After watching the video, perform the writing tasks as prompted.
Write a headline for this video as a news story
Write a caption for this video as a clip in a comedy show
Write a title for this video as a commercial for SuperStrong Garbage Cans
Write a two sentence summary of this video as part of a presentation
at a PETA conference
Analysis
Answer these questions on your own, then discuss your answers with your group.
How did you approach each of the writing assignments differently? --What were you
thinking about as you started to write for each of the different prompts?
Did you consider who you were writing the statements for? How did audience
factor in to your writing?
How did you determine the appropriate tone? (e.g. level of formality, humorous vs. serious, etc.)
Which one was the easiest for you to write? Which one was the hardest? Why?
Write a response of 1-2 paragraphs considering the following:
Was there feedback that you disagreed with? Explain what it was and then explain
why you feel this did not accurately describe you--what is the more accurate information about you?
Was there feedback that you agreed with? Explain what it was and then give an example
of this trait or characterization.
How can you use this feedback about your ideas/attitude towards writing to help you
continue to develop as a writer? Think of ways to reinforce your exisiting good habits that
were revealed and ways to target areas that you might want to develop/work on. Explain.
To Do
Read: Writing and Editing for Digital Media (WEDM): Chapter 1: Writing for Digital Media--The Foundation
Take Reading Quiz #1: Available in Canvas from 5pm Tuesday 1/11 through 10am Tuesday 1/18
Bring: A digital version* of a writing sample of approximately 400-500 words to work with next time.
Not sure what to bring? type up (and lengthen
if necessary) the paragraphs you wrote today or write something new using one of the prompts
listed in the "Chapter Activities" #1, page 30 of your textbook.
*Note: bring your sample in a format that you can copy and paste from.
Writing and Editing for Digital Media (WEDM): Chapter 1: Writing for Digital Media--The Foundation (p. 1-30)
Main Ideas:
Relationship of technology to content: example of book vs. digital design
Principles of Good Writing (see p. 6-15)
Be brief
Be precise
Be active
Be imaginative
Be direct
Be consistent
Be aware
Writer's Commandments (see p. 27-28)
Writer's Checklist (see p. 28-30)
Key Terms:
stereotype
widely-held, but oversimplified and often negative view of a particular group
of people. Using such a view to draw specific conclusions about an individual who belongs
to a particular group.
generalize
make a broad statement by inferring from specific cases. Generalizing can be
inaccurate when broad ideas are drawn from very few specific cases.
plagiarize
representing someone else's original ideas as your own.
oversimplify
simplifying something to the point that it is distorted.
in-class exercise #1: analyzing writing and revising
Part 1: Writing Practice
In this exercise, we'll practice writing vivid descriptions.
Go to GIPHY and find an animated .gif you would like
to describe. use the link icon to copy the .gif address.
Paste it here:
Write a 1 sentence description of the .gif using this formula: The [noun descriptor] [present tense action verb] like a [vivid comparison].
Write a 3-5 sentence more elaborate description that situates the image in some kind of context
(be creative!).
Be prepared to share with the class.
Part 2: Analysis
Open your digital writing sample and then follow the instructions below.
Note: if you're pasting from Word or Google Docs, you may
end up with some strange line breaks that will cause the analyzers to misunderstand where sentences
and paragraphs end. It's a good idea to paste your sample into Notepad (PC) or Save As/Export as "Text Only"
before you paste into the analyzers.
Look at the info boxes for the various readability scales on the right, and based on
the information and corresponding statistics, explain the reading level of your writing sample:
Open the data*yze Passive Voice Detector.
Paste your sample into the box on the left and hit the Re-Analyze button. (You can
use the "Zombies" feature to double check the results).
Write your passive sentences here. Indicate after each if there is a reason for the
use of passive in this case. If there is no specific reason, write "no reason": *Note: we'll re-write these a little later, so don't
take the time to re-write them now.
