Audiovisual Production Unit Study
How did they make that movie? How do they produce that television show? Ever want to make a great home movie of your own? Here's a unit study to explore this high-interest elective.
1. The production of movies, television, and videos involves the creation of story-boards. Storyboards, which read like comic strips, illustrate the key sections of specific scenes. The frames present what the camera would see during that particular scene. Create a storyboard for a scene from one of your favorite movies, videos, television shows, or for a story you've written.
2. Listen to a favorite song and develop a video for it. What images come to mind as you hear the song? At what speed do these images change? What colors and angles are present in the shots? Keeping these questions in mind, create your own music video, or a slide of illustration presentation set to music.
3. Public service announcements (PSAs) are advertisements that address social issues like dropping out of school, domestic violence, health issues, or substance abuse. Look at how the PSAs are presented in different mediums (television, radio, etc.). Using video or audio equipment, create your own PSA on the topic of your choice and share it in your community.
4. Learn how a tape recorder, microphone, or mixing board work. Tape-record, with permission, an event in your family. Replay the tape and find five things that you would need to address in future taping -- about sound volume, background noise, clarity, etc.
5. Find out how a video, movie or a still camera works. Explore the use of the different settings, speeds, exposures, and special effects offered.
6. Further exploration: you could explore the world of photography with a unit study of photography.
7. Find out how slide projectors work. Observe two different slide presentations. Without changing the topic, how would you change the presentations to make them more interactive and interesting? Give a slide presentation of your own.
8. Digital technology is revolutionizing the audiovisual field. Find out how slides and projections are created and used in presentation software like Powerpoint, Harvard Graphics, etc. How are computers used to create multimedia presentations? View a demo of one of these types of software.
9. Fieldtrip idea: Visit a television studio. Take a tour and see how video, sound, and editing techniques are used to create TV shows. How different is the sound system from the one you have at home? Find out how film, text, and sound are edited. What other machines are used? What happens prior to production? What happens in post-production?
10. Create your own audiovisual production on a subject of your own choosing.
11. The work of many different inventors has contributed to the advanced technology presently available in the field of audiovisual production. Research at least two of the inventors who were involved in this.
12. Find out what kind of education and training is required for the different fields in the careers of audiovisual production.
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