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Month: April 2024

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Assignment Title: Critical Practice

Submission Deadline: Wednesday 19th June 2024 by 3pm (15:00) BST

Assessment:

  1. A myblog.arts research blog. Please provide structured evidence of your contribution and engagement. (Images, photos, text, video).
  2. A 1500-word critical report (with clips or still images, include a Harvard referenced bibliography and name your report appropriately).
  3. A 5-minute research presentation.

Choosing a Critical Report Topic (and Defining a Research Question)

When choosing a topic, consider the following:

  • Does the topic motivate you to research and discover?
  • How might the research impact present or future theoretical and practical study? Are there potentials to apply new learning?
  • Will you be able to fulfill and evidence the outcomes outlined in the assignment?
  1. Audience: Who and what is the report for? (Refer to the brief)
  2. Purpose: What do you want them to know? (Refer to the learning outcomes in the brief)
    • Read your brief or assignment (Available on Moodle)
    • Identify the audience and purpose for your report (Satisfy and evidence learning outcomes in the assignment brief)
    • Break down your assignment into main questions
    • Put the main subject questions in an order that makes sense
    • Develop sub-questions for the discussion
    • Start planning your investigation to find answers to the questions

When choosing the subject, try not to set it too broad or too narrow. For example, “What is the history of visual effects?” This question is too broad to be manageable. Better examples could be:

  • “How has the shift from analogue technology to digital impacted visual effects?”
  • “Why is the work of Ray Harryhausen still important for filmmakers?”
  • “What is the legacy of Douglas Trumbull?”

Another example: “Should animators be environmentally aware?” This question is too narrow. The answer is presumably “yes.”

Critical Report Structure

A clear and systematic structure is essential for a critical report. Here is a suggested structure, which may vary depending on your subject and design:

  1. Title: Subtitle
    • Precisely and concisely define the topic.
  2. Acknowledgements (Optional)
    • Mention anyone who provided significant help or facilities during the research.
  3. Abstract
    • Explain the general scope, specific intention, and method of examining your subject in full sentences.
  4. Key Words
    • Include images of all key works discussed, with captions detailing the title, creator, source, and date. Integrate these with the main text or place them in one section.
  5. Contents Page
    • List chapter titles or main sub-divisions, including bibliography and appendices, with their corresponding page numbers.
  6. Introduction
    • Map out the rest of the report, introducing the topic and its significance, central question, argument (hypothesis), and research methods. Include:
      • Explanation of the research’s worth
      • Study restrictions
      • Research questions and hypotheses
      • Methodology and types of sources
      • Summary of following chapters
  7. Literature Review
    • Present and critique the sources used in your research, stating the research question, detailing your approach, and summarizing insights.
  8. Main Body of Text
    • Present your research findings linked to your initial questions and hypotheses. Organize into chapters/sub-sections, each addressing a major question, and ensure they are linked through the central argument/question. Include:
      • Description
      • Analysis
      • Interpretation
  9. Conclusion
    • Summarize and comment on the report without repeating material or introducing new ideas. Answer the original question, link back to the literature, and identify areas for further research. Draw together issues and findings from the main body.
  10. Bibliography
    • List all sources consulted during the research, including books, articles, TV programs, films, magazines, etc. Use a comprehensive referencing resource like Cite Them Right Online.
  11. Appendices
    • Include additional material that doesn’t fit easily into the main chapters, such as interview transcripts, questionnaires, and covering letters.

Developing a Research Topic

  • Motivation and Discovery: Choose a topic that excites you and drives you to explore and discover new insights.
  • Connection to Existing Research: Ensure your inquiry relates to previously established research.
  • Impact on Theory and Practice: Consider how your study might influence current or future theoretical and practical studies, and whether it offers potential for new applications.
  • Informing the Reader: Determine what your research will teach the reader.
  • Meeting Assignment Outcomes: Verify that your inquiry will fulfill and demonstrate the outcomes required by the assignment.

Relevance and Audience

  • Field Relevance: Understand why your research is important to your field and how it informs your audience.
  • Career Focus: Identify your desired production area or environment post-graduation and why.
  • Skills and Standards: Recognize the skills needed for vocational practice.
  • Showcasing Work: Plan how to present your Final Major Project (FMP) for final shows.
  • Connection to Practical Work: Decide if your thesis research should directly relate to your practical work.
  • Independent Research: Consider if you have an unrelated research interest.

Potential Aspects of Production to Explore

  • Types of Production: Experimental, commercial, emergent practice, screen-based, expanded cinema, installation, interactive, augmented, studio/cinema/games.

Importance of Research

  • Research Importance: Identify why your research is significant and what you want the reader to learn.

Key Academic Resources

Steps in Developing the Critical Report

  1. Establish a Theme: Develop and refine your topic before completing all research and finalizing the structure.
  2. Introduction: Include a statement on the issue, topic, and purpose of the report.
  3. Methodology: Describe and justify the research methods used.
  4. Literature Review: Critically review the literature informing your research and explain how you used your sources.
  5. Investigation: Discuss options based on evidence, with citations. Use sub-headings for clarity.
  6. Conclusion: Summarize findings and provide recommendations or conclusions to the audience.