Course Title: Develop self as artist
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term2 2024
Course Code: BUSM8916C
Course Title: Develop self as artist
Important Information:
Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities.
School: 515T Creative Industries
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6180 - Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting
Course Contact: Alan Woodruff
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4307
Course Contact Email: alan.woodruff@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Teacher: Neil Triffett
Nominal Hours: 60
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None.
Course Description
In this course you will consider and develop plans for your own screenwriting practice. You will focus on a particular project from your growing slate of material, aiming to create a visual proof of concept and an oral pitch for your original feature film, TV series, webseries or other project.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
CUAPPR414 Develop self as artist |
Element: |
1. Refine arts practice skills |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Plan strategies for improvement of own arts practice skills 1.2 Identify and undertake opportunities to improve own technical and creative skills using identified practice, feedback, discussion and evaluation opportunities 1.3 Keep up to date with industry trends and issues using identified sources of information 1.4 Develop own arts practice using different identified opportunities |
Element: |
2. Develop own style or voice in arts practice |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Explore different creative thinking techniques and generate ideas and integrate them into own arts practice 2.2 Discuss ideas with applicable people and apply knowledge gained when informing own practice 2.3 Experiment safely and sustainably with new ideas in different genres and interpretations using practice time 2.4 Study the work of others and stimulate own conceptual and technical skills, considering intellectual property implications 2.5 Explore and use technology where applicable and expand own practice |
Element: |
3. Evaluate own work |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Seek and apply constructive feedback from required people to improve own work 3.2 Evaluate work against planned strategy for developing own arts practice 3.3 Identify place of own work in relation to other artists in own area of practice 3.4 Adjust processes, techniques and practice as necessary and improve technical, conceptual and commercial outcomes |
Element: |
4. Pursue work opportunities |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Identify and review sources of information on work opportunities 4.2 Identify and access industry networks and events, and generate work opportunities 4.3 Develop and distribute promotional material about self as required |
Learning Outcomes
On completing this course, you will have added to and enhanced your slate of original projects, created a proof of concept item for a particular project, and gained crucial experience in pitching your own material.
Details of Learning Activities
In this course, you learn through:
1. In-class activities:
- lectures
- teacher directed group activities/projects
- class exercises to review discussions/lectures
- peer teaching and class presentations
- group discussion
- class exercises to review discussions/lectures
- analysis/critique of students’ writings
2. Out-of-class activities:
- independent project based work
- writing and reading assignments
- online and other research
- independent study
Teaching Schedule
Note: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability of resources.
Week |
Content |
Assessment due |
|
1 Fri 19th July |
Overview of content and discussion of course content AT1,2,3 – briefing and planning Finding your voice in the screen industry Pitching yourself Review new Assessment Submissions Guidelines |
|
|
2 Fri 26th July |
What makes an idea viable? Screenwriting challenges: Finances, distraction, rejection Further discussion of AT1 |
|
|
3 Fri 2nd August |
Exploration of Low Budget Filmmaking as a Strategy for Emerging Filmmakers/Writers Guest Q&A: Former RMIT student talks about their first year after the course. |
Assessment #1 Part A Due |
|
4 Fri 9th Aug |
AT1 Part B group feedback sessions |
Assessment #1 Part B Due |
|
5 Fri 16th Aug |
AT1 Part C Questions + Planning for AT1 Part D | |
|
6 Fri 23rd Aug |
Exploration of Pitch Documents |
|
|
7 Fri 30th Aug |
All about 'How to Pitch' Class time to work on AT3 Pitch |
Assessment #1 Part C & D Due |
|
MID SEMESTER BREAK: Mon 2nd Sep - Fri 6th Sep |
|
|
8 Fri 13th Sept |
Industry Guest Q&A (Mackenzie Lush from Vic Screen): Development funding and how it can help emerging filmmakers Industry Guest Q&A (Bryant Apolonio from the Australian Writers’ Guild): Contracts and industrial clout |
|
|
9 Fri 20th Sept |
AT2 PART A Individual Meetings (to be scheduled and announced a couple weeks prior) |
Assessment Task #2 PART A due |
|
10 Fri 27th Sept |
AT2 PART A Individual Meetings (to be scheduled and announced a couple weeks prior) |
Assessment Task #2 PART A due |
|
11 Fri 4th Oct |
Pitching Practice Session |
|
|
12 Fri 11th Oct |
Assessment Task #3 Part A - Pitch meetings with Neil + Tim Marshall |
Assessment task #3 PART A due
|
|
13 Fri 18th Oct |
Assessment Task #3 Part A - Pitch meetings with Neil + Tim Marshall |
Assessment task #3 PART A due Assessment Task #2 PART B due |
|
14 Fri 25th Oct |
Assessment Task #3 Part A - Pitch meetings with Neil + Tim Marshall |
|
|
15 Fri 1st Nov |
Debrief from Pitches - overview of learning and next steps in your career |
Assessment task #3 PART B due |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
You will require access to a computer and to the internet for this course. RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems and access to specialised facilities and relevant software. You will also have access to the library resources.