When the results appear, use the Sort by: drop-down list on the right to
change the order to Rare Scale
Note any words that score 70% or greater on the rare scale (the higher the percentage, the
rarer the word). Note the % to the right of the word: *Note: we'll re-write a little later, so don't take the time
to re-write now.
Click on the Long Words tab.
Use the Sort by: drop down list and change it to Number of syllables.
Note any words that are 5 syllables or longer:
Open your sample in a word processor.
Identify any sentences that have a form of "to be" (e.g. is, was, were, are, am) as
the main verb. List them here:
Identify any sentences that have a subject or object that
is a pronoun--in particular: it, this, that, but also keep an eye out
for which (if this is your subject, you probably have found a sentence fragment) and
they, them.
Part 3: Revision
Use your analysis to guide your revisions as indicated below.
Take a look at the passive sentences identified in 3a. above. Rewrite
as active any that have no reason to be passive.
Evaluate the rare words identified in 5a. above. If necessary, replace
these words with more common words.
Evaluate the long words identified in 7a. above. If necessary, replace
with simpler words.
Look at your sentences that have a form of to be as the main verb
identified in 9. above. Can
you use a stronger verb of action or being here instead? If so, rewrite.
Look at your sentences that have pronouns as subjects or objects
identified in 10. above.
If your sentence starts with a pronoun and then immediately has a verb (e.g. This demonstrates...)
then rewrite to replace the pronoun with a precise noun phrase or add a clarifying noun phrase
after the pronoun (e.g. This lack of resources demonstrates...).
If your sentence uses "which" as a subject (e.g. "Which is the best movie.") re-write so that
it has a subject and a verb: "which" cannot be used as the subject of an independent clause.
If your pronoun functions as an object of any kind (e.g. direct object, object of a preposition),
then check to see if the antecedant is clear. If not, rewrite to clarify.
Part 4. Evaluation
Switch with a partner. Evaluate your partner's revisions: note any areas that can be further
strengthened, clarified, simplified, or corrected. Suggest revisions:
Chapter 3: Writing for Digital Media II (pp. 65-96)
Chapter 2: Editing for Digital Media I sections:
"Editing Techniques" (pp. 41-43 [stop at "One Editor's Experience"])
"Search Engine Optimization and User Experience" (pp. 45-50)
"Multimedia Storytelling" (pp. 50-54)
Chapter 4: Editing for Digital Media II sections:
"Readability and 'Scan-Ability'" (pp. 105-107)
"Visual Style" (p. 119)
"Writing Style" (pp. 126-135; skim examples)
Discussion:
Explain why headlines are so important in relation to audience and content. Then explain best practices for writing a
good headline.
What is SEO and why should we care about it? Explain best practices for good SEO.
Explain what a deckhead is, when a deckhead is used, and why it is so important. Find an example of a story online that has a deckhead: evaluate
its effectiveness.
Explain the difference between an ordered and unordered list. When should you use each--explain.
Explain what a pull quote is and when a pull quote is used. Find an example of a story online that has a pull quote: evaluate
its effectiveness.
Summarize the best practices of visual style that were presented in Chapter 4 (see p. 119) in your own words.
in-class exercise #2: purpose, framing, and audience
Re-write the story as a news story of approximately 300 words.
Be sure to keep in mind your audience as you work.
Identify the most important observable facts
Identify witnesses and what they observed--you will want to use quotations from
witnesses as supporting eyewitness accounts
Determine a structure for the information that uses the inverted pyramid
Use an appropriate tone
Write an accurate, attention grabbing headline using the principles discussed in today's reading
Check your story in the data*yze Readability Analyzer.
It should be written for approximately a 6th grade level, have minimum passive voice, and few rare words.
Add at least 1 relevant image
Write your story in a Google Doc and then post the share link on the In-Class #2 Discussion Board when
you are finished.
Group B:
Re-write the story as a breezy/gossipy entertainment blog post of approximately 300 words:
Be sure to keep in mind your audience as you work.
