Graduate Diploma in Visual Media

Compulsory papers

GD701 Studio Project 3

Students will build knowledge and skills in communications and management strategies to develop or produce a creative project. Students will develop individual or collaborative projects with peers or external partners but must implement individual processes with legal considerations. Students will plan and implement pipelines/workflows that embed researched and evaluated ethics, health, safety, and wellbeing procedures. Students will identify audience to ensure all concepts and designs are user-centric and have clear approaches to brand development and product release. Students will critically analyse and execute transmedia approaches to release their final project.

GD730 Internship

Students will engage in activities which further develop their skills as professional creative sector practitioners. They will undertake an industry related internship(s) gaining a clear understanding of organisational and operational requirements and contribute as directed within that environment. Students will develop and refine an internship proposal/s that clearly identifies relevant skills and plan and manage activities to achieve these. Students will complete an in-depth evaluation of the internship experience based on documentation collected over the duration of their internship. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of Health and Safety in the workplace.

Electives

Choose the remaining credits from below (to be approved by the programme manager):

BSA701 Studio Project 1 

Students will build knowledge and skills in communications and management strategies to lead a deadline-driven creative project within a team environment. Students will explore and research relevant existing and emerging practices. Students will develop and produce a project utilising and challenging each member’s current technical and aesthetic talent base. Students will explore pipeline/workflow and time management models, while maintaining best health, wellness and safety practices while observing legal and ethical considerations. Students will explore and critically engage in audience research to ensure all concepts and designs are user centric. Students will critically analyse and execute transmedia approaches to release the final project.

BSA642 Studio Digital 2

Students will extend their understanding of project-focused research through creative industries practices. Within their fields, students will develop a body of work that reflects an in-depth investigation relevant to their research focus. Students will gain an understanding of the practical and theoretical implications of proposing, developing, and resolving a creative industries project. Students will engage in historical and contemporary research relevant to their research focus. Students will demonstrate experience evaluating a range of practical and digital materials and processes to engage with target audiences. Students will also utilise documentation as a key research method.

BSA603 Cross-Disciplinary Workshops 2

Students will participate and collaborate across disciplines to engage in a series of innovative and contemporary creative industry driven projects. Students will collaborate developing skills in versatility and adaptability within a visually creative environment. Students will research and develop an analytical understanding of emerging disciplines within the creative industries. Students will research and develop communication skills in leadership, decision-making, and group dynamics.

BSA604 Screenwriting 2

Students will advance their understanding of screenwriting techniques and story, with a particular focus on structure, conflict, and character status. Students will refine their short film writing and script editing skills and be introduced to various forms of serial storytelling and longer format screenwriting.

BSA605 Content Creation

Students will research and develop key marketing skills to produce content to meet client needs. Students will research and articulate the value of content creation campaigns to businesses/companies.Students will create a buyer/customer persona representative of identified target audience.Students will design and create relevant written and visual content that effectively communicates identified marketing strategies. Students will also utilise documentation as a key research method.

BSA609 Computer Aided Design 2

Students will be introduced to innovative collaborative fashion and costume design practices by using a variety of digital practices for design and fabrication. Students will research and analyse both contemporary and historical design practices that can be applied to a contemporary workflow. Students will design, develop, and select a mini collection of garment designs and prepare them within a digital and fabricated context. Students will further develop their understanding through exploration and application of these technologies to create interactive virtual experiences that enhance customer experience.

BSA610 Fashion Design and Production 2

Students will extend their knowledge and develop skills in specialised pattern making and garment construction techniques using both conventional and unconventional methods. Students will design and produce original mini garment collections from concept through to completion by implementing specialised and unconventional techniques throughout all stages of the process. Students will also explore and discuss historical and innovative practices within the fashion industry, relating and applying relevant options to their own design and production projects.

BSA611 Character, Environment & Prop Design

Students will develop design and communication skills by working from a brief provided by a real or theoretical client. Students will produce a costume piece, prop or environment project that supports character development and world building from concept to completion. Students will create a conceptual project, such as an illustrative or documentative art book, with a focus on a potential client’s creative industry project. Students will also examine relevant existing and emerging practices, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries. 

