Student Guide :: Digital Curation & Exhibition Practice

Credit Points: 12
Teacher Guided Hours: 36
Learner Directed Hours: 72
Duration: Semester 2
Mode of Delivery:  Face to Face
Pre-requisites: There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Course Co-ordinator: Jen Lade
Contact Details: shiralee.saul@rmit.edu.au
Year/Semester:  Year 3 Semester 2

Resources

Digital Art + Games class network dagrmit.ning.com
Links: Shiralee's Delicious links del.icio.us/shiralee and http://del.icio.us/shiralee/lecture_digitalCuration
Volunteer completion form -- this must be filled out and returned to Shiralee by the last class.

Teaching Schedule 

WEEK

LECTURE CONTENT

1

CLASS: Introduction to the course and its requirements.

bubbl.us>
Enroll on the Digital Art and Games site >
Nominate for Graduate Exhibition Team roles >

EXHIBITION SITE VISIT: VR Centre

2

*SPECIAL PRESENTATION 11AM TUESDAY
Paul Callaghan: Free Play and sign-up for volunteer placements.

GAME AESTHETICS/LINEAR MEDIA
Ken Ishii vs FLR - SPACE INVADERS
Ken Ishii 'Extra' Music Video
Paul Robertson -Pirate Babys Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006
Plantage
Human TETRIS Performance by Guillaume Reymond
Royksopp -- Happy Up Here

CLASS: Project management -- Overview of the process

EXERCISE:
1. Write a short-form synopsis (1 sentence -- game core) of your major project. Each person does this individually. Maximum of 250 words.
2. Bullet-point list your personal goals for the production.
Post both to ning forum topic >

REF : del.icio.us project management links
REF : Project Management and Multimedia Design and Production
REF : Project management FAQ
REF : Storyboarding (for web projects as well as linear media)
REF : Sudio 1511 Production Development Guide

REF : The Anatomy of a Design Document
REF: Game server: AFC's 'What is a Synopsis' PDF (esp. narrative media)
REF :: Guidelines for the Game Concept

RESEARCH: Volunteer organisations Email me (shiralee.saul @ rmit.edu.au) to get approval for the organisation/s you're approaching by week 3 (name and url of organisation where possible, contact person and tel. # otherwise), places must be confirmed by the end of week 4.

REMINDER: Nominations for exhibition roles close on ning. Voting starts....

3

SCREENING: Stop Frame

CLASS: Project management: Project goals, Audience/Market and Competitor analysis

REF :: 'How a Game Gets Made: A Game's Journey from Concept to Store Shelves' Brandon Van Slyke
REF :: The Market for Online Games By Jessica Mulligan and Bridgette Patrovsky
REF :: Making Great Games In 40 Hours Per Week by Hank Howie
REF :: Game Artist Survival Guide by David Pomerantz

EXERCISE 2:
1. Identify and specify KPIs for your project's goals. You must list at least 5 KPIs
2. Identify as precisely as possible who you consider your core market for your project to be.
3. Post to dagrmit.ning.com >

4

SCREENING: Hand-drawn

CLASS: Project Planning cont. Competitor analysis, scheduling and resources.

REF :: Creating a Competitive Analysis
REF :: Want To Build a Great Game? Build a Great Team First by Marc Mencher
REF :: Risk Management With Development Schedules by Tim Ryan
REF :: Torpex's Fristrom On How Not To Schedule A Game Project by Christian Nutt

REMINDER: Volunteer placements must be finalized by the end of this week. Please email me with your host organisation and a brief description of what you think you'll be doing for them. You will lose 5marks for every week after this that it takes you to notify me.

EXERCISE 3: Analysis your 'real world' competition

  • 3 competitors : for each:
    name,
  • url
  • brief description of company
  • description of competing product -- incl:
    • features (what users can do)
    • its 'edge'
    • Specify the specific similarities between their product and your project.
  • market (who it's aimed at)
    • how it's marketed (publicity)
    • how it's distributed

Post your competitor matrix to the forum topic on ning >

Competitor Matrix Template also on the Server

5

CLASS: Analytical tools -- SWOT, PERT, PEST, Gantt Charts

REF :: PEST; Envisioning Strategy
REF :: Gantt Charts
REF :: (Making and Using) Gantt Charts -- on the server
REF :: SWOT (Businessballs)
REF :: SWOT Template -- on server
REF :: (How to do) Critical Path Analysis & PERT Charts -- on server

EXERCISE 4: Produce a SWOT analysis of your project.

Refer to your project goals and competitor analysis, but also looking at your own team's and project's strengths and weaknesses in particular.

