Common Essential Learnings Foundational Objectives

Learning Objectives	Notes
1.1 To develop an understanding of the objectives and types of activities included in the Communication Production Technology course.	Provide students with a brief overview of the course, including the core and optional modules. Introduce students to the focus of the course, which is to participate in production labs, projects, and research that will help them develop the knowledge, skills, and procedures used in the communication production technology industry. Clarify that, for the purposes of this course, communication production technology includes: video audio multimedia.
1.2 To identify various types of communication production technology.	Ask students to list the kinds of products and services they think are included in the communication production industry sector. Examples might include news and sports broadcasts, films, television dramas, music CDs, and Internet web pages.
1.3 To explore the distributions and uses of technology in the home, school, and community. (TL)	Ask students to list the kinds of products and services they think are included in the communication production industry sector. Examples might include news and sports broadcasts, films, television dramas, music CDs, and Internet web pages. Have the students come up with some broad categories for the related products and services they have listed, such as print, broadcast, screen industries, and audio recordings. Using the students' broad categories and initial lists, create a "communication technology" concept map including the equipment and other technologies used to produce the products and services listed. Examples might include video cameras, soundboards, microphones, computers, and software. Be sure to consider video, audio, and multimedia technologies used in radio, television, and filmmaking, and on the Internet. (Keep the concept map so that students can add to it as they learn more about technologies throughout the course.) Discuss the class's concept map. Ask students questions such as the following: What range of knowledge and skills do they think are necessary for people employed in this rapidly growing sector? What types of skills do they think would be required to create high quality products using the various technologies? Discuss the skills the students would like to learn in this course and beyond. Using the class's concept map as a reference, have the students create a master list of the skills they think they would need in order to work in this industry. Search the Internet to find sites that describe or illustrate various types of communication technologies. Discuss student findings and websites.
1.4 To begin to understand the significance of mass communication in their daily lives.	Ask students to think about spending a few weeks without any of the communication tools we have at our disposal today. Remind students about global systems currently operating: cellular phones, satellite receiving dishes, television and radio broadcast systems, ATM banking systems, national defence systems, the Internet, stock market money tracking systems, etc. What if everything shut down?
1.5 To understand the impact of technology. (TL)	Ask students to write a paragraph describing what they think might happen if all global technology systems shut down. Ask different students to focus on each of the four following topics: the effects on themselves, the effects on life at home, the effects on the community, the effects around the world. Create a "What If…" display for the students' paragraphs, either on a classroom bulletin board or the school's website. OR Have students meet in small groups to discuss the above four topics and share their findings with the rest of the class.
1.6 To become familiar with the evolution of some of the major communication production technologies.	Discuss the evolution of communication technology including print, audio, video, film, television, and multimedia systems. Have students conduct research and develop a timeline of media developments. OR
1.7 To explore the historical developments of particular technologies. (TL)	Provide students with questions such as the following and ask individual students or small groups to find answers: Before the advent of mass communication, books and documents were copied by hand and were rare and precious. How do you think this would affect the power structure in a society? What effect did the invention of the printing press have on societies? Beginning with the printing press, what communication inventions have had major impacts on societies worldwide? What impact do you think developments in mass communication have had on our attitudes and understanding of other cultures and societies around the world? OR Have students consider the silent film era in relation to recent advances in film. View excerpts from videos that document film history or technological developments in the industry. Explain to students that this is just one concrete example of how advancements in technology have affected the communication industry.
1.8 To develop a notebook, learning log, or journal that will record students' ideas, activities, production plans, observations, and reflections.	Explain to students that they will be expected to keep a notebook in which they will record their production ideas, plans, time use, individual and group accomplishments, and reflections or critiques. The notebooks will also demonstrate students' understanding of concepts and terminology. As students encounter new vocabulary and procedures they can record them in their notebooks. The notebooks will become part of each student's portfolio. Have students write their first entry in their notebooks: a paragraph explaining their expectations for what they will learn in the CPT course.
1.9 To understand expectations and the components of a CPT working portfolio.	The working portfolios will provide the teacher with data for assessing the students' progress in CPT. Review with students the format, components, and expectations of a student working portfolio. Remind students that the production process is as important as the product. Therefore, the material they will be asked to include in their portfolios will be a reflection of their learning at various stages in the production process. Explain to students that their portfolios might include: notebooks and logs video tapes audio cassettes computer disks examples of work at the stages of pre-production, production, and post-production reflections on their work at the various stages peer, teacher, and self-assessments. Explain to students that, at the 30 level, they will be compiling a "presentation portfolio". This portfolio will be a compilation of their best work and may be shown to prospective employers or post-secondary institutions that require a portfolio as a component of an entrance application.
1.10 To clarify school and CPT class policies regarding appropriate subject matter, images, and language for student projects.	Inform students of such policies. Discuss in the context of policies in the communication industry. Make sure students understand that the school's and class's policies will be enforced.
1.11 To understand that both process and product assessment are important in this course.	Students should continually assess their own learning and progress in their labs and production projects. Reflection and self-assessment are essential to the problem-solving approach required by this course. Students should understand that the learning they acquire through the production process is as important as their finished product. That said, students will also be asked to assess the product, and to determine criteria for assessing the quality of their products. Ask students how they might assess their own processes during their work on a production project. Give them a hypothetical situation; e.g., they are working on a multimedia presentation to commemorate a family member's birthday or a special anniversary. How might they assess their planning? What criteria might they use to assess their work throughout the process, other than the quality of the finished product? Brainstorm a list of criteria for assessing their process. Now have them think about the product. Brainstorm a list of criteria for assessing the product. How are the two lists of criteria different? Discuss. Reinforce that both process and product assessments will be used in determining the students' grades for the CPT course. They will be expected to assess their own processes and products, as well as those of their peers. These assessments will be important items in their portfolios. Note: In the production modules, students and teacher together should determine criteria for assessing the quality of specific products. They might do this by referring to books and websites, viewing/listening to exemplary products, and consulting experts in communication production technology. As the course progresses, lists of criteria should be displayed for student reference.

