JO 550

Spring 2012, 4 Credits Sec. A1: Mondays, 9-Noon, COM 319 Instructors: Michelle Johnson Office: COM 203M Office Phone: 617-353-3296 Cell Phone: 617-970-1067 mijohn2@bu.edu John Baynard john@johnbaynard.com Cell Phone: 781-771-6217 Office Hours: Johnson: Monday, 1-4, Thursday 1-4, or by appointment Baynard: By appointment Course Description The news industry has shifted toward the web as a platform for information delivery and storytelling. Currently, news sites offer a mix of breaking and routine coverage as well as longer-form narrative and interactive multimedia packages that go beyond the daily stories. This course will focus on the latter: production of long-form, interactive, multimedia special projects. Working in teams, students will complete a comprehensive web-based project that showcases strong reporting and writing, still photography, audio, video, graphics, visual data and other technologies that take advantage of the strengths of the web as an interactive medium. Students will either be assigned to or select a team project of their choosing that they will work on for the entire semester. When possible, teams will consist of a mix of print, broadcast and photojournalism students who will be responsible for executing the project and publishing it online. Classes will offer a mix of technology workshops, lectures, team discussion and project planning. We will also hear from guest speakers who currently produce multimedia and other innovative projects. Note: This course will require a significant amount of work outside of class to complete background research, interviews and production related to your final project. If you cannot handle this kind of time commitment you should re-think taking this course. Course Objectives

This course will offer an overview of techniques and best practices currently employed by news organizations to produce comprehensive multimedia projects for the web. Upon completion of this course students will know how to:

Plan and storyboard a multimedia project. Successfully work on a team to produce a long-form multimedia project. Understand modes of online storytelling and what it takes to produce compelling narratives and comprehensive packages for the web. Properly shoot and edit still photos and video for the web. Publish multimedia content online. Use interactive tools to engage an audience and add depth to stories.

Course Requirements Weekly Discussion Each week students will be assigned to select and make a presentation about a particularly interesting multimedia piece (web project featuring long-form video, motion graphics, visual data, etc.). Criteria for selection: Creativity, innovation, use of cutting-edge tools or tech. Because we can learn from either, examples can be multimedia that works, or doesnt. Textbook There is no required textbook for this course, however, homework assignments and links to reading are listed on the syllabus and on the course web site. Please check them each week as assignments may change. Required Equipment
1. A portable hard drive, 500GB or higher, 7200 rpm, firewire 800, formatted for Mac.

Recommended brands: Maxtor, Seagate, LaCie 2. 8GB (or higher) Class 6 SDHC Card 3. 2GB (or higher) CF Card (Compact Flash) Students are also responsible for their own consumables such as AA batteries. Tip: Put your name and contact info somewhere on your equipment so that you can be reunited in the event that you leave it in a lab or elsewhere. Software While you are not required to purchase software for this course, you will need access to a number of programs to complete assignments and your final project. If you do not already own this software, you will need to structure your time so that you can work in a lab to complete these assignments.

You may need access to the following applications: Final Cut Pro Microsoft Office Adobe Flash Adobe Photoshop Adobe Dreamweaver Audacity (Available as a free download, audacity.sourceforge.net) Soundslides Plus (Trial version available at www.soundslides.com) Note about the Adobe software: Adobe has released a new version of their Creative Suite, CS5.5, which includes Flash, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc. The version of these programs available in our labs is CS5. If you purchase or download trial versions of these programs, please be aware that you may face some incompatibilities if you do not save your work in a format that can be accessible in CS5. Sandbox Web Site Each student will be provided with a sandbox Wordpress site and web server space for use throughout the semester. This is where you can try out what youre learning in the course. The goal for these sites is to encourage you to play with various web conventions and technologies. Final Project Web Site You will be provided with server space for your final projects provided by a commercial web hosting company. The journalism department funds web hosting for the course. Course Policies & Attendance Please turn off all mobile devices before class. Critiques: You will be called on to critique the work of your classmates and debate issues in this course. There may be times when you disagree with another students comments. You will be expected to deal honestly, but professionally, with your classmates, guest speakers and instructors of this course. Attendance is not optional. We will be covering a large amount of material each week. If you get behind, it may be difficult to catch up. You are expected to be in class each week, on time. If you have an illness or emergency and must miss class, e-mail or call one of the instructors BEFORE class. If your illness or emergency can be documented, your absence will be will be excused, however, you will be expected to complete any assignments that you missed. Missed assignments are due by the next class. If you must miss a class for reasons other than illness, prior permission is required and you will need to make up the missing work. Let one of the instructors know as soon as possible if you must miss a class. Multiple unexcused absences will affect your final grade. If class is cancelled due to inclement weather, assignments are due the next class.

