Weekly Schedule

Week One: Getting Started

Day 1: What is production design? Recognizing and experimenting with atmosphere. We identified production design as the look and feel of a production. How do choice of setting, costumes, props, lighting and sound make a story come alive? What makes one design different from the next? The class created a series of atmospheric drawings using colored oil and chalk pastels.

Katherine chose vivid colors to create a

magical atmosphere. Nile used only black & white in high contrast to evoke a scary atmosphere.

Day 2: What is the Setting? Exploring setting/location and framing. We identified setting as the space (and consequently the time and place) in which a story happens.

The class used digital cameras to explore framing (chosing what elements should be seen and why). Students took a series of photos around Pratt campus to use as inspiration & raw material in their set designs.

Kelsey's location was nicely framed, Duncan found inspiration in a carefully chosen portion of the wall, and Janna was drawn to an area in the garden.

Day 3: What is Story? Exploring group collaboration and brainstorming through story building.

The class built an original story using team work and discussion. We decided on a series of plot points to use as a framework and each student began to sketch out an idea for a set, stemming from their own interpretation of events in the story. A wide range of ideas started to emerge.

Ali began to envision a magical and surreal prison cell. Ellen drew out a lone, tall building overlooking a village in the mountains.

Day 4 Building a Model/Designing a Set

Students began work on models, re-working their set ideas in 3D. We looked at the designs of Robert Wilson and Joseph Cornell for understanding composition and to further imagine the art of the diorama. Students began to lay out the main structure and shapes within their models.

Kelsey started making a futuristic setting, while Nailah envisioned a spooky, haunted house.

Week 2: Perserverance and experimenting with shape and form.

Days 5-8: Completing the Models

Students refined their set designs by adding dynamic components to their models. We explored shape and space by playing with objects in the room to create impromtu sculptures. The class added tissue paper and paint to complete a variety of rich interpretations on set design and model building.

Exercises on our feet helped loosen everyone up and put more energy into their work.

Ali's Magical Prison really took shape. Travis mixed a beautiful color palette for his city skyline.

Duncan's futuristic rooftop came together with bright colors and found objects. Nyla had a "fresh" take on her set, Janna's candy town and Kelsey's modernist house were completed with diligent effort and looked fabulous by the end of the week. Everyone did great work!

Week 3: Costume and Character

Day 9: What is Costume? Students played with simple costume elements (hats and masks) to explore what it feels like to dress up as someone else. They took turns posing for eachother and drawing quick portraits.

Nailah dressed as a pirate and Ellen captured her likeness with a quick sketch.

Day 10: Designing a Costume. Students experimented with bouffant and sculptural costuming, turning eachother into otherworldly beings with newspaper, tissue and tape. Students also began sketching out ideas for costume designs of their own.

Nile was transformed into a wacky alien type of creature and then sketched out by Kana. Serigne worked out a really cool character sketch.






Day 11 & 12: Building a Character Maquette. Students continued working with newspaper and tape to create 3-dimensional renderings of their costume/character ideas.

Kayla's character is dressed for the winter time with fabulous and magical red and brown hair. Ali's character has a burst of flame for a head.









Week 4: Finishing Up

Days 13 & 14 Stop Motion Animation! Students put all their skills together, working in teams to create short (and bizarre) films.