MM 270
Writing for Multimedia

Team Project, Choice 1: Unremembered Focus Group Analysis (25 points)

To properly market an independent film, it's important to know who your audience is. For this project, you will manage the focus group and conduct the focus group survey for the independent feature film Unremembered. You will have one or more of the following roles depending on how many students are working with you:

  1. Create a survey form to successfully understand who the target market would be.
  2. Print the survey forms (instructor will pay for this, of course!).
  3. Get those cute, tiny pencils for people to use (put it on the instructor's tab!).
  4. Distribute the forms during one or more of the film screenings in the MAH Auditorium.
  5. Encourage positive reviewers to sign and leave their e-mail addresses for permission to use their quotes.
  6. Provide crowd control during one or more of the film screenings.
  7. Collect the forms after they have been completed.
  8. Compile the results.
  9. Analyze the results.
  10. Manage the process in consultation with the instructor.

There is a written component to this exercise. Once you have the results, you'll write up your findings in a brief, one page analysis that answers the following questions:

  1. Based on an analysis of the focus group survey forms, who is the target market for Unremembered?
  2. What was your role in this process?
  3. What worked best in this process and what would you have changed if you could do it over again?

Send the finished paper by e-mail in Word document format to your instructor with the following subject:
MM 270 Team Project Choice 1 Your Name (where Your Name is your preferred name)

 

Team Project, Choice 2: Coliteration (25 points)

Coliteration is a shared writing experience. The goal for this assignment is to work as a team to complete a short screenplay based on a defined concept and written as a linear narrative script.

Each team member will write a section, then pass it along to the next team member.

You will be assigned a team at random by the instructor and trade email addresses. Prior to leaving class, be sure to decide which what type of plot/characters you prefer and the order you will follow when you pass the screenplay along (in other words, who gives it to you and who you give it to when you finish your section).

The instructor will play the role of instructor and also Executive Producer. Along with technical issues and objective grading, you will be graded on subjective criteria: does it work, is there an interest conflict, will it sell, etc.

The Setup: Your script will be about three people (three main characters) who must deal with some ethical or moral dilemma. It should be some kind of drama, but it can include action. The relationship between the individuals must be defined in the script through the dialogue. All three characters do not need to be in all scenes, however, they must all contribute something substantial to the plot. You may use other supporting characters as necessary. This doesn't necessarily have to be a complete script, and this dilemma can be one section of a longer, feature-length script. Tension is critical here and the Executive Producer (your instructor) will be the ultimate judge of whether or not the tension works.

Grading

Your grade for either choice is primarily based on

  1. your proper use of script-writing techniques (all writers)
  2. your ability to establish characters, theme, plot, setting (first writer)
  3. your ability to set up conflict (first writer and middle writers)
  4. your ability to follow and maintain a theme (middle writers)
  5. your ability to advance a plot forward (middle writers)
  6. your ability to conclude an idea and tie up all the loose ends of all conflicts (final writer)

The finished product should contain the following features:

  1. Use Times New Roman font, 12 point, left margin 1.25", right, top and bottom margin 1". You should include a header with your names and a footer with page numbers.
  2. Be no more than 30 minutes (30 to 40 pages approximately). 32 pages is ideal.
  3. Name, shade or somehow identify which section is yours.
  4. The first writer should establish the characters and begin the theme. It should be clear to the readers the nature of the relationship between the characters based on the dialogue and limited action lines. (Note: don't SAY what the relationship is in action lines, unless you say something brief like "Joe, Mary's husband...")
  5. The first writer should establish at least one conflict and delay resolving the conflict (let another writer do that).
  6. All subsequent writers should follow the theme and advance the plot forward. You can set up and knock down minor conflicts in your sections, but delay resolving the major conflict. The best idea is to enhance the major conflict or add other related conflicts.
  7. The final writer should resolve the major conflicts and end the screenplay -- a good cliff-hanger is ok, as long as it is a clear breaking point.
  8. The final writer should send the instructor an email message with the completed assignment attached in Word document format. It should include a subject like:
    MM 270 Team Project Choice 2 Jane Doe, Maria Gonzales, John Jacob, etc.

 

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