You can use the SWOT template that is on the server, or provide your SWOT as a series of bullet-points, or use bubbl.us or other similar tool.

Post to Ning >

6

CLASS: Writing a kick-arse Game Design Document

REF :: Game Design Novice » Game Development » Game Design » Game Design Documents
REF :: Creating a Great Design Document
REF :: Game design Template (on server)
REF :: Technical Specifications Template (on server)
REF :: Baldwin Game Design Document Template (on server)
REF :: Game Design Documents from the industry (on server)

SCREENING:
REF :: Video Games Are Dead video part 1

7

CLASS: Find a job!

REF :: REF :: How To Get A Job In The Video Game Industry
REF :: Getting a job in the games industry powerpoint (ss)
REF :: Myer-Briggs http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
REF :: Multimedia Victoria
REF :: GDAA (Games devlopers Association of Australia)
REF :: Games Industry and Career Pathways (GDAA)
REF :: Tsumea videos re; Aust Games Industry Events
REF :: Tsumea
REF :: Aus Gamer

EXERCISE 5: Research where you want to work
Identify 3 companies that you would like (and realistically COULD!) work for.

  • 1 local/Melbourne
  • 1 national/Australia
  • 1 international/anywhere else

Write a profile of each, include:

  • Company name, URL and contact details
  • CEO and (if available) HR or employment person
  • Paragraph that outlines the company's core business and history
  • Details of any current and, if possible, future projects.
  • Identify a position within each comapny that you would like to have -- and one which you could realistically use as an entry point to get there (eg Level designer -- QA).

SCREENING: David Perry @TED 'Will Videogames be better than life?'

8

CLASS: Apply for a Job in the Games (or creative media) Industry 2

EXERCISE 6: Preparing a CV and prose bio.
Write a conventional CV that would be appropriate for applying for a job with. Establish a free LinkedIn account, fill in CV fields using the info from your convntional CV. Link to me, to one prior graduate of the course, and to @ least 1 outside person in the games industry. Join the RMIT alumni group plus at least one other group.

RESOURCES
@L Flash CV en
No one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda July

REF :: Putting Together a Compelling Resume and Demo by Robin McShaffry
REF :: Design Portfolios – Is there such a thing?
REF :: How to Get a Job at Blizzard Entertainment
REF :: Game Industry for Entry Level Artists: The Portfolio by Samuel Crowe
REF :: Your Portfolio Repels Jobs
REF :: Showreel 2008 by Peter Roe
REF :: 2D/3D Showreel by Matthieu Bessudo (McBess)
REF :: Maya3D animation showreel by Thomas Lauterjung
REF :: How to approach an interview
REF :: Next Level Games Art Tests

SCREENING: Serious Animation
Music and Life - Alan Watts
Disney mars colonization movie
I Met The Walrus
The real history of money

9

CLASS: Get a Job 3: Interviews, self-promotion

REF :: Four-eyed Monster -- a case study in lo-fi hi-concept viral marketing
REF :: http://angelaathomas.com/2007/02/11/four-eyed-monsters/
REF :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8rRFFi_stY&eurl=http%3
A%2F%2Fangelaathomas.com%2F

REF :: http://angelaathomas.com/2007/06/07/nmc-talk/

REF :: 101 Ways to Create a Powerful Web Presence
REF :: Getting your foot in the door of the games industry: How to get a job in quality assurance

EXERCISE #7: Market yourself.
Develop a web presence plan for yourself. Lay this out as a series of hierarchical bulletpoint-lists or a table.

Develop , author and upload an interim holding-page or mini-site for yourself. This should serve as the basis for your full portfolio site.

It should include:

  • your name
  • contact details
  • Your prose bio.
  • Links to your content elsewhere on line
  • It may include portfolio elements but make sure you're only showcasing your best available work.
  • Link to RMIT Games Course page

If you do not have your own server space, source a free portfolio application/site or content-sharing communities that you could use to store your resources.

If you opt for a portfolio site such as Behance, ensure that you fill out the profile details with your prose bio and/or sections of your CV. You should include a link to your linked in page and your CV or professionally-related material on other sites.

Post the draft Home Page design (showing navigation, content, etc) as one of the following formats -- gif/jpg/png/pdf -- to dagrmit.ning.com

If you have an url for your site, post it in the comments section.

