body of knowledge booklet
TRANSCRIPT
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DEVISING
There is a process that can be outlined and followed when
devising a drama from stimulus to presentation .
It is recognised that areas such as offering ideas, reviewing,evaluating and problem solving will be continuous throughout
the work.
Responding to stimulus
Offering ideas
Discussing and selecting ideas for situations and roles
Agreeing form, structuring and devices
Setting up space
Rehearsing
Reviewing
Adding theatre arts
Presenting to an audience
Evaluating
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STIMULUS
All drama is a response to stimulus.
A stimulus is anything which suggests ideas that can be
developed into a presentation.
Examples of stimuli:-
Pictures
Props
Scripts
Location
Costume
Stories
People
Newspaper articles
Words
Situations
Lyrics
Poems
Music
Sound FX
No kids out on the street today
You could be living on the moon.
Maybe everybody packed their bags and
moved away
Gonna be a long, long, long, Sunday
afternoon.
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• Proposing improvements
GRADE RELATED STATEMENTS
You are continually assessed against a range of statements.These statements are criteria - sentences that give the
standards of how your drama work is measured. For the
Extended Grade Related Criteria, see the end of this booklet.
The following statements are from the EGRC and apply to:
• Devising
•
Stimulus• Creating and Presenting
• Evaluation
Foundation Candidates
• Will respond to a range of stimuli with some simple ideas, which do
not often offer opportunities for exploration. They may have difficulty
in developing the ideas of others and may tend to accept rather than
instigate ideas.
• Their contribution to the creating and presenting process may bemore passive than active and seldom innovative.
• These candidates’ evaluative work may contain valid but obvious
justifications with repetitive and/or rudimentary vocabulary and
concepts.
General Candidates
• Will respond to a range of stimuli with several ideas, which offer
opportunities for development. They may be able and willing to develop
the ideas of others.
• Their participation in the creating and presenting process will be
valuable and, at times, enhance the work undertaken.
• These candidates’ evaluative work may consist of valid judgements
which are regularly, if not consistently, justified. Well-observed
concepts are supported by appropriate vocabulary.
Credit Candidates
•Will respond to a range of stimuli by offering a range of appropriateand demanding ideas, developing and expanding upon those ideas and upon
ideas offered by others.
• These candidates will often be the source of inspiration and
leadership throughout the creating and presenting process.
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• Their evaluative work will show ability to marshal ideas and evidence
and may show occasional insight. Vocabulary used will be appropriate,
opinions stated will be fully justified.
LANGUAGE and VOICE
The use of LANGUAGE and the use of VOICE are veryimportant concepts in Drama. Without an understanding or
awareness of language and voice you would be struggling to
create dialogue for scenes. You would not be able to work on
scripts and you would be leaving out a large chunk of work that
is important to your self-development as well as the Standard
Grade coursework itself.
What you should know
• Language and voice are methods of expression and
communication.
• Language is WHAT we say or write (vocabulary choice
and order).
• Voice is HOW we communicate verbally (meaning and
expression)
• Language and voice are dependant of situation, role andpurpose.
• Language activities can be rehearsed, improvised or
scripted.
Voice is given meaning and expression through use of:
F G CAccent
PaceVolume
Clarity
Emphasis
Pause
Pitch
Tone
Articulation
Fluency
Intonation
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Register
Appropriate use of language and voice in characterisation
can communicate information about:
◊ Age
◊ Personality
◊ Mood◊ Opinion
◊ Intention
◊ Sex
◊ Status
◊ Relationship
◊ Education
◊ Background
• You must be able to show awareness
of audience needs by appropriate use
of language and voice.
• You must be able to use the above in the
CREATION and PRESENTATION of a
drama.
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MOVEMENT
Knowledge of movement is important for the understanding and
critical appreciation of the Creating and Presenting processes
of Drama.
What you should know
• Movement is a way of exploring and expressing ideas,
emotions and relationships.
• Movement can be naturalistic or stylised:
o Naturalistic movement techniques (as in
characterisation)
This can be achieved through:F G C
Body language
Facial Expression
Gesture
Eye-contact
Posture
Use of space
o Stylised movement is more the expressing of
abstract ideas (dance drama, mime, dance, mask).
