So I alluded to it in a response to an earlier comment- but now I will ask everyone outright:
Who has some good ideas for lesson design that incorporates the post-rendering part of the design process?
A challenge I am noticing is that student designers without practical design experience seem to be lost when moving a design past the final rendering that is where usual projects end...
I recently tried to simulate the pre-rendering "real world" situation to disappointing results, but I think it was the genre of the plays assigned that ultimately made the plan fall short... the project was to pick a modern play (with ten characters, mind you- "GO FIND A UNICORN!") and develop three concept options to be presented before a small class. Then an option was chosen by vote, at which point the students were expected to "run with it" very much the way preliminary concept meetings with directors run... sorta.
Well, newbie designers are not ready to do this with modern plays that call for more subtle interpretations of "concept." Maybe it will work better with classics or musicals... Shakespeares... everybody messes with Shakespeare. I just have to put a moratorium on Nazi/Fascist Shakespeare...
Anyway, that really dealt with the pre-rendering phase, but what would be so nice to be able to work into paper projects is the implementation, or the detail selection and evaluative process that follows presentation of final renderings. Class discussion at presentation time kind of works... but not really. Plus, hopefully some of these exercises could prepare students for altered design process models which is really our ficus here isn't it?
Any ideas?
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7 comments:
Are you planning a graduate or undergraduate course? I've got a class i teach at the graduate level where we're doing a post-design project in which they have a sample budget for a given rendering and need to come up with detailed practical analysis--cost of yardage, notions, trims, etc for built items, info on any found/sourced elements, estimation of the amount of labor needed and any required overhire if that exceeds the amount of staff they have, and so forth. Might be too much for a complete beginner undergrad though?
And, at what point (if at all) in the project process are these folks given sample budgetary constraints? Meaning, when they do their designs, do they have set parameters like "design this play for a small theatre in the round, with a $3000 costume budget" as opposed to "design this play for a large proscenium house with a $10,000 costume budget" as opposed to "design this play for renegade street theatre for free"?
This is mainly an undergraduate question since most grads (MOST) have actually put together something from start to finish.
Budgetary things are a concern, but what I'm wondering about mostly is the collaborative execution process... how performance changes the design because, especially in class, renderings are made without a second brain acting in them.
Is this quality to be found in the roughs process and you just assume that the final rendering presented for a GRADE grade is the result of that fitting/rehearsal/procurement process? And is taht really indicative of what happens?
Our directing class does a series of one acts the same semester as the design class, so students are able to design a small, but useful, production. They really don't have much of a budget but I have observed some very exciting and interesting things happening in this forum.
They get to work within a "rep" situation and are required to collaborate (a VERY touchy term) with others, and actually produce something. It really is a great advantage.
We also do two student productions a year and our undergraduates can design mainstage as well, so there are a number of opportunities for the full experience.
dthoward
University of Rhode Island
My students budget a rental and a totally built costume for their undergrad project--I let them have no constraints--I just want them to see the comparison between rental and construction.
On the other teaching question--you might want to look at anthologies of 10 minute plays, plays for 2-3-4 actors. It narrows the scope. They could then build fabric paper dolls or construct garments for a 1/2 scale form or 18" doll, if that's the type of thing you were asking about. With a small play, they could be in groups--designer & director--work togther, switch roles, etc. If I had a 2nd level of costume design, I would try something like this.
Lia Hansen
EmG! I have been lurking on this blog for a while and just wanted to say that I've been enjoying thinking about plays from a different perspective. I've spent all my time on the playwright/director/actor side f things and I love reading about your designery thoughts and challenges. It's really opening my eyes up to new ways of incorporating costume design into the process. Cheers!
A couple of interesting articles out recently on experimental theatre you might be interested in reading:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/17/6
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2008/02/putting_experimental_theatre_t.html
Good words.
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