Year 11 Mpa Course Pack

NOTE: This Year 11 Media Production and Analysis is to be used in conjunction with this
site: http://mrsjeffriesmediaproduction.weebly.com/
Year 11 2AMPA Video Games as Popular Culture Course Pack
EDN415: Media and the Curriculum Assignment 3 - Website and Lesson Plans Krysia Jeffries 31220095
YEAR 11 MEDIA
PRODUCTION
& ANALYSIS
VIDEO GAMES AS
POPULAR CULTURE
COURSE PACK
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Unit overview
3. Tips and Tricks
4. Tasks
Year 11 Media Production and Analysis Course Pack Cover Page Image. Deviant Art.
Ezio Auditore by Ady18. Accessed May 2014. http://ady18.deviantart.com/art/Ezio-
Auditore-253825256
INTRODUCTION
This Media Production and Analysis unit will be focusing upon Video Games as Popular culture. This focus involves
identifying what is meant by popular culture and considering the types of media, ideas and audiences from which
popular culture evolves. You will analyse, view, listen to and interact with a range of popular media, develop your own
ideas based upon personal experiences, traditional media theories and Video Game-specic theories within the realms
of Video Games; learn production skills from these ideas and apply your understandings and skills in creating your own
productions.
There are many aspects of popular culture within Video Games that will provide you with many learning opportunities, of
which will provide you with interesting and relevant learning contexts, and an opportunity to explore how audiences
consume popular media.
In contexts based within the area of Video Games as Popular Culture, students will have the opportunity to explore a
variety of popular media work, and learn how to interpret the meanings created by codes and conventions.
With this knowledge base you will grow as a learner, honing your new-found knowledge by way of production
opportunities and reection upon your creations with your analytical skills in the understanding of media languages and
audiences while learning about and working in specic production contexts.
Within this Media Production and Analysis course designed for a Year 11 cohort, you will be undertaking these aspects of
exploring Video Games as an aspect of Popular Culture within these SCASA-prescribed areas:
Media Languages: system of communication and narrative, codes and conventions.
Representation: constructions and values of mainstream versus subcultures.
Audience: audiences, subcultures and media trends.
Production: major institutions and independents and production contexts.
Skills and Processes: investigating and analysing media, applying production skills, using conventional genres, styles
and conventions and reecting on the production process.
You are encouraged to rstly read their Media Production and Analysis Course Pack thoroughly to get a full
understanding of what is expected for a fullling and meaningful completion of this course and to encourage your
independence not only as a learner but also as a future member of the Media community.
By the conclusion of this Media Production and Analysis course, you will be able to identify, discuss and reect upon
Video Games as a part of Popular Culture in terms of critical media theories and conventions, alongside Video Game
specic theories and synthesize this knowledge within your own productions in preparation for your Year 11 MPA exams.
UNIT OVERVIEW
Week 1
During week one we'll be covering a lot of new (and some old) Media territory. Firstly, we will do some light housekeeping
with some expectations of you as a budding video game theorist and some expectations for me as a teacher, so that I
may guide you onto the path of awesomeness. To assist you on your video game adventure, you will be given the 'Hints,
Tips and Tricks' cheat sheet. Then, we will go headrst with the introduction of the notion of popular culture. This will then
follow onto video games as popular culture and examples of this emancipation within society. During this week, we will
explore an old favourite; the S.W.A.T model. This will be done with the use of the Halo miniseries, 'Forward Onto Dawn'.
Week 2
In week two, we will explore some key video game theories and some examples with game play footage. Some notable
theorists we will be looking at include Jane McGonical, David Buckingham, S.E. Nielson, Andreas Gregerson and Torben
Grodal, Steve Swink, Michael Nitsche, Henry Jenkins, Marinka Copier and Frans Mayra. You will be encouraged to write
about these theories (as you experience them!) within your own Video Game Journal as you play your chosen (and
teacher approved - see the 'Approved Games Sheet') game.
Task 1: Video Game Journal is due at the end of Week 6 to be submitted via e-mail, storage device or hard copy.
Week 3
Week three will include the exploration of stereotypes; the denition of what they are, how they are constructed and why.
