Overview
This unit of study builds on the prerequisite unit to teach visual storytelling concepts and narrative film-making techniques. You will learn how to create a visual story narrative by employing principles and elements of story design. You will develop practical film-making skills related to directing and cinematography during the production of a narrative short film. You will learn how to constructively critique screen production work through an exploration of screen culture and history.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: MMST11009 Digital Video and AudioAntirequisite: Students who have completed DGTL12010 Visual Storytelling or DGTL13003 Advanced Media Production may not enrol in this unit.
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 2 - 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 Student consultation (Zoom)
Final assessment item would work better as a group activity, as it is difficult to complete solo.
Creating a short film without a production crew is extremely challenging. Future iterations of the unit will aim to provide more time for planning and executing the final film, and reinforcing creative approaches to some of the challenges that arise without a crew. The final film assessment must remain an individual task to ensure it remains suitable for distance students and on-campus classes with low attendance. It is acknowledged that it would be beneficial to the screen production program as a whole to introduce units focused on working with a crew.
Feedback from Formal unit evaluation
Screening choices were too challenging/confronting
Content warnings and alternative screening options are already available to students for the more confronting films. Better communication of the purpose of and requirements surrounding screenings is required earlier in the term, as it appears that some students were under the misapprehension that they had to watch all screenings.
Feedback from Formal unit evaluation
The workload expected of students was too high. Written components of assessment tasks were identified as adding unnecessarily to the workload.
Changing the unit structure to enable students to plan and prepare for their final film assessment from the start of the unit should help reduce some of the pressure students felt. Further, rather than integrating written and practical components into each assessment item, the assessment will be restructured so that each assessment item is more focused.
- Create a narrative short film by employing principles and elements of story design
- Create a narrative short film through the application of film-making principles and skills related to directing and cinematography
- Constructively critique screen production work within the context of screen culture and history.
Not applicable
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 30% | |||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 30% | |||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 40% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 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 | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Access to a digital camera (a smartphone with video capabilities is sufficient)
- Access to digital audio recording equipment (a smartphone with a microphone and audio recording app is sufficient)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (Adobe Creative Cloud student subscription recommended) or other NLE software (eg. DaVinci Resolve)
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.
a.couzens@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
What is visual storytelling?
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
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The camera and visual style
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Lighting and mood
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Sound design beyond dialogue
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Art design and mise-en-scene
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Spatial composition part 1: The frame
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Spatial composition part 2: Blocking and staging
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Directing performance
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Film production: The on-set experience
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Temporal composition and continuity
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Post-production and visual effects
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Finding your audience
Chapter
See Unit eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
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Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical Assessment
The Development Workbook consists of a series of activities relating to the theoretical and practical content covered each week. These activities consist of a combination of analytical, critical, technical, and creative tasks. All activities contribute to the planning and development of a short film idea to be produced in assessments 2 and 3.
A Workbook Template with full activity descriptions is available on the unit Moodle site.
Week 5 Friday (12 Aug 2022) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 6 Friday (26 Aug 2022)
2 weeks following submission
1. Critical thinking skills (30%)
2. Technical video production skills (30%)
3. Quality of responses to creative development tasks (30%)
4. Adherence to formal academic conventions throughout workbook (10%)
- Create a narrative short film by employing principles and elements of story design
- Create a narrative short film through the application of film-making principles and skills related to directing and cinematography
- Constructively critique screen production work within the context of screen culture and history.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
2 Practical Assessment
In preparation for production of Assessment 3: Final Film, students will complete a series of preproduction tasks. These tasks will be completed weekly through a guided process. They will reflect the theoretical and practical content covered each week, including scripting, ideation, and logistics. The activities will be submitted together as a preproduction folio using the template provided before production of the Final Film commences. Students may make changes to all activities until the final submission of the full folio document, as feedback and later course content may provoke ideas that require changes to earlier tasks. The preproduction folio will include working documents such as planning notes and early drafts of each task to demonstrate how unit concepts were applied to each iteration, but the final version of each task must be easily identifiable within the folio.
A Folio Brief with full activity descriptions is available on the unit Moodle site.
Week 9 Friday (16 Sept 2022) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 11 Friday (30 Sept 2022)
Two weeks following submission
1. Application of visual storytelling techniques to plan creation of meaning (35%)
2. Use of available resources to generate an ambitious but achievable production plan (35%)
3. Coherence and completeness of supplied preproduction documents (30%)
- Create a narrative short film by employing principles and elements of story design
- Create a narrative short film through the application of film-making principles and skills related to directing and cinematography
- Constructively critique screen production work within the context of screen culture and history.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
3 Practical Assessment
Students will produce a 3-6 minute (including titles and credits) narrative film based on development work done in Assessment 1: Development Workbook and Assessment 2: Preproduction Folio, applying visual storytelling techniques and technical skills developed throughout the unit. Students will adapt their narrative ideas to suit resource limitations – access to specialist equipment is not required.
A Reflective Production Diary will accompany the submission. This Diary must be completed using the template provided on Moodle. In it, students will answer questions and complete activities reflecting on how unit concepts and materials have influenced the final film in terms of its style, tone, and communication of narrative information. The Diary also includes activities requiring students to respond to feedback received in compulsory rough cut screenings of their films during weeks 11 and 12.
Further details, including the Reflective Production Diary containing all reflective activities will be made available on the unit Moodle site.
Review/Exam Week Monday (10 Oct 2022) 11:59 pm AEST
Two weeks following submission
1. Application of cinematographic techniques to communicate narrative, ideology, and emotion (25%)
2. Application of directing techniques to communicate narrative, ideology, and emotion (25%)
3. Application of unit concepts and wider research in production of final film as evidenced by Reflective Production Diary (20%)
4. Critical reflection on creative process, including responses to feedback, in Reflective Production Diary (20%)
5. Adherence to formal academic conventions in Reflective Production Diary (10%)
- Create a narrative short film by employing principles and elements of story design
- Create a narrative short film through the application of film-making principles and skills related to directing and cinematography
- Constructively critique screen production work within the context of screen culture and history.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
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?
