- Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
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- Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
- Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.
- Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
- Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences.
- Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role.
- Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures.
- Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles.
- Sing or dance during dramatic or comedic performances.
- Work with other crew members responsible for lighting, costumes, make-up, and props.
- Tell jokes, perform comic dances, songs and skits, impersonate mannerisms and voices of others, contort face, and use other devices to amuse audiences.
- Read from scripts or books to narrate action or to inform or entertain audiences, utilizing few or no stage props.
- Promote productions using means such as interviews about plays or movies.
- Prepare and perform action stunts for motion picture, television, or stage productions.
- Write original or adapted material for dramas, comedies, puppet shows, narration, or other performances.
- Introduce performances and performers to stimulate excitement and coordinate smooth transition of acts during events.
- Dress in comical clown costumes and makeup, and perform comedy routines to entertain audiences.
- Construct puppets and ventriloquist dummies, and sew accessory clothing, using hand tools and machines.
- Perform original and stock tricks of illusion to entertain and mystify audiences, occasionally including audience members as participants.
- Manipulate strings, wires, rods, or fingers to animate puppets or dummies in synchronization with talking, singing, or recorded programs.
- Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed.
- Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations.
- Study films or scripts to determine how musical scores can be used to create desired effects or moods.
- Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
- Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
- Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.
- Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.
- Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition.
- Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesizers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas.
- Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.
- Audition and select performers for musical presentations.
- Plan and schedule rehearsals and performances, and arrange details such as locations, accompanists, and instrumentalists.
- Write musical scores for orchestras, bands, choral groups, or individual instrumentalists or vocalists, using knowledge of music theory and of instrumental and vocal capabilities.
- Position members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections.
- Perform administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.
- Confer with producers and directors to define the nature and placement of film or television music.
- Meet with soloists and concertmasters to discuss and prepare for performances.
- Fill in details of orchestral sketches, such as adding vocal parts to scores.
- Explore and develop musical ideas based on sources such as imagination or sounds in the environment.
- Write music for commercial mediums, including advertising jingles or film soundtracks.
- Transpose music from one voice or instrument to another to accommodate particular musicians.
- Rewrite original musical scores in different musical styles by changing rhythms, harmonies, or tempos.
- Arrange music composed by others, changing the music to achieve desired effects.
- Assign and review staff work in such areas as scoring, arranging, and copying music, and vocal coaching.
- Transcribe musical compositions and melodic lines to adapt them to a particular group, or to create a particular musical style.
- Create original musical forms, or write within circumscribed musical forms such as sonatas, symphonies, or operas.
- Collaborate with other colleagues, such as copyists, to complete final scores.
- Copy parts from scores for individual performers.
- Coordinate and organize tours, or hire touring companies to arrange concert dates, venues, accommodations, and transportation for longer tours.
- Produce recordings of music.
- Stay abreast of the latest trends in music and music technology.
- Study films or scripts to determine how musical scores can be used to create desired effects or moods.
- Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
- Read scripts and confer with producers to determine the types and numbers of performers required for a given production.
- Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.
- Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
- Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
- Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.
- Negotiate contract agreements with performers, with agents, or between performers and agents or production companies.
- Arrange for or design screen tests or auditions for prospective performers.
- Review performer information, such as photos, resumes, voice tapes, videos, and union membership, to decide whom to audition for parts.
- Maintain talent files that include information such as performers' specialties, past performances, and availability.
- Attend or view productions to maintain knowledge of available actors.
- Direct shows, productions, and plays.
- Hire and supervise workers who help locate people with specified attributes and talents.
- Teach acting classes.
- Locate performers or extras for crowd and background scenes, and stand-ins or photo doubles for actors, by direct contact or through agents.
- Prepare actors for auditions by providing scripts and information about roles and casting requirements.
- Read scripts and confer with producers to determine the types and numbers of performers required for a given production.
- Read and study story lines and musical scores to determine how to translate ideas and moods into dance movements.
- Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in dance steps and in techniques to achieve desired effects.
- Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.
- Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.
