Visual Arts is a core subject in Year 7 and 8. Year 9 students may elect Visual Arts and/or Visual Design and/or Film Making as School Certificate subjects. Visual Arts [2 unit] (Years 11 and 12) and Digital Imaging, Video and Photography [1 unit] (Year 11) are available for study in the senior school.

Students will have the opportunity in Art Practice to explore

Visual Arts students are regularly selected for Art Express, the display of outstanding major works submitted for HSC marking The Visual Arts Staff believe it is essential to provide many opportunities for students to visit galleries and art events such as Sculpture by the Sea, generationext MCA and practical art excursions to gather visual imagery for development in the class room. We encourage students to opportunities offered to them by other institutions such as National Art School.

The art staff often run extension programs where the serious talented art students from all years can participate in art practices such as life drawing, cartooning, casting, oil painting, clay busts etc. [subject to availability of experts in each field].

   

Visual Design

Visual Design plays a significant role in many applied creative fields. This course provides students with opportunities to explore and understand the nature of good design practice, conceptual knowledge, technology, the role of the artist as designer and the value and meaning of visual design artworks in society and the role of the audience as consumer in these contexts.

Students will develop intellectual and practical autonomy, critical judgement, reflective actions and understanding of the field of Visual Design in the making and historical and critical interpretations of Visual Design artworks. Visual design places great importance on the This syllabus offers students a broad range of opportunities to develop particular and personal interests and to be life-long learners.

The knowledge, understanding, skills and values gained from the Visual Design Years 7-10 Syllabus assists students in building conceptual, practical and critical skills. These skills are highly regarded in relation to future employment as they demonstrate the ability of students to problem solve, critically evaluate their performance, articulate ideas and negotiate with a client and follow through on projects over an extended period of time.

Students will be given a series of design briefs:

• Two dimensional design of a music CD package/ poster
• Three dimensional design of a fantasy tree house
• Three dimensional architectural design for a contoured landform
• Stage set design
• Sustainable architecture
• Major Year 10 task to allow students to apply design principles in a design form of their choice such as object design, furniture design, architectural design, digital media and design, interactive websites and games, film, comic book, animation, jewellery.
• Presenting design concepts and research through power point, interactive boards etc

 

While Visual Design does not continue in Year 11 and 12, students interested in pursuing a design oriented career such as architecture, landscape design, graphics, town planning and some fields of engineering are able to continue in Visual Arts 11 and 12. The syllabus shares identical terminology, structure and concepts. Visual Arts is a recommended or preferred subject for architecture in several tertiary institutions [University of Technology, Sydney and University of Sydney].

Assessment is based on 60% practical component eg design brief models/products and process work and 40% on research [designers and movements].

Facilities include four artrooms, class set of computers for advanced computer graphics and video production, a multi media suite, two kilns and pottery wheels and an etching press.

Film Making and Digital Media

The Creative Arts faculty introduced this course in 2008 to allow students to focus on digital video production and imagery. The course will allow a smooth transition of Film Making and Digital Media students into Visual Arts in years 11 and 12. There is also an obvious advantage for students considering English Extension 2.

Film making and Digital Media plays a significant role in the curriculum by providing specialised learning opportunities to enable students to understand and explore the nature of film making and digital media as an important field of artistic practice, conceptual knowledge and technological procedures.

This Stage 5 course builds on the Stage 4 Visual Arts mandatory course. It allows opportunities for students to investigate film and digital media in greater depth and breadth than through the Visual Arts elective course.

The film making aspect of the course aims to give students an understanding of and practical experience in film-making, and in the vocation surrounding it. It also aims to give students an in-depth knowledge of a specific area of short film-making through workshopping, coursework and research projects.

Students will be assessed on their ability to take part in each of the roles required in the process of producing the classes own short films. Working as part of a crew, each student will develop skills essential within film making. These skills will involve:

• Principles of Script writing
• Visualising the Script
• Directing Actors
• Production Management
• Production Design
• Sound Design
• Cinematography: Camera and Lighting Techniques
• Digital Cinematography
• Editing Principles
• Producing, Film Business, Marketing & Distribution
• Film Criticism
• Digital/Visual Effects

Other aspects of this course may involve developing skills in digital photography and computer generated images using computer design programs including Adobe Photoshop, Flash etc, animation, time based installation works and web design.

Potential student film projects include a movie trailer, documentary, arthouse film, timebased installation, animation, music video, interviews, clay animation etc.

Assessment will be based on practical project work, film reviews, research tasks and participation.

Students’ knowledge will become increasingly deep and comprehensive, multifaceted, more confident and insightful. The syllabus encourages students to become enthusiastic, informed and active participants and consumers in contemporary culture. It empowers students to engage in contemporary forms of communication and encourages the creative and confident use of Information and Communication Technologies.

Students would be encouraged to enter work into film competitions such as V Fest and Making Movies.

While Film and Digital Media does not continue in Year 11 and 12, students interested in pursuing a career in the film/television industry, graphics, web design, photography etc are able to continue in Visual Arts 11 and 12. The syllabus shares identical terminology, structure and concepts.