TH348-15 Immersive (3rd Year Variant)

Department: SCAPVC - Theatre and Performance Studies
Level: Undergraduate Level 3
Module leader: Tim White
Credit value: 15
Module duration: 8 weeks
Assessment: 100% coursework
Study location: University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

Introductory description

N/A.

Module aims

The module aims to introduce students to technologies that reject the physical and critical distance of a viewer in favour of experiences that draw in the participant. Though the focus of the module will be be given over to exposing students to a number of platforms - virtual reality, 360 degree video, motion tracking, proxemics and binaural sound - the introductory sessions will locate current immersive practices within the context of work including environmental theatre, immersive theatre, immersive cinema and surround sound. During week one of the summer term there will be four days split between contextualising lecture and afternoon workshop. Following this, students will submit a proposal in week 3 and, in conjunction with the convenor, undertake familiarization and research that feeds into the intensive work sessions in weeks 6 and 7, culminating in a presentation of their work at the end of week 7 (50%) and a subsequent critical review week 8 (50%).

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Summer Term
Week 1
Lecture 1: Environmental antecedents
Workshop 1: Working in 3D
Lecture 2: Feedback and Loops
Workshop 2: Interactivity – proxemics
Lecture 3: The politics and ethics of immersion
Workshop 3: Virtual reality
Lecture 4: The experience economy
Workshop 4: Scoping a proposal

Week 4:
Tutorials for feedback on Week 3 proposals (solo or groups of 2)

Week 7 & 8
Project development, including 2 x 1 hour feedback sessions with each group to check progress
Friday Week 8 – Presentation (15 mins + 10 mins discussion – solo / 20 mins + 10 mins discussion group of two)
Thursday Week 9 – deadline for critical review

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Develop competency in one or more immersive technologies.
Apply techniques to a project agreed with convenor (that could be artistic and/or commercial and/or educational).
Be able to pitch the project to professionals in the field.
Identify the parameters and possibilities of the work in a subsequent critical review.

Indicative reading list

Alston, Adam. Beyond Immersive Theatre: Aesthetics, Politics and Productive Participation. Springer, 2016. Print.
Aronson, Arnold. The History and Theory of Environmental Scenography. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1981. Print.
Atkinson, Sarah, and Helen W. Kennedy. "From Conflict to Revolution: The Secret Aesthetic, Narrative Spatialisation and Audience Experience in Immersive Cinema Design." Participations 13.1 (2016): 252-79. Print.
Bennett, Susan, and Marlis Schweitzer. "In the Window at Disney: A Lifetime of Brand Desire." TDR 58.4 (2014): 23-31. Print.
Biocca, Frank, and Mark R. Levy, eds. Communication in the Age of Virtual Reality. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Bishop, Claire. Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. London: Verson, 2012. Print.
Degen, Monica, Clare Melhuish, and Gillian Rose. "Producing Place Atmospheres Digitally: Architecture, Digital Visualisation Practices and the Experience Economy." Journal of Consumer Culture (2015). Print.

Shearing, David. "Intimacy, Immersion and the Desire to Touch: The Voyeur Within." Theatre as Voyeurism: The Pleasures of Watching. Ed. Rodosthenous, G. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. 71-87. Print.
Verbeek, Peter-Paul. "Designing the Public Sphere: Information Technologies and the Politics of Mediation." The Onlife Manifesto: Being Human in a Hyperconnected Era. Ed. Floridi, Luciano: Springer, 2015. 217-27. Print.

Software
Blender
MakeHuman
Unity
Processing
Abode Creative Suite 6
Microsoft Kinect SDK 2.0
NI Mate

Interdisciplinary

Works with WMG to understand sensory perception

Subject specific skills

Knowledge of Immersive Practices
Understanding of XR technologies

Transferable skills

Critical thinking
Active lifelong learning
Communication (verbal and written)
Teamwork and working effectively with others
Information literacy (research skills)
ICT literacy
Citizenship (local and global)
Ethical values
Inter-cultural learning and diversity awareness
Professionalism
Organisational awareness

Study time

Type	Required
Lectures	5 sessions of 2 hours (7%)
Tutorials	2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Project supervision	2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Practical classes	16 sessions of 1 hour (11%)
Supervised practical classes	50 sessions of 1 hour (33%)
Private study	70 hours (47%)
Total	150 hours

Private study description

Preparation of Immersive practical element - 58 hours group work
Preparation of critical review - 12 hours individual work

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A

	Weighting	Eligible for self-certification
Assessed Presentation	50%	Yes (extension)
You will present a work on 13th June that is informed by the immersive practices and ideas explored on the module. This breadth of forms e.g. theatre work, installation, sound piece, virtual environment, site responsive work is such that responses might well range from solo works through to larger (up to 8) groups though the scope of the work would be expected to scale with the size of the group. The extended period of development is such that you are encouraged to make ambitious use of the resources at your disposal and to set the terms of the presentation - the studios are provided as a resource but should not necessarily predetermine the nature of your presentation. The presentation will be assessed according to the following a) strength of the proposal b) development of the proposal through to the final presentation c) identification, acquisition and deployment of appropriate resources d) publicity and generation of an audience for the presentation e) demonstration of understanding of immersive principles, pitfalls and possibilities f) demonstration of skills of editing and composition g) evidence a good awareness of the audience and the circumstances of the presentation
Critical Review	50%	Yes (extension)
2500 words comprising a) Your notion of immersive and how this is expressed in the presentation, inc key references/influences (500 words) b) Your role in the realisation of the presentation and the challenges confronted (500 words) c) Account of the presentation (500 words or visual/video equivalent) d) Reflections on the work - what worked, how it might be developed (1000 words) Additional Component for 3rd Year students e) Produce an edited video document of the work created

Feedback on assessment

Proposal ¿ tutorial\r\nAssessed Presentation ¿ responses from panel plus standard feedback sheet\r\nCritical Review ¿ standard feedback sheet\r\n

Courses

This module is Optional for:

Year 3 of UTHA-W421 Undergraduate Theatre and Performance Studies
Year 4 of UTHA-W422 Undergraduate Theatre and Performance Studies (with Intercalated Year)