10

CLASS: Copyright and other forms of IP

REF :: Negotiating Contracts That Protect Your Title and Team by Jay Powell
REF :: Australian Copyright Council's Online Information Centre
REF :: ArtsLaw
REF :: confidentiality agreement pro forma

EXERCISE #8: Provide at least

  • 5 still images, plus
  • videos, animations, Flash games/interactive, etc
  • Short biographicval statement
  • URL to your own portfolio site

for 'Press Start' graduate website. Please ensure that your content is placed in a folder with your name & student number as the file name, inside the exhibition solder on the Games server. Please let me know if you aren't part of the exhibition and I will give you an alternative task.

11

CLASS: Funding   -- what, when and how

EXERCISE #9: Download the guidelines and application forms to apply for a Digital Media Internship through Film Victoria. Fill out the application form (whether of not you actually intend to apply for an internship or not!)

12

This weeks class will be held on Tuesday 10-12.

CLASS: Diustribution: d0ing post-grad at AIM : Final exhibition preparations

Overview of Assessment

Assessment is based on progressive assessment briefs, and class exercises. In completing the assessment briefs, the student must demonstrate the knowledge acquired through the planned learning experience.

Assessment will progress through each development stage and students will receive written feedback and participation in group critiques (formal and informal).

Assessment Tasks 

Class exercises.

Class exercises will follow from weekly class content and are to be submitted on the 'digital + art + games' network site (unless otherwise specified). http://dagrmit.ning.com/

Value:   50%

Due: Ongoing

Assignment

Professional practice; students choose between producing and presenting the graduation exhibition, and volunteering in an approved organization or event for a minimum of 16 hours. Students choosing the latter option will be expected to present a short report on the activities undertaken.  

ALL students are expected to assist in the presentation of the graduate exhibition as and whenever they are requested by the exhibition manager who will report non-compliance. This includes providing images, video captured footage, text etc in a timely fashion. Lateness or lack of co-operation will incur a loss of grades.

Value: 40%.

Due: Ongoing (you must confirm placement by week 4)

Volunteer completion form -- this must be filled out and returned to Shiralee by the last class.

Learn from the professionals: Tales from the Trenches; Games Talks Attendance

6 Games Talks from some of Melbourne's leading industry figures, every second Tuesday 12.30 – 1.30
Building 12 / Level 13 / Room 03

Value: 10%

Due: Ongoing

Assessment

Assessment will be based on the student's knowledge and understanding of the topics as per the course outline. Students should keep a copy of all work submitted for assessment. Loss or corruption of data (student's electronic based work) is not a valid reason for late or non-submission of work. Assignments that do not conform to the required format will be returned to the student for resubmission. Assignments must be received by the due date otherwise the student will incur a grade penalty. Any resources used in the student's work must be cited properly. Submitting substantially similar work to meet requirements of any other subject is not permitted without the written permission of the lecturer.

Assessment Criteria

All assessment tasks will be provided in writing via briefs and verbal reinforcement. Criteria include:

•  Participation in individual and group activities

•  Originality of ideas

•  Ability to present ideas and respond to critical analysis

•  Research skills

•  Effective communication (verbal and written)

•  Completing the assessment tasks on time

•  Presentation standards (including spellcheck, grammar, proofread).

Assignment submission

Assignments MUST be submitted electronically as per instructions in the assignment briefs.

Extensions will only be considered in the event of medical or personal circumstances supported by appropriate documentation.

Late or non submissions

If the assignment is not submitted on the due date, the assignment is marked as failed. Please note that a failed assignment may result in a failure of the course. Extensions will only be considered in the event of medical or personal circumstances supported by appropriate documentation.

Plagiarism & collusion

Plagiarism and collusion will not be tolerated. Students cannot present work that is copied in whole or in part from another source OR is the result of unauthorised collaboration with another person(s). Where there are reasonable grounds to believe that cheating has occurred, the work will be given a fail grade the student will be required to resubmit a different assignment.

Communication

Email will be used outside of class hours for all communication regarding the course. Students need to check their emails at least once every day. Appointments with the teacher needs to be organised via email.

Assignment grading

NN:

0 - 49%

The work does not meet all the criteria of the brief. The work is not of an acceptable standard.

PA:

50 - 59%

The work fulfils all criteria of the brief. The work is of an acceptable standard.

CR:

60 - 69%

In addition to satisfying the criteria for a pass, the work demonstrates a broader understanding of the subject. The work is of a good standard.

DI:

70 - 79%

In addition to satisfying the criteria for a credit, the work demonstrates a capacity to engage meaningfully with the subject. The work is of a high standard.

HD:

80 - 100%

In addition to satisfying the criteria for a distinction, the work demonstrates an ability to meet professional standards. The work is of an excellent standard.

***Please note:

The course guide is subject to change