#criteria1

[thopeman]

Criterion A: Inquiring and Analysing - Objectives

Maximum: 8 ​At the end of this year 3, students should be able to:

1.​Explain and Justify the need for a solution to a problem 2.Construct a research plan, which states and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem 3.analyse a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem 4.Develop a design brief, which presents the analysis of relevant research

  Achievement Levels

Level Descriptors

0

The student doesn’t reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below

1-2

The student:

o states ​the need for a solution to a problem

o ​states some of ​the main findings of relevant research

3-4

The student:

o outlines ​the need for a solution to a problem

o ​states ​the research needed to develop a solution to the problem, with some guidance

o ​outlines one existing ​product that inspires a solution to the problem

o develops a basic ​design brief, which outlines some of ​relevant research

5-6

The student:

o explains the need for the solution to a problems

o constructs ​a research plan which states and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem with some guidance

o ​describes ​a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem

o ​develops ​a design brief, which outlines ​the ​findings ​of relevant research

7-8

The student:

o explains and justifies ​the need for a solution to a problem

o constructs ​a research plan, which states ​and ​​prioritizes ​the primary and secondary research to develop a solution to the problem independently

o ​​analyses ​a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem

o ​develops ​a design brief, which ​presents the ​analysis ​of relevant research ​

[ollymayy]

I researched into the effectiveness of using various publications that advertise job opportunities. Firstly I looked at stage jobs pro, which allows users to both create a detailed profile about themselves including a CV and allows them to write down all work experiences and educational gains, but also allows employers to adveritse jobs for theatre professionals that members of the website can apply for online throught their profile.

As a lighting technician I researched different work oppotunities and career path including theatre, touring, and TV and realised that alot of the job adverts are very specific and include a variety of roles within the job description. For example I came across two adverts that i was interested in, one being for a touring stage electrician and one being for a sound and lighting assistant. Even though both job descriptions mention lighting they both include seperate responsibilities including the the touring stage electrician has to work with AV and the other job description involves sound aswell as lighting.

After research into this website I make the conclusion that being a technician having skills in all aspects of the theatre and being adaptable is more likely to find a job suited to them rather than someone looking for a specific job (such as a lighting programmer) due to alot of jobs (especially in the touring industry) having interrelating roles, maybe due to budget or other cost related problems which don’t allow companys to hire more than one person for a department i.e. sound and lighting.

[ollyblogbook]

Venue Issues acoustic properties of dance show 1.

Acoustic Breakdown:

-Sound pressure level (SPL) s measured in decibels.

-The louder the sound the higher the pressure.

- The higher the pitch the higher the pressure.

Acoustic problems in the Miskin theatre auditorium space include the fact that the theatre used to be sports hall, so all the surrounding walls surfaces are all the same material and texture, they are flat and thin walls, therefore reflect the sound that is projected against them. This is bad because it produces an echo which means that during shows the narrative will sound distorted and even muffled, which can ruin the show and make it less effective towards the audience. This is why in large scale theatres in London there are different levels for seating as well as the walls being different materials and textures, because this means that it is harder for the sound to reflect as the different textures with absorb the sound, and the seating arrangement as well as different objects and features in the room will disperse the sound and therefore make it harder to reflect, as by the time time the sound has reflected off the walls and the levels in the room, the sound particles would be too small and disintegrate too quickly for the human ear to hear. 

To stop these acoustic problems in the auditorium space we could use:

- Drapes

This would add texture to the room and help to absorb the sound.

-Set

This also would help break up sound particles and make it harder for the sound to reflect.

-A large audience

Audience act as objects and levels that make it hard for sound to reflect from.

-A different speaker placement

Sometimes if the speakers are rigged where there isn’t and even throw of sound this can leave room for sound to reflect off of different part of the room and produce echoes.

-Graphic EQ 

By using graphic EQ on a mixing desk this can equalise and improve the sound quality in the room.

-Channel EQ 

-By using channel EQ on a mixing desk this can improve the sound quality for an individual item or band member which may help contribute to all- round better acoustics within a room.

Venue issues:

-Monitoring placements 

The size of the venue determines how many monitors can be placed and positioned in a venue to insure there are no hazards created for performers backstage or onstage (so the speaker need to be visible or have glow tape on them), that there is enough throw of sound to reach the whole audience, and how many extension leads or XLR leads need to be used as well as how they can be hidden I.e LX of gaffa-tape. 

 -Speakers falling.

Another venue issue is that majority of the time speakers need to be rigged on lighting bars on get an even throw of sound including high range as well as low range. So speakers rigged will always need safety chains and throps to avoid danger. 

