This section will contain ideas, models and prompts for lesson planning, including examples of a variety of in-class exercises, models for peer feedback etc.
Monthly Archives: February 2020
How assessment works in Media Studios
The posts in this collection bring together guides for developing and writing assessments in media studio teaching.
The assignment structure for studios takes an iterative or itinerative approach. Early assignments generally ask students to start exploring concepts that are key to the studio and/or to begin making small exploratory works or writings. The second assignment may continue this development, or build on it in some way, for instance by drawing in theory more explicitly to the works. The third assignment generally asks students to take stock of what they have done to this point in the studio, and present some ideas for or an already started work-in-progress that they will continue working on to submit for assignment four. Assignment five is common across all studios, and is a reflection, prompted by questions, on the exhibition of studio works at the end of the semester.
Progression of assessment across the semester
Below are listed some examples of the ways in which studio leaders of organised assessments across the semester, showing different approaches to how ideas and practical skills are developed over time. Some studios also have one or two of their individual assignments laid out in full in other posts. These have been linked to below.
STUDIO A
A1 – Theory – written essay asking students to critically analyse an aspect of their own practice related to the studio.
A2 – Media artefact – puts into action some of the ideas discovered in the research for A1, applying those to the creation of a media artefact that reflects on the studio’s core concepts as they are enacted in the real world.
A3 – Presentation that reflects on the learning from A1 + A2, and presents ideas for future research and practice.
A4 – Detailed proposal (including ‘trailer’) of a media artefact that aims to ‘fill the gap’ identified in earlier assignments. Multiple elements, including partial artefact or prototype, as well as written components that aim to situate the artefact within the current media landscape/market.
STUDIO B
A1 – Collected exploratory in-class exercises + reflection.
A2 – More deliberate collection of small works that build on themes identified through A1 + reflection.
A3 – Presentation with group on early ideas for A4 that includes early research.
A4 – Finished and exhibited work that draws on each group member’s earlier works in some way (either thematically/conceptually or practically/technically).
STUDIO C
A1 – Short video work that asks student to offer an opinion on existing media works of their own choice, and a reflection that asks for critical reflection on screenings in class and set readings.
A2 – Written reflection on several weeks of the course + statements related to core studio ideas that suggest future action.
A3 – Group presentation that draws on each member’s A2 to look towards A4 work.
A4 – Presentation of a collection of work that’s been developed throughout semester and speaks to studio’s core concept.
STUDIO D
A1 – In-class practical exercises + reflections on exercises + homework practical exercise.
A2 – As above but with some stricter parameters around practical exercises.
A3 – WIP presentation of group film work, including planning docs etc.
A4 – 2-5minute finished film + reflection on making process and relationship of film to studio core concepts.
STUDIO E
A1 – Groups pitch a screen project + portfolio of work on blog about conceptual development.
A2 – Screen project + presentation of screen project to class.
A3 – WIP group presentation for screen project for A4.
A4 – Screen project 2 + portfolio of blog posts about development of the work.
STUDIO F
A1 – Reflective blog posts + descriptive writing about media artefacts.
A2 – Reflective writing + analytical writing about media artefacts + online test.
A3 – Presentation of 2 investigative video pieces.
A4 – Reflective writing about concepts & making + 2 video pieces.
STUDIO G
A1 – 2 short films + presentation in class + reflective process blog post + readings for further development.
A2 – Written reflection on concepts related to core studio ideas with reference to academic reading + deconstruction of existing media artefact + annotated bibliography of A1 readings + 1min or 1:30min video.
A3 – Group presentation/pitch of WIP film.
A4 – Weekly reflective writing + group finished film 3-5min.
STUDIO H
A1 + A2 – Video works exploring/enacting ideas from class and given prompts + written reflection.
A3 – Pitch presentation for A4.
A4 – Major project that develops ideas from earlier in semester and puts them into practice in a video work + 500 word reflection on one of three chosen aspects related to core concepts.
