Presented by:

Renee Brown-Christian Fernandes-Mary

French-Kai Brown

Project Introduction and Overview *

- President of HBO Documentary Films, Sheila Nevins, has proposed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), “How to Create a Documentary Film”, to create a pool of new documentary filmmakers for HBO.

- To support the development, a virtual film festival has been created to showcase the work completed by select participants.

- Any MOOC participant who successfully submits the 4 required assignments according to course deadlines, specifications, and with passing grades is eligible to enter his/her documentary into the Film Festival.

*All events mentioned in this project are fictional and were created to satisfy the requirements of the Group Assignment 3. Actual personalities at HBO and documentaries are mentioned, but have no relationship with this imaginary scenario.

Film Festival participants must pay an entry fee of

$100.00 each. The fee grants them entrance to the

festival and the right to vote on the winning

documentary of their choice.

HBO documentaries will also pool its online

participants (with live streaming of the last 3

winning documentaries, selected by the film festival

participants). The winner will be selected by the

online streaming votes, the film festival participants,

and three judges.

Overview-Specifics

The judges will include Sheila Nevins,

President of HBO Documentaries, Ken Burns,

famed documentary filmmaker, and Geof Bartz,

Chief Editor for HBO Documentaries. The

winning documentary filmmaker will be offered

the opportunity to work with HBO

documentaries for at least one year.

Overview-Specifics-cont’d

Project Description

❖ Presented as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) over 10 weeks

❖ A certificate of completion is available for purchase

❖ Learning Management System: Provided via Blackboard 5

❖ Course structure: Four assignments and a capstone project.

❖ Capstone Project: Students will use editing and sound software to produce a 20 minute documentary at the end of the course.

Justification for the Course

a. Up and coming delivery of film with a

clamoring audience

b. Development of a theatrical angle, which

can be appealing

c. Provides a platform for long-term

investigative journalism

d. Authentic and meaningful storytelling

opportunities

e. A shift from mainstream media

What is the Significance of a MOOC?Introducing Daphne Koller, Coursera Co-Founder

Stanford University Professor Daphne Koller, 3rd Generation Ph.D, Co-founder of Coursera, a deliverer of Massive Open Online Courses, emphasizes the critical need to deliver online content to unlimited participants in locations with limited access.

Cultural/Societal Impact of Documentaries

a. Presents opportunities for co-learning and education - McCleary (2014) notes students who were exposed to documentaries about older adults were not only better informed, but also had a change in attitude towards them.

b. Social activism - Stover (2013) found that social activism was encouraged by documentaries

c. Provides a platform for minority stories - Chiu (2013) and Stover (2013) state that documentaries allow for the inclusion and stories of minorities, otherwise overlooked.

Popularity of HBO

- HBO is a popular network that produces high end television content.

- Due to its popularity, a MOOC endorsed and supported by HBO is likely to be widely attended and provide a wide variety of films and content for the network.

Course Structure

- Complete guide to developing and presenting a documentary

- Sections (Modules) to include: a) Script and Storyboarding, b) Interview, c) Voiceover techniques, d) Video and audio editing, e) Presenting and marketing

- At least one tangible is required to be posted for peer and faculty review

- Posting to discussion forums and consistent peer review, as well as faculty feedback is encouraged as students develop their projects

Course Structure - The Vision...

Course Structure-cont’d

Phase/Section I - Idea and Script- Concept development, How to write and

storyboard a script- Requires complete storyboarded script

outlining the documentary

Phase/Section II - Filming Technique- Rule of Thirds (editing and composition

techniques), Interviewing, Voiceovers

Course Structure-cont’d

Phase/Section III - Editing Techniques- Cover transitions, adding music, sound effects,

and repair problematic audio

Phase/Section IV - Marketing and Presenting a Documentary- Festivals, cost for funding, and alternative

funding methods (Kickstarters & grants)- Final product will be presented and votes tallied

Virtual Film Festival

- Students will have the opportunity to submit their documentaries to a virtual film festival (which takes place online).

- Registration/Entry Fee is $100.00/per participant and submission

- Documentaries will be rated and ranked by peers and course instructor

- Top five will be sent to the guest speakers for another ranking

- Top three documentaries will be screened on HBO’s website

- Winner’s documentary, selected by HBO, will be presented on air

Introducing the Judges...

Introducing Ken Burns, Filmmaker

Ken Burns- Documentary

Filmmaker for 30 years.

- Produced and directed first film for PBS in 1981

- 12 Emmys won- 2 Oscar Nominations- Recipient of more

than 25 honorary degrees

(PBS 2015)

Introducing Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Film

Sheila NevinsPresident of HBO Documentary Film - 28 Primetime Emmy Awards- 32 News and Documentary Emmys - 40 George Foster Peabody Awards

During her tenure, HBO’s documentaries have won 25 Academy Awards (HBO Connect 2015).

Courtesy of: http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-sheila-nevins-hbo-documentary-films-president-2015-6

Introducing Geof Bartz

Geof BartzFilm Editor

- Awards: Primetime Emmy -Award for Outstanding Picture -Editing For Nonfiction Programming, Nominated for News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing: Documentary and Long Form, (IMDb, n.d.)

Cost Structure

Cost Structure--Fixed Costs

Fixed Cost of Development: $179,433.33

Course Overheads/Breakdown:- Includes a member of management at ⅓ of the

time -$77,200.00 - FT Design and Support Specialist (2 staff

members) -$125,000.00- FT Computer Programmer - $15,000.00- FT Faculty Member $68,500.00

Cost Structure--Fixed Costs

Fixed Cost of Development and Production: $309,433.33

Breakdown:- Blackboard 5 - $20,000.00/2000 users- Blackboard test license - $7000.00 (1 month)- Development of Assignments - $750.00- Film Festival Speakers & Judges -

$70,000.00- Advertising-$20,000.00 ($10,000.00 per

minute of video)- Web Advertising - $15,000.00

Cost Structure

Fixed Cost- Maintenance: $15,000.00- Authoring, editing, designing, copyright

clearance- $15,000.00

Variable Cost - $184.32- Costs will vary based on the number of

students in the course- Marking of assignments will cost $40.00- Cost of the Teaching Assistants $19.00/hour

per group of 25

Cost Structure- Income

HBO Investment - $1,180,000.00- Distributed over a 4-year period =

$295,000.00/per annum

Virtual Film Festival Attendance - $100.00/fee per person

Certificate - $100.00/fee per person

HBO wants to examine the total costs involved to evaluate the long-term feasibility of financing a MOOC. Examining the TC of production is an important function for structuring a new course.

HBO will also examine the average cost involved to evaluate the long-term feasibility of financing a MOOC. Examining the average cost is an important function for structuring a new course.

The MOOC will likey reach the break-even point sooner if more students sign up for the film festival or the certificate. HBO is willing to cover any losses if needed but hopes that income can be generated based on the course’s popularity.

As the MOOC progresses, HBO will be evaluating

the viewer growth on HBO documentaries compared

with the costs of the MOOC for ongoing investment

purposes.

In conclusion…

Thank you!