COURSE SCHEDULE
- 8/22 –
CANCELLED - 8/29 – Introduction
- Reading: Walter Murch – “In the Blink of an Eye”
- 9/5 – Lecture: Thinking like an editor
- Video: “The Cutting Edge”
- Reading: “In the Blink of an Eye”
- Start Scene Critique
- 9/12 – History of editing techniques
- SCENE CRITIQUE DUE
- START PROJECT 1
- 9/19 – Assembling projects/media organization.
- Continue working on Project 1 – View rough cuts and critique in class.
- Review Murch
- 9/26 – Introduction to finishing and exporting.
- PROJECT 1 ROUGH CUTS DUE.
- Discussion: How to tune up a rough cut.
- 10/3 – PROJECT 1 FINAL CUT DUE - View Final Cuts and critique in class.
- 10/10 – PROJECT 2 START.
- 3-way Color Correction.
- 10/17 – Media Encoder.
- 10/24 – PROJECT 2 FINAL CUTS DUE - Critique in class.
- 10/31 – INTRO PROJECT 3
- 11/7 – FX/Music.
- 11/14 – Digital Theory basics.
- 11/28 – Continue work on Project 3.
- 12/5 – FUN CLASS!
- 12/12 – PROJECT 3 FINAL CUT DUE
(Tentative Schedule – subject to change at the discretion of the instructor!)
SYLLABUS
Lecture/Lab: Wednesday – 6:15-8:45pm Reese Phifer 130
Prerequisite: TCF 201
Requirements:
- Firewire external hard drive
- Stereo headphones with 1/8” jack
- You MUST have and use your BAMA e-mail account!
- Sign up for a free Vimeo.com account to post projects
- Sign up for Piazza.com for class discussions & announcements
Required learning materials:
- “In the Blink of an Eye” (Revised 2nd Edition) by Walter Murch
- Student subscription to Lynda.com (I will send you an invitation through email)
Course Objectives:
- The course is designed to be project-driven to reflect the challenges of professional editors.
- Students will learn and practice non-linear video editing principles and techniques, media management, sound design, and the basics of color correction.
Grade Breakdown:
| Assignment | Points |
| Homework | 80 |
| Professionalism | 50 |
| Analyze a Scene | 40 |
| Project 1: The Hold Up | 50 |
| Project 2: Scene Exercise | 80 |
| Project 3: Final | 100 |
| 400 |
Attendance Policy:
I am not your babysitter. As a student you (or someone you know) is paying large amounts of money in tuition and fees, if you decide there is something more important you would rather do than attend class that is your business. To learn the most from class I encourage students attend all classes, however it is not required. Assignments will be posted online and most can be submitted online. There will be pop quizzes that can only be taken in class.
Online Discussion on Piazza.com:
This term we will be using Piazza for class discussion. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates and myself. Rather than emailing questions to me, I encourage you to post your questions on Piazza so other students can benefit from the answer. You can post anonymously if you are shy or worried that your question is silly.
Find our class page at: https://piazza.com/ua/fall2012/tcf361320
Online Homework on Lynda.com:
Homework will consist of weekly video assignments on Lynda.com. Watch for an email invitation to your preferred email address listed on myBama. A small portion of the class grade will be based on watching all assigned videos.
Deadlines:
Missing deadlines is a big deal. Editors who miss deadlines lose their jobs. The time to learn this is now, before you have a job on the line. All assignments must be submitted before the end of the business day (5pm) that they are due. Projects submitted after the deadline will have 10% deducted each 24 hour period. For example, a project due on the 1st, but submitted late on the 3rd at 11pm will be deducted 30%. Students who repeatedly submit late assignments will have a very difficult time passing the class.
Access to Lab:
You will have ACT card access to Reese-Phifer 130. This is a privilege and can be revoked if you abuse this access. Every TCF production class uses this editing lab so the demand on this room is great. There are some basic rules to follow when using this room:
- Respect others and their working environment.
- No eating or drinking in the lab.
- DO NOT let other students into the lab. Everyone in a production class should use his/her ACT card to Room 130. The lock tracks everyone who enters room 130.
- Turn off all electronic equipment when you are finished working at your station. That includes the computer, secondary monitor, and tape deck.
