Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday Noon-1pm

Tuesday and Thursday 2pm-3pm

-and by appointment

Class Meets:

Wed. and Fri. 10am-11:50am

Tawes Fine Arts Building

Room 0135 and 0117 (TBA)

Texts: Zettl, H (2007). Video Basics 5. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning

(ISBN 0-495-05032-6)

Tapes: One small shell tape

One large shell tape

Tapes can be purchased in bookstore or at www.taperesources.com

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to basic television equipment and other elements of studio and field operation. Students will participate in various field and studio assignments and help produce several laboratory programs.

Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in JOUR 201.

Attendance Policy:

This course requires students to rely on one another to complete projects. Teamwork is essential in television production, therefore it is required that students in this class attend and participate in class exercises and discussions. Also, since this class will be taught as a lab, regular attendance will be necessary to complete many of the assigned exercises. The class roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Absences will be recorded. One letter grade will be deducted from the student’s final grade for every absence after the second absence.

Tests:

A quiz will be given at the beginning of class every Wednesday. Late students will not be able to take the quiz and will receive a zero for that week’s test. The quiz will consist of five questions from that week’s assigned readings and five current events questions. For the current events questions, students are asked to keep up with international, national, state, local and campus news.

Projects:

This course will obviously require a substantial amount of writing, and pre-planning as well as time and personal management. Journalists are required to write and produce air-quality programming under deadline. This course is no exception. Deadlines will be enforced! No project will be accepted after its due date or time. This is a department policy. Consider yourself warned.

Grading:

An instructional breakdown and procedures for grading will be handed out for each project. These project descriptions will serve as a guideline for that particular assignment.

The instructor of this course will utilize the plus/minus system when recording final grades. The plus/minus system equates to the following numerical breakdown:

A+ 96.45-100

A 92.45-96.44

A- 89.45-92.44

B+ 86.45-89.44

B 82.45-86.44

B- 79.45-82.44

C+ 76.45-79.44

C 72.45-76.44

C- 69.45-72.44

D+ 66.45-69.44

D 62.45-66.44

D- 59.45-62.44

F 59.44 or Below

Students with Disabilities:

Students with a specific disability (permanent or temporary, physical or learning) needing special accommodation during the semester should make an appointment to meet with the instructor in Room 0219 of the Tawes Fine Arts Building.

Graduate Students:

Graduate students must complete an additional news package to be worked on throughout the semester. The instructor will provide specific instructions to graduate students. Further responsibilities may be added for assisting during production of newscasts.

Academic Integrity

      For this class, you must do all work yourself, or in assigned groups, without collaboration with classmates or others. The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course.  It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.

Grading Breakdown (Undergrad)

Quizzes 15%

Field Shooting and Editing Project #1 15%

Field Shooting and Editing Project #2 20%

Field Shooting and Editing Project #3 20%

Studio Project (Directing) 1–Not Timed 15%

Studio Project (Directing) 2-Timed 15%

Grading Breakdown (Graduate)

Quizzes 15%

Field Shooting and Editing Project #1 15%

Field Shooting and Editing Project #2 20%

Field Shooting and Editing Project #3 20%

Studio Project (Directing)1–Not Timed 10%

Studio Project (Directing) 2-Timed 10%

Special Project 10%

Reading Assignments:

Reading assignments are listed for the FOLLOWING week. You are to read them the week prior and be prepared for quiz questions during the first class of the following week.

Volunteering:

You are not required but HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to volunteer as a crew member for the CNS shows on Tuesday through Friday evenings. In order to volunteer, arrive at approximately 5:45 to take position and receive instruction for live shows hitting air at 6:30. This will help you tremendously in the studio production section of this course. You may volunteer as many nights per week as you wish. Just show up when you can work.

You may also volunteer by crewing for a CNS student. In order to do this you should contact CNS Director Cassandra Clayton (cclayton@jmail.umd.edu).

Students who volunteer will receive extra credit on their final quiz grade (this can REALLY help you).

Schedule of Activities

Aug-30-Course Introduction

Sep-1-Field Camera Lecture 1

Reading Assignment for next week: Introduction and Ch-3 & 4

Sep-6-Field Camera Lecture 2

Sep-8-NO CLASS-Faculty Retreat

Reading Assignment for next week: Ch-5 & 6

Sep-13-Camera/Shot Composition

Sep-15-Shoot Beauty Shots

Reading Assignm ent for next week: Ch-7 & 8

Sep-20-Shooting Interviews and Stand-Ups

Sep-22-Visual Elements to News Stories

Reading Assignment for next week: Ch-15

Sep-27-Shoot Visuals and Stand-ups. Camera Quiz

Sep-29-Intro to videotape Editing

Reading Assignment for next week: Ch-11 & 12

Oct-4-Editing

Oct-6-Editing

Reading Assignment for next week: Ch-13

Oct-11-Editing

Oct-13-Editing Review-Editing Quiz

Reading Assignment for next week: Ch-14

Oct-18-The Studio and Master Control

Oct-20-The Studio and Master Control

Package # 1 Due at 1pm

Reading Assignment for next week: Ch 9 & 10

Oct-25-Directing

Oct-27-Directing

Reading Assignment for Next Week: Ch-17

Nov-1-Practice Newscasts

Nov-3-Practice Newscasts

Reading Assignment for Next Week: Ch-1 & 2

Nov-8-Practice Newscasts

Nov-10-Producing and ENPS Lecture

Nov-15-Producing and ENPS Lecture

Nov-17-Producing and ENPS Practice

Package #2 Due at 1pm

Nov-22-Studio Project #1 Taping

Nov-24-NO CLASS Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov-29-Studio Project #1 Taping

Dec-1-Studio Project #1 Taping

Dec-6-Studio Project #2 Taping

Dec-8-Studio Project #2 Taping

Package #3 Due at 1pm

Final exam period will be used for additional studio taping.