Video Essay Projects

  • By Steve Gotzler

Video Essay Projects

The capstone assignment for this course will be a video essay project that we will screen together as a class at the end of the semester. These essays will showcase our various explorations of, and interventions in, the study of video games and narrative cinema.
Students will use these video essay project to make original arguments about the interpenetrated histories, forms, and/or genres of video games and narrative cinema, drawing on primary sources from the course syllabus and conducting secondary research on their own. In the process, we will work together to craft visual arguments about the visual culture examined in the class.
Throughout the semester we will scaffold this assignment with additional technical instruction and tutorials, by viewing and analyzing other video essays as models, and working in groups to provide feedback and advice on composition, editing, and revision of these projects.
Phase 1: Ideation and Modeling
Phase 2: Storyboarding and Script-Drafting
Phase 3: Assembly, Editing, and Revision

Phase 1: Ideation and Modeling

In the first phase of this project, students will view several sample video essays, and spend time in class discussing them. These samples will be analyzed as variable models of the genre, and will form the basis of a collaborative ideation exercise to facilitate brainstorming ideas for possible video essays. This initial period of ideation will be followed by the submission of a formal proposal at the end of week 12. The proposal will identify a topical focus for their essay, and explain its relevance to the course.

Collaborative Ideation Workshop

Before attending class in week 12 students should complete the following:

Video Essay Proposals

All students will submit a formal proposal for their video essay projects by Friday, April 4th.

Video Essay Proposals should be no more than 2-3 pages in length (incl. timeline), and must address each of the following three areas:

(1) A description of the student’s project choice — should offer an overview of the student’s choice of project, by clearly indicating the focus of the essay (e.g., theoretical, historical, formal), giving a brief description of the project’s intellectual purpose and the scope of its deliverables. (~125 words)

(2) A justification of the project’s relevance to the course aims and content — should discuss the relevance of the topical focus and its purpose to our ongoing course conversations regarding video games and narrative cinema. Should mention any relevant primary sources (i.e., films, games), as well as secondary sources (i.e., scholarly books, articles, or essays). (~125 words)

(3) A preliminary outline of a plan of work with a timeline for completing the project — should lay out a feasible and thoughtful plan for undertaking the work necessary to complete the video essay. (.5-1 pg table/chart)

These plans need not follow any single format, and in fact, should ideally be tailored to the needs and schedule of the individual who creates them. However, in general they should include provisions for several phases of work including: 

Pre-Production: preliminary research, outlining, story-boarding

Production: script composition, gameplay capture & film clip citations, audio recording  Post-Production: audio and visual editing, rough cut submission and final revisions 

PLEASE NOTE: Upon review, students may be asked to revise and resubmit their proposals if any of these areas have not been adequately addressed.

Proposals will be submitted via Canvas

Phase 2: Storyboarding and Script-Drafting

In the second phase of the project, students will begin gathering appropriate film and gameplay clips, and continuing to use sample essays as models, they will storyboard their essay projects, and compose a draft of their scripts. This phase will be supported by a video essay composition workshop in class on Monday, April 07th, and will culminate in the submission of a rough storyboard and draft script.

Storyboard and Draft Script

All students will submit a rough story board, and draft script for their video essay projects by Wednesday, April 16th.

These should be assembled as a single document (either PDF or word document) and must contain each of the following elements:

  1. Storyboard — a storyboard file, integrating visual content blocking (media clips), chunked descriptive outline of scripted content to be recorded in voice-over, and any planned additional audio features (e.g., music, sound effects, or audio only clips from film/games). (~1-3 pages)

  2. Draft Script— a complete rough draft of the scripted dialogue that you will incorporate as voice-over for the essay. (500-700 words)

  3. Bibliography — A complete bibliography of all works cited (primary and secondary) in the video essay, formatted according to MLA style, as well as a list of all film, and games to be used in the composition of the video essay.

For our scripts, we want to maximize depth rather than breadth. As such, analytical focus is paramount to crafting a effective script. The visual components of your composition should do as much, or more, argumentative work as your spoken words, (e.g., illustrating key concepts, demonstrating comparative frames, justifying analytical claims).

In an essay of this length, scripts should strive for a synthesis of secondary texts and primary examples within the following scope.

Draft Scripts Should:

  • identify and illustrate 1 observed pattern of textual detail and/or gamic action
  • introduce and explain 1 insight drawn from secondary research
  • elaborate and demonstrate 1 theoretical/critical concept

PLEASE NOTE: Upon review, students may be asked to hold a follow-up conference with their TA in order to address any potential bottlenecks, or problems.

Storyboards and Draft Scripts will be submitted via Canvas

Phase 3: Assembly, Editing, and Revision

In the final phase of the project, students will attend an instructional session with the Media & Design Center to familiarize themselves with the video production and editing tools available in the Adobe software suite. Following this session, students will assemble a rough cut of their video essay projects, offer constructive feedback to each other through peer review, and engage in iterative composition practices to refine and revise their video essays prior to submission. These activites will be conducted through a series of in-class workshops during weeks 15 and 16.

Instructional Session with the Media & Design Center

Students should come to this session with their laptops ready to use with appropriate software installed. Students should also feel free to bring specific questions about particular video composition techniques (e.g., textual overlay; small multiples; side-by-side; or diagrammatic overlays) that they are interested in incorporating into their video essay projects.

Before attending the instructional session students should complete the following:

You should leave this instructional session feeling confident to continue experimenting with Adobe Premier by beginning to assemble your own essays, with self-guided reference to MDC materials.

This instructional session will be held during the our normal class time on Monday 04/14

Media Capture & Assembly Workshop

Our scriptwriting and media capture workshops will take place on Wednesday, April 16th and Monday, April 21st respectively. Students should come to this session with their laptops ready to use with appropriate software installed. In class, students will begin working towards a complete rough cut assembly of their video essay projects.

In thes sessions students will:

  • discuss voice over recording logistics, and make plans for recording.
  • re-visit and expand work timelines from proposal for final phase.
  • begin assembling the rough cut of their video essay.

By the end of these sessions students should have:

  • created a new Premier Pro Project for their video essays.
  • imported their media library into Premier.
  • completed editorial assembly of at least 1 section of the essay (i.e., rough cutting and timing of 90-120 sec.).

A complete assembled rough cut is due by 9:00AM on Friday, April 25th.

Rough Cuts will be submitted via Canvas

Rough Cut Peer Review

Our peer review editorial session will take place in recitation sections on Friday, April 25th. Students should come to this session with their rough cuts assembled and submitted via canvas. In class, students will work in small groups to view each other’s essays and offer peer review feedback for revision and further editing.

In this session students will:

  • share progress with their peers, and view peer rough cuts.
  • generate insights, both practical and critical, for making iterative editorial changes.
  • collaboratively plan a timeline for revision and final submission.

By the end of this session students should have:

  • viewed and offered critical feedback on at least 3 other video essays by their peers.
  • recieved critical feedback on their video essay rough cuts from at least 3 of their peers.
  • generated a revision plan outlining specific edits and change notes for final cuts.

There will also be time during this session to schedule time for instructor follow-up during office hours.

A complete revised final cut is due on Thursday, 05/01 @ 5:00PM ET.

Final Cuts will be submitted via Canvas

Share this story