Syllabus Fall 2019
RTF 03370 FILM PRODUCTION 1
Monday 9:30 am to 12:15 pm
Fall 2019 Bozorth Classroom 166
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Bierman, Boz. 105D
Bierman @ Rowan.edu
Office Hours:
Monday 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Wednesday 11am to Noon
Friday 2pm – 3pm (by appointment)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Film Production One - RTF 03370 is designed as a basic introduction to “film-style”
production. This style of shooting and editing is central to narrative feature films,
television programs, short films, corporate video and web-based productions. Students
will study the basic technologies, organizational practices, and storytelling techniques
employed by filmmakers in the construction of visual narratives, and refine their skills
through a series of hands-on projects. Homework assignments will emphasize
previsualization and project management tasks.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will demonstrate a foundational knowledge of film production technologies
and techniques including camera operation; light metering; lens choice, determining a
depth of field, selecting an ISO and evaluating proper exposure.
2. Students will be able understand and apply basic classical Hollywood-style cinematic
storytelling techniques to the creation of short films based on characters and common
human realities that can communicate visually to an audience. Students will demonstrate
their understanding of these techniques through writing and pre-visualization
assignments.
3. Students will be able utilize organizational strategies, project planning and
management techniques to produce a series of small group assignments which stress
productive collaboration to create visually engaging storytelling that utilizes resources
found in the immediate environment. Through group collaborations students will gain a
better understanding of the human dimension of film production and the importance of
good interpersonal communication skills in production practice.
4. Students will be able to coordinate and carry out the post-production of short projects,
demonstrating their understanding of basic editing theories, digital editing software,
hardware, web-based media technologies, and proper digital media management.
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5. Students will learn to care about the quality of their own work and the manner in which
they present themselves to others through their work. Taste may be subjective, but
quality is entirely objective.
REQUIRED TEXT, HARD DRIVE AND OTHER SUPPLIES:
Grammar of the Shot (4th Edition) by Christopher J. Bowen, Published by Focal
Press, Routledge Available at the Rowan Bookstore, Amazon.com and other book
sellers.
EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE: Students are not permitted to download their footage
onto the local hard drive of the computers is the editing labs. Students are not permitted
to edit off of their Google Drive either. Therefor each student is required to have an
external hard drive of a least 250 GB hard drive, minimum 7200 RPM, with USB 3 or
Thunderbolt ports. This hard drive is now required in a variety of the department’s
production courses. Each student will edit his or her own version of each project. A
high capacity thumb drive or SD card is not sufficient. They are too slow to be used in
the editing process. You need this hard drive by week three of the course.
A storyboarding notebook and pencil- Each student is required to purchase a simple
note book with unlined paper and a pencil with an erasure for the purpose of
storyboarding shot ideas in class or as homework. This need not be an expensive artist
style sketch book. Any notebook of unlined white paper will do the job. Please also
remember to bring a pencil.
EQUIPMENT and EDITING:
CAMERA AND RELATED EQUIPMENT: Equipment room hours of operation will
be announced in class. The production format to be used in RTF 03370 is 35mm DSLR
video. These are the only cameras that you will be allowed to use for this class and they
may be checked out from the Equipment Room along with tripods, flex fills and apple
boxes for class projects only. Equipment reservations are required for all shoots. The
reservation site is www.Rowan.edu/ccca/bookings. This link can be reached from any
web browser or internet connected device. Students are required to follow booking
procedures as outlined in class. Failure to follow procedures may result in a loss of
equipment room privileges. See Production Coordinator, Sean O'Leary for all equipment
related matters.
[email protected]PLEASE NOTE: One of the objectives in this course is to learn to follow specific
equipment procedures and learn specific gear; therefore, use of non-RTF department
cameras regardless of format is prohibited!
