Video Production / CTE Classes
The Global Media Studies Magnet is an Arts, Media and Entertainment Career Technical Education (CTE) industry sector pathway.
According to LAUSD, “Of all the career industries, the Arts, Media, and Entertainment Sector requires perhaps the greatest cross-disciplinary interaction and development because the work in this sector has a propensity to be largely project-based, requiring uniquely independent work and self-management career skills."
In addition, "The foundation and pathway standards make explicit the appropriate knowledge, skills, and practical experience students should have to pursue their chosen profession through whatever course of post-secondary, collegiate, and graduate training or apprenticeship it may require.”
The following video production classes are an integral part of GMS Magnet:
Grade 9, Honors Technical Script Writing and Analysis
Grade 10, Video Production 2 A/B
Grade 11, Video Production 3 A/B
Grade 12, Filmmaking
Video Production 2and 3 are elective courses that are approved for California’s A-G credit by the UC system.
Honors Technical Script Writing and Analysis - Level One
This introductory course provides the basic language and technique of visual storytelling. Through readings, lectures, and activities students acquire introductory knowledge of the art and practice of video production and film aesthetics at the development stage. Every aspect of film and video production – from corporate videos, music videos, documentaries, journalism, to major motion pictures – begins with a script. The arrangement of everything that appears in the frame – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume – called mise-en-scène (a French term that means “placing on screen”) is the result of a detailed script analysis requiring fluency in the visual discourse necessary to translate emotional framing and meaning from a two dimensional to a three dimensional composition. The rigorous writing component allows students to maneuver through the symbiotic relationship between script and screen. Students create and shape scripts as instruction manuals for every department working in film, video and television. By composing a professional technical document: Traditional and English Learner students strengthen their knowledge of Standard English Practices in the development of film and audiovisual storytelling. Demonstrate the understanding of Specialized Industry Vocabulary in the development, pre-production, production, and post-production process, not limited to the use of specialized industry formatting techniques and standards applied to the creation of technical documents. Transfer knowledge of Standard English practices and Specialized Industry
Vocabulary indicative of industry skills/experience to college & career readiness evidenced by functional resumes, portfolios, etc. Create and produce new and original work. By transforming a blank sheet of paper into intellectual property students achieve the highest educational / learning objectives of: constructing, developing, designing, initiating and originating.
Refining The Message - Fundamentals of Video Production - Level Two
This course deepens and refines the skills, experience, understanding and vocabulary that were introduced in Level One curriculum while training students to take on supervisory roles on their media projects. Level One required students to build on theories familiar from core classes, particularly English 9A, and hone them through the creation of media projects. Level Two drills down within each of the topics introduced in Level One to provide more detail, technical information and contextual knowledge,
helping students recognize the process of media creation as interdisciplinary and ongoing.
The course supports academic state standards in Social Studies, Math and the Sciences and Common
Core State Standards for secondary English Language Arts. At the same time, the sequence of lessons
in “Refining The Message” is inspired by the project-based workflow students will engage in after
school, regardless of their chosen career path.
Students improve their analytical skills through a rigorous Linked Learning approach, drawing
connections between literary concepts, styles and media itself, in order to create work that is current
and relevant. As they plan, design, shoot, edit, distribute and exhibit their work, they learn about
standards of professional performance and the protocols for success in a group-based environment.
Students develop artistically and intellectually, as they face aesthetic and logistical challenges. They
continue to develop the speaking, reading, writing and quantitative and qualitative problem-solving
skills they have learned during their core classes and that they will use throughout their careers.
*The Independent Message - Fundamentals of Video Production - Level Three
This final course in the Fundamentals of Video Production series allows students to utilize skills learned in Levels One and Two, continuing their exploration of the written, visual, aural, and electronic skills of video production, deepening their experience by focusing on one particular discipline (producing, directing, editing, etc.). Students design an independent project, forming production teams within the class, and work outside of school to produce the project which they analyze, critique and rework in class. The class channels student-driven inquiry as students complete research projects within their disciplines. Students also research universities, training and advanced certification programs (e.g. Final Cut Pro, Avid, Photoshop, etc.) to help them progress through their career paths.
Additionally, they acquire knowledge about the business side of the industry that helps them formulate marketing and exhibition plans for their own projects, which will be submitted to film festivals, contests and posted online. They develop the tools needed to pursue their careers – resumes, demo reels and portfolios. Final projects may be submitted for consideration for the GMS Spring Film Festival.
Class structure allows for flexibility. Student crews design their own schedules for production to support pursuit of internships and job shadowing opportunities.
Filmmaking 1A/1B
The purpose of this course is to provide a balanced visual arts program, which guides students to achieve the standards in the visual arts. In Filmmaking, students experience both the creative and technical aspects of filmmaking in conjunction with learning about historical and contemporary traditions. Story writing, story-based display, basic visual composition, and general reproduction skills will be included with camera techniques, animation, and line action planning. Traditional filmmaking techniques may be extended with video and multimedia technologies. Interdisciplinary experiences and arts activities lead to refining a personal aesthetic, and a heightened understanding of career opportunities in art and arts-related fields.
*NOTE – Video Production 3 is an articulating class with Los Angeles Valley College.