School: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Theory of Directing
  • Unit Code

    PAM2103
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Rachel MCDONALD

Description

An examination and exploration of the diverse skills required of the modern director, this unit explores the technical aspects required to get a theatre or film production to presentation. It describes the rehearsal processes for both genres, the language of actors, and the process of putting vision into technical requirements in order to achieve your creative vision. Students will learn how to take a creative vision and give it a practical process in order to bring in to life in performance.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded PAM3103, PMA2003

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse text.
  2. Demonstrate an awareness of different approaches to directorial practice, through a study of significant Directors.
  3. Demonstrate, through observation and practical application, a knowledge of the actor's process.
  4. Present a work of own choice including casting, rehearsals and technical aspects.
  5. Understand the rehearsal process.

Unit Content

  1. A theoretical base for the exploration of style.
  2. Language of the actor.
  3. Observation and experience, aspects of voice and movement training skills relevant to them as Directors.
  4. Rehearsal process for actor and director.
  5. Rehearsal process with lighting, design and sound.
  6. Script analysis.
  7. Team production management.
  8. The technical aspects of theatrical practice.
  9. Uniting action, beat, objective and how these pertain to the directorial process.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered12 x 3 hour practical classNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Tutorials, discussions, seminars, workshops, lectures and classes.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseAssessment is continuous and is based on the objectives of the unit50%
ProjectDirecting piece50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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