EDITING: A Computer Editing Lab with 18 MAC editing stations that utilize Adobe
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Premiere CC editing software is located in Bozorth Hall Room 132. This lab has open
hours in the late afternoon, early evening and on Fridays. In addition, there are 7 MAC
editing stations in the Film Editing Room 162 that can be used during normal work hours
10am to 5pm and when they are not being used by film classes. Check the posted
schedule for each room. You also have the option of editing on your own computer. Off-
campus editing will require students to provide their own software and support. For
editing on your own computer, we recommend buying a subscription to the Adobe
Creative Cloud for $19.99 per month. You can purchase this at
http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud.edu.html?promoid=JQPEQ While we
recommend the Adobe software, you can edit with whatever software you wish, but you
must provide a file that you can load to YouTube or Vimeo to receive a grade. If I can’t
open your file on YouTube or Vimeo I can’t grade your work.
PLEASE NOTE: Any report of late equipment returns or other violations of
departmental procedures relative to the use of equipment or facilities will place you on
equipment suspension by the RTF Department for a determined period of time. In
addition, you are financially and legally responsible for any equipment you check out
from the Department of Radio, Television and Film.
Film Production 1 Projects - Basic Guidelines and Descriptions
The projects in this class are meant to help students develop a better understanding of the
Grammar of the Shot and how shots are used to construction sequences. Shots and
sequences are the basic building blocks of any narrative project.
Basic guidelines for all class projects.
1. Planning and Intentionality – Projects are designed to teach students the importance
of preproduction planning in helping the filmmaker to make specific intentional choices
about the framing, composition and content of individual shots and the overall sequence.
Storyboards are the key to this preproduction planning and are required for each project.
2. Black and White – Projects in the class are meant to help students think visually and
to train their eyes to identify contrasts and patterns in the world around them. To help
students to focus their eyes on these aspects of the visual environment, all projects in this
class will be shot in Black and White or Monochrome mode.
3. Emphasis on Visual Storytelling Techniques – Projects in this course are designed to
teach students to communicate purely through the selection, placement and sequencing of
visual information. All projects in this class will be shot MOS or Without Sound. The
microphones in the cameras will be turned off when shooting. Students will only be
permitted to add music and selected sound effects to the final project in this class. All
other projects must remain silent films.
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Project #1 – Frame Design and Sequence
Each Student will storyboard 15 shots with attention to specific framing and composition.
The shots will form a sequence that accomplishes three objectives. First, the shots will
introduce one exterior location. Second, the shots will introduce one character. Third, the
shots will culminate in the introduction of a problem for the character which will require
the character to take action. 14 of the shots will be still shots. One shot of the 15 must
include camera movement motivated be character or object movement within the frame.
(Deliverable – a 15 shot PowerPoint presentation by each student in the class)
Project #2 – The Photo Roman plus One
Students will form small groups to shoot one of the storyboarded sequences from Project
#1. The Photo Roman will consist of 14 still photographs which match the storyboarded
shot sequence presented as Project 1 plus one shot which will be filmed at 24 frames per
second as a movie file. This 15th shot will include camera movement motivated be either
character or object movement within the frame. (Deliverables – a silent film under 2
minutes for each student in the class).
Project #3 – The Simple Human Act
Students will shoot a simple scene of human interaction on a park bench. The scene will
introduce two characters. One character will have food. A second character will arrive at
the location. Through the use of close up shots, the filmmakers must reveal that the
second character is hungry. The first character must come to understand the hunger of
the second character and make a decision to share their food with the second character.
This project will be storyboarded and a set of overhead camera diagrams will be draw to
map out coverage for continuity. (Deliverables, one set of storyboards and one set of
camera setups per group and a silent film under 2 minutes for each member of the group).
Project #4 - A Simple Human Story
The final project will combine the techniques explored in the tree previous projects to
construct a simple story of human interaction. Each student will write a film treatment
telling a story that can be shot on campus. The story must have the following elements:
1. The story will involve two characters. 2. The story will progress through three acts
(Beginning , middle and end) in three different locations. 3. The film will be designed
and shot silently. After the film has been screened as a rough cut the filmmakers will be
asked to add music and specific sound effects to create mood or to help to clarify the
visual information that is being communicated. (Deliverables, one film treatment per
student, one set of storyboards and camera setups per group, 1 silent film under 4 minutes
in length for each member of the group).
