Overview
In this unit, you will learn the history and theory of documentary, and about current trends in industry practice. Through a series of individual exercises, you will gain skills in project development, sound and vision capture, and documentary editing using industry-standard software. You will apply these skills in the production of your own short documentary. You will be encouraged to find your authentic voice and visual style, and will be introduced to the ethical and legal considerations for documentary practice.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: MMST11009 Digital Video and Audio
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Moodle Student Evaluation
Some students suggested that the prerequisite unit should provide more instruction around camera and sound techniques
The content of the prerequisite unit MMST11009 Digital Video and Audio will be reviewed.
Feedback from Moodle Student Evaluation
Students reported that the spacing of the assessments remained challenging.
Review the load and spacing of assessments for the 2022 offering.
- Integrate a theoretical understanding of documentary practice and audiovisual skills in the creation of a completed documentary project.
- Apply documentary editing principles in the creation of a documentary using industry-standard editing software.
- Manage media files and workflow through the stages of development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution
- Reflect critically on one's own professional documentary practice within an industry-standard ethical framework.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 60% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
All of the texts for this Unit are available online and can be accessed via the eReading list on the Unit Moodle website.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Access to a digital camera (a smartphone with video capabilities is sufficient), microphone or other audio capture device
- Access to a computer with webcam, microphone and headphones/speakers for online tutorials/sessions
- Access to Adobe Premiere Pro
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.cattoni@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
1. Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
2. Documentary Elements, Structure, and Forms
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
3. Working with Audio
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
4. Working with Vision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
5. Documentary Editing Principles
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
In-class or online viewing and feedback for Technical Production Exercises
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
6. Preproduction: Pitching, Research Interviews, Ethics, and Permissions
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Informal in-class or online project pitching exercise
Module/Topic
7. Production: Safety, Scheduling, Location Filming
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
8. Postproduction 1: Creating a Rough Cut
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
9. Postproduction 2: Giving and Receiving Feedback
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
In-class or online Rough Cut viewing and feedback
Module/Topic
10. Postproduction 3: From Rough Cut to Fine Cut
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
11. Postproduction 4: Colour Grading and Sound Mixing
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
12. Postproduction 5: Credits, Export, and Distribution
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
REQUIRED RESOURCES
You must have access to the following resources for this unit.
UNIT WEBSITE
The unit website provides essential resources for the unit such as a Study Guide and an online discussion forum. It can be accessed at https://moodle.cqu.edu.au
STUDY GUIDE
The Weekly Study Guides will direct you to all of the essential readings, discussion questions, and activities for the unit. The Study Guides are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) from the unit website.
DISCUSSION FORUM
An online discussion forum will be provided through the unit website for discussing matters that relate to the unit. The discussion forum is the primary means of support for off-campus students who want assistance with tutorial activities and assignments.
DIGITAL CAMERA
You will need access to a digital camera and audio capture device for your assessments. Most mobile phones have a built-in camera and microphone that can be used for this purpose. On-campus equipment is available to students who are located in close proximity to Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, and Brisbane campuses.
ADOBE PREMIERE PRO
You will need Adobe Premiere Pro, an industry-standard video editing software to create your documentary projects. Premiere Pro is available in the on-campus digital media labs. It can also be purchased at a discounted education price as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription from the Adobe website (https://www.adobe.com/au).
MICROSOFT WORD
You will need Microsoft Word or a word processing software that can read Microsoft Word documents to complete the templates provided for your assessment.
WEB BROWSERS
You will need a recent version of Google Chrome (https://www.google.com/chrome) or Mozilla Firefox (https://www.mozilla.org/firefox) to explore the Web in order to locate and view documentary material relevant to this Unit.
ADOBE ACROBAT READER
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is a free program that lets you view, navigate and print PDF documents like the DGTL12014 Weekly Study Guides. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from the Adobe website (https://www.adobe.com).
1 Practical Assessment
The Creative Development Workbook is a structured set of weekly exercises designed to assist you in developing the skills required to create your own Short Documentary Project for Assessment 2. Each week you will be presented with 3 exercises covering: Critical Thinking, Technical Production, and Project Development. The exercises directly relate to that week’s learnings, and students will be able to test their skills as well as receive constructive feedback during class (or online). The exercises are designed to be completed sequentially, starting from Week 1 and continuing through to Week 5. A Template is provided to complete the exercises. Students are encouraged to recognise and develop their own ‘distinctive lens’ whilst working through the weekly exercises. Experimentation and creativity are encouraged.
The completed weekly tasks will be submitted in a single document (template provided) following the guidelines outlined in the full assessment brief on the unit website (Moodle).
Vacation Week Monday (11 Apr 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7 Monday (25 Apr 2022)
2 weeks after submission
- Comprehensiveness of submission
- Demonstrated engagement with Critical Thinking Exercises
- Quality of Technical Production Exercises
- Demonstrated engagement with Project Development Exercises
- Demonstrated engagement with self and peer evaluation
- Integrate a theoretical understanding of documentary practice and audiovisual skills in the creation of a completed documentary project.
- Manage media files and workflow through the stages of development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution
2 Practical Assessment
The Short Documentary Project requires you to complete a standalone short documentary of 3-5 minutes, completed to a standard that is suitable for entry into a nominated film festival.
This assignment requires you to submit:
- Part A: Completed Short Documentary Project (3-5 minutes)
- Part B: Preproduction, Production and Postproduction Documentation
You are required to informally pitch your proposed documentary in class or online in Week 6, and attend a Rough Cut screening to give and receive feedback in Week 9. The weekly Study Guides and tutorials from Week 6-12 will support you through the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages of your documentary. The required documentation will be provided by way of standard industry templates.
The completed documentary and documentation must comply with the submission requirements as outlined in the full assessment brief on the unit website (Moodle).
Review/Exam Week Monday (6 June 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (17 June 2022)
2 weeks after submission
- Comprehensiveness of the submission
- Overall impact of documentary
- Quality of technical skills
- Quality of submitted documentation
- Demonstrated engagement with peer and self-evaluation, and reflective practice
- Apply documentary editing principles in the creation of a documentary using industry-standard editing software.
- Manage media files and workflow through the stages of development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution
- Reflect critically on one's own professional documentary practice within an industry-standard ethical framework.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
