Assessment 1

Story analysis

Write a concise analysis of a publicly accessible non-fiction media text, using (1) the techniques and analytical tools that have been discussed in class and (2) any other analytical tools and methods, as you see fit. 

Pay special regard to the text's (a) narrative structure and (b) the degree of sophistication and innovativeness of its storytelling. 

The choice of text is up to you: short story, film, video clip, comic or graphic novel, audio, podcast, poem, broadcast, installation, museum exhibit, artwork, online content etc but the text you choose must have a significant narrative component. You could also consider for analysis a short speech, sermon, essay, or public communication of some sort. (You may choose a less overtly narrative form, such as say, a piece of music or abstract artwork and analyse its storytelling aspects, but this must be discussed with the unit convenor first.)

An entire feature film or novel is too large for this assignment, but you may choose a scene from a film or section of a novel. (Discuss with convenor.)

Some of the aspects you might consider in your analysis:

-- How the separate “pieces” of story are put together. How the piece uses such devices as dynamic contrast.  

-- To what extent (and how successfully) the story uses “arc” or other narrative shapes.

-- The extent to which the story works with the audience’s expectations or deliberately thwarts expectations. Or, to put it another way, does the piece broadly fit in to an established style or genre or does it seek to break genre boundaries down? Does it “mix and match” in creative and innovative ways?

-- Is the storytelling honest? Is it ethical? Does it seek to evoke authentic emotion or is it manipulative, or is it both? Is the storytelling strategy one of simplicity or complexity? And so on. (Try to think of all the options and methods available to the storyteller(s) and assess how successfully they have chosen.)  

-- How does the storytelling define and locate its potential audience? Who is it aimed at? 

-- To what extent the story uses difficulty or strangeness to more deeply engage audience. (Or if it deliberately uses simplicity, how well is this achieved?)

-- What does the story claim to be saying? What is it really saying? (Or, ask yourself, first, “What is this story about?” Then, “But what is it really about?”

-- The voice and the mood of the piece.

-- What’s going on the surface, what’s going on down deep?

-- And maybe most important of all, how does the piece work on you – how exactly does it manage to “press your buttons” (or fail to do so).

And so on.

Marking criteria: This task will be assessed on specific criteria including clarity of content, creative components and realisation of aims. In particular, marks will be awarded for the success with which you:

(i) Choose the item for your analysis.

(ii) Are able to go “below the surface” in your analysis.

(iii) Are able to enunciate fresh, less-obvious observations about your media exemplars.

(iv) Locate your exemplars in relation to current media landscapes and practices.

(v) Bring to your analysis an awareness of literary, narrative, expository, design and other strengths and values.

(vi) Can enact a detached, rigorous, critical analysis

(vii) Are able to express yourself in concise, eloquent, grammatically and syntactically acceptable prose.

A more detailed brief for this assignment will be provided in-class.

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

• Synthesise and analyse texts (creative and critical) in the specific Creative Media field.

Submission: via Turnitin on iLearn by the required date and time.

Late Submissions: Students who submit late work without an extension will receive a penalty of 10% per day. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies is made and approved.

Assessment 2

Written proposal for research OR production project. This proposal will outline what you intend to produce for your Major Project (Assessment 3, see below).

Your proposal must include:

(1) One paragraph summary of the project.

(2) Brief description of project

(3) A clear production timetable (if your project is a media production, creative practice work.

(4) If your project is group work, then your proposal must clearly outline what roles each group member will fulfill. 

NB If your project is a group work then the proposal must clearly reflect input from each group member, and the total word length of the assignment will change accordingly. (Discuss with convenor!)

(5) Regardless of which type of major assignment you intend to produce your proposal must include a bibliography of works to be used. Your bibliography will need to clearly indicate what theoretical or methodological works you will be using, as well as what texts (print media, video, audio, web material etc) your will be analysing. The bibliography should include only texts that you intend to use in your major assignment.

Your bibliography should also include a section (up to 500 words) on how/why you have chosen these particular texts.

(6) If appropriate, your proposal should also include a research portfolio, listing what external resources, databases, information sources will you use to inform and to ground your work.

(7) Your proposal should be accompanied by a separate one page (max!) clear, engaging simple PITCH for your project, which will be workshopped in class. (Suggestion: do this last, after you’ve had a chance to thoroughly think through your proposal.)

Marking criteria:

Key criteria for assessing this task include:

(i) Clarity of content

(ii) Precision and grammatical correctness of written expression

(iii) Ambitiousness, novelty and imagination of the proposed project

(iv) The practical "realisability" of the proposed project.  

(v) The thoroughness of the bibliography, and evidence that you have sought out and located appropriately rigorous scholarly sources.

(vi) Evidence that you have responded creatively and diligently to the key themes of the unit so far, and have thoroughly acquainted yourself with the essential readings, recommended literature and key narrative examples cited in the course.  

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

• Generate sophisticated ideas and concepts for Creative Media works.

• Demonstrate professional technical competence, abilities to collaborate creatively and meet professional standards.

Submission: via Turnitin on iLearn by the required date and time.

Late Submissions: Students who submit late work without an extension will receive a penalty of 10% per day. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies is made and approved.

Assessment 3

Major Assignment

Choose one of the two following options.

(1) Drawing on the ideas that have been investigated through the course of the semester, rigorously analyse a media product (film, print media, book, comic, script, theatre or performance piece, graphic novel, audio recording, web item, installation, exhibition) in regard to its storytelling methods, qualities, ethics and effectiveness.

OR

(2) Drawing on the ideas that have been investigated through the course of this semester, produce an original media work, focussing in particular on storytelling values. If you choose this option your project must also include an accompanying analysis /critical summary of models or like-products which structurally relate to your own project. (For example, were you to produce a podcast, you might choose a number of outstanding podcasts to briefly analyse and critically comment upon, as a way of setting a context for your own project. Were you to write a short memoir, you might choose one or two standout memoirs for examination. And so on)   

OR

(3) Propose a project (group or individual) of your own that is consistent with the aims and learning outcomes of this unit. For this option, it is essential that you discuss the idea with course convenor and get his/her approval before mid semester break.

Marking criteria: This task will be assessed on specific criteria including clarity of content, creative components and realisation of aims. Criteria particular to this stage of the project will include:

(i) If you choose a creative work, then the intrinsic story qualities of the finished project itself, as finished work, will be of major importance. These qualities might include overall originality; artistic and narrative values; and so on. Assessment thus will also include adjudication of how well the work achieves its own aims, judged on its own terms.

(ii) If you do a group creative work, then collaborative aspects and processes will be assessed, based on evidence of creative and collegial approach to both successes and difficulties encountered. Marks will be awarded for individual contributions as well, (which are to be clearly foreshadowed in Assessment 2, Project Proposal)

(iii) Marks will be awarded according to how constructively you respond to the feedback given for the previous assignment, (Assessment 2, Proposal)

Most significant criteria for analytical components will include:

(i) Demonstrated ability to integrate ideas and concepts discussed in this unit into a coherent work...

(ii) Clarity and rigorousness of the analysis.

(iii) Demonstrated breadth of background reading.

(iv) Demonstrated abilities to apply analytical tools.

(v) Originality and depth of the analysis.

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

• Adapt discipline-specific knowledge in Creative Media to novel situations.

Submission: via Turnitin on iLearn by the required date and time.

Late Submissions: Students who submit late work without an extension will receive a penalty of 10% per day. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies is made and approved.