Production - MCOM 221GX

[Nataliadsanchez]

MCOM 221_U8.docx Guidelines for Pitching a Film Project.docx MCOM 221 GX Moodle: https://learn.twu.ca/course/view.php?id=29282 Bookdown:

Please, build a book for MCOM 221GX:

• [x] Unit 1
• [x] Unit 2
• [x] Unit 3
• [x] Unit 4
• [x] Unit 5
• [x] Unit 6
• [x] Unit 7
• [x] Unit 8
• [x] Unit 9
• [x] Unit 10

Priority HIGH

MCOM 221_U1.docx MCOM 221_U2.docx MCOM.221_U3_v.14.08.23.docx MCOM 221_U4.docx MCOM 221_U5.docx MCOM 221_U6.docx MCOM 221_U7.docx MCOM 221_U8.docx Please link this document in an activity in Unit 8: Fairy Tale Template for a Short Film.docx MCOM 221_U9.docx

[cmadland]

Book is here.

I'll add the werd files and convert them.

[cmadland]

@Nataliadsanchez were there updates to these files? The course that is already there looks the same, but it is already produced.

[Nataliadsanchez]

Hi @cmadland. Those file are not the same, However, I'll submit the changes made in each unit.

[Nataliadsanchez]

UNIT 1

• [x] Activity Checklist
• [x] Assessment
• [x] Resources
• Introduction and Chapter One of the course text: Digital Filmmaking: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering the Craft, by Ned Vankevich (e-text)
• Other online resources will be provided in the unit.
• [x] Activity: The Importance of the Film Journal "Unit 1 Film Journal Entry" is also part of the activity. It should be in the blue box
• [x] Remove Activity 1.2: Film Terms and Vocabulary Needed for this Course
• [x] Remove Topic 4: Transferable Skills

[Nataliadsanchez]

UNIT 2

• [x] Activity Checklist ● Watch the video “Shooting a Film- START to FINISH!” ● Watch the video “Pitching and Pre-Production” to learn why pitching is important ● Read and study Chapter 2, and answer to the questions provided ● Share in your journal what you learn from shooting a film from start to finish.
• [x] Resources ● Chapter Two of Digital Filmmaking: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering the Craft, by Ned Vankevich (e-text) ● Other online resources will be provided in the unit.
• [x] Topics 2, 3 and 4 are now only 1 topic. Also, one video was removed and activities changed. Please refer to the file to find the changes MCOM.221_U2_v.14.08.23.docx

[Nataliadsanchez]

UNIT 3

• [x] Activity Checklist

• Read and study Chapter 3 of course e-text: Digital Filmmaking: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering the Craft.

• Read the article “11 Thoughts: An Introduction to Photographic Composition” by Todd Vorenkamp and reflect on the question provided.

• Read the article “20 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos”, and practice and apply techniques and principles of design.

• Review the suggested websites to enrich your understanding of photographic themes and find images that stand out in intriguing, startling, fascinating, and emotionally moving ways.

• [x] Resources

• Chapter 3 of course text: Digital Filmmaking: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering the Craft, by Ned Vankevich (e-text)

• Other online resources will be provided in the unit.

• [x] Topic 1 and 2 are only one topic: Topic 1. Activities were combined. Please refer to Unit 3 document if you want to see the changes.

• [x] Assessment: Composition Exercise - Add the following note at the beginning of the instructions: This activity is ungraded, but part of journal entry

[Nataliadsanchez]

UNIT 4

• [x] Final Exam: Fix instructions (Please do this in all the units where this assignment is mentioned. ): ...Self Assessment worth 10% of your course grade
• [x] Assessment: Motivated Camera Movement Exercise: Fix instructions

This activity is ungraded, but part of journal entry

For this exercise on motion, you will shoot 5 different types of motivated kinetic shots, e.g., a pan, tilt, zoom, following action shot, etc. that have smooth motion from the beginning to the end of the shot and “disguise” the camera technique by matching the rate of camera move and subject movement.

See the Assessments section for more details, as well as the grading criteria.

[MeeksonHundoo]

Hello @kmarjanovic could you please give me access to write in the mcom221 repo...I have made edits to U1 & U2 which I cannot push..

[MeeksonHundoo]

hello @Nataliadsanchez these edits have been made. Thanks @kmarjanovic for giving me access to write.

