COMM 3351-01 T,R 2:00-3:15
Radio Program Production HU 132
Instructor: Dr. Glenn Novak
HU
139
770-836-6518
gnovak@westga.edu
Office Hours: MWF 8:00-9:00 am; 10:00
am-noon
T,R 3:30-5:00 pm
Text: None
Supplies Needed:
One
audio cassette (60 minute total time)
One
open-reel audio tape, splice-free, 1800 feet, polyester
Four
single-edged razor blades
One
spool of audio splicing tape, 7/32 inch
Marking
pen, grease pencil, or china marker
Course Description: Instruction in the operation of radio technology and
introduction to the
production of
radio programs. Opportunity for
practical experience with
university radio
station.
Course Prerequisite: COMM 1154
Course Learning Outcomes
(Goals) and Relationships to Degree Learning Outcomes: Students successfully completing this course will be capable of:
1.
Operating a multi-channel radio mixing board
(This learning outcome supports degree program learning outcome #4:
Students will develop proficient use of technology to produce visual and audio
messages for mass media within varying aesthetic, stylistic, technical,
ethical, and legal considerations).
2. Editing open-reel audiotape (This learning outcome supports degree program
learning outcome #4: Students will develop proficient use of technology to
produce visual and audio messages for mass media within varying aesthetic,
stylistic, technical, ethical, and legal considerations).
3.
Properly operating microphones, tape decks, CD players, cart machine, MD (This
learning outcome supports degree program learning outcome #4: Students will
develop proficient use of technology to produce visual and audio messages for
mass media within varying aesthetic, stylistic, technical, ethical, and legal
considerations).
4.
Writing and producing radio commercials and PSA’s (This learning outcome supports degree program learning
outcome #3: Students will develop the
ability to write mass media messages with accuracy, clarity, and brevity on
deadline and within varying stylistic, ethical, and legal considerations, and
also degree program learning outcome #4: Students will develop proficient use
of technology to produce visual and audio messages for mass media within
varying aesthetic, stylistic, technical, ethical, and legal considerations).
5.
Writing and producing a personal radio “think-piece” (This learning outcome
supports degree program learning outcome #3:
Students will develop the ability to write mass media messages with
accuracy, clarity, and brevity on deadline and within varying stylistic,
ethical, and legal considerations, and also degree program learning outcome #4:
Students will develop proficient use of technology to produce visual and audio
messages for mass media within varying aesthetic, stylistic, technical,
ethical, and legal considerations).
6.
Writing and producing a short, original radio documentary (This learning
outcome supports degree program learning outcome #3: Students will develop the ability to write mass media messages
with accuracy, clarity, and brevity on deadline and within varying stylistic,
ethical, and legal considerations, and also degree program learning outcome #4:
Students will develop proficient use of technology to produce visual and audio
messages for mass media within varying aesthetic, stylistic, technical,
ethical, and legal considerations).
Course Content: This course will focus upon two primary areas, writing for radio and
producing
for radio. Sometimes a station
manager or program manager will
simply hand you something already
written, and you will have to produce it.
More often than not, however,
especially at smaller stations, you will be
expected to both write and produce the
material.
.
Grading:
Test
#1: Equipment 30 points
Test
#2: Programs 30 points
Project
#1: Donut commercial 15
points
Project
#2: PSA 10 points
Project
#3 Dialogue commercial 15
points
Project
#4: Think piece 20
points
Project
#5: Documentary 30
points
Total points available 150 points
Note: The total number of points
you will receive on the projects will depend on both the quality
of the written script and the
quality of the tape produced.
Due Dates: All projects will be
assigned specific due dates.
Final Course Grades:
Final grades in the course will be
distributed in accordance with a standard scale as
follows:
A 135-150
B 120-134
C 105-119
D 90-104
F 89 and below
A
grade of incomplete will not be given without proper supporting
documentation. A zero will be recorded
for missed tests, projects, and other work.
You must get an A or B in this course to be eligible to take Advanced
Radio Production under COMM 4481, Independent Study.
