FIT3008 Digital video post production - Semester 2 , 2006 unit guide

Semester 2, 2006

Chief Examiner

Mark Power

Lecturers

Berwick : Mark Power, Ruben Hopmans

Outline

This unit aims to enhance the student’s understanding of the multimedia development process, to provide a 'hands-on' understanding of the techniques, tools and products used in multimedia systems, and to experience practical projects in the development of multimedia products, services and systems.
The unit builds on the knowledge of basic concepts from FIT2026 by developing further understanding of the multimedia development process and the tools and techniques used to manage and control rich media as it applies to current audio and video post-production technologies and the management and control of the multimedia development process. Students will undertake a mixture of formal lectures tutorials and studio work.


They will be required to undertake project and research development work, both by themselves and in groups. The projects will aim to provide practice in identifying multimedia opportunities and specifying product and system requirements, and in building multimedia products and system components. Project work will be carried out under the supervision of a member of the academic staff.

Objectives

Knowledge and Understanding

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

  • the nature of the multimedia system development process, and the tasks and management processes associated with it;
  • the characteristics of computer hardware and software which are used in the development of multimedia systems related to post production of audiovisual content;
  • the working environment in which complex audiovisual content is developed and the tools and techniques which are used to manage the development process;
  • the need for management and control of the development process and the contribution which management tools and techniques can make to this process.

 

Attitudes, Values and Beliefs

At the completion of this unit students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

  • Appreciate the aesthetic and technical requirements involved in creating complex digital content which should effectively and clearly communicate a message to the target audience.

 

Practical Skills

At the completion of this unit students will have the skills to:

  • prepare a project plan for carrying out the development and implementation of an audiovisual presentation;
  • manipulate and integrate elements of computer hardware and software to develop a multimedia system;
  • creatively combine and apply the tools and techniques learnt in the core units in the development of multimedia products and systems components.

 

Relationships, Communication and TeamWork

At the completion of this unit students will have further developed the teamwork skills needed to:

  • work as a member of a project team.

 

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed

FIT2026

, or equivalent.

Unit relationships

FIT3008 is a core unit in the Multimedia major of the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems degree.

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed

FIT2026

, or equivalent..

 


Texts and software

Required text(s)


There is no required textbook for this subject but it is expected that you utilise the library resources such as books, video, CDs, DVDs and undertake your own research.

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

 

Software requirements:

Software relating to this subject may be accessed from several of the on-campus student PC labs.

 

 

 

Textbook availability

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

 

A broad range of text books relating to this subject are also held at Berwick library.

Software requirements

Adobe Photoshop CS2

Adobe Encore 1.5

Adobe Illustrator CS2

Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5

Adobe After Effectcts 6.5 Pro

Keylight plugin for after effects 6.5 pro

Final Cut Pro HD

Adobe Audition

Garage Band 3

Sony ACID V4.0

DVD Studio Pro V 3

FL studio V4.0

Software relating to this subject may be accessed from several of the on-campus student PC labs.

Software may be:

  • purchased at academic price at good software retailers

Hardware requirements

Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the Faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 12 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Recommended reading

There are no required texts. Individuals may need to purchase texts relating to thier specific project

Library access

You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Study resources

Study resources for FIT3008 are:

The FIT3008 web site on MUSO where slides, information and assignment specifications will be posted

 

The computer resources are available from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. each day. After hours access and Saturdays are only available if you apply for it through Technical Services. Approval to gain access takes two weeks to complete

Unit website

http://muso.monash.edu.au/

Structure and organisation

Week Topics Key Dates
1 Introduction and overview
2 informational motion graphics
3 After Effects -3D Initial concept for individual assignment
4 Blue screen capture
5 Chroma Keying individual assignment due
6 Masks and Mattes
7 Motion tracking Documentation for group assignment
8 particle effects
9 Expressions in after effects
10 Audio in post production
Non teaching week
11 interactive DVD authoring
12 Rendering and troubleshooting
13 Review of topics major group assignment due

Timetable

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

Assessment

Assessment weighting

Group assignments will contribute 60% toward your final result. Individual assignments will contribute 40% towards your overall grade.

Broken down as follows:

Group Assessment 1

Group documentation outlining a major compositing project for the semester.

20% Due 5PM, week 7, 1/9/06

Group Assessment 2

Major compositing project

40%
Due 5 PM week 13 20/10/06



Individual Assessment 1
technical script for minor post production project

15%
Due 5PM week 3 4/8/06


Individual Assessment 2

minor post production project

25%
Due 5PM week 5 18/8/06

Assessment Policy

To pass this unit you must:

To be eligible to pass and maintain your enrolment in FIT3008 you must attend 80% of your tutorial sessions. If you are absent for more than two tutorial sessions you must supply a medical certificate or other appropriate documentation otherwise you may be excluded from the unit.

