GCSE options advice for a career in special effects and/or prop design

[KevinKarrot]

I have 4 questions which I’ve combined into one post to avoid replicating/creating unnecessary posts.

• Which options list?
• Workload of 3 arts type subjects?
• Suggestions for other subjects?
• Future subjects at AL/L3?

Following a visit to harry potter studios, DS has desires to be a special effect/prop design person.

We’re looking at GCSE options, and after the usual English, maths and Science, he has to choose one of History, Geography, French, German and Computer Science, which are placed throughout the option blocks.

He’s come up with a combination he thinks he wants to do that might be the best fit.

• Tech Award Creative iMedia
• Tech Award Performing Arts
• Tech Award Engineering
• Leaving GCSE History in the other block

After looking at the option blocks and the subject contents, I was thinking the following might be better?

• GCSE Art
• GCSE Drama
• GCSE DT
• Leaving GCSE Computer Science or Geography

I feel the second list covers the similar content to the first but it less specialised and will keep more options open for the future. Would appreciate thoughts on this.

Secondly, both lists look very coursework/NEA/portfolio heavy. Not sure how he would cope with 3 subjects like this, or whether it would be wise to do this. Again, would appreciate thoughts on this.

I’m also looking suggestions for other subjects which may be better suited to the potential career or keeps options as open as possible in case the desire to to be special effects/prop designer doesn’t last.

Lastly, for either of the combinations above. What options/subjects would be available at AL/L3, either for special effects/prop design or for any other career. Again, this is part of my making sure that doors aren’t closed too early.

If you got this far, thank you very much!

My DD is doing GCSE drama and it's possible to do it either on the performing side or the production side, so he could see if that is a possibility. You'd be better looking at colleges for after the GCSE stage to see what courses they offer. There is one near us that does film/animation, for example, and make up for special effects.

I don't think your list of subjects is similar to his tbh. You have only picked them because they are GCSE subjects.

I think Art and Engineering are probably key at GCSE. Performing Arts/Drama might not offer production routes so I'd check this with the school first (if he has no inteest in performing)

@KevinKarrot Have a look at some degree courses and work your way backwards to GCSEs. Arts University Bournemouth and University of Hertfordshire have two of the best model making / prop making courses in the UK.
AUB's booklet Modelmaking as a Career is a useful guide. webdocs.aub.ac.uk/Modelmaking%20as%20a%20Career%20Booklet.pdf
New Blades is an annual model makers requirement fair which features graduates from various courses. www.flickr.com/photos/newblades/albums/72177720299756881
www.flickr.com/photos/newblades/albums/72177720299760122
Other good solid courses are:
Wimbledon College of Arts (part of University Arts London)
www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/performance-and-design-for-theatre-and-screen/undergraduate/ba-hons-technical-arts-for-theatre-and-performance-wimbledon
Royal Central School of Speech & Drama (University of London)
www.cssd.ac.uk/courses/prop-making-ba
Northern School of Art - northernart.ac.uk/ba-hons-visual-effects-model-making-2/
Guildhall - www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/production-arts/ba-production-arts/ba-production-arts-design-realisation
www.rwcmd.ac.uk/index.php/study/design-performance
Also, a lot of the theatre design / set design courses include elements of model & prop design.
Screenskills is also helpful: www.screenskills.com/select-courses/

How academic is he?
How hard working is he?

If he does the 'tech awards' (BTECs?) there will be more ongoing coursework, probably, and less high stakes exams. More chance of passing if not academic provided he works steadily. Reduces exams load for Summer y11 too.

If he is academic, does he run the risk that doing only 6 actual GCSEs plus 3 tech Awards it might look as if he isn't? Not sure if that matters or not?

The profile of students doing Tech Awards v GCSEs may also be different (dependent on school culture), which could lead to a difference in behaviour.

Definitely worth a hard look at actual course contents and how they are marked/examined for each of the Tech v GCSE subjects.

Yes, I’ll admit my list was chosen because of then being GCSEs, it was based on his original list.

I’m in no way against him doing tech awards, and I’m not going to force him to do GCSEs if tech awards are the right thing for him/ he’s more suited to them.

I was trying to look at it from the point of view of, if he changes his mind, which subjects would make sure doors aren’t closed. The tech awards seem very specialised to me, where as I see the GCSEs as being more, well, general, therefore, if his mind changes, there will be more room for flexibility. I just want to be able to advise him well rather than forcing my opinion, or letting him do something that will close any doors later on when I could have said something earlier.

