Creating Rhetorical Criticism With Video

In order to analyze pop culture, it can be very helpful to gain experience composing it. As a way to help you become more critical analysts of popular culture in online video, this project asks you to compose a short video (at least 30 seconds) for the YouTube community and/or for another community of online video users/creators.

Your goal is to research a popular genre of YouTube video and then make a new video that utilizes that genre to launch rhetorical critique. Your video will make an argument by enacting a critical stance.

Some genres you might consider:

• Video Remix (re-edit clips to satirize a figure or comment on an issue)
• Commentary Vlog (share your thoughts on popular text(s), perhaps including clips from original media)
• Video Response (Make a video that responds to another YouTube video)
• Public domain remix (Make a new movie using public domain footage from the Prelinger archive or internet archive)
• Re-cut television show / movie trailer (edit movie tv clips to tell a different story than intended)
• Music Video (make a music video using found footage or original footage)
• Cultural Commentary Remix (compile a series of related clips to highlight a cultural phenomenon)
• Let’s Play (record yourself playing an online game or other online text and add analysis as an audio layer)
• Parody tutorial
• Genre of your choice (find a “genre” of YouTube video, tell me about it so we can discuss it, and then make it).

Your video will most likely pursue one or more of the following goals:

• Persuading your audience to understand the topic (or source texts if you’re doing a remix) in a new way, noticing aspects of the text(s) that are usually overlooked.
• Making the topic or source text appealing to an audience different from the one for which it was intended.
• Offering critical commentary about a trend or issue.

Most likely, your video will involve use of one or more of the following strategies:

• Cutting and juxtaposing elements of audio or video files.
• Repeating elements of audio or video files.
• Layering a musical soundtrack underneath spoken words.
• Adding still images to accompany spoken words and/or music.

The final product will likely be a video file that is somewhere between 30 seconds and 3 minutes long (depending on genre and purpose). I will encourage you to use Audacity for audio editing and we will discuss multiple options for video editing. iMovie and Windows Moviemaker are often the most accessible and have served students well in the past.

Samples to Discuss in Class: Due before class 11/2 (and 11/4)

Find an online video that you think makes an argument and enacts a critical stance. Post a link to the Canvas discussion board and be ready to talk about it in class when we look at samples on 11/2 and 11/4. You can post more than one if you like. They should be shorter than 3 mins. They must be appropriate for classroom viewing.

Proposal (5 pts): Due Tuesday, 11/30.

Write no more than one single-spaced page about your plan for your video. Indicate what video genre you’ll compose. You may include an outline, storyboard, or other way to account for your plan. Report on the work you’ve accomplished so far. Address your audience and purpose, including what argument you plan to make, utilizing what type(s) of rhetorical criticism. Submit it to the Canvas Assignment portal before class and bring one paper copy to class. Be prepared to talk about it in class. If you want guaranteed feedback from Dr. Dubisar, email your proposal to dubisar@iastate.edu by 11/9 or submit a paper copy of your proposal in class on 11/9.

Beta Draft (15 pts): Due Thursday, 12/2, or Tuesday, 12/7.

Your beta draft should be at least 30 seconds long (including multiple shots) but it is okay if it is still rough and unfinished. (You get full credit at this point just for making a good faith effort). It should show your argument and how you’re enacting criticism. On this day, you will also talk about the audience, purpose, and genre of your video, the revisions you still plan to make to your video, and the kind of feedback you would like from your peers. Post your draft video to Canvas’s Assignment portal (YouTube’s “Unlisted” setting works well for this) and also post the link to the Canvas discussion board so you can access it in class from the instructor computer.

Final Draft (75 pts): Due Thursday, 12/9. Post to both the Canvas Assignment portal and the discussion board. The final showcase will take place on 12/9 and during our final meeting time. If you’re in the 8 AM section your final meeting time is Monday, 12/13, at 7:30 AM. If you’re in the 9:30 AM section your final meeting time is Tuesday, 12/14, at 9:45 AM.

Your final draft video should be between 30 seconds and 3 minutes long (depending on genre and purpose). The best way to submit the video is to post an “Unlisted” YouTube link to the discussion board on Canvas.

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In addition to turning in the final video, you’ll also write a reflective essay (5 pts, at least 500 words) in which you address the following questions. Your reflective essay should be submitted to the Canvas Assignments portal by NOON on 12/14, at the latest. Consider these questions:

1. Who is the audience and what is the rhetorical purpose for your video? What action will you
   take (or could you take) to reach a wider audience with this video?
2. What is the genre of your video? How does your video both build upon and extend the
   rhetorical moves of other videos of its type?
3. What kinds of ethical choices did you make about intellectual property and fair use? Is there
   a risk that your video may be removed from YouTube and if so why are you wiling to take
   that risk? (Defend your choices and cite the readings to support your point of view.)
4. How has the experience of composing this video caused you to think about or rethink
   concepts of pop culture analysis and participatory media?
5. How did you revise this video based on feedback from peers (in and out of class) or the
   instructor? If you had more time, what would you further revise?

Deadlines:

T 10/26	Assignment introduced.
T 11/30	Video project proposal due. Submit it to the Canvas Assignment portal before class and bring one paper copy to class.
R 12/2	Video project peer response. Beta draft due. Post your draft video to Canvas’s Assignment portal (YouTube’s “Unlisted” setting works well for this) and also post the link to the Canvas discussion board so you can access it in class on the instructor computer.
T 12/7	Video project peer response. Beta draft due. Post your draft video to Canvas’s Assignment portal (YouTube’s “Unlisted” setting works well for this) and also post the link to the Canvas discussion board so you can access it in class on the instructor computer.
R 12/9	Showcase of video project. Post your final video to Canvas’s Assignment portal (YouTube’s “Unlisted” setting works well for this) and also post the link to the Canvas discussion board so you can access it in class on the instructor computer.
Finals week.	Showcase of video projects that we don’t have time for on 12/9.
T 12/14 Noon	Reflective Essay Due.

Assessment Rubric: Rhetorical Critique Video
/5 Proposal
/15 Beta Draft, at least 30 seconds long
/75 Final Video

Video makes an argument by enacting a critical stance (30).

Video pursues at least one of the following goals (30):

• Persuading audience to understand the topic (or source texts if you’re doing a remix) in a new way, noticing aspects of the text(s) that are usually overlooked.
• Making the topic or source text appealing to an audience different from the one for which it was intended.
• Offering critical commentary about a figure or issue.

Video uses one or more of the following strategies (10):

• Cutting and juxtaposing elements of audio or video files.
• Repeating elements of audio or video files.
• Layering a musical soundtrack underneath spoken words.
• Adding still images to accompany spoken words and/or music.

Length is 30 seconds to 3 minutes long (5)

/5 Reflective Essay