Artificial Intelligence and its Impact

Creative Entrepreneurship

This module will equip students in the creative profession with a mind-set and toolkit of skills and competencies to identify entrepreneurial opportunities that align with their creative skills and aspirations. With an emphasis on learning from practice, students will work in teams driven by creativity to package, pitch and deliver innovative solutions to the market. Prior experience in entrepreneurship – or even a desire to become an entrepreneur in the future – are not required or expected. Reflecting on their experiences will form the centrepiece for their learning in the module. Gathering from what they have learned in the programme, students will then chart their pathways in the Creative industry.

Data Fluency

Elective 1

Fundamentals of Journalism

This module provides students with foundational competencies in news writing, reporting and producing. It stresses the importance of journalism in a globalised and digital world and its impact on society, culture and politics. Students will learn to recognise what makes news and why, and how to craft hard and soft news reports. They will develop skills in interviewing and gathering information. Students will also be introduced to writing and producing news content for different platforms, including audio and video. News research, accuracy, ethics and strong editorial skills will also be emphasised to help students navigate this era of information overload.

Human Experience and Behaviour

Psychology is the foundation for understanding users. This is integral to the user experience (UX) process which underpins the MAD core modules. In this module, students will learn how humans process information, how our personalities and motivations shape us, and how media and the people around us influence our emotions and behaviours. They will also learn basic concepts in secondary research to enrich their understanding of users, audiences, or stakeholders to create more effective ideas that appeal best to their users, audiences or stakeholders.

Introduction to Scriptwriting

This module provides first-year students with foundational competencies in scriptwriting. Students will learn to tell stories for the screen through sound and images. They will understand scriptwriting terminology and use software to write scripts in a professional format. Students will develop stories from idea to final draft. They will brainstorm and pitch ideas, develop story beats, construct outlines and write scripts. They will create compelling characters and write character specific dialogue. They will apply structure and conflict to create engaging scene sequences. Critiques pedagogy will be practised throughout the entire writing process. Students will participate in collaborative writing by giving feedback to ‘punch up’ a script. They will use feedback to rework outlines, tighten scenes, ‘clean up’ dialogue and add polish to the final draft of the script.

MAD Taster

Choose 2 out of 5 taster modules.

Media Fundamentals

This module aims to give students the essential skills needed to enter the media industry. Students will learn about the evolution of the media and media platforms and the principles of creating good content amid constantly changing technologies. The module also exposes students to the influential role of media makers in shaping public views and opinions. Students will also pick up oral, written and research skills which will help them thrive as content creators. The module will train them on how to put together a concept proposal and sell their ideas by making effective pitches and presentations. Students will also study the importance of branding in the media industry and how this affects the way they create content.

PlayLab

Creativity, as well as the ability to explore problems through transdisciplinary lens, are key skills needed to solve complex real-world issues. PlayLab aims to cultivate these skillsets, by getting students to understand how we can disrupt the thinking process, to trigger creative ideas, in a playful, purposeful and meaningful way. PlayLab is an interdisciplinary, studio-based project module that aims to teach students how to approach complex problems in a systematic yet creative way, through playful and creative problem solving. To further expand their scope in generating novel and innovative solutions, they will also be introduced to prototyping with technology. These skills will provide them with opportunities to arrive at solutions, from a holistic standpoint, beyond the parameters of their respective disciplines.

Principles of Design

Design plays a vital role in shaping and improving the user experience across all disciplines in the creative industry. It is a basic skillset that is core to the creation of effective animations, games, videos, marketing campaigns, etc that users interact with daily in the real-world. This module aims to cultivate these skillsets through the introduction of the basic principles of design. Students will engage in hands-on photography, digital imagining and illustration exercises to expose them to the importance of visual hierarchy and flow, colour theory, typography and other core design elements. They will undergo training to understand the importance of the design process from developing creative concepts, to sketching for communication and finally art directing effective designs for their users across various platforms.

Story Craft

Stories are the most powerful way to communicate. A good story captures our attention, makes us feel, shapes the way we think and even influences our actions. Telling a good story is essential in the media and creative industry whether you choose to be a writer or a journalist, a games developer or a designer, a brand specialist or an animated content creator. Through the study of storytelling, students will recognise the power of story in connecting people and shaping the way we see the world. They will learn key concepts from ideation to character development, story world building and narrative structure. They will examine themes and create original stories that will resonate with a target audience. They will learn tools in video storytelling. Ultimately, students will present their story in the form of a media product using audio visual technology.

Thinking Critically about the UN SDG

Video Storytelling

This module introduces students to the digital video production process, from writing a two-column script to the final product. Students will learn practical aspects of single camera techniques, basic lighting, audio recording, camera directing and video editing. In addition, this module also imparts students with a sound understanding of the entire production process from translating an infotainment script to the production and post-production with a focus on storytelling.

Creative Freelancing & Media Law

Turn your passion into profit: develop practical commercial skills, explore media law for the creatives and experience a taste of the gig economy. This module will show you how to hack it, negotiate it and close the deal. Recognise the legal rights you have as a media content creator, how to jump over the legal land-mines and navigate the real-life ethical dilemmas faced by media practitioners. Learners will engage in professional practices with real clients in areas such as self-promotion, acquiring leads, estimating costs of services proposal writing and invoicing.

