Film Technology by GLOUCESTERSHIRE COLLEGE FILM & MEDIA

COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT BRIEF ACADEMIC YEAR 2016 - 2017

THE ARRI ALEXA PRODUCTION CAMERA

MODULE

FILM TECHNOLOGY

ASSESSMENT TITLE

TECHNICAL REPORT ON PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIER

GLOSBCU1001

SCHOOLS

BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY: DIGITAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGY

WEIGHTING: 100% OF MODULE GRADE

GLOUCESTERSHIRE COLLEGE: DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & MEDIA ASSESSMENT HAND OUT DATE

WEDNESDAY 5 TH OCTOBER 2016

MODULE CO-ORDINATOR

JOE SUDLOW

ASSESSMENT HAND IN DATE

FRIDAY 13TH JANUARY 2017 (DEADLINE 4.30PM)

RE-ASSESSMENT HAND IN

TO BE CONFIRMED

SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A RE-ASSESSMENT

Timetabled revision sessions will be arranged for the period immediately preceding the hand in date.

NOTE:

At the first assessment attempt, the full range of marks are available. At the reassessment the mark is capped and the maximum mark that can be achieved is 40%

ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

This assignment will require you to design a test and write a 2000 word processed technical report on a specific piece of equipment used in film production.

CONTACT: joe.sudlow@gloscol.ac.uk

IMPORTANT STATEMENT Both cheating and plagiarism are totally unacceptable and the University maintains a strict policy against them. It is YOUR responsibility to be aware of this policy and to act accordingly. Please refer to the Academic Registry Guidance at https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/Academic-Registry/Information-for-Students/Assessment/Avoiding-Allegations-ofCheating

The basic principles are:         

Don’t pass off anyone else’s work as your own, including work from “essay banks”. This is plagiarism and is viewed extremely seriously by the University. Don’t submit a piece of work in whole or in part that has already been submitted for assessment elsewhere. This is called duplication and, like plagiarism, is viewed extremely seriously by the University. Always acknowledge all of the sources that you have used in your coursework assignment or project. If you are using the exact words of another person, always put them in quotation marks. Check that you know whether the coursework is to be produced individually or whether you can work with others. If you are doing group work, be sure about what you are supposed to do on your own. Never make up or falsify data to prove your point. Never allow others to copy your work. Never lend disks, memory sticks or copies of your coursework to any other student in the University; this may lead you being accused of collusion.

By submitting coursework, either physically or electronically, you are confirming that it is your own work (or, in the case of a group submission, that it is the result of joint work undertaken by members of the group that you represent) and that you have read and understand the University’s guidance on plagiarism and cheating. Students should be aware that, at the discretion of the module coordinator, coursework may be submitted to an electronic detection system in order to help ascertain if any plagiarised material is present. Students should also be aware that it is their responsibility to ensure that work submitted in electronic format can be opened on a faculty computer and to check that any electronic submissions have been successfully uploaded. If it cannot be opened it will not be marked. Any required file formats will be specified in the assignment brief and failure to comply with these submission requirements will result in work not being marked.

ASSIGNMENT MODULE

FILM TECHNOLOGY

QUALIFICATION

BSc FILM PRODUCTION WITH APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

HAND OUT DATE

WEDNESDAY 5 TH OCTOBER 2016

ASSIGNMENT HAND IN

FRIDAY 13 TH JANUARY 2017 (4.30PM)

CREDITS

20 (AT LEVEL 6)

LEARNING OUTCOMES TO BE ASSESSED:

Understand specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies as they apply to their chosen role in moving image production (links with Film Production & Direction module).

Be able to use lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies (as applicable) to conduct practical tests to measure specific performance indicators and evidence limitations.

ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:

While imagination and creativity are the raw materials that feed moving image production; technology continues to transform the process of creation itself. As an emerging filmmaker, about to go into your own production, you need to understand the advantages and limits of current technology and equipment. For this assignment, you will write a 2000 word processed report researching and critiquing ONE selected topic in a specialist area (This can be in either CAMERA, LIGHTING, SOUND or POST PRODUCTION). You should 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Select a specific topic of interest Conduct primary and secondary research into existing knowledge surrounding the topic Study tests that have been carried out by other professionals After looking at various tests, select and modify one to suit your purpose Conduct your tests Provide analysis and critique of your methodology Analyse, discuss, interpret and critique your methods and results in a 2000-word report. Submit recorded evidence of the tests as audio visual material with annotations in a PDF presentation.

IMPORTANT: The student should conduct a portfolio of practical tests / investigations to supports their technical report and submit these in the accompanying digital folder. The technical report and folder should be complimentary with significant reference to appropriate theoretical texts. The technical report should c ontain annotations (annotations are not included in the overall word count) diagrams, photographs, reference images and drawings. You can also submit an appendix document of annotations to support your technical report.

