Welcome to Video Communications

Welcome to the WarriorTV video classroom. It's great to see that you are enrolled in this very
interesting and exciting program. Depending on your effort and commitment to this class you will find
that there is the potential for a very rewarding experience. Here are some things that you should know
in order to be successful:
1. Expectations - You should come to class prepared to learn and to maximize the use of your
time. You are always welcome to work before and after school as well as during lunch and
seminar. You will find that you don't have to spend every spare minute that you have in here
but when there is a deadline to meet you need to do whatever is necessary to meet that deadline.
2. Homework and Tests- You will not have very much traditional homework and only a few
tests/quizzes when necessary. Most of your grade will come from your finished videos.
3. Groups- You will spend your entire year working with other students. Generally students find
that once they form a team they tend to stay with that group. When necessary I will observe
the progress of each team and if necessary groups and/or individuals will be split up in order to
encourage you to do the best job possible in class. You will find that one person cannot produce
a quality video. It takes a team to be successful. For this reason it is essential to work with your
team and be agreeable to work after hours if required.
4. Responsibilities- You will find that this classroom is well equipped. You are 100% responsible for the
equipment you use and for doing your part in maintaining a professional atmosphere in the classroom.
It is expected that you will gain mastery over the controls of the camera and other equipment that you
use. If you don't know how to do something ask for assistance. Accidents happen but if you break
something due to carelessness or misuse you will be responsible for fixing or replacing the equipment.
If you break or find a piece of broken equipment it must be reported immediately. If you find that
somebody may have taken or broken something in the classroom you should work with that person or
the teacher to get things back to normal.
5. Recommended supplies for class 1) the video cameras use Smart memory cards that have a class
6 designation or higher for the required data transfer rates. This is the small number inside the small
circle on the card. I would recommend a card with the minimum of 8 GBs (every 5 minutes of video is
approximately 1 GB). If you are interested in using these cameras and don't want to risk losing your
footage because your video has been erased or card lost or mixed up, you should have your own card.
2) It is highly recommended that you have a memory stick (4 GB or higher). You will spend a lot of time
on a computer and may need to copy files for a variety of reasons. Video files are large so 4 GB of
memory is the minimum to have for this purpose. Due to computer security the memory sticks can only
be used on our Macs. The school will provide you with a Google account where you will be able to
access your Google Drive where you can store and transfer up to 15 GB of information.
6. Filming on location - It will be expected that you leave the classroom to film parts of your
projects. Whenever you leave the room you must get permission and have a hall pass. Failure to
do this will modify your privileges in the classroom and you will be given detention.
7. Ambassadors for the video program - Whenever you are filming, people are watching. You may
also find yourself filming high profile individuals from our school, community, or outside of the
community. You should always be prepared, informed, and dressed appropriately. It is expected that
your behavior is perfect. Word travels very quickly when you have disturbed a classroom,
interrupted a teacher, walked off campus, or are just hanging out in the halls. You do not have
the right to get a student out of a class for filming. If it is important that you film a student from another
class you must first get approval from Mr. Smith and then obtain permission from the students
teacher.
8. Filming special events - This is what we do! You can expect to film at least one event outside of
the normal school day. This can include sports, assemblies, guest speakers, contests, etc.
9. Video content - Because our videos end up being shown to a general audience and because this
is part of a public school experience, what you do and say in the video must be appropriate.
Things to consider; is it too violent, NO WEAPONS or anything that looks like a weapon are allowed, is
the language acceptable to all
students, staff, and community members, is the topic controversial and is it appropriate for
school? Remember that everything we produce should have a G rating (appropriate for a
general audience). Your videos will end up on the internet so be careful about your content. For
reasons of security and your safety, first and last names should not be used in credits if the
video has any chance of being seen outside of our community.
10. If you have any questions you can always send me an email at [email protected]
Some of the projects you will complete this year:
Video I
Student introductions using 10 shots
Show opener
Music video (using original music if possible)
Newscast
Commercial
Public Service Announcements (PSA)
Movie trailer
Video II
Student introductions
Homecoming video
Silent movie
Documentary
How-to video
PSA suitable for AFN
News show broadcast
Yearbook videos as assigned
Create a short movie
Filming live productions
Video III
Videos as required by the school and community
You will take a leadership role in the video program by assisting other students and teacher.
You will be expected to master the broadcasting equipment and participate in broadcasts.
School orientation video
Movie reconstruction
Movie scenes
Short Movie
After Effects
Documentary