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QUIZZES AND HOMEWORK
There will be two quizzes and a final in this class. Homework in this course will be
graded and counted toward overall participation in the class. Preproduction (Treatments,
storyboards and camera set ups) and Post Production count as homework and is due in
class on the day scheduled. Regardless of condition you must screen your edit on that day
to receive a grade. Missed homework will receive a zero.
PROFESSIONALISM AND PRODUCTIVE COLLABORATION
You will be assigned to production teams for assignments. The success of each
assignment will depend on the professional conduct and dedication of each member of
the team. Professional conduct is merely an expression of respect for yourself and your
collaborators. Media professionals are on time for class and production related activities
such as meetings and crew calls. In addition, media professionals are organized; they
strive to present their ideas clearly, and always treat fellow team members, professional
staff, student supervisors, faculty and others with respect. Lateness, absence, or lack of
preparation for meetings or assignments is a sign of disrespect for others. Unprofessional
conduct will greatly reduce your ability to master basic production processes and will be
reflected in my evaluation of your work. If you make the commitment to fully participate
in the classroom and production assignments that will also be reflected in my evaluation
of your work.
COPYRIGHT
In this class we respect the principle of copyright and an artist’s right to be compensated
for their work. You must obtain synchronization and / or festival public performance
clearance for any music used in your final project. You have four basic options in this
regard: 1. Use music from our Music Library CDs in the Equipment Room, 2. License a
piece of music from one of many on-line music sources and display the license info in
your on-screen credits (see our web links for suggested sites), 3. Write and record your
own music using Garage Band or a similar software. 4. License music through a
publishing company and record label (this is a long and sometimes complicated process
so be sure you absolutely need it.)
EVALUATING THE LEARNING PROCESS (GRADES)
My goal is to help you to improve your general production skills and to start thinking and
acting like media producers and project managers. Ultimately, I hope this course will be a
step toward your professional goals. Therefor evaluation of that process is on going
throughout the semester. Assignments are designed to be comprehensive. Each
assignment builds on previous knowledge. The assignments are therefore of increasing
complexity and weighted accordingly. Simply meeting the expectations does not justify a
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grade of "A" at this level of education. An "A" is justifiable only if you have excelled in
meeting the expectations and have gone beyond doing only what is required. Remember a
“C” is average, a “B” is above average and an “A” is only for work that is excellent. This
course cannot be taken as Pass / No Credit.
Quizzes 15%
Project #1: Frame Design and Sequence 10%
Project #2: Photo Roman Plus One 20%
Project #3: The Simple Human Act 20%
Project #4: The Simple Human Story 20%
Final 10%
Participation (present and prepared) 5% + zero for late work.
Total
100 % = Final Grade
Evaluation Scale
A 100-94 A- 93- 91
B+ 90-88 B 87-84 B- 83-81
C+ 80-78 C 74-77 C- 73-71
D+ 70-68 D 67-64 D- 63-61
F 60 and Below
CLASSROOM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The following policies and procedures are in compliance with the current university wide
policies and procedures. For more information students are directed to read the
appropriate sections of the current Rowan Student Information Guide available at
http://www.rowan.edu/provost/policies
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Your success in this class results from your full participation in group and individual
classroom work. Your participation requires attendance at and involvement in class
meetings, and many of the production related experiences are unrepeatable. Students
should refer to the website listed above to review the University wide policies regarding
excused absences. Students providing appropriate documentation will be excused for
only those absences listed in the University policies. Whether absences are excused or
unexcused, students absent more than 2 times will receive an F for the semester, or may
withdraw, if appropriate. All unexcused absences will be factored in your final grade.
Students who are approaching this limit should contact the Dean of Students office to be
advised as to their rights, obligations, and available assistance. In short, don’t be absent.
MAKING UP WORK FOR THIS CLASS.
Students who miss a class can make up for a missed class by attending my other section
of this course. I teach this course on Monday 9:30 to 12:15pm and Friday from 11am to
1:45pm. Students who miss a class and wish to attend the other section should send me
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an email to request permission to sit in on the other class prior to attending the other
class. Students who miss a quiz may make up that quiz during my office hours. I return
quizzes one week after they given in class. Students who have not made up the quiz
during office hours will receive a zero for that quiz.
