Task: On each of the specified weeks* students will bring to class a 200-300 word written reflection on that week’s readings and the specified mini-lecture

Mini-lectures accessible via Echo. MECO833 weekly readings can be accessed via LIbrary Reserve. A detailed schedule, including weekly readings will be posted on ILearn.

The reflections are required for Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7 ONLY.. 

Students will  submit each week's reflection via TurnItIn by 12pm (ie. before class) on each due date.

Please also bring your completed task to class. 

The reflections will draw out and/or respond to, key observations and/or ideas present in the readings/lecture. In your reflections, you do not need to give equal weight to all the readings, or to every part of the lecture. There should be evidence, however, that you have read all the readings for that week, and audited the Echo mini-lecture, if appropriate.

You need to make your own choices as to the substance and scope of your reflections. (That’s what makes them reflections.) In the past, students have sometimes chosen to focus on some of the following matters, guided by such questions as

• What were the three (or whatever number) central matters raised in the lecture?
• What was noteworthy about the readings/lecture with regards to:
  • Questions of storytelling structure?
  • Techniques of storytelling?
  • Histories of storytelling?

• Did anything in the readings or the lecture relate to your own storytelling experience and narrative efforts? Your own history as a consumer of story? Were there any lessons there of relevance to you?
• Was there anything you strongly agreed or disagreed with? Why?

And so on. 

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.

Write a concise analysis of a publicly accessible non-fiction or 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 story is up to you: it could be short fiction, a film, video clip, song, comic or graphic novel, audio, podcast, poem, broadcast, installation, museum exhibit, artwork, online content etc but the subject 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 non-verbal 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 probably 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.

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

Option 1. Drawing on the ideas that have been investigated through the course of this semester, produce an original media work, focussing in particular on storytelling.

OR

Option 2.  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 commencing.

OR

Option 3.Drawing on the ideas that have been investigated through the semester, rigorously and critically analyse a media product (film, print media, book, comic, script, theatre or performance piece, graphic novel, audio recording, web item, installation, exhibition, song, album) in regard to its storytelling methods, qualities, ethics and effectiveness.

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.

Important note: creative works are sometimes extremely time consuming: a film script for example might take a year fulltime to write. A comic, a play or even a song likewise. If you choose this option it is essential that you discuss the scope with the unit convenor, who will suggest ways of keeping the project realistic in scale – ie not too big.

So, rather than a full script, say, students might choose to produce a storyboard, or write one of two (or however many) scenes. Rather than a long feature article, students might submit part of the article. A short video or trailer, rather than a fully finished production. A photo essay rather than a documentary. A well worked out plan rather than a finished research project. A chapter rather than a whole memoir. A short podcast, etc etc. 

(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)

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.

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.

Students will complete a one hour class test. For this you will be asked to write two short essays, choosding from a number of possible topics. The test will focus on readings, lectures and matters discussed in class during the course of MECO833.

This is an online  "open book" test, and must be submitted via Turnitin at the time specified.