Homework for 2-27

For Tuesday, I'd like you to write a 350-500 word blog post in which you consider Visual Rhetoric. Visual Rhetoric is simply the application of our rhetorical model onto visual spaces. The follow websites construct an argument, using visuals, about the death penalty.

Avoiding the actual issues (your beliefs on the morality of the death penalty), discuss the rhetorical choices each author made. Do you find one presentation more or less compelling? What other presentations may have been possible? How does each author's aim/goal affect how he presents the images and text? Are there any other elements besides the photographs that contribute to the visual presentation (think text, color, layout)?

No Seconds

The Last Meal Project

Understanding Film Terms

Below are some key terms and explanations (with examples) of key film concepts and terms.  

The Filmic Image

• Mise-en-scene: the entirety of the image on the screen. More simply: what the viewer sees. 

• Frame: the imaginary border of the film. Think about it like a picture frame. 

• Shot: a single image of film. Can be any length, but must be unedited. 

• Scene: a series of shots which make up part of a narrative.  

Shot Lengths and Sizes

• Establishing shot: The largest shot; establishes an area the size of a town or campus.

• Long shot: A large shot which covers a space like a street or a room.

• Medium shot: A shot which captures characters from the knees or wait up. Most commonly used shot in American cinema. 

• Close shot: A shot which focuses on a character's face or a specific object. 
  

• Extreme Close-up: A shot which focuses on a small portion of a character's face/body or a specific object.  

Camera Angles

• High Angle: a shot from above the subject which looks down. 

• Low Angle: a shot from below the subject which looks up. 

• Sideways tilts: shots which are off-center.  

Camera Movements

• Pan shot: a shot which moves left-to-right or up-and-down on a stable axis. 

• Tracking shot: a shot which travels forward or backward.

• Zoom: camera zooms in or out on a subject.  

Editing

• Narrative editing: standard storytelling 

• Montage: clips which are meant to stand in for a story  

Cuts

• Cross-cut: standard cut from shot to shot. 

• Fade: shot fades into black or fades from black. 

• Iris: shot fades into or out of a specific object on the screen. 

• Dissolve: shot fades into the next shot; images are transposed or juxtaposed.  

Focus

• Deep: everything in the frame is in focus. 

• Soft: one specific object or subject on the screen is in focus. 

 Sound

• Narration: off-camera speech designed to give context to the images. 

• Dialogue: on or off-camera spoken exchange between characters. 

• Monologue: on or off-camera speech acts performed by a single character. 

• Music: can be diegetic (characters can hear the sound) or non-diegetic (characters can not hear the sound). 

• Effects: any sounds which are not spoken or musical; similar to music, can be diegetic or non-diegetic.

Groups

For Thursday, I'd like to put you all into groups for the rest of the semester. I will continue to update this post as people email me, but here are the groups so far:

Paintball
Tori
Tyona
Brandy
Susan
Melissa

Horse Park
Maddie
Hannah
Emily
Emma
Jordan
Alex

Service Dogs
Sam
Zack
Kaycie
Cole
Morgan

Delivery Drivers
Ben
Trae
Ryan P.
John
Conner

WRFL Radio Station
Andy
Garrett
Marissa
Jessie
Ryan M.

If you do not yet have a group, you have two options:
1. Before class, you need to email me and tell me which group you're interested in joining
2. Come on class on Thursday and get put into a random group

Speech Reflection

For Tuesday (if you present today, you can take until Thursday), please compose a 250 word response to your Shark Tank proposal. Try to assess yourself honestly-- what did you do well? What do you need to work on? What is something that you were unaware of as you presented? Was your presentation what you expected? Did you perform better or worse than you anticipated? Similarly, you can respond to my comments. Avoid discussing grades so much as my comments at the bottom of the rubric. How can you improve on the issues I raised? What do you want to do differently next time?