Elective 2

Entertainment Content Production

This module guides students through the creative and production process of Entertainment Content. Its emphasis will be on the infotainment-reality genre for digital platforms. Students will adopt the roles and methodologies of the scriptwriter, director and producer, who are working within the framework of an established Entertainment Content Series. This set-up simulates conditions commonly faced by fresh entrants in the media industry, who are expected to execute content for either an existing, recognised Entertainment Content series, or a new series that has just been commissioned for production. By the end of this module, students will also be able to recognise and apply creative strategies for presenting information in a manner that is entertaining, engaging and effective.

Introduction To Documentary

This module will introduce students to the fundamentals of the documentary genre. Students will learn the basics of documentary storytelling. They will research, script and produce a documentary short. This module promotes experiential learning through exposure to actual profiles and human stories. Students will be given opportunities to work on projects as individuals, building their ability to work independently, as well as work on a project as a team, developing their teamwork skills in the process. Students will also develop critical thinking and problem skills with the hands-on approach to real-world assignments.

Introduction to Entertainment Content

This module introduces students to key entertainment genres in the television industry. It exposes students to the processes behind the conceptualisation, crafting and development of entertainment content such as infotainment, reality shows and game shows. Students will also learn fundamentals of story crafting and writing for these content for different target audiences. Students will conceptualise and pitch ideas as individuals and work on developing the project in a team. Students will also develop creative thinking and teamwork through the hands-on activities and assignments.

MAD Studio Project

The MAD Studio Project aims to build on the interdisciplinary practices taught in PlayLab in order to further develop students’ ability to understand issues through research, and craft interventions to shape behaviour. Students will work in mixed groups and take on complex, real-world industry projects. They will draw on the domain knowledge and skills from their own tracks, as well as those of their peers from other tracks, in order to gain a deeper understanding of an issue, synthesize their learning and create innovations to meet the challenges. This module is a facilitated time and space for students to explore across the disciplines of creative perspectives, including in research and design, problem-solving and communication of ideas. The teaching facilitation will also embrace the design inquiry cycle that enables learners to mind shift and lead into a convergence of viewpoints.

Persuasive Communication with Data Storytelling

Scripted Concept Development

In this module, students will learn to craft fresh concepts for a scripted series (drama or comedy) for TV or digital media platforms. They will learn the different genres, forms and structure of a scriptedseries. Students will pitch ideas, develop a premise, create compelling characters and define the world of the series. They will also be introduced to multi plotted episodic storytelling.

Sustainable Innovation Project

Work in multi-disciplinary groups to apply the design thinking method and tools backed by research and qualitative data, to tackle local issues mapped to the UN SDGs. You will also tap on what you have learnt in the CCC modules that come before this module to create sustainable and innovative prototype solutions for real-life issues faced by a local community in need. In the process, you will develop empathy for the community you have identified for your project and a better understanding of yourselves.

The Digital Journalist

This module builds on the competencies introduced in the Fundamentals of Journalism. Students will refine their skills in finding and pitching news stories, producing engaging multimedia content and presenting the news on digital platforms. Students will also be trained on how to spot breaking news and respond swiftly to it. They will learn the importance of accurate and responsible reporting in these developing situations. The coursework will help to cultivate skills such as creative thinking, sense making, decision making and communication in students.

Video Production for Narratives

This module is designed to enable students to direct and produce drama and comedy scripts. Students will learn the finer points of script interpretation, conceptualisation, storytelling, actor and camera direction, editing and production management. They will apply these skills in the context of drama and comedy production.

Visual Storytelling

This module develops the visual storytelling skills of students in both digital photography and video production. The students will learn to handle digital cameras to capture photographs that tell stories visually. In addition, the students will learn how to think creatively and apply various video production techniques to form entertaining sequences. Students will collaborate and solve problems while undertaking multiple roles of the production cycle to produce video content that inform and entertain. This module builds on the video production fundamentals learnt in the Video Storytelling module.

Elective 3

Effective Writing for the Workplace

Final Year Project

Students will put all the skills acquired in the specialisation thus far to propose, conceptualise, write/script and pitch an original TV or online scripted series to content commissioners from the industry. This module will showcase the students’ strengths as content writers and creators.

Internship

This module aims to provide students with work exposure to an industrial environment, with opportunity to relate what is taught in the classroom to actual work situation. This module creates a valuable learning opportunity for students to sharpen their skills and knowledge, as well as contributing to the development tasks of participating organizations.

Personal Branding and Career Agility

Transdisciplinary Project

The TD Project/ Final-Year Project is an opportunity for students to integrate, apply and deepen the knowledge, skillsets and competencies (both technical and general) they have gained over the course of their study. Building on the skills taught in PlayLab and the MAD Studio Project, students will work in mixed groups to tackle complex real-world issues through industry projects. They will learn how to research and generate new, innovative solutions that go beyond a single domain, while considering other factors such as meeting a business-end, dealing with resource constraints, as well as taking advantage of social, cultural and economic trends. They will also learn how to communicate with their stakeholders and manage a project. By the end of this module, students will deepen their skills in acquiring and synthesising knowledge from across disciplines and develop resilience and an entrepreneurial spirit in tackling complex problems.

Narrative Filmmaking

This module introduces screenwriting as a distinctive media platform that requires a different set of skills and techniques in terms of storytelling, scriptwriting and the business of moviemaking. The module builds on the production modules from the earlier stages in the specialisation. Students will also learn the creative work in scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, art direction, sound design and editing. Through the works of film auteurs, students will also discover more about the social and artistic influences affecting film and the film industry.

Documentary Filmmaking

This module is designed to enable students to develop a documentary film. Students will transform their documentary proposals into a five to seven- minute film, using the storytelling skills they have developed in the programme. This module challenges students to further refine their scriptwriting, directing, producing, and production management skills in the context of producing the documentary.