FALL 2009 Mr. Jack
Kapfer
LEC:
10:00-10:50am MW HHH 178
LAB:
2:00-3:50pm R HHH 106A
Office: HHH 105A Phone: 836-2300
Office Hours: M, W 11-11:50am/T, W 1-1:50pm & By Appt.
Web page: www.uwec.edu/kapferja Email:kapferja@uwec.edu
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Please be sure
to turn off all mobile communication devices before each class.
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A schedule will be available on the website (www.uwec.edu/kapferja) for you to print. It is a tentative schedule and subject to change. Be sure to consult it regularly.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“Strategies
for communicating messages and ideas via the radio and television media,
introduction to basic radio and television production equipment, techniques and
vocabulary.”
This course relates in a number of ways to the goals adopted
by the faculty for the UW-Eau Claire baccalaureate degree. Specifically, here is how this course relates
to the following degree goals (and should help you demonstrate your mastery of
them):
Knowledge of
Human Culture and the Natural World
* UW-Eau Claire students will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge about human culture and about the natural world. In lecture there will be a number of references to the science of sound and light. And in the practical assignments students will learn how specific equipment can manipulate sound and light to enhance the articulation of messages.
Creative and
Critical Thinking
*UW Eau Claire students will develop creative and critical thinking skills that can be applied to a range of contexts.
Students will have the opportunity to use and develop their creative talents in assignments like the audio and video narratives as well as critically evaluate their work and that of others.
Effective
Communication
* UW Eau Claire students will write, read, speak, and listen effectively in various contexts including applications to civic and discipline specific contexts. This is perhaps the most prominent goal in that the purpose of enhancing creative talents and learning technical skills is to be able to generate effective message communication using all types of channels.
Individual
and Social Responsibility
*UW Eau Claire students will develop skills and values for ethical reasoning and life-long learning. Students will learn broadcasting and its technology and how their decisions related to it can influence both positively and negatively the society and culture within which we live.
Respect for
Diversity among People
* UW-Eau Claire students will develop skills and knowledge for living in a culturally pluralistic and globally interdependent world. The news assignments in the second half of the semester will particularly relate to this goal as students develop, write and construct news stories about some aspect of their community and the people in it.
UNIVERSITY PORTFOLIO PROJECT
Communication And Journalism Program
Goals
Additionally, your work
in this course relates to the department’s goals. Communication and journalism
are crucial to a democratic
society. Both require citizens to share
and challenge their information. To
prepare students for responsible roles in a democratic society, the
department’s goals are designed to foster development in the following areas:
OBJECTIVES
OF THE CLASS:
1) To expose you to
the history, process, techniques and theories behind quality video/audio
production.
2) To give you
practical experience in the mechanics and use of video/audio production equipment
and software.
3) To provide for
you an understanding of the physical science behind the transmission and
display of video/audio signals.
4) To provide for
you video/audio production skills that can be used in this and other classes.
5) To help you
accumulate resume/portfolio examples of your video/audio knowledge and skills
such that they can be used in your future job quests.
Attendance is worth 35 points of your total semester score and it is important to attend both lectures and labs for several reasons. First, as stated in the objectives above, one of the goals of this class is to give you an understanding of, not only techniques in video/audio production and news, but the history, reasonings and science behind them. The materials covered in lecture will address these items. In essence, you cannot learn what you need to know for your assignments and exams without attending every class and taking good notes. Second, while some of the assignments will be of an individual nature, others will be group oriented. Consequently, the more you know and can contribute to the group effort the higher the probability of success. Third, a significant part of the exams you take will consist of questions referring to materials covered in lecture. Finally, one of the elements that help determine your final grade is your attendance record. UNEXCUSED absences will affect this point total!!!
From the beginning of the semester, attendance will be taken every class period (including lab days). Beginning the second week, Monday September 14th those present and/or those with prior notification of documented university activity related absences (these are subject to my approval) will have one (1) attendance point added to their totals scores.
Those not present but who have
notified me in advance of their absences will NOT receive an attendance point
but will not lose points. Those not present, and who have NOT notified me in
advance, will have their absence considered “unexcused” and WILL LOSE FIVE (5)
POINTS from their final semester point total. As stated above, this policy
applies to both lecture and lab sessions.
If you think you have a legitimate excused absence (e.g. college sanctioned activity), you should advise me of it at least one (1) week ahead of time so the appropriate arrangements can be made. At the same time, since I understand illness can wreak havoc on a college campus, should you succumb to a transient bug, you must make every effort to contact or inform me of your PENDING ABSENCE at the next class for it to be “considered” excused.
