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Monroe Township High School

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Technology

Writing in the Field of Technology

Why is writing an integral component of the Technology Education department ?

Two essential components of many technology-based jobs are oral and written communications between people in these fields. Students planning to enter these fields must be prepared to effectively convey technical material both verbally and in writing. It is the goal of the department to give the students written assignments to improve their skills and technological vocabulary. The department also strongly supports the idea of writing across the curriculum.

What types of writing assignments might be given to students taking courses in the Technology Education department ?

Although each teacher may assign any written work that is deemed appropriate, there are several written tasks frequently assigned by the department. These include research papers (format given earlier in this booklet), periodical reviews, chapter outlines and peer and self evaluation papers.

What are the expectations for the quality and style of writing to be completed by students in these programs ?

In order for students to communicate effectively in the field of technology, it will become increasingly important for them to write effectively and accurately. It is the feeling of the technology department that a consistent style of writing should be used throughout the program. All written work will be graded in all areas of writing including grammar, spelling, punctuation and citations (where appropriate).

This section will supply samples of periodical reviews, chapter outlines and peer and self evaluation papers. Research papers should follow the format given earlier. In addition, directions on format will be given prior to each writing sample.

What should I do if I have questions not answered in this section ?

This booklet will answer many commonly asked questions and help you avoid common writing mistakes. If you have additional questions about any of your written assignments, please ask your teacher for information well before the due date of the project.



Periodical Reviews
Guidelines For Writing a Periodical Review

1. Length will be determined by the teacher.
2. Articles may not be letters to the editor, product or equipment reviews or any other article that contains little or no information of value to you or other members of your class. If you are unsure if the article you have chosen meets the requirements of the assignment, consult your teacher.
3. Photocopy the entire article. Do not rip or cut out any articles from sources owned by our high school. You may highlight your article's important points if you wish. The copy must be turned in with your review.
4. In addition to writing a synopsis of the article, explain how this information may be helpful to you and others in your class.

Cover Page Format

The following section of the Cover Page will be centered approximately one third down the page and must include all of the following :

1. Title of Article ( in Quotation Marks)
2. Author of Article
3. Title of Magazine ( Underlined )
4. Date of Title ( M and Y or D, M and Y )

Information to be located in the lower right hand corner :

1. Your Name
2. Present Date ( D,M and Y )
3. Teacher's Name

Internal Citations

All direct quotes taken from the article must be followed by an internal citation. All citations must follow the MLA format. See section on proper documentation of internal citations.

Review the sample periodical review on the following pages for proper form and style.


"How the Masters Move: Creative Camera Play"
Larry Burke-Weiner
Videomaker
July 1997





Title Page






David Smith
18 June,1997
Mr. Stonaker








"How the Masters Move: Creative Camera Play" explains the three styles of camera manipulation used by many of today's cinematographers to make their films more interesting. By using these forms of manipulation, even amateur videomakers can improve the quality of their videos and make them easier for the viewer to watch. The styles discussed are camera movement, lens movement and subject composition.

A key element of effective camera movement is the stability of the camera. This is often called being static in the movie industry. Two methods that can be employed to hold the camera steady are using a tripod or stabilizing the unit with the human body or its surroundings.

Videomakers will often face situations where a tripod is unavailable. To be prepared for such instances, they should practice holding the camera steady and moving the camera in the hand-held position. Also, they study their scenes and investigate potential places to rest their cameras. "If it's equal to your body weight it's a good support. If it weighs more, it's a great one" (92).

There are two basic categories for all camera moves: stationary moves and traveling moves. Stationary moves include zooming, tilts, pans and pedestals. Zooming in or out appears to bring the subject closer to or farther from the camera. A tilt makes the camera move up or down and a pan moves the camera left and right. Using all of these moves correctly and with ease will require " the three P's : planning, practice and patience" (92).

The traveling camera employs the truck, the dolly or the arc. Unlike stationary moves, these require far more practice to complete successfully. The trucking shot is one that follows the scene moving left and right. It is different from the pan because the entire camera moves maintaining the same distance at all times. The dolly shot is a move in or out of the whole camera, while an arcing shot moves around the subject in a circle while maintaining distance and focal length.

Lens movement is the use of a zoom lens to cover the wide range of focal lengths to compose a myriad of shots. Having a variety of zoom settings provides flexibility in choosing the photographic effect desired in a particular scene. With a working knowledge of what each focal length looks like, videomakers may augment them with additional camera moves.

