Podcast
Length: 3-5 minutes
Format: MP3 file uploaded to Soundcloud.
Since this assignment is in groups of three, how are team members selected?
You select your own group. You will select your group members in class on 10/23. You should keep this in mind as the semester unfolds so you can find someone you can work well with.
What films do we select?
Any of the documentaries we have watched in class from Week 1 to Week 11. This assignment requires you to focus on two films.
What class sources can we use?
You need to use two sources from class. Different chapters of the same book count as separate sources for the purpose of this assignment.
What outside sources can we use?
You want to use two sources not included in our readings that help you make your arguments. There are a variety of sources you can draw from: scholarly writing about the film, historical sources about the topic covered by the film, interviews with the filmmaker, reviews of the film. You can find these sources by using the MSU Library website. A number of Databases like JSTOR will have articles that should help you make your arguments. There are also books that can give you information about topics related to the film. You don’t have to read the book in full. For interviews with the filmmaker and reviews, the best place to look is Google, since those are not usually published on academic spaces but rather on the press.
If you use video or audio sources, such as interviews with the filmmaker, record them so you can also bring those voices into your podcast.
Can we use more than four sources?
You can. However, I’m looking for close analysis of the film so I caution you against getting caught up in research.
How do we cite the sources?
Since people will hear this project, you don’t need to use a particular citation style, but you will need to verbally introduce each source, i.e. “Here’s director Jennie Livingston discussing Paris is Burning on NPR…” or “As Patricia Aufderheide argues in Documentary Film…” You need to verbally tell us what we’re about to hear.
Do we need a Works Cited page?
Yes, you will add your MLA Works Cited page to the podcast’s description on Soundcloud. You can use direct quotes and you can paraphrase. For the sake of this assignment, add the different chapters to your Works Cited as separate readings.
What kind of analysis do we need to do?
For the podcast you’re going to analyze how two films portray a particular perspective. Here are your choices:
Gender: How do two of the films portray women, men, transgender people and/or the relationships between the them?
Race: How do two of the films portray one or more races and/or the relationships between them?
Sexuality: How do two of the films portray queerness?
Class: How do two of the films portray one or more social classes and/or the relationships between them?
Ability: How do two of the films portray disability?
Nationality: How do two of the films portray one or more nationalities and/or the relationships between them?
How do we compare the two films?
You want to pick two films that complement each other in the ways in which they address your selected perspective. You can say that they both have a similar approach to representing queerness, or that while one represents women as empowered, the other represents them as submissive, or that while they take very different approaches to doing so, the films represent two nationalities—the British and the Vietnamese—as being resilient and heroic. You want to decide whether you’re going to argue that they’re doing things similarly or differently and then you want to find examples of how they are doing what you claim they’re doing and use sources and clips from the films to support your points.
What should the research do?
Your research can help you establish some of the ways we engage with your particular perspective. You should turn to the following disciplines depending on which perspective you choose. If you search each one of these words followed by “studies,” you will find what you’re looking for: women, gender, feminism, African American, Native American, American Indian, Latinx, Chicanx, Asian, Asian American, Queer, LGTBQ, class, working class, ability, and disability. For nationality, you can research aspects of the particular nationalities you choose. You will use that research as your theoretical lens for your analysis.
You can also quote the filmmakers discussing how they chose to portray your particular perspective on the film.
Do we need to incorporate sound clips from the films into the podcast?
Yes, you do. We’re doing this assignment as a podcast so we can hear the film as you talk about it. The sorts of things you can add are scene dialogue, interviews, narration, ambient sound, music, and any other sound from the film that you think will help you make your points.
How long should the sounds clips be and how do we get access to them?
Length for the clips is pretty open but you don’t want to go for too long without narration. On the other side, you don’t want the piece to be all narration either.
Most of the films we’re watching are available to you as MSU students (I explain access which streaming service has the film after each film on our course calendar). For those that are not available, you can find scenes online or get access to the films through Netflix/Amazon/other streaming services.
How do I access Kanopy?
Go to MSU Library Electronic Resources: Media and on the right corner, under “Streaming Video” find Kanopy. Once you click on it, you’ll need to log in with your MSU ID information.
How will the work be divided between group members?
How much of the film should we reveal? What about spoilers?
You should assume that your audience has seen the films and that you can discuss any topic you need to in order to make your points. Since your audience has watched the films already, don’t worry about spoilers.
How are we going to edit, record, and post our podcasts?
We will learn how to use Audacity (a free sound editing software) to record and edit sound. However, if you have access to and already know how to use a different software, such as GarageBand or Pro Tools, you are welcome to use that one instead. You can use Audacity (or the software of your choice) to record with your computers’ built-in mics. The recording will be of higher quality if you use a MacBook Pro to record, so if one is available to you, please use it. If you have access to mics that you can plug into your computer, the quality will be even higher.
