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Course Outline

CMN300 Screen Media: Showcase in Practice

Course Coordinator:Tony Speed (tspeed@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2023Semester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Building on knowledge and skills gained in intermediate level screen media courses, you will develop and produce a short film that showcases your graduate level knowledge, skills and abilities. You will develop an understanding of contemporary screen industry processes and practices, distribution platforms, ancillary markets and audiences and apply this knowledge to screen production projects. You will be responsible for project management, planning and research to inform and progress their creative work.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 13 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Scheduled face to face workshops (Extended) 4hrs Week 6 3 times
Online
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 13 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled online workshops (Recorded). 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Scheduled online workshops (Extended/ Recorded). 4hrs Week 6 3 times

Course Topics

The Screen Production Value Chain

Screen Production Processes, including Pre-Production, Production Management and Post-Production

Concept Creation and Development

Cinematography and Directing

Screen Sound and Sound Recording

Screen Editing

Marketing and Distribution

Screen Finance

 

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Investigate and critically analyse screen narratives and production histories within cultural, industrial, economic, and technological contexts Knowledgeable
2 Demonstrate effective communication and problem-solving skills in project production and management Creative and critical thinker
3 Engage in screen production workflows and processes reflective of industry practices Engaged
4 Demonstrate creativity and innovation in the production of a screen artefact Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Not applicable

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

By Week 4 of this course, you will receive feedback on a draft version of your first assessment task during the workshop.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Artefact - Creative, and Oral Individual and Group 20% 
5 minute Pitch Presentation and Q&A
 Week 5 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class
All 2 Artefact - Creative Individual and Group 50% 
Film length is approx 5 mins.
Minimum of three (3) separate and unique project documents per student, including but not limited to schedules, storyboards, shot lists, call sheets, production sketches or colour swatches, test sound recordings or edit logs, etc.
 Week 13 Online Submission
All 3 Written Piece Individual 30% 
2000 words =/- 10% (word length includes in-text referencing and excludes your reference list and appendices)
 Exam Period Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Project Pitch
Goal: 
Working in small production teams, you will persuasively pitch a short film project to the class. This is an authentic assessment because it develops a key professional skill that will be crucial to graduates working in the screen industry. Criteria 1: Creativity is group marked, while Criteria 2: Communication and Criteria 3: Knowledge are marked individually.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Oral
Format: 
You will pitch your project idea to an audience using professional communication to persuade them of its value and relevance. The pitch should include the project's creative aims and the planned production process. All group members must be present and speak at the pitch. You need to use Harvard referencing style. Ensure you are consistent. Include in-text citations and a corresponding reference list at the end of your presentation. Submit your presentation slides as .ppt or .pdf.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Creativity: Quality, depth and innovation of creative ideas including the identification of a compelling topic/subject and conceptualisation of a screen work
 1 4
2 
Communication: Ability to professionally and persuasively communicate project aims, as well as use of appropriate language, formatting and referencing conventions
 2
3 
Knowledge: Knowledge and understanding of the filmmaking process, including the ability to identify production problems and devise effective solutions
 1 2 3
All - Assessment Task 2:Short Film
Goal: 
Continuing on from Task 1, you will work in your production teams to create a short film that demonstrates understanding and application of screen craft at an advanced level. Each student will also have to individually submit a project portfolio that includes key project documents or files that demonstrate their own contribution to the film. This is an authentic assessment because it develops key professional production skills that will be crucial to graduates working in the screen industry. Criteria 1: Creativity and Criteria 2: Execution are group marks, while Criteria 3: Knowledge, Criteria 4: Collaboration, and Criteria 5: Documentation are marked individually. Criteria 4 is also peer assessed.
Product: Artefact - Creative
Format: 
Film in mp4 or .mov file
Project documentation can be .doc, .pdf, .mp3, .mp4, .png
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Creativity: Innovation, originality and depth of creative idea
 4
2 
Execution: Effective production of an industry-reflective screen project that addresses topic/subject/story in an engaging way
 3 4
3 
Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge and application of professional and technical screen production practices
 3
4 
Collaboration: Effective participation as a member of a collaborative production team.
 2 3
5 
Documentation: Completeness of production processes, workflow and project documentation
 2 3
All - Assessment Task 3:Critical Reflective Account
Goal: 
To analyse current screen issues, histories and forms relating to your engagement with, and the impacts of, screen practices within society. Demonstrate critical reflective techniques and engagement with an issue and how it relates to your screen project. This is an authentic assessment because it develops a critical literacy around screen production contexts that will be crucial to graduates working in the screen industry.
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
This is a critical creative practice reflection that is informed by academic and industry research as well as your own creative practice. Content for your Reflective Account should be updated across the course to keep record of your production process, including broader theoretical/analytical understandings covered throughout the semester. Identify and describe your project’s creative aims, influences (what is informing your practice), challenges (to creative aims), how these were overcome (problem solving), and an informed critique on the strengths and weaknesses of your final work to reflect on how this could be improved. The Reflective Account itself provides a report/summary of this content. Submitted as a Word .doc or .docx using appropriate Harvard referencing conventions, where appropriate. Essay should be formatted as follows: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 double line spacing. Essay should be written in formal academic style.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge and application of technical and professional skills in assigned crew role
 3
2 
Analysis: Analysis and reflection on creative practice development (including your own growth as a creative practitioner, as well as your strengths, challenges, opportunities and problem-solving skills)
 1 2
3 
Communication: Effective written communication and critique of screen production project with appropriate language, formatting and referencing conventions
 1 2
4 
Research: Demonstrated research and application of information about screen production contexts, with specific reference to issues arising in the industry
 1

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

An external hard drive and a set of headphones will be of benefit to you in this course. Also this course uses some commercial software or hardware which is provided at USC campuses for student use. If you elect to do this course online you may: attend a campus at which it is available; discuss alternative open source solutions with your course coordinator that would enable you to demonstrate the learning outcomes; or if you prefer you may acquire this software and/or hardware at your own expense. A basic camera (DSLR that shoots video or even your phone to shoot video) and basic video editing software will suffice.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all field activities and low to moderate levels of health and safety risk exists. Moderate risks may include working in an Australian bush setting, working with people, working outside normal office hours for example. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct.

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: 
- 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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