STUDIO I
A1+A2 – Weekly exercises that use video work to explore a key idea from the studio in a short format + short written reflection based on peer feedback in class.
A3 – Presentation of a short essay film with voiceover reflection that uses materials collected for A1 + A2 and ideas developed through that process – submitted to short film festival.
A4 – Weekly exercises that develop an idea, test observations, research the idea further and produce a rough cut.
STUDIO J
A1 – Development of sound work based on material collected during class + 300 word written description of process and concept.
A2 – In pairs, present on one of the course readings and facilitate a class discussion + 700 word individual written report on the concept.
A3 – Presentation of WIP to panel.
A4 – Small groups develop a sound work based on concepts explored in the studio. Written development blog posts + project + 700 word reflection/concept statement.
STUDIO K
A1 – Presentation of a case study of the media type explored in the studio. Includes reference to academic work.
A2 – A collection of small practical and theoretical works from weekly class exercises.
A3 – Group pitch presentation for a major work that develops ideas and practical work explored early in the studio.
A4 – Development for a major work. This draws on methods used in existing works, pre-production written reflections, and reflections on test screenings. Finished work. 300 word reflection.
STUDIO L
Groups are consistent across semester
A1 – Weekly 300 word blog posts that reflect on existing examples of the media type explored in the studio. An initial pitch for an idea the group has decided to work on.
A2 – Weekly 300 word blog posts similar to those for A1. A fourth blog post that reflects on concepts and prototypes that were tested during class.
A3 – 5-8 minute presentations in groups that reflects on original proposal and pitches an idea for development towards A4.
A4 – Final video piece, shot during class + 4 continuous reflection blog posts.
STUDIO M
A1 – 5 x blog posts that include small media works that test out ideas from the studio + reflections on each.
A2 – Group proposal for exhibited work + 3 x individual blog posts that respond to in-class weekly prompts.
A3 – Work in progress presentation with title, synopsis, description, description of link to core studio concepts, justification for project, example footage, mood board, timeline, questions for panel.
A4 – In-class quizzes from throughout semester + 6 x weekly blog posts + 1800-2000 word reflective essay + exhibited final project.
Assignment 1 examples – weekly exploratory exercises
This studio forms an assignment from weekly media making exercises that are started in class and finished outside of class, along with weekly blog reflections.
ASSIGNMENT #1: Weekly exercises and reflection (15%) – Due Friday 11.59pm, 9 August (Week 3)
Assignment 1 – 15% of your overall mark
In this assignment you will use in-class exercises to begin thinking about how media might be used to give a more active ‘lived-in’ sense of the body.
Submitting your Assignment
Please write a post that contains the requirements listed below, and hyperlinks to each weekly post. Then past the URL for this post into the ‘Website URL’ field in Submission Section.
You must submit your assignment through Canvas by the due date via the submission within the assessment.
Assignment 1
You will submit 1 blog post that contains:
- Development (250 word minimum): A short discussion/description/synopsis of the work you aimed to create for each of the weekly exercises in weeks 1, 2 and 3.
- 3 short media works: You will embed into this post the 3 short media works you made in weeks 1 – 3 in response to the class exercises.
- Reflection (350 word minimum): You will write a short reflection that considers all of the following questions. It should make reference to (and correctly cite) at least 2 ideas from the weekly readings.
- What changed between your initial ideas to respond to the class exercises and the media works you ended up making?
- How did you make use of the affordances of the different kinds of media to try to highlight or heighten the different experiences of the senses?
- What is one thing that worked well about each of your media works? What is one thing that didn’t work quite so well about each of your media works?
- How are your ideas about the enacted body developing as a result of making these works?
- Links to weekly blog posts: You will include the hyperlinks for each of your three weekly blog posts.
Assignment 1 examples – weekly submissions
This studio blends assignment 1 and 2, requiring weekly submissions that together make up the two assignments.
