Congratulations on making it this far! You are about to embark on a process which will require more time and effort than any other class or project with which you have involved yourself in the past. Capstone is no joke and I have a couple of pointers which I hope will help in the year to come.
First, pick a subject which you are interested in. You will become an expert on the subject and if you are passionate about it, it will make the project that much easier. To make the best capstone, you must completely immerse yourself into the subject matter.
Second, DO. NOT. PROCRASTINATE. A capstone documentary cannot be done last minute if you want to shine at the showcase in December. Just think of how much time and effort you have put into your previous classes in BC. Make sure you contact the people you want to feature in your documentary ASAP. They are all busy and you don't want to have to cut a reliable source just because you did not make time to send one email. You have one final project next year, so why not give it your all and make something that will truly WOW the department, the audience, and perhaps most importantly, yourself.
Third, ask for help. I needed to travel to Raleigh, NC twice on a starving-student income. So, I went down to the Drinko Center this past summer. I probably spent a total of a half an hour with them and was awarded a $450.00 travel grant on the spot. The Drinko Center is wonderful in helping students accomplish their goals, so take a trip down and embrace their help. In help for the documentary production, Mr. Weaver, Andy, and your classmates are your best friends. Sometimes it is easy to make simple audio mistakes or perhaps let a jump cut go simply because you have watched your footage so much. Ask another person to watch your documentary to fix these little mistakes. The week before Capstone presentations, the wonderful Jarred Treshok spent countless hours helping me go clip by clip fixing details in my documentary.
Last but certainly not least, do not take this last year for granted. While this is going to truly test every thing you have learned in broadcasting, it is the most rewarding class I have ever had. If you put in the right amount of time, you will surprise yourself with what you can accomplish. Yes, there will be tears and plenty of all nighters, but this is when your class goes from friends to family and Mr. Weaver goes from professor to father-figure. I would not trade a day of capstone. I learned so much, not only about my subject, but about myself. So, go out there, find your subject matter, and work to the best of your ability! I am extremely proud of each of you and I wish success in absolutely everything you want to do from here on out.
Love,
Courtney
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