New Media Level 1 semester 1

Multimedia Communication Design/Video

One Minute Video

Aim
To allow the exploration of basic video shooting and editing techniques.

Brief
One minute video
The brief
You will produce a video, exactly 60 seconds long. The film must have a narrative - it has to tell a story - with a beginning, a middle and an end - however simple.

The concept of the 1 minute video is not new - many early short films were played in arcades in coin operated boxes that were only capable of holding short pieces of footage.

The TV commercial represents the creative peak of the short film genre - with the sales aspect often intentionally subdued, stories are told and characters developed in 30 or 60 seconds - not a moment of precious screen time is wasted, every image and sound has a purpose.

The one minute video demands concise, accurate editing and careful planning - atmosphere must be conveyed quickly - the right lighting (colour, intensity) camera angle, viewpoint and choice of music can combine to make a minute seem like an hour or 10 seconds. On the other hand the one minute video brings its own freedom - there is no the need for a big budget, truckloads of equipment, exotic locations and a film crew - just you, a camera and a good idea.

You are encouraged to experiment but the film must have a coherent structure. Staff will be available to assist you during the course of the project and you will be expected to show your work as it progresses.

You can use any digital camera (not VHS tape), whether it is a pro-quality DV cam or a still camera with video capability. Sound is optional.

The resultant video must show evidence of editing, lighting and camera skills you will learn in the video workshop. It is also essential that you do your own research both into camera techniques and the genre of the 1 minute video.

Two essential sites to look at:

http://www.theoneminutesjr.org/mmmcms/public/
An excellent site containing many 1 minute films, archives and interviews with film makers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/oneminutemovies/
The BBC has been running its own 1 minute video web site for some time - loads of clear advice on the practicalities of making a 1 minute video.

Assessment
Your work will be assessed a part of your two main briefs.

Your movie must be in QuickTIme format (.mov), exactly 60 seconds long in and dimensions 320 x 240 pixels. The file size must not be more than 1MB.

The movie must be placed on your web site.

Documentation of this brief on your web site will be assessed as part of your Contextual Practice unit.

Good luck!