CURRICULA 3

“Career Development for deaf young people in drama”

Synopsis: This methodology has been created with the aim for the deaf young people to acquire new methods of artistic expressivity through the language of the gestures, thus helping them to discover the theatrical signs, to develop their imagination, and to assume the means of expressing their artistic personality.

Target group:        30 young people                              General objectives:

Training duration: over 7 days (49 hours)            Development of drama skills

                                                                         Development of digital skills in producing theatre performances

           

No.	SPECIFIC COMPETENCE	TOPIC	METHODS TEACHING AIDS, LEARNING MATERIALS	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1	Communication in mother tongue – sign language	New terminology	The group will be introduced to the main themes of the working week i.e Inspire, Trust, Unique and Ambition.  Discussion will play an important part in the week. It will allow the participants to express their own views and feelings around these themes whilst encouraging them to be brave and confident in the use of their mother tongue language and how they share it.	Understanding of the themes and how they relate to each participant.   Demonstration by how they use the language and how they place that in a social/creative context.   Trust in how they use the language and how they place that in a creative context. Demonstrate in a creative, visual context how the language meaning is translated.   Feedback from the learner
2	Communication in foreign languages	Acquiring Romanian Sign Language and British Sign Language	Group activities and discussions between mixed culture groups to facilitate peer learning will extend to discussion stimulated around personal experiences within the context of the themes.	Relevant and confident interpretation of the language that demonstrates understanding of the themes through foreign language.   Evidence of communication in feedback and in performance scenarios
3	Mathematics, science and technology.	Problem solving.	Practical activities that set challenges around structuring final performance, staging the performance and understanding the technical components required for the final sharing	Demonstration of problem solving within the context of the performance Feedback from the learner Feedback from teaching staff
4	Digital competence	Technical skills in relation to theatre production.	As per Jamie’s programme
5	Learning to Learn	“i-know/ ?tiu”	Practical activities and discussions.   Aquiring new skills   Gathering resource material relevant to the themes of the work.   Peer learning/teaching	Feedback from learners   Resource material gathered Increased understanding of the material and how it is relevant to individual learners
6	Social and civic competence	Cultural Visits	Practical activities and discussions around cultural differences and how these impact on the themes   Social outings to Edinburgh and a sport centre. Cultural visits and social interactions	Feedback from the learner through discussion   Resource material gathered as relevant to cultural experiences and ambitions
7	Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship	Creative practices, artistic development	Practical tasks set to give ownership of performance to learners, including creating own material   Giving groups responsibility for material, staging and digital presentation	Creation of a piece of theatrical work.   Individual feedback from the learner and tutors
8	Cultural awareness and expression	Implementing cultural awareness in performances. .	Practical activities throughout the creative process that encourage awareness and freedom of expression i.e. telling their stories based on own life experiences.	Presenting a piece of work which demonstrates new skills learned and incorporates cultural awareness and identity.   Individual feedback from the learner and from the group teaching staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY SUGGESTIONS

The exercises should be taught by specialists in acting  

The learner should refer to their own expriences or understanding

The learner has to remain open to others ideas, life experiences and culture  

SOLAR BEAR ERASMUS EXCHANGE

JAMIE WARDROP - SPECIAL EFFECT WORKSHOP

(DIGITAL DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE THEATRE)

 

WORKSHOP PLAN

2 1/2 hours

Introduction

(first half an hour)

 

Settle everyone in the room.

Get to know everyones names and find a little bit about what interests them about theatre.

Jamie will present 10 slides or clips showing the kind of work he makes to give some background to the role of designer and some of the projects he has worked. This will give snapshot of the different skills he brings to a job and help give the group an idea of the potential for design in the theatre.

 

Demonstration

(1 hour)

 

Jamie will give a basic understanding of some of the key functions and techniques that can be used in theatre. Jamie will have two laptops set up in the space along with other pieces of

equipment for projection and lighting. The main laptop will also have its display projected up so it can be easily seen by the group. He will give simple step by step demonstration and then invite members of the group up to try this using examples he has created. The second laptop will be available so that it more than one person can try at time. Jamie will be on hand to coach and guide through out.

All of these demonstrations may not be covered in the first hour - it will depend on the progress of the group. A lot of the steps of the functions have similar steps and interrelate. Jamie will be aiming to make the demos as visual and clear as possible.

Basic Introduction to QLAB

Jamie will describe how QLAB is the main software used for creating cues. How it can be the

central and reliable control point for operating special effects and be adapted to your design needs.

