SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS FOR “FINAL YEAR PROJECT”
Answer the following questions and send it to the teachers whom you want to invite
him/her to be your advisor.
How would you describe your FYP in the larger context of your learning experience at
SCM?
A. My FYP concludes my learning at SCM and draws from different areas I have learnt
via integration.
B. My FYP concludes my learning at SCM by focusing on my strongest area.
C. My FYP is on an area I have encountered within the SCM curriculum but have not
explored sufficiently.
D. I make use of the chance of the FYP to learn something I have not at SCM, but
broadly related to the content of the SCM curriculum.
E. My FYP explores an area that would bridge my SCM learning experience with my
next goal of life.
Please answer the ONE section most relevant to your project ONLY.
I. Animation works
We are happy for anyone to choose animation for their FYP, whether they have practiced
any animation before or not. To help us help you, please fill out these questions. We want
to find out how much you have already thought about the project; to find out which
advisor might be best for you; to give us an idea of where your skills are at; and to give
you an indicator of the things you should be starting to think about if you want to do
animation.
1. What style of your animation are you planning to do?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Story Telling
Abstract Animation
Experimental Animation
MTV
TV Commercial
Not sure…
2. If you choose to make an animation as your FYP, would you be most interested
in:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
3D animation
2D animation
Special Effects animation
Object/clay animation
Games animation
6) Not sure yet
3. Would you want to form a group to execute the animation out?
1) No
2) If yes, how many? __________________(Not more than 3 person)
4. Do you have any experience to create a complete animation before?
1) Yes
2) No
5. Do you combine the animation with other **Medium** to represent your theme?
1) No.
2) If Yes, what will you choose?
a.
Game Consol
b.
Installation
c.
Some Hardware Device
d.
Other, please specify__________
e.
Not sure….
6. If you choose Object/clay animation be your FYP, do you have the experience of
(please circle):
1)
2)
3)
4)
Using Studio Light
Camera Shooting
Create Model Set
Premiere
7. Do you know any of the following programming languages?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
C++
Java
Flash ActionScript
Director Lingo
Maya MEL
Other, please specify: ----------------------
8. If you are anticipating using Maya please rank your competency:
1) Power user
2) Comfortable
3) Beginner
4) Just started
9. Please circle other software you feel comfortable using:
1) Photoshop
2) Premiere
3) After Effects
4) Pro Tools
5) Flash
-----------------------II. Installation works
These questions help you to think about whether you should choose installation to work
on for your FYP. The questions also help the advisors to know more about which area
you want to explore and which advisor might be best for you.
No need to say “yes” to all questions and you can skip the irrelevant one.
1. Please use one or a few sentence(s) to tell us what you think installation is?
2. Why you think installation is a better form to express the idea of your FYP?
3. Have you studied any installation related courses?
4. Are you interested in working with ready made object? Why?
5. Are you interested in sculpting/transforming an object or raw material? Why? Have
you done any experiment of using different material to present your ideas?
6. Are you interested in physically transforming a space? Do you have any experience in
setting up a work? Have you explored different possibilities of combing and setting
up your work?
7. Where will you show your work? Is it a site-specific work? Do you need to get
permission to show your work? How long will it take?
8. Are you interested in studying the cultural/historical meaning of an object or a space?
9. Are you interested in exploring the physicality/spirituality of an object or a space?
How?
10. Are you interested in giving a new definition of time in a physical space?
11. Are you interested in studying the interrelationship between objects, space, time and
audience?
12. Are you interested in studying the behaviour of the audience? Interaction between the
work and the audience? Emphasis, challenge or change the habit of the audience?
13. What kind of feeling do you want to share with the audience?
14. Would you try to apply new media technologies to your work?
15. Will your work involve some programming?
16. (Following from #14) If yes, do you already know any programming language?
What language do you already know?
17. Which new programming language do you plan to study for the FYP?
18. Do you have any experience of making installation? If yes, please briefly explain the
works.
19. Have you seen any works related to your topic? If yes, will your approach be similar
or different?
20. Can you identify the importance and foresee the challenges of your chosen project?
Why does it deserve to be a year-long project to mark your graduation?
