Elements and Performance Criteria

Other production personnel may include:
directors
designers
technical specialists
stage managers
production managers
venue management

Floor may be laid up using:
floor cloths/cladding
dance floors, eg tarkett
carpet
masonite
vinyl

Set pieces may include:
framed scenery, eg flats, profiles, doors, windows
weight bearing scenery, eg rostra, ramps, steps
non-weight bearing scenery, eg columns, trees
soft scenery, eg canvas legs, borders, cloths, gauzes, cycloramas
furniture and other set props
revolves
trucks

Underpinning skills and knowledge

Assessment must include evidence of essential knowledge of, and skills in, the following areas:

role of staging personnel within the overall production and interrelationship with other production personnel
stage geography and terminology, including upstage, downstage, on/offstage, stage right/left, scenery dock, PS, OP, cameral left, camera right (for film and TV)
different types of common stage machinery and equipment and the main safety issues associated with their use
basic set assembly, including the correct way to run and float a flat, to lash/toggle and pinhinge flats together and to use tech screws and bolts for assembling set pieces
methods of tying cloths, drapes, tabs, etc to a barrel, including legs, borders, scrims, gauzes, cycloramas
a variety of knots, including bowline, clove, hitch, half-hitch, reef knot, rolling hitch, truckies hitch, overhand knot, figure of eight knot (single and double), whippings and rope seizing
occupational health and safety requirements and their application to stage mechanics,, including the handling of hazardous substances
literacy skills sufficient to interpret a stage plan
numeracy skills sufficient to take basic stage and staging measurements

Linkages to other units

This unit has linkages to a range of other technical units and combined assessment and/or training with those units is recommended, eg:

MEM18.1AB Use hand tools
BCG1004A Carry out measurements and calculations

Critical aspects of evidence

The following evidence is critical to the judgement of competence in this unit:

knowledge of the roles and functions of staging departments and staging personnel
knowledge of entertainment industry terminology in relation to staging
ability to follow instructions and safety procedures

Method and context of assessment

The assessment context must ensure:

demonstration of skills through the installation of staging that includes as a minimum the installation of flooring and basic set pieces
involvement of and interaction with a team with whom the candidate can work and which is able to provide the overall direction for staging set-up

Assessment may incorporate a range of methods to assess performance and the application of essential underpinning knowledge, and might include:

direct observation of the candidate using appropriate and safe techniques to install staging
inspection/evaluation of staging elements positioned by the candidate
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of staging terminology, features and uses of different types of equipment and stage geography
review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands and the needs of particular groups (eg people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).

Resource requirements

Assessment of this unit requires access to:

staging machinery, equipment and tools
venue at which a production is being staged

Communicating ideas and information
Interpreting a stage plan (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Communicating problems and asking for direction (1)

Planning and organising activities
Organising set pieces (1)

Working with others and in teams
Talking to other production personnel about work requirements (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Taking measurements (1)

Solving problems
Identifying and reporting a safety issue (1)

Using technology
Using tools (1)