A magical mid-term exam, all in the name of safety and fun
Senior Video Communication major Jackson Di Carlo helps to set the mood during the mid-term.
Students in the Department of Communication’s Associate Professor Roslin Smith’s COMM 368 Camera and Lighting class were treated to a unique mid-term which highlighted safety in the studio.
The practical exam was labeled “’Satan's Set' aka The Set from Hell.” Senior Video Communication major Jackson Di Carlo dressed as a wizard to cast a spell on the “dreadful” set. Students had to find at least 25 safety and procedure mistakes on a camera and lighting set for their midterm exam.
Nineteen students in total participated in the exam. Associate Professor Smith noted, “I came up with the concept for this since it is very tactile and uses critical thinking skills. I also presented ‘Satan's Set aka The Set from Hell,’ at the University Film and Video Association annual conference this summer [remote conference]. I have since shared it with several faculty across America. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete and I encourage collaboration during it, as the exam is not a 'high risk' grade but is mainly to show me that they [students] know how to be safe on set.”
Smith noted that all the students found the main mistakes and more, demonstrating to her that they knew the correct measures to take in the studio. She added, “It also demonstrated that they would be SAFE on a set, since many of the mistakes represented major hazards, e.g lights not gaffer-ed or barn doors not secure.”
