The classroom setting is such that not all needs can be met within it.  I encourage you, therefore, to visit my office often.  It is my pleasure to discuss grades, attendance, notes, lectures, or anything else which will make you a better student.   Your grades can only benefit from regular communication with your professors.  I will gladly work with you to arrange meeting times convenient to us both. Feel free to contact me:

by phone or voicemail at 616.498.4336 (49.VIDEO) [good].

by e-mail at brian.fuller@calvin.edu [good].

in person at room 025D of the DeVos Communication Center [better]. My office hours are listed here

An introduction to the theory and practice of studio-based video production.  Various program formats are discussed and evaluated in light of particular communication principles and needs.  Students gain experience with stationary video cameras, recorders, switchers and related technologies.  Performance for the camera, studio lighting, audio recording and mixing principles are analyzed and demonstrated.   Prerequisite:  CAS 190 or permission of the instructor.

The idealolgical influence of electronic media makes them indispensible and powerful tools of cultural transformation.   It is thus incumbent on at least a few Christians to acquire the collaborative skills of project management, lighting, audio, camera operation, and editing.

Technical expertise -- framed holistically in a liberal arts context -- prepares people to craft images for a meaningful presence on movie screens, airwaves, cable systems, and the internet.  As its title implies, this class offers the first step toward better multi-camera, studio-based media for personal, professional, educational, and liturgical venues.

Through the project-based work of this course, the student will:

support creative collaboration with studio safety (6, 9), protocols (3), and etiquette (2, 9).

demonstrate creative control of studio lighting instruments (3).

demonstrate a knowledge of camera operation, movement, and composition (3).

employ the rudiments of audio recording as it supports live studio production (2).

demonstrate video editing mechanics and grammar, both "on-the-fly" and in postproduction (2, 3, 4, 5).

direct and respond to the direction of others in a framework of servant leadership (9,11).

demonstrate skills of media project planning and management (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11).

If you write a good essay or fail a math exam, you do so as an individual.  But the success of a video production demands a New Testament esprit de corps that begins with attendance.  You jeopardize any group project for which you show up late (or not at all).  Reflecting the emphasis Calvin's Media Production professors place on collaboration, strict attendance is required.  Students will be penalized for late arrivals and early departures.

Section A of this class will usually meet Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.  Class meetings will generally convene in Room 065 of the DeVos Communication Center.  Classes will not be held on holidays officially recognized by the college. All other days of the term are fair game for lectures, quizzes and assignments. Those students who plan to leave early for or return late from holiday breaks may not reschedule exams or other work.

The professor reserves the right to answer any cell phone call received by a student during class time.

As a matter of safety, bare feet and open-toed shoes (sandals, flip-flops) are not allowed on the studio floor.  As a matter of practical modesty, the wearing of skirts and dresses is discouraged (since you never know when you might be on a ladder twenty feet above the set).  Class members will dress professionally (ties, pressed shirts, dark socks, polished shoes) on shooting days.

Exceptions to the policy require a note of permission from a faculty member, submitted electronically to Campus Safety at least 24 hours in advance.  To address concerns of personal safety and security, it is suggested that a minimum of two students remain in the building together.

Students enrolled in CAS 250  are granted card access to the Video Editing Labs (DeVos 055).  Access to the Video Studio (DeVos 040) and Video Control Room (DeVos 065) is available by appointment with chief engineer Jake Bosmeijer or the Media Production Lab Aides.

Governed by the following priorities, equipment and facilities are available to those students currently enrolled in Media Production classes:

1) Priority shall be given to equipment loans which support class project assignments and faculty scholarship initiatives.

2) Production equipment will support in-class instruction as well as out-of-class project work. Return deadlines will be carefully monitored.

3) Certain equipment is designated for use by each class. Thus, cameras and lighting equipment set aside for advanced instruction may not be available to students in introductory-level courses (and vice versa). Not even Production Lab Aides should assume free access to all equipment.

4) Understanding that Media Production majors may not be enrolled in production classes each semester, those declared majors are nevertheless encouraged to engage in project work for their continued improvement (video festivals, competitions, a senior capstone piece, even personal projects). Requests for equipment to support such projects must be made in advance via e-mail to the Chief Engineer (jb25@calvin.edu). As a rule, equipment and facilities tend to be more available early in the semester.

5) Communiqués must include:

a. a project summary
b. a detailed equipment wish list
c. crew list
d. desired loan dates

As in the regular semester, instruction, scholarship, and maintenance, regulates equipment use over breaks, vacations, reading recesses, interims, and summer. Exceptions follow the same guidelines enumerated above.