[Brent Bloem]

Bill,

I was recently thinking about my first media class’s curriculum and I’m embracing the less is more philosophy in terms of content being covered in class. That said, I’m really interested in looking at your SEN editing products, because I’d possibly like to use this as a learning and assessment tool that specifically target’s kid’s editing skills. Is it possible to get a review copy by chance?

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
-Mark Twain

[Brent Bloem]

Bill,

You’ve hit the nail on the head with, “The question I was trying to answer is how do you produce quality, if you’ve never broken it down into understandable steps.”

This is an area that I’m really trying to improve. In fact, I’ve looked for quite a few books on this matter, and I haven’t found one. Maybe your product offers the missing link I’ve been looking for?

I wouldn’t mind getting an educator evaluation copy. What do I need to do to check it out?

I stand corrected on your point about less comparmentaliation in the majority of the industry. I’ve made the ideas I’m going for compartmentalized for several reasons. 1) I’m trying to get the students engaged, and I think they kids will work harder for me with the video-game-esque specializations. 2.) I want kids to feel more invested. If they can focus on what they like, I’m sure they’ll work harder. 3) I want to boost my year two student program, so I can beat the pants off of my multiple NATAS winning sister school.

In our district, we have four levels of video classes. My first year is a survey, and kids are expected to engage in all aspect of production. Lighting, sound, video, and editing. My second year kids will do the strategy I’m working on. My third year kids, when a substantial numbe will graduate to that level, will do more of the one man productions, much like you said.

All in all, I desperately want my kids videos to be spectacular. I just haven’t found the way to increase the ratio of spectacular to crap. I’ll take any leg-up I can get to make this happen.

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
-Mark Twain

[Brent Bloem]

Mark,

You’ve mentioned you point eloquently. I really think you get it. The ideas you’ve presented are what I’m trying to do in my class.

Here’s what I’m going for:

The levels aren’t a syllabus per se. They are goals a student could accomplish, not goals every student must accomplish. Their “leveling-up” ONLY happens if they show proficiency at their current level. For the native talent, they might blow through most of the levels, but any level they get to, their work quality must never backslide. Never. If they backslide, they have to repeat the level.

Let’s look at it in video game terms. A video game has an objective. Now me personally, I suck at video games. It’ll take me 5, 6, or even more tries to complete the objectives. My thumb pounding friends will get it on a first try. My situation–that’s ok. Their situation–that’s ok. We’re both different. I’ll learn the game’s stategies at my pace,they’ll learn at their own pace. But, what’s important, we’ve both learned. We’ve gotten the concepts.

My leveling up strategy will work like a video game. An this is unlike a traditional class tries where the teacher tries to keep everyone together. This strategy will be student focused. The kids will have to learn themselves. Indeed, like you said, I’ll act as the conduit. I think this is critical (see this related idea. It’s how I’d like to see classroom learning look like: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html) But, as they learn, they’ll get special classroom benefits as they advance through the levels. In game terms, they’ll get loot. (See this interesting related link : https://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/724066/loving-the-loot-the-psychology-of-collecting-stuff/ ) In school terms, they’ll earn iMac access during lunch, iMac access after school, access to other programs they can tinker with, get extra credit, become a project leader for special projects, recieve work time extensions, and other stuff I haven’t thought of yet.

Teaching kids about technology is a catch 22. I agree, in the grand scheme of learning, today’s technology won’t matter tomorrow. But on the other hand, getting kids to know the opperational basics of technology is necessary. For example, how could today’s calculus students know how to do calculus equations without knowing how to imput the functions into a calculator? I’m not sure 99% could. The same, I believe, has some application to editing, especially for students without much experience using editing programs. Google for example, Bloom’s taxonomy. Bloom argues that before any student can perform higher order thinking (or more complex cognitive tasks) a student must follow this learning path in sequential order, from 1-6. He/she must: 1) know, 2) understand, 3) apply, 4) analyze, 5) synthesize, and 6) evaluate. The 1’s and 2’s aren’t impressive feats of ability. But never-the-less, they’re necessary, in order for kids to apply analyze and etc.

I’m obviously not an expert. I don’t have all the answers. I just see a direction I want to go, and I have a couple of waypoints to guide me. So, I really appreciate any advice you’ve got. It helps me to consider my thought processes and improve not only myself but also my students.

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
-Mark Twain

[Brent Bloem]

So, here’s a draft of the editing prestige path. I included some areas that aren’t editor specific to this path(After Effects, Apple Color). I’m not married to the decision, but I’ve included them into this draft for several reasons. First, kids requested to know this information. Second, I’m using their interest as bait to get them to advance throught the levels (For example, they won’t be able to use Color until LVL 10; and, they won’t be able to use AE until Lvl 12). I figured in would only help them and my program.

If anyone sees repetitions, omissions, or flaws in skill flow/progression, let me know. I’ve pitched this idea to the other TV teachers at my sister schools and they seem interested. I’m excited to see where this leads.

