Case presentation for Film studies

Bethany College should develop in the Communication Studies program a web film and video production emphasis.

Observation 1 – No other Kansas college has a film and video production program     

Sterling has minor video production, primarily radio production

Kansas has a large film production unit – which offers very limited opportunity for the undergraduate.

No school has a production emphasis devoted to production for the internet.

Observation 2 – Most frequent request of prospective students is for media related work.

Observation 3 – While news press is declining in circulation, new media, often with high production values, is starting to predominate.

Contention 1 Serving new students requires new courses and new outlooks. The newest outlooks are web based mediated communications.

Contention 2 Current configuration of course work, orientation to Rhetorical studies and performance of oral persuasion looks backward, rather than forward – serves old students rather than new.

Therefore – to serve new students with new technology BC should invest the resources to move communication studies to film and video production for the web.

 

Plan – We do the following: Three parts needed: Space, Equipment, Instructor.

              Space – basement of Nelson Science, room converted for edit suite

              Equipment – three Canon XL1, tripods, dollies, one crane, one handy cam, two shotgun boom mics, one lavi, three MAC G-5 towers, three second monitors for G5 (each have dual monitors), reference video monitors, desks, one printer.

              Instructor – Isaacson knows how, for moment let him teach it. Ultimately hire a specialist.

 

Agency – Team approach, led by Communication department. Purchase with grants (observation 4, camera we have purchased with grant money).

 

Mandates -  Comm dept presses all other team members. Pres authorizes, Advancement – write grant, Maintenance, create space in space. Dean Oks Isaacson as instructor, CC approves the curriculum change.

 

Enforcement – Communication & Theatre carries out the implementation, oversees the pieces, pushes to get the job done for students.

 

Funding and Staffing – purchase funded through grants, staffing by existing staff for next 5 years. Aim to become additional staff member in 5. Technician who can serve both the needs of video development, animation, theatre production management.

 

Addenda – Assessment plan issue must be addressed by current faculty. Must name where it fits in the current mission of the department, how it will be assessed with current plan (or revise)

 

Contention 3 – Expect that if we go ahead with the plan we will see an increase in numbers in Theatre/Communication. Here, combined majors 16. Sterling, with something like proposal, Comm Majors alone 21, additional 15 theatre. Reasonable growth expectation.