Jim Krause | Classes | P351/J560 Video Field & Post Production

Week 1

Welcome & Course Introduction

Agenda:

Course overview
Syllabus & grading
Review info that will help you be successful
Look at some samples of last semester’s work
Talk about 1st assignments

Course description: This course teaches the technical skills and creative principles required for video field and post production. Topics include technology, composition, continuity, sound, and lighting. Experience planning, lighting, shooting video and editing will be provided through hands-on exercises and assignments.

[Personal goal – as a student field and post was my favorite class. It still is one of my favorites. You can produce almost anything & try your hand at any topic or genre.]

Goals:

To teach you proficiency in field production. (Not just shooting, but lighting, audio, shooting for the edit, working with talent, etc)
To teach you to become good shooters and editors.
Develop your writing and producing skills
Provide you with some high quality portfolio projects

Syllabus & Class Structure: Weekly lectures take place Tuesday from 5:25 PM - 6:10 PM in Studio 5 (RTV 127 ). Labs take place Wednesday in the Production Lab (RTV 157).

Contact info: E-mail is best.
Call (812) 332-1005 if you need to talk to me. Feel free to call, really!
Office hours are Tuesday afternoons from 2:30-4:30 PM (RTV room 350 or via Zoom) & by appt.

Materials

You'll have access to Canon XF605 camcorders, which use either SDHD or SDXC cards.

NOTE: You are welcome to shoot on whatever camera is best suited for the project, but it's important that you learn the operation and menu structure of the Canon XF405s.

Two 32 GB (or larger) SD memory cards. Bring an SD card to every lab!
Portable USB drive (minimum 1 TB recommended)
Headphones (for field shoots and editing in the Production Lab)
Editing computer (recommended)

Policies

No laptops, iPads or cellphones unless DIRECTLY related to class activities. Everything (class notes, asignment info) is on-line so there is no need to take notes. Please keep your phones tucked away so they don't pose a distraction.

Food and drinks aren't allowed in the Production Lab or in Studio 5. These places only get cleaned once a week. Please make sure you don’t bring in or leave trash. Help us keep it clean.

Attendance/Punctuality/Professionalism/Attitude - Please show up on time to every lab and lecture and (even if you're bored) act like you care. Video projects usually require attention to communication, so please be proactive with correspondance (answering emails, texts, etc.).

Turning in work

Media should be turned in using the shared Google Drive folder: “P351_Fall_2021" / "AM Lab" or “PM Lab”. You'll likely have to access it using your @iu.edu account. Contact Jim if you have troubles accessing it.
All other work (critiques, storyboards, performer releases, program proposals, etc.) should be turned in via Canvas.

Originality & Legal integrity - Your work should be original and have legal integrity. Please be sure to get signed talent/photo releases for all portfolio projects, scan them, and include them with your assignment materials. You have access to our Virtual Music Library via Killer Tracks. See the website for instructions on how to access Killer Tracks.

Responsibility/Murphy's Law - You are responsible for your own success or failure. Do your work early/ahead of time. There's no advantage to putting things off. Delaying only results in added stress and lower quality work- and an opportunity for Murphy's Law to kick in.

DO NOT WAIT to coordinate and carry out your video shoots. Video assignments are NOT like writing a paper. Students typically put off writing papers and studying until the night before the work is due. This does not work for video productions. Talent and locations must be scheduled and locked in weeks in advance. Production takes time. Editing takes time. Sound design, animation, graphics, and color correction take time. Many things frequently go wrong (talent, location, weather issues, etc.). SImply transcoding and outputting a 4-minute video can take hours. Good producers understand the complexity of creating a simple projects. Do your work early or at the latest, on-time.

Production Lab & Equipment

Equipment checkouts default to set blocks of time. Special requests of reservations for equipment (slider, extended checkouts, etc.) need to be made at least 3 working days ahead of time using the on-line form.

Most equipment has controls, switches, and numerous menu settings. Learn what they do. If you don’t know what they do, don’t change them. Better yet, RTFM find out what they do.

Report any broken equipment to the lab monitor or to the instructor.