If you are finding problems with this requirement please ensure you speak to your unit adviser as early as possible.


Due to the nature of group work in this subject, it is expected that all students will attend 100% of classes.

This unit, like all Monash units, is built on the assumption that you will spend twelve hours a week attending classes and working on your assignments.

Attendance at tutorials without any work outside of this allocated class time will not be sufficient.

You should ensure that you can make this commitment before you embark on this subjetct

There will be a one-hour lecture snd a three-hour tutorial each week. To get the most out of this time you should make sure you have with you a copy of the project you are working on with you.

Responsibility for student work

Students should note that they are, at all times, responsible for their work. All relevant material should be backed up on a regular basis to CD, DVD or Flash disks. The university has CD & DVD burners in the computer labs and blank CDs/DVDs may be purchased through the on campus bookstore. Loss of assignment work due to hardware failure, virus or theft will not be accepted as reasons for late or non-submission of work. Students must hold an exact copy of all work which they submit for assessment, this copy should be held until your final result for the unit is released.

Assessment proceedures for a non – performing team member
If the unit assessor, or one or more team members, becomes concerned regarding the contribution of one or more members of a group then the unit assessor will determine ,using the project documentation ,examination of Visual Process diaries and discussion with the students concerned whether the student or students are making an equitable contribution to the work of the group.

If it is determined that the student or students are not making an equitable Contribution to the work of the group they may be deemed to be a non-performing team member.

In the event of this determination being made the group component of their assessment will be multiplied by a factor of up to 0.5 to arrive at a raw score

 

 



Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

The final grade will be achieved by adding all the individual components

General

This subject will be graded using a Norm Referencing system. Normally I
would expect approximately 5% to 10% of the class to reach the highest
standards and be awarded a High Distinction and approximately 10% to 20%
to be awarded a Distinction. Detailed assessment criteria are given to
guide your activities and to indicate where your assignment work could
be improved. Meeting the criteria to a basic level will be considered a
Pass grade. Only assignments that excel in all criteria will be awarded
Distinctions or High Distinctions. The average grade for the class will
normally be in the Pass to Credit range and will indicate that you have
met the basic requirements of the assessment task.

Assessment Feedback – Raw Scores

In assessment feedback you will be allocated a raw score that will
indicate your general level of performance against the criteria supplied
and will be used to determine the rank order of students. You will also
be given a short comment that may assist you in the completion of future
assignments by discussing the aspects of the assessment response that
were completed to a high standard and areas that may be improved.

 

Scaling of Raw Scores

When raw scores for all assessment tasks are combined the total raw
score may be scaled. The scaling of raw scores will not effect your rank
order in relation to other students. Scaling of raw scores is intended
to provide consistency of assessment outcomes across units within the
degree and across courses within the university

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Due Date Weighting
Individual Assessment 1 4/8/06 15%
Individual Assessment 2 18/8/06 25 %
Group Assessment 1 1/9/06 20 %
Group Assessment 2 20/10/06 40 %
There is no exam for this subject Exam period (S2/06) starts on 23/10/06 0 %

Assignment specifications will be made available on the FIT3008 website on MUSO.

Assignment Submission

assignments will be handed in with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached

Extensions and late submissions

Late submission of assignments

Assignments must be submitted by the due date. Details of the assignments submission procedure will be supplied via the unit on-line pages.

Where assignments are submitted in person (eg. hard copy or disk) an Berwick FIT 'Assignment Cover Sheet' with appropriate identification and signatures must be attached. All work must be presented in an A4 plastic cover. If multiple written pages, must be stapled or bound.

It is your responsibility to keep track of and manage your assignment due dates

Penalties are incurred from the due date at the rate of a 10 % reduction in grade for each day (including weekends) the assignment is late.

If you are having difficulty with assignment submission, please advise your Unit Adviser immediately so that any problems can be addressed.

 

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

Extensions

It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

Requests for extensions must be made by using the standard Berwick FIT 'Extension Request',
(available from student services) at least two days before the due date.

You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.Students will be provided with a reply slip documenting the extension, a copy of which should be submitted with the assignment.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

Grade Percentage/description
HD High Distinction - very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction - high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit - sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.

Assignment return

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

Feedback

Feedback to you

You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

Feedback from you

You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

And if you are having problems

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Plagiarism and cheating

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Communication

Communication methods

Each week there will be a two hour tutorial in the multimedia labs.

A teacher will meet with you to discuss any individual concerns.

Please ensure that you do not leave a Studio session without having seen your allocated Lecturer

Notices

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

Tuesdays, 11AM to 1 PM

 

Thursdays 11AM to 1 PM

If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

Mr Mark Power
Assistant Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 47123

All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.

Last updated: Jul 6, 2006