• Files/material are brought in to QLAB

• The different kinds of cue QLAB can handle: video/sound etc

• How to create a cue stack

• Trimming and Looping a cue

• The different cueing functions - fade, stop, opacity, crossfade, automation: auto follow and auto continue, groups

Multi channel video

• How to set up run multiple outputs of video from QLAB.

• Preparing the computer for video outputs.

• The hardware and cabling involved in linking up to projector or screen.

• Creating the right cueing structure.

Projection mapping

• How to use the mapping feature of QLAB:

• Dealing with multiple surfaces in Workspace Settings

• Using a grid to map and points to projection map.

• Mapping on to unusual surfaces and shapes.

Titles

• How Qlab can be used to create captioning and titles

• How to change the font, size and colour

• How they can be placed on different projection mapped surfaces.

 

 

Live Feed

• Using Syphon to bring in video feeds from other software

• Using a wifi router to support live feeds.

• Brining in a live camera feed from a webcam and an iPhone camera.

• Routing video from Resolume Software as input and an output.

Lighting

• Using QLC Software

• How to wire up the LED lights correctly.

• DMX addressing - given each fixture the right address.

• Mixing RGB Colours.

• Setting a different colour and intensity for each light.

• Creating a lighting cue and cue stack

MIDI Mapping/ MIDI Triggers

How MIDI is used to trigger QLAB and other software.

• How keys on a keyboard can trigger cues.

• How to map a midi trigger

• How QLAB can trigger lighting and visuals on another software program.

• How control pads can be used.

• How the QLAB remote app allows triggering of cues wirelessly.

The art of the VJ and Video Designer

• In relation to the software - What is a VJ? What is a video designer?

• Introduction to Resolume

• How video can be manipulated live.

• Capturing video

• Creating sound reactive visuals.

• Basic animation of images and graphics

• Layering, keying and mixing video

• Applying video effects

Pause for questions

Jamie will seek to field and encourage questions through-out

Work will be halted after an hour and time taken to answer any burning questions.

 

Workshopping Ideas

How to create a design

(1 Hour)

The final hour will look at the ideas beginning to develop in the creative sessions running with

Gerry and the team. It will centre around the 4 words given to the different groups:

Unique - Unic

Trust - încredere

Inspire - A inspira

Ambitions - ambi?iile

It will also examine the over arching themes of the week:

Divides/Barriers/Differences

Shared hopes/shared dreams/shared fears - What connects us?

Being D/deaf is not a barrier to success or to making our dreams come true. How we view

deaf/disability here and how that is imagined in Romania.

There will also be bank of images to support this session that can be projected and manipulated if need be.

Based on the overview of tools and techniques in the first part of the worksop, the group will be invited to contribute their ideas. This will be a time to play and workshop these to find a design together, that will support each groups section in the final performance. It will take a lead and be open to what the group comes up with - their interpretation. Jamie will prompt questions and be on hand to support the creation and realisation of the design.

Starting with the word itself…

This session will start be a brief discussion of what their word means to each of them.

How could we express these words to the audience?

What colour and font should the word be?

How would the word move?

Where would they be placed in the space?

Would the interact and respond to the performer?

Could the Romanian and English word be placed in different spaces/different surfaces?

How can we express the idea of divide?

How can we express the idea of coming together?

Could we incorporate the sign? Through the live feed? Through recording?

What look do we want to achieve?

Do we need other images?

What colour should the lighting be?

We will then build and program these in to two or three different cues in QLAB that can be

used for the final performance.

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

 

This list of terms is in no way exhaustive but will help give an outline of the kind of territory the workshop will cover.

TECHNICAL TERMS

ADDRESS - In lighting, each fixture or light is given a unique address - this enables the right

information to be sent only to that fixture.

ALPHA CHANNEL - The alpha channel is a part of a animation, image or video file that records or remembers transparency. This allows that part of the image or film to ‘let through’ anything that is underneath it or that it is placed over.

ANIMATION/ANIMATE - Visuals or moving images that are given movement or a dynamic that changes over time.

AUTOMATE/AUTOMATION - In theatre, a series of complex cues or actions can be programmed in to the software to run on its own from the triggering of one cue.

AUTO CONTINUE - In QLAB this tells the next cue to start automatically when the first cue is

triggered to go.

AUTO FOLLOW - In Qlab this tells the next cue to start automatically but only when the first cue has finished running and is complete.

CAMERA/VIDEO FEED - A camera feed is a live feed taken directly in to the cueing software for playback or projection.

