Region II Awards for Excellence

These awards are open to all bona fide student designers. The exhibit is mostly geared towards realized work (from participating as well as non participating productions), but can also include classroom projects.

Regional Awards may be awarded for excellence in:

SCENIC DESIGN

COSTUME DESIGN

LIGHTING DESIGN

MAKEUP DESIGN

SOUND DESIGN

TECH/CRAFT

STAGE MANAGEMENT

If you have developed work which you would like to share, but don't find an area under which it would be adequately represented, e-mail Lynne Koscielniak, Design Chair, at lk2@buffalo.edu. All creative work is welcome!

Notes on Presenting Work at the Regional Festival:

To be considered for a Regional Award, designers, technician, and managers must present their work in the Design Exhibit. As each production is unique, each presentation is as well. However, the general guidelines can remain constant as the goal of the presentation is the same: demonstrate how you communicate verbally and visually with your collaborators.  

It should be noted that the space available for the exhibit varies year to year. In an effort to ease planning, gallery information will be published on the web-site when it becomes available. As a point of reference, plan on having 25 sq. feet of vertical space to present in.   In an effort to ease the exhibit set-up, space will be assigned during festival registration.   Please report to the Design/Tech table during registration to receive your exhibit location assignment.

When planning your display, be mindful that your work will be assessed on clarity of presentation as well as idea. Make sure that your presentation does not overwhelm the work itself. Remember that process, as well as product, should be presented. Please make sure that your work is clearly labeled with the production title and your name. To ensure impartial assessment, please keep the institution's name off of your work or mask it when necessary.

All are encouraged to mock-up their presentations prior to festival.

Suggested Presentation Materials:

Scene Design

•  Clearly drafted ground plan, including the relationship of the setting to the performing area when applicable.

•  Graphic presentation of the design that indicates the following: color, texture, value, atmosphere, scale and research. This may be in the form of renderings, sketches, model, photography or a combination thereof. NOTE: entries may include a scenic model.

•  A one-page statement of the design approach should be included.

Costume Design

•  Six to twelve representative renderings or color plates with costume fabric swatches attached.

•  Color chart or color board to give an overview of the designer's approach to the play as a whole.

•  Presentation of the design that indicates the following: color, texture, value, scale and research. This may be in the form of renderings, sketches, armatures, photography or a combination thereof.

•  A one-page statement of the design approach should be included.

Lighting Design

•  Clearly drafted light plot and section for the entire play.

•  Full presentation of a significant moment in the play to include:
A) Description of effect of light on stage (i.e. color, distribution, direction, intensity and mood through visually descriptive means such as color charts, magic sheets, sketches, etc.)
B) Support materials such as research or visual representation from other media (paintings, photographs, collage, etc.) as well as other descriptive material, which might help clarify the design idea.

•  Designers are encouraged to deal exclusively with light and space. Type of space, setting or other restrictions are at the discretion of the student designer but must be clearly indicated in the presentation.

•  A one-page statement of the design approach should be included.

Makeup Design

•  One or two representative renderings of each character, with the colors listed for each area (i.e. base, cheeks, eye shadow, lips, hair color, etc.). Makeup character worksheets may be used for renderings.

•  Support materials such as research or visual representation from other media (paintings, photographs, collage, etc.) as well as other descriptive material that might help clarify the design idea.

•  A one-page statement of the design approach should be included.

Sound Design

•  A one-page statement of the design approach.

•  Script w/cues and notes.

•  An image book, collage, or sources of inspiration may be included.

•  List sound choices with pertinent recording information, artists, recording dates, and background. If sound cues are engineered by the designer, explanation of methods and types of equipment would be helpful for the respondents to understand the student's design process.

NOTE: Process can be best documented by illustrating how cues were built. Samples of layering one effect upon another can easily communicate procedure.

•  Paperwork such as sound plot, board hook-up, speaker placement, etc., illustrating how the design was/would be implemented is critical. All drawing and schedules should be prominently displayed.

•  Sound effects may have been recorded using any medium: CDs, minidiscs, etc. However, playback for display purposes is LIMITED to Discman type (CD), portable minidisc or small boom box players (CD or cassette tape) via headphones or with no more than two small external speakers. (These speakers must be driven by the headphone jack.) No other playback equipment is permitted. NOTE: Failure to comply with the above limitations will be grounds for disqualification.

The KCACTF Sound Design competition is focused on ideas that support a production and its concept, and not on the equipment in the original venue.

Tech/Craft

As this category is extremely diverse, the suggestion is general: create a presentation which shows process work as well as the finished idea/product.   Past exhibits have had entries from technical directors, properties designers, assistant designers and stitchers.

Stage Management

•  Approach Statement:

A statement of the stage manager's production management approach separate from the prompt book. Not to exceed one page.

•  ProcessóVisual materials that serve to show:

Effective collaboration with production staff
Effective management of rehearsal and performance process
Team building and personnel management
Effective use of resources
Preparation and effective use of schedules, shift plots and running sheets
Working with the director, actors, and designers
Script notation and calling the show

•  Production/Prompt Book

Recommended Production/Prompt Book Format

•  Documentation:
Include playbill or program for the show.
Representative production photos (at least two), if possible.

•  Label all materials with:

Stage Manager's Name & Title of Production
Stage Manager's return address and email should be on the back of each item.

At the Regional Festival Design Judges will give an open critique session for each student whose work is on display and for festival participants.

Register for the Regional Awards Now