University of Southern California



CMGT 552: Visual Storytelling: Production, Management and Culture

Fall 2015

Lecturer: Dr. David Craig IMDB:

Cell: 213-281-1613 Email: david@

Office: Annenberg 321 Hours: tbd email me to schedule an appt

CO-LECTURER: Bob Levy is a veteran film, television, and web series producer and former network executive. Levy’s credits include Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, Huge, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, and numerous web series.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: In the digital age, visual storytelling has become a branding and marketing strategy to promote organizations, products, services, communities, and causes. Those skills for visual storytelling that have been refined by Hollywood over the last century need to be developed by today’s communications and media professionals, publicity and marketing executives, and digital content strategists operating in any industry. In this class, we will provide a cursory introduction of the multiple production and business practices for producing films and scripted TV and web series. Furthermore, we will discuss the value of visual storytelling as a communications strategy and the nature of production culture and labor. In addition, students will have the opportunity to produce an original scripted web series.

COURSE GOALS

• To recognize digital and visual storytelling as a communications strategy.

• To understand and engage in the best practices for Hollywood visual storytelling

• To engage in a creative management practice to produce an original web series, and,

• To cultivate a broad range of skills for conducting research, writing professional papers, making state of the art presentations and developing networking skills.

REQUIRED TEXTS

• Brown, R. (2014). Create your own TV series. Michael Weise Publications.

• Garfinkel, A. (2007). Screenplay Story Analysis. Allworth Press.

• Lotz, A.D. (2014). The Television will be Revolutionized. NYU Press.

• MacDonald, P. and Wasko, J. (2008). The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry.

• Rose, F. (2012). The Art of Immersion. W.W. Norton.

• Additional Reading (subject to change; will be posted on Blackboard)

SYLLABUS (Subject to Change)

|Week |Topics/ Presentations |Reading/Assignments (Due that Week) |

|8/28 |Introduction; Vine series experiment | |

| |Sample Making of/Web series projects | |

|9/4 |Lecture: Storytelling |POST PREZUME |

| |PREZUMES |Screenplay Story Analysis |

|9/11 |Lecture: Coverage/Pitching |Screenplay of your choice |

| |PREZUMES | |

|9/18 |PREZUMES; PITCHFEST; |RECORD WEB PITCHES |

| |Coverage Critiques |Create your own TV series/ 1-8 |

| |Choose Web Series Teams |Why Web TV Series are worth watching |

| |Assign Making of projects | |

|9/25 |Lecture: Making of research/ interview, coverage critique, |POST COVERAGE ON BLOG |

| |Making web series |Create your own TV series/ 9-Epilogue |

| |: Mike Tringe |Christian/ Web Series Production |

| |Web producer: Matt Palazzolo | |

|10/2 |Lecture: Making films |POST COVERAGE CRITIQUE |

| |Guest speaker: Jay Cohen/ Gersh |Hollywood Film/Intro-6 |

| | |Finney/ Managing Film Projects |

| | |Perren/ Producing Filmed Entertainment |

|10/9 |Lecture: Making TV |DELIVER OUTLINE + PROD REPORT |

| |In class review of outline/prod report |TV will be revolutionized/Intro-3 |

|10/16 |Lecture: TV industry |DELIVER 1ST draft |

| |In class review of scripts |TV will be revolutionized/4-conclusion |

|10/23 |Guest speakers: Dan Jinks, Julie Plec |DELIVER FINAL DRAFT |

| |In class discussion of prep |The Art of Immersion/ Prologue- 5 |

|10/30 |PRESENT: MAKING OF PROJECTS |The Art of Immersion/ 7-13 |

|11/6 |PRESENT: MAKING OF PROJECTS |Hollywood Film/6-12 |

|11/13 |No class (football game) |Christopherson/ Creative Workers |

| | |Lee/ TV Production |

| | |Caldwell/ Breaking Ranks |

|11/20 |Guest: Michael Kass |Caldwell/ Hive-Sourcing |

| |In class Review Rough Cuts |Gregg/ Learning to Love Labor |

| | |Mann/ Next Gen Web Workers |

|11/27 |THANKSGIVING | |

|12/4 |WEB SERIES FESTIVAL | |

| |Essay Exam Instructions posted | |

|12/11 |Essay Exams due 6pm via email | |

COURSE GRADING and ASSIGNMENTS

30% Blog, Coverage and Pitch

30% Film/TV/Web Series Presentation (Group)

40% Original Web Series (Group)

PREZUME (your resume in Prezi)

• THIS WILL NOT BE GRADED.

• Go to , sign up for a free educational account, take the tutorial and get started.

• Maximum 5 minutes to “Show me” 5-7 things I should know about you: where you are from, where you went to school, your work experience, why you picked this course, etc.

• Use images, pictures, logos, and video. Limit your text as much as possible. Be creative.

• Post the link to your Prezi on the class blog.

BLOG

• Find a news article online from THAT WEEK that relates to THAT WEEK’S READING.

• Write a brief description (2-3 lines) of the article and HOW IT RELATES to the reading.

• CORRECTLY cite the reading and post the link. MAKE SURE the hyperlink works.

• DO not go back to prior weeks and do not repeat someone else blog.

• Sources may include Cynopsis, Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and others.

COVERAGE: Each student will need to find and read a feature film script based on a US Film produced in the past 10 years and write coverage, which means story analysis describing the story narrative, characters, themes and tone. In addition, you will need to read 3 pieces of coverage and offer a critique that identifies the strengths and weakness of each. Instructions will be provided in class.

