This email precedes the Monday announcement of Week 3′s assignments a bit because it’s will prove such an intensive week. You all will need to get a head start to get your groups working together and to devise a topic for your half hour radio show that is due Sunday, June 9th. The information below can apply to both UMW and open online participants, but I will only be organizing groups for UMW students. Open online participants are encouraged to form their own groups, but I don’t want to assume anything given the significant time commitment involved. If you are interested, however, the Twitter hashtag #ds106 (or #ds106zone) is a great mechanism for connecting with others to form groups.

Required Watching and Listening

The original 1938 broadcast of “War of the Worlds” can be heard here in its entirety here: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

You all are required to listen to this episode of Radiolab (thanks Brian Bennett) wherein they discuss the classic scifi radio show “War of the Wolrds” cultural influences which might provide some additional inspiration.

Three Twilight Zone episodes to watch in preparation for week 3:

“The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”

“Walking Distance”

Click here to view the embedded video.

“It’s a Good Life”

Group Assignments and Preparation
Here is a recording of Thursday’s Open Online Office Hours in which we lay groundwork for Week 3. I recommend you all listen to this in its entirety.
http://bavatuesdays.com/wp-content/audio/053013-ds106zone_audio_Hangout.mp3

Radio Show Groups are as follows.

Group 1
# Rita A.
@ Mark C.
* Kevin S.
x Kelli W.

Group 2
x Ashley B.
@ Amy C.
# Wesley R.
* Andrew T.

Group 3
* Charles C.
# Kristopher C.
@ Claire P.
x Kara S.

Group 4
* Katy C.
x Jessica L.
@ Sean P.
# Arlana M.

Preliminary Planning and Scheduling

First things first, you need to come up with a topic for your radio show. Keep in mind we are providing the limitation that your show has to be inspired by and based loosely upon a Twilight Zone like narrative (we talk about this in more detail in the hangout recording below).In other words, the requirement is that it needs to be a narrative of some kind, inspired by Twilight Zone, as well as it needs to include at least three commercials and three ds106 bumpers. These commercials and bumpers can count as assignments towards the ten stars due by each of you during week 3 in addition to the radio show assigned.

Here is what is required of you right away:

• The group member with the * next to their name needs to contact everyone, and create a Google Doc and share it with everyone in their group so you all can start collaboratively working on the premise and script. Also, you need to make Scottlo ([email protected]) and myself ([email protected]) as editors on the Google doc so we can keep an eye on your work and give you feedback. 

Here is a timeline and assignments you will be asked to follow:

The group member with the x next to their name is in charge of organizing Monday and Tuesday’s work and making sure you are on schedule.

• Monday or Tuesday: Have a premise, story script, and specific effect ideas framed out by.

The group member with the # next to their name is in charge of organizing Wednesday and Thursday’s work and making sure you are on schedule.

• Wednesday-Thursday: Start the recording and production .

The group member with the @ next to their name is in charge of organizing Wednesday and Thursday’s work and making sure you are on schedule.

• Friday-Saturday: Post-production

The group member with the * is responsible for making sure the radio show is posted and finished, as well as informing me if there has been issues with anyone along the way.

• Sunday: Last minute editing and cleanup

I expect that the group immediately contact me if anyone member is not pulling his or her weight. This needs to be a collaborative effort, and everyone needs to contribute regularly. If you don’t contribute regularly and publicly you will receive no credit for week 3. I expect all of you to blog and share the process of putting this radio show together. I want you to post story ideas, brainstorming, posting audio clips, production, and post-production. This is not about creating a flawless radio show, but about sharing the process of working together to create something.

Ongoing Support and Help

The Scottlo cast will be crucial all week because we will be featuring recommendations, tips, and our own work on a show that might help you ground what you are doing. What’s more, if you are having issues ask immediately, waiting this week to seek help this week will ultimately compromise the quality of your work. You need to be on top of your work all week long for this project to have the chance to succeed—this is your collective responsibility.