BSA612 World Building

Students will develop their narrative and conceptual art skills to create an original fictional world. Students will be introduced to tools to articulate and demonstrate their world to an audience.Students will also examine relevant existing and emerging practices, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.

BSA615 Studio Drawing 2

Students will develop both physical and digital drawing skills. Students will explore their drawing methods by participating in a variety of group and individual exercises such as mural design, life drawing, and prompt illustrations. Students will produce a narrative-driven illustrated project, such as a graphic novel, children’s book, motion comic, manga, or comic, that distinguishes their own creative voice. Students will also examine relevant existing and emerging practises, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.

BSA626 3D Animation Production

Students will develop and manage a story and character driven 3D project for a short film or a game cut scene. Students will research and develop a workflow management strategy to ensure an effective, quality-driven, production pipeline. Students will develop and apply a range of current best practices from the gaming and animation industries. These will include techniques such as hard and soft surface modelling, look development, rigged and dynamic animation, and traditional and Realtime rendering. Students will develop their creative thinking and analytical problem-solving skills to deliver a complex project in a time-intensive environment.

BSA627 Visual Effects Compositing

Students will be introduced to a range of visual effects and compositing tools and techniques. Students will analyse and implement a VFX production pipeline to produce a project that contains composited elements, either individually or as groups. Students will also examine relevant existing and emerging practises, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.

BSA628 Gaming Art and Design 2

Students will develop the skills to design and produce a 3D game with a defined user experience. Students will gain skills in the latest technology and techniques used within the 3D game development industry. Students will research best practises in asset optimisation to ensure peak performance on a chosen platform. Students will engage, design, and implement a management system to ensure reflective and iterative practises are developed into quality user experiences.

BSA631 Digital Filmmaking 2

Students will produce, direct, and evaluate a short film showcasing and building on their storytelling, conceptual development, art direction, cinematography and post-production skills throughout this paper. Students will investigate, understand, instigate and document appropriate protocols to ensure their compliance with the legal and ethical implications of their actions regarding film production.

BSA670 Transmedia 2

Students further develop their understanding of how transmedia practices engage storytelling across multiple media platforms. Students will research and evaluate relevant transmedia practices in terms of their specific use of?media platforms and storytelling devices. Students will produce a compelling, integrated transmedia project. Students will research, design, and execute a transmedia concept. Students will evaluate and use documentation to articulate the projects effectiveness to communicate a single narrative to target audiences.

BSA634 Cinematography

Students will research and gain a theoretical understanding and practical experience of the lighting, camera tools and techniques used in digital cinema production to enhance a practical project. Students will develop their understanding and implementation of visual language within storytelling and marketing concepts. Students will develop skills to an industry standard for both location and studio situations.

BSA632 Studio Photography 2

Students will further develop their skills in the latest processes and techniques of digital photography. Students will complete projects using various practical techniques and software solutions to hone an understanding of how to read and use digital photographic imagery. Students will also produce digital photographic artworks developing an advanced technical capability in the production and manipulation of photographic images. Students will gain knowledge of the field through research and the inclusion of diverse, contemporary, and historical photographic practices.

BSA501 Introduction to Filmmaking

Students will gain practical hands-on skills and develop techniques to be able to effectively use cameras, lighting and audio equipment involved in visual story telling for film. Students will explore a variety of techniques and apply skills to critically assess how to use these tools to greatest effect in various situations and to enhance storytelling. 

BSA504 Screenwriting 1

Students will develop a basic understanding and an ability to analyse film structures, genre conventions and storytelling techniques. Students will develop writing skills to be able to effectively develop a short film script outline, treatment, and screenplay. Students will learn skills in creating and developing story-driven techniques within the plot, theme, character, and dialogue of their script.

BSA550 Film Editing

Students will explore and develop an understanding of the aesthetics, concepts and practicalities of combining moving images in film. Students will be introduced to fundamental post-production tools, software, and editing techniques that serve narratives.

