BJ2S40 - Documentary Project 31 Jul 2018 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 2
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | BJ2S40 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Documentary Project | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Business and Creative Industries | ||
| Faculty Group: | Film and TV | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Film and TV | ||
| Module Leader: | Paul Mallison | ||
| Module Team: | Gwyneth Moore | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2015 | Final Year of Intake: | |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 20 | Credit Level: | 5 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 100443 - media production | ||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 100 | ||
Document Version Information
| Version | 2 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 31 Jul 2018 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2026 |
Module Aims
• Give students a fundamental understanding about how to develop and pitch documentary ideas
• Provide students with the tools to enable them to create documentaries
• Help students to identify the audience and through it the platform on which to launch/exhibit their documentary work
• Encourage creative and exploratory approaches to media content creation and develop a self-critical attitude towards all aspects of their own work and that of their peers
Content Summary
This module is intensely practical. Students will be creating three projects – one aural documentary, one audio-visual documentary and one documentary for the web. Students will receive formative feedback on all three documentaries but they will be expected to submit only one documentary for summative feedback.
Each of these documentaries will be developed by following three distinct phases, which encompass documentary content creation today.
Ideas Development Phase
This is the first phase in any documentary production.
1. During development, students will learn to identify and develop a documentary idea – this will involve the notion of audience research; who the documentary is aimed at; and consequently how it will be produced and exhibited. A second research strand will concentrate on the development of the idea itself.
2. This will lead to the creation of a verbal pitch with an accompanying written pitch document within the first six weeks of their course.
3. Throughout this period, while students are developing their ideas, they will simultaneously be honing their technical skills by further learning to record both sound and visuals and by further learning to use their web design skills to experiment with what works best as internet content.
4. Students will also learn interviewing techniques, interrogate questions of access to talent and also the ethical considerations involved in documentary film-making.
Production Phase
This is the second phase in the development of a documentary project. In this phase,
1. On the advice of their tutor, students will produce documentary – for radio, TV and the internet in groups. All students have to make documentaries for all three platforms.
2. During this phase, students will be able to practice the technical skills they have acquired in the ideas development phase.
Post-production, marketing and delivery phase
All content has to be exhibited in an appropriate manner so that it has the best chance of visibility in an otherwise noise-filled media world. In this phase, students will learn to develop a strategy to exhibit the work they have produced – if it is an audio show, what platforms are currently available to exhibit tem; if it is a video, then where can it be shown for maximum impact; and if it is a project created specifically for the web, what are imperatives to gain a strong internet presence.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 6 |
| Seminar | 8 |
| Practical classes and workshops | 34 |
| Independent Study | 80 |
| Directed Study | 72 |
| Total Hours Selected | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | The ability to research and pitch a documentary idea with appropriate audience and the appropriate media in mind |
| LO2 | Create a documentary project, paying attention to structure and format |
| LO3 | Demonstrate an awareness of creating media content in an age of digital media convergence |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Portfolio 1 | Individual Assessment - A group/individual production portfolio demonstrating the individual's production role in developing, and producing the documentary. | 0 | N/A | 40 | No | 40 |
| Practical | _Practical Assessment 1 | A group/individual documentary production for a platform of your choice; developing, and producing an approx. 5 – 10 minute or equivalent, visual, aural or interactive documentary (negotiable with tutor). | 0 | N/A | 60 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | LO3 | |
| Portfolio 1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| _Practical Assessment 1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |