Active Outline

General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
F/TVD020.
Course Title (CB02)
Beginning Video Production
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the theory, terminology, and operation of single-camera video production, including composition and editing techniques, camera operation, portable lighting, video recorder operation, audio control, and basic editing. This course focuses on the aesthetics and fundamentals of scripting, producing, directing on location, postproduction, exhibition, and distribution through the completion of several short video projects.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is transferable to UC and CSU as a core requirement of the C-ID model. The course is also part of the Film/TV CTE program. Additionally, it is on the Film/TV: Production A.A. degree. This course provides introductory, entry-level skills in video production where students learn the basics of concept development, camera, directing, and editing in a single camera setting.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours3.06.0
Laboratory Hours3.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
36.0
Laboratory
36.0
Total
72.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
72.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
72.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

Quiz and Examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Field observation and field trips

Guest Speakers

Collaborative projects

Laboratory discussion sessions

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Assignments

  1. Midterm and final exams based on weekly lectures and reading assignments from the textbook
  2. Professionally formatted script(s) for production, storyboards, shot lists, and shooting schedules
  3. Group and individual digital video production projects that progress in complexity over the course of the quarter

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Written final exam will evaluate factual knowledge of technical terminology, crew roles, and set procedures. Students will be expected to identify and define key concepts and vocabulary needed to safely and effectively work in a single-camera production setting.
  2. Script and conceptual materials will be evaluated by how well the student has demonstrated concepts of pre-visualization, development of story, and construction of narrative. Development work should show a strong understanding of story structure and how the visuals convey that story narratively.
  3. Video projects will be screened for class critiques and/or written evaluation. Criteria for evaluation will include how well the student demonstrates concepts of camera operation, directing, editing, and overall storytelling in producing the video project. Consideration will be given to how closely the finished project matches the pre-production materials created in class.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • Recording media, such as an SD card, to capture video data from the video camera and/or audio recorder
Essential College Facilities:
  • 30 nonlinear editing systems, video cameras, basic lighting equipment, tripods, and microphones

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Long, Ben, and Sonja Schenck. "The Digital Filmmaking Handbook." 6th ed. Los Angeles: Foreign Films Inc., 2017.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Brown, Blain. "Cinematography: Theory and Practice." 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2016.
Compesi, Ronald J. "Video Field Production and Editing." 8th ed., New York: Routledge, 2019.
Gross, Lynne S. "Digital Moviemaking." 7th ed., Boston: Cengage, 2008.
Hurbis-Cherrier, Mick. "Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Filmmaking." 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2018.
Jago, Maxim. "Adobe Premiere Pro CC Classroom in a Book." 2nd ed. San Francisco: Adobe Press, 2019.
Katz, Steven D. "Film Directing Shot By Shot: 25th Anniversary Edition - Visualizing from Concept to Screen." Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions, 2019.
Lancaster, Kurt. "DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Large Sensor Video Cameras." 2nd ed. Boston: Focal Press, 2012.
Rea, Peter, and David Irving. "Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video." 5th ed. Burlington, MA: Focal Press, 2015.
Zettl, Herbert. "Video Basics 8." 8th ed. Boston: Cengage, 2018.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Demonstrate creative control of the technical and aesthetic aspects of the visual and sound elements in a single camera video production.
  • Utilize the basic operations of the digital video camera in a single camera setting.
  • Integrate the basic principles of cinematography as they relate to the digital video image.
  • Identify and apply basic digital editing techniques and procedures.
  • Identify and apply basic techniques of audio both in on-set recording and in post production.
  • Use pre-production planning and scriptwriting to develop concepts and pre-visualize the story.
  • Identify film and digital video career opportunities with a focus upon the importance of teamwork in a crew setting and the moral and ethical responsibility that comes with being a filmmaker.

CSLOs

  • Apply the creative use of camera, sound, and editing techniques to produce a completed video project.

  • Develop the visual storytelling skills needed to take a film idea from concept to realization.

Outline

  1. Demonstrate creative control of the technical and aesthetic aspects of the visual and sound elements in a single camera video production.
    1. Definition of the shot as a basic unit of film vocabulary
    2. The structure and design of a scene
    3. How to shoot coverage
    4. The 180 degree line and visual continuity
    5. How sound and visuals combine for dramatic effect
      1. The interplay of dialogue, music, and effects
      2. The importance of sound design and post-production sound effects
    6. Dramatic principles of acting and directing
  2. Utilize the basic operations of the digital video camera in a single camera setting.
    1. Digital video, HD formats and codecs
    2. The components of the digital video camera
    3. Basic manual camera operations: focus, f/stop, shutter speed, frame rate, ISO, white balance
    4. Features of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras in comparison to traditional digital camcorders
  3. Integrate the basic principles of cinematography as they relate to the digital video image.
    1. Framing and principles of composition
      1. Rule of thirds
      2. Headroom, noseroom, and leadroom
      3. Shot sizes and their narrative associations
    2. Camera settings to properly record the video image
      1. White balance
      2. Gain/ISO
      3. Shutter speed
    3. Photographic principles of exposure
      1. Latitude and dynamic range
      2. Understanding iris, aperture, and f-stops
    4. Depth of field
    5. Focal length and lens selection
    6. Camera movement
    7. Basic principles of 3 point lighting
  4. Identify and apply basic digital editing techniques and procedures.
    1. Workflow of the nonlinear editing system
    2. Organization procedures for film and digital video editing
      1. Labeling footage and basic assistant editor duties
      2. Ingesting video footage
    3. Basic principles of pictorial continuity
    4. Shot structure and pace
    5. Evaluating and combining sound and visuals to create a cohesive whole
  5. Identify and apply basic techniques of audio both in on-set recording and in post production.
    1. Basic knowledge of microphones and their uses
      1. Pickup patterns
      2. Dynamic and condenser construction
      3. Film microphones: boom/shotgun mics and lavaliers
    2. On-set recording techniques for achieving quality sound
    3. Creating the soundtrack in post-production: mixing dialogue, music, and effects
    4. Manipulation of the sound elements to create a desired effect
  6. Use pre-production planning and scriptwriting to develop concepts and pre-visualize the story.
    1. Developing the visual idea and the concept of pitching
    2. Professional screenplay formatting
      1. Narrative screenplay formatting
      2. 2 column, A/V scripts
    3. Storyboarding
    4. Basic shoot preparation and pre-production
      1. Creating a shot list
      2. Creating a shooting schedule
      3. Personal and location releases and rights
      4. Preparing the crew
      5. Finding locations
  7. Identify film and digital video career opportunities with a focus upon the importance of teamwork in a crew setting and the moral and ethical responsibility that comes with being a filmmaker.
    1. Analyzing the moving image and its effect upon the audience through class screenings, critiques, and discussions
    2. Addressing the director's responsibilities to cast and crew and their role as a storyteller
    3. Techniques for working and communicating within the film set hierarchy
      1. Roles and duties of each crew member on set
      2. How each position on the set communicates and contributes to the larger production
    4. Options in career choice: film, television, independent, and corporate work

Lab Topics

  1. Digital video camera operation
  2. Shot composition and framing
  3. Scene visualization and staging a scene
  4. Sound recording techniques
  5. Basic set procedures and working in a crew
  6. Nonlinear editing workflows
  7. Three point lighting
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