Class "Star Wars" Project

Project Concept

The Group Project will deliver an analysis of "Star Wars" that is conducted entirely in terms of Course ideas and concepts.

The following are some of the primary Course concepts relevant to the film:

• Marshall McLuhan's three-stage definition of technology
• The Stages of the Hero's Journey
• Aristotle's Structure of Drama
• Doubleness in Western Civilisation

The film analysis of "Star Wars" will be based in the following three sets of guidelines.

1. Major concepts from the Course.
2. Film-analysis theory, from a minimum of two credible resources authorised by our BCIT Library. Part of this major, 30%, Course component is the Group's collective research into film analysis theory.
3. Your collective understanding of the film, and the ideas from it that you wish to highlight.

Project Formalities

1. Due date: May 6th, 2016
2. The project is worth thirty percent of the total Course grade, and the expectation for grading is that the work represented by the completed project is thirty percent multiplied by the number of members in the Group. Thus, if there are four group members then the completed group dialectical project will show effort, endeavour, and content equaling one hundred and twenty percent of a Course effort.
3. Each member of the Group will receive the same Group grade. The responsibility for ensuring equal contribution from each individual group-member is the Group's collectively in the manner of professional environments: this includes consultation with the Organisational Superior in the person of the Course Instructor....
4. Priorities:
•  Job 1: Deliver understanding of how the subject film illustrates major concepts presented and articulated in LIBS 7005.
• Job 2: Structure the project directly in terms of the particular film theory used to analyse the film: this includes both the specific principles of your film theory and the specific elements of the film that manifest these principles.
• Job 3: Calibrate your project to a (real or hypothetical)  target audience of practicing Mechanical Engineers, Accountants, etc.: i.e. your professional colleagues who have not had the advantage of successfully completing LIBS 7005 at BCIT.

Project Group Management. Each group will organise itself collaboratively. Division of responsibilities and tasks, schedule of dates for progress and deliverables, decisions relating to the realisation of the project criteria, and personnel-related matters, are all the responsibility of the group members in consensus. Where a  decision is required that defies consensus, the Course Instructor is the de jure Project Manager.

Project Work. Class-time will be assigned for work on the Group Project through the Term. The Instructor is available then for project consultation.

It is expected that some work on the project will also be done outside class-time, in line with the 30% of Course grading that the project represent per student.

Project Medium

The completed project will be accessible online, and will be in some accessible technical medium suitable to a polytechnic. The choice and design of the project medium will be guided by the criteria of (i.) accessibility, (ii.) effective delivery of the teaching intention of the project, (iii.) the technical student demographic of the intended audience, (iv.) the subject-matter of the film being analysed (i.e. technology boon or bane).

Project Outline. A one- to two-page Outline is due in hard copy at the start of lecture on Course Week Five The Outline will specify the following:

• the film title (approved in advance by the Course Instructor)
• a minimum two credible film-analysis resources (preferably found via the BCIT Library)
• the project concept and structure
• the project scope
• the project goal
• the project structure & organisation
• the work responsibilities and tasks by members 
• the schedule of progress dates and deliverables

Status Report. A one-page written status report is due in in hard copy at the start of lecture on Course Week Ten.

Dr. Stephen A. Ogden, BCIT LIBS