Remediating on YouTube (Fall 2014)

We’ve talked all semester about composing processes and have worked with more familiar styles of composition: blogs, fastwrites, short essays, and research papers. Now let’s broaden our composing practices while reflecting on the semester’s reading and the research work accomplished. In doing so, you will (individually or in groups of two or three) create your own YouTube video remediating a line of argument from your critical essay(s). To support this work, we will collaboratively write the assignment rubric, meet in the Student Multimedia and Design Center to discuss the tools available to you, have workshops for your script and storyboard, and have our own YouTube film festival the last day of class to view the class’s work.

Assignment Components:

•  Script (25 pts): Consider the script the rough draft of what you want to say in your YouTube video. What line of argument from your longer essay do you want to pursue in just a sixty second video? (This is also to illustrate how short 60 seconds is – be prepared to be concise and clever in your video).

• Storyboard (25 pts): Your storyboard works alongside your script. You have an idea of what you want to say; how do you want to say it? A sketch? Voice-over? Do you want to be the sole voice in your video, or would you like others to participate? This is also where you will indicate what equipment your concept will require. Is a smart-phone/webcam enough, or will you need to rent equipment from the Student Multimedia and Design Center? What about software? The storyboard should be drawn on paper or with a computer and a print copy brought into class for peer review.

• Video (100 pts): In just a 60 second video (excluding time for a title screen and credits – required), translate a line of argument from your research paper into a YouTube video. Videos must have an audio and visual component. Consider our discussions of Kavoori’s YouTube categories, Vernallis’s discussion of YouTube aesthetics, fair use, and the videos we have watched.

• Reflective Letter (50 pts): In approximately 500 words, reflect on how you have adjusted your writing process, style, project, etc. to address your new audience, purpose, and genre. What was easy to shift to YouTube? What has gotten lost in translation? The reflection letter is an opportunity for you to explain how you have met the goals for this assignment.