Curriculum Information

This module comprises of two assignments.

Students will act as production designers for a television drama- with the emphasis on continuing drama, soap or other series.

As such there will not be a single script as the settings for continuing drama will be expected to endure for one series at least and ultimately may be required to fulfil their purpose over many years and hundreds of episodes (for example ‘The Rover’s Return’ in ‘Coronation Street’, Holby City A and E in ‘Casualty).

These settings must be flexible and adaptable to the many storyline situations that arise.

For the purpose of this project a contemporary situation, broad storyline, appropriate settings and characters will be developed by the student cohort and these will form the design brief.

Contemporary society and architecture is investigated and throughout this project there is an emphasis on supporting and enhancing characterisation within individual sets through the visual metaphors of space, colour, light and set dressing.

Understanding the use and design of an exterior back lot in conjunction with interior sets in a studio and the creation of a seamless transition on screen between these two elements, that are disconnected geographically within the studio is key to successfully designing within this genre of programme making. Assignments will be structured so that students’ designs must address this.

The outcome of this module includes mood boards, concept visuals, story boards, construction drawings and white card models. This is equivalent to the culmination of the pre-production stage in industry i.e. the point at which the design agreed, is ready ‘on paper’ and set construction can begin.

The complete process outlined above is supported by lectures, seminars, small group tutorials and individual tutorials where appropriate.

Sharing ideas through regular student presentations and discussion within a small group or the whole cohort exposes students to a wide range of creative and problem solving solutions so that they learn, not only from their own process, but through those of the whole cohort.

Visits to Soap Opera studio sets and back lots, HPL input from industry professionals familiar with this genre and where ever possible master classes by visiting industry professionals also enhance this teaching.

Due to the high volume of output in this genre (including locally in Cardiff) professional work experience is usually available for any level 6 student who takes the initiative to seek it out. This is invaluable to students in understanding the wider roles of the production designer and the art department in continuing drama.