Production skills: costume, lighting, sound, set, staging and directing at SQA National 5 Drama
An overview of production skills at SQA National 5 Drama: how costume and make-up, lighting, sound, props, set, staging and directing create mood, setting and meaning, and how each can support the style and purpose of a production.
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Production skills are the design and technical crafts of SQA National 5 Drama: costume and make-up, lighting, sound, props, set, staging and directing. They create the mood, setting and meaning of a production. This page maps the area and links to the detailed answers.
What this area covers
Production skills bring together design, technical craft and direction. The dot points in this module cover each part:
- Costume and make-up
- Clothing, accessories and the three make-up types (straight, character, special-effects) communicating character.
- Lighting
- Intensity, colour, direction, angle and effects creating mood, focus, time and place.
- Sound
- Music, sound effects, recorded and live sound, volume and timing creating atmosphere and setting.
- Props, set and staging
- The physical world of the piece, and the staging forms that change the audience's relationship to the action.
- Directing
- Realising a coherent vision by interpreting the piece, forming a concept, guiding performers, blocking, and coordinating the production skills.
How it is assessed
Production skills are examined directly in the written question paper, which has a section on production roles and areas, and any one can be your specialism in the performance coursework, where a visiting assessor marks your contribution.
How to study it
- Learn the controllable elements of each skill. For lighting and sound especially, know the elements you can vary.
- Always link choice to effect. A colour, a costume detail or a staging form earns marks only when tied to mood, setting, focus or meaning.
- Learn the five staging forms. Be able to name each and explain its effect on the audience.
- See directing as coordination. Understand how a director makes every element serve one concept.
For the official course specification
The SQA publishes the full National 5 Drama course specification, including the drama lexicon, at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification.
Sources & how we know this
- National 5 Drama Course Specification — SQA (2024)