Any
students with documented disabilities or needs for special accommodations for
their attendance and participation in the class should contact me by the end of
the second week of classes. They should also contact
the Services for Students with Disabilities Office in Old Library 2136 at the
beginning of the semester.
Alten,
Zettl,
Herbert, (2007) Video Basics 5 Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing
You are responsible for being familiar with the assigned material from the text before they are discussed in class. Come to class prepared with any questions you might have. Materials will also be presented through class lecture, discussion, and handouts. You are encouraged to take good class notes and contribute to any discussion.
Some Advice on Lectures: Lectures will be enhanced with PowerPoint computer presentations to help you in your note taking. The display will help you organize your notes and, at times, provide visual/graphic representations of what is being discussed.
But be advised that the information
provided within these presentations IS NOT the only information that COULD
relate to questions on an exam. Consequently, it is important that you not
only pay attention to what is on the PowerPoint but LISTEN to what is being
SAID.
Web Page: (www.uwec.edu/kapferja) On the web page you will find printable files of the syllabus and schedule. It is highly recommended you print off a copy of the schedule to which you can refer.
Also it is highly unlikely you will be given printed copies of assignments as we go through the semester. While we will go over each assignment at the appropriate time in class, printable copies of assignments will only be available on the web page. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PRINT OUT AND READ THOROUGHLY EACH ASSIGNMENT. The page will contain other course information/changes as they crop up. The instructor will endeavor as much as possible to keep you informed, in class, of course changes. However, it is to your advantage to visit the web page regularly. [When you look for the page be sure to include the “www.”]
Email: There will most likely be times when it is necessary for me to communicate information to the entire class outside of our regular meeting time. This will be done through messages to your assigned UWEC email address. Please be sure to check it frequently. By the same token, feel free to contact me outside class or during my scheduled office hours with any questions or concerns you might have.
ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS
The majority of this class is based on assignments that will give you practical experience in certain elements of broadcasting and broadcast news production. The first half of the semester will be dedicated to audio production while the second half will concentrate on video with an emphasis on television news.
AUDIO: NARRATIVE, PSA/COMMERCIAL, COMPUTER AUDIO EDITING. The audio production projects will consist of an audio narrative designed to stimulate your appreciation of the complexity of sound and its use, a psa/commercial using computer audio editing software and the elements of voice, music and sound effects, and a more complex audio editing project using a children’s story. (B.A. Goals 1-4)
VIDEO: NARRATIVE, NEWS PACKAGE, MINI-NEWSCAST. The goal of the second half is to not only teach you about video equipment and techniques but help prepare you for the CJ 335 class which is a requirement for broadcast journalism majors and minors. The video narrative will be similar to the audio narrative but with video as the story telling tool and with the primary purpose of giving you some hands-on practice with the camera. The news package is designed to give you some practical experience in writing, shooting and editing news oriented content, while the mini-newscast provides some background in the development and construction of a television newscast from both the news and production perspectives. (B.A. Goals 2-5)
EXAMS. There are also three exams: a midterm, a final and a practical. The practical is designed to test your “hands-on” knowledge of the television equipment, studio and terminology. You will take that exam individually during the last week of classes.
Per university
policy, final exams may not be taken outside of the designated time and day
without permission of the instructor, the CJ Department, and the dean of A&S.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:
|
Sound Narrative |
35 [6% of final grade] |
|
One Audio :30 Multi-track Commercial/PSA (3 elements) |
55 [10% of final grade] |
|
Final Audio project: Storytelling with audio |
100 [17% of final grade] |
|
Midterm Exam |
50 [9% of final grade] |
|
Video Narrative |
45 [8% of final grade] |
|
One News Package |
60 [10% of final grade] |
|
One Mini-Newscast |
100 [17% of final grade] |
|
Practical Final Exam |
50 [9% of final grade] |
|
Written Final Exam |
50 [9% of final grade] |
|
Attendance |
30 [5% of final grade] |
|
Total |
575 |
THERE IS NO “CURVE” USED IN THE FINAL GRADING. Your final
grade is determined by the number of points YOU accumulate and its percentage
of the total number of possible points:
ACCUMULATED POINTS
|
PCT. |
GRADE
|
|
575-546 |
95%+ |
A |
|
545-518 |
95-90% |
A- |
|
517-500 |
89-87% |
B+ |
|
499-477 |
86-83% |
B |
|
476-460 |
82-80% |
B- |
|
459-443 |
79-77% |
C+ |
|
442-420 |
76-73% |
C |
|
419-403 |
72-70% |
C- |
|
402-385 |
69-67% |
D+ |
|
384-362 |
66-63% |
D |
|
361-345 |
62-60% |
D- |
|
Below 345 |
Less than 60% |
F |
ALL WRITTEN WORK HANDED IN TO
ME MUST BE TYPED!!! YOU WILL LOSE POINTS IF THIS REQUIREMENT IS NOT
MET!!!
