Poli 311 5^th and Final (Group) Assignment:

Digital Project on Race/Ethnicity & Social Justice in America

Working collectively develop and complete a digital film project, optimally a photo-essay, on the topic of ‘Race/Ethnicity & Social Justice in America.’ To be successful you should first get clear on what it is you hope to argue regarding this topic and how you are inclined to answer fundamental questions such as: to what extent and in what ways does race/ethnicity occupy an excessive, neglected, or distorted place in public deliberation in America? To what extent is America still racialized? racist? Or now post-racial? Only then, should you contemplate how you might go about doing so using (incongruity, superiority, relief, and/or release dynamics of) humor. Whatever you intend to argue vis-à-vis race your communicative challenge is to use humor virtuously (a’la Critchley), rather than merely to alienate the holders of the perspective(s) you disagree with. In other words, you have to use a humorous treatment to draw those who might disagree into recognizing the validity of your perspective too?

	Take Action	Instructions	Specifications	Deadline
	1. Form into a group	Give yourselves a suitable production firm name	Cooperate	Immediately
	2. Concept,	Specify argument or treatment of the topic and your intended humor angles.	100-150 words. Group must have professor approval before continuing	Email to me Wed by midnight for review Thursday 12 Nov in class
	3. Storyboard	Rough visual layout of imagery, i.e. still or moving, and gist of audio, i.e. narrative for voice over, and music if any	7-10 storyboard layout pages
	4. Script	Write a narrative script as precisely as possible	50-150 words?
	5. Graphic format	Select the optimal format given 2-4 above and determine what if any equipment you will need from WITS	If conventional genre plan on spoofing its authenticity, and if unexpected imagery then work on high realism
	6. Archival or pre-existing digital artifacts	Determine and locate what if any prior imagery you will be employing and re-purposing.	i.e., high quality stills, cropped as necessary ~30% of content must be original ~avoid photoshop if possible ~try Ken Burns effect ~try arranging 2-D as 3-D	Post as much as possible online (and send me the link) for review Tuesday 17 Nov in class
	7. Voiceover	Record best quality audio by someone who reads well,	i.e. with appropriate gravitas and clarity
	8. Assembly	Assemble and coordinate tempo of imagery with audio, optimally in imovie	~pacing ~parsimony ~tension ~resolution
	9. Titling	Have a good film title and appropriate ending acknowledgements	~state 5 empirical claims that are the premises of your film and provide citations/references for each in the closing credits
	9. Final Product	Image and text rendered as coherent whole	~3-4 minutes (excl. titles and opening/closing sequences, if they are long). ~ save in Quicktime format	To be screened in class Tuesday 24 Nov 09