KPB221 Screen Project Development

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit equips you as a developing screen content creator with the concepts and skills for project development and pre-production. It addresses the roles played by producers, directors, writers, script editors and other craft practitioners in the creative process. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. This tried and tested adage applies to every crew member and department involved in screen productions. Hard-to-come-by financing, tight budgets and schedules, and the expectation for high quality, innovative content mean that the planning phase of project development and pre-production is essential. Indeed, it is important for you who wish to work in contemporary screen industries to understand the nature and importance of these critical phases.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Analyse key information about audiences and market trends to inform the development of a screen project proposal.
2. Construct a viable proposal for a screen project that combines creative concepts with practical considerations.
3. Take a critically constructive role as a member of a creative team in the development of a screen project proposal.
4. Clearly communicate the key elements of a potential screen project verbally and in writing.

Content

Learning Approaches

There are three learning activities: lectures, tutorials, and workshops. Tutorials which will be offered focusing on advanced screenwriting techniques and approaches.Workshops will help develop advanced production and post-production skills to build key skills toward completing audio-visual materials for potential screen projects over the semester. They will also include some formal instruction. Attendance and participation are expected. You are also expected to continue self-directed work on the development of projects outside of class time.

You will create and deliver key “deliverables” such as pitch documents, sizzle reels, oral pitches, script elements and craft style guides, towards expressing and guiding the continued development of potential final-year short-form screen content.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive formative feedback that helps you improve your learning in some or all of the following ways:

• discussion and feedback with teaching staff on concepts and the design of your screen proposal
• a range of formative exercises which involve problem solving and in-class discussion
• feedback from peers during class and in the process of conducting the group project
• formative feedback from teaching staff on Assessments 1 and 2, provided individually on criterion referenced grading sheets, and in general terms to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas website.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessments for this unit: one is a group screen project proposal, and the other an individual plan. You are required to conduct research and plan and pitch your proposals, applying the knowledge you have gained regarding screen audiences, markets, creative team roles and project development. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your developing oral and written communication skills.

Faculty Assessment Information
To access the Faculty Assessment Information see the Canvas site for this unit. This includes information on assignment submission, late assignments and assignment extensions.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Screen Project Proposal - The Emotional Journey

Develop and present a proposed central protagonist's Emotional Journey for an original short-form screen project concept (factual or fictional).

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Project Pitch and Proposal

As a member of a group, verbally pitch ideas for screen projects, including the presentation of a sizzle reel, and submit written proposals for your documentary and narrative ideas.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

All students and staff who access campus buildings and facilities are required to complete the Tier 1 General Health and Safety Induction. This must be completed online.

Costs

In this unit, you may incur costs associated with such things as additional equipment and materials not already provided for by QUT, travel to locations and accommodation, art direction, costumes and make-up, music composition and copyright clearances, payment for actors, and catering.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Hauge, M. (2006) Selling Your Story in 60 in Seconds, Michael Wiese.

Hauge, M. (2011) Writing Screenplays That Sell, Methuen Drama.

Reference book(s)

Chater, K. (1998) Production Research: An Introduction, Focal Press.

Cury, I. (2002) Directing and Producing for Television, Focal Press.

Dannenbaum, J. (2003) Creative Filmmaking from the Inside Out, Simon and Schuster.

Edwards, Rona (2005) I Liked It, Didn’t Love It: screenplay development from the inside-out, LA: Lone Eagle Publishing.

Goldberg, L. and Rabkin, W. (2003) Successful Television Writing, Wiley.

Rabiger, M. & Hurbis-Cherrier, M. (2013) Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics, Focal Press.

In addition to the required texts and recommended references, there will be links to resources on the unit Canvas website.

Risk Assessment Statement

For risks associated with using campus buildings or facilities, refer to the Tier 1 General Health and Safety Induction. This must be completed online.

Where substantial computer-based work is required, you are recommended to take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work, and ensure that your workstation is set up for optimal comfort to prevent strain or injury. 

Every project is different and the risks are unique to that project. When working on film and television productions you are required to provide appropriate risk plans of your projects prior to receiving equipment. The risk plan should look at the scope of the project and document responses to possible scenarios that might be encountered. The prevention and avoidance of risk should be addressed by: ELIMINATION of the risk, SUBSTITUTION of the risk, ISOLATION of the risk, ENGINEERING to remove the risk, ADMINISTRATION of the risk and the use of PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

Note: If in your considered opinion, there is a potential for an accident to occur, the activity should be abandoned and advice sought from specialists, supervisors or lecturers. It should be noted that even if this risk plan has been done and/or advice and consultation has been sought from lecturers or other consultants, the liability for risk management still rests, in the final instance, with the students responsible for the project.

QUT takes its obligations to the Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 very seriously. You as a student, must also meet your obligations under the Act. This can be done in different ways, but you are obliged to take action to manage exposure to risk.

There are Regulations, Advisory Standards and Industry Codes of Practice, to meet your obligations under the Act you must comply with these. You must take reasonable precautions and exercise proper diligence in making sure the risk is managed.

Students have an obligation to exercise care when operating equipment and to follow instructions as to the safe operation of the equipment, safe manual handling and the use of safety devices and personal protective equipment.

STUDENTS WORKING ON FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE RISK PLAN HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED FOR THAT PROJECT AND THAT IT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBER.

A QUT Risk Plan Form for Student Productions and an accompanying Risk Plan Guidelines should be accessed and downloaded from the KPB221 Canvas site.

For students working on campus and/or accessing QUT production equipment, the following applies:

RESPONSIBILITY: Equipment faults and damage must be reported to Equipment Loans Centre (ELC) staff as soon as possible.

Students are responsible for ensuring equipment is secure and at no risk of damage. Action will be taken against anyone responsible for wilful damage or theft of QUT property.

SECURITY: Z6, the hub, offers 24 hour swipe card access. Consequently, the equipment you use there, your personal possessions and your personal safety are at risk unless everyone complies with the security regulations pertaining to this facility. Admission is by your own student card only. Do not let anyone in on your card unless prior authorisation has been given by the Discipline Head. Under no circumstance should you give your student card to anyone else. These rules will be strictly enforced and anyone who breaks them will be subject to harsh disciplinary action by the university.

Course Learning Outcomes

KK34 Bachelor of Fine Arts

1. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of the techniques and concepts underpinning your field of creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2
2. Demonstrate complex problem solving through iterative experimentation and the creative and critical development of ideas and outcomes.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2
3. Demonstrate technical proficiency in at least one area of your field of creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO4
4. Represent and promote your work in ways relevant to your creative field.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO4
5. Discern, critically analyse and synthesise knowledge in complex creative practice settings.
   Relates to: ULO3
6. Work productively as a leader and collaborator in disciplinary and interdisciplinary creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO3