10 WAYS FOR SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE CLIENT-CENTERED SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS

Dr. David Reiss, Associate ProfessorElectronic Media & Film

Towson University, MD - USA

Dan Aykroyd in Ghost Busters: "I've worked in the private sector - they expect results!"

EMF 437: Corporate & Community Video

• Student teams work on one client-based video project.• Over 55 successful videos produced in 9 years.• Customized workflow to ensure success.

Bottom Line

• If the student-produced videos are poorly done…

• You’ve let everyone down:

•Your students•Your client•Yourself

RESULTS MATTER

• The final product should be the result of:– a carefully prepared and guided experience.– a course design that demands success.– even if that design may be: • outside of the normal 15-week academic model• NOT typical relationship involved with client-based project.

10 Steps for a Successful Creative

Service-Learning Project

# 1 – STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

• Your students and you will have to put in overtime. Warn them and be warned yourself.

• A polished professional video takes:– hours to plan, multiple days to shoot and edit. – prepare for each project to take longer than a

standard semester’s 15-weeks. • Plan to spend a lot of your time:– guiding and monitoring your students.– reviewing the progress.– putting your time in at the end of the process.

# 2 – DEFINE the FINAL PRODUCT

• Begin with a clear vision and create a workflow that allows for success.

• Follow that guide every step along the way. • Missing a clearly defined goal – students will make a mess of things– the client will be unhappy– you will have failed.

CLIENTS

# 3 – DETERMINE CLIENT INPUT

• Don’t let the client micromanage process while it is underway.

• The goal is NOT to deliver the client’s every hope and dream.

• The goal IS to deliver a first-rate, professional result within the constraints of course.

• Yes - this is real world – but not necessarily REALITY for the client.

• You will need the manage the client’s expectations, even back off from parts of the normal client process.

• Manage EVERYONE’s expectations within the constraints of the limitations of the course – imposed by the instructor.

• Almost always, the client will still find themselves happy with the results despite attempts to manage at every stage.

# 4 – SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

• Determine what can be Realistically Produced.

• Then Define the entire Scope and Scale of the project.

• Then set client’s Expectations accordingly.

# 5 – FINDING SUITABLE CLIENTS

• Place ads in:– the local city paper– state non-profit organization's newsletters

• Use word of mouth.

• In the Baltimore, Maryland market this course gets over 100 requests per year.

• Most don’t make the cut because they don't fit into class objectives.

# 6 - MANAGING CLIENTS

• Clear communication is important – IN WRITING.• A Senior point of contact is required:– If a project has been delegated to a junior staff

member, call the client directly and intervene. – Even good client needs management so that

expectations don’t creep up – which they tend to do. – This means instructor being IN THE LOOP: • If the clients start drifting you’ll need to know about it

right away.

#7 - FIRING CLIENTS

• Be ready to fire the client if they do not uphold their end of the bargain.

• Be sure to do so within the first weeks of the course if possible.

• “Fire-able” offenses:

– Not responding to the need for interviews by a certain date. – Changing a project to cover an event to fulfill an Audio-

Visual need. – Deciding that the project is not what they want. – Handing off a project to junior staff.

# 8 – MAKE THE FINAL CUT

• Once the team has edited their best final version -• Instructor does the finishing work.

– Allow at least 8 hours/project– minor corrections and fixes– final titles– color correction– audio mixing before mastering – Delivering to client.

• Extra hours pile up and will go past the end of the 15-week semester.

• Constrain the number of projects you take on.

# 9 - PROMOTE VALUE

• 100 combined student-hours plus + 8 hours of Instructor time = real value.

• Student video projects are valued at about $8,000. • No Charge is different than a “free video”.

• Instead $8,000 video services donated to the organization.

• Minimizes “non-use” of student produced video.

# 10 CONTRACT

\ • Define what the client gets – in this case final video and

copyright.

• Define what client gives – in this case student access, coordination of people, locations etc.

• Define what students get:– Keep the footage for their own demo reels.– Have use of the finished video for their portfolios.– A reference letter from client at the end.

EMF 437: Corporate & Community VideoTowson University

w w w. d av i d re i s s . co m