Writing - The Brief

Hi everyone,

I hope you're having a great and restful weekend! Amro and I decided to adapt the standard brief to better fit the Reflections of Film class. Please read the directions below and reach out if you have any questions! Please upload your completed Outline + Draft by Tuesday, December 18 at 9:00am.

Thanks so much,

Tessa

The Brief (Adapted) - Part 1 - Outline


------Copy & Paste this section below into a new post and answer ALL of the questions completely ---- 

The Brief Part 1 - Outline

Answer the following questions in full, complete sentences. Title the post "Brief Outline" and post it in the Writing Tab of your Project. Every student must do this assignment. Cut and paste the assignment below and write your answers below each point. You must respond to ALL items. Click Shift-Return to start a new line.

  1. Write a A 1-2 sentence project description. This description should not include the name of the project and should be written in the third person. 
    1. What is the "soul" of your project? Describe the idea of the project in conceptual terms. This should paint a conceptual picture in the readers mind. (1 sentences)
    2. What is the "body" of your project? Describe the basic technical or physical construction of the project. This should NOT go into excessive detail, just provide an overview. Describe the project to someone with no technical knowledge in as few words as possible. The reader should be able to envision what the project looks like. ( sentences)

      Examples:
      Night Light Blankie: A child's sensory blanket that provides comfort and privacy in the high stress environment of the hospital using weight, textures, and light. The blanket transforms into a mini light up fort over a child’s head.
      Cocoon: a shroud that explores human spirituality and the concept of life after death through the use of repetitive religious iconography. Composed of over 300 pieces of laser cut balsa wood lined with space tape, the icons are arranged using a mathematical strange attractor.
  2. How did you come up with the idea for your film? Why is this idea so important to you? Why is it important for you to tell? Questions to consider: 
    1. What social issue does your film engage? (1 sentence)
    2. Who is your project helping?  (1 sentence)
    3. How does the film offer a unique perspective? This can be in a simple physical way or in a complex social way. (1 sentence)
    4. What important social, intellectual, or technical questions does it raise? (1 sentence)
  3. How were your shots created? 
    1. How did you decide which shots to take? 
    2. Why did you decide to shoot from a specific angle vs. another? 
    3. What makes these shots important and meaningful to your film? 
  4.   Describe your editing process:
    1. What is the basic technology behind your project? (1 sentence)
    2. Why and how did you choose a specific flow to your film? 
    3. What is the importance of timing and spacing? How does it capture the emotion you seek to evoke? (1 sentence)
  5. What emotion or message do you wish to evoke? 
    1. As a final reflection and message to viewers, what do you hope they learned or felt after viewing your film? 


Now that you have created a document that outlines all of the information you want to relate in the Brief, it is time to weave that information together into a strong narrative that ties together the Why, How and What and Who of your project through clear, cogent writing. Tell the story of how your idea was born, developed, and manifested.

Good luck!