automatic to RESTRICT to 5000 for HD (or 2000 for SD) 

d. click OK to save your settings

3. Under Video Settings Click on SIZE and select what Vimeo recommends (the shorter the project the larger settings you may use --- typically 1280 by 720, but you can experiment here).

4. Click on SOUND SETTINGS: 

a. Change Format form Linear PCM to AAC

b. Change Rate from 48 to 44.100

c. Change Quality from Normal to Best

d. Change Target Bit Rate to 320

e. Click OK to save your settings

5. SAVE YOUR FILE ---- NOTE on FILE NAME

When you save your file DO NOT use any spaces, dashes, funky characters, or a long name. If you must indicate a space, please use _ such as Group1_Titanic or Group2_Professional. File names that don't follow this will often have errors in Vimeo upload (and will make you crazy!)

TO UPLOAD VIMEO CLIP TO CLASS BLOG:

1. Click SHARE on Vimeo clip

2. Copy the EMBED code

3. Log in to blogger.com account

4. Select TCF 312 CLASS blog in your dashboard list

5. Click NEW POST

6. Click on HTML tab (top right)

7. Paste the Vimeo EMBED code

8. Click on COMPOSE tab (top right next to HTML tab)

9. Type name/# of exercise in title and type of all group member names in body of post. Share any important notes such as type of camera, camera log information, etc.

+ + + +

IF YOU ARE NEW TO FCP7 OR CONFUSED FROM CLASS, YOUTUBE HAS TUTORIAL SUCH AS THESE:

For JVC footage (SD cards), please LOG & TRANSFER into FCP7, such as demonstrated here:

Here's a tutorial for HDV footage (tape media) LOG & CAPTURE, such as demonstrated here:

10 Things From The Doc (Remix of My 10 Things Post)

So a student accidentally deleted my 10 Things post, so here goes my 10 pieces of advice for TCF students:

10. If you are early, you are on time. If you are on time, you're late. If you're late, you're fired.

This is the best advice I have for you for class, for working on a set, for your internship site, and when you land a position on a professional shoot... there are MANY people ready to take your spot at all levels. Don't let that happen.

9. Read the trades.

Indiewire

Variety

Hollywood Reporter


8. Read blogs on gear and your favorite aspects of filmmaking.

no film school

The Black and Blue 

Vincent Laforet's blog

Philip Bloom's blog

Hurlburt Visual's blog

Khalid Mohaseb's blog


7. Don't buy gear the day it comes out.

If you are going to buy your own gear, research it. Watch the videos of experts testing it. And check prices at bhphoto.com and other professional gear houses. Consumer outlets mark-up the gear that you should be buying.


6. Collaborate and work with your peers as much as possible.

The biggest resource you have is each other. These are the folks who will be funded or running companies and will hire you. Work hard now, find who you work well with, and it will pay off for you later --- I promise!


5. Research EVERYTHING.

Who wrote what. Who directed what. How much did this film make. What production company made what and where they are located. What the newest piece of gear.... and on and on.

4. You should be writing scripts.

Whether you consider yourself a screenwriter or not, write a short script. Did you hear about the TCF script competition for $5000? A 30 page script can win you a lot of $$$. Write a whole stack of scripts and submit next year. You can submit as many scripts as you would like, and all that $ could fund alot.

3. FILM!  all. the. time.

You should be checking out cameras and lights and filming all semester long. It will help you build your reel (which is what you'll use to help get you internships, grant funding, and build up your visual style).

You should be doing something for CMF, The Black Warrior Film Festival and for Sidewalk!

(Assignments filmed in 312 showed at last year's Black Warrior Film Fest!)

2. This should be the best time of your life. 

You have a crew (all of your friends and classmates). You can film without a permit (if you move to a major market aka a big city like LA, you can't film without paying for a permit and paying location fees). You have actors that you don't have to pay. You have access to LOTS of equipment (at least while you are in 312 ---- take advantage of it).

1. You better love this, or you may want to reconsider.

Some of your classes may be simpler than the intro classes of other majors, but our job market is much more competitive, so this is not for the lazy, weak or uninspired.  If you are in this major because you think it is easy, you are in the wrong major.

