RA2D20 - Professional Practice for Production Design 31 Jul 2018 - 31 Aug 2024 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: RA2D20
Module Title: Professional Practice for Production Design
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Music and Drama
Faculty Sub Group: Drama
Module Leader: Jo Durnall
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: SEP 2018 Final Year of Intake: 2023
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 40 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 31 Jul 2018
Valid To 31 Aug 2024

Module Aims

To provide students with necessary information and skills to seek employment within the Television and Film industry, specifically within Art Department roles.

To provide students with a practical understanding of the roles within an Art Department through work experience and collaborative work on short films.

Content Summary

Work Search and Work Experience

Students will develop a CV, which will be sent to prospective Production Designers and Art Directors with a view of securing work experience on professional productions. Digital and paper portfolios will be prepared and presentation techniques discussed alongside interview skills.

Students will be supported in the search for a work placement and will plan, source and organise their own placements, this will be supported where necessary by academic staff. This experience will be documented and evaluated by the student.

Collaborative student Film Making.

Students will gain a practical understanding of the role of the production designer and art director through work on collaborative short films. Students be involved in the whole production process, from initial meetings with producers, directors and scriptwriters to discuss production design feasibility and schemes, to on set art directing and standby. Scripts will be broken down and analysed, initial concept sketches and models will be prepared, locations sourced and surveyed Props will be sourced, scenery constructed/locations dressed and the complete art department process will be managed by small student teams.

The process will be documented and evaluated by the students and compared to the professional work experience undertaken.

Work Search and Work Experience

Students will develop a CV, which will be sent to prospective Production Designers and Art Directors with a view of securing work experience on professional productions. Digital and paper portfolios will be prepared and presentation techniques discussed alongside interview skills.

Students will be supported in the search for a work placement and will plan, source and organise their own placements, this will be supported where necessary by academic staff. This experience will be documented and evaluated by the student.

Collaborative student Film Making.

Students will gain a practical understanding of the role of the production designer and art director through work on collaborative short films. Students be involved in the whole production process, from initial meetings with producers, directors and scriptwriters to discuss production design feasibility and schemes, to on set art directing and standby. Scripts will be broken down and analysed, initial concept sketches and models will be prepared, locations sourced and surveyed Props will be sourced, scenery constructed/locations dressed and the complete art department process will be managed by small student teams.

The process will be documented and evaluated by the students and compared to the professional work experience undertaken.

Lectures

Lectures from TV and Film set design staff, other faculty staff and external speakers will cover a number of workplace relevant issues for example budgeting, working as a freelancer, studio and set etiquette and Health and Safety. These will related to both professional productions and student collaborative work.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 40
Seminar 14
Tutorial 2
Project supervision 40
External visits 24
Work based learning 140
Independent Study 50
Directed Study 90
Total Hours Selected 400

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary professional working practice in Art Departments and reflect on the nature of professional practice in their discipline identifying the gaps between their work related capabilities and disciplinary expectations (LO1)
LO2 2 Reflect upon the way their work experiences or role has contributed to their professional practice, using this to develop future personal/professional development.
LO3 3 Develop and critically appraise an action plan of their experience and skills developed within the context of a graduate recruitment process and informed by their career plans and aspirations. (LO3)
LO4 4 Demonstrate enhanced employability skills such as initiative, communication, time management, independence, planning, presentation, and professional deportment.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Portfolio Portfolio 2 Film Making Collaboration 0 N/A 70 No 40
Portfolio Portfolio 1 Work Placement 0 N/A 30 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Portfolio 2
Portfolio 1

Reading List

What an Art Director Does: Introduction to Motion Picture Production Design (Paperback). Silman-James Press,U.S. (14 Dec 1994) ISBN-10: 1879505185

FilmCraft: Production Design by Halligan, Fionnuala (October 8, 2012) (Paperback) ISBN 9781908150615.

‘Production Design For Screen, Visual Story Telling in Film and Television ‘(paperback) Jane Barnwell. Bloomsbury Press (20th April 2017) ISBN 9781472580672

By Design. Interviews with Film Production Designers. Vincent Lobrutto ( paperback). Praeger (1992) ISBN 9780275940317

TV Scenic Design. Gerald Millerson.Focal Press (1982) (Paperback). ISBN 0240514939

The Mind Map Book -Unlock your Creativity, boost your memory, change your life

By Tony Buzan and Barry Buzan publ. Pearson, 2010 ISBN 978-1-4066-4716-7

Production Design: Architects of the Screen (Short Cuts) (Paperback) Wallflower Press (30 April 2004) ISBN-10: 1903364558

The Art Direction Handbook For Film and Television. Michael Rizzo.(paperback) Focal Press.(2015) ISBN 9780415842792

Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions) (Paperback)

The Art Direction Handbook for Film and Video. Focal Press 2005. ISBN-10: 0240806808

The Filmmaker's Guide to Production Design. Allsworth Press 2002. ISBN-10: 1581152248

Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know: Michael Wiese Productions (1 Aug 2005) ISBN-10: 193290705X