Video: An Important but Forgotten Medium

            Video: An Important but Forgotten Medium is presented by Eric Hammerstrom.  Eric offers educators the benefits of incorporating video into our writing lessons.  By showing examples of commercials, he illustrates how commercials often include all three types of writing: narrative, persuasive, and informative.  I am wondering if I showed examples of commercials if my students could identify various types of writing and see how they affect the effectiveness of the “text”, or commercial.  Hammerstrom shares that children view, on average, about four hours of television each day with an additional two hours being spent on the computer or video games.  With the significant amount of time children are behind a screen, as Hammerstrom, says…

“If you can’t beat them, join them!”

We can use commercials to show the importance of the three modes of writing, as well as to give students an opportunity to use this format of text as an engaging writing project. 

            Commercials could be a highly effective way of teaching the importance of prewriting.  Hammerstrom offers several ways to prewrite for commercials, including the Rhetorical Triangle, Two-Column Script, and the Storyboard.  Many of my students get frustrated when we begin writing projects because they do not know where to start or what to write about.  Once I walk them through some prewriting strategies, they are often much more prepared and comfortable with their piece.  This would be another powerful example of how important prewriting is, as well as to give them new prewriting strategies they can use. 

            The Rhetorical Triangle helps make students aware that the text (in this case, commercial) is dependent on audience and context. 

            The Two-Column Script helps the student link audio and visual ideas for their commercial. 

Example Script: Mean Joe Greene Coke Commercial

Shooting Location:  Football Field Tunnel

Director(s):  Ron Winderman

Actor(s); Joe Greene, Kid, Background fans

Editor(s):  Sally Theis

Video

Audio

Camera up on grim Greene, limping slowly down tunnel from field toward locker room; words "Mean Joe Greene" superimposed on picture. Because he is alone, game must still be going on with Greene out of it, due to injury. Cut to kid (white, about age nine) standing in tunnel, bottle of Coke in hand. Cut to Greene, scowling. Cut to kid. Cut to Greene. Cut to kid. Cut to Greene, grimacing. Cut to kid, offering bottle. Cut to Greene, sighing, He takes it, drinks, greedily. Cut to kid, who hesitates, waiting for autograph or sign of recognition from his hero. Finally kid turns to leave, reluctantly. Cut to Greene, suddenly animated and smiling. Greene grabs his game jersey and tosses it. Cut to kid, beaming, catching shirt. Supers fill screen: "Have a Coke and a Smile" (centered) "Coke Adds Life" (in right corner)

Kid [sound on film (SOF)]: Mr. Greene! Mr.Greene! Greene [SOF]:  Yeah? Kid [SOF]: You need some help? Greene [SOF]: Uh-uh. Kid [SOF]: I just want you to know: I think--you're the greatest. Greene [SOF]: Yeah, sure. Kid [SOF]: Want my Coke? It's Okay. You can have it. Greene [SOF]: Okay. Thanks. As music swells under dialogue, lyric is heard: A Coke and a smile/makes me feel good/makes me feel nice Kid [SOF]: See ya, Joe. Greene [SOF]: Hey kid! Greene [SOF]: Catch Kid [SOF]: Wow! Thanks, Mean Joe! Music Swells.

  
             The Storyboard is the last step before students will begin filming.  Here they will sketch their ideas for each frame of the commercial in chronological order. 

                                       Free Storyboard Template

            Another important idea when studying commercials is the short amount of time in which the audience must be “hooked”.  Hammerstrom shares that the first 2 seconds of a commercial should gain audience attention.   The next 8 seconds should keep audience attention.  The last 20 seconds of a commercial are used to deliver the message.  My students are struggling with writing effective hooks, and I believe this would be a way to show in a concrete manner how crucial grabbing audience attention is. 

            The idea of using commercials and PSAs in the classroom can be used in all grade levels.  Hammerstrom’s example of a former student PSA is both powerful and effective.  I do think this idea could be modified to be used in any grade level, however, I am guessing that available technology could present an obstacle in some classrooms.
 
              Here is the link to access the Google document referenced in the conference session:  https://goo.gl/Mo5Oq6