SM5023 - Combining Theatre and Film (2023/24)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2023/24 | ||||||||||||||||
| Module title | Combining Theatre and Film | ||||||||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 30 | ||||||||||||||||
| School | School of Art, Architecture and Design | ||||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 300 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2023/24(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
Extending the range of ideas previously explored in such modules as Devising and Objects, Image and Design, this module will look at ways in which the languages of live performance and film may be combined in interdisciplinary practice. Through creative projects and references to contemporary practice in multimedia art and entertainment (e.g. Complicite, Secret Cinema, Punchdrunk etc.), the module will provide a range of opportunities to appreciate how the fusion of theatre and cinema may be used to engage the public in immersive and innovative experiences. In doing so, it promotes an interdisciplinary exploration of theatre and film, through direct practical experience, as well as theoretical analysis, developing connections between theory and practice and provide a foundation for linking the various subjects included in the degree. It also encourages students to experiment with analytical and experiential ways in which to envision innovations in the languages of theatre and film.
Prior learning requirements
Pre-requisites for the module: SM4023, SM4010
Available for Study Abroad? NO
Syllabus
The module’s curriculum will be divided into three phases:
The first will explore interdisciplinary practices in video and performance, focusing on technology as a vehicle and creative stimulus for multimedia experiences in art and entertainment. This period of study will lead to the creation of a set piece according to a given theme. (LO1, 2)
The second will consist of an intensive practical project, in which students will explore the idea of digital and immersive theatre, creating an original experience for an invited audience. (LO2, 3, 4)
The third phase of the module concludes the class with an independent project allowing students to conceptualise a large-scale work combining performance and cinematic experiences. (LO1-4)
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Scheduled teaching provides the guidance and foundation to ensure that independent study is effective in addressing the module’s learning outcomes and assessment tasks.
In-class activity makes use of varied student-centred approaches such as active, flipped and blended learning, so that a range of learning strategies is deployed, and individual learning styles are accommodated. Information is provided through a range of means and sources to minimise and remove barriers to successful progress through the module. The course team seeks to embed the University’s Education for Social Justice Framework in fostering learning that is enjoyable, accessible, relevant and that takes account of the social and cultural context and capital of its students.
Activities foster peer-to-peer community building and support for learning. Reflective learning is promoted through interim formative feedback points that ask students to reflect on their progress, receive help where they identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, students build a body of work, including written reflections on progress and achievement.
The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-based learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal and career development planning. Through these initiatives, students are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of their disciplines, the various opportunities available to them, and how to shape their learning according to their ambitions.
The following learning and teaching strategies are employed in the course of this module:
• multimedia lectures;
• student-led seminars;
• online activities through blended learning approaches;
• practical creative tasks (occasional practical workshops, creative writing, design, photography and videography);
• visits to relevant points of interest;
• interviews with professionals in the industry;
• an interdisciplinary research project;
• live presentations.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module you will be able to:
Cognitive intellectual abilities
LO1: understand, both from the point of view of the spectator and of the practitioner, the ways in which the languages of theatre and film may be combined together in interdisciplinary practice;
Knowledge and understanding
LO2: draw innovative connections between different aspects of study in theatre and film, demonstrating understanding of the ways in which theory informs practice;
Transferable skills
LO3: apply in practice insight into contemporary multimedia practices that blur the boundaries between live performance and film;
Subject specific skills
LO4: envision the experimental potential inherent to interdisciplinary practice both as an aesthetic ethos and as a public engagement strategy.
Assessment strategy
PRACTICAL PROCESSES: The module is assessed continuously and through a range of experiences, including two creative projects under the artistic direction of the tutor(s), typically delivered at the beginning of the Autumn and Spring Semesters. Student participation in projects and performance will also inform this aspect of assessment.
PORTFOLIO PROJECT: For their final portfolio project, students plan a larger scale event combining theatre and film. The resulting portfolio will be a combination of creative content (written, image, video, sound) and writing, illustrating their idea and its rationale, as well as their engagement with the practical process