Extra Credit

            This is to be a video project.  You may work alone or in a group.  If you are in a group everyone must appear as a working and contributing member of the group in the video.  I DO NOT want this to be a situation where someone just adds their name and gets credit for doing nothing except have friends who did do the work.  Enough of that goes on already.  

            What you are to do for this project is to make a creative and interpretive video of a poem.  The parameters are that the poem has to be from your literature book and is to be a minimum of 25 lines.  If you prefer you can do any 2 poems that add up to 25 lines or more (for example two sonnets would be a total of 28 lines and that is fine). 

            The video(s) is/are to be interpretive.  You are to figure out what the poem means; interpret it and get some meaning from it.  Then imagine how you can translate that via video.  Perhaps you can try to read a poem and discern what the author was trying to say and work from that to make the video.  You are to add the voice over of one of you reading the poem to make everything complete. 

            In short: interpret the poem, film actions/images/interactions that convey your interpretation of the poem’s/poems’ meaning, edit, and add a reading of the poem that coincides with the images.  You may add instrumental music if you think that would help.  You will be asked to explain what you filmed and what it means prior to your showing the video to the class.  We will watch them prior to exams.  The clock is running.  Be aware that planning what you are going to do first makes filming MUCH faster and less frustrating.  I speak from years of experience.  Have a strong leader if you are working in a group and let him/her make the decisions and agree to abide by them if you want this to go smoothly.  Be aware, also, that editing is time consuming.  If there is a group member who wants to edit he or she will get full credit for that is a tough job.  Editing can make or break a film; be sure to thank your editor.  Put all finished products on DVD or VHS tape.

            Your videos will be scored by the class and me.  Videos will get a 1, a 2, or a 3 with 3 being the highest.  In cases where two poems were done they both have to be of 3 quality for a 3 overall grade.

1: A 1 goes to a video that has poor editing to the point where your meaning is lost, when the voice over of the reading is inaudible, or when the interpretation is weak and/or unsubstantiated in the explanation. 

2: A video will get a 2 if the video is clear and the explanation of the interpretation makes sense.  The audio will be sufficient and the editing fairly well done.  This will be good, but not outstanding in quality of the video and the interpretation of the poem(s).

3: A 3 goes to a video that is outstanding.  It can be seen, heard, and reveal a clear and fresh meaning to the poem(s).  This is the score given to a project where you can say the video enriched the poem’s meaning and added something to it.

            The average of the scores will be added to your overall grade for the quarter.  In the event the class scores a video higher than I think it deserves, or lower than I think it deserves there will be a compromise made.  Your classmates do have some authority in this.  Make them good.