FINAL ESSAY EXAM: the questions and instructions will be posted on Blackboard towards the end of the semester. This is typically a 10-15 page essay based on a question that requires that you have attended class, performed the readings, completed your assignments and synthesized the knowledge from the lectures, reading, presentations and speakers.

MAKING OF PRESENTATIONS: The class will be divided into groups of two and each present either on the making of a feature film, TV or web series.

• Follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so will affect your grade.

• You must present using Prezi. See instructions in syllabus.

• You must partner with someone from ANOTHER country.

• EVERYONE must conduct an interview with someone directly involved in the creation of the film or series, whether producer, writer, director or production, programming or web executive. You MUST clear this person with us in advance since it can be very hard to know who was directly involved with these projects. We will provide instruction and resources on how to network and reach these people.

• Grading will be based on your content as well as your Prezi design and presentation skills.

• Length is TBD and will depend on the number of students in the class.

• Your presentation should cover all the stages of production, distribution and exhibition, including development, financing, production, marketing, and any award-campaigns on behalf of your project. In addition, discuss the production culture and labor concerns.

• Your project must be approved in advance. Consult me first before changing projects.

• The film must be a live action feature produced by a U.S. company, released theatrically by a US Studio in the past 12 months.

• The TV series must be a US distributed series on a major broadcast or cable network that aired in the past 12 months; scripted series only, whether drama or comedy.

• For web series, the series must be US-based and debuted online, whether YouTube, their own website, or a video platform (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, etc.) in the past 12 months.

PITCH and ORIGINAL WEB SERIES:

• Every student must pitch an idea for a scripted web series. Details will be provided in class.

• The class will vote on their favorite series ideas and then be divided into production teams.

• Each team will write a screenplay, produce an original series, and post the series online.

• Follow the schedule in the syllabus. Failure to meet deadlines will lower your grade.

• You must deliver at least 3 episodes totaling no less than 8 minutes.

• IN ADDITION, you are to deliver a production report listing cast/crew, production resources (cameras, location, lighting, wardrobe, makeup) and schedule (prep/prod/post).

• Tips:

o See CreatorUp for more production advice. Feel free to take courses on your own.

o You may bring in outside resources, including writers, directors, actors, etc.

o Watch and find similar web series for ideas/suggestions.

o Calculate twice the time you think it will take to complete each task.

o Pay attention to lighting and sound. Do not make this an afterthought.

• Pay CLOSE attention to the process, the management of the project, the communication between the team, the creative and technical struggles, the use of resources, the limitations with time and focus, etc. All these factors reflect the unique culture of producing.

HOW TO NETWORK:

• Become active in TEC (Trojan Entertainment Connection) at

• Join the Linked In Annenberg Media & Entertainment Professionals Group at

• Start Early!!! That’s not early enough. Start NOW!

• Make a list of candidates and have these approved by me via email ASAP.

• Make certain their name is in the MAIN TITLE CREDITS.

• Locate their office and/or representatives through any means possible, whether the Internet, e.g., IMDB PRO or Hollywood Creative Directory.

• Call, write or email them to request permission to interview them, either by phone, in person or by email.   This will probably require numerous attempts.

• DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! Consult our Linked In page; go through your friends, parents, and professor. Send cards, deliver gift baskets, and take out an ad, ANYTHING YOU CAN!

• Be discreet!

HOW TO PRESENT:

• You should do your research and have an outline prepared BEFORE starting your Prezi.

• You should be careful to use credible sources and cite these in your handout.

• This is not POWERPOINT. The PREZI should compliment your lecture, not repeat it.

• Use as many logos, images, pictures and audio and video clips as possible.

• Use limited text; no full sentences; try to use no more than three brief bullet points.

• If you use charts or graphs, make sure they are simple and legible.

• Take advantage of the movement...try to make it fun, unusual, animated.

• Pay attention to design. Make your Prezi legible but also interesting. BE DARING!

• Show, Don’t Tell. Avoid long breaks between Prezi points where you are just talking.

• Be professional and confident, even if you have to fake it.

• DO NOT RUN OVER TIME. I will cut you off.

• Practice.  When you've got it down.  Practice some more. And then, practice.

• For your handout,

o Use Word only.

o This should be your outline for your Prezi.

o Make sure it can be understand with or without the Prezi.

o Include any links from you Prezi in the handout, just in case.

o Handouts should be no more than 3 pages, stapled and easy to read.

• For your interviews,

o You must cite your interview subjects in your Prezi.

o You should include an image and explanation for their expertise.

o Recording and including the interview in your Prezi is not mandatory but will count as extra credit. If you do include an interview, the Annenberg Media Lab and Facilities can assist with a camera and editing, lighting and sound.

Late assignments/Emergencies: No late assignments will be accepted. If you have a legitimate and verifiable emergency that makes it impossible to turn in your assignment you must:

1) email me before the beginning of class the day the assignment is due to notify me of your emergency,

2) provide official proof (doctor’s note or other evidence) and

3) arrange to email the assignment at a time to be determined.

Academic Conduct

• Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards

• Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, .

• Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university.

• You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity or to the Department of Public Safety .

• This is important for the safety of the whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for Women and Men provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage describes reporting options and other resources.

Support Systems

• A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute , which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students.

• The Office of Disability Services and Programs provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations.

• If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.

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