Grading There will be no midterm or final in this course. Your final grade will be calculated as follows: Assignments, homework 30% Class/team participation 20% Final Project 50% Although there is no mid-term exam, you will receive a mid-term grade. Your mid-term grade will be based on completion of assignments and homework, and your class participation. Note: You will be asked to grade yourself and the members of your final project team at the end of the semester. Your assessments will be factored into your final grade. Details to come. Grading Policy In general, your work will be graded on the following: Accuracy: grammar, spelling, style, facts. Innovation/creativity. Appropriateness for your identified audience. Use of multiple mediums (text, images, interactive elements). Technical: proper levels, lighting, color, etc. Focus, narrative: Is the project compelling and engaging? Does it tell the story? A Excellent work that met or exceeded the requirements. Reflects solid research, interviewing, accuracy, attribution, critical thinking, technical competency. Uses current and cutting-edge web technologies and techniques. Piece could run as is or with minor editing.

B Good work with a few errors. May contain minor problem with focus, spelling/grammar, balance, organization or technical glitches; several multimedia elements are sub-par (out of focus, poor sound quality, etc.) or exhibit one or two technical glitches Piece could run with editing. C Average work. Failed to meet most of the requirements of the assignment. Shows lack of news judgment, accuracy, balance, etc., lackluster storytelling, significant technical errors, sub-par multimedia elements, poor selection of interactive elements. Could only run with significant editing. D Below average work that shows little or no understanding of the requirements of the assignment, numerous grammatical, style errors, major factual errors and failure to use assigned technology and tools properly. Could only run with a complete overhaul. F Failure to turn in by deadline or significantly flawed work. Late Assignments Deadlines are a key concept in journalism. If you miss a deadline in the real world you might lose your job. Unexcused late assignments are not accepted in this class. Speakers We will have a number of guest speakers who work in online media, develop cutting-edge online technologies or are simply web visionaries, visiting us throughout the semester. Because they are busy professionals whose schedules change constantly, we have not listed specific dates and times for their appearances. We will announce speakers close to the date of their appearance.

Plagiarism and Fabrication The College of Communication rules on plagiarism are applicable to this course. Statement: "Plagiarism is the act of representing another person's creative and/or academic work as your own, in full, or in part. It can be an act of commission, in which one intentionally appropriates the words, pictures, or ideas of another, or it can be an act of omission, in which one fails to acknowledge/ document/give credit to the source, creator and/or the copyright owner of those words, pictures, or ideas. Any fabrication of materials, quotes or sources other than those created in a work of fiction is also plagiarism. Plagiarism is the most serious academic offense that you can commit and can result in probation, suspension, or expulsion." Academic Code of Conduct Be sure to read and comply with Boston Universitys Universal Academic Conduct Code for undergraduate students. It is available at: bu.edu/academics

Recording of Classes Statement Please note that classroom proceedings for this course might be recorded for purposes including, but not limited to, student illness, religious holidays, disability accommodations, or student course review. Note also that recording devices are prohibited in the classroom except with the instructors permission. Course Schedule Note: This schedule is not written in stone. Expect it to change. Updates to the weekly schedule will be posted to the online version of this document. Week Topic, In-Class Assignments Reading, Assignments

Week 1 Jan. 23

Johnson (Baynard Away) Intro, course overview. What is a Multimedia Project? Modes of telling stories online. In-class: Complete skills assessment survey, review sandbox web sites.

Homework: Knight Digital Media Center: Multimedia Storytelling If you are completely unfamiliar with Wordpress: A) Review this tutorial Wordpress: Getting Started, then move on to B. B) If you're pretty comfortable using Wordpress, skip A and review the following: Wordpress.com vs hosted Wordpress Setting up Wordpress as a CMS Wordpress: Managing Settings Practice: Log into your sandbox site and complete steps 1-5 in Setting up Wordpress as a CMS. Create the following pages and add them to the navigation bar of your site: Home, About, Photography, Video, Interactive, Typography. Youll be adding content to these sections later in the semester. (Note: Use the TwentyEleven theme and ignore the bit about creating a child theme.)

Week 2 Jan. 30

Johnson: Project Planning - Time management, collaboration tools. Modes of Digital Storytelling Video or audio slideshow? Text or visuals? How to sort through the options. Baynard: Away In-class: You will receive a team assignment and your link of the week presentation date.