This will then lead to the examination of mainstream culture and subcultures, and how stereotypes are utilized to focus
on differing cultural groups within media.
Week 4
The investigation into stereotypes will be continued this week by looking at very specic systems of communication,
these being binaries and symbols. This will be extended by having a look at semiotics within video games. This will
include having an involved look at video game advertising in print, television and the internet.
Week 5, 6 and 7
During weeks ve, six and seven, you will be harnessing your new-found video game theory knowledge in the
commencement of the Game Asset Project. In this project, you will outline what you intend to achieve within the project,
undertake research referencing theories that have been covered by this MPA course and use this knowledge to create
effective game assets.
Task 2: Game Asset Research is due at the end of Week 6 to be submitted via e-mail, storage device or hard copy.
Task 3: Game Asset Production is due at the end of Week 8 to be submitted via e-mail, storage device or hard copy.
Week 8
After completing the Game Asset Project, we will then consolidate our progress by revising our exploration of various
models and theories covered within this MPA course. We can then prepare for the coming examination by looking at past
ATAR exams and interpret their requirements and possible answers.
Task 4: Essay Research and Essay is due at the end of Week 9 to be submitted via e-mail, storage device or hard
copy.
Week 9
To prepare for the coming examination, students will pick out one exam question out of each section. You will then
interpret the question and write dot points of avenues for discussion. This must include examples linking to popular
culture and the theories and models we have covered. You complete your notes by end of the rst session to be used for
next session where students will be under test conditions.
Week 10
In this week, the exam questions should be marked will be discussed today, with the help of the past MPA ATAR marking
key. Section by section, question by question to be prepared for the big event! In addition to this, there will be last minute
housekeeping, such as looking at the SCASA document for guidelines to fulll the Production Section submission as per
SCASA requirement (we don't want any hiccups at this stage of the course, do we?).
Task 5: Mid-year Essay will occur during Session 1 of Week 10 and will be marked by Session 2 to be discussed.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Undertaking a unit on a self-access basis can be tough and confusing; the purpose of this document is to make this unit
a breeze (if you so chose to harness its power!).
1. Always do your best as a Visual Arts practitioner to give credit where credit is due.
Many items that are seemingly easily accessed upon the internet are not always free and we must be careful to adhere
to any existing copyright laws that may protect the property of others (and your own in the future!).
If there are no explicit instructions in regards to copyright allowances, always state the origin of the image and give
credit. This can be done by noting the name of the text, the name of the site of origin, when the text was accessed and
the hyperlink.
For more information, you are strongly encouraged to have a glance at the following:
Creative Commons - About the Licenses
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Australian Copyright Council
For Graphic Designers
http://www.copyright.org.au/nd-an-answer/browse-by-what-you-do/graphic-designers/
For Artists
http://www.copyright.org.au/nd-an-answer/browse-by-what-you-do/artists/
Using Texts and Images
http://www.copyright.org.au/nd-an-answer/browse-by-what-you-do/using-text-images/
Who knows? This knowledge may help you avoid costly litigation or help you pursue an individual who wishes to make
off with your source of income should you become a visual artist. Better safe than sorry!
2. Save your work periodically, in differing formats and in iteration. In multiple places.
I may sound paranoid to the extreme, but even with our ever improving technologies some days can just go pear-shaped
when using it, causing many frustrations, tears, hissy ts and sleepless nights just in time for that major assignment due
date.
You are strongly encouraged to save your work in different versions for example, if you use Macs Pages editor, save it
in .doc and PDF format, just in case your Mac gets sick. You can easily adapt this for PC, if that is your weapon of
choice.
Save your work in iteration. For example, if you are working on the very rst version of your work, save it so that you will
be able to keep the older version of it should you corrupt or lose your new version. So this would look like Work.doc
(original version), Work1.0.doc (re-worked version), Work1.1.doc (currently working version) and so forth.
Save copies of your work in multiple places in case one system decides to have a holiday on you (read: if the system
crashes). For example I save my work on two USB ash drives, an external drive, my Macbook Pro and my PC so I can
avoid many all-nighters trying to re-gain what has been lost.
