Description
Students will craft a mock proposal/pitch for an original documentary on a 20th century social movement to imagined programming executives at a major media company. Students will seek to not only recap what they learned, but also to present something new to these executives, an untold or under-examined aspect of the movement waiting to be revealed to a wider audience.
This Final Project builds upon the learnings exhibited in Milestone 1, 2, and 3. Students will be evaluated on their mapping of a 20th-century social movement and critical engagement with the movement in their proposal. Students will engage multiple viewpoints of those who participated in the movement and link them to their contemporary legacy in current events and present-day social action.
Instructions:
Craft an original and creative title for your documentary.
Create a description of the image that will appear on the Netflix homepage OR create a draft of the image. This may be in any medium you wish (using a computer program, sketch, collage, etc). You may use the material from Milestone 1 to assist in this work
Craft a one-paragraph synopsis of the documentary that could potentially appear on the Netflix website/show homepage. This synopsis should detail the broad arc of the movement, important figures in the documentary, successes and failures, and key tactics You may use the Milestone 1 Artist’s Statement and Milestone 3 Matrix to help inform this work
Write a proposal/pitch to an entertainment executive and their team. The pitch should include the following:
An explanation of your unique understanding of the social movement through the research, class discussions/debate, and analytical frameworks engaged with throughout the course Use Review Matrix and previous Milestones to assist
Using course materials and outside research, detail the diverse perspectives of key figures that you plan to interview in the documentary and introduce important interview questions that will help reveal the conditions, strategies, mobilizing efforts, achievements, and setbacks associated with the movement Use previous Milestones to assist
Research and include what primary source material (protest art, music, photographs, video clips, etc) that you would include in the documentary Use Milestone 1 Scrapbook to advance
Describe and evaluate the political, economic, and social legacies of the social movements. *Milestone 2 Reflection to inform*
Make sure to provide an argument about why YOUR particular documentary should be made/produced.
The pitch should be 3-4 pages (1000 word) and properly formatted. It should be written with attention to grammar, phrasing, organization, citations, and clarity.
Prepare a 5-7-minute presentation pitching the documentary to executives (the class). Students should use PowerPoint or Prezi to assist in their presentation.
As noted above, students should let their previous work inform the brainstorming and writing of this assignment.
Submit the Pitch and PowerPoint to the instructor before the final presentation.
You may create and submit a trailer for extra credit! It should be 1-2 minutes long.