For Next Week: 1. Review the following: Knight Digital Media Center: Final Cut Tutorial
2. Team Assignment: Schedule a meeting

with your team and come up with TWO project ideas to pitch in class next week.

Week 3 Feb. 6

Johnson: Options for Presenting Visual Packages Online Video players, photo galleries, sliders, visual interfaces. FTP Baynard: Storytelling Through Editing, Gear demo. Review checkout procedures, equipment in our pool. In class: Link of the week, story pitches.

Tutorials, Assignments: 1. Wordpress Photo Galleries FTP Made Simple DSLR Overview Photoshop Tutorial 2. Google Docs Help Read the following sections: Share, Publish, Embed; Template Gallery (finding a useful template); Get Started 3. Video editing exercise: Edit the practice video, upload to YouTube or Vimeo and post it to your sandbox site. Due Feb 13. 4. Team: Create a Google calendar for your project and set up a Google Docs folder (aka collection) and share them with all members of your team. Also share your Google Docs folder with: mijohn@gmail.com and john@johnbaynard.com

Week 4 Feb. 13

Baynard: Photo/Lighting Workshop Homework Due: Video editing exercise, Google docs setup. In-class: Link of the week, review video editing assignments,

Photography assignment Boston Morning. Post to your sandbox site. Due Feb. 21. Team: Draft a memo outlining your project that includes a description of the project, potential interviews, sources, interactive elements, roles each team member will take on (shooting, editing, writing, web production, etc.). Also include a tentative week-by-week project calendar. Due Feb. 21.

Feb. 20

NO CLASS - Holiday

Note: Class meets Tuesday this week!

Week 5 Tuesday, Feb. 21

Baynard: Hands-on Lighting Assignment In-class: Link of the week, review Boston Morning. Homework due: Final project memo

Review: Newsu.org: Complete the online course Video Storytelling for the Web. Send a course report to get credit for completing the course. Video assignment: One Hour. Shoot and edit a 1 to 3 minute story. This story should include an interview. Due March 5.

Week 6 Feb. 27

Baynard: Interviewing, working with Sound, review last weeks lighting assignment. In-class: Link of the week.

Week 7 March 5

Johnson: Building Interactivity into Your Site - Interactive graphics, social media, polls, crowdsourcing, Twitter, and other audience engagement tools. Baynard: Review One Hour package In-class: Link of the week.

Mar. 12 Week 8 Mar. 19

SPRING BREAK Johnson: Web Production Tools I Using Wordpress to Create a Web Site. Templates and design, plugins, widgets, navigation and other factors to consider. Text Online -Best practices for presentation of stories, headlines, graphical type. The role of CSS, HTML in styling text. Baynard: Away

Review: Knight Digital Media Center: Wordpress Beyond the Basics Wordpress: Modifying Themes Google Font Directory Tutorial Typekit Tutorial Onswipe plugin creates iPad friendly Wordpress sites Bostonglobe.com: Responsive Web Design

Week 9 Mar. 26

Johnson: Data Visualization Database mashups, mapping and more. Turning data and facts into visuals for the web. Baynard: Away In-class: Link of the week. Johnson: Storyboarding a Project All good projects start with a plan. How to use site maps, storyboards and wireframes. Making Your Project Look Good on Mobile Devices The iPad and smartphones have changed the game. Its no longer enough to publish traditional web projects. Options for handling mobile platforms. Baynard: Away In-class: Link of the week

Data Visualization at the Guardian Six Data Viz Projects (PBS Mediashift) Knight Digital Media Center Tutorials: Data Visualization Basics Data Viz for non-programmers Team Assignment: Draft a site map and storyboards for your final project. Due April 9 Team: Project production. Configure your project web sites, select and install a template (aka theme).

Week 10 April 2

Week 11 April 9

Johnson: Metrics, Driving Traffic How do you measure success (or failure) online? Ways to promote and measure traffic and engagement. Due: Project site map/storyboards Baynard: Project consultations

Review: Journalists Guide to Analytics SEO Basics

April 16 Week 12 Thursday, April 18

NO CLASS Holiday Topic: Entrepreneurship Meets Online Journalism Its no longer enough to simply be a content producer. Learn what you need to know about pitching your ideas and getting funding for projects. In-class: Link of the week Baynard: Project consultations

Note: Class will be held on Thursday. Review: Examples: Re-engineering Journalism

Week 13 April 23 Week 14 April 30

Open Lab: Work on final projects Last Class Final Project Presentations Due: Team self and peer final assessments. Final Projects Due: May 9