Shamokin Fire History Museum: One Man, One Museum, One Community
“This course explores the nature of ethnographic research and does so with an emphasis on visual and contextual elements shape a sociological or anthropological understanding of a setting.”
-Professor Carl Milofsky
Project Description: Students working as a class produced an ethnography film about Shamokin, the Fire History Museum, and the man who created it.
Course: SOCI 206.01: Video Ethnography
Instructor: Professor of Sociology
Project: 13 minute documentary short
Students: 11
Semester: Spring 2015
Duration of Assignment: Entire Semester, 15 weeks
Technology: Canon Vixia HF G20 or G30, Lightpanels Duo Lit, Audio-Technica Lav Mics
Class Blog: http://videoethnography.blogs.bucknell.edu/
Learning Goals:
- understand how to find settings that can be studied meaningfully using ethnographic techniques
- understand what we mean by ethnographic research and how different aspects of social situations can be understood ethnographically.
- learn and develop basic skills in handling video equipment, learn how to shoot film in a way that produces effective video sequences, and learn to do elementary video editing.
- produce a substantial video project.
Skills Learned:
- critical thinking
- digital literacy
- time management
- group collaboration
- interviewing
- editing
- multimodal storytelling
SOCI206.01:Video Ethnography Scaffolded Semester Calendar
Thurs, Jan 15th-Intro to Ethnography Film
Tues, Jan 20th-Discuss project ideas, Auction Assignment #1 (Field Notes)
Thurs, Jan 22nd-Watch film Baraka and hand out questionaire
Tues, Jan 27th-Finalize project idea, review Baraka questionnaire, equipment training
Tues, Feb 3rd-Discuss Auction experience, review field notes
Thur, Feb 5th-treatment, production schedule, shot list
Tues, Feb 10th-visit Middlesburg Livestock Auction(take photos with smartdevice)
Sun, Feb 15th-Meet Shamokin Fire Rescue Company
Tues, Feb 17th-Interviewing, assign Interview Exercise
Thurs, Feb 19th-Review Bucknell Baraka Films, discuss Auction Assignment #2(place 4-5 photos on class blog)
Tues, Feb 24th-Interview Exercise due
Thurs, Feb 26th-Interviewing at the auction
Tues, March 3rd-Individual treatments due
Thurs, March 5th-Review Auction Interviews
Tues, March 19th-Finalize treatment, shooting schedule, production schedule, filming begins
Thurs, April 2nd-Production
Tues, April 9th-FCP X Editing, production and editing continues
Tues, April 21st-watch film in class, discuss revisions
Thurs, April 24th-Student presentations, final film, and poster session