Good points about the performing arts/drama - will check if they have production routes.

@Soma excellent list. Thank you for taking the time to point me towards those courses. Will have a look into them.

My DD did Art GCSE. My DS is doing DT GCSE. I can't imagine either of them being organised enough to deal with the coursework for both of them together, which is all due at about the same time (about now) and finished in a mad rush! Do work backwards from degree options, though.

I would say he’s sort of in the middle academically. Would manage Tech awards and GCSEs. The Tech Awards are BTEC. (Will see if I can get him to tell me who else might be doing the Tech Awards to gauge the class make up, although I don’t think it will be too bad)

Will investigate coursework requirements. I think he would do well with coursework, especially if he’s interested in the subjects. He’s hardworking when he’s interested but, if there no interest there’s very little effort. Another reason I’m happy to be guided by his interests, but again, would like him to keep his options open and have a feeling if there’s too much coursework at the same time he will switch off/become uninterested.

I’m wondering, from a point made by Teen, whether to encourage another GCSE to make it 7 GCSEs and 2 Tech awards? Although, I don’t think it matters from my brief look at the courses Soma pointed me towards and working backwards. It would keep the number of Y11 exams low whilst maybe removing some of the coursework pressures mentioned by Photo.

This part is more of my dumping my brain on the page, but, from having a more detailed look at the specifications, the performing arts course looks to be towards performance rather production. Drama is obviously performance based but there are aspects of stage and prop design. I can see why he’s interested in performing arts though because it does have some links to production. Although get the feeling he might get more out of drama if he can look at if from the design point of view?

I can see creative media is more graphics based where art is more drawing and making based. Art possibly has the advantage because there are modelling, sculpture and 3D aspects to it as well as the drawing, but I can understand creative media would be good for understanding the visual effects side of things which would be a nice compliment to the physical marking of things.

I think DT might actually provide a better grounding than engineering? Engineering is, well, geared towards engineering disciplines where DT has the option to explore different DT disciplines and medias and design which seems to fit better? Although, from what I’ve been googling, special effects and prop designers need an understanding of engineering disciplines like mechateonics, electronics and animatronics to develop some special effects/props. It’s close.

I’m seeing Art, DT, Engineering and Drama as the most useful ones here, with Creative Media and Performing Arts having some links. I think we need to have a conversation with school so see how they are approaching things and which options form the specifications they are teaching.

We’re not so worried about the compulsory ‘EBacc’ subject. He’s happy to take which every one is in the block he hasn’t taken a subject in. It’s likely to be History, Geography or Computer Science.

He'd need a language for EBacc, if that's something that you are looking at.

One thing to be really clear about, is just because something is in the spec as an option for the practical subjects, doesn't mean the school will actually teach that option.

So if you're thinking that in Art he can do 3D modelling, or in Drama he can do set design then do double check with school before selecting the options.

We’re not bothered about the EBacc.
School aren’t really bothered either, their only requirement is he does at least one EBacc subject, it’s the only reason I mentioned it. It’s good because it gives him more free choice.
He’s not bothered which EBacc subject he does. I don’t think he’s that interested in any of them. He could choose a language and a humanity if he wanted to from the way the blocks are set out, but I can’t see that happening.

I agree Teen, we need to have a conversation with school so see how they are approaching things and which options form the specifications they are teaching.

Also consider that Drama is likely to have group work, certainly if he does the performance option (I don't know about the production options). That always has an element of uncertainty in it as you are to some extent dependent on what other people do, which I'd have hated! And more importantly, it often means having to get together with others outside of lessons, which can be a further call on time just when he might be trying to finish lots of coursework for his other options. I don't know if the Performing Arts btec is similar or not.

I think some sort of graphics could also be really useful, as a lot of the special effects would be on screen. Is he more artistic or practical (or both?). Can he see himself more in special effects on screen/animation/visual effect, or does he like practical making things/model making/building stuff? Is it something he ever did as a hobby - building toys, lego, painting models, designing stuff, drawing, computer graphics, comicon, LARP costumes etc? That might give him an idea of which areas of it he would enjoy.

I'd then work backwards as others have said - find which A-level/Level 3 courses are available near you and are good for the degree courses, and see what they require. If they're flexible enough, then it really could just be down to which courses he enjoys.

Can he do A-levels (in whatever subject) with a mix of GCSEs and Btec? Here I think it's based on number of points, so even the more academic sixth forms probably allow that, if he changed his mind and decided to do history or something for A-level. But other sixth forms or schools might specifically want GCSEs, so could be worth checking.

