Promotion and program design

Project requirements: Promotion and program design

According to the NESA website, this project may be for a real or hypothetical theatre company and will include:

  • a 300-word rationale in the form of a director’s concept/vision

  • a poster which is a colour rendering of at least A3 (297 x 420 mm) size but no larger than A1 (594 x 841 mm). The design may be rendered by hand or produced as a computer design submitted as hard copy

  • a flyer which includes 150 words of promotional copy

  • a program which contains a profile of the theatre company, its target audience, information about the playwright, the history of the play, the directorial approach and any other information relevant to the production

  • a 500-word media feature story about the production, such as a researched article or interview which previews the production or an aspect of the production.

Note: Promotion and program designs may be for a real or hypothetical theatre company. Designs and promotional copies for a school production must NOT be used. Posters should not be framed or placed behind glass. Glass is not permitted, as it can become a WHS issue during marking.

Assessment and Reporting in Drama Stage 6, NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2020, date accessed 20/09/2021.

Learning from other students

There are several reasons why learning from your peers is effective. You share a similar language and perspective. Seeing what other students have done to achieve success can support your understanding.

In this lesson students will respond to the ideas and experiences of a successful HSC drama promotion and program design student.

'Really capturing my idea within one image was pivotal to this whole IP. '

Jasper Luck-Chee discusses his IP promotion and poster design titled 'Black Diggers', Student Interviews about Stage 6 Drama.

Student activity 1 - Example of a successful approach

The interview above is part of a series in which Year 12 students discuss the development of their individual projects - including their use of the drama logbook. Each student reflects on their journey towards the successful completion of their individual project.

On a new page in your individual project logbook or in a new digital document create a concept map to summarise the successful student's approach to their chosen individual project. You might use one of the concept mapping tools in the digital learning selector on the NSW Department of Education website to record your responses.

  • View the interview with Jasper Luck-Chee above.

  • Summarise the experience of the student in concept map format. Make notes on your concept map as you watch the video. Stop the video so that you can jot down ideas. Add more branches to your concept map where appropriate.

  • Share and discuss your summary in pairs or in a small group. Consider: What were some of the strongest messages that came out of the interview? What new information did you learn about the process of developing this individual project? What was already familiar and reinforced through the interview?

Criteria for examining the Individual project: Promotion and program design

The NESA website lists the following criteria for examining the promotion and program design project.

For the Individual Project: Design (Promotion and Program), a mark out of 10 is awarded for each of the 3 criteria, giving a total mark out of 30.

Criteria 1: Design concept/vision (10 marks)

  • effective interpretation of the play realised in a directorial concept/vision

  • integrity, originality and clarity in the design concept/vision

  • use of visual components to communicate the concept/vision.

Criteria 2: Appropriateness and execution of visual elements (10 marks)

  • effectiveness of design elements in each visual item of promotional material in conveying a dramatic interpretation of the production

  • understanding the purpose of each item of visual promotional material

  • effectiveness of visual promotional material in communicating the profile of the theatre company to its target audience.

Criteria 3: Appropriateness and execution of written materials (10 marks)

  • use of written materials to communicate the design concept/vision

  • understanding the purpose of each item of the written promotional material

  • effectiveness of written materials in communicating the profile of the theatre company to its target audience.

Assessment and Reporting in Drama Stage 6, NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2020, date accessed 20/09/2021.

Student activity 2 - Strategies for success

Look back at the marking criteria for promotion design. Looking carefully at the dot points under each criterion, highlight all the words relating to concept/vision in yellow. Then highlight all the words relating to visual elements in pink. Finally, highlight in blue all the words relating to written components.

Divide your logbook page into 5 columns, with the headings below.

  • Rationale

  • Poster

  • Flyer

  • Program

  • Media feature story

Using your highlighted words, brainstorm a list of strategies/ideas in each column that you could include in each component of your promotion design to ensure you meet the marking criteria and fulfill the project requirements.

Student activity 3 - Apply new understanding

  • Select one of the theatre companies above and explore their promotional material in detail.

  • As you explore, pay attention to the way the visual and textual elements are used in a unified way to promote the company profile, engage the target audience and sell tickets to a specific production experience.

  • Record key information in a concept map in your logbook or online. You might use one of the concept mapping tools in the digital learning selector on the NSW Department of Education website.

  • Share and discuss your concept map with your teacher. You can use this concept map to inspire the development of your promotion design project.

Hands held up with the words 'yes' and 'no' written in white on palm of each hand.

Student activity 4 - What's in it for me?

Considering everything you now know about the project requirements, peer approaches, and marking criteria, how do you feel about this individual project option? Keep a record of your response in your logbook or in digital form and then let your teacher know what you are thinking by completing the individual project questionnaire at the end of this module.

References and images