All narration recording MUST take place inside to avoid background noise. Try to position yourself at the same distance from the mic during each recording session to avoid too many fluctuations in sound levels. The ideal distance from the mic is to spread your fingers wide and have your thumb touch your lips and your index finger touch the mic. That distance is close enough to allow the mic to capture sound clearly but not so close that your voice will sound distorted. You’ll want to edit the sound to between -20 to -10 decibels as you work on it.
You will post your drafts and your final podcast to SoundCloud. You can make an account at https://soundcloud.com. SoundCloud will lead you through the upload process.
Does the podcast have a soundtrack requirement?
Yes, it does. You’ll want to use music throughout the podcast. Podcasts usually utilize music at the beginning and at the end, but they also feature it in the areas where they want to augment the emotional impact of what is being said. I expect you to follow that format as well. If you use Creative Commons music, you will not risk your podcast being taken down or having ads attached to it. You can find Creative Commons music on these sites: http://www.freesound.org, http://www.jamendo.com/en, and http://ccmixter.org.
Do you have examples from previous courses?
Yes, I do. You can check out “Hospital and Paris Is Burning” by Mario Gruszczynski & Zoë Kissel, “Stories We Tell and Paris Is Burning” by Dan Stephens and Austin Torres, and “Two Worlds Collide” by Hailey Patrick and Ryan Boudreaux.
What do we need to do for the podcast proposal?
In a Word Document, answer these questions:
How much is the podcast worth?
40 points
How do we submit the podcast?
Send the final version in the body of an email to [email protected]. Make sure you are all on the email thread (Cc the ones not sending the email). The subject of your email should be Podcast, followed by your last names, e.i. Podcast Vertov Livingston Riggs.
How will the analytical essay be evaluated?
Due dates
10/23 during class: Select group members:
11/6 by class time: Proposal
Session 1 on 11/20 and Session 2 on 11/25 by class time: Draft 1
Session 1 on 12/2 and Session 2 on 12/4 by class time: Draft 2
12/6 by 11:59pm: Final Draft
What if we still have questions?
Come to office hours, email me, talk to me before or after class.
Format: MP3 file uploaded to Soundcloud.
Since this assignment is in groups of three, how are team members selected?
You select your own group. You will select your group members in class on 10/23. You should keep this in mind as the semester unfolds so you can find someone you can work well with.
What films do we select?
Any of the documentaries we have watched in class from Week 1 to Week 11. This assignment requires you to focus on two films.
What class sources can we use?
You need to use two sources from class. Different chapters of the same book count as separate sources for the purpose of this assignment.
What outside sources can we use?
You want to use two sources not included in our readings that help you make your arguments. There are a variety of sources you can draw from: scholarly writing about the film, historical sources about the topic covered by the film, interviews with the filmmaker, reviews of the film. You can find these sources by using the MSU Library website. A number of Databases like JSTOR will have articles that should help you make your arguments. There are also books that can give you information about topics related to the film. You don’t have to read the book in full. For interviews with the filmmaker and reviews, the best place to look is Google, since those are not usually published on academic spaces but rather on the press.
If you use video or audio sources, such as interviews with the filmmaker, record them so you can also bring those voices into your podcast.
Can we use more than four sources?
You can. However, I’m looking for close analysis of the film so I caution you against getting caught up in research.
How do we cite the sources?
Since people will hear this project, you don’t need to use a particular citation style, but you will need to verbally introduce each source, i.e. “Here’s director Jennie Livingston discussing Paris is Burning on NPR…” or “As Patricia Aufderheide argues in Documentary Film…” You need to verbally tell us what we’re about to hear.
Do we need a Works Cited page?
Yes, you will add your MLA Works Cited page to the podcast’s description on Soundcloud. You can use direct quotes and you can paraphrase. For the sake of this assignment, add the different chapters to your Works Cited as separate readings.
What kind of analysis do we need to do?
For the podcast you’re going to analyze how two films portray a particular perspective. Here are your choices:
Gender: How do two of the films portray women, men, transgender people and/or the relationships between the them?
Race: How do two of the films portray one or more races and/or the relationships between them?
Sexuality: How do two of the films portray queerness?
Class: How do two of the films portray one or more social classes and/or the relationships between them?
Ability: How do two of the films portray disability?
Nationality: How do two of the films portray one or more nationalities and/or the relationships between them?
How do we compare the two films?
You want to pick two films that complement each other in the ways in which they address your selected perspective. You can say that they both have a similar approach to representing queerness, or that while one represents women as empowered, the other represents them as submissive, or that while they take very different approaches to doing so, the films represent two nationalities—the British and the Vietnamese—as being resilient and heroic. You want to decide whether you’re going to argue that they’re doing things similarly or differently and then you want to find examples of how they are doing what you claim they’re doing and use sources and clips from the films to support your points.
What should the research do?
