Notes on the Final Projects – Topics and Timeline
Now that we managed to get the first videos successfully uploaded onto the blog, we wanted to give you some updates on the status of the final projects as well. This past couple of weeks we have been brainstorming extensively with the students in both schools, trying to identify some topics that they are interested in for their final video projects.
The girls showed a great deal of interest about making a film about Indian culture. Because that topic is so broad we wanted to narrow it down to something more manageable in the time that we have. The girls identified dance, mehendhi and dress as three aspects of culture that they were interested in, and after careful deliberation and consideration of logistical aspects, we finally decided to focus on traditional Indian dance as the topic of their project.
Below are some of our notes on the structure of the video, and a tentative timeline of production. The ideas in the video plan below have all been exclusively suggested by the girls themselves, in brainstorming sessions about the kinds of shots and still images we want to include, who do we want to interview, in what order would we arrange these in the final film, etc. Therefore, this is the end result of the pre-production planning phase:
Structure of the girls’ project:
I. Introduction
-Voiceover about the different types of dance in India
-Shots of:
1) Famous dancers (still)
2) Girl preparing for a dance performance
3) Close up of a dancer’s feet
-Classical dance music being played
II. Body/ Interviews
– Interview with a dance professor from the University. Explain the different types of dance and why they are significant to Indian religion and society.
*Ex: Are there dances that are only done by one religion or another or are dance so much a part of Indian culture that all people of different faiths do it?
-Interview with a student at the school who is known to be a good dancer.
*Ex: When did you start dancing? Why? Where do you perform? Etc.
-Instructional section: One or two girls will teach a section of dance to the camera.
-Have one or two girls explain the components of the dance costume or the dance sequences.
III. Conclusion
-Girls talking about what they like about Indian culture and why it is important to them. Girls will say these scripts into the camera.
-End with more footage of the girls dancing and classical music being played.
TO DO:
1) Decide who we will interview and write questions (Interviews in Telugu, translation with the help of the teachers)
2) Identify who at the school is a good dancer and who at the University teaches dance.
3) Write scripts for the section at the end about what the girls like about Indian culture. Write voiceover for beginning about the different types of dance.
4) Find images of famous classical dancers or find a semi-famous classical dancer to come and do a mini-performance at the school (that doesn’t cost money)
Timeline:
8/8/08 Friday- Pre-Production, script writing, planning, write script for the beginning voiceover
11/8/08 Monday- Perfect scripts about Indian culture and start to film them. Film introduction sections where girls are getting ready to perform.
13/8/08 Wednesday- Conduct interviews with professor and student. Editing group can start to log and capture video from Monday.
15/8/08 Friday- INDEPENDENCE DAY
18/8/08 Monday- Film instructional segment and any other dance segments that we need. Record voiceover for the introduction.
20/8/08 Wednesday- Wrap up any loose ends
22/8/08 Friday- Finish up all of the production and start editing
25/8/08 Monday- EDITING
27/8/08 Wednesday- EDITING
29/8/08 Friday- Last class, screen the final project for students and teachers.
As far as the boys are concerned, they were interested in making a film about a life in the hostel, mosque, and friendship so we decided to combine these topics into a film on the importance of religion in the life of the boys. We also wanted to include how Islam and has become important at both the national and international scale.
Structure of Boys’ Project:
I. Introduction
-Voiceover about the school and how it is for minority boys and about the religious breakdown of A.P.
-Still images of:
1) Mosque/Prayer room
2) School building
3) Class Photo
4) Teacher photo
5) School signboard
II. Body
– Interview with Khan and the 10th class boy who leads Quran study on Fridays
– Shots of boys preparing for prayer:
-Washing at the water tank
-Rolling out prayer mats
-Shots of boys praying/ reading the Quran
-Include shots of boys explaining how to use the prayer beads that they have
-Segment of why religion is important to us (boys reading what they wrote)
III. Conclusion
-Voiceover of boys talking about why they like going to this particular school
-Still images of:
-The boys studying
-The boys working on the computer
Timeline:
Tuesday, 12 August – Work on writing script for why religion is important to us section, work on writing questions for interviews, start a team taking pictures.
Thursday, 14 August- start filming prayer and mosque scenes, film interview with Quran teacher/prayer leader, shoot someone explaining the prayer beads.
Tuesday, 19 August- Record opening voiceover, finish shooting prayer scenes in the mosque, film interview with Khan
Thursday, 21 August- Finish up all filming and start log and capture
Saturday 23, August- Finish log and capture, begin editing
Tuesday 26, August- Finish editing up the editing (with help from Sarah and Ioana)
Thursday 28, August- Screen video to school, FINAL CLASS L