Theater 460 - Scene Design Studio

This advanced course will build on the foundations of scenic design practice covered in THEATER 360 (Intro to Set Design) such as dramaturgical and visual research, model building, drafting, budgeting, creative problem solving, flexibility of methods and solutions in pursuit of a vision in support of a performance event, and collaboration skills through actual production assignments in the department as well as several paper projects realized in 3-D model form. The course will feature in-class visits from directors and production staff in order to model the various collaborative relationships a designer is involved in, as well as several sessions co-taught with the lighting and costume design faculty to develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of the visual design disciplines. Attention will be paid to portfolio building.

Open to students majoring or minoring in Theater. Pre Req: THEATER 360 SPECIAL TOPIC: "Materiality"
This course will build on the fundamental skills of scenic design introduced in TH360, (script analysis, research, creative problem solving, model building, and drafting) by focusing on the materiality of design. Students will explore and build on the meaning-making potential of different materials (glass, steel, wood, paper, plastic) as well as the formal and structural properties and potential of each material unit (shards, 4x8 sheet, 1" box pipe, 2x4). Each student will work in different model scales and ultimately create a large scale model, a portfolio piece, which proposes an environment for storytelling, rich with atmosphere and feeling, designed by maximizing a material's potential. Students will also expand their understanding of digital technology by employing the laser cutter as a high precision tool in their model building.