Assignments 1 & 2
Format
1 group media project
1 individual media project
Weight
35% group project, %65 individual project
Deadline
Group Media Project – 16.11.2023
Individual Media Project 16.01.2024
Brief
On weeks 3, 5, 7 and 9, you will create small-scale media artefacts on the topics and
concepts introduced and discussed in the lectures of the most recent weeks. These
will be a series of of mixed-media creative and analytical artefacts to be shown and
discussed in your seminars. These artefacts by themselves will not be graded and
are intended to be playful exercises, to be completed in relatively short time
frames. Don’t overthink it, do not exceed the amount of recommended time in
working on it. The emphasis is on exploration and imagination. In order to
complete these successfully, it is crucial you have done the readings and listened to
the lectures. At least once every two weeks, you should present one of your
exercises in seminar for discussion and feedback.
These artefacts can take on any media form or can be mixed media. You may want
to do a drawing, a short podcast, a series of photographs, a TikTok video, a Twitter
(or X) thread, a collage, a video essay, a poster… There is no limitation on the
media format to use.
These media artefacts will form the basis of BOTH of your assessments.
Group Project (assessed – 35%)
For your group project, you will have an opportunity to refine, and revise one of
your media artefacts in coordination with colleagues, to make a collective
statement.
Ideally, the group will select one media artefact from each person on the same
week’s topic or create a coordinated group of new items according to one topic or
concept introduced in class, and compose a statement of around 600 words, as a
group, explaining how it explores problems in new media theory.
For instance, as a group, you can select “Networked Self”, the topic of Week 2. You
can either group together everyone’s artefact for networked self or create new
media artefacts on networked self. You would then compose a 600-word statement
on how you explored this concept and/or questions it brings with your combined
work.
In your group statement, please cite at least four academic works, including three
from this module.
Individual Media Project (Final project, assessed – 65%
For your individual media project, you will select one of the media artefacts you
have produced during the term. This media artefact CANNOT be the one you used
for your group project. You will develop your selected media artefact into a larger
scale media project. You will also provide a 1200-word personal statement on the
new developed work, discussing and reflecting on how you have developed it from
your original artefact, what decisions you made in the process and why you made
those decisions. You should cite at least four academic texts, explaining their
relevance to the project, including three that were read in the module. You can
change its form and format when you develop it. Here are some examples of how
this can be done:
e.g., one of your media artefacts was a 1-minute video on Networked Self.
You develop 4 more videos on the subject and make a series.
e.g., one o
f your media artefacts was a drawing about surveillance. You
make more drawings and turn it into a short animation.
e.g., one of your media artefacts was a short 3-minute podcast on Open
Culture. You turn it into a 5-minute video essay.
Guidance
Submit group projects through KEATS. To receive full credit, a submission must
include:
The special THEORIES OF NEW MEDIA cover sheet with student number,
plagiarism statement, etc. This includes a supplementary page where you explain
your contribution the project, etc.
In case your project is a video file, audio file, or other document difficult to submit
via Keats, store it in a password-protected online repository of your choice and
include the link and password in your supplementary coversheet. It is your
responsibility to make sure that any external links/documents can be accessed.
Marking on group projects: Each member of a group must individually submit
their group assignment, along with a sheet documenting their specific
contributions to the project. Marking is conceived so that successful group projects
can certainly improve all members’ marks but the shortcoming of specific
members’ contributions will not harm other members’ grades.
The Individual media project values quality over quantity. Time-based media
should be no longer than 6 minutes (in which case videos, podcasts, etc, should be
rehearsed an edited to ensure quality work), items featuring separate still images
should contain no more than 15 images. Please include a short statement of 1200
words explaining your work and how it explores theories of new media. This
statement should also reflect on how you developed your work from its initial stage
as a media artefact. Cite at least four academic texts, explaining their relevance to
the project, including three that were read in the module.
Please note that technical prowess and artistic capabilities will not influence
marking of either assignment. Specialist knowledge of tools (like Photoshop, Adobe
Premiere Pro etc.) are not required. Your assessments will be graded on how you
are able to convey the ideas you present.
Support
Media artefacts are presented and discussed in seminars on Weeks 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Assessment brief is introduced on Week 1 and a detailed breakdown is given on
Week 3. Additionally, Week 10 seminars are reserved for tutorials on individual
media projects. Students are encouraged to email module convenors and seminar
leaders to book office hours.
Resit information
Resit for the group media assessment will be individual. Students are expected to
present one media artefact and provide a 600-word statement. The statement
should include a section that provides a vision for how their single
media artefact could be thematically linked to others to produce a
group work.
Resit for the individual media project will use the same brief. Students can develop
their new media artefact from the same initial idea of their unsuccessful attempt.
However, they should still select a different one than they picked for the group
project. If the student did not generate any media artefacts beforehand, they will be
expected to produce one and then to develop this one into a larger scale project.