Fall 2011 Advanced Camera and Editing Techniques JOUR 4684/5684

Overview:

Advanced Camera and Editing Techniques teaches students the skills they need to enhance the quality of their video storytelling and convey meaning and energy to each and every shot. This class will also teach advanced functions in Final Cut Pro, the aesthetics of editing, basic animation, video and audio filters, and audio mixing. Additionally, students will learn how to become backpack journalists and incorporate their projects into a multi-media presentation for the Web.

Photography is the art of writing with light; editing is joining images together to expand or compress time and alternate points of view. Advanced skills will help students make their images more compelling and their editing more dynamic. Behind these skills, students will develop their visual literacy.  They will know that their work begins with a vision followed by a firm understanding about cameras, composition, continuity, editorial needs and the language of cinema. Students will also learn how to work more effectively as editors using Final Cut Pro, accelerate their workflow, and to create graphics and basic animation. Students will learn to distinguish themselves as professionals and to find their creative voice, mastering the skills of visual storytelling that are original, informative and entertaining.

Objective:

Classes will incorporate lectures and exercises to promote hands-on experience. Some of the exercises  and assignments will require that students work in teams. 

Students will deploy the following lessons to their own work:

·      Cinematic language and camera dynamics.

·      Analysis of narrative films, documentaries and news stories.

·      Applying sequences to their photography and editing.

·      Produce a video podcast and other video projects that will be seen by a broad audience.

·      Learn to foster an understanding and appreciation for industry standards of broadcast excellence and also apply these standards to their own work.

Instructional Strategy

The material will be taught through both lecture and hands-on activitiesLectures will involve industry examples from news stories, films and documentaries, which will be followed by class discussions. Video assignments will have the potential to be broadcast and screened to an audience. Group projects will mirror professional team dynamics. Students will be evaluated based n their level of participation in the class, the content, execution and eativity of their work, and the results of quizzes.

Instructor:

Paul Daugherty is a full-time instructor at the CU-Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Since 2003 he has taught courses such as Principles of Television Production, Advanced Editing, Advanced Video Camera and NewsTeam. He has over 20 years of television experience as a producer, writer, photographer and editor, having produced numerous documentaries while working for PBS, including Emmy-winning public affairs shows. Daugherty is also an independent producer of nature and science documentaries as well as educational and corporate videos. His work includes Jump Steak, Space Class, and Zookeeper Journal. He has worked in Africa, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. He is currently faculty supervisor of the Emmy-winning student-produced video podcast series, CU Science Update.

Teaching Philosophy:

I have a passion for broadcast. My intention is to foster learning in a friendly, relaxed environment that is conducive to multiple learning styles.  One of the best ways to do this is to organize the material in a way that makes it user-friendly. I also highly encourage class discussion and the understanding that learning requires a strong commitment and work ethic. Video production is a craft, which is why I highly recommend that students practice beyond the usual assignments. Teaching improves my own skills profoundly, and I learn just as much from students especially when they demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness. I plan to experiment with different methods of presenting information in order to improve the atmosphere of learning. 

Timetable (subject to revision):

Day 1- 26 August

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