Module Description

The module will run over the first two terms and is designed to give students a thorough grounding in 360  and interactive storytelling. The module will involve pre-production and research, the creation of a written proposal, introductory exercises leading to the production of a series of two assessed practical training exercises carried out in small teams, increasing in length and complexity.  Each exercise isolates and focuses on the techniques and content of a specific aspect of immersive factual experiences:  a factual 360 film and an interactive 360 experience incorporating CG.  These projects will be supervised by the course tutors.

There will be regular information assessments to monitor student receptivity and technical clinics and workshops for students to gain extra skills.  Students will also produce a written critical evaluation essay for each assessed practical exercise reflecting on the work process.

Throughout this module you will be encouraged to integrate the learning outcomes from your option modules – which be chosen with this in mind - into your practical project work.

Areas of study Include:

- workshops on narrative structure, direction, interviewing along with finding good stories and contributors that are meaningful to each student;

- critical analysis of the current body of 360º, immersive sound and VR work

- ethics of immersive storytelling

- an understanding of the audience role in immersive experiences and user journey

- exercises to develop awareness of interactivity and how it can be used to tell and enhance stories

- exploration of styles of immersive filmmaking to find those that best fit the stories you wish to tell about the social world around us.

- practical immersive film training in 360º camera, sound, editing, computer graphics, coding (for game engine application) and production (including planning and pitching)

Learning Outcomes: 

On completion of the module students will be able to:

1.  Produce 360 camerawork to professional level, often, given the technological challenges of operating higher end 360 cameras, as part of a team. The camera work should exhibit sophisticated storytelling ability;
	2. Conceive, plan and produce an effective VR experience
	3. Effectively communicate a vision to additional members of the team, to tutors, mentors and industry professionals;
	4. Manage a VR project carried out by themselves in multidisciplinary teams
	5. Research stories for immersive work
	6. Have a basic understanding of the ethics of documentary production and those of Immersive production in particular. 
	7. Pitch their projects succinctly and with impact
	8. critique and evaluate their own and other VR work.
 

Delivery Method:

From the beginning of the course students will be engaged in practical exercises, workshops on narrative structure, viewings, demonstrations and discussions. There will be regular informal formative assessments for tutors to identify students who may be struggling or students who need extra challenges.  These will not contribute to final course marks.

There will also be regular workshops with visiting experts, clinics for students to get extra help with technical problems and sessions where we will together review and critique a VR experience (which students will be expected to watch before the class).

Term 1

 much of the week is made up of regular lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials along with time to complete practical exercises.

Term 2

 class based work is reduced and students have more time to work on projects with help and guidance from mentors and tutors in small group seminars.

 

Additional Information :

Students collaborate in groups for their projects to build the skills necessary to work in a collaborative spirit once they are out in the industry.

The Course Leader and tutors monitor group work, keep track of individual students work allocations (according to production areas, ie.  sound, post production, direction, project management) and engage with individual students regularly to assess their work in order to arrive at a summative assessment of individuals working within a group.

For each project students are required to provide a Pre Production Folder comprising a set of documents detailing their planning, logistics and pre production work.  After each project, student production teams receive verbal feedback which includes an assessment and analysis of their pre production work.  

The assessment for each project includes a critical evaluation, written by each student individually.    

 

 

 