10 things about Sheena...TA

1.  I have an obsession with David Bowie

2.  My favorite food is pizza.  I could eat it everyday.

3.  I waste time playing PC games like The Sims.

4.  I can't pick a favorite movie but I really love Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch.

5.  My favorite documentary is End of The Century, the story of the Ramones.

6.  I am fascinated by the paranormal and the occult.

7.  My favorite artist is M.C. Escher.  

8.  If I could go back to any time period it would be the late 1970s and be a rock star.

9.  I think the greatest tv series ever was Breaking Bad.

10.  The best teacher ever is Dr. Raimist.

10 Facts About Katie (Course TA)

Greetings Comrades!

 Here's 10 facts about me:

My favorite food is the delectable potato.

My favorite animal is the red panda.

The Best TV show ever is obviously

Or Family Feud, but only because of Steve Harvey.

If I could, I would mary Aaron Paul because we both share a love of pizza.

I greatly enjoy the movie Thor. Two guesses as to why.

My dream profession is to be a pirate like Jack Sparrow.

In my spare time I enjoy lounging in my onesie,

watching cartoons,

and wasting time watching YouTube videos.

New Semester, Same Blog

Welcome to TCF 312!

As you can see by scrolling down, this blog has been used by many sections of 312 in the past. This is a good thing - you can see what other students have done for assignments, and get inspired by their work.

Since we will be spending a good amount of time together as part of this class, I thought I should share my "10 Things" post, so here goes:

1. I make documentary films, but have also produced music videos and narrative projects.

I am most known for making the first documentary about women in hip hop, Nobody Knows My Name. It was a long time ago and I still get fan emails and facebook messages. It's cool but also weirds me out because throughout the years I've had some strange stalkers.

Fun fact: this film was released in Japan.

I also was videographer and co-editor on this popular documentary, which Complex named as one of the best hip hop documentary films of all time, see here.

2. I went to UCLA film school and absolutely LOVED it. 

I earned my B.A. in Film & Television and M.F.A. in Directing. Graduate school is a really wonderful opportunity if you know what you want to do as a filmmaker, post undergrad, but you need more time and a crew to practice your skills. Grad school is not for everyone...

3. I love to watch television.

Currently I am watching American Horror Story on Netflix:

and live, I watch:

 Scandal

The Fosters

4. My favorite shows of recent times are:

Lost

Dexter (except for the ending of the series finale - made me angry!)

5. What I watch in my DVR:

The Originals

The Vampire Diaries

Pretty Little Liars

P.O.V.

Independent Lens

6. I also obsess over Jeremy Wade

I would run away and be a camera op on River Monsters any day!

7. I am now half time TCF professor and half time Co-Director of Creative Campus!

8. INTERN! I'm all about encouraging my students to get involved through internships! 

Are you looking for an internship?

Creative Campus - applications open in a few weeks

Internship at Capitol School - Now hiring for summer teaching positions! Teach screenwriting, videography, editing, motion graphics --- anything that involves digital media & literacy. Visit me in office hours to discuss.

Internship on video crew at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater - applications will open in Feb or March. Read about our video crew work HERE!

9. I think that you need more experience. Point blank. Period.

TCF (media production courses at undergraduate level & some college in general) is sort of like pre-school for filmmaking. We can only provide you with a roadmap in intro classes and give you a few basic tools in our advanced classes... so do EVERYTHING you can to learn, grow, and advance your skills. CREW! Make a CMF film! Volunteer at The Black Warrior Film Festival! I have TONS of links to things that you can and should be doing during your time in TCF.

And you should PA when productions come to town, to gain some experience! Keep your eye on: Staff Me Up Alabama

10. My favorite class to teach is TCF IN LA.

I teach a 10-day travel course during Winter Interim and will be launching a two month study/intern class this summer. See here: http://tcfinla.blogspot.com/

Visit http://tcfinla.tumblr.com/ to see the adventures of the 2013/4 winter class.

I look forward to getting to know you all this semester!