Getmyfirstjob.co.uk has good info on this career and apprenticeships. Also look at the degrees mentioned.

If the tech awards are BTEC then they are usually complete before GCSEs so as long as he keeps up with the coursework this will give him more time for GCSE revision.

I actually think computer science would also fit, there is a lot of problem solving and logic which can be transferred.

I would also suggest looking what drama clubs there are locally where he could volunteer to get some practical experience.

He needs to look at the courses' content. Btec can be very coursework and assessment heavy, possibly with final exam. Gcse
Drama certainly includes backstage/tech to support group productions rather than performance. There is also written analysis of texts and productions.

I would consider not ruling out a computer programming type course - much of special effects is computer controlled by electronics these days, and it's a useful, transferable skill..

I'd keep the choices as flexible as possible. A 13yo had a fun day out and has been inspired to think about a certain career. It's possible a different trip in a couple of months may inspire something completely different! Certainly in 5 years time, when he starts uni, he may have different ideas again.

Go with what he enjoys and what he is good at. I would think DT (as long as it is resistant materials DT, rather than art : design) would be most useful and flexible, along with computing.

DT and art would be a huge workload outside of classroom time.

@Seeline that is exactly my worry about keeping things open. I’m all up for encouraging what he wants but I just worry he’ll go down that route, change his mind in a year? 3 years? 5 years? Then he’s got less flexibility because of what he’s chosen now.

He’s always been interested in building and creating arty types of things. DT is definitely DT materials, not Art DT.

Good point made about group work Bimbleberries, and about sixth forms. Will have a look at what they are asking for.

Great shouts about computer science, that makes a lot of sense. He has an arduino and likes to play with it, which is why I thought he might enjoy computer science and included it in my ‘flexible careers subjects’ list.

@KevinKarrot drama, art and DT are all respected subjects, and drama at A level is more English with a bit of performance and or tech. Yes there is a lot of work with both art and DT, but it is very manageable. For a lot of the special effects, model making, prop and theatre design, a solid foundation in art & design, drawing skills is what is important. You don't need GCSE or Btec computers for special effects, although it might be nice to have if he is interested. www.herts.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/model-design-special-effects

I would say that DT would be a good option for a dc who likes making models and other objects.
You wouldn't require level 2 Tech engineering to move onto level 3. He would be OK with GCSEs in Physics, Maths and the DT.
You need to watch out for what grade he would need at level 2 Tech to be able to take level 3. Some sixth forms require a Merit at level 2 (this means a Merit or higher grade on all the units).
What @TeenDivided says is helpful. At dds school Art was all about 2d design and drawing and they did not offer 3d design.

I would say for that career path, definitely Art and either DT or Engineering

Performing arts, drama, creative iMedia and computer science all have links and all useful so choose for interest.

Any of the EBacc humanities or languages would fit so choose the one he’s going to get the best grade in/has most interest in.

This also closes no doors. (Except maybe languages if he doesn’t choose his EBacc subject to be a language).

Nothing wrong with BTECs, even for academic, university-bound kids 😀

Drama gcse is more akin to English literature with a bit of performance. Lots of essays about plays. Most state schools don’t have the resources to offer the alternative options of set design etc instead of performance. So I’m not sure drama is a good option for your child.
I don’t know spec for btec performing arts so check this out - but prop builders and set designers don’t need performance expertise so probably not worthwhile.

gcse computer science is probably a good option and works whether your child sticks with his career plan or changes his mind.

Something teaching computer design would be helpful-
imedia might also be a good option or gcse art (graphics) if your school does it.

gcse fine art may not include 3d art options, depending on resources in your school. May be too much alongside workload for other courses. Would recommend art(graphics) instead

gcse dt (materials) would be a great choice for a future prop builder and is an interesting creative option.

not come across btec engineering but sounds like a really good choice for a course with transferable knowledge and skills, regardless of future direction.

My DS is doing this. A levels were art and DT. He found that his portfolio and interview were almost as important as his grades. He did get the grades he needed but if he hadn’t he would have done a foundation course at UAL.
Sorry I know your question is about GCSEs.
He did a summer at Guildhall between GCSEs and A levels that was incredibly useful.

Sorry he did a summer COURSE at guildhall. Just a week

Drama gcse is more akin to English literature with a bit of performance. Lots of essays about plays.

My DDs did/started Drama GCSE.
With Eng Lit you are writing about the words.
With Drama you are writing about everything but the words. So you discuss the set, props, makeup, costumes, light & sound effects, pace, delivery etc.