CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

Social Work 441 Video Term Project--Spring 2002

The video term project offers unique opportunities and challenges to students in the area of macro practice.

There is an opportunity to present exposition of practice experience and research findings, normally limited to term papers, using a medium that potentially has much more impact on the intended audience. Students also have the opportunity to learn the essentials of video production--such as scriptwriting, directing, and editing--which entails professional knowledge and skill valued by many employers.

The challenges are mainly in the area of building an effective team. Teamwork may be the most important variable in successful professional practice. To a significant extent, both here and in future practice, your ability to be helpful will depend in large measure on your effectiveness in team-building and working as a team member.

Approximately 20 percent of your final grade for the course will reflect your team's accomplishment, in contrast to your individual contribution (which will also reflect 20 percent of your final grade in the course).

Grading for the team's contribution to the video term project will be as follows: (1) 20 percent for technical quality (i.e., camera work, lighting, sound, editing, etc.); (2) 30 percent for use of the relevant professional literature; and (3) 50 percent for content and organization. Grading for your individual contribution to the project will reflect the quality of overall coordination and the timely and satisfactory completion of work in your specific area of assigned responsibility (e.g., directing, editing, etc.).

• The assignment requires that the areas of relevant professional literature be divided among team members for review.
  
• The assignment involves your social work skills and your ability to build an effective team. (In effect, teams inevitably must deal with a variety of tensions and problems that may arise and hinder successful completion of their tasks--including: members who try to dominate their process, who fail to contribute their fair share of time, energy, or spirit, who undermine the work of other team members by ridicule or inappropriate treatment, etc. It's virtually always true that to be successful, the members must work together as a team to deal with these challenges.)

Your focus throughout this assignment, then, must be equally on (1) the personal and social skills required for building a team and working as a team member, and (2) the academic and technical competencies required to produce an instructive video term project.

• Each student in the class will participate in a video production, as a member of a six- to seven-person team.
  
• After teams are designated in class, they will be expected to meet regularly and organize themselves for discussion, decision-making, and action. (You may, for instance, agree that all your team's decisions will be made "collectively" or, alternatively, prefer to name a "dictator-for-life," usually the director, who will benevolently govern, or make some other arrangements.)
  
• Once organized, each team must by a specified time divide up coordinating responsibilities for the various production tasks--including: (1) storyboard and synopsis, (2) script development, (3) direction, (4) camera operation, (5) sound and lighting management, (6) editing, and (7) "talent" management (i.e., managing those people who will have on-camera roles). All team members will share in these tasks, but one individual will have overall responsibility for coordinating each task and ensuring its timely and satisfactory completion. The production tasks involve the following responsibilities:

1. Storyboard and synopsis manager--The person(s) responsible for the storyboard develops a set of pictorials, a one- to two-page written synopsis, and more detailed scene descriptions based on the team's discussions, depicting the beginning, middle, and ending scenes in the production. Typically the beginning scenes introduce the protagonists and issues to be resolved, the middle scenes describe development of the process of overcoming obstacles or challenges, and the ending scenes show how resolution, completion, or understanding was achieved.
   
2. Scriptwriter--Based on the storyboard and synopsis, the scriptwriter authors the spoken lines for scripted on-camera speakers, basic on-camera movement, narrative for voice-over commentary, and timing of sound effects.
   
3. Director--The director has overall responsibility for coordinating and integrating the work of the other team members and the talent. The director orients and preps talent before rolling tape, including reviewing scripted parts, movement in scenes, appropriate affect, etc.
   
4. Camera operator--The camera operator has responsibility for ensuring that the technical requirements of satisfactorily recording the video, including appropriate selection of lens focal length (wide angle versus telephoto), exposure level, camera stability, etc.
   
5. Sound and lighting manager--The person in charge of sound and lighting makes sure that background noise is controlled, that the correct microphone is used (narrow pattern, wide pattern, shotgun, etc.), that needed sound effects are obtained and available for mixing during the editing process, and that steps are taken to control and compensate for lighting variables (e.g., shadows, direct sunlight, inadequate natural lighting, etc.).
   
6. Editor--The editor, working with the director and the original storyboard and synopsis, makes a proposed "first cut" and sound mix, which is then reviewed and finalized with all the members of the team.
   
7. Talent manager--The person responsible for talent contacts, invites, schedules, and coordinates the involvement of individuals who have on-camera roles, as well as making arrangements for shooting locations.

• Teams should begin meeting immediately to schedule regular meeting times and places and to arrange for the media center to provide an orientation to the video hardware. (Some classroom time will be allocated regularly for team meetings, discussion of project progress, etc.)
  
• It's expected that each team will produce a tape of not less than 15 or more than 30 minutes (except by special arrangement with the instructor). Productions may be done entirely in a "studio" setting, on the "street," in a community facility, or using a combination of these settings.
  
• Production "story line" possibilities include but are not limited to the following: role-playing preparation for an action; role-playing in preparation for a negotiation; interviewing an expert, leader, or organizer to develop a particular theme; presenting a specialized technology for training (e.g., fundraising, media, etc.); reporting the history, campaign, or single action of a community organization; presenting a conflict between opposed organized interests; gathering intelligence that serves to develop an action strategy or tactic; documenting social problems or troubling conditions in a particular community.
  
• As team members propose story line ideas for which there is general acceptance by the full team, they should be discussed with the instructor before detailed development, with final approval sought by the end of the third week of class.
  
• Grading of video productions will heavily emphasize content and initiative over technical mastery of the hardware. Equal weight will be given to the overall production and to each individual's contribution.
  
• The following is a strongly suggested production schedule. Your team may, however, tailor it to meet your individual interests and needs, except that completed projects are due no later than Wednesday, May 15, in my office. Late submissions will not be accepted without penalty except by prior arrangement with the instructor or, if prior arrangements are not made, will be penalized by a full letter grade (10 points).

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© 2002 Moshe ben Asher