The University Library has extensive resources and provides subject specialist expertise, research advice, help with referencing and support through:
The Learning Lab
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/learning-lab
The Study Support Hub
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/study-support-hub
Overview of Assessment
Assessment is ongoing throughout the course. Assessment will incorporate a range of methods to assess performance and the application of knowledge and skills and will include participation in class exercises, oral presentations and practical writing tasks. Full assessment briefs will be provided.
Assessment Tasks
Students enrolled in Vocational Education and Training qualifications are assessed for Competency. To be assessed as Competent means you have consistently demonstrated the required knowledge and skills at a standard expected in the workplace. To be assessed as Competent in this course, you will need to complete each assessment task to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback from the teacher at the conclusion of each assessment task.
You should refer to the assessment brief which is available through Canvas for full assessment criteria.
Assessment Task 1: Developing your career and voice: Part A due Week 3, Part B due Week 4, Parts C & D due Week 7
Part A: Prepare a screenwriter’s profile
Develop a profile for yourself as a screenwriter which you can use to promote yourself.
Part B: Evaluating project ideas
In a group discussion with other students, you will present your screenwriter’s profile (who you are, what you’ve done, your unique perspective as a writer) and three different project ideas, including genre, format and logline for each.
Part C: Written questions
You are required to answer a series of screenwriting career-related questions
Part D: Industry engagement
Select a screenwriter of your choice whom you will need to interview, for example via email, the artist’s social media sites, the artist’s own website etc.
You will need to ask the screenwriter specific questions to enable you to complete the points below.
- Reflect on what you learned from the screenwriter (their work, their ideas/voice as writer, the lessons they’ve learnt through career development), and how these learnings can be applied to your own career development.
- What were the creative processes and creative thinking techniques of the screenwriter? How might these techniques be applied to your own process and how might they help develop your practice as a screenwriter?
- Describe intellectual property and copyright issues that can arise for a screenwriter. How can these be considered and resolved?
Assessment Task 2: Develop your pitch materials: Part A due Weeks 9 & 10, Part B due Week 13
Part A: Draft pitch document
You will need to create a pitch document that includes visual and written material that summarises, pitches and promotes an original screen project on your development slate.
Part B: Refine and complete your pitch document
In your final pitch document, you are to demonstrate how you have taken on board the professional feedback received in Part A, to refine and finalise your pitch document.
Assessment Task 3: Present your verbal pitch, Part A due Weeks 12–14, Part B due Week 14
Part A: Verbal pitch
You will present a 5 minute oral pitch for an original screen project to industry personnel as if you were seeking to gain their involvement in the project. You will have a further 5 minutes to discuss the project, field questions, and receive evaluation and feedback.
Part B: Reflection
After your pitch, you will write a 300 – 400 word reflection. Identify and describe feedback given by industry personnel on your verbal pitch and reflect on how this can specifically help inform development of your project. Evaluate your performance in the pitch, and the challenges that arose. How might you improve your pitch for next time?
Once you have achieved competency for all assessments in a unit of competency, you will receive an overall result. If you have not completed an assessment task to a satisfactory standard, you will be given an opportunity to resubmit that task within one week of receiving feedback from your teacher. If the resubmission is deemed unsatisfactory, the matter will be referred to the Program Coordinator.
Results that apply to courses that are delivered and assessed in accordance with competency-based assessment are:
CA: Competency Achieved
NYC: Not Yet Competent
DNS: Did not Submit
Assessment Matrix
The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant unit of competency. These matrices are available through Program Administration.
Other Information
Attendance
Your learning experience will involve class-based teaching, discussion, demonstration and practical exercises
It is strongly advised that you attend all timetabled sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully.
Information about your studies
You can access My Studies through the RMIT website for information about timetables, important dates, assessment dates, results and progress, Canvas etc.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students
Assessment
Information on assessment including Special consideration, Adjustments to assessment, (eg. applying for an extension of time):
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/academic-integrity
Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Credit transfer is the recognition of previously completed formal learning (an officially accredited qualification).
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment process that allows you to demonstrate competence using the skills you have gained through experience in the workplace, voluntary work, informal or formal training or other life experiences.
Please speak to your teacher if you wish to discuss applying for Credit Transfer or RPL for the unit(s) of competency addressed in this course.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/enrolment/apply-for-credit
Course Overview: Access Course Overview