15 Apply level 1-14 skills to edit a short film
14 Apply AE knowledge to create a title graphic that:
• Is 5-8 seconds long
• Uses:
o Layers
o Effects
o Filters
o Motion
o 3d space
o Cameras
13 Know:
• After Effects composition workflow
After Effects workspace
12 Apply Lvl 1-11 skills in a video work
11 Diagnose color grading in three visual works:
• Find the color palette each uses
• Explain the effect each palette has on the narrative

Grade three shots and…
• Enhance the message
• Explain why the grading enhances the message
10 Know:
• Effects of color temperature
• Color theory
• Do’s of color grading
o Avoid clipping
o Avoid crushing
o Be broadcast safe
o Be consistent
• How to make thoughtful grading choices
• Mechanics behind the color wheels
09 Write an essay to analyze the editing style of an award winning short film (10-15 min duration)
08 Apply Lvl 1-7 skills to stock video to create:
• A comedy
• A suspense
07 Apply Lvl 1-6 skills to stock video to create:
• An edit using shots between LS – MS
• An edit using LS-ECU and creative framings (e.g. OTS, etc)
• An edit using the above options plus moving shots
06 Know:
• The commands for the most useful FCP hotkeys.
• What the commands do.
05 Be able to:
• Open, close, and hide FCP
• Open and retrieve windows
• Make equipment connections—camera to Mac and DVR to Mac
• Log and transfer, capture, and import
• Organize project files on the HD via a file-folder system
• Organize media pool

Apply effects ,filters, and titles three different ways
04 • Provide examples for 80% of the rules.
03 Know:
• Dmytryk rules
• Murch rules
• Screen position edit
• Form edit
• Concept edit
• Combined edit
02 Know these and their narrative effects:
• Straight cut
• Fade
• Dissolve
• Wipe
• J-cut
• L-cut
• Flash frame
• Insert edit
• Overwrite edit
01 Know:
• 7 Shot types
• High hat shot
• Low angle shot
• Canted/Dutch angle shot
• OTS
• Subjective v objective framing
• Reciprocal imagery
• High angle shot
• Aerial shot

Apply:
• 30 degree rule
• 180 degree rule
• Screen direction
• Eye trace

Compositional don’ts

[Brent Bloem]

Mark,

At the start of next I’m probably going to have my best student shoot The Three Little Pigs. Or, if I find that I need a project to fill my summer hours, maybe I’ll shoot it myself.

[Brent Bloem]

You’ve enticed my curiosity. Could you expand your thoughts on a on one point?

When you say anaylyzed an image, what did you intend to mean? Technical quality, aesthetic quality, or narrative quality? After stating this, could you generate what YOU feel is the best way to teach kids that, starting from the basics skills and moving to difficult skills of image analysis?

[Brent Bloem]

Scott,

I appreciate your years of experience. I’ll take the meters into concideration and see what sort of cash my program has available next year. Budgets in HS get tighter and tighter.

As far as the editors, and other positions go, I’m looking to have students specialize. So, in the case of editors, they will be removed from the shooting. Their sole job is to make their work as good as possible, given the circumstances.

I really hope it works in a HS setting. I’m drastically turning my old methodologies upside down (that being where everyone wrote, shot, and edited their work). It is my hope(though I pray not ill placed) that the quality of the product produced in my program will increase, now that my second year kids can work in the area that interest them the most.

[Brent Bloem]

Mark,

Really good things in this post. One aspect I thoroughly enjoy is NLE metaphor you developed. I’ve found kids do have a hard time grasping the insert and overwrite functions. But, when playlists are paralleled to timelines, kids will latch onto that.

Also, shooting a “familiar” story in several different ways gives a lot of advantages, the most noteworthy being a gradual increase in editing complexity, possibility and flexibility. Kids will really have to think about *why* they’ve made specific edit choices and understand *effects* of those choices. It’s really higher order thinking–what we’re really going for, rather than editing without reason.

Additionally, I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that editing platform shouldn’t matter. When kids get caught in the glam of filter, transitions, effects, and etc, they oftentimes fixate on those to the detriment of good visual storytelling. They’re trying to put lipstick on a pig so to speak.

Again, thanks.

[Brent Bloem]

I really like your ideas. Thank you so much for providing your valuable input.

I realize there were some redundancy in the courseflow. I’m split on the necessity of the matter. On one hand, I included it because I’d like kids to know how to use a specific camera model so that they don’t come back with excuses (I couldn’t do X because of Z….). On the other hand, perhaps thats not what should be the focus, perhaps the focus should be on the knowledge of the craft. It’s something I’ll have to put some thought into. It’s just so vexing when the only function kids know how to do is hit the record button.

You are right about including lighting into this unit. I originally thought about making lighting a completely different skill path, but the two are interconnected. Furthermore, including lighting into this skill path will only benefit the images my kids capture, which, after all, is what I’m trying to do.

You are right right about the faux pas. What I wrote wasn’t clear for the COW audience. To clarify, I really want them to know what even lighting is, and know that it’s usually good to have, artistic circumstances aside. My kids are working on short film as their final exam, and a handful have numerous silhouetted shots, not because it adds to the narrative effect, but because they weren’t aware of their natural surroundings, and they shot a person against an enormous glass wall looking into our school’s courtyard.

That’s neither here nor there, but one question I do have is, since we don’t have light meters, would you still impress the necessity of white balancing or would you simply abandon the concept in favor of AWB?

Super cool idea with giving kids the same shots for the sequence and then omitting random parts of it from each kids station. That’d give em a real mind bender. But, as you know, totally warranted. The mischievous side of me would love to see them work through that.

Thanks a million for your help. I’m definitely going to apply some of your concepts.

[Brent Bloem]

John,

Thanks. I had no intention to make “Dimensions 2” a Guide Layer. Must have accidentally clicked on that somehow. I don’t even know what the purpose of a Guide Layer is…. Anyway, you nailed it. Thanks for taking the frustration out of it. Not gonna lie that I feel a little silly that it was such an quick fix though.