Students,

Welcome to the first day of film class. Please show our substitute teacher the greatest degree of respect and complete the assignment below.

This first assignment (and day) is designed to get a lot of the written business and information out of the way early so we can focus on hands-on projects and filmmaking for the rest of the term. I expect maximum effort and thoughtful responses using complete sentences. This is a class that awards Language Arts credit and I need to see your highest level of effort on assignments.

I expect every student to get a laptop and thoughtfully answer all questions on a blank Word (or Pages) document. Email the finished document (attachment) to timbjornstad@me.com. I will check my email this weekend and review all submitted assignments. They are due today by 1pm. 

I am very excited about this class because we will meet people and develop skills that will allow you to make quality film pieces and tell a solid story that means something to YOU. I want you to learn how to tell  stories that you are interested in sharing. The more you share with me on this assignment the more I can customize this class to what you want.

Once again, this assignment is due at the end of the period. I look forward to receiving your emailed response this afternoon.

Be well,

Tim

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SECTION ONE: Personal Information (Paragraphs)

  1. Who are you? Please write a paragraph telling me the most important things that I need to know about you as a human being. Possible responses may include your background, personal hobbies and interests, struggles, strengths, or anything else you want to communicate to make your first impression. (Please keep in mind that a paragraph is a collection of five complete sentences in this class.)
  2. Why did you decide to take this class? (Again, one paragraph.)

SECTION TWO: Short Responses (2-3 sentence responses)

  1. How old are you? How long have you been at ECCO? When do you hope to finish the ECCO program?
  2. Do you know what you want to do with your future? Career? Family? Traveling? Please tell me a little bit about your thoughts in these issues and remember that you do not have to know what you are doing with the rest of your life! I just want to know what comes to your mind when you think about your future.
  3. Describe your relationship to technology. Are you a tech fan? Do you like computers? Phones? Social media? Cameras? Cars? 

SECTION THREE: Film (2-3 sentence responses)

  1. What is your connection to film? Do you like movies? Going to the theater? Streaming online? Watching television?
  2. What are your favorite kinds of film and video? Do you like action? Documentaries? TV? HBO? YouTube? Please tell me a bit about the kinds of film you enjoy.
  3. If you were going to work on a film project, what are you interested in doing? Are you interested in being behind the scenes or a character on the screen?
  4. Do you see yourself using computer software for editing? Are you interested in using computers and technology to make music for a film soundtrack?
  5. Are you interested in being a camera-person and capturing scenes on film?
  6. Are you interested in writing and paying attention to what makes a story great? 

SECTION FOUR: Favorite Films

  1. What are your top three favorite movies of all time? Please list them by name and include the name of the person who directed the film. I also want you to include the date the film was released. You can find this information online by doing a simple Google search.
  2. Please get on YouTube and find  links to trailers (previews and commercials) for your top three favorite movies. I will give double credit for people who are able to do this by creating a hyperlink, but this is extra credit. If you don’t know what I am talking about, ask a friend in the class or do some research online. This is school after all and we all need to learn some new skills 🙂
  3. Once you have decided on your favorite three films, please tell me why you like them so much. What is it about these movies that make them so good? Writing? Acting? Specific actors? Genre?

SECTION FIVE: Most Hated Film

  1. My least favorite film is a movie called Alexander, which is about the ancient leader Alexander the Great of Greece. I HATE THIS MOVIE and will explain why I can’t stand it next Friday when I am back. Please write a paragraph covering the following:
    1. What is the title of the film you despise? 
    2. Who directed this film?
    3. When was this film released?
    4. Who are the stars of this film? 
    5. Why do you hate this film so much?
    6. Please provide a link to a preview for this hated film, if you can find it. I want to see it 🙂

SECTION SIX: Top Three YouTube Videos

  1. YouTube is a sensation these days. Millions of people use it to gather information, share video, or just entertain themselves. Please create a list of your top three favorite YouTube videos. Be sure to provide a link to each video clip and write a minimum of two sentences explaining why you like the video so much. They can be goofy, serious, informational, comical… your choice. But I want to know what you find so appealing about the clip you choose.

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When you are finished, please email the document attachment to timbjornstad@me.com. If you need more time to work on this assignment outside of class, please request additional time by 1:00pm THIS AFTERNOON prior to the end of class. If you send a request I will grant you permission to turn this assignment in by this Monday morning at 9am. I expect every assignment in my inbox (for those who requested extensions) by 9am on Monday. 

Have a great weekend!

Tim