DESCRIPTION: This course, the first quarter of a two-quarter sequence, will provide students with the opportunity to learn the fundamental skills relating to video production as a tool for ministry, and will introduce them to the use of various related forms of media (audio production,) in ministry. Students are expected to enroll in WS508B the following quarter.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES: The student will explore a theology of media usage and demonstrate its applicability through small group development of a 3 to 5 minute video for use in a church ministry. Students will learn basic skills in storyboarding, script development, and planning of video projects (including computer programs used in production) that can be used in ministry. The student will develop appreciation for and skill in the collaborative and relational processes of video production.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: The twenty-first century church is evolving into a multi-media ministry model that requires ministers to understand and appreciate how to utilize technology as a ministry and outreach tool. This course will provide familiarity with and basic skills relating to the use of media and technology as ministry tools.

COURSE FORMAT: The format is designed to allow for the creative time to develop a theologically driven media project as well as to acquire the technical competence to carry the project to completion. The class will meet for a total of eleven two-hour meetings (including a meeting in the exam week) according to a schedule to be distributed in the course syllabus.

REQUIRED READING AND VIEWING:

Chapters relating to production from the following texts (* indicates more essential texts):

*Clevé, Bastian. Film Production Management. 2d ed. Boston: Focal Press, 2000.

*Davis, W. L., Jr. Screenplay Companion: A Workbook for Screenwriters. Writeside Productions (P.O. Box 5251, Carson, CA, 90749), 1993.

Honthaner, Eve Light. The Complete Film Production Handbook. 3d ed. Boston: Focal Press, 2001.

Rea, Peter W. and David K. Irving. Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video. 2d ed. Boston: Focal Press, 2001.

Straczynski, J. Michael. The Complete Book of Scriptwriting. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 2002 (1st paperback ed.).

*Turner, Steve. Imagine: A Vision for the Christian in the Arts. InterVarsity Press, 2001.

Wheeler, Thomas H. Phototruth or Photofiction: Ethics and Media Imagery in the Digital Age. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002.

Selected motion pictures, TV shows, and commercials will be viewed (both inside & outside class).

1. Complete all assigned reading and viewing.

2. Collaborative development of a storyboard, treatment, and script for group production project.

3. One project, a one-minute video demo