The major assignment in ES.333 is the production of a 6-10 minute final video, focusing on a topic chosen by the student. Students were also assigned three other video assignments throughout the course: the lifestream video, the hairy arm video, and the lie video. These three video assignments give students practice learning the filming and editing skills necessary to produce a high-quality final video, as well as giving them experience in the production process overall. The hairy arm and lie videos should be on the same topic as the final video and may be used as part of the final video, but they don’t have to and should be able to stand on their own.
Various parts of these projects have due dates overlapping with parts of the other projects. This schedule allows students to be continually brainstorming, filming, creating content, editing, gathering feedback, and revising their work, and enables students to use what they have learned from earlier projects to improve their current projects.
Lifestream Video
Create a short video introducing yourself to the ES.333 class, explaining who you are and why you are in this course. The video should focus and shape your internet identity, along with giving you experience with the video production design cycle.
Hairy Arm Video
Create a 3–4 minute long “hairy arm video.” The presentation mode is named for the prominent appearance of an arm and hand that draws an image image on chalk/whiteboard or paper. Despite the name, it is not necessary that the arm/hand actually appear in a hairy arm video. The subject matter of the hairy arm video should focus on the same topic as your final product but should also be able to stand on its own as an independent video.
Lie Video
Create a 30–second long educational video that purposefully miscommunicates a truth by lying. You will present as “truth” a plausible misconception related to the subject of your final video. Dispel this misunderstanding by teaching it as if it were gospel for ~25 seconds; then make clear the error—or at least make clear that an error has occurred.
Final Video
Create a 6–10 minute educational video, focusing on and explaining a topic of your choosing. The topic should ideally be based on some aspect of your MIT academic expertise, but we encourage you to consider a wide range of specificity and characteristics (anything from “Newton’s law” to “how to decorate a dorm room”). Ultimately, your video will be published online and presented at a public viewing. Your hairy arm and lie videos should be on the same topic and may be included in your final video if you so choose.
Reflections
Along with the four video projects, you will have a number of reflection assignments due throughout the semester. These reflections are designed to give you a chance to stop and think about how your projects are going, what you are learning, and what problems you’re having, along with helping you plan for future weeks.
