Mister Wilson's Video Production Class: Final Video Project: Choose Your Destiny!

Hello Students,

This project along with your portfolio will make up your final. This last video project is a free style, you can create the project you want to, but I expect it to reflect the skills and knowledge you have been granted over the course of this class. Your video project, no matter what form it takes, should show good editing, smooth camera work, good use of transitions, tell a story or deliver information in an entertaining fashion. There should be well crafted titles and credit rolls at the beginning and end of your project. You should find ways to utilize the motion graphics and animation skills to enhance your project in appropriate ways.

What Project will you make? :

It is up to you to decide what project you would like to complete for your final. You must make sure that you can accomplish this project with the time we have left in class. Time management is crucial.

Here are some ideas for projects:

Original Narrative or Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery, Etc...
Documentary project
Comedy Skits/Shorts/TV Show
Experimental Video
Music Video
2D Animated Short
3D Animated Short

How to Get Started! :

Build a team of dedicated filmmakers, actors, artists and camera operators to participate in your project
Decide on a concept/idea for your project
Write a full page proposal to get approval from your instructor before proceeding
Create a storyboard, shot list or script for your project... whichever suits your project best and get approval from your instructor before filming begins.
Schedule your shoot, decide on locations, check out equipment, gather costumes or props if needed, make sure everyone on your team is on board and begin production

Project Requirements:

Each team is expected to complete:

1 page proposal for project complete with all project details, subjects, locations, summaries, storyline, content, special effects, etc...
A storyboard, shot list or script that clearly describes the project, scenes, transitions, special effects, audio, camera angles, action, dialogue.
A well edited final project free of technical errors.
Well designed, animated title sequences and credit roles that are appropriate to the film subject or style and some use of motion graphics, special effects to enhance or create transitions or scenes in the project.
Each team must completed a press kit with biographies
Each project must create an animated production logo

Schedule:

Project proposals should be done and approved by Monday the 28th
Storyboard/shotlist/scripts should be done and approved by Friday the 2nd
Preliminary shooting should be completed by December 15th
Rough Cut should be complete by December 22
Final Project completed with Press Kits by January 13th
ROP Portfolios with Demo Reels Due January 18th

Grading and Evaluation:

You will be graded against the Video Production Rubric. Familiarize yourself with it to achieve maximum points.

Summary:

You are expected to have a clear description of what your project aims to achieve and each team member should have a clear definition and fulfill their roles effectively
You are expected to have a storyboard, script or shot list that illustrates your project clearly with beat, structure, transitions, special effects, sound effects, audio tracks, lower thirds, titles, etc
The content should have a clear statement of purpose or theme and be a quality creative work.
Your completed project is expected to have all elements defined, be well edited and be free of technical problems.
Teams are expected to met, discuss and contribute to the project, and work with respect for each other.
All deadlines are expected to be met.

Biographies, Press Kits and Logos:

Each filmmaking team is responsible for assembling a press kit and writing the biography for their film. These materials are used to distribute the project to film festivals and for publicity.

Biography:

A biography is a brief, third-person description of the filmmaker(s). Information that is typically included in a biography includes: place of birth, place of residence, educational background, past projects, current projects, areas of interest.

A sample biography:

Jason Jakaitis is a filmmaking student at San Francisco State University and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Master of Arts program in Communications Studies. Born and raised in San Diego, he currently lives in the Upper Haight area of San Francisco. In 2007, Jason was awarded a Murphy Fellowship from the San Francisco Foundation, as well as a Personal Works grant from Film Arts Foundation and a New Filmmaker grant from Panavision. Jason's previous film, minutiae, is a 16mm narrative short that was awarded Special Jury Prize at the Portland International Short Short Film Festival, and screened at the 2007 Mill Valley, Humboldt and Santa Cruz film festivals.

Logos:

Your team must produce a logo for your “production company”. This logo could be hand illustrated or created with motion graphics but it must show strong technical skill and be effective and creative.

Press Kit:

Depending on the project, press kits can be composed of a variety of different kinds of information, but the overall goal of the kit is always the same: to provide the individual with as much relevant information about the film as possible. This information can then be used in articles, in film festival schedules, online “blurbs” and any other way that a festival would choose to promote the film.

Check out this link: How To Make A Press Kit for your Indie Movie

Download and read a real press kit: Press Kit for the film Some Kind Of Wonderful

Check out this press kit: Quivir Press Kit

Check out this press kit: Cave of Forgotten Dreams Press Kit

Press Kits require the following:

Two or more still images from the film itself
Two behind the scenes production stills taken with a camera, cell phone cam, ipod camera, point and shoot, etc
One “headshot” photo each of the filmmakers and actors
A one paragraph (3-4 sentence) synopsis of the film
A one paragraph biography of each filmmaker
You can assemble your press kit using google docs, pages or word, indesign, photoshop or illustrator and turn it in as a PDF file