CAPTIONING - is a form of visual display that can give additional text or interpretation for the

audience. It is often used to display the speech or stage directions in a performance.

CHANNEL - A channel is a dedicated line or passageway of information that directs information from one piece of technology or software to there other. Very useful for assigning specific tasks to different points or hardware.

COMPOSITION - a composition is all the chosen design elements or effects brought together to create an over all impact.

CONTENT - This is the core or basic material that makes up the design of the show. It could

include music, video files or other design ideas.

CONTROL PAD or CONTROLLER - A control pad is used to give greater direct manipulation and options for control of theatre effect software. It can be plugged directly in to the computer or can be used wireless from a another device. More frequently it used in the theatre to control software from an app on an iPhone or iPad for example.

CROSSFADE - When one cue is seamlessly faded in to another in a clean transition.

CUE - a cue is an instruction that is set in motion by a particular part in a performance. A cue can start a whole variety of tasks, often to effect some change in the design or state of the show.

CUE STACK - A cue stack is all the cues in the performance put together in an order or list.

DMX - is a standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control stage lighting and effects. It is commonly sent down XLR cables - similar to that for microphone and sound cables. DMX tends to work with a maximum limit of 512 channels of information hence it is often called. DMX512

EFFECT - An effect is the use of technology to create a desired design feature or point of focus in a show.

FADE (IN OR OUT) - A fade is a gradual increase or decrease in intensity or level of a cue.

FADE CURVE - A fade curve enables control over how quickly the fade will be perceived to grow or fall in intensity over time.

FADE TIME - Fade time denotes the how long it will take for the fade to complete.

FADER - A fader is a manual control that allows direct manipulation of an effect.

FEED - A feed is a taking a live input of information from another software or hardware that is then processed or manipulated inside the cueing software.

FORMAT

1. The Format of the material or content, is the standardised structure that helps make it easily understood and used by software.

2. File Format - The format of a file tells us what kind of coding has been used to make up the information it contains.

3. Video Format - The Format contains and informs us about the dimensions of the video, its

quality and the number of images that are used to make up each second of its playback (its frame rate)

GRID - A grid is a pattern of overlapping lines that is often used in projection mapping to give a precise and clearly visible point of reference when trying to place projection on a surface.

GROUP - A group is a function used in QLAB to bundle together a group of cues that have a

similar relationship or role in the running of the performance.

HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface a high quality format for the digital transmission of video from one device to another.

INPUT - An input is a information taken in to the software for further processing or redirection.

It can also refer to the physical point where this information is received.

IMAGE - An Image is a picture file that does not contain any movement or changes over time.

KEYING - Keying is a term used in video production to describe how different layers of video

material can be mixed together. It can take on a variety of forms from mixing the video together depending on its brightness, colour or a degree of transparency.

LAYER - Video can be layered in order from top to bottom, with the top layer being the main layer that can dictate how other layers beneath are effected and are seen.

LAYERING - Layering is a function often used creatively to bring lots of different material together to create an interested effect.

LED - Light Emitting Diodes or LED is a form of lighting technology often used in the theatre and increasingly replacing more traditional forms of theatre lighting that use light bulbs. They are characterised by the much lower use of electricity and the small amount of heat they produce.

They also can easily be controlled electronically to create a variety of colours and effects.

LIGHT KEY - A user friendly lighting software that enables quick options for creating a lighting design.

LOOP - A vide, cue or sound loop is one that repeats itself over and over for as long as is desired.

MATROX TRIPLE HEAD - This is a specific piece of technology that connects to a computer to increase the number of video channels that can be sent out from it.

MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface is a form of digital communication between software and hardware. Originally used to play music with computers, it has been adopted by theatre and other software programs as a convenient and adaptable problem solving solution to integrate different

technologies together. For example, it can allow QLAB to cue another external video or lighting software.

MIDI MAPPING - MIDI mapping is a programming function where a cue can trigger another cue, ensuring that they are linked together using the MIDI protocol.

MOTION GRAPHIC - A form of graphic that has animated qualities.

MULTI-CHANNEL VIDEO - Multi channel video is a function where many streams or outputs of video can be sent to different locations at the same time.

OPERATOR - The operator is the person in charge of triggering and managing the cues in a

performance. They often are responsible for making sure all the technology is programmed and working correctly.

OUTPUT - Output is the information that leaves the software once it has finished processing it. It can also refer to the physical point where this occurs.

POINT - Point is a term used in projection mapping to refer to an edge or corner of a video or

image that can be moved to wherever it is required on a projection surface.