Additionally, broadcasting is a “time is money” business. If the work you do for a client isn’t ready on time, s/he may go some place else. To emphasize this concept, only in EXTREME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES will extensions be allowed on deadlines. All assignments are due on the date and time specified with each assignment. You will lose points if this requirement is not met. If an assignment is due in class, that is when it must be turned in. THAT MEANS ALL ELEMENTS OF THE ASSIGNMENT! If you turn in any part of it later that day (11:59:59pm deadline) you lose FIVE (5) points on that project. Assignments turned in the day after the due date will lose an additional FIVE (5) points. After that, a penalty of FIVE (5) points will be assessed for each day of lateness up to the maximum point value of that assignment. Any assignment emailed to me as an attachment requiring me to print it out, will mean a one time deduction of one (1) additional point.
SRI, TV 10 AND CTV
You are encouraged to participate in activities available outside of class that can give you broadcast experience. Those include the student operated SRI (Student Radio Initiative), TV10 and the public access channel at Community TV. If you plan on broadcasting as a career, it is important to recognize that the more you learn about broadcasting and its operation the more marketable you will be. However, your priority MUST be this class.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AND SCHOLARSHIPS
You
are also encouraged to join campus organizations related to journalism and
communication such as The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) or The
Communication and Journalism Organization
( CJO). These can be valuable tools for you to make not only new friends
but professional contacts through workshops and conferences. Many of these
organizations also offer scholarships in your communication/journalism area of
interest. Additionally the CJ department offers many scholarships in the spring
semester. Investigate them and consider applying for as many as you may
qualify.
[FIRST SPJ MEETING: Tuesday,
September 15 6:30pm]
SCHOLARSHIPS
OF NOTE:
The Damm Scholarship – For
broadcasting and other media continuing students. Applications due 4pm, Friday October
2 in the CJ office.
WBA(Wisconsin Broadcasters
Association) Scholarship – Two $2000 and two $1000 scholarships to continuing
students in broadcast related programs.
The Lippold Fellowship – Awarded
to a broadcast journalism student who will spend three weeks during Xmas break
in the newsroom of KSTP-TV in Minneapolis.
This is a unique class in that some of the work you do COULD include copyrighted and/or trademarked material. Using copyrighted or trademarked materials require acquiring the permission of the author or copyright/trademark owner before that use. Because this is a learning environment and because at this point there isn’t an intention for your work to be made public, this should not be an issue. However, if after you have completed a project in this class and you and/or someone else determines it might be up to broadcast standards or you decide to enter it into an organizational contest, you must make sure you are NOT USING copyrighted or trademarked material WITHOUT PERMISSION.
On the other hand, ALL WRITTEN WORK SUBMITTED BY THE STUDENT MUST BE THE ORIGINAL WORK OF THAT STUDENT AND INTENDED FOR THIS CLASS. You should not use a project produced for another class or organization to satisfy requirements for this course. Work you hand in should have been produced SPECIFICALLY for this semester’s 241 class.
Also remember, whenever you use the words and/or ideas gathered from other sources, you MUST ALWAYS make specific reference or indebtedness to or acknowledgement of those sources. You should be especially careful about taking information from the internet.
Plagiarism and
cheating are serious unethical and perhaps illegal acts and can be considered
academic misconduct. I consider any
academic misconduct in this course as a serious offense, and I will pursue the
strongest possible academic penalties for such behavior. The disciplinary
procedures and penalties for academic misconduct are described in the UW-Eau
Claire Student Services and Standards Handbook (http://www.uwec.edu/sdd/publications.htm) in the
section entitled, “Chapter UWS 14—Student Academic Disciplinary
Procedures.”
Please know that I will do my best to be available to you to provide guidance and feedback on your work whenever possible. Office hours are listed above and special appointments can be made. Questions are always cheerfully answered, concerns respectfully heard. It’s why I’m here.
Again, any students with
documented disabilities or needs for special accommodations for their
attendance and participation in the class should contact me by the end of the
second week of classes. They should also contact the
Services for Students with Disabilities Office in Old Library 2136 at the
beginning of the semester