PRODUCTION DESIGN - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module will introduce you to production design and scneography skills in Lighting, Sound and Set Design. The aim is to introduce you to the processes, practices, tools and skill sets to begin looking at production design in this disciplines. You will look at current lighting sound and set designers, across production arts from varies entertainment genres. The module will also focus on the many design transferable skills across the disciplines, such as text analysis, communicating with technicians and the design team, communicating your design ideas, and sources of inspiration for design. The aim of this module is to better understand the design process. The key to a good production technician is facilitating your designers vision, be that in lighting sound or set design. 

The scenographic process will include a sustainability focus which could use principles from the industry developed Green book as well as good health and well-being best practices and promoting positive work ethics like collaboration.  Our aim is responsible consumption, including recycling and re-purposing, considering existing resources and promoting a circular economy within our production process and everyday life at GSA and going into the industry creating a positive contribution to ethical innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

SMALLEY Michael (GSA)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes: -

• Introduction to lighting design

Location, equipment selection, subdividing the stage, specials. Lighting plans, Cue synopsis

• Introduction to Sound design

Sourcing sounds, sound editing, rig design, system schematics.

• Introtroduction to Set design

Mood boarding, model making, design presentations, Sustainable design and practice and Accessible design and practice

Contextual studies of current production designers across various entertainment genres - Dance, Theatre, Events etc

• Transferable design skills

Design inspiration - art galleries, influences from other designers, nature et.

Text analysis

Communication techniques: communicating your design ideas. Communicating to your technical team, and production manager.

Getting the best from the rehearsal room - rehearsal notes

Meeting the director

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Reflective essay (1500 words)

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge acquired about practitioners engaged with scenography past and present. It also offers students the opportunity to develop practical skills in design and presentation.

Summative assessment

Assessment - Design Presentation

Students will be expected to create a design presentation based on a brief given to them at the beginning of the module. This will require analysis of the production or play and interpretation into a set design for performance.

Formative assessment

Tutorials

Students will receive feedback on their performance during practical taught sessions, or at times when the student is engaged in independent work, developing their designs and presentations.

Feedback

Continuous feedback will be offered throughout the process, regarding both their practical skills and professional behaviour in the studio. 

Module aims

• Introduction to production design: Lighting design, Sound Design, Set design
• Contextual studies of current Lighting / Sound and Set designers.
• Practical skills, tools and processes for beginning to look at lighting, sound and set design. Learning more about the design process to enable us to become better technical practitioners in our specialist pathways.
• Looking at transferable design skills: Such as.... text analysis, communication with the creative team, communicating you're design ideas, finding design inspiration.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

You will learn more about production design, to better equip you as technical practioners going forward in your chosen specialist pathway.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures or seminars


• Practical group workshops


• Practical skills workshops


• Group critique and discussion


• Independent studio work and research


• Formal presentations.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PRO1034

Other information

GSA delivers its provision across three teaching blocks, within the University of Surrey’s existing semester structure.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.