ASSIGNMENT#1 & ASSIGNMENT#2 [5 videos + short reflections worth 6% each – 30% of your studio grade in total)
For the first half of the studio we will all be producing individual weekly online videos for our studio Youtube Channel [RMITMedia VidConStudio2019] and writing/recording accompanying short reflections that will posted to your individual mediafactory blog.
You will make 5 videos in total. They are due weekly from Weeks 2-6. They will each be worth 6% of your final grade. [Week 2 responds to Week 1 classes and so on].
Videos will be due Tuesday, 12pm (midday) each week (from Weeks 2-6).
Your videos must have a decent proportion of appropriate quality sound and vision (given you are Media students in a production-oriented degree). We will discuss technical expectations more in class. Suffice to say here that relying predominantly on a mobile phone here will not be acceptable.
The maximum length for your video will change and be specified in the prompts.
Your videos must conform to Australian copyright requirements. We will remind ourselves of these in Week 1.
Each video will be an investigation of form, style and communication – i.e. you will be asked to make videos in the style of different specific online creators or genres each week. This is a way to learn new making skills but also deconstruct some of the production practices of well-known online video (and other kinds of media) makers. A portion of our weekly studio class will be set aside for analysing the creator/genre of the week for the next video and practising by actually doing some of the work.
There will a series of prompts for each video that you must respond to. Some of these prompts will relate to work we do in class the week before. We will record some of the footage for your video in class exercises started in class time (though they may need finishing out of class hours). If you miss that class you will need to do the equivalent work/exercise on your own. Prompts will be available on Canvas at least 9 days before the due date.
Each video must be accompanied by a written reflection on the past week’s studio class (also due weekly on that same date) . The reflection should be 150-250 words and focus on a couple of key moments of learning (rather than trying to cover everything). I’m particularly looking for reflections/insights that cover both the conceptual and media making elements of the studio. It should also include at least one production still showing a key recording setup.
[If you haven’t done any or much reflective academic writing before then see this helpful guide – Reflection / Blogging / Writing]
Each video and reflection will be assessed on the following criteria:
-
- success in addressing all the prompts comprehensively (relative to the time constraints)
- production values: technical competence in shooting and editing
- creativity in approach, storytelling, individual style
- insights via reflection (concepts addressed by the studio; the creative practice; related learning)
Please note:
Videos 1-2 will be assessed within a week of posting.
Videos 3-5 will be assessed as a group after Week 6.
Example video prompt:
PROMPTS FOR VIDEO#1 + REFLECTION (due Wk2, Tues 12pm (midday)
CONSTRAINTS
- must be as close as possible to the typical vlogging style of the vlogbrothers
- (Links to an external site.)
- (see some examples below) – oh, and note that you will be addressing Brian (Studio Leader) instead of Hank or John [so yes, start with ‘Good morning, Brian’ and finish with ‘I’ll see you next Tuesday’]
- overall length to be 3-4 minutes
- must include up to a minute’s footage from our in-class two shot interview exercise (‘vlog interview with a classmate – surprise questions’)
WHAT SHOULD THIS VIDEO BE ABOUT?
- a vlog-style video about you and online media – i.e. how has your identity and life/sense of self/values been shaped by online media?; what kind of online media do you regularly consume?; what online media do you love making and why?; what do you most want to get out of going to vidcon and being part of studio studying it? (note: you don’t have to absolutely directly answer all these specific questions one by one – they are here to help give a sense of what that topic ‘you and media‘ might address … which is another way of saying it should be a reflective account of you and the media not simply a list or description)
- it’s vlog-style this week so it has to be predominantly piece-to-camera [PTC] (check the examples from the vlog brothers below and imitate)
- we will recap copyright issues in our first class – you should be across these by now but a refresher is good for everyone
AND A WRITTEN REFLECTION AS WELL
- Each video must be accompanied by a written reflection on the past week’s studio class (also due weekly on that same date) . The reflection should be 150-250 words and focus on a couple of key moments of learning (rather than trying to cover everything). I’m particularly looking for reflections/insights that cover both the conceptual and media making elements of the studio. It should also include at least one production still showing a key recording setup.
