Your assignment: Write and produce a 30 Second Commercial for Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce.

Your objective in this course element is to research and write the spot. Then you must schedule time at a professional recording studio (KGRR, Radio Dubuque) and produce that spot with music, sound effects and voices from you and/or your classmates.

Before Monday October 25 : Research and Write your Spot for review in Wednesday's class. Each student is writing one spot. You can collaborate with each other, but each student is responsible for turning in one spot (hard copy) turned in at the start of class on Wednesday to the teacher, John Rhodes.

You can provide voice talent for your own spot or you can hire others to do it either trading your services for each other's commercial performance, or use Daisy Dollars to compensate someone for performing on your commercial.

Awards will be presented to the top spots in the class: Originality, creativity, and quality of production are all considered in evaluating each of your entries.

Johnny Rhodes and Gary Olsen will be looking for the top three commercials in class for awards of $1,000 for first, $500 for second, and $300 for third place.

Monday October 25th: Begin reading spots in class and listen to critiques by a professional in broadcasting, John Rhodes. The teacher will provide solid input on each of the creative enterprises. Also, he will schedule time for you to come down to the radio station at 8th and Bluff Streets over the next five days to record your commercials in their professional broadcast studios.

Monday through Friday: Schedule time with John to go to the station (Radio Dubuque) to record your spot in their studio. You'll have access to music libraries, sound effects, etc. Don't be surprised if he recruits you to appear in one of his own commercials.

Wednesday: October 27th: Begin listening to spots in class and helping those who have yet to complete the assignment: John will provide expert feedback on your material and delivery. He will also demonstrate all of the resources and tricks of his trade to make effective, award winning commercials for radio.

It's a good idea for you to partner up with other students on the schedule especially if you plan on using multiple voices in your spot. Then you can schedule your talent and your time with John and get both of your spots finished.

Friday: October 29th Final Review of all Spots to be played in class. Final Critiques and Learning Moments provided by John. Each student will get their own spot on CD to add to their portfolio.

Commercial Research: The company was formed among three friends. According to the company, in 1985, Chef Larry Raymond perfected the family's recipe and entered it in the country's largest rib cookoff.  "The sauce is so fine," says the label, "the taste beat out nearly 700 entries." Within a year, Chef Larry, Sweet Baby Ray and Mike O'Brien, formed a company around this award-winning sauce. Their slogan, which is printed on the neck of the bottle, is "The Sauce is Boss."

Sweet Baby Ray has a Web site. They have several different brands within the Sweet Baby Ray Sauce Category. You must use Google to find the information.

You have to allow for the tag: "Available at Hy-Vee Stores."