OBJECTIVE
To create an iMovie about a
Civil War topic that depicts life during that era by using still photos,
primary sources, or by dramatizing events or interviews, or a combination.
TOPICS
s The Advent of Slavery
s Life of a Union Soldier/Life of a Confederate
Soldier
s The Role of Women in the Civil War
s The Abolitionists and the Underground Railroad
Movement
s LincolnÕs Role
s Reconstruction: Rebuilding the Nation
PRODUCT
Each movie must be
submitted in a DVD format that can be viewed using the classroomÕs DVD player
or one of the schoolÕs computers. The team is responsible for making sure that
all the resources necessary to view the DVD is available and in working order
the day of the viewing, arranging for practice time as necessary.
SCORING AND RUBRIC
In addition to the 35
points for producing the movie (see iMovie Rubric), each student will assess
the contribution of other team members (15 points—see Collaboration
Rubric)
TIMELINE AND DUE DATES
May 3 Project
Assigned
May 10 Storyboards
Approved (may be submitted prior to May 10)
May 11 Begin
filming, gathering still photos, primary sources, music, graphics
May 11-18 Edit and refine
film
May 19-20 Finalize and
rehearse showing of film
wk May 24 Premiere of iMovies
THE TEAM AND ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
The
iMovie Team will comprise of the following:
Make sure the exact responsibilities for each team member
are clear before you begin critical planning of your iMovie.
DIRECTOR
The Director role represents and leads the team of students working on the
project. The Director will help to ensure that all processes are followed and
will report team progress to the teacher (Executive Producer). The Director
should lead regular team meetings. The Director will be responsible for arranging
filming with student participants and their parents. The Director will also
make sure that all copyright laws are followed, proper copyright permissions
are secured, and credits for materials and work are properly referenced in the
iMovie. In some cases, the Director may also construct the storyboards.
PRODUCER
The Producer role coordinates the project schedule and the tasks during the
production process. The Producer is responsible for communicating the next
steps to all team members so that the project stays on schedule and meets the
project objective. The Producer will reserve equipment and supplies for the
dayÕs work and be in charge of making sure all supplies are returned on time.
The Producer basically manages the day-to-day team operations. Producer duties
may include reviews of the daily work log for the team members, analysis of
what changes may need to be made to the schedule, and reporting issues to the
Director.
Researcher/Writer/Storyboard Artist
RESEARCHER
The Researcher is responsible for finding, analyzing, and compiling the
information necessary for the iMovie project. Research may include, but is not
limited to the following: interviews, surveys, primary source materials
(documents, photos, music, etc.), and finding facts or statistics. All research
should be conducted using credible library resources. Depending on the size of
the project, the Researcher may also assume the role of Script Writer.
SCRIPT WRITER
The Script Writer works with the Researcher and the team to provide the exact
wording, the script, to be used for the iMovie project. The role of the Script
Writer involves reviewing the research information to determine what facts
might best convey the iMovieÕs message, then paraphrasing the research
materials. In many cases, the Script Writer creates original writing that may
not be directly related to the factual information, such as dialogue between
characters or entertainment-based work.
STORYBOARD ARTIST
The role of the Storyboard Artist is to create the scenes for the iMovie
production on paper. The artist will sketch every scene in proper, numbered
order before any filming takes place. A storyboard template is used for
sketching the scenes and also showing production details, such as camera
angles, lighting, and text captions that describe the action of each scene.
Storyboarding is an important pre-production planning task, however, at times,
a great idea will arise during filming which will cause storyboards, scripts,
and even research to be necessarily modified. Several types of storyboard
styles may be used (Storyboard A or Storyboard B) and more can be found by
looking at the Web sites recommended in Internet Resources for iMovie
production.
Public Domain Photos
o North
Central Regional Technology in Education
o American
Political History Public Domain Photos
o Public Domain Images for Use in Multimedia Projects
o US Federal Government Public Domain Images
Movies:
o http://www.bored.com
- movie database, live web cams, song lyrics, optical illusions
Camera Operator/Sound
CAMERA OPERATOR
The Camera Operator is in charge of the actual equipment during the shoot. The
camera operator may gain direction from the Producer and/or Set Designer, but
will be the person responsible for creating the digital iMovie footage. The
Camera Operator will be in charge of equipment for the shoot. Actual capturing
duties may include ensuring there is enough iMovietape and that the lighting
and audio will be correctly captured, marking the taped scenes, allowing Òblack
spaceÓ between scenes for later adding transitions, and knowing what scenes may
need to be a re-shot the same day. The Camera Operator creates clear scenes in
order to make the editing process more efficient.
SOUND
You may wish to assign one individual to be in charge of making sure you not
only capture the proper sound quality the day of the shoot(s), but also to
research music, to obtain permissions for use, and to suggest other sound
"bites" to the team. In some cases, the camera operator may assume
these duties the day of the actual filming while the Film Editor suggests sound
additions to the group during the editing process.
MIDI Sounds - Public
Domain
FILM EDITOR
The Film Editor will facilitate the process of viewing the footage with the
team, deciding what shots should be used, and making the final edits. The Film
Editor will add music, consistent transitions, correct titles, text, and credits,
while providing the iMovie with an overall Òlook and feelÓ that meets the
project objectives. The Film Editor may work closely with the Producer(s),
Writers, and Set Designer to guide the overall effects of the film and lead the
review of progress to the team during meetings. The Film Editor should be able
to select the best scenes and combine these with appropriate and effective
special effects.
ONLINE GRAPHIC ARTIST
Your iMovie may require detailed, time-consuming, art that needs to be produced
using another application such as Photoshop¨ or Flash¨. If so, a graphic artist
may be required who will work closely with the Film Editor. The Film Editor may
complete basic editing transitions and also may supply special graphical
enhancements to the iMovie.
Community-Indexed Photo Archive
Everyone will contribute to the writing and storyboard of
each movie. All scripts and storyboards must be approved by Mrs. Mantecon
before working with iMovie.
iMovie Tutorials and
Resources