[Nataliadsanchez]

Course Introduction

• [x] Insert Banner in Moodle. I tried but it displayed an error

GENERAL:

• [x] Remove the bold words in the activity checklists. Leave only the descriptions.
• [x] Please check that all the notes in the activity checklists are in plural
• [x] Make sure all the links open in a new tab

UNIT 1:

• [x] Learning Activity: Unit 1 Film Journal Entry: Fix the link How to Start a Creative Journal
• [x] The article How to Start a Creative Journal and the video How to journal every day... need to be indexed. Please check the word doc.
• [x] The 3 "Learning Activities" heading need to be in singular. There is only 1 learning Activity in each topic.
• [x] The title of the activities should be out of the green box

UNITS 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7

• [x] Fix instructions for Assignment "Film Journal": The new title for the assignment is Course Journal

After completing this unit, including the learning activities, you are asked to make sure you are doing journal entries and when appropriate to share your responses with your facilitator and classmates when you meet.

Note that entries are expected after every unit. Your journal reflections are submitted at the end of the course as part of the Journal One: Personal Journal and self assessment.

See the Assessments section for more details on submitting your journal, as well as the grading criteria.

UNIT 2

• [x] Fix topics:
• The Three Phases of Filmmaking
• Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production
• [x] Learning Outcomes: Remove space between LO
• [x] Activity Checklist: The note at the end needs to be in plural and italicized
• [x] Activity Checklist: Unlink the resources
• [x] Topic 2.1 The Three Phases of Filmmaking: Fix grammar in first paragraph:

In Unit 1 we focused on project excellence and great storytelling and why they are important. This unit will help obtain these goals by breaking the filmmaking process down into three phases. Each phase depends upon the other and if we fail to understand and execute each one well, the other phases and the film itself will suffer.

• [x] Learning Activities: Needs to be in singular: Learning Activity
• [x] Learning Activities: Shooting a Film: Helpful Hint needs to be bold
• [x] Learning Activities: Shooting a Film: Remove the yellow box and its note.
• [x] Summary: Change summary

In this unit, you learned about the overall process of making a film as well as the steps involved in the following three phases:

• Pre-Production: this must be done before making a film to save time and help ensure quality, as you write the script, plan the production, and work out the logistics such as casting and finding locations and props.
• Production: this involves shooting the film and where you use camera angles, camera motions, and the blocking of actors to reveal the meaning of your story and its characters.
• Post-Production: this involves the editing and completing of your film where you cut the shots and scenes together, and includes adding titling, credits, special effects, music and sound design, and colour grading.
• [x] Please make sure that the title of the activities are out of the green box.
• [x] Please fix the heading and subheadings for this unit. There is a Learning Activity with a wrong heading level.

UNIT 3

• [x] Topics: Fix topics:
• Elements and Principles of Composition
• Photographic Themes
• [ ] Please check heading levels for this unit. Click on Topic 3.1 to see what I mean
• [x] Topic 1 overview: Fix link in the Important Tip box: The Visual Elements: The Building Blocks of Composition in Art. When I click on it, it does not work.
• [x] Activity: Read and Study: Remove the helpful link
• [x] Activity: Readings on Techniques and Principles of Composition: Fix instruction: Read the article “20 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos”, and "Principles of Design". Practice and apply techniques and principles of design.
• [x] Activity: Read and Explore: Remove article: 34 Powerful Photos That Tell a Story since it does not exist anymore
• [x] Fix the link for the article: Walker Evans MoMA Exhibit. Make sure it opens in a new window.
• [x] Summary: Fix Grammar in the last paragraph: We have emphasized composition here because well composed shots are a foundational building block of a good film. As you will learn, if the head space of your shots is too much or too little, or there is a lack ofbalance of how people are arranged, or if you do not give enough leading entry space in a jogging shot...

UNIT 4

• [x] Add 4.1 to topic 1.
• [x] Activity Checklist: Remove bold words. Keep only the description of each activity.
• [x] Learning Outcomes: fix it:
• Describe the various types of film motion shots
• Contrast the various types of film motion shots
• Determine when and how to use cinematic motion
• Create effective cinematic motion shots
• [x] Resources: fix the list:
• Chapter Four of the course text: Digital Filmmaking: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering the Craft, by Ned Vankevich
• Other online resources will be provided in the unit.
• [x] Learning Activities: they need to be in 3 different green boxes, and please keep the titles out of each box.
• [x] Topic 4.1 is 4.2. Please fix it.
• [x] Please make sure all of the learning Activities titles are out of the green box.
• [x] Summary: Add this new one: In this unit, you learned about cinematic motion and how to motivate it and do it properly. As such, you have gained understanding and practice with another important basic of excellent filmmaking.

