Concept Development Assessment 07

Concept Development COSC1014
Assessment 2007

How will I demonstrate my learning in the course?

There are five components of work that will be assessed in this course:

1. Digital Storytelling: City Stories narrative project. 20% – Due week 6

2. Class Presentation of Major Project Proposal: 15% – Due week 7

3. A proposal document of 2 pages minimum 15% – Due week 8

(This will enable you to make changes based on peer feedback.)

4. The Major Project: 40% – Due week 13

5. Blog (electronic visual diary) 10% – Due week 13
All students are required to present 5 Blog entries that respond
to the class material, external influences on your art practice,
programming, and production choices.

Digital Storytelling: City Stories 20%

Students are required to produce a 1-2 minute film or equivalent interactive
project exploring notions of the city. The “City Stories” assignment has a focus
on promoting strategies and skills in conceptualisation and construction of
time-based narrative projects.
This project aims to improve skills in the following areas:

Brainstorm- Get an idea.
Synopsis
Script.
Storyboard.
Camera angles and shot construction
Data Collection (images, sounds, video, etc).
Organise data in folders.
Edit data.
Production
Publication

Class Presentation/Pitch of Major Project Proposal 15%

The 10 minute presentation of your proposal to the class provides a valuable opportunity to road test your ideas and get feedback from your peers. It is required that you put together a presentation that clearly outlines the inspiration, aims and proposed outcomes of your major project. Supporting documentation may take the form of a visual presentation, or you may choose to present physical objects or soundscapes, etc. Discussion of your presentation with the tutor is highly recommended. Note: This exercise will be assessed on your ability to produce a well planned, and professional presentation. Please allow time for questions from
the class after the presentation.

Proposal Document 15%

All students are required to hand in a written proposal document (2 pages) and any supporting material used in the presentation. The proposal will outline what you intend to produce as your major project.
Note: The proposal document must be presented as a hardcopy document. No soft copies documents will be accepted.

The Major Project 40%

The major project may take the form of either a “Research Document” or a “Hands-on Project”. Students selecting the “Research Document” must provide an in-depth analysis of the process and the necessary supporting documentation required for the production of the project.
Students selecting the “Hands-on Project” must complete an operational prototype and a 2 page document (approx 500 words) providing a detailed overview, or walkthrough the project.

Electronic Blog 10%

Submit your best 5 entries from your blog. The blog is intended to promote research and critique skills. Students are encouraged to document works and experiences relevant to the
course work.

Tutor: Dean Keep
Email:dean.keep@rmit.edu.au

URL: www.conceptdevelopment.wordpress.com

Also see my Mobile Movie blog

www.mediamongrel.wordpress.com

Second Life: Your Online Virtual Community.

Is corporeal chaos causing you a cartesian conundrum?
Second Life (SL) is an online virtual community that
offers users the convenience of building your dream
self and lifestyle without having to leave your computer.

You can earn real dollars in SL, so why not set up shop
and forget about the 9-5 hussle and bussle.
Join the happy people at SL, forge a new career and share
good times with your close circle of avatars.

Enjoy!

“Ning” and “43 Things”: Online social networking.

Okay, so the world is a weird place full of self absorbed and shallow
people that you have nothing in common with, or is it? Online social
networks provide people with an opportunity to communicate,
share media, and discuss goals with networked people from around
the world.

At ning.com, you can blog, upload images and video all at the one site.
It’s like a one-stop-shop for social software junkies. Think youtube.com
with more options.

Or maybe you are just trying to find people with the same dreams and
aspirations as yourself. No problems there, just check out the 43 things
site to find people with similar goals. Perhaps you always planned to
learn French, or you had a dream to trek across the Himalyas. At
43 Things, you can share your dreams and inspire others to achieve
the lofty heights of self improvement regimes.You can also get
support from your online peers.

You can find out more about 43 Things at the link below.
http://www.unc.edu/~mchabib/43things/

Enjoy!

Machinima: D.I.Y. Drama.

The world of Machinima is a fascinating space where the writer/ artist
is able to re-purpose and re-contextualise existing visual game forms.
More info on machinima and Leo Berkeley’s machinima drama “Ending with
Andre” is availablefor download at Leo’s blog
http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~e21249/blog/?p=7

If you are still wanting more, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t these days.
I suggest you check out the following great resources.

The Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences
http://www.machinima.org/

Machinima.com
http://www.machinima.com/

“High-Performance Play: The Making of Machinima” by Henry
Lowood at Stanford University is available for download at the link below.
www.stanford.edu/~lowood/Texts/highperformanceplay_finaldraft.pdf

Enjoy!

