Diploma in

Production & Performing Arts

Unit 8 Project Proposal

Candidate
Name Diana Drew
Candidate Number
Pathway Acting
Project Title It Snows
Section 1: Review
I have gained a lot of knowledge and practice throughout each term of this course so far. The verbatim
unit was a fun introductory topic that gave me an opportunity to perform, but the vision and devising
have really taught me what goes into creating and executing a production. During these units I’ve learnt
a lot about the process and the behind-the-scenes of theatre, something that I only had passing
knowledge of beforehand, and how I can put my composing skills to use in that creative aspect of
theatre-making. Going into this course I hadn’t given much thought to my short-term career goals; I’d
only really decided on my personal dreams and aspirations for the future. Out of all the units and side
projects I’ve been a part of this past year, the ones that allow me to explore the creative or technical
elements of a show have really stood out to me. Working in or in conjunction with a production team is
something I’d really like to pursue.

Section 2: Project Concept

The aim of our production of ‘It Snows’ is to explore how people react to change in their community,
specifically how the characters react to the snow in their town. To explore these reactions, it will be
useful for me to research themes and ideas related to snow, both scientific and sentimental. This project
is focused on acting, so to do well I’ll draw on my own experiences with snow and use my personal
memories and feelings to bring life to my character. It Snows as a play is fairly abstract and open to
interpretation; despite having clear plot-threads the script has very little world-building, meaning it will be
up to my company and I to create the atmosphere and realize the setting in the rehearsal rooms. Our
company will spend about four weeks in research and development before we go into intensive
rehearsals, where we’ll spend two full weeks in rehearsal rooms creating the bulk of the play. During the
final week we will spend time putting together the final product, doing tech and dress rehearsals with
any and all props, costumes, lighting and music.

Section 3: Evaluation
To keep track of, reflect on, and evaluate my work throughout the process, I will record a ten minute
video each week that will include my company and I’s major decisions, what went well and/or poorly,
and what I can do to improve. To make sure I’m not only describing events but diving deeper and
properly analysing my progress, I can take notes of the work done each day and write down the level of
success, so when I come to record my reflection I can concentrate on evaluating my personal work and
progress without just focusing on the objective events. Though this project by nature means working
with lots of other people very closely, I must also make sure to reflect on my own progress as much as
possible to most effectively learn and improve. At the end of this project, after the final performance, I
will write up a closing reflection on the entire process, exploring in depth each stage of the process
(including the final week of tech, dress rehearsals, and the two performances) and examining them from
a critical and analytical angle.
Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)
K. Libbrecht. 1st February 1999 “A guide to snowflakes” and “Snowflake History” Snowcrystals.com
[Online]
Available at: https://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/class/class-old.htm
[Accessed 23rd March 2022]

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 19th December 2016 “How do snowflakes form? Get
the science behind snow” U.S. Department of Commerce [Online]
Available at: https://www.noaa.gov/ stories/how-do-snowflakes-form-science-behind-snow
[Accessed 23rd March 2022]

Merriam-Webster. 2016 “No, ‘Snowflake’ as a slang term did not begin with ‘Fight Club’” Merriam-
Webster [Online]
Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-less-lovely-side-of-snowflake
[Accessed 22nd March 2022]

BBC. 31st December 2007 “Most popular stories of 2007” BBC News [Online]
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7116765.stm#top
[Accessed 24th April 2022]

BBC. 8th February 2007“Snow hits schools and travellers” BBC News [Online]
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6338151.stm
[Accessed 24th April 2022]

Statista Research Department. 21st April 2016 “Daily use of social media in the United Kingdom (UK)
2007-2015” Statista [Online]
Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/510897/daily-use-of-social-media-uk/
[Accessed 24th April 2022]

B Spencer. 6th January 2007 – 15th May 2022 “2007 in the United Kingdom” Wikipedia [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_in_the_United_Kingdom
[Accessed 24th April 2022]

Council on Foreign Relations. 2011”The Iraq War” CFR.org [Online]

Available at: https://www.cfr.org/timeline/iraq-war
[Accessed 23rd April 2022]

C Mills, N Walker. 2nd November 2021 “Proposal for an inquiry into the UK’s involvement in the NATO-
led mission to Afghanistan” House of Commons Library [Online]
Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2021-0174/
[Accessed 23rd April 2022]
Project Action Plan and Timetable

Week Date Week Activity / What you are intending to do - Resources / What you will need to do it -
Beginning including independent study including access to workshops

1 14th March Mon: Meet director – Kate Pasco Script, pen

Read through script
Write notes about play
Tues: Start creating movement for play
Explore hexagonal shape dance
2 21st March Mon: Explore different scenes in the play Script, pen
Explore world of the play; setting, timeline,
characters…

3 28th March Mon: Generate ideas for snowball fight, Script, pen
dream sequences
Find ways to represent dressing someone in
snow clothes
Practice and perform short parts of the
script: scenes between Caitlin and
Cameron, and big group scenes
Create short repeating sequences showing
mundane everyday life
4 4th April Mon: Read through script with roles Script, pen, highlighter
Run through play, just for general shape
Decide on characters within girls and
parents group
Generate ideas for group entrances
Work on individual characters, personality,
movement
5 25th April Mon: Create hexagonal-shape dance Script, pen, highlighter, water bottle
Block first scene/introduction to the play
Create entrance of the girls group
Initial costume fittings - Costume items from home
Tues: Create dream sequences, attempt a
lift
Create ‘slush dance’ and allocate slush
scene lines
Use snow gear (hats, gloves, scarves…) to
represent playing in the snow
Weds: Generate ideas to create snow
onstage – experiment with big white plastic
sheets
Devise mini-scenes of people exploring
snow (snow angels, shoveling, becoming
penguins)
Piece together hexagon dance with scenes
before and after and create transitions
Create snowball fight sequence
Block unit 26 – after snow melts
Thurs: Create ‘DSI Caitlin’ action movie
scene
Block unit 15 – morning of snow, waking up
sequence
 Fri: Run through unit 1 to unit 9
Create dance for party scene
Block and run through unit 23 – party scene

6 2nd May Tues: Dream sequences – finalize lift Script, pen, highlighter, water bottle
Practice all dances and major movement
Create ‘Britains Got Talent’ dance
Weds: First day in performance space
Run through blocking and entrances of
entire show
Finalize position of large white sheets in
theatre
Run through snow sheet scene (unit 18)
Run through snowball fight (unit 19)
Create glitter-ball sequence for unit 24
Run through ‘DSI Caitlin’ scene (unit 33)
Thurs: Second day in performance space
Run through unit 1 to unit 9
Run through unit 15 to unit 20
Run through entire show with minimal
pauses
Fri: Go through scene by scene improving
cues and technical aspects
Run through entire show with minimal
pauses
(Sat: Attempt to create music to score - Laptop, midi keyboard, guitar, bass
dance in unit 26)
7 8th May Mon: Go over notes, make any tweaks Script, pen, highlighter, water bottle
Tues: Tech rehearsal in performance
space; Run through entire play setting
lighting and sound cues
Weds: Character work, games
First dress rehearsal
Notes
Thurs: Second dress rehearsal (in front of
peers)
Notes
First performance
Fri: Notes
Second performance