Degree Title: Master of Fine Arts

Program Name and Number: Production Technology - MF5160

Department/Unit: Dance, Film, and Theater

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Program Mission:  The Ohio University MFA Theater Degrees prepare students to:

• Demonstrate heightened skills in professional presentation, collaboration and communication.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of research practices, dramatic literature, theory and history.
• Apply heightened skills and demonstrate a comprehension of theories and methodologies as they relate to professional practice in specific disciplines.

Our goal in Production Technology is to prepare students to understand and work in the professional theater. Our training provides a strong foundation in design and technology and the skills to compete in the professional market. We feel a graduate school needs to combine good training with professional opportunities. To that end, we make a point of pursuing student job placement.

Program Learning Objectives:  All PD&T Technology students are required to adhere to the following listing of Professional standards of conduct:

Students are expected to:

• Create resumes and portfolios to professional industry standards.
• Deliver a clear professional presentation of their portfolios and project work.
• Deliver production preparation work (research and sketches, drafting, and/or organizational work) on-time within the constraints of the production planning situation.
• Deliver production work on-time and in-budget within the constraints of the production resources.
• Cooperate with their collaborators (crew, staff, actors, directors) and help to facilitate their collaborators work.
• Support changes that develop during the production process within the reasonable constraints of the production resources.

Competencies required in specific tracks:

Technical Direction: (To regional theater standards)

• Oversee the scenic construction projects of the scene shop and welding shop
• Fulfill the position requirements of Production Technical Director
• Demonstrate project management experience skills including: production flowcharting, resource allocating, creating schedules, and the creation of a production bible
• Demonstrate focus on safety aspects of shop equipment and project materials
• Demonstrate strong research, collaborative and communication skills
• Demonstrate effective budget management skills such as estimation and bid process for productions
• Shop supervision and crew management:
  • Maintain attendance logs
  • Oversee tool maintenance and repair
  • Assist in overseeing crew work
  • Assist in assigning crew to projects
  • Maintain shop supply inventories
  • Oversee theater facility upkeep
  • Prepare theaters for special events
• Effective portfolio development techniques for both digital and paper portfolios
• Hand drafting skills (to United Scenic Artists standard)
• AutoCAD and/or Vectorworks computer drafting proficiencies (to USITT standard)
• Ability to devise technical design solutions for productions involving interesting challenges (such as automation, pneumatics, structural design, rigging, and unique construction materials)
• Demonstrate technical proficiency in welding, carpentry, rigging,  and the safe use of all scene shop, paint shop, and welding shop tools and equipment
• Demonstrate ability to safely set-up and program contemporary stage automation equipment and  electric motor hoist systems
• Demonstrate ability to train students in the safe and proper use of shop equipment and tools including stage rigging systems.

 

Scenic Technology (Props and Scenic Art)

In addition to the MFA in Technical Direction, the PD&T program offers an MFA in Scenic Technology.

Scenic Technologist (Prop and Paint Artisans) are expected to work as scenic artists, prop artisans, charge artists and prop crew heads. Scenic technology majors crew head a minimum of 2 main stage productions and a minimum of I Studio Production on campus. Scenic technologists are strongly encouraged to crew head or work as a props artisan or scenic artist on more productions on and off campus.

Specific skills for the MFA in Scenic Technology: (to regional theater standards)

• Demonstrated effectiveness at budgeting
• Prop research and purchasing
• Labor flowcharting and the creation of a production bible
• Demonstrated crew management skills
• Strong research, collaborative and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to engineer viable solutions to complex prop challenges
• Demonstrated proficiency among a range of technical skills including:
  •  scenic artistry
  •  woodworking and furniture construction
  •  steel work (including stage weaponry and armor construction)
  •  upholstery and soft goods construction
  •  fiberglass and mold making
  •  foam construction
• Effective portfolio development techniques for both digital and paper portfolios
• Demonstrated ability to train students in the safe and proper use of shop equipment

 

Costume Technology

Costume Technologists (costumers) are expected to work as first hands/stitchers, drapers, tailors, craft artisans, Assistant costumers, and crew heads (costumers).

Costumers drape for a minimum of 6 mainstage productions and act as costumer for 1 mainstage production. 

Specific Skills for the MFA in Costume Technology (to regional theater standards)

• Oversee the costume construction activities of the costume shop
• Demonstrated technical proficiency in cutter, draper/flat patterning, first hand, and stitcher skillsets
• Demonstrated Tailoring skills
• Period and modem costume construction research
• Craft skills in:
  • buckram or felt millinery
  • felt or fiberglass armor construction
  • thermoplast mask making
  • head casting
  • dyeing and distressing
  • fabric printing
  • fabric modification
  • dye painting
• Demonstrated ability to train students in the safe and proper use of costume shop equipment and tools
• Demonstrated project management skills including: production flowcharting, resource allocating, creating schedules, and the creation of a production bible (to regional theater standards)
• Strong collaborative and communication skills
• Demonstrated effective budget management skilla such as estimation and bid process for productions (to regional theater standards)
• Shop supervision and crew management:
  • Creating labor flowcharts
  • Maintain attendance logs
  • Oversee tool maintenance and repair
  • Assist in overseeing crew work
  • Assist in assigning crew to projects
  • Maintain shop supply inventories
• Effective portfolio development techniques for both digital and paper portfolios

Costume Craft Technology:

In addition to the MFA in Costume Technology, the PD&T program offers an MFA in Costume Craft Technology.