3. If you feel lost, unsure or that you are not doing as well as you would hope in the unit; ask for help.
I am your teacher and my role is to help you become your very best. Feel free to drop an e-mail to voice your concerns
at insolita-k@hotmail.com.
4. Plan ahead.
Always, always plan ahead. Fruitful learning occurs best when you are comfortable in your progress and this can be as
simple as managing your time in an appropriate manner. Break down major assignments into manageable bite-sized
chunks. This way, the task will seem easier and you will not become mentally over-exerted or bored with what ever you
are tackling at present.
5. Use Proper File Management.
Keep your les within a properly labeled and managed system. For example: Year 10 Media Arts --- Assignments ----
Project 2 - Experimentation --- Files here.doc. If I cannot nd your work in your storage device, then by all accounts, it
does not exist. This is especially true should you be unfortunate enough to encounter a very strict lecturer at university!
PROJECTS
Throughout this unit, you will be demonstrating your building abilities with the following tasks:
Task Task Name Due Date Percentage
1 Video Game Journal End of Week 6 30%
2 Game Asset
Research
End of Week 6 20%
3 Game Asset
Production
End of Week 8 20%
4 Essay Research and
Essay
End of Week 9 20%
5 Mid-year Essay End of Week 10 10%
Task 1 - Video Game Journal
During this phase of your practice you will be culminating your critical media literacy and
analytic ability by the production of a Video Game Journal, which will inform audiences of
various conventions and theories that can be experienced, explored and discussed within
Video Games as an aspect of Popular Culture.
You will have to submit:
* A page featuring information about your chosen game. Include information such as Title,
Platform, Release Date, Genre, Plot and Main Character;
* Eight journal entries which detail your experiences as a player and relating these
experiences to aspects of the S.W.A.T convention and Video Game-specic theories as
covered in class. You will need to detail the Game, the Section/Chapter/Level, etc you
are playing, your experiences as a player with mention of conventions and theories;
* Images which relate to the entries, specically referencing the S.W.A.T convention and/or
Video Game-specic theory - 2 per journal entry;
* A reference section which documents where you have sourced your images.
Task 2 - Game Asset Research
Create a research document which will serve as the foundation for the creation of your
Game Asset Production task.
* An Introduction section, which will detail what your project is about in terms of platform,
genre, age range, rating, games that could be considered similar in terms of genre and/or
style.
* 2 mood boards focusing on three keywords each, with annotations detailing the kind of
styles you are considering.
* 2 collages which detail sources of inspiration, looking at environments, power-ups,
characters, weapons and enemies.
* A page featuring a justication for the choice of one mood board and one collage as your
central focus. This will have to be used when you start Task 3 - Game Asset Production.
TASKS
Throughout this unit, you will be demonstrating your building abilities with the following tasks:
Task Task Name Due Date Percentage
1 Video Game Journal End of Week 6 30%
2 Game Asset
Research
End of Week 6 20%
3 Game Asset
Production
End of Week 8 20%
4 Essay Research and
Essay
End of Week 9 20%
5 Mid-year Essay End of Week 10 10%
Task 3 - Game Asset Production
This task will follow on from Task 2 - Game Asset Research.
* Rened research, which will include images of your chosen Game Asset type; written
information such as the name of the asset, what game series it is from, what it does and
how it is perceived in terms of conventions and theories that have been explored.
* 2 pages of sketches with notes.
* Final draft of your Game Asset.
* A completed version of your Game Asset.
Task 4 - Essay Research and Essay
To submit this task, you will have to include:
* Their chosen essay question.
* The notes they have created to answer the essay question.
* The essay itself.
Task 5 - Mid-year Essay
Students will be undertaking the Mid-year Essay under examination conditions.
A NOTE ON SUBMISSION: All projects are to be submitted via e-mail or a clearly marked
personal storage device.
A NOTE ON EXTENSIONS: As a lot of projects are to be completed in class, you will need
exceptional circumstances to warrant an extension. Please contact me via e-mail to
receive permission.

Year 11 Mpa Course Pack

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NOTE: This Year 11 Media Production and Analysis is to be used in conjunction with this

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