Detail from "Tom Sawyer Whitewashing The Fence," by Norman Rockwell
American: A MEDIA ARTS ASSIGNMENT
overview
For this assignment, you will work in a large group of up to 10 students to create a short video that describes what it means to be an American.
Each student in the group is required to contribute a short part of the video- what your part looks like is up to you. It could be a short interview with a relative or neighbor, an artful video of the landscape or a landmark, a video of an event, a video portrait, a series of still photos, a short animation, an original work of sound or music... Our visions of what it means to be an American are personal, so each student should choose his own contribution.
Collaboration is important. Even though we are creating our small clips independently, every student should be working together with the group to create a high-quality video that flows with all of the parts of the video working together. Communication and an open mind are key to the process. Don't be afraid to give or take advice or assistance.
We all wear multiple hats in this project. When your group is assigned, I will also assign a job. In addition to your creative contribution, you will also work on a specific technical job during this assignment (lighting, editing, cinematography, sound, direction, etc.).
Research and reflection is required. Thinking about what it means to be an American isn't new. Great thinkers have expended a lot of energy on the idea. With the help of the Social Studies department, some required reading/viewing has been collected. Your are free and encouraged to do more reading and viewing on your own, but these items are required for all participants in the assignment.
CLICK HERE FOR THE REQUIRED RESOURCES PAGE.
CLICK HERE FOR THE REQUIRED RESOURCES PAGE.
GRADING
You will receive three grades directly attached to this project:
Here are some examples of ways to approach this project AND required release forms-
(a release is required for all adults and children in your video):
- a grade for planning of your personal visual/creative portion of the project through an informal interview with the instructor
- a grading of your completed personal creative segment
- a grade of your performance of your assigned job in the class collaborative video
Here are some examples of ways to approach this project AND required release forms-
(a release is required for all adults and children in your video):
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