Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor/Lecturer
Kathryn Millard
Contact via kathryn.millard@mq.edu.au
Y3A 157
To be Advised in Week 1
Lecturer
Guy Morrow
Contact via guy.morrow@mq.edu.au
Y3A193E
To be advised in Week 1
Guy Morrow
|
---|---|
Credit points |
Credit points
4
|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MCrMedia or MCrInd or MFJ
|
Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
Unit description |
Unit description
This unit examines collaborative modes of production and models of entrepreneurship for creative media through critical readings and the study of in-depth case-studies. It considers models from artist-run spaces and studios through to creative industry practices.
|
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Late Submission
Tasks 10% or less. No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies is made and approved.
Tasks above 10%. 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.
Name | Weighting | Due |
---|---|---|
Creative Start-Ups Dossier | 30% | Week 5 |
Demo Day | 60% | Week 8 |
Participation | 10% | Weeks 2-8 |
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 30%
Assessment Outline
Please write up weekly Creative Start-Ups Dossier from Weeks 1 to 5. Each entry should be approximately 300 words plus annotated links. The Dossier can be submitted as a digital dossier, blog, written report - whatever suits your particular contribution best.
Assessment Criteria
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 60%
This is a group assignment with an additional individual component.
As a group, make a presentation to the seminar on your idea for a new project, product or service in the field of future journalism or creative media and field questions. Please incorporate support materials ( video trailers, recordings, slides, prototypes) as appropriate.
Individually, please write up a 1000 word account reflecting on your contribution to the group project. What were some of the challenges and opportunities involved in developing your idea and working collaboratively?
Group (30%)
Evidence that your Start-Up Idea combines ideas from more than one field
Level of innovation
Evidence of openness to group skills, resources, contacts and opportunities
Organisation and flow of group presentation
Individual (30%)
Evidence of reflection on key concepts in creative entrepreneurship and start-up thinking.
Analysis of creativity techniques utilised in developing the Start-Up idea.
Awareness of collaborative dynamics in Start-Up project team.
Due: Weeks 2-8
Weighting: 10%
Actively contribute to seminars via
Delivery Mode
Day
Seminar Times
Wednesday 2.00-5.00 p.m. Weeks 1-8 of semester. Please check the dates at MQ timetables site https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2016/
Technologies
This unit requires the use of a computer.
Required Readings
Required readings are listed in the unit schedule under each week. They will be available electronically via e-reserve and via links at the unit learn site from the start of semester.
Recommended Readings
Given the emphasis on creative production, recommended readings will often be in the form of links to key websites or on-line productions and resources. These links will be available at the iLearn site for this unit.
Unit Schedule
This unit examines models of entrepreneurship for creative media. It considers models from artist-run spaces and projects through to creative and media industries' start-ups. We will ask: Is a creative media career a start-up? Is a journalist's career a start-up? How do you kick-start projects? How can careers in the creative arts and media be sustainable?
Each seminar will include
Week 1
Introduction
What do you need to know about creative entrepreneurship as a journalist, blogger, musician, indie filmmaker, recording engineer, creative curator or screenwriter working in the digital economy? What is the ‘start-up’ mindset? How are new projects and ventures launched? How can you develop a sustainable career in your field?
Group work - creative idea generation exercises (Sawyer).
Reading
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997) 'The Flow of Creativity' in Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Invention', New York: Harper Collins, pp. 107-126
Grant, A. (2015) Originals: How Nonconformists Change the World, New York: WH Allen, pp. 29-61
Week 2
The Lean Start-Up
Eric Reiss defines a start-up as ‘an organisation dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty.’ New creative enterprises are essentially start-ups. What are some of the ways to maximise their success? How could you design an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for your new venture?