Identify controversies in the story that can be emphasized
Identify witnesses who could speak to what happened and give opinions about
what happened (you may infer characters' opinions based on what happens in the story)
Determine a structure for the information that uses the inverted pyramid
Use an appropriate tone
Write an attention grabbing headline using the prinicples discussed in today's reading
Check your story in the data*yze Readability Analyzer.
It should be written for approximately a 4th grade level, have minimum passive voice, and few rare words.
Add at least 1 image
Write your story in a Google Doc and then post the share link on the In-Class #2 Discussion Board when
you are finished.
Part 2. Interactor Testing
Evaluate the other group's story:
What did you notice first when you opened the link? Did you want to read more
based on this initial impression?
Was the headline clear and effective? Explain.
Was the most important information listed first? What was it:
Was your interest maintained throughout the reading? Explain.
What would be at least 2 editing suggestions you would give this group--suggestions can be
broad, e.g. restructure content so that... or more narrow, e.g. change sentence 2 from passive to
active:
Part 3. Analysis
How did your ideas about the content of the story change once you started viewing it
with a new purpose in mind (i.e., reporting it as a news story or
entertainment piece)?
How did you decide what would be the most important elements to include in the headline
and first paragraph--the framing of the story: what were your priorities?
Why do you think your presentation of the story would be effective for your
audience--expalin.
What to Turn In:
At the end of today's exercise, one member of your group should turn in these materials to the IC02 assignment in Canvas:
In-Class #2 Worksheet with parts 2 and 3 filled out
A copy of your group's story rewrite
To Do
Read: WEDM:
Chapter 6: Journalism in a Digital Age (p. 171-192)
Chapter 9: Credibility in a 'Post Truth' Era (p. 285-312)
Take Reading Quiz #3: Available in Canvas from 5pm Tuesday 1/25 through 10am Tuesday 2/1
Preparation: We will have Kim Bates, managing editor of the Toledo Blade visiting; you might want to
think of some questions you'd like to ask this excellent resource.
Resources
Google Trends -- use this to see what terms are trending (good for keyword development)
Answer as many questions as you can by the end of this portion of the exercise.
Group A: start at 1. and work your way down the list
Group B: start at 5. and work your way up the list.
How many vehicles were in use in Ohio in 2009?
As of 2020, how many American men 18-24 vs. women 18-24 have Bachelor-level college degrees?
(provide the number in thousands of each)
Where on the internet, besides lourdes.edu and other official LU sites, has the
Lourdes University Logo
been used? Give at least 5 non-Lourdes locations.
Who is the Congressperson who represents the Ohio district where Lourdes University is located?
Who were the last three candidates to run against this person?
When was the first bill specifically about video games introduced in Congress? --
give its official number and title. Who sponsored it? What were the basic provisions?
What happened to it?
Part 2. Evaluating Sources (adapted from WEDM Ch 9, Exercise 1)
Visit the news site The Maple.
Determine whether this site is a credible source
for news and information using Chapter 9's checklist (see page 300)
and questions to inform your judgements.
Consider also:
What does the advertising (or lack of
advertising) tell you about the nature
of the site?
Does the content contain loaded words?
If so, give an example and explain.
Who is the publisher? Does the
site have an 'About Us' section?
What do you learn here if so?
Work with your team to write a story about the first video game. Sounds simple,
but make sure you...
define clearly what "video game" means to your group.
use triangulation to corroborate your information
don't be satisfied with any (at least) 3 sources, find
primary source documents or as close to that as you can get.
(in this case, read the term document broadly).
Once you've assembled your research, practice writing a solid opening paragraph that
uses the inverted pyramid structure. Then provide an outline of what
would come next:
What to Turn In:
At the end of today's exercise, one member of your group should turn in a completed worksheet to the IC03 assignment in Canvas.
read from p. 243 through the end of "Story Mode: the Video Package" pp. 269
skim other sections
Concept Review
Explain these story types in your own words. Refer to 151-152 to help you.
How-to feature
Profile or personality feature
Historical feature
Travel/adventure
Localizing story
Behind-the-scenes feature
Event story
Explain these multimedia content components in your own words. Refer to 152-153 to help you.