BSA534 Pre-Production Techniques

Students will learn how to breakdown, schedule, and budget a project, as well as being able to examine the structure and organisation of departments involved in developing and implementing a project. Students will develop documentation and pre-visualisation artwork as part of a proposal for this project. Students will learn key health and safety procedures and planning strategies relevant to a project.

BSA526 Principles of Animation

Students will be introduced to the principles of animation and apply them to a contemporary pipeline. Students will create a visually appealing character with a unique biography and storytelling poses and expressions. Students will use industry standard software to bring their character to life through paperless 2D animation techniques. Students will discuss relevant existing practices, and reflectively document their project progress. 

BSA529 Storyboarding

Students will be introduced to the process of drafting and planning story driven short form screen arts projects. Students will learn basic screenwriting skills for short form narratives and how to design for a target audience. Students will gain an understanding of the creative process and apply visual language and film grammar to produce a completed storyboard and animatic project for the creative industries.

BSA527 2D Animation

Students will combine visual storytelling skills and the principles of animation to produce a short 2D animated project with a proposed purpose, narrative, and target audience. Students will apply a range of 2D animation techniques and implement a 2D animation production pipeline. Students will discuss relevant existing practices, and reflectively document their project progress.

BSA524 Stop-Motion Animation

Students will acquire the skills and understanding required to produce a small stop-motion animation film, developing basic storytelling, design, and practical character and environment asset building skills within a collaborative team environment. Students will learn and apply the principles of animation to a stop-motion production pipeline. Students will also explore and utilise basic camera skills; shooting, lighting, and editing techniques in line with industry best practices.

BSA532 Studio Photography 1

Students will be introduced to the latest processes and techniques of digital photography. Students will complete projects using various practical techniques and software solutions to develop an understanding of how to read and use digital photographic imagery. Students will also explore and create digital photographic artworks while developing a basic technical ability. Students will gain knowledge of the field through the investigation and analysis of diverse, contemporary and historical photographic practices.

BSA570 Transmedia 1

Students develop a basic understanding of how audiences are engaged through storytelling across multiple media platforms. Students will research the use of a variety of media platforms and storytelling devices. Students will produce a basic transmedia concept and explore its potential distribution, evaluating and documenting effectiveness in reaching target audiences. Students will also explore and evaluate contemporary transmedia practices.

BSA510 Fashion Design and Production 1

Students will be introduced to the basic principles and elements of fashion and the traditional design production process. Students will also research and apply skills in block drafting and garment construction techniques for a variety of garment types, whilst becoming familiar with industrial machinery and terminology used in fashion construction. Students will then expand their knowledge and creativity through textile exploration, manipulation and experimentation using a variety of sourced textiles and techniques. Finally, students will utilise the design process and knowledge gained to design, interpret, develop, refine, draft, and produce their own creative and unique range of quality garments for a specific target audience. 

BSA509 Introduction to Computer Aided Design

Students will be introduced to the latest computer aided design software to develop efficient and sustainable digital fashion workflows. Students will research how a digital workflow can speed up production and increase ethical practices within the industry. Students will design within a digital workflow and explore fabrication options to minimize waste and optimize production values. Students will explore applications for technology within the fashion, costume, and entertainment industries. 

BSA511 2D & 3D Concept Art & Design

Students will be introduced to fundamentals of design and presentation of effective storytelling and character concepts. Students will implement a design workflow to communicate 2D & 3D concepts to a chosen target audience. Students will produce a mixed media project to present their finalised concepts. Students will discuss relevant existing and emerging practices, and reflectively document their project’s progress.

BSA515 Studio Drawing 1

Students will develop fundamental skills in drawing, both digitally and physically. Students will participate in a variety of different drawing methods such as life drawing, mural design, and prompt illustrations. Students will develop visual storytelling skills through producing a narrative-driven short, illustrated project. Students will discuss relevant existing and emerging practices, and reflectively document their project’s progress.