Module 2: Introduction to Production Stages (Core)

Module Overview
This module introduces students to the three stages of production commonly used in the communication production industry. The stages are pre-production, production, and post-production.

Students will participate in some basic pre-production activities. They will begin to understand the need to apply industry recommended practices and techniques at each stage to ensure high quality in audio, visual, and multimedia products.

Foundational Objectives

Common Essential Learnings Foundational Objectives

Learning Objectives	Notes
2.1 To examine the stages and associated current practices of professionals in the field of communication production.	Introduce students to the three stages of production: pre-production: planning production: creating the product post-production: refining and editing the final product. Discuss current industry practices and associated techniques for each stage. Although students will be introduced to each stage in this module, the activities focus on the pre-production stage. Students will not begin production activities until they reach Module 5, the first production module. Students should understand that a successful, broadcast quality video, audio, or multimedia product is the result of following recommended practices and maintaining high standards through each stage of production. Following these practices may be time-consuming and laborious but they are very much part of the communication production industry.
2.22 To explore the role and influence of technology in gathering, processing, and disseminating information. (TL)	If possible, have students work with industry specialists to observe high quality production processes and technical standards. Interviews with industry specialists may be conducted through the Internet. OR Have students bring in examples of products they believe demonstrate great skill with communication technology. (For example, students might bring in video excerpts, audio recordings, CD-ROMs or sample web pages.) Have students justify their selection of these examples through individual and class critiques. OR Show students excerpts of communications products that reflect exemplary production techniques. These might include filmmaking techniques, cutting edge websites, or music recordings.
2.3 To understand tasks and skills required in the pre-production stage for audio, video, and multimedia projects.	Pre-Production Stage Inform the students that the labs in this module focus on pre-production activities, although they will first be introduced to all three production stages. Production and post-production activities will be encountered in later modules. In this module, students may choose to work on pre-production activities that will form the basis for production work in Module 8. Pre-production includes all activities related to planning. The following are examples: setting up the production team identifying tasks establishing timelines preparing a treatment and/or script storyboarding casting gathering equipment and props finding locations scheduling (equipment, shooting, personnel) preparing various logs establishing timelines.
2.4 To understand tasks and skills required in the production stage for audio, video, and multimedia projects.	Production Stage Remind students that they will be doing only pre-production activities in this module. They will be briefly introduced to the production and post-production stages now, so that they know what they will encounter in the production modules that follow. When students study the production modules of this course they will encounter the following in each medium: Video Production working in production teams following storyboards rehearsing setting up locations and blocking shots camera operation and techniques (shooting) recording audio with/without external microphones lighting set-ups and techniques equipment maintenance Audio Production following a script or outline to produce an audio production demonstrating care and maintenance of basic audio equipment operating audio equipment including simple microphones recording in a variety of situations Multimedia Production following storyboards using two or more media and technologies demonstrating set-up and shut down of presentation situations
2.5 To understand the need to follow recommended procedures and industry proven techniques to obtain high quality production values.	Ask students to write a paragraph describing what they think might happen if all global technology systems shut down. Ask different students to focus on each of the four following topics: the effects on themselves, the effects on life at home, the effects on the community, the effects around the world. Create a "What If…" display for the students' paragraphs, either on a classroom bulletin board or the school's website.
	Post-Production Stage
2.6 To understand tasks and skills required in the post-production stage for audio, video, and multimedia projects.	During post-production the job of editing begins. Provide students with an introduction to the post-production stage by discussing examples of activities they will participate in during the post-production stages of video, audio, and multimedia projects. Inform students that editing is often considered the most challenging, creative, satisfying, and time consuming stage of production. In order to edit audio and video footage, an editing system is required. Nonlinear equipment is preferred, especially at Levels 20 and 30, but if it is not available students at this level can edit with two VCRs or two tape machines. Post-production includes: assembly of the visual images addition of audio elements addition of graphics, including headings, logos, and credits. Explain the processes involved in simple video editing. Students at this level will probably use linear editing equipment, i.e., two VCRs. Explain the processes involved in simple audio editing. Explain the processes involved in simple multimedia editing.
