Cover lesson · Drama · Year 8 · Intermediate

Planning Digital Sound and Projection Cues for a Mine Scene

DCF: Producing → Creating digital content · LNF: Numeracy → Learning about geometry helps us understand shape, space and position, and learning about measurement helps us quantify in the real world → Measurement

Name: Class: Date:

Cover teacher: you need no subject knowledge

What this practises: planning digital sound and projection cues for a scripted theatre scene while calculating time intervals in seconds and mm:ss and checking image resolutions and aspect ratios. Pupils read a 3 minute 20 second (200 second) scene breakdown set at Cwm Du Colliery in 1910, match audio and projection files, work out exact start and fade-out timestamps, check which images fit a 1920 × 1080 (16:9) projector, and write technical desk instructions.

Board: open the supply teacher presentation Planning Digital Sound and Projection Cues for a Mine Scene for slides, timers and script.

Print: this worksheet, one per pupil, and the stimulus sheet Cwm Du 1910 pit scene: script breakdown and digital asset list, one between two. Calculators are helpful but optional. No computers are needed.

Run: 5 min settling starter · 5 min brief and key words · 10 min Step 1, asset matching · 10 min Step 2, timestamp calculations · 12 min Steps 3 and 4, resolution check and operator cues · 5 min partner check · 3 min plenary review. Total 50 minutes.

Collect: this worksheet at the end of the lesson.

Quick checks: Step 1 pairs: Cue 1 SFX-01 + IMG-01; Cue 2 SFX-02 + IMG-02; Cue 3 SFX-03 + IMG-04; Cue 4 SFX-04 + IMG-05; Cue 5 SFX-06 + IMG-06 (reject SFX-05 modern siren, IMG-03 800 × 800 square, and IMG-07 1080 × 1920 vertical modern photo). Step 2 timestamps (Start / Fade-out start / End): Cue 1 00:00 (0 s) / 00:30 (30 s) / 00:35 (35 s); Cue 2 00:35 (35 s) / 01:11 (71 s) / 01:15 (75 s); Cue 3 01:15 (75 s) / 02:05 (125 s) / 02:10 (130 s); Cue 4 02:10 (130 s) / 02:32 (152 s) / 02:35 (155 s); Cue 5 02:35 (155 s) / 03:14 (194 s) / 03:20 (200 s).

What you are doing

A theatre production relies on precise digital planning so that sound effects and projected backdrops happen on the exact word of dialogue and fit the screen cleanly. Today you will build the technical cue sheet for a 3 minute 20 second (200 second) scene from the Year 8 play Below Cwm Du, set in a Welsh coal mine in 1910.

Key words:

Step 1: match digital assets to the 5 dramatic moments

Read Parts A, B and C on the stimulus sheet. Select the best audio file and projection image for each cue, and explain how your choice supports the 1910 setting and mood.

Scene moment Audio ID Image ID Why these assets fit the mood, dialogue level and 1910 period
Cue 1: Pithead yard at dawn SFX-01 IMG-01 Sets the 1910 pithead location at dawn with steam winding gear and hooter.
Cue 2: Rapid descent in the cage
Cue 3: Creaking East Drift tunnel
Cue 4: Roof split and rockfall
Cue 5: Rescue signal bell and lamp

Which audio file did you reject, and why would it ruin the scene?

Step 2: calculate exact start, fade-out and end timestamps

Each cue starts the instant the previous cue ends. Use 1 minute = 60 seconds, End time = Start time + Duration, and Fade-out start = End time − Fade-out length. Write every timestamp in both seconds and mm:ss.

Cue Start time (s and mm:ss) Duration (s) Fade-out length (s) Fade-out starts at (s and mm:ss) Cue ends at (s and mm:ss)
Cue 1 0 s (00:00) 35 s 5 s 30 s (00:30) 35 s (00:35)
Cue 2 35 s (00:35) 40 s 4 s
Cue 3 55 s 5 s
Cue 4 25 s 3 s
Cue 5 45 s 6 s

Check: add the 5 durations together (35 + 40 + 55 + 25 + 45) = ______ seconds = ______ minutes ______ seconds.

Step 3: check image resolution and aspect ratio for the 1920 × 1080 projector

The hall projector is 1920 × 1080 pixels (16:9 widescreen). Check the images below and decide whether each one is suitable.

Image ID Pixel dimensions (W × H) Aspect ratio (16:9, 1:1 or 9:16) Suitable? (Yes / No) What will happen on the 1920 × 1080 stage screen?
IMG-01 1920 × 1080 16:9 Yes Fits the widescreen projector exactly with crisp detail.
IMG-03 800 × 800
IMG-04 3840 × 2160
IMG-07 1080 × 1920

Step 4: write precise technical cue instructions for the desk operator

Write the complete desk instructions for Cues 2, 3, 4 and 5. Follow the Cue 1 model on the board: state the start timestamp (mm:ss), the script trigger line, the audio and image IDs, the volume or brightness level, and the exact fade-out start and end timestamps.

Step by step

  1. 5 min Settling starter: convert 3 minutes 20 seconds into seconds and consider screen stretching.
  2. 5 min Read the production brief and key words.
  3. 10 min Step 1: match the 5 scene moments to the right audio and image assets.
  4. 10 min Step 2: calculate all start, fade-out and end timestamps across the 200-second scene.
  5. 12 min Steps 3 and 4: check image resolutions and write operator instructions for Cues 2 to 5.
  6. 8 min Partner check against the success criteria and plenary review.

Success criteria

If you finish early