This can be achieved through:
F G C
BalanceSpeed (pace)
Timing
Positioning
Use of levels
Use of space
Rhythm
Stance
Use of direction
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Appropriate use of movement in characterisation can
communicate information about:
◊ Age
◊ Personality◊ Mood
◊ Opinion
◊ Intention
◊ Sex
◊ Status
◊ Relationship
◊
Education◊ Background
• Movement can be improvised or rehearsed.
o Rehearsed movement may allow ideas to be
developed, or brought into a more stylised form of
movement.
o Improvised movement allows personal response to a
stimulus
• The movement of characters on an acting area must
take into consideration
o Sight lines
o Positioning
o Grouping
o Upstaging
o Scissor movements
o Masking
Mime is a stylised form of movement which gives an illusion of
reality.
• This can be achieved through the above with awareness of: -
◊ Slow, Precise, Exaggerated, Clear, Simple
◊ Neutral/shaped/release◊ Showing Weight, Size, Shape,
Temperature, Texture
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• You must be able to show awareness of audience needs
by moving appropriately in the given space.
• You must be able to use the above in the CREATION and
PRESENTATION of a drama.
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ROLE-PLAY
Role-play is a means of exploring attitudes and beliefs.
It is an activity in which you investigate and develop an
imaginary situation either as yourself of from the point of
view of someone else.
You are simply putting forward a point of view. This point of
view may not reflect your own actual point of view or opinion.
Role-play is open-ended, it has no defined course or outcome.
However, it is important to know what the starting point andthe purpose of the role-play is.
Role-play is a language based activity which allows you to use
language appropriate to simulated situations.
What would…..They say?
Do? Feel?
What would….I say?
Do?
Feel?
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CHARACTERISATION
Characterisation is the investigation and portrayal of a
specific character.
It can build on role-play by adding individual physical andvocal characteristics. Further development may include
exploration of emotions, attitudes and motivation.
Theatre Arts such as costume, make-up and props may
be used to develop and present a character.
A variety of techniques can be used toinvestigate characters:
F G CCharacter cards
Improvisation
Role-play
Hot-seatingVoices in the head
Writing in Role
Thought tracking
Thought Tunnel
In characterisation, consideration should be given to the:
•Relationships with other characters
• Portrayal in terms of language, voice and movement
•Status and changes in status
•Social, economic and cultural background
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PURPOSE
It is important that the drama has a purpose, i.e. a reason that
it is being presented. Without a purpose it is not possible to
put across a meaning.
Focus will identify key (important or significant) moments or
scenes, key characters, key relationships and/or key events
within a drama.
When you are planning your drama, you should be considering a
target audience. That is an identifiable group of people at
whom the drama is aimed. This should have a direct link onpurpose and focus.
There are a variety of purposes for a drama. It may be a
single purpose or in combination to:
F G C• Communicate a message
• Entertain
• Tell a story
• Educate
• Explore a theme or issue
• Explore and experience(e.g. through audience participation, forum theatre)
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FORM and STRUCTURE
Form is the overall style of the drama. That is:
F G C
A play, scripted or improvised
Dance Drama
Mime
Monologue
Movement
Musical
Pantomime
Comedy
Tragedy
Docu-drama
Forum theatre
Within these forms, each of which has features associatedwith it, there is the opportunity to experiment with the
structure and the conventions which may enhance it.
Structure is the way in which time, place and action are
sequenced.
• Linear structure means the actionunfolds from beginning to end (no
flashbacks) in chronological order.
• Non-linear structure means the
action unfolds through shifts in time
(back and forward) and/or place.
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Conventions are different way of presenting part(s) of a
drama:
F G C
FlashbackFlashforward
Freeze Frame
Frozen Picture
Mime
Monologue
Movement
Slow motion
Narration
Voice over
Aside
Soliloquy
Tableau (credit term for Frozen Picture)
Scene Three -
Two hours later, the
manager’s office.
In mime!
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Mood, Atmosphere and Dramatic Tension
Mood and Atmosphere concern the feelings and emotions
brought on by the drama and therefore involve an audience
response to what is being seen and heard.
There is a link between mood and atmosphere and tension.
Tension is the driving force of the drama. It causes others
to want to know what happens next and sustains interest and
momentum. It creates challenges and prevents the drama
becoming boring.
Tension can be created through:
F G CMovement
Shock or surprise
Silence
Action
Conflict and confrontation
MysteryRelationships and status
Threat or pressure
Dramatic irony
Acting techniques can be used to heighten tension and create
mood and atmosphere through: -
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F G CMovement
Pace
Pause
Silence
Voice
Eye contact
Moves
Physical contact
Contrast
PositioningTiming
Theatre arts can be used to heighten tension and create mood
and atmosphere: -
F G CCostume
LightingMusic
Make up (and masks)
Props
Sound Effects
Set
Special EffectsStaging
THEATRE ARTS
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Theatre Arts is the collective name for lighting, sound,
costumes, props, make-up and set.