-----------------------III. Scholarly Thesis
1. Which are the main area(s) of your thesis? (You may choose more than one.)
A. film/media history
B. film/media theory
C. contemporary art/art theory
D. theory of new media
E. study of individual artist
F. study of individual philosopher or critical theorist
G. cultural studies
H. narrative studies
I. performance studies
J. computer science
K. game studies
2. Please put down a tentative topic to summarize your interest:
3. Do you plan to combine the thesis with a creative project?
Animation? Installation? Etc.)
In which format (Video?
4. Name some courses you have taken which are relevant preparation for your project.
5. Have you received proper training in the writing of an academic paper?
6. Are you familiar with bibliographic methods and manuscript styles?
7. Have you received proper instruction in library research and other research methods?
8. Have you ever conducted a research project on your own? (Describe very briefly one
or two significant ones.)
9. What (skills, theories, concepts etc.) do you think are lacking in your training so far
that will be necessary for the thesis you are pursuing?
10. (Following from #7) What steps do you plan to take to acquire these needed skills and
concepts (e.g. taking Independent Study, other relevant courses, doing extracurricular
work etc.)?
11. Do you plan to use this work as part of your application portfolio for graduate
studies?
----------------------------------New Media and Interactivity
Students from all streams are welcome to choose projects in this area, which includes
games, web sites, multimedia, hand held devices, and electronic toys. Since most of the
projects in this area have a major technical component, the following questions will help
us with our planning and start your thought process.
1.
In one or two sentences (or point form) describe the main theme of your project.
2.
What is the main medium for your project (you can choose more than one):
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
PC Game.
Game console.
Hand held device (PDA, mobile phone, Game Boy, etc).
Web
Internet.
Robotics.
Electronic toy.
Educational software.
Other
3.
For a game based project are you intending to use a standard game engine, and if so
which one (SCM has both the Quake III and Unreal engines along with their
development tools)?
4.
For Internet and web projects, do you need a dedicated server or server features that
aren’t normally available to SCM students?
5.
Do you need special purpose programming or hardware configurations for your
project? If so, are you going to do this yourself, or do you need technical
assistance?
6.
Would you be interested in working with students in Computer Science or Computer
Engineering and Information Technology on a joint creative/engineering project?
7.
Do you like to mess with all of the technical details, or would you rather just get on
with the creative aspects of the project (this will help you decided on the medium
and tools that you will use)?
-----------------------------------
(Give “Yes” or “No” answers to the following questions.)
8. Does your project require any kinds of automatic reaction or response?
9. Are you interested in the mutual perception, interaction and communication between
human being and machine?
10. Are you interested in inter-human communication mediated through information and
telecommunication technology?
11. Would you like to have any automatic generation of media elements like text,
graphics, sound, etc.?
12. Does your project involve any artificial intelligence?
13. Do you know any programming facilities like, Lingo, ActionScript, MAX, etc.?
----------------------------------V. Extended forms of Narrartive
1. How would you describe the type of narrative you are interested in for your fyp?
(You may choose more than one.)
A. Experimental video that explores concepts of narratives
B. the making of a book
C. the critical exploration of the Book format
D. an interplay or dialogue between different literary genres
E. a narrative project that is space-oriented
F. a narrative project that involves multi-channel video
G. a narrative project that involves video and actual space (installation)
H. web-based narrative: hypertext / cybertext
I. game narratives
J. a narrative that involve life performance and other digital media
K. a narrative project that involves interactivity via computer programming
L. inter-media narrative of any combination other than the above
(Please specify: _________________________________________)
2. Please put down a tentative topic to briefly summarize your interest:
3. Name some courses you have taken which are relevant preparation for your project.
4. Name one or two important narrative projects you have done at SCM that are relevant
preparation for your project.
5. What (skills, theories, concepts etc.) do you think are lacking in your training so far
that will be necessary for the project you are pursuing?
6. (Following from #5) What steps do you plan to take to acquire these needed skills and
concepts (e.g. taking Independent Study, other relevant courses, doing extracurricular
work etc.)?
-----------------------------------
VI. Image and Text
The following questions will help you clarify your ideas and enable you to think about
the role of photography and writing in your final year project.
1. How would you describe the components of your image-text interplay?
My work will be an interplay of: (You may choose as many as you like.)