-In the Miskin theatre monitors are sometimes placed at the front of the seating bank, and for this show this needed to be considered as it is a trip hazard for audience members so they need to be illuminated either with glow tape or light.There is also no specific wheelchair user placements so this could effect speaker or monster placement. 

-Sound could have interference from lighting power as light and sound power are close together on upstage wall boxes. This is why everything needs to be tested separately before any shows so that no cables or speakers are affected by this.

[ollyblogbook]

skills required to be a DSM

Skills needed to function as a DSM inculde having a full understanding of the show and knowing the dances visually inside out. This is why I originally filmed the rehearsals and counted out the beats to each section of the dances so that I would have a better understanding of the show. Doing this ended up being very helpful as during the teching process I was very knowledgeable about each dance and found it very easy to queue the show. Also a DSM needs other skills such as time keeping and knowing what is happening all the time during the rehearsal period. This is why I was always asking the tech team aswell and the dance directors when and where they wanted to do show runs and rehearsals. Then I wrote all this imformation on the rehearsal calls and emailed it each person so that everyone was awake of what was going on. During the performance process a good DSM will give advise or help during the show if someone needs help or if there is an issue. For example during the show when the desk was lagging and few cues were occasionally skipped, but I kept the lighting operator calm by telling them to stay where they were rather than going back to cues because this could make the situation worse, also I was able to co-ordinate the lighting operator when cues were missed by making them "goto" cues rather than making them skip through each cue until they found the right one. I also made sure that the floor was mopped occasionally to make sure that the dancers wouldn't fall over or slip during the shows. I made sure that the wings were tidy and any cables or obstacles what taped down and that there was glow tape on the floor so that there were no casualties backstage or coming onto the stage.

[ollyblogbook]

Roles within a production team in relation to construction.