PROFESSIONALISM AND PRODUCTIVE COLLABORATION
You will be assigned to production teams for assignments. The success of each
assignment will depend on the professional conduct and dedication of each member of
the team. Professional conduct is merely an expression of respect for yourself and your
collaborators. Media professionals are on time for class and production related activities
such as meetings and crew calls. In addition, media professionals are organized; they
strive to present their ideas clearly, and always treat fellow team members, professional
staff, student supervisors, faculty and others with respect. Lateness, absence, or lack of
preparation for meetings or assignments is a sign of disrespect for others. Unprofessional
conduct will greatly reduce your ability to master basic production processes and will be
reflected in my evaluation of your work. If you make the commitment to fully participate
in the classroom and production assignments that will also be reflected in my evaluation
of your work.
COPYRIGHT
In this class we respect the principle of copyright and an artist’s right to be compensated
for their work. You must obtain synchronization and / or festival public performance
clearance for any music used in your final project. You have four basic options in this
regard: 1. Use music from our Music Library CDs in the Equipment Room, 2. License a
piece of music from one of many on-line music sources and display the license info in
your on-screen credits (see our web links for suggested sites), 3. Write and record your
own music using Garage Band or a similar software. 4. License music through a
publishing company and record label (this is a long and sometimes complicated process
so be sure you absolutely need it.)
EVALUATING THE LEARNING PROCESS (GRADES)
My goal is to help you to improve your general production skills and to start thinking and
acting like media producers and project managers. Ultimately, I hope this course will be a
step toward your professional goals. Therefor evaluation of that process is on going
throughout the semester. Assignments are designed to be comprehensive. Each
assignment builds on previous knowledge. The assignments are therefore of increasing
complexity and weighted accordingly. Simply meeting the expectations does not justify a
grade of "A" at this level of education. An "A" is justifiable only if you have excelled in
meeting the expectations and have gone beyond doing only what is required. Remember a
“C” is average, a “B” is above average and an “A” is only for work that is excellent. This
course cannot be taken as Pass / No Credit.
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Quizzes 15%
Project #1: Frame Design and Sequence 10%
Project #2: Photo Roman Plus One 20%
Project #3: The Simple Human Act 20%
Project #4: The Simple Human Story 20%
Final 10%
Participation (present and prepared) 5% + zero for late work.
Total
100 % = Final Grade
Evaluation Scale
A 100-94 A- 93- 91
B+ 90-88 B 87-84 B- 83-81
C+ 80-78 C 74-77 C- 73-71
D+ 70-68 D 67-64 D- 63-61
F 60 and Below
CLASSROOM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The following policies and procedures are in compliance with the current university wide
policies and procedures. For more information students are directed to read the
appropriate sections of the current Rowan Student Information Guide available at
http://www.rowan.edu/provost/policies
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Your success in this class results from your full participation in group and individual
classroom work. Your participation requires attendance at and involvement in class
meetings, and many of the production related experiences are unrepeatable. Students
should refer to the website listed above to review the University wide policies regarding
excused absences. Students providing appropriate documentation will be excused for
only those absences listed in the University policies. Whether absences are excused or
unexcused, students absent more than 2 times will receive an F for the semester, or may
withdraw, if appropriate. All unexcused absences will be factored in your final grade.
Students who are approaching this limit should contact the Dean of Students office to be
advised as to their rights, obligations, and available assistance. In short, don’t be absent.
MAKING UP WORK FOR THIS CLASS.
Students who miss a class can make up for a missed class by attending my other section
of this course. I teach this course on Monday 9:30 to 12:15pm and Friday from 11am to
1:45pm. Students who miss a class and wish to attend the other section should send me
an email to request permission to sit in on the other class prior to attending the other
class. Students who miss a quiz may make up that quiz during my office hours. I return
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quizzes one week after they given in class. Students who have not made up the quiz
during office hours will receive a zero for that quiz.