Your research can help you establish some of the ways we engage with your particular perspective. You should turn to the following disciplines depending on which perspective you choose. If you search each one of these words followed by “studies,” you will find what you’re looking for: women, gender, feminism, African American, Native American, American Indian, Latinx, Chicanx, Asian, Asian American, Queer, LGTBQ, class, working class, ability, and disability. For nationality, you can research aspects of the particular nationalities you choose. You will use that research as your theoretical lens for your analysis.
You can also quote the filmmakers discussing how they chose to portray your particular perspective on the film.
Do we need to incorporate sound clips from the films into the podcast?
Yes, you do. We’re doing this assignment as a podcast so we can hear the film as you talk about it. The sorts of things you can add are scene dialogue, interviews, narration, ambient sound, music, and any other sound from the film that you think will help you make your points.
How long should the sounds clips be and how do we get access to them?
Length for the clips is pretty open but you don’t want to go for too long without narration. On the other side, you don’t want the piece to be all narration either.
Most of the films we’re watching are available to you as MSU students (I explain access which streaming service has the film after each film on our course calendar). For those that are not available, you can find scenes online or get access to the films through Netflix/Amazon/other streaming services.
How do I access Kanopy?
Go to MSU Library Electronic Resources: Media and on the right corner, under “Streaming Video” find Kanopy. Once you click on it, you’ll need to log in with your MSU ID information.
How will the work be divided between group members?
- Two of you will narrate the podcast as a conversation between you two.
- One of you will edit it.
- Everyone should collaborate on writing the podcast and on researching sources and clips to play.
How much of the film should we reveal? What about spoilers?
You should assume that your audience has seen the films and that you can discuss any topic you need to in order to make your points. Since your audience has watched the films already, don’t worry about spoilers.
How are we going to edit, record, and post our podcasts?
We will learn how to use Audacity (a free sound editing software) to record and edit sound. However, if you have access to and already know how to use a different software, such as GarageBand or Pro Tools, you are welcome to use that one instead. You can use Audacity (or the software of your choice) to record with your computers’ built-in mics. The recording will be of higher quality if you use a MacBook Pro to record, so if one is available to you, please use it. If you have access to mics that you can plug into your computer, the quality will be even higher.
All narration recording MUST take place inside to avoid background noise. Try to position yourself at the same distance from the mic during each recording session to avoid too many fluctuations in sound levels. The ideal distance from the mic is to spread your fingers wide and have your thumb touch your lips and your index finger touch the mic. That distance is close enough to allow the mic to capture sound clearly but not so close that your voice will sound distorted. You’ll want to edit the sound to between -20 to -10 decibels as you work on it.
You will post your drafts and your final podcast to SoundCloud. You can make an account at https://soundcloud.com. SoundCloud will lead you through the upload process.
Does the podcast have a soundtrack requirement?
Yes, it does. You’ll want to use music throughout the podcast. Podcasts usually utilize music at the beginning and at the end, but they also feature it in the areas where they want to augment the emotional impact of what is being said. I expect you to follow that format as well. If you use Creative Commons music, you will not risk your podcast being taken down or having ads attached to it. You can find Creative Commons music on these sites: http://www.freesound.org, http://www.jamendo.com/en, and http://ccmixter.org.
Do you have examples from previous courses?
Yes, I do. You can check out “Hospital and Paris Is Burning” by Mario Gruszczynski & Zoë Kissel, “Stories We Tell and Paris Is Burning” by Dan Stephens and Austin Torres, and “Two Worlds Collide” by Hailey Patrick and Ryan Boudreaux.
What do we need to do for the podcast proposal?
In a Word Document, answer these questions:
- Which two films do you want to write about?
- Which perspective do you want to use?
- In a short paragraph explain what you want to say about how the films address your chosen perspective.
How much is the podcast worth?
40 points
How do we submit the podcast?
Send the final version in the body of an email to [email protected]. Make sure you are all on the email thread (Cc the ones not sending the email). The subject of your email should be Podcast, followed by your last names, e.i. Podcast Vertov Livingston Riggs.
How will the analytical essay be evaluated?
- You will all receive the same grade on the project.
- I will look for a clear sense of purpose, meaning that I can tell what the essay is trying to do from the start and it does it throughout.
- I will also look for depth of analysis. Please make 2-4 points in detail instead of making a lot of points superficially.
- You need to use specific examples from the film.
- Don't spend a lot of time summarizing. Your audience has already seen the film.
- You need to cite four sources and to introduce them properly through narration.
- I will evaluate the quality of the podcast in terms of how well the soundtrack, narration, clips, and interviews (if you choose to feature the latter) blend together.
- I will reply to your email with the grade and feedback over email.
Due dates
10/23 during class: Select group members:
11/6 by class time: Proposal
Session 1 on 11/20 and Session 2 on 11/25 by class time: Draft 1
Session 1 on 12/2 and Session 2 on 12/4 by class time: Draft 2
12/6 by 11:59pm: Final Draft
What if we still have questions?
Come to office hours, email me, talk to me before or after class.