COMM 497C 
115 Lubert, Innovation Park

Section 001  Spring 2016 – Wednesdays:  2:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Instructor: Will Yurman, Senior Lecturer of Communications
Office Hours:

Monday 1:30 – 2:30 in Carnegie 218
Tuesday & Thursday 1:30 – 2:30 at Innovation Park
and by appointment

“I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it.”

~Author Unknown

Office: Carnegie 218
Telephone:
(O)  814-863-8908
(C)  814-470-5895
Email: why1@psu.edu

 

Multimedia Projects is an advanced multimedia class designed to give students experience creating an in-depth story using multimedia storytelling skills, with an emphasis on video and audio. The class will document a single semester-long theme putting into practice the collection of acquired modern journalism skills to create advanced online story packages with multiple elements, including text, visuals (video, photos, graphics, etc.), audio, interactivity and navigation. Students will generate their own stories and will collaborate to produce an online presentation of their work – an online ‘magazine’. The class is a results oriented class. Students will be assessed primarily on the work they produce, closely replicating the real work environment of a newsroom.

For the Spring 2016, we will look at the topic of Family in Centre County and all that means – investigating demographic trends but with an emphasis on the personal stories of subjects.

Goals

• To recognize, appreciate and produce quality multimedia stories for online publication.
• To develop additional multimedia storytelling skills – including video, audio, and data visualization.
• To create compelling stories using any of the tools available to journalists today.
• To begin to build a multimedia portfolio.
• To understand the duties of a working journalist in the multimedia age.
• To learn to critically evaluate your own work and the work of others.
• To work collaboratively creating and editing stories.

Objectives Upon successful completion of this class, students will:

• Produce a long-term multimedia report with a variety of tools for a Web-based audience.
• Create a website for presenting the body of work
• Work as an editor – supervising another student’s project
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of AP style.
• Demonstrate at all times knowledge of journalists’ rights and responsibilities to the reporting and writing of the news.
• Engage the community to create and submit their own stories

Attendance

Students are expected to attend every class – We only meet once a week, so any absence is significant. Missing class to work on your story is not acceptable. Regular and punctual attendance is important. Multiple absences will be reflected in your grade. If you will miss a class for a legitimate reason, you should notify me prior to the start of the class, via e-mail. Students with excused absences will be permitted to make up work.  Excused absences are limited to the observance of holy days or circumstances beyond your control, including:

• your illness.
• a personal emergency such as an accident or severe illness of a family member.
• the funeral of a family member or a friend.
• a canceled plane, bus or train, or hazardous driving conditions on your return from an out-of-town trip.

Any test, quiz, or in-class assignment missed as a result of an excused absence must be made up within one week of the class missed. Students are responsible for all work – if you miss a class, it is YOUR responsibility to make up any work assigned. If you miss an in-class assignment you will receive a zero for that grade.
You must be present to turn in assignments.
Missing class critiques will result in a letter grade reduction.

Textbooks & Supplies:

There are no required texts for this class. 

Newspapers:

For this course you are required to read The New York Times (www.nytimes.com/passes), USA Today, Centre Daily Times and the Collegian online and in print.

Digital Storage:

Assignments will be turned in by uploading your work to the SAN or to the Projects Server. Instructions for using the server can be found on the handouts page or directly here. The SAN will also be a place to store and save work. NO SYSTEM IS 100% RELIABLE. I encourage everyone to own their own hard drive as a backup. Let us not even imagine how sad you would be if all your work was lost because of a computer crash.

You will need the login and password for your class:

For 497.1

• user name: advanced.multimedia
• password: 497Password

The digital age requires digital storage. You should own an external hard drive to store your digital files.

You will want to back up your work – servers fail, and it’s important to have a backup. You may also want to work on assignments outside of class.

Your work should be backed up AT LEAST twice. IF you have your work on your computer, then you’ll want one backup drive. If you save your work to the SAN, you’ll want your own backup. There are two kinds of hard drives in the world. Those that have crashed and those that will crash.

You will want a drive with certain features:

• 7200 rpm (this is the speed the drive spins. Slower drives will make editing video difficult.)
• USB 3.0 is very fast
• Thunderbolt is Apple’s very fast connector.
• Size – I would suggest at least 256GB, but buy the biggest you can afford. They fill up quickly
• Portability – desktop drives are usually cheaper, but can be a pain to carry around.
  • Solid State Drives (SSD). These drives are typically more dependable and less prone to break. But are also more expensive. Because they have no moving parts they do better if you keep your drive in your backpack and it’s constantly getting shaken.
  • Traditional drives use a spinning disc – they are less expensive.
• You might consider getting one of each. Leave the traditional drive someplace safe at home and use it as a backup.

There are a ton of choices. Cheapest isn’t usually best.

For SSD this one looks good (I haven’t used it)
My Digital SSD 256GB

Also SSD, twice the storage, but more expensive
Lexar 512GB (IF you buy a Lexar, you must format it as exFAT – ask me if that sounds like Greek)

For Traditional drives I like the G-Technology drives. Many people use the LaCie Rugged drives. Keep in mind that ALL drives fail, it’s a just a question of when. Have two drives and two copies of your work.

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly and creative activity in an open, honest and responsible manner, free from fraud and deception, and is an educational objective of the College of Communications and the University. Cheating – including plagiarism, falsification of research data, falsifying caption or story information, posing or staging photographs and representing them as real moments, using the same assignment for more than one class, turning in someone else’s work, or passively allowing others to copy your work – will result in academic penalties at the discretion of the instructor. In serious cases, it could also result in suspension or dismissal from the University or in the assignment of an “XF” grade (failed for academic dishonesty).

