Course Syllabus

COMM 101 Introduction to Audio Visual Practices

Fall 2021 Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 am to 12:20 pm

 

Instructor: Professor Zeinabu irene Davis (she/her)

Email: zdavis@ucsd.edu

Please put COMM 101 & your section number in subject line of email

Office Hours: By Appointment Only (in person or Zoom) Please email to schedule a time. 

Course Website: https://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/29506

 

TAs: 

Nikki Vangelisti email: ndturner@ucsd.edu  

(she/her) Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:30-3:30pm

vangelisti.youcanbookme.com

 

Eva Gonzalez-Ruskiewicz    email: eruskiew@ucsd.edu

(they/them) Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:30am-12:30pm

Office :Sequoia Hall 222 

Labs: 

Section

TA

Time

A01

Eva

Tuesdays 12:30-3:20pm

A02

Nikki

Tuesdays 3:30-6:20pm

A03

Eva

Wednesdays 3-5:50pm

A04

Nikki

Thursdays 3:30-6:20pm

 

Course Description:

This course introduces you to the language and practice of media production. We read film and television as texts by considering history, theory, genre, and practical technique. Through readings, lectures, and activities, you will acquire extensive knowledge of the art and practice of video production, film aesthetics, pre-production planning, production management, and editing aesthetics and technique.  The creative process, issues of representation, and genre are also emphasized.  With film criticism and production language acquisition, you will learn to recognize the choices available to a media maker with valuable information for media producers and critics.  More generally, knowledge of these choices improves your analytical abilities as a student of communication and as an interpreter of media culture and technology.

 

In lab sections, you will be guided through the practice of hands-on media production, specifically digital videography, sound recording, image and sound editing with digital nonlinear editing equipment, and lighting. The course projects provide you with the opportunity to apply concepts of your other Communication courses to the production of single-channel video and sound work. You are strongly encouraged to apply ideas from other Communication Department courses to production practice. A passing grade in COMM 101 is required to take all other upper-division media production courses.

Course Requirements:

Reading and Writing

Reading and writing are integral to the course. Keep up with homework. I recommend that you read each assignment several times.  Attention to detail is imperative – pay attention to syllabus requirements for labs and lectures. Some of the work you do in labs or on discussion boards will be conducted in groups. You have a responsibility to participate in your group work as efficiently and with as much energy as you would contribute to your own work. 

Attendance

Attendance at all lectures is crucial to keep up with the course demands (see Attendance Policy below).  Clips and technical information discussed in the lectures will not be repeated in the lab and are not covered in the reading. Please be mindful that you will be tested on this material in-course quizzes. Quizzes and exam prompts will also be discussed in lecture.  

Additionally, The Media Teaching Lab will be offering technical workshops. You will be required to take one in person synchronous workshop: 

The Media Teaching Lab Website:  https://blink.ucsd.edu/technology/media/teaching-lab/#Workshops

Group Work

Most work is produced in groups and your participation in these groups, not just the quality of the finished piece, impacts your grade.  Media production takes time, attention, and commitment. You must collaborate with your colleagues, asserting yourself by providing creative input while respecting others’ positions.

Note: This may be the first media piece you make, but it will not be the last. Curiosity is the foundation of any creative project, and it’s endless. You will have the opportunity to develop your ideas further as you take more production courses or workshops in the future.

Attendance Policy:

Your presence in lecture, lab, and discussion boards are all a part of your grade.  Absences and lateness to class and lab (more than 10 minutes will be counted as a ½ absence) are not acceptable.  You must arrive at all lectures and labs on time. Two (2) unexcused absences in total (either lab or lecture) will result in your grade being reduced by a full letter. Three (3) unexcused absences will result in a Failing grade. Short exams will be given during the lecture period and no make-up will be given without an acceptable excuse. Late submission of projects is not acceptable. For each day an assignment is late, the grade will be dropped by one full letter.

 

In the chance you contract COVID-19, experience a loss, or have to provide unexpected care, please contact your instructor and TA immediately to make arrangements. 

 

If you require accommodations for disabilities, please communicate with the Professor immediately and register with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD). This way, we may make arrangements to fit your needs. http://disabilities.ucsd.edu

Community Guidelines:

Please see a separate page in the modules section of the course Canvas page for detailed information on expectations, etiquette, and responsibilities when interacting with your instructors and student colleagues.

Assignments:

There are two types of assignments you will be responsible for completing over the quarter: Individual and group assignments. 

Individual: 

Each week you will be responsible for participating in your lab’s discussion board on Canvas. Topics will be assigned from reading/media engagement, lecture topics, and critique of your fellow students’ work. You should expect to post at least one full paragraph (minimum 5 sentences) on the assigned topic and respond to 3 student comments (reading/media topics) and all student/group projects. Engaging with one another on the discussion board is a major component of your participation and attendance grade. 