Dean.

Mobile Phone Photography/Video Exhibition 07

The mobile phone camera has become a window to the world, a ubiquitious
media device recording the emphemera of our daily lives. So what happens when
you take these little low resolution images off the phone and blow them up into
large photographic prints?

“The Order of Magnitude” is a photographic exhibition with a difference.

Working from a manifesto that embraces the “Low Res” and celebrates
the visual digital debris produced by the mobile-phone camera
are a group of 4 artists determined to explore the unique qualities
and constraints afforded by the mobile phone camera.

Using enlarged photographs and video from mobile-phones to explore
notions of place and memory, this exhibition presents the viewer with
an engaging representation of the familiar, the mundane and the everyday.

The exhibition opens August 14, 2007 at The First Site Gallery.
Located at the vaulted basement of Storey Hall at 344 Swanston St, Melbourne.

Top Ten Tips for making Mobile Movies

Making Mobile Movies is a fun way to
get creative and make the most of your
mobile phone. You can use a mini dv,
digital camera or the digital video function
on your phone to make the movie.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Plan your mobile movie.
Brainstorm ideas and decide
what your movie is about?

2. How long is a mobile movie?
Short and sweet is the name of the game.
1-3 minutes work best.

3. Create a script and storyboard.
Don’t write an epic! A simple story is all you need.
Remember: you are only making a short film.
(storyboard templates and tips can be found online)

4. Start filming.
-Frame shots tightly.
-Avoid long shots. Close-ups work best.
-Excessive panning and movement can create blurry footage,
but that can also give your film a unique look.
-Experiment and create new ways of shooting and framing content.
-Bold, strong colours stand out best on the small screen.
-Lighting is very important, so choose well lit
locations, or add additional light sources.
Note: Poor lighting results in footage that can be difficult
to view on mobile phone screens.

5. Edit your movie.
Transfer your footage to the computer and edit using
digital editing software such as imovie, final cut pro, after effects, premiere, etc.
Remember to put your best foot forward.
Save as you go and only use the footage that best illustrates your story.
Remove poor quality footage and re-shoot where necessary.

6. Save your completed movie.
When you are happy with your footage, it’s time to save your movie.
I recommend exporting a full quality version to your desktop
This way you will always have a full quality original that you can play on a wide variety of formats.

7. Create a Mobile Movie file.
Remember size is important. Aim for the smallest file size that allows the best quality audio and vision. Open your movie in “Quicktime Pro” then experiment with the export options tab to control the file size and quality of your movie.
You may want to make multiple copies at different settings and compare them. Note down your “Quicktime Pro” settings so you can repeat the process if necessary. When you are happy with your movie, simply save it as a 3gpp file. Some editing applications can also export 3gpp files that will be ready to play on your mobile phone.

8. Transfer your Movie to your Phone
Use the bluetooth application on the computer, a card reader or a mobile phone connection lead to transfer the movie to your phone.

9. Play the movie on the phone
Share the fruits of your labour with friends via MMS, email or web.
You may want to enter your movie into a Mobile Movie festival

10. Congratulations!
You are now a mobile movie maker.
Take a seat in the directors chair and give yourself a pat on the back.
Now you are reday to make another mobile movie.

Enjoy,

Dean.

Mobile Media Considerations: What are the key issues?

I have been running classes on producing narrative based content
on the mobile phone for a few years now. Over that period
the mobile media industry has continued to flourish and
this has led to technological improvements in phone design
and data capabilities. The mobile phone has become a lifestyle
management tool and a portal for advertising, television and movie content.

But are the punters convinced ? Has there been a shift in
the publics’ perceptions of the mobile phone?

I have compiled a list of students suggestions that outline
the considerations and constraints afforded by the mobile phone.
I hope this is of use to other mobile media content producers.

• Comedy works best.
• Not a great medium for video and sound.
• MTV generation- instant gratification.
• Animation perhaps more suited to the medium.
• Screen too small for text.
• Speaker quality on mobile poor.
• Minimal colour palette works best.
• Short, quick and to the point.
• File size issues dictate content.
• Simple edits and transitions are most effective.
• Less talking, more self explanatory.
• Mobile movies rely heavily on the picture.
• Simple and short narratives work best.
• Convenient format.
• Good for advertising.
• A waste of time if you like high video quality.
• Sound, story and audio poor in comparison to a cinema or television.
• Mobiles need a larger screen for better viewing.
• Technology is at an infant stage and will improve.
• Viewer expectations are lower than that of traditional viewing modes.
• Most content designed for a youth market
• Content needs to develop to the needs of a wider audience.
• A medium for higher income audience.