Case studies
Reactions
Explanation or background
Visual helps
Re-enactments
Curation
in-class exercise #5: visual design and story planning
Part 1. Logo Design
Work with your group to answer the questions below:
What is our brand identity? Consider:
Values
Services/skills
Specialties
What words and/or symbols best encapsulate our brand?
What colors are most appropriate (it would probably be best
to choose something that intersects with the University brand in this case)
After our class discussion, start drafting some logo ideas. You can create freehand
logo drafts on paper, or you can use a digital logo-maker tool. Some options are included below.
Now that we've identified our theme, we need to plan individual story segments.
Work with your
group to develop a specific angle on the theme that you will develop into a your story
segment. Refer to the questions on pp. 150-151 to help you. Describe your idea here:
Identify the story type your angle belongs to (see pp. 151-152).
Start thinking about the multimedia components that might be appropriate
for your story:
Preliminary research: we will continue working on research next week, but you
should start planning now:
list experts you could interview for your story:
list any background information you will need to research:
After receiving feedback from the instructor and the class, edit/refine your idea. Write your
final description here:
Wayback Machine - service of the Internet Archive
that maintains an accessible database of the previous state of websites.
Unit 2: Planning the Show
Week 7: Tuesday 2/22
in-class exercise #6: research and interview prep
In this exercise, we will continue working on the information needed to contextualize
and
support our stories and begin the research process. Work with your group to answer the
questions below.
Part 1. Background
Work
from your preliminary notes from last time, but today you will start accessing and
reviewing sources and taking notes on relevant information.
Be as comprehensive as possible--it's better to have too much information than
too little.
Where can you find this information--list specific sources (title and URL if applicable)?
On your list, note primary sources. Note sources that will need to be corroborated.
For any sources that need corroboration, find at least 2 additional credible sources
(list these below).
Start researching and make some notes about what you find. Be sure to source/cite each fact/claim.
Part 2. Main Story
Identify witnesses/experts you will interview for your main story. List their
contact information--email and phone if possible.
Identify which group member will be responsible for contacting each source
to set up an interview time and the deadline by which this contact will me made.
Remember, we will be interviewing 1 source next Tuesday.
What information will you need to research before talking to your source?
After listing it, indicate where you will find it. Remember--you want to come into the
interview with knowledge of the topic so that you can understand responses and ask
strong follow-up questions.
Write a preliminary list of questions for each source.
Part 3. Accountability
Write a list of responsibilities for each student. All of the tasks indicated in Part 1. and
Part 2. above should be assigned to a group member. Each group member should have an equal
share of the work.
Part 4. Research
Start researching. You do not need to turn anything in for the in-class exercise for this part,
but try to get a good start on your research in class and ask questions as needed. You will
report on your research in Homework #2.
workshop #2: technical training and video production
Location: meet at Lourdes by the Planetarium
Time:
Tech orientation will start at 10:30--come if you can
Class will start promptly at 11, and filming will proceed shortly after that
Class may run a little long: stay for the break down (term for cleaning up the set) if you can
Description:
In this workshop, there will be a demonstration of the equipment we will use:
camera
audio
lights
For the second half of the workshop, we will record person-on-the-street interviews with students.
You should have 2-3 clear, direct, opinion/attitude/personal experience questions for your participants.
You can plan ahead which students you want to interview or find subjects from whoever is around
in the cafeteria area during class.
To Do
interviewing
Confirm with interview subjects for 3/15
Finalize list of questions for expert interviews (resubmit as part of HW2 as needed)
If you need to complete interviews outside of our 3/15 taping date:
arrange a day and time with your subject
if you need me to set up a Zoom for you, let me know the day and time ASAP
record the interview: in-person--
use landscape orientation on your phone
make sure you can retrieve the recorded file from your phone (you may want to test this ahead of time);
a good way to do this is to send the file to your GoogleDrive, One Drive, or Dropbox: then you can send me a Share Link for
downloading the file and getting it to WGTE.
record the interview: Zoom--
Use "Speaker View" (rather than grid view)
Inform your subject that you will be recording and then start the recording
When prompted, choose "Record to cloud"--this will allow me to collect the .mp4 file and send it to WGTE
*Note: I will be traveling 3/7-3/9, so my ability to check email those days will be limited.
homework #2: research summary and draft interview questions
Resubmission midnight Friday 3/4
Instructions:
Include any information that was not in the original submission. Respond to any specific
comments by me as needed.
Assignment grades will be recalculated after this resubmission.
Evaluation Criteria:
Complete source information is included
Descriptions of facts located are clear and precise, with corroboration
as needed
Each interview subject has been contacted at least one time
Preliminary questions are effective for elliciting the information
needed and follow best-practices (open-ended, no loaded language, etc.)
If applicable, there is a clear plan for next steps as outlined in
Part 3. above.
Note: If follow-up steps need to be completed, the maximum grade
that this submission can receive is 75%. The score for the assignment will be recalculated
after the follow-up work has been completed.
Unit 3: Filming the Show
Week 10: Tuesday 3/15
workshop #3: video production
Location: meet at Lourdes location: Lourdes Library
Description:
In this workshop we will record the remaining interviews. Students will...
Make sure you are on the correct worksheet for your group: see the tabs at the bottom.
For each clip:
Enter the name of the raw file you are reviewing
Enter the starting timecode and the first few words of audio
Enter the ending timecode and the last few words of audio
Calculate the duration of the clip and enter the duration (remember,
when working with time, the max is 60 not 100).
Part 2. Planning for next class
Work with your group to do the following:
Identify additional B-roll needed
Identify additional graphics needed
Identify any resources that still need to be cited or credited
Write a description or create an outline for the intro script for each story
homework #3: B-roll and planning
Due by midnight Friday 3/25
Instructions:
This assignment will be submitted as a group. You may assign different tasks
to each group member based on the strengths/affinities of your team, but everyone
should contribute an approximately equal amount of work to the assignment.
Tasks to complete:
Shoot B-roll/select copyright free B-roll
Shoot additional interviews
What to submit:
B-roll
video file(s) or URLs for b-roll from an online source *these may
be uploaded to a drive and a share link provided or submitted directly to your
WGTE producer.
File listing who shot and selected the B-roll and listing all credits: what was the
location for the shot if it is original video; what is the title and complete source
of any graphics.
Provide the copyright status for each item submitted.
*Note: If you collect B-roll video
or images from an online library, be sure that they are
copyright free or under a Creative Commons license
that includes an appropriate "share" provision. If the CC license requires attribution, be
sure you list appopriate attribution information.
Interviews
video file(s) **these may
be uploaded to a drive and a share link provided or submitted directly to your
WGTE producer.
file listing the name and title of interviewees for the credits.
Resources: places to find copyright-free/cc images and video
Add the new clips to the cliporder worksheet for your group in the correct order
Add the b-roll
Remember to include the duration, and that the total final duration needs to be around 6 minutes.
Part 2. Writing Voice Over Scripts
Work collaboratively to write
voice over scripts. These scripts should provide context and connective logic within
your story, and you should have b-roll for visuals while this text is being read.
Refer to WEDM pp. 258-264 for tips to help you.
create scratch tracks of your voice over scripts. This is a placeholder for
timing purposes. We will re-record these tracks at the studio to ensure appropriate quality.
If you do not have time to finish the scripts and scratch tracks completely, list your plan for
continuing to collaborate and complete the work. Your finished scripts will be
part of your submission for Homework #4, due by midnight Tuesday 3/29.
Begin thinking about your promo and select some audio and visual clips you might want to include.
The finished promo will be 30 seconds long, and you will work on editing together your promo in the
editing workshop at WGTE.
homework #4: post-production
Due by midnight Tuesday 3/29
Instructions:
This is a group submission of all of the completed tasks identified in IC07 and continued in
IC08.