Thursday, February 20 Speeches

Maddie Strzelewicz

Susan Schuldt

Sam Thornton

Kaycie White

Alex Simon

Cole Feeney

Tuesday, February 18 Speeches

 

Emma Parker

 

Conner Novicki

 

John Leanza

 

Trae Jones

 

Zack Kendall

 

Ryan Petitt

 

Jordan Philley

Thursday, February 13 Speeches

Ryan Metz

Marissa Garner

Melissa Brown

Morgan Delventhal

Andy Cecil

Tyona Golden

Jessie Gough

February 11 Speeches

Brandy Hope

Emily Brown

Garrett Garcia

Hannah Himmelmann

Ben Dohm

Tori Holmes

Speech Schedule

Tuesday 2-11
2:00-2:10 Cole
2:10-2:20 Emily B.
2:20-2:30 Brandy H.
2:30-2:40 Garrett G.
2:40-2:50 Hannah H.
2:50-3:00 Ben D.
3:00-3:10 Tori

Thursday 2-13
2:00-2:10 Ryan M.
2:10-2:20 Marissa
2:20-2:30 Melissa B.
2:30-2:40 Morgan D.
2:40-2:50 Andy C.
2:50-3:00 Tyona
3:00-3:10 Jessie G.

Tuesday 2-18
2:00-2:10 Emma
2:10-2:20 Conner
2:20-2:30 John L.
2:30-2:40 Trae
2:40-2:50 Zach K.
2:50-3:00 Ryan P.
3:00-3:10 Jordan

Thursday 2-20
2:00-2:10 Maddie
2:10-2:20 Susan
2:20-2:30 Sam
2:30-2:40 Kaycie
2:40-2:50 Alex
2:50-3:00 Chris

Speech Prep!

Next week, you will be presenting your "Shark Tank" proposals for your projects. As you prepare, here is some important information to keep in mind:

Length
I expect your presentation to last at least three minutes, but no more than five. It is important that you do not go over time, as we will struggle to fit these into one week.

Q&A
Following your presentation, a pre-determined group of four students will ask you a question regarding your presentation or its viability. I will allow (and even encourage) the audience to use a positive statement/critique approach; however, the students tasked with asking questions cannot just offer a positive statement.

Grading and Assessment
You will be graded on both your presentation and your audience participation. That means that you need to come prepared not only for your speech but also for your role as feedback provider.

In regards to your proposal, we have agreed on the following grading criteria:

Proposal
25% Logos: Information, facts, and research. Your background knowledge of the subject. What is your plan for the project? What will this documentary look like at the end? Whom have you contacted?
10% Relevance link: Why would college students care about this project? What makes your subject interesting or unique? How is the angle you're taking with this project novel? In short, who cares?
10% Pathos: What makes this project important? Why are you passionate about this project? Convince us that you're driven to make this project work.
5% Ethos: What are your skills related to this project? Do you have any experience with interviewing? Video editing? Filming? Narrating? Writing Scripts? Doing research? Convince us that your project will succeed because you have the necessary skills.

Body Language    
20% Preparation: Your speech presents evidence that you have practiced and prepared. Working on pacing and cadence, pauses and transitions. Think about how you will present yourself-- do you need to dress up? (yes, you do) Are you between three and five minutes? Have you anticipated the questions you will receive? Remember that you don't always need the answers for the Q&A session, merely the knowledge of how you would go about finding the answer.
10% Speed/Tone/Volume: Related to preparation, but this score focuses just on the oral element of your presentation. Project your voice, avoid monotone, and control your pace.
10% Eye Contact: Make sure you're not fixating on one person (especially not me!). Scan the room, look out at us, and avoid the walls, windows, and floor. Don't forget to blink!
10% Movement and Fluidity: Use your nervous energy to move your body around the room. Avoid pacing, as that distracts the viewer, but do not simply stand still with your arms folded. Stay active in the front of the room.

Homework for Ben and Sam

Ben and Sam:
Please remember to come to class with a topic choice (finalized) and contact information for your topic. This means a name, an email address, a telephone number, or office hours and location. Thank you, Ben and Sam.