School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Screen Documentary Lab
  • Unit Code

    MSP6110
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Catherine HENKEL

Description

Documentaries capture the real world and craft them into powerful stories that open new ways of understanding our world to their audiences. In this unit, students learn the core principles of documentary filmmaking, deconstructing exemplary examples of the form and exploring methods, styles and tools for effective real-world storytelling. Students will collaborate to create a short-form documentary project and explore the development pathways for longer form work.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the core principles and creative tools used in the documentary storytelling format to produce engaging and informative content
  2. Assess the relevant cultural and ethical issues relating to their chosen documentary subject of investigation to formulate a detailed documentary development plan.
  3. Communicate effectively to pitch a project and work as a member of a team in a professional setting on a documentary project.
  4. Critically reflect on their personal contributions and team dynamics in the documentary production process.

Unit Content

  1. Core principles of documentary filmmaking, including exemplary examples of the form, and methods, styles and tools for effective real-world storytelling.
  2. Idea pitching and crew work on a short form documentary project.
  3. Documentary development and production plans.
  4. Documentary specific crew tasks and responsibilities, including participant and crew safety and care plan.
  5. Specialised documentary collaboration and teamwork skills.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered13 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

In addition to participating in timetabled classes, students will need to be available to participate in additional production work. Timetables for these will be developed at the start of the unit. Students with a strong interest in documentary will be able to develop concepts for further exploration in the Screen Production Major Project units and Independent Project unit.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Tutorial PresentationDocumentary pitch40%
PortfolioProcess work portfolio and self-evaluation 60%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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