1. Types of Cinematic Motion and how to use tracking shots, following shots, dolly shots, amount others to add professionalism and more meaning in your projects.
2. Motivating Camera Movement where you explore the classic cinema technique of discussing your moving shots by having the camera and subject movement in sync.

N.B. These techniques are vital to learning and are the bases for excellent filmmaking.

• [x] Checking your Learning: Align it to the initial Learning Outcomes:
• Describe the various types of film motion shots
• Contrast the various types of film motion shots
• Determine when and how to use cinematic motion
• Create effective cinematic motion shots

UNIT 5

• [x] The SME changed several things. Here is the Word doc for you to upload it again. I think is easier this way. MCOM 221_U5.docx

UNIT 6

• [x] Topics: Fix it:
• In-Camera Project and Its Benefits
• Brainstorming and Successful Creativity
• Direction Vectors and Eye-line Requirements
• [x] Activity Checklist: Remove bold text
• [x] Activity Checklist: Fix note: Note that these learning activities are ungraded (unless specified), but designed to help you succeed in your assessments in this course.
• [x] Please make sure all of the learning Activities titles are out of the green box.
• [x] Learning Activity heading should be in singular for Topic 1
• [x] Learning Activity: Resources on Direction Vectors and Eyeline Requirements: Replace "Happy Filming" (at the end of it) for:

In addition, be sure to review Units 3, 4, and 5 to make sure your shots will be well composed and that you will incorporate a variety of camera angles.

Happy filming!

• [x] Secrets to a Simple Story is not a new topic. It is extra content to be placed after the learning activity: Read, Study and Reflect
• [x] Short Film Story Templateis not a new topic. It is extra content to be placed after the learning activity: Brainstorming
• [x] Activity: Planning your Film: Fix instruction and please embed the PDF:

Once you have brainstormed and have a clear and solid concept film, e.g., a student who has the power to turn things in gold, use the Fairy Tale Template for a Short Film and write your story for your short film by filling in the blanks.

Study the illustration example given in the chapter and then apply the process to the creation of your film story. In crafting your story you are not allowed to use dialogue beyond “yes,” “no,” and “okay.” That is, you must find visual ways to establish your story’s setup and context and its build and payoff. For example, you cannot have your character say “I am on my way to the store.” You will just show him or her getting in the car, driving, arriving at the store parking lot, and entering the store. (This has visual direction vectors discussed below in Topic 3.)

• [x] Summary: Replace summary for this new one:

In this unit, you learned about:

• The In-Camera Project and how It is beneficial to help you to understand how to think of filmmaking in a linear way.

• Secrets to a Simple Story and how limiting your story to a key single concept or theme with only a few characters and locations will help you create a stronger film.

• Brainstorming and Successful Creativity and how the more ideas and concepts you imagine and generate, the better your film will capture an audience's attention.

• Short Story Film Template where a fairy tale story formula can help you design the beginning, middle, and end of your film.

• Direction Vectors and Eye-line Requirements which are important cinematic compositional devices that prevent the audience’s confusion as you transition between shots.

• [x] Add the following Assignment in the Assessment part:

In-Camera Exercise This activity is ungraded, but important

Create a brief mini movie that shows your understanding of how to apply composition, motivated camera movement, and a variety of shots to visually tell a story. That is, images and not dialogue should drive your story.

See the Assessments section for more details on submitting your journal, as well as the grading criteria.

UNIT 7

• [x] There were several changes. Here is the Word doc for you to upload it again. MCOM 221_U7.docx

[Nataliadsanchez]

@MeeksonHundoo Could you please work on the edits for Unit 1-7 and upload Unit 8 to 9? Please send me a message if you have any question. Thanks!

[MeeksonHundoo]

Hello @Nataliadsanchez All the edits have been made and all the units which you asked me to upload again, have already been done. Following are some observations that I had while uploading these units and making edits:

1. In unit 3, I didn’t quite understand this edit, "Please check heading levels for this unit. Click on Topic 3.1 to see what I mean."
2. In unit 8, you’ve mentioned to link the fairy tale template. Is it supposed to be linked in the Activity: Brainstorm and Prepare Your Pitch?
3. The topics overview in Unit 8 lists 4 topics, whereas only 3 are mentioned on the word doc. We’re missing the topic “Script and Story Development”.
4. Also unit 9 topics 1 & 2 have almost similar names. Could you please check which one is correct?
5. What about unit 10? I don’t see the word doc for unit 10. Do we have a unit 10 for this course?

