Program Overview

Introduction to Immersive Factual Storytelling (ANTH0223)

Key Information

• Faculty: Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences
• Teaching department: Anthropology
• Credit value: 45
• Restrictions: This module is a part of the core course: MA Immersive Factual Storytelling. It is only open to students on the programme.

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

Module Content

The module will run over the first two terms and is designed to give students a thorough grounding in 360 and interactive storytelling. The module will involve pre-production and research, the creation of a written proposal, introductory exercises leading to the production of a series of two assessed practical training exercises usually carried out in small teams, increasing in length and complexity. Each exercise isolates and focuses on the techniques and content of a specific aspect of immersive factual experiences: an interactive 360 experience incorporating CG and a factual 360 film. These projects will be supervised by the course tutors.

There will be regular knowledge assessments to monitor student progress and technical clinics and workshops for students to gain extra skills. Students will also produce a written critical evaluation essay for each assessed practical exercise reflecting on their work and comparing it with other immersive material.

Throughout this module, you will be encouraged to integrate the learning outcomes from your option modules which should be chosen with this in mind - into your practical project work.

Areas of Study Include:

• Workshops on designing meaningful stories including narrative structure, direction, interviewing along with finding good immersive experiences and contributors
• Critical analysis of the current body of 360ş, immersive sound and VR work
• Ethics of immersive storytelling
• An understanding of the audience role in immersive experiences and how to design for that
• Exercises to develop awareness of interactivity and how it can be used to tell and enhance stories
• Exploration of styles of immersive storytelling to find those that best fit the stories you wish to tell about the social world around us
• Practical immersive film training in 360ş camera, sound, editing, computer graphics, coding (for game engine application) and production (including planning and pitching)

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Produce 360 camerawork to professional level, often, given the technological challenges of operating higher end 360 cameras, as part of a team. The camera work should exhibit sophisticated storytelling ability
2. Conceive, plan and produce an effective VR experience
3. Effectively communicate a vision to additional members of the team, to tutors, mentors and industry professionals
4. Manage a VR project carried out by themselves in multidisciplinary teams
5. Research stories for immersive work
6. Have a basic understanding of the ethics of documentary production and those of Immersive production in particular
7. Pitch their projects succinctly and with impact
8. Critique and evaluate their own and other VR work

Indicative Delivery Method

From the beginning of the course, students will be engaged in practical exercises, workshops on narrative structure, viewings, demonstrations, and discussions. There will be regular informal formative assessments for tutors to identify students who may be struggling or students who need extra challenges. These will not contribute to final course marks.

There will also be regular workshops with visiting experts, clinics for students to get extra help with technical problems, and sessions where we will together review and critique a VR experience (which students will be expected to watch before the class).

Term 1

Much of the week is made up of regular lectures, workshops, seminars, and tutorials along with time to complete practical exercises.

Term 2

Class-based work is reduced, and students have more time to work on projects with help and guidance from mentors and tutors in small group seminars.

Additional Information

Students mostly collaborate in groups for their projects to build the skills necessary to work in a collaborative spirit once they are out in the industry.

The Course Leader and tutors monitor group work, keep track of individual students' work allocations (according to production areas, i.e., sound, post-production, direction, project management) and engage with individual students regularly to assess their work in order to arrive at a summative assessment of individuals working within a group.

For each project, students are required to provide a Production Folder comprising a set of documents detailing their planning, logistics, and pre-production work. After each project, student production teams receive verbal feedback which includes an assessment and analysis of their production work.

The assessment for each project includes a critical evaluation, written by each student individually.

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

Intended Teaching Term: Terms 1 and 2 Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Intended teaching location: UCL East
• Methods of assessment: 100% Portfolio (2 assessments)
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 27
• Module leader: Professor Dinah Lammiman

Last Updated

This module description was last updated on 10th March 2026.