	Pre-Production Labs
2.7 To develop an understanding of pre-production activities and their relationship to communications theories.	Each of the three stages of production requires critical thinking and decision making about a variety of situations and equipment. These decisions should be considered in respect to well-founded communications theories that focus on the relationships among the production intention or message, the target audience, and the technology format.
2.8 To explore the role and influence of technology in gathering, processing, and disseminating information. (TL)	Have students consider communications theories as they work through the various stages of their productions. They should be reminded to reflect on questions such as: What are the purposes of their productions? What ideas, messages, or effects do they wish to create? Who is their intended audience? (Refer to Module 15 for more information on this topic.)
2.9 To understand basic activities commonly associated with the pre-production stage.	The pre-production stage of communication production includes the following activities: Identifying message, audience, and appropriate medium Developing an idea (writer, producer, and director) Evaluating resources/making a plan (production manager) Getting organized (production coordinator).
2.10 To develop a treatment for a video.	Video Pre-Production Lab Treatments Have students write a "treatment" for a short video they could produce in a lab or class project in the production modules that follow. A treatment is usually written in paragraph form, as though the writer is telling what will happen in the video to someone else. The treatment might also include: the central theme the plot the characters the style technical considerations Have students "pitch" their idea to the classroom, making sure their treatment abides by established policies of the school and the CPT class. After students have presented their treatments to the class, decide by secret ballot on the most promising project(s). In the event of a tie vote or a question pertaining to the advisability of production, the executive producer (the teacher) has final say. Depending on the class size, determine how many treatments to produce in a production lab or class project. Place students in small groups. Have each group work with the student/director(s) to create a storyboard for the opening scenes of the video. (Note: the director is the student who wrote the selected treatment, unless the student declines the position of director in favour of another student.)
2.11 To develop storyboards for video production.	Storyboards Students should learn that storyboards are the director's blueprints for production, and that, among other responsibilities, the director casts the characters and decides on locations.
2.12 To use the formal procedures required in Communication Production Technology. (COM)	Provide students with examples of storyboards. It is important to tell students that creating storyboards does not require highly developed drawing skills. Storyboards are meant to be sketches and scenes can contain stick figures. Storyboards can be divided into scenes for larger productions; or broken down into individual shots for smaller productions. At this level, students should use storyboards to organize individual shots. Captions under each panel of the storyboard will provide suggestions for audio, lighting, etc. Roughly determine shots, setting, scenes, sequence of media, sounds, and music. View examples of storyboards and discuss the essential components. Show students an example of a completed storyboard for a one-minute video. Then have them watch a different one-minute video and create a storyboard. If time permits, experiment by blocking or shooting an opening sequence from a sample storyboard. Have students critique the results of their efforts. (This may also be included as a video lab activity in Module 5.) Discuss criteria for peer and self-assessment of storyboards. Prepare the storyboards for inclusion in the working portfolio. Prepare peer and self-assessments.
2.13 To become aware of the nature of sound and the process of human hearing.	Audio Pre-Production Lab Sound waves are transmitted through air and other media. When a sound wave enters an ear, the vibration is transferred through the eardrum and a series of bones to the auditory nerve. This nerve converts the energy into an electric impulse which goes to the brain and the sound is heard. The microphone works in a similar way to the ear. Transmission, speed, frequency, intensity, and reverberation of sound should be covered. Students should understand that industry uses different terminology than science for some things, e.g., pitch for frequency and loudness or volume for intensity. Sound is an optional unit in Physics 20, this may be a good opportunity for collaboration with a physics class. Sound is vibrations. The higher the rate of vibration, the higher the pitch. We hear when changes in sound pressure travel to the ear, where the vibrations stimulate the nerves of the inner ear. The inner ear converts sound energy into energy which the brain interprets through the auditory nerve. Discuss the concept of loudness, measured in decibels, and the many implications of loudness, sound waves, frequency, and pitch for audio production. Remind students that they must protect their hearing as ear damage from loud noise is often permanent. Once a certain decibel level has been experienced, the ear never completely recovers from this. Students must be very knowledgeable in this area, particularly if they are managing the sound for a live event.
