BJ2S41 - Drama Project 31 Jul 2018 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 2

Associated Module Information

Module Code: BJ2S41
Module Title: Drama Project
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Film and TV
Faculty Sub Group: Film and TV
Module Leader: Paul Mallison
Module Team: Gwyneth Moore
First Intended Intake: SEP 2015 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100443 - media production
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 2
Valid From 31 Jul 2018
Valid To 31 Aug 2026

Module Aims

• Give students a fundamental understanding about how to develop narrative ideas
• Provide students with the tools to enable them to create drama, including working with actors
• Encourage students to identify their area of interest within a drama production team, and concentrate on the further development of skills associated with this role
• Help students to identify the audience and through it the platform on which to launch/exhibit their fiction work
• Encourage creative and exploratory approaches to media content creation and develop a self-critical attitude towards all aspects of their own work and that of their peers

Content Summary

Students will create two projects – one radio drama and one audio-visual fiction piece. In addition, they will learn to use internet technologies to promote their fiction work.

Students will receive formative feedback on all three dramas but they will be expected to submit only one drama for summative feedback.

Each of these drama pieces will be developed by following three distinct phases, which encompass drama content creation today.

Ideas Development and Scripting Phase
This is the first phase in any drama production.
1. During development, students will learn to identify and develop an idea to create a 10 minute piece of drama (when working on radio) and a 5 minute piece of drama (when working on the TV form) – this will involve the notion of genre, audience research and script writing for specific audiences.
2. This will lead to the creation of a written treatment and a short script.
3. Throughout this period, while students are developing their ideas, they will simultaneously be honing their technical skills by further learning to record both sound and visuals and by further learning to use their web design skills to experiment with what works best as internet content.
4. Students will also learn how to budget and schedule both radio and TV drama; and how to work with actors.

Production Phase
This is the second phase in the development of a drama project. During this phase,
1. Students will be able to practice the technical skills they have acquired in the ideas development phase in order to record their drama piece.
2. Students will work with their tutors and their peers in determining whether one of the scripts they have developed is suitable for production. If none of the scripts is suitable, the tutor will be able to advise the students on how to find a strong script for production.

Post-production, marketing and delivery phase
All content has to be exhibited in an appropriate manner so that it has the best chance of visibility in an otherwise noise-filled media world. In this phase,
1. Students will learn to develop a strategy to exhibit the work they have produced – if it is an audio show, what platforms are currently available to exhibit tem; if it is a video, then where can it be shown for maximum impact.
2. Students will also explore the notion of interactive narratives so that they can get maximum exposure for their stories.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 6
Seminar 6
Tutorial 2
Practical classes and workshops 34
Independent Study 80
Directed Study 72
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Develop professional pre-production skills for drama projects
LO2 Create narrative content by working in groups, within a specific drama production role, applying appropriate professional conventions in an age of digital media convergence

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Portfolio Portfolio 1 Individual Assessment - A group production portfolio demonstrating each individual's production role in developing, and producing the drama. 0 N/A 40 No 40
Practical _Practical Assessment 1 Individual Assessment - A group/individual production portfolio demonstrating the individual's production role in developing, and producing the documentary. 10 N/A 60 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Portfolio 1
_Practical Assessment 1

Reading List

Churcher, M. (2011) A Screen Acting Workshop. London: Nick Hern Books.

Dounglas, P. (2011) Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV. Studio City, CA: Michael Weise Productions.

JolIliffe, G. Jones, C. and Zinnes, A. (2010) The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Film Making. Revised ed. New York: Continuum Publishing Corporation.

Katz, S. (1991) Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen. Studio City, CA: Michael Weise Productions.
Mackendrick, A. (2006) On Filmmaking London: Faber & Faber.

Murch, W. (1988) In The Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing. 2nd edn. Los Angeles, CA: Silman-James Press.

Weston, J. (1999) Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television Studio City, CA: Michael Weise Productions.