Composition is the placing of objects in the video frame. Although there are no set rules to composition, conventional guidelines are normally followed. The most important of these is to follow is the rule of thirds. To use the rule of thirds, videographers begin by dividing the screen in thirds with two horizontal and vertical lines. Then place the most important object or subject at or near the points of intersection between the lines. This makes for a visually pleasing composition in a video frame.

Camera movement rules are critical as well. One of the most important rules of camera movement is the axis of motion. By crossing the line of motion, the subject can suddenly be moving in the wrong direction. To avoid this problem, one must draw an imaginary line of movement that the subject will follow in the scene. By staying on either side of this line, the videographer can do practically anything with camera and not have an axis problem. Breaking this rule can often leave an audience disoriented.

Another way to improve camera moves is to watch the work of the giants of the film industry and evaluate the effectiveness of their camera moves in particular scenes. Some of the directors and cinematographers recommended for viewing in the article were Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch, Woody Allen, Barry Sonnenfeld (my personal favorite) and Robert Rodriguez.

Proper use of many of the techniques explained above could help us to improve our work in class. We must start with footage that allows us to put together a quality video. Using different camera moves is one of the things that our class can do to make our videos more interesting and "professional" looking. By practicing how to move the camera correctly both on and off a tripod, we can soon become proficient and use these moves in our projects. Taking our time during the camera exercises can help. We must be careful not to overuse our zoom lens or break the rules of camera movement.

We should also try to follow the guidelines of composition and pre-plan our shots so we have a better idea of the moves and shot types we will need during our productions. Just as a photographer spends time looking at and composing the scene, a videographer must do the same.

Finally, it will be helpful for us to look carefully at movement while we are watching movies and television programs. Following the lead of professional directors and cinematographers can only help us to make better videos that are both easy and fun to watch.



Sentence Outline of Text
Study Guides

All outlines should follow guidelines discussed earlier in this manual. Sentence outlining of a classroom text is often used in the Technology Education department as well as other departments in the school and can be an invaluable tool to use while studying for quizzes or exams.

The following sample outline is based on Chapter 1 of the Videography - the Guide to Making Videos text.

Chapter Outline Writing Sample

I. Shooting preliminaries must be followed before using a video camera.
    A. Always read the manual before taping.
        1. Learn the functions of all buttons on the camcorder. A Videographer must know how to quickly turn functions on and off.
        2. The manual will provide detailed information about recording, playing back and dubbing from camera to VCR.
    B. A working knowledge of the battery pack is important.
        1. Learn how to correctly and quickly load and unload the camera battery pack.
        2. Most battery packs are rechargeable nickel-cadmium (niCad).
        3. Purchase backup battery packs for occasions where electricity is not available.
        4. Before recharging, fully discharge battery.
        5. Do not store batteries in the camera. Store in a cool, dry location away from metal or conductive materials.
        6. Always check the battery before beginning and carry the battery charger with you.
    C. Proper cassette management can save valuable time and money.
        1. Video tape can only be recorded on one side of the tape, unlike audio tape.
        2. Never store tapes near a magnetic source such as speakers and avoid storing at extreme temperatures.
        3. Original tape shot from the camera will give the best picture quality. Any copy of the original is called a dub
             and will be of a lesser quality than the original.
    D. Camcorder maintenance should be performed regularly to avoid taping problems.
        1. Store the camera body in the case when not in use and away from dust, heat and dampness.
        2. Always keep the lens covered by the lens cap when not in use.
        3. Dust or smearing on the lens will show up on any lens. Always clean the lens in bright light using the proper equipment.
        4. Avoid excessive temperatures. Moving from a cold to hot location can cause severe damage to the heads.
        5. Allow at least one or two hours for equipment to adjust to room temperature.
        6. Clean the recording heads with the proper equipment and avoid over-cleaning.
II. Understanding of proper camcorder operations must become second nature.
     A. Viewfinders provide much valuable information.
         1. Viewfinders provided with camcorders are usually black and white. Color viewfinders are also available.
         2. Try to hold both eyes open when looking through the viewfinder.
         3. Viewfinders have their own focusing element that can be adjusted to the optics of the eye.
         4. Other important information about taping and camera status can be found in viewfinder.
     B. All camcorders must be able to adjust for exposure control.
         1. All cameras have automatic expose controls which take an average reading of the light in the scene.
         2. Some models offer manual exposure control.
         3. To adjust for extreme light coming from behind the subject, use the manual control or back lighting button.
     C. Using available sunlight may be all the illumination needed.
         1. Have students walk around in a 360O circle to see how lighting changes.
         2. Light behind the subject will cause the subject to be silhouetted.


