MM1 Originality Guidelines
We require students to devise their own original story ideas in Making Movies. Potential plagiarism (a
serious breach of academic integrity) occurs, in regard to ideas and stories as well as actual text.
However, stories come from everywhere, and there are few truly new stories. We all take inspiration,
consciously or not. Please see our subject-specific guidelines below, for what may happen in each
circumstance.
Do NOT under any circumstances include text or paraphrasing from any other uncited sources
including: books, articles, web pages, Google, Baidu, Grammar.ly corrections or any translations of
sources in other languages, or other student’s papers. This may result in severe penalties.
Distinct plagiarism must be referred to the faculty for appropriate review, but we may also penalise
marks for less clear cases of deliberate plagiarism when it comes to copying ideas/stories.
The university’s guidelines on maintaining academic integrity are available here:
https://academicintegrity.unimelb.edu.au/plagiarism-investigation-and-penalties
Detailed policy is viewable here: https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1310
1. Story has vague similarities to another film or story:
- do NOT mark down
2. Story has notable similarities to another film or story
- mark down 5/100
3. Story has unmistakable similarities to another film or story - yet there are substantial changes to the plot,
characters, world etc.:
- mark down 15/100
4. Story has unmistakable and detailed similarities to another film or story - with only some changes to plot,
characters, world etc.:
- mark down 30/100
5. Story uses at least FOUR of the same: cast, locations, characters, world, title, directorial strategies etc. from
another film or story:
- refer student for academic integrity review
6. Any part of the assessment uses text from another source:
- refer student for academic integrity review