Costume Craft Technologists are expected to work as craft artisans, first hands/stitchers, drapers, prop artisans, and craft department crew heads.

Craft technologists drape for a minimum of 1 mainstage production, and act as craft crew head for a minimum of 2 mainstage productions.

Craft technologists are strongly encouraged to crew head or work as a crafts or prop artisans on more productions on and off campus.

Specific skills for the MFA in Costume Craft Technology: (to regional theater standards)

• Demonstrated effectiveness in labor flowcharting and crew management
• Creation of a production bible
• Development of period and modern craft construction research
• Demonstrated collaboration and communication skills
• Draping and flat patterning
• Felt and buckram millinery construction
• Felt and fiberglass armor construction
• Demonstrated expertise using wonderflex and vacu-form techniques
• Mask-making and head casting
• Mold making
• Fabric modification
  • dyeing and distressing
  • stenciling, stamping
  •  
  • direct dye painting
• Foam construction
• Wig setting
• Make up design
• Basic woodworking and furniture construction
• Steel work (including stage weaponry and armor construction)
• Upholstery and soft goods construction
• Effective portfolio development techniques for both digital and paper portfolios
• Demonstrated ability to train students in the safe and proper use of shop equipment

Program Overview:  The M.F.A. in Production Technology is a six-semester program that strives to prepare students for professional careers. For technicians, the first year of the program deals primarily with unleashing the imagination and examining the process of how to translate the visual images into practical physical reality. The second and third years allow for refined skill development and increasing specialization in an area of concentration with an emphasis on professional portfolio development. Technology students are involved in production, craft, and skill classes each semester of residence. The development of fine craft and technical skills is essential, but the focus is on the development of top-notch managerial skills. Participation in a specified production activity each semester is required. These assignments relate directly to the students area of concentration. At specified times they will consist of assuming senior supervisory staff positions on the main stage, such as shop manager, technical director or cutter/draper. The thesis for all students consists of a main stage supervisory technical assignment and a formal exit portfolio review. In all cases, portfolios are expected to meet prevailing professional standards for job placement in the field. At least 8-10 weeks of the third year is expected to consist of an internship at a major LORT or commercial theater in the United States or abroad (usually London). Students are expected to attend at least one national convention every year. Qualified students may be invited to participate in the Annual National Portfolio Reviews. Students are strongly encouraged to spend their summers and winter breaks working in leading professional theaters. Total credit-hour requirements are based on a normal load of 15 credit hours per academic semester for six semesters of residency. Minimum course requirements for the three-year technical MFA include 39 credits of core courses (including intradisciplinary, academic, and applied studies), at least 36 credits of specific area requirements (including studio courses and directed electives), and 15 credits of thesis studies for a total of 90 credits. Any course may be waived at entry in recognition of previous academic or professional experience.

Concentrations: Areas of Concentration include Costume and Costume Crafts Technology, Props Technology, and Technical Direction

Opportunities for Graduates: The MFA is a terminal degree. Students completing their MFA in Production Technology commonly choose to enter the professional market for performing arts companies, specialized production companies or pursue academic careers.

Link to Program: http://www.ohio.edu/finearts/theater/academics/graduate-programs/mfa-production-design.cfm

Graduation Requirements:

1. Students are required to complete 90 course credits for graduation.
2. Students are required to fulfill a thesis production assignment. While each area of technology varies, the thesis production includes all processes of the production. Beginning in the spring semester prior to the production, these processes range from attending the first production conference through strike of the production.  A product of the process includes the creation of a fully produced “Production Bible” that details the development and execution of the assignment.  Specific documentation required for the Production Bible differs somewhat among technology areas but the main focus is that of documenting process.  The Thesis assignment is intended to provide the student with the opportunity to perform the duties of the position assigned to the highest professional standards possible. 
3. Students are required to create and continuously develop a professional portfolio that is up to professional portfolio standards.
4. Students are required to create a thesis committee made up of 4 PD&T faculty and staff and 1 reviewer from outside PD&T, and schedule and conduct the exit portfolio review which is formatted as an oral defense.

Culminating Experience: A main stage (or equivalent) production assignment in the student’s third year of study, encompassing all training thus far. Each area of production will have different requirements for this “thesis project” but will include an oral thesis defense covering research, process, and outcomes of the production.

Admission Requirements: Admission to the PD&T program is by interview and portfolio review, conducted at the University/Resident Theater Association (U/RTA) National Unified Auditions in New York and Chicago, the SETC conference, the annual USITT Conference & Stage Expo, as well as on the OU campus in Athens. Our recruiting season begins in late January/early February with the U/RTA event and tends to conclude by the end of April. The recruiting faculty is looking for talented students with the potential for advanced skills in theater design and/or related technology studies.  The MFA Technology candidate should have the ability to communicate practical, interesting production challenges and the means by which they resolved them as well as portfolio samples that demonstrate a potential toward professional growth.    The intention of the PD&T Design training is to graduate students with the essential skills and craft necessary to work in the profession.

In addition to the portfolio review/ interview, students are required to send undergraduate transcripts.  If a talented student has a GPA of less than 3.0, the student will enter on probationary status, and be re-evaluated at the end of the first semester’s work. Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose are also required for consideration/ acceptance into the program.