Students are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials and contribute to class discussions. You should demonstrate an ability to articulate and share ideas on concepts raised in the readings and lectures. Participation also involves asking pertinent questions that stimulate further discussions. It is essential that you do the readings and take notes before attending the tutorial.

Assessment criteria (for a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn):  

Reading and reflection: Evidence of engagement with the unit readings, demonstration of in-class reflection through participation in assignments and discussions.

Communication: Demonstration of clear communication skills, evidence of engagement with arguments of others.

In week 7, students will take a multiple choice quiz in iLearn. The questions are based on unit readings, lectures and tutorials from weeks 1–6. The quiz will be open all day on Thursday the 11th of April, 2019, and students are welcome to take it anywhere they like. Students have one (1) hour to complete the quiz and they are welcome to consult supporting materials. Only one attempt is allowed. Detailed instructions including examples will be provided in week 4. 

This assessment has three (3) components: a creative group project (25%), an individual report (compulsory, but not marked) and an individual essay (30%).

Part 1: Soundtrack (25%)

Working in groups of 3–4, students will produce a soundtrack to a film clip provided by the unit convenor. Tutorials in weeks 8–10 will be dedicated to working on the soundtrack. 

Submission of the soundtrack is via iLearn. The deadline is on the 22nd of May, 2019. The submitted soundtrack must include the names and student IDs of the group members. This may be in the form of a title sequence or by including the information in the file name. Further instructions with examples will be provided in week 8. 

Students will present their work at the tutorials in week 11 (24/05/2019). Groups must bring their soundtracks to class on a USB drive and prepare to answer questions about their work. Each group member is expected to be present. 

Due to copyright reasons, students are not allowed to distribute their work beyond the setting of the unit.

Students will be working on a clip from a silent film. The focus areas of the assessment task are the genre of the film, the construction of cinematic space and the communication of feeling. These are the elements students should be thinking about when choosing sounds to the clip.

Assessment criteria (for a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn):

Sound and feeling: assessment will focus on how the chosen sounds and/or music as well as their placement on the timeline convey feeling.

Sound and space: assessment will focus on the construction of space with sound and/or music.

Identifying and working with silent film: assessment will be based on the appropriateness of the sound choices to the genre of the film. 

Part 2: Report 

In order to get their marks for this assessment task, each student must submit an individual report where they document the working process of the group. A template is provided in iLearn.

Submission is via Turnitin. The deadline is on the 22nd of May, 2019. 

Part 3: Essay (30%)

Students will write a 1500-word essay (excluding references and bibliography) on the construction of cinematic space and the communication of feeling in a film of their choice. Students are expected to compare the choices they made in their own soundtrack to their chosen example. The essay should identify sound choices and reflect on them critically, while also relating them to the lecture topics, readings and tutorial discussions from weeks 1–12. Please note that the essay is not a summary of the sound choices made in the group work. Detailed instructions including examples will be provided in week 8. 

This is a formal essay which will require clear referencing and appropriate research. The weekly readings and other recommended texts are an important place to start for this assessment task. Please use Harvard Referencing System (refer to the guide in iLearn). 

Submission is via Turnitin. The deadline is on the 5th of June, 2019. 

Assessment criteria (for a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn):

Reflection: ability to identify key tendencies in making a soundtrack and commenting on the use of sound critically.

Reading and research: evidence of critical engagement with set course materials (unit readings and film examples; evidence of independent reading of appropriate academic material; evidence of thorough research (relating to the chosen film). 

Argument and analysis: well-articulated and well-supported argument; evidence of critical thinking (through taking a position in relation to space and feeling, and supporting this position); evidence of relational thinking (through making connections between key ideas from the course and other cinematic examples, and supporting this position).

Writing and structure: clear, logical and coherent structure; clarity of expression; appropriate referencing; sticking to the word limit.