- Wear your headphones when working in Room 130.
- Be courteous to your peers and only use the lab to work on legitimate school projects. Please don’t use the computer to simply check e-mail and surf the net. Others may need your workstation.
A note about constructive criticism:
Film is a collaborative art form by its nature. Learning to accept criticism from others is an essential skill every editor needs to learn. Nobody likes to hear negative things about their work, but strong constructive criticism is the only way to become better. You are all encouraged to speak your mind, but cruel or intentionally mean comments will not be tolerated. We are all in this together, including me, and we are all working to become better. Save your sarcastic or dismissive comments for your friends.
Academic Misconduct:
All students in attendance at The University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. All acts of dishonesty in any academic work constitute academic misconduct. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to the following:
- Cheating—using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
- Plagiarism—representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.
- All course materials are subject to submission to Turnitin.com for the purpose of detecting textual similarities.
- Fabrication—unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
- Aiding and abetting academic dishonesty—intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another student commit an act of academic dishonesty.
Academic Misconduct will not be tolerated in this class. The following is the text of the academic honor code you promised to abide by:
“I promise or affirm that I will not at any time be involved in cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or misrepresentation while enrolled as a student at The University of Alabama. I have read the Academic Honor Code, which explains disciplinary procedures that will result from the aforementioned. I understand that violation of this code will result in penalties as severe as indefinite suspension from the university.”
Disability Accommodations Statement:
Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Office of Disability Services, 248-4285. Thereafter, you are invited to schedule appointments to see me to discuss accommodations and other special needs.
Classroom Decorum Statement:
The Code of Student Conduct requires that students behave in a manner that is conducive to a teaching/learning environment. Students who engage in behavior that is disruptive or obstructive to the teaching/learning environment will be subject to disciplinary sanctions outlined by the Code of Student Conduct. Disruptive/obstructive behavior is not limited to but may include the following: physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, stalking, intimidation, harassment, hazing, possession of controlled substances, and possession of alcoholic beverages.
ASSIGNMENTS
SCENE CRITIQUE EXERCISE
Your job is to start thinking like an editor. Pick one of your favorite movies and then find your favorite scene (2-4 minutes). Watch it several times. Now watch it again with the sound off – this will help you notice the edits, the body language of the actors, and the movement of the camera. Take notes of what you find interesting about the scene and think about the specific decisions you think the editor made. Consider for example any long pauses or reaction shots of actors away from the action. Many of the best editors use misdirection like a magician and save the big closeup for the exact moment they want.
Now get a pack of notecards and make a card for each new shot / edit. Create a logical system for yourself to denote what type of shot the card represents – close up, medium, wide, etc… On the reverse side make any extra notes about that particular shot (maybe a note on how long or brief the shot is). After you have created a card for each shot in the scene lay the cards out to consider the variation of the edits and pacing.
Bring in a digital copy of the scene (could be the DVD, but a rip is better), all your notecards, and a typed up version of your analysis of the scene. Write in plain english – no bullshit. Observe basic grammar rules and remember that I have to spend my time reading it. Points will be deducted for sloppy and thoughtless work. The main point of the exercise is not busy work, but to put yourself in the editors shoes and to start thinking like one!
Project 1 – “THE HOLD UP”
“The Hold Up” is a short film about a bank robbery. Four robbers approach a bank in a van. The driver gives the other three robbers signals to enter the bank. The three enter at different times and wait for their cue. Then, they throw their masks on and rob the bank, hurrying people to the ground and frantically collecting what they can only to run out and get caught by the waiting police. This project is to give you experience cutting together raw footage to form a coherent, well-paced scene.
Project 2 – SCENE FROM “RE-COMMITTED”
“Re-Committed” is a T.V. pilot created by students in the TCF Department. It tells the story of a young high school student dealing with his imaginary friend while trying to impress a beautiful girl at school. You will be editing a specific scene where Josh learns of Dixie for the first time. This scene will challenge you to search through your raw footage and find the best takes of each performance as you cut this short dialogue scene together.
Project 3 – EDIT SHORT FILM
You will use the skills and knowledge learned during the semester to edit a 3-6 minute short film. This project will require you to use all of your skills learned during the semester including editing the film, music, sound design, titles, and exporting the finished product.