ANOTHER THING
- for this vlog, students are welcome to record/present in their first language (and include subtitles if not in English)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/REFERENCE POINTS
- we will talk about [‘deconstruct’] the significance, history and style of vlogbrothers, Hank and John Green, in Week 1 classes
- examples of what you should emulate
~
Assignment 1 example – early thinking about studio concepts
This assignment asks students to begin to articulate their thoughts about what they think the studio is, and to develop some research and media making that explores some aspect of the studio’s core ideas.
ASSIGNMENT 1
Please write a post that contains hyperlinks to each post then past the URL of that post into the ‘Website URL’ field in Submission Section
You must submit your assignment by the due date via the submission within the assessment.
Assignment 1 – 20% of your overall mark
Prompts for posting
1 Write about what you want from this studio? What do you think this studio is? Outline your goals and desires. Consider the Studio Prompt, Brief and Aims – (minimum 300 words)
2 Reflect on the findings from class exercises and homework (choose 2) and embed the videos in your blog post.
There should be some moment of discovery, an epiphany – If you didn’t have one that was naturally occurring, then you haven’t reflected enough. (minimum 300 words each)
It doesn’t matter if the video is not highly polished. Perhaps if you’ve made different edits you could include the different versions
Compress your edits using these (http://www.mediafactory.org.au/film-tv/post-production/) instructions – Premiere – Compression and Export for Online found on the Film-TV Blog. Then upload it to the relevant folder in the Studio shared google folder and paste a clickable hyperlink or embed it in your blog using the instructions here – follow all instructions – especially aspect ratio
3 The initiative post – This post is for you to research and write on anything related to the aims of the course. You could do some shooting and editing, then upload it to your blog and reflect upon it. Anything…. (minimum 500 words)
You could write about something technical – Exposure, White Balance, Focal Length etc.
You could write about some form of film or media – reality tv, the latest film you saw, your favourite tv show.
You could write about something you noticed – something on the tram the other day, something a friend of yours did etc
Hell, you could even write about something you saw on the internet – Good or bad – as long as you write on something that inspires you.
It must be reflective in nature and not just a description of something i.e. it must help you grow as filmmaker.
Assignment 2 examples – collection of small works
This assignment asks the students to reflect on an earlier gathering of small exploratory works, and create more work to form a deliberate collection around a theme they have chosen or identified in their work.
ASSIGNMENT #2: Collection of small media works and reflection (15%) – Due Friday 11.59pm, 30 August (Week 6)
Assignment 2 – 15% of your overall mark
In this assignment you will use in-class exercises to put together a collection of media works that give a more active ‘lived-in’ sense of the body.
Submitting your Assignment
Please write a post that contains the requirements listed below, and hyperlinks to each weekly post. Then past the URL for this post into the ‘Website URL’ field in Submission Section.
You must submit your assignment through Canvas by the due date via the submission within the assessment.
Assignment 2
You will submit 1 blog post that contains:
- Development (350 word minimum): A short discussion/description/synopsis of the work you aimed to create for each of the weekly exercises in weeks 4, 5 and 6; and how you hope to bring all the weekly exercises so far (weeks 1-6) together to form the collection.
- A collection of 6 short media works: You will embed into this post the collection you have put together from the 6 weekly exercises. Think about how you will present the works together so it’s clear they are a considered collection (we will discuss this in class).
- Reflection (500 word minimum): You will write a short reflection that considers all of the following questions. It should make reference to (and cite correctly) at least 3 ideas from the weekly readings.
- How have the themes identified in the works produced for assignment 1 developed and/or changed for this collection?
- How did you make use of the affordances of the different kinds of media to try to highlight or heighten the different experiences of the senses?
- What is one thing that worked well about each of your media works? What is one thing that didn’t work quite so well about each of your media works?
- How are your ideas about the enacted body developing as a result of making these works?
- What are some ideas you would like to explore further in group work for assignments 3 and 4?
