One of the first assignments students in Broadcast Journalism I receive is something we call Video Only Assignment. It is a group project that generally takes two class periods to complete. Each group (of about four students each) draws a slip of paper with a very simple "problem" that they must illustrate on tape. It can be something as simple as "Johnny is hungry but doesn't want to eat in the school cafeteria." The students shoot footage that illustrates the problem, and how it was solved. And they are only allowed five minutes of raw footage. If they tape more than that, it's erased before they edit. The final edits are done with no audio - just video only. The emphasis here is on pictures. The assignment also calls for students to think about shooting sequences, to frame their shots, to edit tightly (final edits should be no longer than one minute) and to use creativity in their approach. But again, it's video only, kind of a silent movie--no special transitions, no special effects, no graphics. When all the groups are through, the class views and critiques each project. Click here to download a copy of the assignment we use: Another great assignment for early in the year is the "In-Camera" story. Small groups of students are given a topic to cover. They will not have the opportunity to edit their footage, so they must think ahead as they shoot the story in sequence, including a stand-up and several sound bites. We don't even give the groups external microphones--they get a camcorder and a raw tape. This assignment can be given and reviewed in once class period, and it definitely forces the students to think ahead about the structure of the story. Click one of these icons to download the In-Camera Assignment: Writing a Focus Statement is part of the basic training that our students receive in the opening weeks of Broadcast Journalism I. We pass out a form and then pair up students to interview each other. After about twenty minutes, each student is required to build a focus statement around the life of the other student - without showing it to that person for approval - and then read it to the class for approval. The results can sometimes be very humorous This is an exercise that not only builds critical writing skills, it also serves as a team-building activity that is fairly easy to accomodate in any sized classroom. Save the forms as a baseline for measuring growth in writing skills. Click one of these icons to download the Focus Statement Exercise form that we use: Building a Sequence is basically an editing challenge for beginners. Teachers provide each student group with a copy of the same raw footage, maybe a student driving into the parking lot, parking the car, and walking to class. The challenge is for students to edit it into a 30-second sequence. Part Two of the challenge is to take the same raw footage and edit it down to a 15-second sequence. This is a great way to get students to learn that editing can make a huge difference - and that it is possible to build tighter sequences when necessary. Ask your local television station for a raw tape to edit from - use it as an excuse to build a friendship in the professional media. These three assignments put a lot of emphasis on photography and on teamwork, two extremely important aspects of any successful video production class.