 

Additionally, in the first half of the course, you will be responsible for two individual media assignments - Photo Storytelling and Photo Slideshow with Sound. All visual media used in these exercises need to be original and done by you for this class only. Projects that plagiarize other sources will be assigned an “F” grade and will result in your expulsion from the course. 

Group: 

The second half of the course includes three group projects - Group Editing, Audio Storytelling, and your Final Project. These projects will require you to schedule working time outside of the synchronous portions of this course. Please plan accordingly and be prepared to share contact information. 

Materials: 

For some of your projects, media material will be provided. In other projects, you will be making your own media material and will need to create a Google Drive Folder for your group to share materials and keep your master files so that everyone has access to both. 

 

Additionally, the learning curve for media practices at the beginning is steep. It is impossible to teach everything equipment, and software can do or be present for every troubleshoot (which will happen). YouTube is full of tutorials that cover just about everything you would want to know as you go through your projects. Going to YouTube and other media instruction platforms is a part of a career in media. Using it often, you will learn the correct language to use for problem-solving or discovering new techniques. 

Required Readings and Media:

All required readings, films, and other media will be posted on the Canvas site in each weekly module as instructors determine them. 

Grading:

  • Participation: (Includes attendance, discussion board assignments, engagement in both labs and lectures, and required meetings with your TA) 25%
  • Photo Storytelling 5%
  • Project 2: Photo Slideshow 10%
  • Project 3: Audio Storytelling (includes pre-production materials) Project 20%
  • Project 4: Final Project (includes pre-production materials) 30% & Personal Reflection 5%
  • Quiz: 5% 

 

Grading Scale:

 

100-98: A+   97-93: A   92-90:  A-

89-87:   B+   86-83: B   82-80:  B-

79-77:   C+   76-73: C   72-70:  C-

69-67:   D+   66-63: D   62-60:  D- 

59-0:     F

Meeting Schedule:

Readings & viewings are due before the first lecture of each week. 

 

Schedule subject to change. 

 

Welcome Week: 9/23 - Introduction and course overview 

Week One: 9/28 & 9/30 - Introduction, Visual Storytelling & Composition basics 

Read:

Schroeppel, Chap. 1, pgs. 1-17; Chap. 2 pgs. 21-42;

(pdf on Canvas)

Watch:

Due:

Student Questionnaire by Tuesday, September 28th @ 11am.

Week Two: 10/5 & 10/7 - Composition & Mise-en-Scene 

Read: 

Schroeppel, Chap. 3 pgs. 43-55

Watch: 

Media Lab’s “Introduction to Adobe Premiere” (on Canvas under Media Gallery)

Due:

Discussion Question 1


Tell a Story in 6 Photographs

Week Three: 10/12 & 10/14 – Editing & Notions of Time

Read:

Watch:

Media Lab’s “Photo Slideshows in Adobe Premiere” (on Canvas under Media Gallery)

Due: 

Discussion Question 2


Photo Slideshow with sound 

Week Four: 10/19 & 10/21 - Film Form & The Moving Image 

Read:

Watch:

Media Lab’s “Introduction to Sound Design” (on Canvas under Media Gallery)

Due:

Discussion Question 3 

Week Five: 10/26 & 10/28  - Sound: Mood and Emotion

Read:

Watch:

Media Lab’s “Collaboration in Adobe Premiere” (on Canvas under Media Gallery)

Due:

Sound Project Treatment

Week Six: 11/2 & 11/4 – Types of Movies

Read:

Watch:

Due:

Discussion Question 4


Sound Project

Week Seven: 11/9 No lecture or lab on 11/11 Veterans Day  – Experimental Cinema & Documentary Practice

Read:

Watch:

Due:


Final Project Treatment (includes pre-production materials with production dates. You must meet with Prof and TAs for approval before production begins)

Week Eight: 11/16 & 11/18 - TBD

Read:

Watch:

Media Lab’s “Intermediate Adobe Premiere” (on Canvas under Media Gallery)

Due:

Discussion Question 5

Week Nine: 11/23 No lecture or labs this week; Optional meet with Prof. Davis on Zoom on Tuesday during class time; 11/25 Thanksgiving Day 

Read:

Watch:

Due:

Optional Meeting with Prof. Davis

Week Ten: 11/30 & 12/2

Read:

Watch:

Due: 

Final Project Complete Draft

FINAL: Wednesday, December 8, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

Due:

Final Project Final Draft (including all pre-production materials)


Personal Reflection Paper