Final Project Details
Project Proposal (10% of final grade)
The first step is to hone in on the pitch for your project. Students will revise pitches based on feedback provided in class. The rest of the proposal will convey initial answers to the questions for the final paper briefly - they will not need to be as well-developed as they will be at that point, but will serve as a first attempt that you can receive our feedback on. It will not need to convey the story of the project just yet, as your project has only just begun! While the feedback on individual pitches will be more specific, you will get general feedback on how to revise the rest of your proposals in class to work from. Revised proposals will be due the next class session.
The distinctive element of the proposal will be the analysis of other related digital projects and their topics discussed in the class and where your project fits in. This need not be a part of your final paper, but if it helps you frame the story behind your project and how you made certain decisions in terms of content and format, including it could certainly prove useful, even if it is not required. In other words, depending on how you choose to narrate your project, this component of the proposal could just need a little editing before it can serve that end in your final paper.
For audio and video projects: a draft treatment will be required. This will put on paper everything you anticipate drawing from or saying as part of the project. Essentially, it is a draft script in one column, with the audio, photographs, or images you are deploying in another column - both being in order of how they will appear in the video and with time stamps to indicate the amount of time elapsed at each point within the overall project.
The project proposal will be graded similarly to the final paper - for meeting the requirements included on this page, for clarity in writing and proper grammar, and for the depth of the analysis contained within the project.
Final Project (20% of final grade)
Final projects will be graded largely on their attention to detail, accuracy, quality of writing (if applicable), relevance to the intended audience, and the degree to which it carries out the vision you outline in your proposal. All projects should clearly connect back to course discussions and content, but should also be able to stand on their own so that they would make sense to an outside audience of your choosing.
Below is a checklist for video projects specifically:
- Length:150-200 seconds
- Minimum number of interview clips: 5
- Minimum number of archival images: 10
- Must use archival footage
- Must have a title
- Must have a naming caption to identify interviewees
- Must include credits thanking an interview subject, the specific archive location you drew from, and the College of Media as appropriate
Final Paper (20% of final grade)
The final paper presents your rationale behind the project. It narrates how you found out about the project topic, explains why it is important, and explicates your reasoning behind every decision that went into the final project. This includes why the digital format you chose for the project was more appropriate than other options, what the intended audience for your project is, how you plan to circulate or publicize the final project, and how and why you selected the source material that you chose to draw from. It is important for the final paper that you tell the story of the project in addressing these concerns, rather than just hit them point by point in a way that fails to captivate your audience.
Final papers will present a full bibliography of all sources the student project draws from. Students must incorporate and properly cite (in a citation style of their choosing) at least five sources from the syllabus, and must incorporate at least three additional sources. For information on citation, Purdue OWL is highly recommended.
For audio and video projects: a final treatment will be required. This will transcribe the entire project step-by-step, including all voiceover and archival clips or photos used.