COMMITMENTS IN RELATION TO UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM POLICIES
1. I will grade all assignments, projects and tests in a timely manner. I am asking for the
same commitment from you. All assignments, projects and tests must be completed and
turned in by the required deadline. No work will be accepted late. Work not turned in on
the due date will receive a grade of 0 (zero) for that assignment. I do not give
incompletes for production classes. All work must be completed by the end of the
semester.
2. I will strive to make my lectures, handouts and assignments clear and easy to
understand; and accessible on-line. I would ask that you commit to doing the same.
Please make sure that all assignments are clear, well organized and turned in on-line by
deadline.
3. The assignments in this class are designed to help you and I evaluate the progress of
your learning. Extra credit would not assist that learning process and therefore I do not
give extra credit.
4. Lateness is a disruption of the class. I will be on time to class and prepared to explain
and discuss the production process. I will stay focused on the class discussion and refrain
to actively engage in all class activities. Being late more than 10 minutes counts as half
an absence. Being unprepared for class activities counts as half an absence.
5. If you feel that an assessment or other assignment has been graded in error, I
encourage you to discuss the matter with me immediately. I promise to correct any errors
on my part immediately.
6. As with any course in this university, this course adheres to the University wide policy
regarding Academic Integrity. As stated in the current Rowan Student Information Guide
the following are defined as academic dishonesty: cheating, falsification, plagiarism and
facilitating academic dishonesty. Please see the guide at the website listed above for a
more detailed explanation of the academic dishonesty policies and procedures. Be aware
that any instance of academic dishonesty may result in punitive action in accordance with
policies and procedures of the university. I promise to uphold these standards of our
academic community and I would expect you to do the same.
7. I promise to turn off my cell phone prior to the beginning class. I will not take calls and
disrupt the class. If I need to make an emergency call I will leave the class to make that
call. I expect you to follow the same cell phone etiquette. This policy also refers to
texting during class. I will not be sending or receiving text messages during class and I
expect that you are not texting either. Texting or using your cell phone during class means
you are at least mentally absent, so you will be marked absent for the day.
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In short, once I start class I expect cell phones to be put away. If I see your cell phone I
will assume you are using it and therefore you will be marked absent.
8. Classroom computer use is meant to assist the learning process. All department and
personal lap top computer use during class should be focused on the assignment at hand.
Surfing the web, checking Facebook, Twitter, or other sites during class is not permitted.
Computer use should be limited to note taking and work directly related to production
assignments. Engaging in other computer activities means you are at least mentally
absent, so you will be marked absent.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON PREREQUISITES
If you have not met the published prerequisites for this course (Applied Media Aesthetics
and Intro to Production) you will be dropped from the class. This action may be taken
after the registration period has ended. In addition, Film Production One is for RTF
majors only; the instructor will drop others. Since this course is in great demand,
registered students missing the beginning of the first class will be dropped, particularly if
a qualified student on a waiting list is present. Again, this action may be taken after the
registration dates have ended.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION
Your academic success is important. If you have a documented disability that may have
an impact upon your work in this class, please contact me. Students must provide
documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order to receive
official University services and accommodations. The Academic Success Center can be
reached at 856-256-4234. The Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff
is available to answer questions regarding accommodations or assist you in your pursuit
of accommodations. We look forward to working with you to meet your learning goals.
COURSE SCHEDULE
________________________________________________________________________
WEEK 1 Monday September 9th
In class:
1. Intro to Course: Syllabus, Class Requirements and Schedule
2. Equipment Rules and Lab Hours, Editing Software, Hard Drives
3. Camera Basics Review – Silent and Monochrome Set Up.
4. Introduce Project #1 – Frame and Sequence
Outside of class:
1. Explore Blackboard - Go over syllabus, note schedule and plan other
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commitments accordingly.
