Elements and Performance Criteria

Prop furniture may be:
weight-bearing
non weight-bearing
trick/breakaway

Relevant colleagues may include:
other props personnel
other workshop personnel, eg set builder, scenic artist
technical colleagues, eg costume, lighting
designers
directors
performers

Nature of prop furniture and construction techniques may be impacted by:
number of times to be used
how the item will be used
proximity of audience
visibility by audience, eg only front will be seen
style of rest of the set
Tools and equipment for the creation of prop furniture would generally be the same as those used in general furniture construction.

Materials used for the creation of prop furniture may include:
timber
timber products, eg plywood, particle board, craftwood
masonite
metal products, eg bars, tubes, sheets
moulded or cast metal
fibreglass
fabrics
plastics, eg moulded sheet
fabric
leather
paper products
plaster
mouldable materials
thermoplastic
polystyrene
fasteners
adhesives

Preparation of items for finishing may include:
sanding
priming

Underpinning skills and knowledge

Assessment must include evidence of the following knowledge and skills:

typical ways in which furniture may be used as a prop in different production/event contexts
types of furniture that might be constructed and those most likely to be acquired by other means
properties and applications of materials commonly used for prop furniture
techniques for trick furniture, including how to create a breakaway section
safety issues associated with the use of materials, tools and equipment for furniture construction
literacy skills sufficient to interpret production documentation
numeracy skills sufficient to calculate measurements and quantities and to interpret construction plans

Linkages to other units

This unit has linkages to a range of other general technical and props construction units, and combined assessment and/or training with those units may be appropriate, eg:

CUESET17A Develop props construction plans to meet design requirements
CUESET04B Use research, innovation and experimentation to create props

Critical aspects of evidence

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

safe and correct use of techniques to make prop furniture
knowledge of the properties of materials used in the making of prop furniture and the associated safety issues

Method and context of assessment

The assessment context must provide for:

practical demonstration of skills through the creation of prop furniture for a production/event
construction of furniture items within a commercially-realistic timeframe

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

evaluation of furniture items constructed by the candidate in terms of suitability for production and quality of finish
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of safety issues and particular construction techniques
case studies to assess ability to select different techniques to meet varying production requirements
review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate

Resource requirements

This unit requires access to:

equipment, tools and materials used to construct prop furniture
work area where prop furniture can be safely constructed

Communicating ideas and information
Interpreting furniture construction plans (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Presenting ideas on how a requested breakaway effect could be achieved (2)

Planning and organising activities
Organising the construction of several items within a restricted timeframe (2)

Working with others and in teams
Discussing the best way to achieve the breakaway effect required (2)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Calculating measurements (1)

Solving problems
Developing a less expensive way of achieving the desire result (2)

Using technology
Using power tools (1)