VIDEO RESUME
Fall 2014
This assignment aims to introduce you to basic filming and editing, to what being in front of the camera feels like, and to ways in which video can be used by people seeking jobs and internships in order to articulate their skills to potential employers. Here are the project components:
VIDEO RESUME (15 points)
You will select a partner who will be in charge of filming you and you’ll be in charge of filming them. The rest of the assignment, you’ll complete on your own. You’ll make a 1-2 minute video resume meeting these requirements:
You will use a camera, mic, and tripod provided by WRAC in order to create a video resume. You can either make a general video resume that describes your skills to a variety of employers or you can make one targeted at a particular place of employment (your goal can be a full-time job or an internship). We will analyze examples of both approaches in class.
Your video should have at least three setups. By setups, I mean the following: you can frame yourself differently (closeup, midshot, longshot—watch out for sound if you do longshots); you can place yourself on different sides of the screen; you can wear different outfits/makeup/hats; you can film in different locations.
Your video (or at least the majority of it) should be filmed inside, in a place where you can close doors and windows and turn off air conditioners, refrigerators, and so on if they make noise. Dorm rooms and common areas work well if you can keep others from interrupting. Off campus housing (your own or your friends’) also works if you can control the space.
As you record your video, make sure to give yourself various good takes of each setup. My recommendation is to film the whole script a few times from each set up so that you can use the different setups to help you edit together your best performances. For example, you can use 10 seconds from setup 1, 20 seconds from setup 3, 10 seconds from setup 2, and so on. That way you won’t have to do the whole script well in one take.
I understand that being in front of the camera may not be something you enjoy. However, part of what we’re trying to accomplish with this assignment is to give you a sense of what being in front of the camera feels like so you’ll be able to better empathize with those you’ll be filming in later assignments. If you absolutely don’t want to speak in front of the camera, there are creative ways to avoid it. We’ll be watching a couple examples that do so.
While it would be great if you were to actually use this video in order to reach out to potential employers, you may decide that this is not a piece you want to be represented by. Even if that is the case, the process of articulating your qualifications for employers by merging images and sound will help you think rhetorically about how your professional and school experiences make you a valuable employee, something that will help you beyond this course.
We will be learning iMovie in order to edit your video resume. If you own a Macbook, you can use it to edit your film (all Macbooks come with iMovie). If you don’t own a Macbook, you can use the Mac computers in 317 and in any lab on campus. Whether or not you are using your own computer, you will be downloading the footage to your external hard drive, not to your computer so you don’t clutter your computer with large video files. Even though we will go over the basics of iMovie in class and you can ask your classmates and myself questions as you edit, you will need to Google some of your questions about using iMovie. Being able to effectively draw on the internet to answer your questions is a vital skill for any producer of digital media, so if you are not already doing so, this course will be a great opportunity for you to learn how.
Your video needs a soundtrack, which can be used sparingly or throughout. Either way, make sure that the sound doesn’t drown out your voice. You will use Creative Commons music, which you can find here: http://www.freesound.org, http://www.jamendo.com/en, and http://ccmixter.org. If you decide to exercise Fair Use in order to use copyrighted material, you will need to explain your Fair Use choices in your reflection. As you decide, keep in mind that your work can be taken down even if it meets Fair Use regulations.
You are not required to use B-roll, but if you decide to do so, you can shoot your own or find Creative Commons footage at the Internet Archive (http://archive.org/details/stock_footage) and at Stock Footage for Free (http://www.stockfootageforfree.com).
Post your video to YouTube. You will make an account at https://www.youtube.com. YouTube will lead you through the upload process. You will need to link your account to an email address. Be aware that if you use a Gmail address to set up your account, you will not be able to separate that address and account later.
Video resumes don’t have credits at the end. However, in your description of the video on YouTube, tell us that you directed, produced and edited the video, that your partner was the cinematographer, and make sure you list everything you used in the soundtrack (title, author, year) and every stock image you used (title, author, year). At the end of your description, provide the video with a license. It can be Creative Commons or traditional copyright. It’s up to you.
FILMING YOUR PARTNERS’ VIDEO RESUME (5 points)
You and your partner will decide when and where you will film each other. It can be done on the same day or over a few days but make sure you find a schedule that works for both of you and that you take your different locations into account as you plan your shoot. You will have one camera between the two of you but make sure to use your own SD Card or tape to film your section.
PROPOSAL (2 points)
Your proposal will be presented in two ways: an in-class presentation (2 minutes with 2 minutes for discussion) and a written version that you’ll email me by class time on the day you present. You will provide the following information:
Kind of video resume (general or targeted at a potential employee)
Tone (serious, enthusiastic, funny)
Shooting location and time
Storyboard of setups. If you draw your storyboard, make sure to scan it as a PDF, so you can open it on our class’s main computer and share it with everyone.