Producer- The producer in the theatre is the overall “controller” of all financial costs of different elements in the theatre such as hiring different artistic directors and creative staff such as designers, writers and choreographers. They are also are responsible for projecting their initial ideas of what show they want to be produced to all creative staff and keep on all staff every so often to ensure that design and show deadlines and being hit. The producer and artistic director often discuss what staff and elements are required in order to fur-fill the artistic directors vision of the show. In relation to the construction team: The producer hires the technical director who will hire a construction team that are appropriate for the style of show. The construction communicate with producer on occasion if they're being asked if a certain requirement or given a certain brief or budget for the show. Artistic director- The artistic director has artistic control of the theatre, the producer and artistic director have similar priorities within the theatre eg. Hiring the most suitable staff for the specific show, but the artistic director is more arts based and concentrates on hiring the right director and crew to ensure that all members of the company are working to a professional standard. Whereas the producer is more controlling of show budgets and controls money income and outcome. In smaller scaled theatres the artistic director is often the founder of the theatre and occasionally directs the crew on stage, but in larger theatre companies the artistic director hires directors who help them to fully fur-fill their vision of the show on stage. In relation to the construction team: The artistic director communicates with the construction team as well as the set design team in production meetings to discuss different artistic ideas for the set as well cheap resourceful ideas for the construction team to keep the set cheap. Director- The director/s controls how the actors perform their part on stage and are trained to help with the lighting effects and sound aswell as backstage management to maintain them all members of the crew are working effectively as a team to perform to the best of their ability. The artistic director communicates to the director their idea how the show should look and how the actors should perform their lines and it is the directors job to take on the artistic directors advice and creative the show the artistic director intended rather than using their own ideas. In relation to the construction team: The director/s may discuss queries about the set whether or not is safe to put a certain amount of actors on pieces of set, and also the health and safety requirements of the show and the appropriate ways to move around the set. Stage Manager- A stage manager is an employee that has overall responsibility for back- stage and on-stage management and making sure the whole production of the show runs smoothly. A stage manager may be performed by an individual in small productions, while larger productions typically employ a stage management team consisting of a head stage manager, or “Production Stage Manager”. The stage manager also helps with the communication between the director and crew as they can act as a messenger to get ideas across. In relation to the construction team: The stage manager will communicate with the construction team to discuss which large props that are used by actors will be the responsibility of which department. Assistant Stage Manager/s- The assistant stage manager assists the stage manager in duties such as managing stage wings during show times, but their main priorities are to create, source or buy props for a show. Also they would be instructed to mop floors and clean the theatre etc when the stage manager isn’t present. In relation to the construction team: ASM's will normally communicate with the construction team when there is a prop/props that need to be made with power tools and equipment that the construction team have access to, so props like this will be passed over to the construction team. Deputy Stage Manager- The Deputy Stage Manager prompts actors and will usually cue technical crew members and sometimes cast, while following the orders of the director and stage manager. They also cue actors to hold while technical problems are sorted out during rehearsal, and determines where in the script to restart paused scenes. The deputy stage manager is a separate position in some theaters, while in others their responsibilities may be assumed by the stage manager or assistant stage manager. In relation to the construction team: The DSM will normally communicate with the construction team about the use of the set the same way the director does. Technical director- The technical director is usually highly skilled and will be in charge of all technical production within a theatre eg in charge of set construction + stage management. They also are responsible to communicate with the directors so that they can produce the set that suits the different shows scenes and makes the show more affective. In relation to the construction team: The technical director will give the team their budget, brief, and supplies. Set design team- The set designer/designers are instructed by the director and artistic director to design ideas for show sets, they also have to be trained in their field as occasionally they have to help out with construction in order to get construction workers to complete tasks to a certain standards. When designing sets they have to take into account things like how actors enter, stand on, and leave the set; as well as the expense or certain materials used on the set. In relation to the construction team: The set design team will give the team ideas and scale drawings aswell as a model box which will have to be made exactly to scale by the construction team. Construction team- Construction workers are hired by the producers to affectively construct sets to professional standard, there are often a team of construction workers that are specialised in this field aswell as being trained in things like welding and wood-work to make different props and pieces of the set. Sound design+operation- The sound designer communicates with the director and the director instructs the sound designer/designers to create different moods and effects with sound for upcoming show, sound includes sound effects as well as microphone control and occasionally music for shows and musicals.Sound operation takes instructions and receives briefs from the sound designer to put their ideas and effects into operation during show times. In larger theatres the sound designers with hire and train the sound operators but in smaller theatres the sound designers may also operated the sound during show times. In relation to the construction team: The sound team will discuss where the speaker will be hidden and placed on the set. Lighting designer- The lighting designer/designers are hired by the artistic director or technical director and are trained in creating different looks or lighting plans during a show process as well as designing lighting effects to create different moods and emotions. In relation to the construction team: Both teams will discuss how the colours of the set as well as materials could alter different lighting affects and try to avoid bits of set shadowing. Chief LX- The role of the chief LX is to take ideas and briefs from the lighting designer and put their ideas into action during show processes I'm operation. They are responsible for queuing lights and scenes so they have to be very organised in the way that they know the script fully so can queue starts and ends of scenes at the right moments by the DSM in order to make an effective show. In relation to the construction team: The chief LX may discuss rigging lights on the set or behind it or underneath/inside. Costume designer/s- The costume designers are hired by the director for different shows depending on what kind of show it is (eg a large christmas show will be more likely to need new designs for costumes than a small show that has no costumes and all actors have to wear black). The job of the costume designer is to think of ideas and create new outfits for certain shows that need big costumes. They have quite an important role as they also have to buy materials for costumes and take care of expenses and fittings of all roles. In relation to the construction team: Both teams will discuss different materials which could be ruined or ripped whilst climbing a set and how it can be avoided. Wardrobe manager- The wardrobe manager is in charge of fitting actors and effectively dressing them for their part in the show. They work along-side the costume director as they sometimes have to discuss whether certain costumes for upcoming shows have to be specially made of can be bought of found elsewhere. In relation to the construction team: They will both discuss the health and safety procedures of the set along with costumes and how some may have to be altered for comfort or safety during a show. Crew The crew are hired by the director/s to be responsible for rigging all speakers and lighting into a studio or theatre aswell as the set. The flyman/flymen are responsible for dealing with tying robes and putting up lighting at the top of the stage (hense the word “fly” meaning they often have to work up high in the theatre). In relation to the construction team: The crew will normally help with the get -ins and outs of the sets before and after show processes. Cast- The cast are actors hired by the director and occasionally the artistic director to play the parts of different characters during shows. Often new actors are hired for each show as previous actors may not suit the part of upcoming shows. Actors are trained and instructed by the director on and off of the stage to fur-fill the plays intentions. In relation to the construction team: The cast free to discuss health and safety features of the set as well as discussing special needs of queries about the set. Front of house team- The front of house team are hired by the producer and are responsible for concessions as well as finances in ticket purchases and advertising the shows to whatever age category it is aimed at. They are also responsible for the seating of the audience and making them feel as comfortable as possible during show times. In relation to the construction team: FOH must make audience aware of not touching the set.