2. Purchase required Textbook, read Preface and Chapters1and 2.
3. Purchase the required Hard Drive and Storyboard notebook.
WEEK 2 Monday September 16th No Class – Professor Traveling
Outside of class:
1. Read Chapter 3.
2. Visit Blackboard and review Project #1 Frame and Sequence
3. Purchase Portable Hard Drive to bring to class in 2 weeks
WEEK 3 Monday September 23rd
In class:
1. Lecture on Composition
2. Storyboarding Project #1- Frame and Sequence
Outside of class:
1. Review Chapters 1 – 3 for Quiz
2. Complete Storyboards for next Class.
WEEK 4 Monday September 30th
In class:
1. Quiz #1
2. Present Storyboards in Class
3. Discussion: Project #2: The Photo Roman Plus One - Select Storyboards
Outside of class:
1. Preproduction for Shoot, scout location, secure actor and any props.
2. Read Chapter 5
WEEK 5 Monday October 7th
In class:
1. Shoot Project #2 – The Photo Roman Plus One - In Class , File Camera
Reports
Outside of class:
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1. Read Chapter 6
WEEK 6 Monday October 14th
In class:
1. Review Project #2 Shoots – Editing Begins
2. Discuss Project 3 – The Simple Human Act – Collaborate on Story
Create Storyboards and Camera Set Ups
Outside of class:
1. Read Chapter 7
3. Watch tutorials on Adobe premiere.
WEEK 7 Monday October 21st
In class:
1. Shoot Project #3 In Class
Outside of class:
1. Submit Project #2 Frame and Sequence Cuts online
2. Write a Short Treatment for Project #4 – A Simple Human Story
3. Review Chapters 3, 5 and 6 for Quiz #2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 8 Monday October 28th
In class:
1. Quiz #2 on Chapters 3, 5 and 6.
2.Review Project 4 Treatments and Select Project for Production.
3. Begin Storyboarding Project #4 – A Simple Human Story
4. Discuss Project 3 Rough Cuts and Fine Cut Delivery
Outside of class:
1. Complete Storyboard Presentation of Project #4 for next class.
_______________________________________________________________________
Week 9 Monday November 4th
1. CLASS PRESENTATIONS OF PROJECT #4 Storyboards and Camera Set
Ups
2. RESERVE 2 SHOOTING DAYS for November 8th and November 15th.
Outside of class:
3. Editing Rough Cuts of Project #3
________________________________________________________________________
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Week 10 Monday November 11th
In class:
1. Project #4 - Shoot In Class.
Check out equipment, shoot and return equipment
Rain date: Groups shoot outside of class, schedule equipment
pickup with Equipment Room.
Outside of Class:
2. Review footage from shoot and revise shoot plans for second week of
shooting.
3. Finishing Project #3 Edits.
Week 11 Monday November 18th
In class:
1. Project #4 – Shoot In Class.
Check out equipment, shoot and return equipment
Rain date: Groups shoot outside of class, schedule equipment
pickup with Equipment Room.
Outside of Class:
2. Read Chap. 13.
3. Finished Project #3 - Edits placed on Vimeo or YouTube and QC.
Reminder - November 22 - 23rd – Thanksgiving Break No Classes
Week 12 Monday November 25th
In class:
1. Screen Project 3 and Critique
2. Begin Editing Project #4 and Sign Up for Small Group Meeting.
3. Discuss the Final
Outside of class:
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1. Begin Editing Project #4 Immediately
2. Begin review of readings for the Final
Week 13 Monday December 2nd
In class:
1. Begin Editing Project #4 and Sign Up for Small Group Meeting.
2. Discuss the Final
Outside of class:
1. Begin Editing Project #3 Immediately
2. Read Chapter 14.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 14 Monday December 9th
In class:
1. Screen Project #4 Silent Rough Cuts in Small Group Editing Meeting
2. Answer any questions about the Final
Outside of class:
1. Complete Editing Project #4 and place on Vimeo or YouTube and QC.
2. Review All Assignments, Assigned Chapters and other Materials for Final.
Week 15 Finals Week - December 12th to December 18th Final Class Meeting TBA.
In class:
1. Final Covering Entire Semester
2. Completed Edit and Rendered Project #3
loaded to Vimeo or YouTube and QC.
Deadline for Project #3 – Start of Class today.
Nothing will be accepted after the last day of finals week.
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