Any issues you want the class to help you with regarding the script, tone, setups, locations, etc.
Proposal Delivery
In order to receive full credit, you must send the proposal and storyboard as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file and the storyboard a PDF file. The subject of your email should be Video Resume Proposal, followed by your last name. The name of the proposal should be Video Resume Proposal followed by your last name, i.e. Video Resume Proposal Hidalgo. Follow the same format for your storyboard, i.e. Video Resume Storyboard Hidalgo.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
REFLECTION (3 points)
The final draft of your video resume will be accompanied by a 900-1,200 word reflection, which will do the following:
Explain how your choices as a filmmaker meet the conventions of the genre you selected. You should refer to at least two of the video resumes we watched and at least two of the filmmaking advice readings and videos we discussed together and tell us how those texts influenced the final product.
Discuss your process as a filmmaker. What worked? What didn’t work? What could you have done differently? If you used copyrighted material under Fair Use, how does your usage constitute Fair Use? You should cite at least two class readings as you discuss your filmmaking process.
Explain why you chose the particular Creative Commons/Copyright license you selected.
Use MLA for your citations. If you need assistance with MLA, visit the Purdue OWL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl). You will need to use in-text citations and create a Works Cited page for your reflection where you list written sources and videos.
Reflection and Video Resume Delivery
In order for your reflection and video resume to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the link to the video in the body of an email with the attached reflection to [email protected]. The subject of your email should be Video Resume and Reflection followed by your last name. The reflection should be a Microsoft Word file. The name of the document should be Video Resume Reflection followed by your last name, i.e. Video Resume Reflection Hidalgo.
I will deduct two points if you do not follow the delivery instructions above.
ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR
The assignment is worth 25 points. Below is a breakdown of the assignment components, their point value, and when they are due.
Assignment
Due Date
Proposal (2 points)
Due Date: 9/17
Footage recording period
9/18 – 9/21
Recording your partner’s video (5 points)
Due Date: 9/18 – 9/21
In-class video resume critique
Due Dates: 9/29 and 10/1
Incomplete videos will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Video resume final version (15 points)
Reflection (3 points)
Due Dates: 10/3 by midnight
You will submit the video and your reflection together
VIDEO RESUME (15 points)
You will select a partner who will be in charge of filming you and you’ll be in charge of filming them. The rest of the assignment, you’ll complete on your own. You’ll make a 1-2 minute video resume meeting these requirements:
You will use a camera, mic, and tripod provided by WRAC in order to create a video resume. You can either make a general video resume that describes your skills to a variety of employers or you can make one targeted at a particular place of employment (your goal can be a full-time job or an internship). We will analyze examples of both approaches in class.
Your video should have at least three setups. By setups, I mean the following: you can frame yourself differently (closeup, midshot, longshot—watch out for sound if you do longshots); you can place yourself on different sides of the screen; you can wear different outfits/makeup/hats; you can film in different locations.
Your video (or at least the majority of it) should be filmed inside, in a place where you can close doors and windows and turn off air conditioners, refrigerators, and so on if they make noise. Dorm rooms and common areas work well if you can keep others from interrupting. Off campus housing (your own or your friends’) also works if you can control the space.
As you record your video, make sure to give yourself various good takes of each setup. My recommendation is to film the whole script a few times from each set up so that you can use the different setups to help you edit together your best performances. For example, you can use 10 seconds from setup 1, 20 seconds from setup 3, 10 seconds from setup 2, and so on. That way you won’t have to do the whole script well in one take.
I understand that being in front of the camera may not be something you enjoy. However, part of what we’re trying to accomplish with this assignment is to give you a sense of what being in front of the camera feels like so you’ll be able to better empathize with those you’ll be filming in later assignments. If you absolutely don’t want to speak in front of the camera, there are creative ways to avoid it. We’ll be watching a couple examples that do so.
While it would be great if you were to actually use this video in order to reach out to potential employers, you may decide that this is not a piece you want to be represented by. Even if that is the case, the process of articulating your qualifications for employers by merging images and sound will help you think rhetorically about how your professional and school experiences make you a valuable employee, something that will help you beyond this course.
We will be learning iMovie in order to edit your video resume. If you own a Macbook, you can use it to edit your film (all Macbooks come with iMovie). If you don’t own a Macbook, you can use the Mac computers in 317 and in any lab on campus. Whether or not you are using your own computer, you will be downloading the footage to your external hard drive, not to your computer so you don’t clutter your computer with large video files. Even though we will go over the basics of iMovie in class and you can ask your classmates and myself questions as you edit, you will need to Google some of your questions about using iMovie. Being able to effectively draw on the internet to answer your questions is a vital skill for any producer of digital media, so if you are not already doing so, this course will be a great opportunity for you to learn how.
