SM5074 - Directing 1 (2024/25)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2024/25 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Directing 1 | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||||||
| School | School of Art, Architecture and Design | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Assessment components |
|
||||||||||||
| Running in 2024/25(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) | No instances running in the year |
Module summary
This module functions as an introduction to the skills and concepts behind directing both in theory and practice. You will study key directing practitioners. You will be introduced to the role and function of the director, focusing on the relationship with the performer. You will study and apply basic directing techniques and explore and analyse the directorial process. Much of the work will be text-based, using a set text as a starting point.
Prior learning requirements
SM4019, SM4010
Available for Study Abroad? Yes
Syllabus
This module will use a research and practice-based approach to investigating the methodologies of selected directors and practitioners. The module will facilitate the application of appropriate contemporary theoretical approaches to an analysis of the role and function of the director, focusing on their relationship with the performer. The work done in class will centre round a selected text in order to give the module a specific focus for research activities.
You will be given opportunities to apply ideas and concepts in practice in a series of staff and student led workshops. (Learning Outcomes LO 1 – 5)
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Scheduled teaching ensures that independent study is effective and addresses the learning outcomes and assessment tasks. You are expected to (and to have the opportunity to) continue with your studies outside of scheduled classes. There will be a range of learning strategies deployed and individual learning styles will be accommodated. The module’s learning outcomes, its contents and delivery, have been scrutinised and will be regularly reviewed to ensure an inclusive approach to pedagogic practice. The module and course utilise the University’s blended learning platform to support and reinforce learning, to foster peer-to-peer communication and to facilitate tutorial support for students. Reflective learning is promoted through assessment items and interim formative feedback points that ask you to reflect on your progress, seek help where you identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes, and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, you will build a body of work, including reflections on progress and achievement.
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.
The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-related learning within the curriculum supports your personal development planning.
Through these initiatives, you are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of your discipline, the various opportunities available to you, and how to shape your learning according to your ambitions.
Learning outcomes
On completing the module, you will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
LO1 - understand, evaluate and articulate in oral and visual presentation and written documentation, an understanding of the role and function of the director in a cultural and historical context;
Cognitive intellectual abilities
LO2 - analyse a text from a director’s perspective using a range of theoretical and directorial approaches;
Transferable Skills
LO3 - work collaboratively and take a leadership role when appropriate;
Subject Specific Skills
LO4 - plan and deliver a workshop and rehearsal based on a short scene from a selected text;
LO5 - work collaboratively in a group and take a leadership role when appropriate and to respond to the needs of others.
Assessment strategy
This module functions as a foundation for Directing 2. Assessment encompasses theory and practice, facilitating an understanding of the need for a theoretical context for practical work. You will be mentored and encouraged to engage with the practicalities and process of directing actors. The assessment allows for growth and feedback and the ability to advance in skills and disciplines that will extend your knowledge and understanding of the role of the director in rehearsal.
1. Continuous Assessment: 70%
You are continuously assessed on this module, with your assessment referencing key events in classes. This includes your work in exercises, practical presentations, and collaborative projects. Together with your creative and collaborative skills, process is also evaluated in terms of professionalism, engagement, progress and ability to integrate feedback.
2. Essay: 30% (2000 words)
This will be an analysis of the set text director’s perspective.