As students studying communications, you should understand and avoid plagiarism (presenting the work of others as your own.) A discussion of plagiarism, with examples, can be found at http://tlt.psu.edu/plagiarism/student-tutorial/. The rules and policies regarding academic integrity should be reviewed by every student, and can be found online at: www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/47-00.html#49-20, and in the College of Communications document, “Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures.” Any student with a question about academic integrity or plagiarism is strongly encouraged to discuss it with his or her instructor.

Our Community

As photojournalists, the subjects of our stories should reflect the entire community we serve. Showing diversity in your assignments is essential.

Note To Students With Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, contact the Office for Disability Services, ODS located in room 116 Boucke Building at 814-863-1807(V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS, please visit its website at www.equity.psu.edu/ods/. Instructors should be notified as early in the semester as possible regarding the need for reasonable academic adjustments.

Grading:

You will be graded on your results and your participation. Effort counts, so do results. A primary part of your grade will be your project. Grades will also be based on your involvement in the production of the website and your editing of other students’ work.

Your project will be evaluated using the following criterion:

• Journalistic Content – Does the work tell the story? Is it compelling and accurate? Do the audio and visuals work together to engage the reader and make the best use of the medium?
• Technical Excellence – Is the audio of the highest quality? Are the visuals well-composed, properly exposed, in focus.
• Aesthetics – are the images visually compelling, is the editing thoughtful and logical. Does the story contain strong moments, emotion, humanity.

IN CLASS PARTICIPATION: 10%
EDITING: 20%
ASSIGNMENTS: 20%
SECOND ROLE: 20%
FINAL PROJECT: 30%

Grading Percentage Breakdown:

Deadlines:

Photojournalists must adapt to changing situations. You must adapt to meet deadlines. Late assignments will NOT be accepted. IF you must miss a class, you MUST arrange to turn in your work.

A missed deadline means you failed the assignment.

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at the start of class. Finishing work during class is not acceptable. Unless you have an excused absence and the instructor is notified via email in advance, you must be present at the start of class to hand in assignments. If you have an excused absence, or are unable to attend class, it is still your responsibility to turn in assignments on time.

Digital Photojournalism Lab Policies / Hours:

The computer lab is available 24/7 using your Penn State ID card. If classes are in session, there is usually an open computer in the back room, or, with permission of the instructor, you may work quietly in the classroom  Do not allow anyone else to enter the lab. Do not block the lab door open. According to university policy, no food or drink is permitted in the lab. Students caught with food or drink in the lab may lose lab privileges. If students are abusing 24-hour lab privileges, lab hours will be restricted.

Website/communication

Class information will be available on the website at: https://www.willyurman.com/teaching
Updates to the syllabus, assignments, handouts etc. will all be on the website.
I will use email for any last minute updates/cancellations/changes
I will also be sending critiques and grades via email. Grades will also be posted on angel
Please make sure I have your current and preferred email address.

Assignment Standards:

•Digital files/assignments will be placed on the server. It is extremely important that all files and folders contain your name and the assignment name.

•Students CANNOT photograph their friends and relatives for class assignments. Exceptions should be approved in advance. It is very difficult to make a living photographing your friends.

•All still images should be taken with the digital camera quality setting of “fine” or “Raw”

•All assignments must have complete caption information.

•All assignments must be publishable and fall within societal norms for decency and good taste.

•Unless you specifically say otherwise, it is assumed that any work submitted for this class may be published on the Commedia, Centre Daily Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Penn State University, or other websites. Student images may also be used in university publications. Select work will be entered in regional and national photojournalism competitions.

Supplies:

It is your responsibility to save and backup your digital files. The modern equivalent of my dog ate my homework is “my harddrive crashed” or “My roommate deleted my files”.  Neither of these are an acceptable excuse.

You need to have backup copies of everything you shoot – I STRONGLY recommend purchasing a portable external harddrive.

Specifics will be discussed in class.

Gear Checkout:

Gear is available from a variety of places.

DSLR cameras, mics, tripods are all available from the Equipment room in 213 Lubert at Innovation Park.

This semester we will have access to the Nikon D610 cameras and a variety of accessories available in Lubert.

Additional lenses and gear is available in the Carnegie Building equipment room.

Additionally, camera kits are available through Media & Technology Services.  Their facility is at Wagner Annex.

Media Tech generally permits students to keep cameras for three days.
They are open M-F
You are financially responsible for the equipment.

Equipment is checked out from the College of Communications for a period of 24 hours. You are financially responsible for the equipment you borrow from the College of Communications. Much of the pool equipment is owned by Nikon and is on loan to Penn State for photojournalism classes. Be sure that everything is working before you leave the building. When you sign the checkout form you are agreeing that the equipment is in good working order. Make note of any equipment problems before you sign the form!  If, at the discretion of Mike Zelazny, you abuse the pool camera equipment, you will lose the privilege to borrow equipment. Fines are imposed for equipment returned late.

Internet

Students are not permitted to use the Internet during class hours to check Facebook or email. Students using the Internet for anything other than class work (during class) will have points deducted from their class participation grade.

Cell Phones:

Cell phones should be turned off before class.  No text messaging during class. Students using a cell phone during class hours for anything other than class work will have points deducted from their class participation grade.

 

This syllabus is merely a guide. It will likely change during the semester. Dates, deadlines, assignments, point values, and any or all policies may be changed or modified by the instructor. Changes will be announced in class or via the class website. There may be unannounced quizzes during the semester.