[mikesblogbook]

 Producer

  A producer looks over the theater and has the funds he allocates different amounts to the different departments depending on the scale of the show this money makes it possible for each department to make their ideas possible . The producer also works with all the department heads and works out wages for all the people working on the show

  Artistic director

  Artistic director decides what shows to put on for the year also how many shows are to be preformed in a small-scale theater they can also be a director the artistic director talks to the producer and directors     

  Director

Takes the artistic directors view and relays it to all the department heads he directs the actors (tells them what to do) they all so tell props makers what he wants and he also sits in rehearsals and tells the actors what the artistic director wants they talk to artistic directors producers actors and heads of departments 

  Sound designer

Sound Designers (previously known as Sound Effects Editors Is in charge of music and sound effects for the show they talk to the directors and lighting they ask the director and artistic director what he wants like effects they talk to lighting because they can cue lighting with sound

  Sound operator

  They work under sound designer they work on the script and put cues in to it and they look after the sound crew and others under the sound umbrella keeping them on tasks helping with plugging in speakers making the band pit operational making coms run over the theater all so repairs sound equipment e.g. wires usually soldering is needed talks with sound designer to get the overall effect of the piece the recording of all sound on set or on location the balancing, mixing, editing and enhancing of pre-recorded audio. mixing and balancing speech, effects and music      

  Lighting Designer

  A lighting designer is someone that is in charge of deciding where the lights go choosing the coloured gels also in charge of the fit up also in charge of the effects e.g. smoke and pyros also in charge of health and safety at height

They keep the lights in working order and if any have broken parts they either fix them or get them repaired if they cant do this they talk to stage management to get money to hire a stand in until the light is repaired

They talk to set Design and costume design to make sure that the lights don’t clash

  Chief lx

  non-design aspects of the lighting in a theatrical production they Get the plans from the lighting designer and bring them from paper to life they place lights and ok it with the designer once this is done they as the director to come in and tell them if he wants anything changed if he doesn’t its all ok they talk with the lighting designer and director

    c.s.m

  The company stage manager is not often around unless their is a tour their task is to look out for the welfare of the company they report to the director you can have issues with welfare on tour this is why the c.s.m is important 

    t.s.m

 the technical  stage manager is communicates between the stage management department and the technical team they manage what stock they have and give the stock to who ever needed it if their are budget problems the t.s.m will also sort out hire costs with the stage manager

     Deputy Stage Manager 

  Sits in rehearsals and takes notes of the rehearsals and updates the script when needed they also liaise with all the departments to get what is needed for example going to sound and asking for mics also asking for props also they go to production meetings for this reason also they talk to all the departments and directors so all the departments know what is needed from them and what time they have to do it talks to the director so that the ideas for the show are met      

  a.s.m

  Works to help the DSM and is used as a runner during shows this means the dsm dose not have to do everything themselves also helps with time as the dsm is always in rehearsals so the asms can get on with prop making or any other little job that needs to be done talks with dsm to get tasks to do wile dsm is in rehearsals and usually one or to asms sit in rehearsals with the dsm

  Stage crew

  Is a very critical job they do everything backstage for example moving big sets and props on and off the stage sweeping the stage repairing props they usually work under stage manager and construction to make the big props can assist with other department’s also

          Flyman

  work under the fly captain This job involves moving back drops into the fly tower their are to different types of fly system a rope system and a mechanical/automated system the flyman will repair and maintain it talks with stage management to discus what the thing is and when it should be moved and also lighting to see what the light levels will be like and to see if they have a black out to move the piece and how long the black out is scenery used in shows can weigh one ton or more and may be flown in at speeds approaching 30 miles per hour

  Costume designer

  Costume designers job is to design the costumes making samples of materials ordering materials and doing sketches of all the costumes they talk to lighting and design to make sure that the costumes don’t clash with set or lighting stats and make sure they help with the overall effect and don’t just blend in

  Wardrobe manager

  The wardrobe manager cleans all of the costumes and makes sure that they are in tip top condition manages budget and material stock talks with Costume designerand stage management

  Dressers

  Are in charge of quick changes during the show making sure that all the costumes are where their meant to be helps dress the actors talks with stage management so they know when the quick changes and also actors so they know when their quick changing

  Set designer

  Works with producer and director to get the ideas and sits and draws ideas for the set  then go’s to the production meeting and discuses with the director how it looks then he makes a card model and shows it to the director and edits it again the makes a balsa model takes it to the director and then breaks parts off till the director is happy then gives technical drawings to the construction team  

  construction team

  they look at the model and find materials to build the set with these include wood metal and other building materials they start by checking how much material they will need and order more if necessary the skills required are wood working metal work welding and also be confident with power tools they talk with set design and directors to make sure it is what they have visualized