Module: MCO6102-20 Digital Innovation and Enterprise

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Charlie Tweed

Module Tutor Contact Details: c.tweed@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module will focus on professional digital media innovation practice and aims to connect with best practice approaches used today within the digital production industry. The module aims to connect with identifying best practice methodologies for creating innovative digital products as well as the requirements for successfully marketing that product utilising a variety of industry techniques to develop an innovative cross-platform marketing strategy. It engages with branded content marketing and multi-channel transmedia marketing, developing your existing skills in creating innovative content within media practice across film, web and social.

The module aims to build on the skills that you have developed on Digital Practice, Digital Ecologies, Global Media, and Promotional Media, and provide you with an expansion of their theoretical and practical skills within a professional digital industry context. It aims to develop your intellectual, analytical, creative and research skills within a professional context to prepare you for careers within the contemporary media industries. The module will utilise current industry standard briefs, innovation strategies and methodologies to allow you to work on projects which simulate the experience of working in the digital industry.

2. Outline syllabus:

Each student will individually develop a detailed proposal for a new and innovative digital product which must respond to the assignment brief and emerge from their own chosen industry specialism such as: Digital Publishing, Digital Apps, Digital Games, Digital Film or TV.

You will each develop a detailed portfolio for their proposed product which will include all of their background research into areas such as the market, competitors and audience as well as key materials such as treatment, pilot scripts, visual approach, storyboards, budget, branding, and design concepts, etc. you will also develop an industry standard presentation where you will pitch your digital product idea, your research and how you would market it.

Lectures and workshops will introduce you to a variety of methodologies for developing focused and innovative digital products including: Market research, Audience and Cultural Analysis as well as methods of producing effective proposals for new products including user experience, project management and budgeting. Lectures will also cover how to develop cross- channel marketing strategies for products and provide insights into the latest trends such as transmedia and content marketing.

Lectures will also introduce you to some of the latest developments in areas such as Film and TV, Social Media, Games, Publishing, Serious Games and Apps. The module also benefits from a number of invited guest lectures from experts from the digital industry, who will provide cutting edge insights to the latest approaches and techniques as well as the sorts of jobs within research and digital production that connect with the skills of the students.

3. Teaching and learning activities:

The module will be delivered via lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, guest lectures and group presentations. The approach to research, strategy, project management, creative and design will be considered and analysed for each. We will also look at some examples of projects which have gone wrong or have not succeeded in meeting their objectives and analyse what the causes might be. Guest lecturers from experts within the digital industry will provide insights on enterprise and innovation from a range of companies across the media industries, who will also provide students with feedback on their projects.

The Minerva site for Digital Innovation will act as a research centre and will contain both weekly support materials (lecture and workshop slides, readings) and broader research materials.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Digital Product Portfolio (2500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Industry Pitch Presentation (2500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50