KSB320 The Actor and the Industry

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit provides opportunities to apply your knowledge, skills and understanding to the creation of screen-based works for distribution in conventional and/or digital streaming contexts. These screen-based works will offer you a platform to demonstrate the technical sophistication, screen presence, originality, and professionalism you will be seeking to promote to agents, casting directors, producers, and others in your networks as you enter the industry.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate your ability to fulfil industry standards and expectations in the performing of film or television scenes showcasing your work to the national and global screen industries.
2. Demonstrate entrepreneurial initiative, professionalism and a capacity to perform independently and entrepreneurially in a complex interdisciplinary work environment.
3. Collaborate autonomously to produce and disseminate digital artefacts that promote and complement your showcase scenes.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will engage in a series of practical exercises and performances for camera. Your learning will be enriched by instruction, coaching, and feedback from the teaching team, as you work professionally with fellow performers and film crew, including completing independent practical film-based assignments.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Throughout the progress of workshops and rehearsals, teaching staff will provide feedback to you which will inform all assessments items. It is recommended that you keep a journal as a record of your discoveries and feedback through the course of your study and as a resource for future performance endeavour.

Feedback in this unit is also provided to you in the following ways:

• comments on summative assessment work in addition to criteria sheets, both for group work and individual endeavour
• generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas
• criteria sheet grading

Assessment

Overview

The assessment items in this unit are designed to enable you to maximise your opportunities to display your skills in acting. In this unit, both formative and summative items will test your ability to apply and promote your advanced skills in studio and performance contexts.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Performance - Autonomous

You will demonstrate your skills and understanding of screen acting by preparing for, performing in and recording a scene or scenes written for film/television, that can be shown or distributed in formal showcases and other promotional contexts.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Research assignment

In groups you will research the process and people associated with transitioning from student actor to working actor.

Assessment: Performance - Directed

You will demonstrate your skills and understanding of screen acting by preparing for, performing in and recording a scene or scenes written for film/television, working under the direction of a film/television director, making professional films for a showcase.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

All students and staff who access campus buildings and facilities are required to complete the Tier 1 General Health and Safety Induction. This must be completed online.

This unit also requires a Tier 2 Health and Safety Induction which is provided by the technician on site in the theatre, workshop or studio.

Resources

Resource Materials

Safety and protective equipment

Proper clothing appropriate for active studio work is required, including closed-in shoes.

Risk Assessment Statement

For risks associated with using campus buildings or facilities, refer to the Tier 1 General Health and Safety Induction.

As all performance-makers understand, creating a performance potentially carries with it certain physical and/or emotional risks, both in the rehearsal room and in the theatre. Indeed taking risks is an integral component of the art form’s processes. Some rehearsal warm ups and exercises, and some performance events may include physically or emotionally strenuous activities. Managing this risk to ensure working conditions are safe, is always a high priority in the production process. It is therefore extremely important that if you are aware of personal physical or emotional vulnerabilities that make you feel unsafe or at risk in any way, you should immediately inform teaching staff, the director or stage manager, so that your situation can be evaluated and appropriate rectifying action can be taken.

Theatres and other performance spaces are also potentially dangerous places, particularly backstage during performances when low light conditions prevail. You will be warned by the stage manager, the production manager or the director of any specific risks that you will need to be aware of, when your project team first moves in to the theatre. Whenever moving into a new performance space, you should always conduct your own risk assessment, and notify your team or director of any hazards you have personally identified.

Every effort is made by Drama staff at QUT to ensure that you work in a safe environment. Conversely you are absolutely expected to follow all safety rules, procedures and directions, and to ensure that you do not put at risk the safety of others, or yourself, or of the highest artistic fulfilment of the project in any way.

Course Learning Outcomes

KK34 Bachelor of Fine Arts

1. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of the techniques and concepts underpinning your field of creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
2. Demonstrate technical proficiency in at least one area of your field of creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
3. Represent and promote your work in ways relevant to your creative field.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
4. Discern, critically analyse and synthesise knowledge in complex creative practice settings.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
5. Work productively as a leader and collaborator in disciplinary and interdisciplinary creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
6. Formulate and apply an independent perspective through reflection and by acting on the informed critique of others.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
7. Demonstrate respect for cultural and social differences, and work with integrity across creative practice networks.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3
8. Operate with initiative, ethical judgement and professionalism in creative practice, both alone and in groups.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3