Writing for Time and Editing for Narrative

Writing for Time and Editing for Narrative

For this week's in-class activity, we're going to watch a thirteen minute video from the program 60 Minutes entitled "Speed Traders." This activity's scenario is that you've been tasked to take this thirteen minute feature story and make it into a two to three minute video ready for use on the CBS Evening News.

The goals of this activity include...

1.) helping you become more familiar with what can be fit into a short video segment,
2.) giving you experience creating a short narrative out of a great deal of footage,
3.) providing more practice with storyboards and writing two-column scripts,
4.) challenging you to pick appropriate video for voiceovers.
5.) furnishing another opportunity to practice with editing tools including Microsoft Movie Maker.

Steps:

Day 1: Divide into groups.
Watch the video (editable video files provided on CD)

While watching, keep in mind that you will need to shorten the video from 13 to 2-3 minutes.
What are the most important points, and which should be kept in the short form?
What portions can be easily condensed into a voiceover?
What interviews must be kept to give the story more credibility?

Work as a group to determine your story outline.

What portions of the story should be kept as-is, with the original audio from 60 Minutes?
Where will you use video from the original but add your own voice overs to condense the narrative?
(You are in no way required to add original video, but don't feel that you can't! That said, pick video from the original that will mesh well with your voiceover)
Approximately how long will each section take?

Begin storyboarding your outline using the nine square template.
After you have a storyboard for your condensed story, write a two-column treatment representing it in more detail.

Use our two column template form to provide structure.
When you reuse existing audio and/or video from 60 Minutes, represent that reuse with an entry of "[original audio 3:12-3:42]" in the audio column and "[original video 3:12-3:42]" in the video.
When you determine that a voice-over is needed, write that portion into your script in full.

Day 2: Copy the original footage from the provided CD to your computer's hard drive! Remove your CD from the tray before opening Movie Maker or importing footage!
Begin editing your footage to match your script and storyboard.
Pick a member of your group to serve as the "talent" for voiceovers.

Be prepared to tell your instructor why you chose the member you did. Why would their voice be most effective? Or did you pick David Prowse?

Once you're done, export your video to your hard drive, upload it to RapidShare, and email the RapidShare URL to your instructor.

Attach your two-column script to this email.
Please include "Speed Traders" in the email's subject.
Please include the names of your group's members in the email and two-column treatment.

For extra practice, try to put a background music into your clip.

Audacity is here (Windows zip).
Sample music is here. (I didn't say it matched the mood! You're welcome to pick anything you have handy.)