[Nataliadsanchez]

Hi @MeeksonHundoo! Could you please work on the following edits?

Course Introduction (Moodle tab)

• [x] Add this video after Course Description.

COURSE BOOK

Welcome

• [x] Remove the course communities information
• [x] Add "MCOM 221:Digital Filmmaking" in the [Insert] part.

UNIT 1

• [x] Assessment: Please place "Course Journal" the title within the blue box.

UNITS 2 and 3

• [x] Fix instructions for Assignment "Film Journal": The new title for the assignment is Course Journal

After completing this unit, including the learning activities, you are asked to make sure you are doing journal entries and when appropriate to share your responses with your facilitator and classmates when you meet.

Note that entries are expected after every unit. Your journal reflections are submitted at the end of the course as part of the Journal One: Personal Journal and self assessment.

See the Assessments section for more details on submitting your journal, as well as the grading criteria.

UNIT 3

• [x] Activity Checklist: Remove the assessment part from the green box and add the following note at the end:

Note that these learning activities are ungraded (unless specified), but they are designed to help you succeed in your assessments in this course.

• [x] Topic 3 -> Principles of Composition is not a subtopic Please fix it.
• [x] Topic 3 -> Important Tip: The link "Building Blocks of Composition in Art" does not work. Please fix it.
• [x] Topic 3 -> Please fix the "Activity: Read and Study" level
• [x] Topic 3: Activity: Readings on Techniques and Principles of Composition: The name of the first link should be: "28 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos". It should also open in a different tab. Please fix it. Also, remove {target=“_blank”} from the green box. Finally, remove the initial quotation mark from the second link.
• [x] Assessment: Composition Exercise: Italicize the final note: See the Assessments section for more details on your composition, as well as the grading criteria.

UNIT 4

• [x] Activity Checklist: Add the following note at the end: Note that these learning activities are ungraded, unless specifie, but they are designed to help you succeed in your assessments in this course.

UNIT 5

• [x] Activity: Watch and Learn: Please fix the link. It does not open in a new window. Also, please remove what is after it ({target=“_blank”})

UNIT 7

• [x] Assessment: Montage Project: Fix the instruction: "This montage project will account for 30 % of your grade and will be broken down according to the following:"
• [x] Assessment:Change the name of the assignment: Montage Short Project
• [x] Summary: Remove the three dots (...) after "In this unit, you learned about"

UNIT 8

• [x] Activity: Story Research: Please add the link "Watch: How to Write a Short Film" before the video

UNIT 9

• [x] Activity: Read, Watch and Reflect: Please add the links "Watch: How to Shoot a Scene! " and "Watch: Film Blocking Tutorial - Filmmaking Techniques for Directors: Ep3" before the videos
• [x] Topic 4: Remove heading for Shot list
• [x] Assessment: Change the name of the Final Film Project. It is now: Short Film Project. Also, modify the instruction: This final short film project...

GENERAL NOTES:

• [x] Please, remove the "Assessment" and "References" that appear after Unit 9
• [x] Make sure that it follows the GX template

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Hello @Nataliadsanchez all these edits have been made.

[Nataliadsanchez]

Unit 2

• [x] I think that there something going on in the code. Please most of the unit. Please fix the Activity checklist, the assessment in the overview *it should only say See the Assessment section in Moodle for assignment details and due dates). Some learning activities are not in color boxes, 2.2 Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production need to be in accordion... Please refer to Unit 2 Word doc to make sure all the content is located in the right place.

UNIT 3

• [x] Remove 3.0.1 from Assessment in the overview
• [x] 3.1.1 Principles of Composition shouldnt be a heading. Only activities need heading levels

UNIT 4

• [x] Add the assessment in the overview and it should also say: See the Assessment section in Moodle for assignment details and due dates.

UNIT 8

• [x] Film Genres should not have a heading level. Just bold it as you did with Types of Film

UNIT 9

• [x] Activities under Topic 9.4 read and watch should be: Activity: Read and watch. Add the word activity to it

[MeeksonHundoo]

Hello @Nataliadsanchez this is done..

[Nataliadsanchez]

Thanks @MeeksonHundoo !!

[meher-ahmed]

@Nataliadsanchez can we close this issue??