the assignment

Create a 15-image photo documentary exhibit that tells a story about an issue/topic that touches on some aspect of the human condition and has cultural significance, import, and interest to a broad audience.

The goal of this documentary is to inform a general audience about the issue/situation. Your documentary should provide the audience new insights about the issue/situation, illuminate the issue/topic in an unusual way, examine the issue topic from a different perspective.

You must use only photographs that you take yourself. For your documentary, you must write an introduction to the entire exhibit (250 wds. limit) and a curatorial statement for every photograph (less than 150 wds. each).

You must bring in a complete draft of your curatorial comments for a personal conference with the teacher at least one week before your photographic essay is due.

In the curatorial comments, you must include statistics/facts/information about your topic/issue that you found through your own research (see "25 Unexpected/Surprising Facts" assignment). Your research should be up-to-date and from expert/authoritative sources,. Follow the style sheet of your choice (MLA or AP ), but be sure to treat quotes, paraphrases, and summaries appropriately with in-text citations. All references should be included in a Works Cited/Bibliography.

Your photographic documentary should be on the same topic as your other documentaries. In fact, this is a good idea and will help you create a project that is richly textured and shows insight that goes beyond a cursory examination.

You can use either of the following two choices for focusing your photographic documentary:

• CHOICE #1: Confront the existing public understanding of the issue/topic you have chosen—illuminating it in a different/unusual/un way. What are the public's beliefs about the issue/topic ? Their understanding of the people involved with the issue/topic ? Their perception of the beliefs associated with the issue/topic? The challenges/problems/opportunities they think the issue/topic poses?

Create a documentary that tells an unexpected story of a person or people involved in the issue/topic and that, in doing so, argues persuasively for a new point of view that runs counter to the public perception and provides a different/unusual perspective.

• CHOICE #2: Explore an issue/topic from the perspective of insiders and outsiders—illuminating it in unexpected/different ways. Identify an issue/problem/tension that characterizes/faces this event/phenomenon/trend. How does the general public/outsiders characterize/understand this event/phenomenon/trend? How do insiders characterize/understand the event/phenomenon/trend?

Create a documentary that tells an unexpected story of this event/phenomenon/trend and, in doing so, illuminates the issue/topic in a different/unusual way.

the goals

There are two primary goals for this assignment.

The first goal is to provide you practice in documenting a persuasive and compelling story that extends/expands the public's understanding of an issue/topic that has larger cultural significance or import. Your photographic documentary should extend/expand the general public's understanding of this issue/topic in an unexpected/unusual way or from a different/illuminating perspective.

The second goal is to provide you practice in using digital resources to make a persuasive documentary argument.

how to get started

Identify an issue/topic that you care about and that has some larger cultural import and significance. Establish some initial contacts and make sure you have considerable access to people involved in the issue/topic or materials associated with the issue/topic. For the photographic documentary, you will need to conduct a minimum of 2 one-hour photographic sessions.

Check out a digital still camera for at least two separate, one-hour photographic sessions. In the first session, take a broad range of photographs. In the second, take specific photographs to fill in the gaps of the images you will need for your documentary, add texture and contribute further detail to your story.

If you are photographing a person or people, make sure they are willing to participate, and be sure to have them sign an "informed-consent/release" form (Course CD) before you record anything.

Provide this person the following information:

• that you are a student at OSU,

• that the photographic project is for a class at OSU,

• that this project will involve at least one photographic session and tell them how long the session will last.

• that you will make an appointment to take pictures at the subject's convenience.

• how to contact both you and me,

• that the photographic project will be viewed by other students and teachers,

• that your photographic project may be published/shown in a public venue when it is finished,

Keep all signed forms and hand them in when you hand in your final project. Do not photograph anyone who has not signed such a form.

Please be sensitive about people's privacy and do not intrude on them for a photographic session if they are reluctant about any aspect of this project. See me if you encounter any situations on which you need advice in this regard.

If you are taking photographs in a public place you must contact the person/authority responsible for that location and receive their permission to do so ("Recording in Public Places" on the Course CD). You must also post visible notices about the photographic session so that anyone who enters the public place is notified of what is going on.

 

how to get an A

Look at the photographic documentaries that you have encountered in the class.

Tell an unusual story about a person, a place, or an event associated with your issue/topic— the story must be placed within a larger social context to make it compelling to a broader audience. It has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Make viewers care.

Crop and frame images for maximum impact

Identify an unusual/surprising angle on your issue/topic.

Bring in a complete draft of your curatorial comments for a personal conference with the teacher at least one week before the final project is due.

Use information from your 25 Surprising/Unexpected Facts assignment.

Hand in CD, signed consent/permission forms, grading sheet, etc. in a neat folder with your name on it.

the grading

You will be given formal feedback during studio sessions.

I will use the Photographic Documentary Grading Sheet and criteria. please study them.

To hand in your final photographic essay:

Put images and curatorial comments on a CD. Put CD in s secure case or sleeve.

Put CD and signed consent/permission forms in neat folder with your name on it.

Please be sure to include a printed grading sheet.