Your video needs a soundtrack, which can be used sparingly or throughout. Either way, make sure that the sound doesn’t drown out your voice. You will use Creative Commons music, which you can find here: http://www.freesound.org, http://www.jamendo.com/en, and http://ccmixter.org. If you decide to exercise Fair Use in order to use copyrighted material, you will need to explain your Fair Use choices in your reflection. As you decide, keep in mind that your work can be taken down even if it meets Fair Use regulations.
You are not required to use B-roll, but if you decide to do so, you can shoot your own or find Creative Commons footage at the Internet Archive (http://archive.org/details/stock_footage) and at Stock Footage for Free (http://www.stockfootageforfree.com).
Post your video to YouTube. You will make an account at https://www.youtube.com. YouTube will lead you through the upload process. You will need to link your account to an email address. Be aware that if you use a Gmail address to set up your account, you will not be able to separate that address and account later.
Video resumes don’t have credits at the end. However, in your description of the video on YouTube, tell us that you directed, produced and edited the video, that your partner was the cinematographer, and make sure you list everything you used in the soundtrack (title, author, year) and every stock image you used (title, author, year). At the end of your description, provide the video with a license. It can be Creative Commons or traditional copyright. It’s up to you.
FILMING YOUR PARTNERS’ VIDEO RESUME (5 points)
You and your partner will decide when and where you will film each other. It can be done on the same day or over a few days but make sure you find a schedule that works for both of you and that you take your different locations into account as you plan your shoot. You will have one camera between the two of you but make sure to use your own SD Card or tape to film your section.
PROPOSAL (2 points)
Your proposal will be presented in two ways: an in-class presentation (2 minutes with 2 minutes for discussion) and a written version that you’ll email me by class time on the day you present. You will provide the following information:
Kind of video resume (general or targeted at a potential employee)
Tone (serious, enthusiastic, funny)
Shooting location and time
Storyboard of setups. If you draw your storyboard, make sure to scan it as a PDF, so you can open it on our class’s main computer and share it with everyone.
Any issues you want the class to help you with regarding the script, tone, setups, locations, etc.
Proposal Delivery
In order to receive full credit, you must send the proposal and storyboard as an attachment to [email protected]. The proposal should be a Microsoft Word file and the storyboard a PDF file. The subject of your email should be Video Resume Proposal, followed by your last name. The name of the proposal should be Video Resume Proposal followed by your last name, i.e. Video Resume Proposal Hidalgo. Follow the same format for your storyboard, i.e. Video Resume Storyboard Hidalgo.
You will receive half credit if you do not follow the instructions above or if you submit your proposal a day late. If you submit it two or more days late, you will receive no credit.
REFLECTION (3 points)
The final draft of your video resume will be accompanied by a 900-1,200 word reflection, which will do the following:
Explain how your choices as a filmmaker meet the conventions of the genre you selected. You should refer to at least two of the video resumes we watched and at least two of the filmmaking advice readings and videos we discussed together and tell us how those texts influenced the final product.
Discuss your process as a filmmaker. What worked? What didn’t work? What could you have done differently? If you used copyrighted material under Fair Use, how does your usage constitute Fair Use? You should cite at least two class readings as you discuss your filmmaking process.
Explain why you chose the particular Creative Commons/Copyright license you selected.
Use MLA for your citations. If you need assistance with MLA, visit the Purdue OWL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl). You will need to use in-text citations and create a Works Cited page for your reflection where you list written sources and videos.
Reflection and Video Resume Delivery
In order for your reflection and video resume to receive full credit, you must do the following:
Send the link to the video in the body of an email with the attached reflection to [email protected]. The subject of your email should be Video Resume and Reflection followed by your last name. The reflection should be a Microsoft Word file. The name of the document should be Video Resume Reflection followed by your last name, i.e. Video Resume Reflection Hidalgo.
I will deduct two points if you do not follow the delivery instructions above.
ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR
The assignment is worth 25 points. Below is a breakdown of the assignment components, their point value, and when they are due.
Assignment
Due Date
Proposal (2 points)
Due Date: 9/17
Footage recording period
9/18 – 9/21
Recording your partner’s video (5 points)
Due Date: 9/18 – 9/21
In-class video resume critique
Due Dates: 9/29 and 10/1
Incomplete videos will count as a missed quiz (1 point)
Video resume final version (15 points)
Reflection (3 points)
Due Dates: 10/3 by midnight
You will submit the video and your reflection together
QUESTIONS
If you have questions about the YouTube assignment, feel free to email me, stop by my office hours, or make an appointment.
If you have questions about the YouTube assignment, feel free to email me, stop by my office hours, or make an appointment.