YOUR SUBMISSION SHOULD CONTAIN: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

PORTFOLIO OF PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIONS & RESULTS (TO BE DETERMINED BY THEIR CHOSEN SPECIALIST AREA). PRESENTED AS TIME BASED MEDIA, AUDIO, OR, AND IMAGES. 2000 WORD REPORT DISCUSSING EXISTING KNOWLEDGE, METHODS, RESULTS & IMPLICATIONS. REFERENCE LIST IN THE HARVARD REFERENCE FORMAT BIBLIOGRAPHY IN THE HARVARD REFERENCE FORMAT ANNOTATIONS IN SUPPLEMENTARY PDF DOCUMENT

SUBMISSION FORMATS:    

TECHNICAL REPORT: PDF MOVING IMAGES: AS .MOV FILES IMAGES OUTSIDE THE WRITTEN REPORT: JPEGS AUDIO FILES: MPEG 3 / MPEG 4

Below are suggestions on areas you could investigate: CAMERA       

Resolution Sensor sizes Sensor design Colour depth Image noise Filters Dynamic range

LENSES        

Sharpness Coatings Lens construction Anamorphic systems Lens aberrations Lens colour Edge drop off Lens rotation

SOUND        

Dynamic range Headroom Polar patterns Microphone characteristics Frequency response Filters Mixers versus recorders Timecode

POST PRODUCTION          

Luminance in colour correction Vectors and scopes The Digital Imaging Technician’s data transfer workflow Timeline functions in corresponding non-linear editing systems Tool functions in corresponding non-linear editing systems Codecs Compression Working with raw data RAID systems in digital post productions Building effective edit systems for 4K editing

NOTE: 1.

The suggestions above are just that……. suggestions. Film technology is a broad subject. You are free to select a topic that interests you.

Your report should focus on something specific and attempt to go into detailed discussion / critique.

The objective here is to interpret your results using evidence from the experiment while making reference to accepted peer reviewed knowledge (from journals, research papers, industry magazine articl es etc.)

Your report must contain a bibliography and reference list in the Harvard format.

Marking Criteria

Undergraduate bands 0 – 39% Fail

Criterion 1

40 – 49% Third

50 – 59% 2:2

60 – 69% 2:1

70 – 79% First

80 – 100% First

Understand specific lighting, camera, sound and post production technologies as they apply to their chosen role in moving image production (links with Film Production & Direction module).

Mark:

Non submission of report / folder Student submitted work that shows insufficient understanding of specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies.

Criterion 2

Be able to use lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies (as applicable) to conduct practical tests to measure specific performance indicators and evidence limitations.

Mark:

Student did not use lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests Insufficient use of lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests.

Sufficient understanding of specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies as they apply to moving image production.

Good understanding of specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies as they apply to moving image production.

Very good understanding of specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies as they apply to moving image production.

Excellent understanding of specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies as they apply to moving image production.

Sufficient use of lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests.

Good use of lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests.

Very good use of lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests.

Excellent use of lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests.

Student has identified specific and measureable performance indicators. But the work may lack definition and focus.

Student has identified specific and measureable performance indicators. Work has definition and focus.

Student has identified specific and measureable performance indicators. Work is w ell focused (specific points are elaborated) w ith clear understanding show n of the limitations of the tests.

Students highlights some limitations & w ays in w hich the tests could be improved. Work may contain limited discussion on areas for further testing.

Student highlights limitations & w ays in w hich the tests can be improved. Work contains detailed discussion on areas for further testing.

There will be little or no attempt to discuss limitations of the the evidence gathered

There is discussion of the limitations of the evidence gathered but there are shortcomings in clarity and omissions.

Excellent understanding of specific lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies as they apply to moving image production. Work will expertly relate theory to practice and specifically connect this to application in moving images

Excellent use of lighting, camera, sound or post production technologies to conduct practical tests. Student has identified specific and measureable performance indicators. Work is w ell focused (specific points are elaborated) w ith clear understanding show n of the limitations of the tests. Student highlights limitations & w ays in w hich the tests can be improved. Work contains detailed discussion on areas for further testing.

Tests highlight legitimate areas for development within the technology.

Criterion 3 Mark:

Compare, contrast, discriminate and critique existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests, within their specialism. No critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests. Insufficient critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests.

Insufficient critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests. Limited critical appraisal of the technology used with short comings in depth, analysis and testing methods.

Good critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests. Good critical analysis of the technology based on secondary research and student’s own tests.

Very good critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests.

Excellent critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests.

Very good critical analysis of the technology based on secondary research and student’s own tests.

Excellent critical analysis of the technology based on secondary research and student’s own tests.

References are used consistently to show holistic thinking between theory, practice, critique and evaluation.

Multiple and relevant references are used consistently to show holistic thinking between theory, practice, critique and evaluation.

Excellent critique of existing lighting, sound or post production technologies in the context of existing theories and individual student led practical tests. Excellent critical analysis of the technology based on secondary research and student’s own tests. Multiple and relevant references are used consistently to show holistic thinking between theory, practice, critique and evaluation. Student highlights research in the avant-garde of the field and may define how this research will assist transcend existing limitations.

Each element and the overall grade will be marked according to the following grade boundaries:

Fail

3rd Class

2:2

2:1

1st Class

< 40 %

40 – 49%

50 – 59%

60 – 69%

> 70%