Reading
http://www.startuplessonslearned.com
Reiss E. (2011) ‘The Lean Start-up’ pp. 28-69
Kolb, B. (2015) 'Finding your entrepreneurial vision' in Entrepreneurship for the Creative and Cultural Industries, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 1-20
Group work - entrepreneurial vision exercises (Kolb)
Individual preparation for Week 3: Inspiring start-ups. Track down an example of an inspiring start-up in your field (future journalism, screen or music production). What is the project, product or service? What need does it address? How did it get off the ground? What resources did the founders have available? What were some of the challenges they faced?
Week 3
How to Get Ideas for Start-Ups
We will look at some thoughts on how you might ideas for new start-ups – projects, products or services. Saras Sarasvathy did extensive research on the practices expert entrepreneurs and came up with an approach she calls effectuation. Paul Graham, one of the founders of the Y Combinator Lab suggests, for example, starting with problems that need solutions. In this seminar, we will discuss these ideas and consider how you might apply them to generating ideas for this semester’s ‘hands on’ project.
Readings
Amabile T. 'How to Kill Creativity', Harvard Business Review, Vol. 76, pp. 77-87
Sarasvathy S. (2008) Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise, Northampton, UK: Edward Elgar, pp. 2-18
http://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html
Group work: generating ideas for start-ups exercises
Week 4
Collaboration
Across journalism, screen media, music, performance, design and architecture, practitioners are getting together to form self-managed collectives, ateliers or studios to do projects. Some focus on one art form or media. Others cross several media. We will look at some examples. Plus, we will consider the dynamics of collaboration in the creative arts. What are some of the roles that creatives can fulfil in multidisciplinary teams?
Amabile T. et al (2014) 'IDEO's Culture of Helping', Harvard Business Review, January-February pp. 53-61
Kolb B. (2015) 'Making the dream a reality' in Entrepreneurship for the Cultural and Creative Industries pp. 29-40
Sawyer, K. (2007), Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration, New York: Basic Books: 3-57.
Group work - recombinant creativity and collaborative projects exercises. (Sawyer and Kolb).
Week 5
Rapid Iteration: Prototypes, Demos and Scenarios
Prototyping, experimenting and rapid iteration play a critical role in the development of ideas and products. Failure – when designed to occur early in a process and cheaply – can reveal new options that nearly always lead to better outcomes. We will consider a number of approaches to prototyping and scenario building.
Catmull, Ed (2008), 'How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity', Harvard Business Review, Vol. 86, pp. 64-72
Alexander Osterwalder (2010) Business Model Generation pp. 146-169
Group work - design thinking exercises (IDEO).
Individual preparation for Week 6. Compelling pitch. Find a compelling pitch on kickstarter or another site. Why does it work?
Week 6
Crowdsourcing
‘Crowdsourcing’ is an online, distributed problem solving and production model that leverages the collective intelligence of online communities for the specific purposes of an organization. It combines a bottom-up, open, creative process with top-down organizational goals. Creative media has been at the forefront of crowdsourcing, drawing on it to fund films, recordings, productions and new products.
Jennifer Fox ‘The First Six Tips for Generating a Six Figure Kickstarter Campaign’ http://hopeforfilm.com/?p=6973
‘The Cosmonaut: A Film Made By More than 5,000 People’
http://en.cosmonautexperience.com
Group work: generate questions for Demo Day presentations.
Week 7
Beta Day: Work-in-progress on Demo Day presentations
Group work - What are the advantages of telling an engaging story about your new creative venture via a talk, a trailer, a comic strip or words and images? We’ll ask your team to devise a story about your venture.
SEMESTER BREAK AND ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF TEAM START-UP IDEAS
Week 8
Demo Day
Formal Presentation of student projects and feedback
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
New Assessment Policy in effect from Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html. For more information visit http://students.mq.edu.au/events/2016/07/19/new_assessment_policy_in_place_from_session_2/
Assessment Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914
Information is correct at the time of publication
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
In semester 2, 2016 this course places a greater emphasis on group work and collaboration as a key element of both seminars and assignments.
This is in response to both convenors' and students' observations of how the most innovative lean start-up ideas have been produced to date in previous offerings of this course.