Plagiarism: Work that is determined to be not your own will receive a zero
and you may be failed automatically in the course at the discretion of the
instructor.
Budget
your time so that you will be able to complete all projects by their due
dates. Do not wait until the last
minute. The lab will be every heavily
booked during the last several weeks.
There
will be no pop quizzes. Tests will be
scheduled and announced in class at least one week prior to their
administration. Generally, a review
session is held on the class period prior to the test. See the instructor during regular office
hours for additional help with the test material and the assignments.
Report
any equipment malfunctions, real or imagined, to Dr. Novak or to Teresa Yates
in HU 139 as soon as possible.
There
is no smoking, drinking, or eating in HU 132 at any time. Be sure that the door is locked when you
leave the room after your lab session.
Clean up any mess from splicing or other production. Do not leave any of your own tapes, records,
books, or other belongings in HU 132
when
you are not in the room personally.
To
get HU 132 unlocked for your use, see Teresa Yates or her assistant in HU
139. Give your name as it will be
cross-checked against a master list. Dr.
Novak will also be able to let you into
HU
132. See him in HU 139.
Check
out tapes for various lab exercises from Teresa Yates in HU 139. You must leave your ID card to get
materials. You should schedule use of
the lab by signing on the schedule sheet on the door to HU 132. Abide by the time restrictions, which may
vary from week to week. You forfeit
your time if you are ten minutes or more late and there is someone waiting to
use the room. Call Teresa Yates at
836-6518 if you must cancel your reserved time slot.
During
the first weeks of class we may split the class into two crews to learn the
equipment on a more individualized basis.
On those dates, half the class will come in at a time to work with the
instructor. You will be notified ahead
of time when this procedure is going to be in effect. Show up for labs! This is
your only time to learn the audio board and associated equipment under the
direct supervision of your instructor.
The
deadline to drop this class is August 21, 2002. The last day to withdraw with automatic “W” is October 10,
2002. Failure to drop or withdraw by
these dates constitutes an explicit and unconditional acceptance of all terms
on this syllabus. No make-up tests are
given. No extra credit available.
Group A Group
B
crew chief: crew chief:
Weekly Outline (subject to modification as necessary)
Aug
20 Introduction
to course, supplies needed
Aug
22 Discussion
of assignments with samples
Aug
27 Introduction
to radio lab equipment, part 1
Aug
29 Introduction
to radio lab equipment, part 2
Sept
3 Group
A editing
Sept
5 Group
B editing
Sept
10 Audio boards, turntables,
microphones
Sept
12 CD, MD, cassette, open reel,
carts, assign Proj. #1
Sept
17 Group B board exercise
Sept
19 Group A board exercise
Sept
24 Practice radio donuts, group
A
Sept
26 Practice radio donuts, group
B
Oct
1 Review
for Test #1
Oct
3 TEST
#1: EQUIPMENT
Oct
8 Return
Test #1. Types of radio programs
Oct
10 Last
day for “W”; radio programs
Oct
15 Types
of commercials
Oct
17 PROJECT
#1 DUE: DONUT COMMERCIAL; assign Proj. #2
Oct
22 Return
tapes, sample PSA’s
Oct
24 Radio
dialogue commercials: Dick and Bert spots
Oct
29 Group B practice with former student spots, assign Proj.
#3
Oct
31 Group
A practice; PROJECT #2 DUE: PSA, assign Proj. #3
Nov
7 Sample
think pieces. Planning the Radio
Documentary
Nov
12 Writing and Producing the Radio Documentary, student
samples
Nov
14 PROJECT #3 DUE: DIALOGUE
COMMERCIAL. “Michael Farmer”
Nov
19 Return tapes. “Father Cares”
Nov
21 Conclude and discuss “Father Cares.”
Nov
26 PROJECT #4 DUE. Play samples. Course evals. Review for
Test #2.
Nov
28 Thanksgiving break, no
class. Work on final project.
Dec
3 Last
day of class. TEST #2. Return graded tapes.
Dec
5 No
class. PROJ #5 DUE (cued after #4) BY 5:00 PM, HU 139 DON’T BE LATE