___ poetry
___ photography (your own work)
___ automatic writing
___ computer graphics (your own work)
___ text that tells a story
___ video (your own work)
___ found text
___ hand drawings/paintings
___ personal journal s/diaries ___ animation
___ mixed genre of writing ___ found video/film footage
___ informational text
___ found photographs
___ unclassified genre of writing ___ found graphics
(please specify:_______________)
2. What kind of creative work do you aim to produce at the end of the fyp?
(You may choose more than one, but no more than two.)
A. a book or other print forms
B. a photographic sequence/series
C. a video
D. an installation
E. a slide projection
F. Others (please specify):______________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
3. Name some courses you have taken which are relevant preparation for your project.
4. Have you ever done any project at SCM similar to the fyp you propose here?
Yes / No
5. (Following from #4) Name one or two important image/text projects you have done at
SCM that are relevant preparation for your project.
6. What (skills, theories, concepts etc.) do you think are lacking in your training so far
that will be necessary for the project you are pursuing?
7. (Following from #6) What steps do you plan to take to acquire these needed skills and
concepts (e.g. taking Independent Study, other relevant courses, doing extracurricular
work etc.)?
----------------------------------If your work involves photography, please take time to answer the following briefly:
8. Who is your favorite photographer? Why?
9.
Describe in detail one photograph taken by your favorite photographer. What is it
that makes this image so important or special to you?
10. What are the photography courses that you have taken at SCM or elsewhere?
11. What types of cameras have you used?
12. What, to you, are the properties specific to photography which differentiate it from
other visual media such as video, film, painting, etc?
13. What are the uses of Photography? How many types of “photographs” are there?
14. The meaning of a photograph shifts with its surrounding context. Do you agree?
Explain briefly.
15. What is the specific role of photography into your FYP? How does the photographic
component relate to the text component?
VII. Video
We hope that the following questions could help you better prepare yourself for a
challenging and fruitful production experience in your final year at SCM.
A. THE TOPIC:
1. You have chosen video as your medium? What kind of project do you have in mind?
Why?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Documentary
Experimental
Narrative
TVC
Others
Please very briefly explain your choice:
2. Can you identify the importance and foresee the challenges of your chosen project?
Why does it deserve to be a year-long project to mark your graduation?
3. Have you seen other videos on this topic?
similar or different?
If you have, will your approach be
4. What experience and training, if any, have you had so far that is relevant to your
proposed project?
5. If your video is an experimental piece, what kind of concepts are crucial to your
project? Name the courses you have taken at SCM or other involvement elsewhere
that are relevant preparation for your FYP?
B. RESEARCH
1. Research will help you identify the different perspectives or angles to this topic,
where will you locate these different perspectives?
2. Can you identify the kind of pre-production work you plan to do? For example,
research, interview, location scouting, casting etc. How much time will you spend on
pre-production?
3. (For documentary project) Do you have a plan to find the people who will represent
the point of views of your project?
4. Have you explored different treatments and styles for your project?
5. Will your project needs archival footage?
a budget to pay for rights?
How will you find them, and do you have
6. Do you have specific locations in mind? If you have, do you know if they are
available? Do you have to apply for a permit in order to videotape in these
locations? Will these locations cost money?
7. Are you in the process of working on the visual treatment, script, or storyboard? For
those who choose to do a narrative-based production or anything that has storytelling
elements, have you written a script before?
8. Have you or your camera crew taken and successfully completed Moving Images I
and II? If not, what other relevant experience do you have in camera shooting and
lighting?
9. Have you or your editor taken and successfully completed Post-Production Workshop
I/ II or Art of Editing? If not, what other relevant experience do you have in editing?
C. PRODUCTION:
1.
Will you need a crew? Do you have people in mind? Do they know your
shooting schedule and are they available for those days? Will they be occupied in
their own graduate projects? How do you plan to divide the tasks among your crew?
2.
As the leader of the project, what plans do your have to maintain good team spirit
and make your cast and crew happy during the entire production without paying
them?
3.
What kind of camera/ lighting equipment will you need?
4.
How many days of shooting will you need? What is your entire timetable? Does
your timetable allocate enough time for post-sound and advise sessions with
your advisors?
5.
Who will handle your sound during the shooting and post-production? Does your
sound person have enough experience in doing so?
6.