- Links to weekly blog posts: You will include the hyperlinks for each of your six weekly blog posts.
Assignment 2 example – reflection, film analysis, making
This assignment is a collection of different activities, including reflecting on in-class work, in-class exams, analysing an existing film, and developing some media work of the student’s own.
ASSIGNMENT 2
Submitting your Assignment
You must write an index post that contains hyperlinks to each post then past the URL of that post
into the ‘Website URL’ field in Submission Section
You must submit your assignment by the due date via the submission within the assessment.
Assignment 2 – 40% of your overall mark
1 Submission of Making 20% Reflection 20%
You will be marked to the WRITING & the SUBMISSION OF MAKING Rubrics below
Pick 2 of the exercises that we’ve done so far (that you haven’t included in Assessment 1) and write a post on each that includes:
- It doesn’t matter if the video is not highly polished. Perhaps if you’ve made different edits you could include the different versions
- Compress your edits using these instructions – Premiere – Compression and Export for Online found on the Film-TV Blog. Then upload it to your google drive and embed it in your blog using these instructions here (https://docs.google.com/a/rmit.edu.au/document/d/1UyqPUn094Zf3pmx6ArdbHYoyepXZELJ4N1buusp=sharing) – follow all instructions – especially aspect ratio. (This is worth 20% of your mark – therefore it must be done)
Reflection on each video (at least 300 words)
- Each clip should have a concise reflection that is constructive in nature.
- There should be some moment of discovery, an epiphany – If you didn’t have one that was naturally occurring, then you haven’t reflected enough.
- It’s fine for you to re-purpose the writing from the previous assessment but make sure you are progressing with it, building up from it
2 Deconstruction 20%
You find a scene (at least 400 words)
- Find a scene from a film and deconstruct it on the topics of sound, shot construction, camera movement, production design, performance and any other facets of the production you would like to discuss.
- It could be a scene you admire (beware: you might not admire it so much after deconstructing) or a scene you think is flawed, could be improved upon.
- I prefer the latter
- We understand you may not be strong in your analytical language, yet. You will be marked on your insights, your ability to look beyond the artifice
- Paste the hyperlink of the clip in your post or if you have a clip of the scene put it in google drive and paste the link in your post
3 Development of ideas 20% (no word limit)
This is a documentation of the development of your ideas – your individual ideas, prior to forming the groups then your work within the group.
- Present the development of your ideas in a few posts. Include any music, stills, videos, lists, sounds that have inspired or form part of your development.
- It is OK for this writing to be repetitive. That is the nature of it. You write, think about it, rewrite it, move on to the next piece.
- It has to include reflection. It must reveal your reflective practice.
- Your writing for the ideas presented in class is obviously included in this
4 Colour Grade 10%
Please interact with the tutorial here http://www.mediafactory.org.au/film-tv/post-production/
(http://www.mediafactory.org.au/film-tv/post-production/) – Colour Grading
- In a sequence called ‘colour’ of whatever project you’re working on, place clips that are indicative of a particular colour or lighting state.
- To the right of that clip you will have that same clip repeated 3 or more times with different colour grades on it. Hint – google – before and after colour grade.
- Take screenshots of each clip then upload to your blog the series of stills that show us ‘before and afters’ of your colour grading.
- Each with a description of what you did to the clip and why.
- Provide at least 3 clips with 3 grades on each and include the original.
- This is a learning exercise, not a qualitative one, don’t stress – it is the act of doing it and the reflection on that, that is important
- Also, if interested (Bonus Marks!) try Masking and tracking effects here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tmkIhL-8B6jj89ENbT0RYh8Uq4cAEamyQHCnA50MKoM/edit?usp=sharing)
5 In-class exams 10%
In order to reinforce your knowledge and see what is sticking, we will have a series of in-class exams to do this.
Resources for Media Studio Teaching
This section will be a repository for readings, viewings and listenings about studio teaching, and about how studios operate outside of an educational setting.