"VISUAL LANGUAGE" CURRICULUM
MEDIAdvise employs educational standards in all of our training. Instructors are experienced in television and trained in the fundamentals of adult learning. This combination assures the best results are achieved. Applying these stringent education standards is the MEDIAdvise difference.
The Visual Language Workshop is designed to introduce or re-visit the basics of visual language and uses shooting and editing exercises to reinforce the learning experience. This course lays an excellent foundation for any future learning that might occur. All material is taught to rigid completion standards. This ensures a productive educational experience.
This pre-designed course teaches the basic fundamentals of televisions "visual language" used to communicate visually with your audience. We know that all information presented to viewers communicates vital information. It's just as important to use visual information properly as it is to correctly use the English language.
MEDIAdvise can also design a custom curriculum specifically tailored to address issues inherent to your station or facility.
Module 1: “Assessment, Evaluation & Philosophy”
Anyone involved in the television production manufacturing process should have a keen awareness and understanding of the “bottom line” purpose of television. Why the industry exists and how it prospers. Photographers and editors should feel empowered to act appropriately in the performance of their duties to fulfill televisions obligation to serve its viewers.
Module 2: “Commitment, Distractions and Storytelling”
Television presents a daily inherent challenge to remain focused throughout the complex production process. “Commitment” is an outstanding tool to help meet that challenge. Commitment and story telling, consistently applied, provides the most successful approach to ultimately satisfying the viewer. This module details the basic components of a story and explains why storytelling is important.
Module 3: “The Components of Basic Aesthetics”
Most people involved in producing television are very intuitive about the process. Most enter the business with some very good preconceived notions about what to do. This module identifies and explains basic techniques and why they work.
Module 4: “Screen Direction" / Camera Blocking
The knowledge of “viewer orientation” is important in maintaining a proper sense of action and direction. This module examines how to determine the line, how to change the line and how to properly block the most common shooting circumstance. Since screen direction is a major factor in how best to block any shooting environment, we examine other important factors when deciding where to place the camera before shooting.
Module 5: “Composition / Shot selection”
The rules of art and composition have transcended over hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. Do photographers need to be art majors to shoot well? No. But a few basics of composition can improve the imagery and create more pleasing, captivating sights for your viewers.
Module 6: “Camera Movement”
Yes, static images are something that has a lot of value when shooting, but camera movement is not only appropriate at times, but very necessary. When is it best to zoom? When do you pan? This module examines how to recognize some of the critical moments in which camera movement, even multiple moves, can enhance the image and when to execute moves.
Module 7: “Capturing and Editing Audio"
Few things stir viewer emotion as much as sound. This module examines the importance of capturing and using audio, techniques for capturing quality sound, then how to use sound to provide better pacing for your stories.
Module 8: "Writing/ Interviewing/ Checklist"
This module contains writing for television basic tips, some very interesting interviewing techniques such as how to get great sound bites from kids and how to block for shooting interviews. It also provides a very helpful checklist you can use on every story or every production to help remind you to get what is needed in the field so you’re not missing something in the edit bay. Utilizing some very basic and simple tools will improve your approach to producing better products, will make you a more efficient television professional and will help you create a more watchable, memorable television product.
For maximum results, this workshop is comfortably and effectively delivered over 5 days but can be condensed to as few as two days. There are no restrictions on class size and the material is well suited for Producers, Assignment Managers, Reporters, Editors, Photographers and News Management.