Review the sample peer-evaluation on the following pages for proper form and style. The Video Data sheet is used by the video technology program for all peer and self-evaluation writing.

Video Data Sheet

Name David Smith__________________________ Date_06/19/97________

Class Video Technology___ Period # __3_ Assignment Commercial_____

Video Camera Panasonic AG-195___ Microphone(s) Wireless Hand-Held___

Editing Equipment Editing Suite Video Toaster__________________________

Video Production Critique

In narrative format discuss technical and aesthetic aspects of assignment.

Be sure to discuss audio as well as video. Attach additional sheets if necessary.

This group's commercial for the movie " Face Off" was extremely well done and met all the requirements for the assignment. It played exactly one minute in length and had a title and credits designed on the Panasonic CG titler. It included both background music and narration and had more than three edits. It followed the storyboard exactly and did an excellent job of presenting the theme of the movie.

The movie trailer showed good use of both mixes and wipes to move for one scene to the next. I particularly liked the breaking glass wipe with the sound effect at the end of

Attach Video Script and/or Storyboards and additional Critique Sheets to this page.

Script and/or Storyboard _______ Video ________ Final Grade ________

the scene where the villain was thrown through the window. This showed both creativity and a good working knowledge of the editing equipment. In addition, the royalty free music chosen for this project went along well with the trailer and set a good beat for the pace of the commercial to follow.

My two suggestions for improvement of this project would be to use a different color for the lettering of the titles and to use a tripod when shooting the live scene of the two people fighting on the football field. The titles were very difficult to read because they blended in with parts of the scenes they were being placed on top of. Using a different color for the lettering or better care when choosing the scene would solve this problem easily.

The scene that was shot on the football field looked very out of place in the video due to the excessive shake of the camera. A tripod and a well planned out scene would have solved this problem and made for a more consistent looking video. If the scene was shot only once, doing several takes would have also improved the chances for a quality shot.

Overall, I feel that this is an excellent video for the first attempt at shooting a commercial. With a little more practice on proper camera use, this group has the potential for even better work on their future assignments.


Review the following self- evaluation on the following pages for proper form and style. The Photo Data Sheet is used by the photography department for all peer and self-evaluation writing.

Photo Data Sheet

Name David Smith_________________________ Date __06/19/97_________

Class Photography I____________ Per. __4__ Assignment __Panning_______

Camera Pentax K-1000______________ Film Speed ____ASA 125_________

Exposure Print __30 seconds @ f16______ Developer Print __Kodak Dektol___

PRINT CRITlQUE

In narrative format discuss technical and aesthetic aspects of assignment.

Attach additional sheets if necessary.

For my panning shot, I chose to photograph Steve on his dirt bike moving across the scene at a fairly fast rate of speed. To get the proper look, I ran through the panning procedure several times without actually taking a photograph. After several attempts, I marked a tree in the background as a point I would use to begin shooting each panning shot. I took twelve exposures of my subject and chose this one to be my final print for the assignment.

One of the things I attempted to do was to choose an uncluttered background that had just

Print ___________ Negative _____________ Grade ____________


Attach negative envelope here. Indicate negative used for assignment.

enough trees and bushes in it to show the feeling of motion in the photograph without drawing away

too much attention from my subject. I feel that I accomplished this in the photograph and I am quite happy with most of my attempts at panning. I had several shots that could have been used for this assignment and I may use one of them for an optional assignment in the future.

Another aspect of this photograph that I was quite pleased with was my use of the composition guideline called the rule of thirds. I made sure that the dirt bike had space in front of it

for the subject to move into and I also placed the horizon of the shot off center. In addition, I used simplicity by choosing an uncluttered background as I have previously stated and I also feel the use of lines is found in this shot.

My photograph may be slightly overexposed which causes the helmet to blend in with the sky. This may also be due to having a sky that was void of any clouds to make it more interesting and provide depth to the scene. It may have been possible to remedy this problem by burning in the sky during the final printing.

My negatives have several dust spots on them that can be seen by close inspection of both the negatives and the print. Fortunately, because this is a panning assignment, the blur of the background has made these blemishes difficult to see without close inspection of the print. To avoid this problem in the future, I will make sure that I handle my negatives carefully and will also remember to clean the lens on both the camera and the enlarger before and after each use.

Except for these small technical problems, which I feel can be corrected with a little more care on my part, I am pleased with the results I obtained and enjoyed doing my first attempt at panning. I am sure this is a technique that I will use again in the future when photographing a moving subject.