PROJECTION MAPPING - Projection mapping is a technological capability that allows video to be arranged to fit perfectly on variety of different surfaces. Mapping can occur on surfaces that are complex in shape. Video can fit and match the contour of an object without distorting the integrity of the image to produce a variety of effects in 2 and 3 dimensions.

PROJECTOR - The equipment that is used to project the image or video cue.

QLAB - QLAB is the main and most commonly used software for cueing theatre effects. It has reached its popularity by the flexibility and variety the functions it is able to offer the modern theatre designer.

QLC - An adaptable free software used for operating theatre lighting through the DMX system.

RESOLUME - Resolume is a software that provides excellent tools for projection mapping and design of video.

RGB or Red Green Blue describes the system commonly used in theatre lighting and video where all three colours can be mixed by varying degree to create all other colours including white light.

ROUTING/PATCHING - Routing/Patching is a programming method of directing the flow of

information from one piece of technology or software to another.

ROUTER - A router is a device (often used for connecting to the internet) that is used in theatre design technology to connect different devices together using WIFI.

SCREEN/SURFACE - The area or form that receives or transmits the projected image or video. It can take on any form or shape and be made from a variety of surfaces. Sometimes it can refer to a more traditional form of TV.

SOUND REACTIVE - Is when the an input of sound or music is used to influence a special effect.

Sound can then effect a video or light by being sensitive to changes in frequency or volume.

SYPHON - Syphon is a special piece of software that allows the easy connection and

transportation of video from one software to another.

TARGET - In Qlab the cue is often directed to carry out is function on a particular piece of material or file. This file or material is referred to as the Target.

TITLES - (please refer to Captioning) Titles can also describe text which introduces a particular section or used to highlight a specific section in performance.

TRANSPARENCY/OPACITY - is the degree by which one layer of video lets the layer below leak through it - the enables layers of video to be mixed together.

TRIGGER - A trigger is an external input that a cue can be programmed to take its start from. For example a keyboard key could trigger a lighting cue in QLAB.

TRIM - Trim is a function in QLAB and other softwares that allows us to select the start and end point of the film or audio content that we want.

USB or Universal Serial Bus is a common type of connection system for plugging different devices to a computer.

VGA - Video Graphics Array or VGA is a commonly used system for the distribution of a video

signal from one device to another. i.e. from a computer to a projector through a VGA cable.

VJ or Video jockey is similar to a DJ except a VJ mixes and manipulates video live in a

performance rather than music.

VIDEO DESIGN - The use of video in the theatre to create special effects and support the

communication of the performance to the audience.

MORE DESIGN RELATED TERMS:

AESTHETIC - the influences, the style and principles that underpins what the designer wants to communicate and express to the audience.

ATMOSPHERE/MOOD - the emotions and sensations that the design attempts to convey to the audience through the design.

CONCEPT - the unifying idea or interpretation that characterises the design.

CONTEXT - how the design is placed in relation to other elements or moments in the performance.

EXPERIMENTATION - the process by which different ideas and impulses are tested and explored to create new forms.

EXPRESSIVE/EXPRESSION/EXPRESS - What is the most important central idea or feeling that the design wants to get through to the audience.

FEEL - the underlying or intangible sensation that the design is trying to get across and create in the audience.

FOCUS - where the design is trying to bring the audiences attention to on stage or and or what is it trying to focus the audiences mind on.

IMMERSIVE - a design that attempts to surround and fully envelop the audience.

INSTALLATION - A form of art that makes use of mixed media and sculptural form that often

considers how its presence in a space is handled.

PROCESS - the steps or method that is undertaken to create a design. Sometimes the process will be the main factor in how the design turns out.

RHYTHM - often we will ask what is the rhythm of the design? Is it fast, slow? Similar to an

emotion or a natural phenomena?

RISK - taking a chance and trying some previously unknown method to see what the results are.

SEQUENCE - a concentrated order of effects or moments that are used to communicate and

support in a performance.

SENSORY - how the design effects and plays with audiences perception through their senses.

SNAP - a fade or transition that happens very quickly - changing from one state to another.

SOURCE - the inspiration or starting point for a visual or design idea.

STATE - Used to describe the combined nature of the effects in a lighting design for a particular

moment. i.e.. a lighting state

TONE - tone is often used in connection with the more detailed and nuanced aspects of the

designs.

TRANSITION - Transition describes how one cue or state changes in to another. The transition can become an important moment in its own right and worthy of careful consideration.