It is best to have a hands on experience of Theatre Arts, but a
theoretical (bare fact only) knowledge may be the way for
some aspects of Theatre Arts.
Taking responsibility for theatre arts involves the ability to:
G & C only
• Know the function of lighting, select effects
and use a cue sheet
•
know the function of sound, select music/SFXand use a cue sheet
• select, organise and use costume
• select/collate, organise, list and use props
• select, organise and use make-up
• produce a ground plan for a set
If you are responsible for a theatre art, the following processcan be identified:
• familiarisation with script of scenario
• identification of requirements (what is needed!)
• liaise (meet and talk) with director, designers and cast
• prepare initial designs
• prepare/organise materials
• implementation
• refine and adjust in light of experience
• operation
• removal/striking/storage/resetting as appropriate
THE ACTING AREA
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The acting area is that part of the available space occupied by
the asset and used by the actors when acting.
Staging is the position of the acting are relative to the
audience.
Types of staging are:
F G C
• End on
• Theatre in the round
• Thrust
• Proscenium arch
• Avenue
• Promenade
Areas of the stage indicate the division of the acting area
into nine sections. The allocation of left and right is taken
from the point of view of the actor facing the audience.
Nine areas – in word and initial (abbreviation) form:
All levels
• USR Up stage right
• USC Up stage centre
• USL Up stage left
•
CSR Centre stage right• CS Centre stage
• CSL Centre stage left
• DSR Down stage right
• DSC Down stage centre
• DSL Down stage left
Set is the scenery and furniture on the acting area indicatingthe setting. To dress the set is to add soft furnishings and
set props.
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A ground plan is a bird’s eye view of the set, showing furniture,
entrances/exits and the position of the audience
An effective ground plan will show:
All levels
• An outline (delineation) of the acting area
• Position of audience
• Entrances/exits
• The viability (could it be used) of the set
• An indication of scale
• A key
An outline (delineation) of the acting area – indicates the
boundaries of the acting area. The conventional outline may be
used or another outline which better shows the acting area
used in specific place or for specific dramas.
Position of the audience – this may be indicated simply by theword ‘audience’ in the appropriate place(s). No need to draw!
Entrances/exits – these can be indicated by a door symbol
where a door flat would actually be used or by arrows when
wall/doors are imaginary or do not exist.
The viability (could it be used) of the set - sightlines must be
considered, the set must allow actors to move around theacting area, entrances/exits must be clear and the audience
must be able to see the action and actors.
Indication of scale – indicate the relative proportions (rough
size) on the set and the amount of acting area they occupy.
Key – Explanation of what the symbols on the ground plan
represent. The following items should only be represented by
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the undernoted symbols. Symbols for any other items may be
designed, and should be clearly explained in the key.
SCRIPT
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A SCRIPT consists of the written words of a drama. A script
may be a published or original work.
The conventions associated with a script include:
C only• The division of the script into acts
and/or scenes
• A description of the set for each act/scene
• An indication of changes of time and place for
each act/scene
• The allocation of lines to characters
•
The inclusion of stage directions• Advice to actors on delivery of lines
• Recommendations on the use of Theatre Arts
to enhance the action
These conventions should apply to the reading, writing and
interpretation of scripts.
DIRECTING
The School RoomAct 1, scene 1 –a drama studio, not unlike the one you are in
now. A brilliant, young and talented drama teacher is taking a
class of high flying 3 rd year pupils. They are all listening
intently to every word the teacher says.
Teacher Excellent everybody. That is exactly the
sort of thing that will make you Credit
students.
Pupil 1 Please sir, can we do homework tonight?
Teacher Not tonight, have you forgotten it’s the first
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Directing is the process of one person’s interpretation of a
script or scenario and its realisation in performance, in
conjunction with actors and design team members.
Design concepts are a director’s ideas on how theatre arts can
reflect and emphasise the themes and issues of a drama, its
characters, mood, atmosphere and tension.
A director assumes responsibility for:
C only
• the interpretation of script/scenario, includingpunctuation inferences
• design concepts
• communicating/liaising with actors and design team
casting
• blocking
• the rehearsal process