Write a research proposal for a short documentary of around 5 to 10 mins. This is both a creative document and an essay. Ensure that your idea from the general topic is achievable and that has the potential for strong sounds and images, interesting characters, story or argument. 

The research proposal needs to be well structured. Describe the idea and themes that you are hoping to explore, any argument you may wish to make, the potential for an engaging story. Indicate any stylistic ideas you may be considering including the documentary genre you are working in, the people (social actors/characters) you may be including in the project and the research you have conducted.

The proposal should be around approximately 1000 words and you are encouraged to include other material such as photographs, text, archival material or other references that help to describe the idea.

You are to summarise your proposal into a 7 minute presentation to be presented in class in Week 4.

Outlines will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Originality and strength of central idea

What is the central idea you are exploring? How original, interesting or imaginative is it? Does it offer potential for a documentary or could it be more easily explored via another medium? Does it have the potential to reveal something fresh about the given general topic? What themes does the idea suggest?

Story/Argument

Potential for engaging story and/or powerful argument about the given general topic.

Evidence of research

Successful documentaries are based on solid research. Research includes the factual, aesthetic and technical. Your research must demonstrate that the idea has depth. You must also indicate further research that is required.

Visual and aural potential

Research also includes considerations about style and approach. How does your idea lend itself to an exploration through sounds and images? Remember that digital video, as a time-based medium, is very different from a written text. Your proposal should demonstrate that your documentary concept contains the potential for an imaginative use of sounds and images. Please reference at least one screen work that is informing your visual style or perhaps works with a similar subject.

Awareness of documentary form

What kind of short documentary are you proposing? Please try to avoid the "current affairs" (infotainment) style. Documentary has a long history of conceptually and aesthetically innovative works. It is important that you begin to familiarise yourself with the range of possibilities available to you and consider the relationship between style and content.

Understand how to connect with an audience

Think about the intended audience for the documentary.  Who will it appeal to? How will you reach these audiences? What kind of distribution strategy will this documentary utilize?  What are the suitable festivals and distribution channels for this documentary?

Assessment criteria

1. Strength and originality of documentary idea.
2. Depth and strength of research.
3. Demonstrated visual and aural potential.
4. Demonstrated understating of documentary form and distribution strategies.
5. Writing style: clarity, expression, grammar, presentation.
6. Effectiveness of presentation.

Video Essay of Creative Strategies 

Each student will research and present a 5 min video essay analyzing screen and other excerpts of their choice . The essay will analyse and discuss the ways in which the excerpts resonate creatively and technically with the screen production concept on which they are collaborating. Students are encouraged to use still images, very short video excerpts, sound and other media. It is important that the relevance of these excerpts is clearly demonstrated.

The video essay will analyse screen and other media excerpts that are relevant in theme, form, approach, visual or aural style to the screen production you are working on in MECO835.  You must coordinate with your team before commencing this assignment to insure that each video essay analyse different excerpts, or clearly distinctive aspects of a similar excerpts.

Your video essay must be created using your own technology (eg. phones, laptops).  No technical support will be provided for this assignment. If you do not have access to a phone or camera of any sort, some cameras may be available for borrowing for this assignment.  Your video must include relevant images and sounds and may not be only a direct to camera speech by you (selfie video).  If you use direct to camera speaking, demonstrate considered choices in frame, lighting and sound.    

Video essays should include: 

Summation of concept: succinctly describe subject, theme and argument or perspective of the screen production you are working on and how it relates to the excerpts selected

Analysis of approach and structure of the chosen excerpts and how they relate with your production

Analysis of creative and technical strategies: include and analyse genre, form, visual and aural style and how these contribute to the production's impact.  How do shooting, editing, design, sound and/or music reveal tone, theme and perspective? 

This essay is to be compressed in .mov or .mp4 format and uploaded on iLearn  and discussed in the final critical reflection. 

Screen Production

Create a coherent, short non-fiction screen production based on your project proposal (Assessment 1)  of between 5 and 10 minutes in length.  You are encouraged to complete the production and post-production aspects of this assignment in small groups (3 or 4 members) although you will be marked individually.  An assembly cut of the film is due in Week 12. The  final submission is due in Week 13. Final films must be exported in full resolution and placed in a folder on the AVID server. Further details will be provided on iLearn. For students not using AVID to edit their work, the final film must be uploaded to a private online server (e.g GoogleDrive or Vimeo) and the link included in the report.

Along with the film, you need to submit:

1. all production documents including release forms, call sheets, shot lists, schedules, etc.

a. A report of around 1000 words analysing and evaluating the ways technical and aesthetic considerations have combined to realise (or not) the original concept. This report is to be approached critically, analyzing your production in relation to its development; demonstrating this by linking it to the theory and practice of screen production. Think deeply about the production. Which are the strategies employed that worked in the production? Which did not? Discuss it in relation to other films (e.g. of a similar genre or style). How did these films demonstrate what was effective or lacking in your production? How has your role contributed to the technical and aesthetic realization of the production? What more could you have done to improve the production? Outline the major learning challenges you faced in your crew role during the process and how you resolved them, both through an application of the theory and practice of screen production and your own ingenuity and acumen.  Also critically assess the contributions of each member of your team (peer assessment); one or two sentences for each member should be sufficient. These questions are guides that will help you critically reflect on your production and your role in it.  They are not meant as a list of questions to be answered point by point in your report. This report is to be submitted individually in Week 13 on iLearn.

3. Production portfolio of documents demonstrating your technical and creative research, preparation and process undertaken in your crew role and any other involvement you have in the production. For example, if you have chosen to edit the film, outline the strategies you took to learn AVID Media Composer. The portfolio is to be submitted individually in Week 13 on iLearn.

Assessment Criteria for Screen Production:

1. Originality and structure of completed project.

2. Effectiveness of creative choices in mise en scene, composition, shot construction, lighting, sound, design, editing, direction, production and logistics management, etc.

3. Degree that completed project has achieved creative goals.

Assessment Criteria for Report:

1.  Coherence, structure and argument of critical analysis.

2.  Clarity of writing style, grammar and appropriate referencing.

3.  Demonstrated effectiveness of contribution in crew role as evidenced in final production.

4.  Demonstrated commitment in crew role as evidenced by attendance at workshops, production meetings, technical workshops, tests, shoot and post-production and other activities as necessary.

5.  Demonstrated creative and technical preparation for crew role as evidenced in documentation provided.

6.  Capacity to critically reflect on learning experience.