Equipment must be returned on time. If for some reason you are late, CALL THE LAB. Failure to bring gear back on time results in loss of checkout priviliges.

Only those in production courses can use the facilities
Prodcution Lab hours- set shortly after the start of every semester

Check website and your email for readings, assignments & updates.

Success. What does it take to be successful in this class?

Check Canvas, the syllabus, and the website to look at assignments in advance & carry out the paperwork (E.g. critiques)
Complete the weekly readings
Bring media (SD cards) every week
Come to every class and be on time
Do your assignments ahead of or on time.
Participate in class and with teams
Study for tests

Portfolio Projects

Storyboard/Continuity Sequence (Show off your camera and continuity skills)
Art Video (almost anything goes)
Interview/Feature Story (A mini-documentary that must be 2 or 3 minutes in length)
Drama/Storytelling Project (group project) or due to pandemic limitations, a Demonstration/Instructional video can be produced instead.
Final Project (Can be almost anything. This is a good time to produce a client or service-learning project.)

Focus on quality not quantity. None of the class projects need to be long, but should be thoughtfully crafted.

This class provides a unique opportunity to create projects for your portfolio. Don't think of the projects as assignments, but as a chance to make videos,which you can use to win awards, get a job, or get into graduate school. To succeed in the industry, It's important that you show up on time, be communicative, and have a good reel. All of you are capable of doing good work and having a fun and fulfilling time in the process.

When you make a production, try to make it the highest caliber possible. This means

There's a clear purpose
Shots will be steady, in focus, and properly color balanced and exposed.
Camera movements will be smooth and intentional
Backgrounds will add to the subject composition and not distract the viewer
Lighting will be used to compliment your subject
Graphics will follow the rules of good composition and design
Audio will be clear and mixed appropriately
You work will have legal integrity: No music or talent will be used without a release.

Become a critical viewer! Whenever you watch TV, go to the movies or look at photography:

Think about the production and figure out how it was shot
How was the shot framed and where was the camera placed (high low, tripod, dolly, jib or hand held)?
What is in focus and out of focus?
Look at the lighting. Where is it coming from? Is it hard or soft?
Do the scenes have a mood or feel to them? What is it?
What motivated the edit? (action, sound etc)
Close your eyes and listen to the soundtrack. Consider the music, sound design, SFX, and if the actors were miked close or or far.
Pretend you are the director & try to figure out the process used to create the scene.

Bio/Expectations + Pandemic/Technologis Planning Exercise. (10 points): This was assigned via Canvas. It asks everyone to address the two sets of bullet points below.

Bio/Expectations:

Name & how you'd like to be addressed (he, her, they, etc.)
Year at IU
Areas of study/major
Personal interests/hobbies
List one TV show you love & one you hate
What kind of project would you like to produce in this class?
Describe three specific things you want to get out of this course. (E.g. produce a documentary portfolio piece, get better at lighting, learn Avid Media Composer, etc.)

There's a chance that IU might have to move to on-line classes earlier than planned. The next set of bullets will help if this transpires.

Technology-related:

Are you comfortable doing lectures and meetings via Zoom?
Describe the camera gear you have access to (DSLR, tripod, camcorder, just my iPhone, etc.).
Assuming you have one, describe the editing setup you'll be using this semester ( E.g. MacBook Pro with an external monitor, HP desktop, etc.) or if you'll be relying on IU/Media School Production Lab computers.
Please let me know if you have any technological or logistical impediments and what they are.

Homework:

Carry out the Bio/Expectations assignment BEFORE tomorrow's lab.
Do the readings in the syllabus

As you read the text, be sure you understand the terms and concepts in the word bank below.

Word bank / vocabulary

Angle of view
Auto focus (problems with)
Changes in apparent speed
Compressing distance
Depth of field
Dolly (in and out)
F-stop
Focal length
Follow focus
Frame rate (24, 30 and over and undercranking)
Image sensor (CCD, CMOS, etc.)
Lens speed
Macro focus
Perspective changes
Prime lens
Relationship between depth of field and f-stop
Rack focus
Selective focus
Shutter speed
Truck (right or left)
White balance
Zoom lens
Zoom ratio

Back to Jim Krause's P351 Home Page