What to submit, depending on your assigned tasks:
Edited B-roll
File listing who shot and edited the B-roll and listing all credits: what was the
location for the shot if it is original video; what is the title and complete source
of any graphics. Provide the copyright status for each item submitted.
*Note: If you collect B-roll video
or images from an online library, be sure that they are
copyright free or under a Creative Commons license
that includes an appropriate "share" provision. If the CC license requires attribution, be
sure you list appopriate attribution information.
File with listing of complete credits/sources
File with a story intro/outro script ready for the teleprompter
Resources: places to find copyright-free/cc images and video
Work with your group to storyboard a promo for our show. Keep in mind what you learned
from the readng in WEDM Chapter 8 about combining visual, voice, and graphics to tell
a story, and consider what you learned in WEDM chapter 7 about how to promote a product (e.g. our video).
Use the questions below (adapted from pp. 202-203) to guide you.
What is the purpose of the promo?
Who is the audience?
Why should they care--what's the most important thing(s) about the show: think
from an audience-centered perspective?
What are the key points you want to communicate?
What audio and video can most effectively communicate these points? -- list specific
timecodes and supply script lines as needed.
To Do
If there are any final additions to your timeline, send them to your WGTE producer.
This may include: additional link scripting, b-roll, interview clips. Use the clip spreadsheet
as we have been to indicate where new material should be placed in the timeline.
Next week, meet at WGTE's studio at 11am: 1270 S Detroit Ave, Toledo, OH 43614
Unit 4: Editing the Show
Week 14: Tuesday 4/12
workshop #4: video editing
Meet at WGTE's studio at 11am: 1270 S Detroit Ave, Toledo, OH 43614
Description:
In this workshop, you'll learn the basics of video editing and work with Adobe Premiere.
Think about what role you will take during the show recording. Possible roles are listed below.
Presenter (2)
Floor Manager
Camera Operator (3)
Technical Director
Teleprompter Operator
Audio Operator
Production Secretary
Next Week: Meet at WGTE Studios at 11:00am
homework #6: evaluating the experience
Due by midnight Thursday 4/28
Instructions:
Write an editorial about your experience working with WGTE on this project. Write it
to a hypothetical group of students who are considering taking this class in the future.
An editorial will include your personal perspective (so "I" is ok), as well as facts
and analysis of your experience. Consider issues such as these:
What was the most valuable parts of the experience? Why?
What was most fun about the experience? Why?
What was the most challenging part of the experience? Why?
What didn't you enjoy? Why?
What would you recommend be changed in order to improve students'
experience the next time the course is offered? Why?
What would you recommend be maintained the next time the course is offered? Why?
Write a headline for your editorial and use a word limit of 500-700 words.
Evaluation Criteria:
Clear edits with all required components are provided
Reflection has an effective headline that conforms to best practices
Reflection uses an appropriate tone and includes relevant ideas and
information as outlined in the instructions.
Reflection is effective for the target audience
Reflection conforms to the conventions of Edited American English and is error-free
Unit 4: Editing the Show
Week 16: Tuesday 4/26
workshop #5: recording the studio segments
Location: meet at WGTE
Description:
In this workshop we will learn about the basics of the studio and record our
segment links.
Write an editorial about your experience working with WGTE on this project. Write it
to a hypothetical group of students who are considering taking this class in the future.
An editorial will include your personal perspective (so "I" is ok), as well as facts
and analysis of your experience. Consider issues such as these:
What was the most valuable parts of the experience? Why?
What was most fun about the experience? Why?
What was the most challenging part of the experience? Why?
What didn't you enjoy? Why?
What would you recommend be changed in order to improve students'
experience the next time the course is offered? Why?
What would you recommend be maintained the next time the course is offered? Why?
Write a headline for your editorial and use a word limit of 500-700 words.
Evaluation Criteria:
Clear edits with all required components are provided
Reflection has an effective headline that conforms to best practices
Reflection uses an appropriate tone and includes relevant ideas and
information as outlined in the instructions.
Reflection is effective for the target audience
Reflection conforms to the conventions of Edited American English and is error-free