What is your budget?
D. POST-PRODUCTION:
1. Will you edit on AVID or Premier?
2. Will you edit yourself or have an editor?
3. Does your post-production schedule allow your advisor time to look at a rough cut,
give you feedback, and then a fine cut?
4. Have you allow yourself time for a good sound edit and mix? Will you need to use
Pro-tools or other software for sound edit and mix?
VIII. Scriptwriting
You have chosen scriptwriting as your graduation project. Your decision reflects your
interest not just in writing but in humanity as well. The following questions are mainly
procedural; they are not your only guidelines to a good script. We hope that the questions
could help you better think about your work and prepare yourself for a challenging and
fruitful screenwriting experience in your final year at SCM.
A. THE TOPIC:
1. All scripts are written for the purpose of production. What medium are you writing
for? Why does your story suitable for such medium?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Cinema
Animation
TV series
Internet broadcast
Others _________________________
2. Will your story include any one or more of the following characteristic? You can circle
more than one.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
Historical
Factual e.g. story based on actual event or person
Science fiction
Romance
Comedy
Social
Suspense
Action
Supernatural
Literary Adaptation
Others _________________________
3. Can you briefly tell us about your main characters of your story? What will they
experience in your story?
4. Can you identify the importance and foresee the challenges of your project? Why must
it be YOU to tell the story? Why must there be OTHERS to listen to your story? Why
does it deserve to be a year-long project to mark your graduation?
5. Have you seen other films, read any books or other materials on this topic?
have, will your approach be similar or different?
6. What experience or training, if any, have you had so far that is relevant to your
proposed project?
If you
7. Name the courses you have taken at SCM or other involvement elsewhere that are
relevant preparation for your FYP?
B. RESEARCH
8. Research will help you gather up background information and identify the different
perspectives or angles to this topic, how do you plan to conduct your research?
9. What will be your primary sources? Have you had experience in conducting
interview? If not, how do you plan to make up for such lack of experience?
10. Will you have access to the people that are related to your story? If not, how do you
obtain such access if needed?
11. When you are making your observation on certain group of people for your story, do
you have any recording device to record down their body language and dialogue
pattern?
12. What will be your secondary sources? Books or magazines? Have you used the
library before to conduct your research?
13. Will a specific location(s) play a key role in your story? If so, how do you plan to do
your location research? Do you have a camera to help you record your observation?
14. How much time will you spend on research?
15. Have you explored different structures and styles for your script?
16. This is not a must but will you consider inviting your classmates to brainstorm (jam)
with you for more inspirations and ideas in the earlier part of your conceptual
development?
C. WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT
17. Before your first draft, there are at least a few drafts of synopsis and then scene
breakdown to complete, what is your timetable on this? How much time you allow
yourself to complete your first synopsis? And the next few drafts?
18. When your actual scriptwriting begins, are you confident enough to write dialogue for
your characters? Will the dialogues all sound the same to you?
19. Time management is one of the keys to a successful completion of any project. What
is your timetable of the entire writing and re-writing process? Will you allow enough
time between drafts to seek advice from your advisors?
20. How would you design your writing habit for this year-long project? How much time
in a day will you devote yourself to this long writing and rewriting process?
D. WRITING THE NEXT DRAFT
21. How much will you plan to achieve by the middle of Semester A?
22. How much will you plan to achieve by the end of Semester A?
23. How much will you plan to achieve by the middle of Semester B?
24. Writing is ALWAYS about rewriting, will you allow yourself time for further drafts
and advisement sessions with your advisors during the process? (this question is so
important that it deserves to be asked twice)
25. What do you plan to do with your finished work after graduation?
IX. Production Packaging
The following lists crucial aspects to be considered for a successful FYP in the area of
Production Packaging.
Production packaging is not for you if you are not interested in:
1.
Research – knowing customers behavior
2.
Positioning – identifying product’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threat
3.
Creativity – striving for excellence and being different
4.
Marketing – selling your product to your target audience
Production packaging is not for you if you are not:
1. Stubborn – standing firm with your ideas
2. Compromise – understanding that you are not the boss of the project
Production packaging could be difficult for you if:
1. You don’t have enough manpower and resources to support your production
2. You don’t have the management skills to push the production in the production
and post production stages