Sample Rubric for Grading Video Production Students
The senior level of our Video Productions program is strictly a production class so students are working on different projects from the moment they walk in the door. This can be a grading nightmare, so I developed a portfolio sheet they are required to complete on a weekly basis.
Project Packet Template for Your Video Production Class
This project packet for students can be tailored to any type of major long-term assignment. Matched with a grading rubric, it is a great tool to help organize each phase of production and track milestones along the way.
How To Archive and Keep Your Projects Searchable
There was a time I would archive all raw footage and an uncompressed MOV file, but the reality is that 99 percent of the time, I never need to access all of that. We mainly archive in an MP4 format, so that helps reduce the size of our storage needs.
How To Name Your Files To Streamline Your Video Project
Are you looking for a suitable method of tracking projects for grading and archiving? Here is a standard of practice I developed for our students about ten years ago that drastically improved our workflow process. With hundreds of projects, shows, and events being produced each year, we needed a better system in place, and it had to start with project naming.
Veteran Documentary - The Best Production Project
You get to do so many great projects with students when you run a video productions and broadcast journalism program. News packages highlight some of the exciting things happening in your school and community, music videos bring out everyone's creative side, short films generate some unique narratives, and live sports provide a rush that is hard to beat. We have all of these forms of production going on at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio, in what we call our NCtv Media program, and it makes for an excellent comprehensive education.
Coffee, Tea, or Earbuds?
Half the job of an editor is working with sound. If you have students editing in a computer lab, you are probably having them use headphones when they are at their computer. We decided to eliminate the over-the-ear cans that students were sharing (yuck) and opted for earbuds.
What Do SD Cards and Pawn Stars Have in Common?
Media content is like gold, so it is frustrating to lose it after filming. Whether you work with a small group of students in your video club, or you have several classes of 25 students in each, you need a good system of managing your media cards.
Keeping Track of Camera Gear for Your Video Classes
During my first year of teaching, I sent a camera back to Sony for repair. When it was shipped back to the school, it was delivered to the main office. The principal called me to let me know it had arrived. I said I would send a student down to pick it up and bring it back to the studio. The principal replied, “Are you sure you trust a student to do that?” True story.
Workflow Pro: Creating an Effective Teaching and Video Workflow
Tt's easy to see that the key to being a successful editor is workflow. And if you work in education, let's add to this scenario 50 to 100 students who will also be editing their project footage in your lab. This series provides you with some workflow strategies that make life easier.
Veteran’s Day Documentary - Part 3 - Ken Burns
To say that Ken Burns is a hero to me would be an understatement. Just take a look at his collection of documentaries over the years, and you will see that he is probably one of the most significant historical filmmakers of all time. Getting his attention just a few years after we started producing documentaries at our school was a career highlight for me and a pretty unforgettable teaching moment for our students.
Veteran’s Day Documentary - Part 2 - Behind the Scenes
You know the reasons I believe producing a class documentary about a local veteran can be one of the most exciting experiences for students. In summary, it pushes their script writing abilities, drives them to the edge of their technical limits, and tells a story that captures the attention of the community. Having shared why we produce stories about local veterans, I thought I would take time in this article to share the nuts and bolts of how we use a collaborative workflow to create them.
We Revisit Hoover High School After 10 Years
The Video Productions program at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio, began in the fall of 1998 with the purchase of two digital broadcast video cameras and one Avid Express nonlinear editing system. Today, the program is two-fold, with three levels of a Career Tech based Video Production classes and a multi-year set of Broadcast Journalism courses. Both programs are multi-award winning and are rooted in exploring the fundamentals and advanced techniques of the television and film industries.
Hands on Review of the New IDX VL-4X Charger
Our student work force operates at a very high level of production that actually competes with most local production companies in terms of quality. In order to get many hands on gear at the same time, we search for budget friendly products that can stand up to any expected abuse in the field. The VL-4X is a slim, lightweight 4-channel charger that is portable and affordable, making it a perfect fit for our needs.
Veteran’s Day Project from Hoover High School
Our next documentary called “My Grandfather’s Story” and it will premiere November 8th, 2019. It is the story of William E. Pilati, who served in the 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and will be told through a documentary featuring Mr. Pilati and his granddaughter Siena Pilati. Pilati fought at the Battle of the Bulge with his fellow soldiers in a halftrack vehicle.