MFC5203 - Documentary: Concept to Practice

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

The module offers students the chance to develop their production and story-telling skills – hugely transferable skills in an increasingly global industry. It introduces the process of development and research, production and post-production and the crucial role of narrative structure in the documentary process.

It will involve an intensive period of self-directed, team-based, production, in which students will be required to make a seven-minute short film and deliver all associated production paperwork.

It explores the ethical aspects of the ‘creative treatment of actuality’ and also provides a theoretical understanding of the role of ‘non-fiction’ media products and their historical development.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Seminars
Hours: 40
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Skills workshop – Media services
Hours: 10
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Guided independent study
Hours: 250

Further details relating to assessment
Assignment 1: Students demonstrate their ability to devise ideas, find and cast contributors, plan and prepare for filming, film and edit all components required for a documentary film. They also provide a legal binder of detailed production paperwork. Group marks are reduced for individual students on the basis of poor peer assessment and/or contribution to the team production.

Assignment 2: Students write a detailed evaluation of their personal performance in a 2,000-word critical evaluation, submitted via Moodle. Evidence that students can identify their own strengths and weaknesses and point to lessons learned is required.

Early Assessment: there will be a formative assessment within the first 4 weeks and this will help unpack the assignment details for the 1st assignment as well as guide and inform student preparation and help introduce the University grading system.

Assessment:

001 Artefact film; 7 minutes; end of semester 2 60%
002 Critical evaluation; 2,000 words; end of semester 2 40%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Ms Lindsay Eastwood
Level - 5
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5YL

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