2.14 To explore pre-production audio tasks.	Familiarize students with the use and care of available audio equipment. Audio activities may be integrated into a video or multimedia production lab or project, or they may be conducted independently as stand-alone audio productions. All students should develop a basic understanding of audio recording that could be applied in a variety of production situations. Discuss with students the many applications of good quality audio in different media products. Include radio, CD's and other music recordings, film, television, and the Internet. Have students come up with an idea and a plan for a radio or video interview or broadcast segment. Students may conduct an audio production project or integrate audio activities into a video or multimedia project during the production modules that follow.
2.15 To explore pre-production multimedia tasks.     2.16 To critique various media. (TL)	Multimedia Pre-Production Lab Have students research a number of innovative websites to explore the content and features currently available on web pages. Have students design criteria for evaluating websites, and then conduct several website evaluations. Brainstorm ideas and create a plan for designing a multimedia presentation using software such as PowerPoint or Claris Works. Students could also use slides plus audio. Approximately 10 slides would be appropriate for Level 10. (This presentation could be combined with the career research activity in Module 4.) Have students create a multimedia storyboard. Students may complete their multimedia projects during the production modules that follow.
2.17 To examine the role of production team members in the pre-production phase.	Other Pre-Production Tasks Ask students to research other pre-production activities that normally take place, and bring this information to share with the class. For example, students should learn about the role of the script and screenplay writers, producers, and production managers.
2.18 To understand the need for accurate and detailed production schedules.	Production Scheduling Lab It is advisable to discuss and practise production scheduling with students before beginning the production modules for video, audio, or multimedia.
2.19 To use the formal procedures required in Communication Production Technology. (COM)	Introduce students to the role of the production manager in professional productions. Production managers look at the script and break down the requirements and costs. They are responsible for managing the budget and will often make innovative suggestions as to how a production can achieve its creative goals while living within resource restrictions. (At intermediate or advanced levels, some students may wish to take on this responsibility for class projects.) Have students develop a list of the qualities that a good production schedule should have for video, audio and multimedia. For example, a good video production schedule: shoots all the scenes that happen in a single location before moving on to the next location. shoots everything needed at a particular location, as there may be no going back. schedules a partial cast for a scene, when only a partial cast is required has a Plan B for an indoor shoot if the weather does not cooperate for an outside shoot assigns dates and times for each production day once the order of shooting days makes sense. What items must be included in the schedule? What challenges might arise around production scheduling? Discuss procedures for scheduling and booking equipment. Have students record the procedures and sample production schedules in their notebooks. It is the production manager's responsibility to make up "call sheets" that inform everyone who will be needed, where the location is, and the starting time for cast and crew members. Discuss the different needs of video, audio, and multimedia production schedules.
2.20 To develop production schedules for video, audio, and multimedia productions.	Have each group of students create a draft production schedule for its proposed class project or a fictional project. (Most students will probably not be ready at this point to do an actual schedule for their own project, but all should become familiar with the task of production scheduling. Students will be more prepared to create schedules for their own projects following the production labs in the introductory level production modules.)
2.21 To use formal procedures required in Communication Production Technology. (COM)	Have students write each scene and the characters involved in that scene on a separate strip of paper for each, or use a computer program to organize their production schedules. Shuffle the scenes into an appropriate shooting or recording order given that the goal is to shoot or record all scenes in one location at one time while using only the necessary cast and crew.
2.22 To evaluate the content and efficiency of a production schedule.	Compare the students' schedules to samples of professional production schedules. Have students reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of their own schedules. What did they remember to include? What did they omit? Revise the production schedules to accommodate any omissions.