Unit information: Graduate Practical Project in 2028/29

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Graduate Practical Project
Unit code FATV30027
Credit points 40
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director Dr. Perko
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department Department of Film and Television
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Why is this unit important:

The unit provides final year students the opportunity to conceive, develop and produce a practice-based research project on a topic of their interest (subject to approval by the unit convenor). The project might take the form of an animated or live-action short film (fiction, documentary, experimental…), an installation or a screenplay (among others). Students will work in small groups (4-6 students), although this may be open to flexibility depending upon the nature of the project and the approval of the unit convenor. The length and scope of the project will normally be determined by the size of the group.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study:

This is a capstone unit equivalent to a final year dissertation. It allows students to draw from a wide range of creative, research and technical skills acquired in Years 1 and 2 and apply them in the creation of a substantial piece of research using practice-based methods and formats. The unit prepares students for the graduate job market in the creative arts by enabling them to produce a complex project which can serve as a cornerstone of their creative portfolio.

Your learning on this unit

Overview of Content:

This unit is structured around supervised independent study. Students will receive sessions on project development, technical skills and tools associated with their project requirements. Such sessions will be delivered by staff and guest speakers. Using project proposals students will work with supervisors, who will support them through the development and production of their work. Generally, the unit is structured around three phases: development and pre-production/production/post-production and exhibition.

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit:

Students will produce a project greater in scope and complexity than their previous work in the course. They will have the opportunity to test and apply their creative and technical skills at advanced levels and finish their third year with a substantial and refined creative output they’ll be able to use as part of their graduate portfolio.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Organise and manage a supervised, self-directed project, independently or as part of a group.
  2. Select and utilise different techniques, methods and tools effectively in the production of a practice-based project.
  3. Produce work showing advanced skills in operational aspects of film and television development, production and post-production.
  4. Explore the creative process critically, reflecting on the reasons and motivations behind formal choices with the aim of enhancing future work.
  5. Make useful contributions to academic discussions and learning.

How you will learn

Weekly lectures/seminars during the first 6-10 weeks.

Individual or group supervisions (supported by self-directed tasks where appropriate.)

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

Group pitch including a proposed project timeline (0%, Not Required for credit)

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

Practice-based output (of a length appropriate to the chosen mode of production and group size) (70%) [ILOs 1-3]

Individual portfolio, 2000-words equivalent (20%) [ILO 4]

Contribution Mark (10%) [ILO 5]

When assessment does not go to plan

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year. 

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. FATV30027).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.