Outline

Overview

This unit provides an introduction to the theory and practice of media production. It combines a holistic investigation of contemporary media practices with an exploratory first-hand account of media production techniques. Students will have the opportunity to create their own media production using a variety of technologies. They will create a major media piece by the end of the semester, and learn how to promote and publish their work.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Media and Communications
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Hamideh Khaleghi Mohammadi, hamideh.mohammadi@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
In-person practical, skills, or performance task or test	Early Feedback Task See canvas for details	0%	Week 03 Due date: 13 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 15 Mar 2026	10-15 minutes	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Interactive oral	Interactive Oral Pitch of film idea Pitch your film idea to the funding body, then respond to prompts about your project	20%	Week 05 Due date: 23 Mar 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Jun 2026	5 minutes (900 words equiv.)	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Creative work	Major Video Project Produce, shoot, and edit a video in any genre. Can be factual or fiction.	45%	Week 10 Due date: 08 May 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Jun 2026	3-5 minutes (2100 words equiv.)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Creative work	Online Promotion and Publication of Video Project and Personal critical reflection Create a website to host your video project, and materials to promote it.	35%	Week 13 Due date: 31 May 2026 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Jun 2026	1500 wd equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Detailed information can be found in Canvas

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard. You must submit all assessments to pass the unit.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	High distinction projects demonstrate outstanding levels of creativity, storytelling, technical competency and publishing ability. These productions have a sophisticated approach towards creativity and storytelling by understanding their audience and drawing on outstanding engagement techniques. The technical capacity demonstrates outstanding skills by correctly recording, capturing, manipulating and exporting the production that adheres to industry standards. The work exceeds the requirements of this assignment and could be commissioned by existing media publications.
Distinction	75 - 84	Distinction projects demonstrate excellent levels of creativity, storytelling, technical competency and publishing ability. These productions have a sophisticated approach towards creativity and storytelling by understanding their audience and drawing on excellent engagement techniques. The technical capacity demonstrates excellent skills by correctly recording, capturing, manipulating and exporting the production that adheres to industry standards. The work exceeds the requirements of this assignment.
Credit	65 - 74	Credit projects demonstrate good levels of creativity, storytelling, technical competency and publishing ability. These productions have a well-rounded approach towards creativity and storytelling by understanding their audience and drawing on satisfactory engagement techniques. The technical capacity demonstrates good skills by correctly recording, capturing, and manipulating the production, which may have a few minor problems. The work demonstrates the requirements of this assignment.
Pass	50 - 64	Projects that pass demonstrate minimal levels of creativity, storytelling, technical competency and publishing ability. These productions have some understanding of creativity and storytelling but have been masked by errors and problems in comprehensive produciton. The technical capacity demonstrates some skills by correctly recording, capturing and manipulating the media, but also demonstrates some technical problems and errors. The work minimally meets the requirements of this assignment.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

5% per day past the due date

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	What is Media Production?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to Story	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Idea Generation	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Production Planning and Pitching	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Pitching your project	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Video Principles and Lighting	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Camera fundamentals	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Sound Principles	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	In-class assessment- Interactive oral pitch	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Documentary and Feature film production principles, and audiences	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Interviewing tactics and techniques	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Story II	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Group work - Editing in Adobe Premier Pro	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Editing and Post Production	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Shooting for Continuity, Editing in Adobe Premier Pro	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Ethics	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Ethics and Editing in Premier Pro	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Online Publication	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Editing your Major Project	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Promotion and Design	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Adobe Photoshop	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Algorithmic Media	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	WordPress and Socials	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Representation and Voice	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Photoshop, WordPress and Social Media	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: students are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board which will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Identify the foundational principles of media design and participation
LO2. Demonstrate basic skills in conceptual media production (audio, video, design, writing, social media and publishing) across multiple platforms
LO3. Demonstrate the basic skills for social media production and promotion
LO4. Demonstrate the capacity to identify and apply ethical standards in producing media texts, forms and environments

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We have introduced an interactive oral secure assessment.

Additional information

This unit involves a weekly 1 hour lecture, a 2 hour tutorial, reading and online activities on our Canvas e-learning site and blogs.

Lectures are compulsory and will be posted by Monday afternoon each week on the Module page for that week on Canvas. You must attend in person or watch the weekly lecture before you go to your weekly tutorial. There are analytics that track viewing of the videos. You are required to do the readings and look at the suggested website prior the lecture and will be called on to discuss your analysis of the readings in the lecture.

There will be occasional guest lecturers — people with extensive academic or industry background in media production. As these people may be your future employers (and we often refer students to job opportunities on the basis of their participation in class) it’s worth turning up to these events and asking questions.

Tutorial workshops will be a combination of online tutorials alongside in-person workshops – we will need to align with COVID-19 restrictions to ensure the health and safety of all is upheld. Due to equipment and resources there is an absolute cap of 20 placed on the number of students in each workshop. To gain entry to the lab outside class times you must use your student swipe access card. If you haven’t already done so, please apply for and activate your swipe card at the Security building G12, Darlington Campus. To use lab computers outside class times you need to book them through the booking system. This is very important after week 5 as many groups are sharing the same production resources.

All your e-learning activities will take place on Canvas or your personal online portfolio space blog.

All your class handouts and other support materials will be posted on Canvas. If you have any difficulties logging in or using the system, visit the Student Help area of the Sydney eLearning site http://sydney.edu.au/elearning/student/

Your software demonstrator will be available in class and for one hour of other consultation on your feature project. Please be polite to, and patient with them, especially if you want help to realise your creative vision.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

MECO1004: Introduction to Media Production

Semester 1, 2026 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links