- Advise dancers on standing and moving properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.
- Design dances for individual dancers, dance companies, musical theatre, opera, fashion shows, film, television productions, and special events, and for dancers ranging from beginners to professionals.
- Seek influences from other art forms, such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.
- Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.
- Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
- Develop ideas for creating dances, keeping notes and sketches to record influences.
- Direct and stage dance presentations for various forms of entertainment.
- Audition performers for one or more dance parts.
- Coordinate production music with music directors.
- Design sets, lighting, costumes, and other artistic elements of productions, in collaboration with cast members.
- Restage traditional dances and works in dance companies' repertoires, developing new interpretations.
- Record dance movements and their technical aspects, using a technical understanding of the patterns and formations of choreography.
- Assess students' dancing abilities to determine where improvement or change is needed.
- Manage dance schools, or assist in their management.
- Read and study story lines and musical scores to determine how to translate ideas and moods into dance movements.
- Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions.
- Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
- Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
- Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.
- Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
- Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
- Adapt other designers' ideas for the mass market.
- Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.
- Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics.
- Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.
- Design custom clothing and accessories for individuals, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions.
- Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.
- Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs.
- Sew together sections of material to form mockups or samples of garments or articles, using sewing equipment.
- Research the styles and periods of clothing needed for film or theatrical productions.
- Determine prices for styles.
- Test fabrics or oversee testing so that garment care labels can be created.
- Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions.
- Study scripts to become familiar with production concepts and requirements.
- Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
- Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
- Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
- Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it into a final product.
- Set up and operate computer editing systems, electronic titling systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to produce a final product.
- Trim film segments to specified lengths and reassemble segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect.
- Cut shot sequences to different angles at specific points in scenes, making each individual cut as fluid and seamless as possible.
- Review assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors to determine if corrections are necessary.
- Verify key numbers and time codes on materials.
- Manipulate plot, score, sound, and graphics to make the parts into a continuous whole, working closely with people in audio, visual, music, optical, or special effects departments.
- Program computerized graphic effects.
- Supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in film editing, assembling, and recording activities.
- Determine the specific audio and visual effects and music necessary to complete films.
- Mark frames where a particular shot or piece of sound is to begin or end.
- Record needed sounds or obtain them from sound effects libraries.
- Conduct film screenings for directors and members of production staffs.
- Discuss the sound requirements of pictures with sound effects editors.
- Piece sounds together to develop film soundtracks.
- Confer with producers and directors concerning layout or editing approaches needed to increase dramatic or entertainment value of productions.
- Develop post-production models for films.
- Collaborate with music editors to select appropriate passages of music and develop production scores.
- Estimate how long audiences watching comedies will laugh at each gag line or situation to space scenes appropriately.
- Study scripts to become familiar with production concepts and requirements.
- Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
- Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
- Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
- Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
- Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
- Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.
- Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
- Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
- Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
- Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
- Select set props, such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs.
- Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects.
- Examine objects to be included in exhibits to plan where and how to display them.
- Assign staff to complete design ideas and prepare sketches, illustrations, and detailed drawings of sets, or graphics and animation.
- Inspect installed exhibits for conformance to specifications and satisfactory operation of special-effects components.
- Estimate set- or exhibit-related costs, including materials, construction, and rental of props or locations.
- Plan for location-specific issues, such as space limitations, traffic flow patterns, and safety concerns.
- Acquire, or arrange for acquisition of, specimens or graphics required to complete exhibits.
- Design and produce displays and materials that can be used to decorate windows, interior displays, or event locations, such as streets and fairgrounds.
- Direct and coordinate construction, erection, or decoration activities to ensure that sets or exhibits meet design, budget, and schedule requirements.
- Coordinate the transportation of sets that are built off-site, and coordinate their setup at the site of use.
- Confer with conservators to determine how to handle an exhibit's environmental aspects, such as lighting, temperature, and humidity, so that objects will be protected and exhibits will be enhanced.
- Select and purchase lumber and hardware necessary for set construction.
- Arrange for outside contractors to construct exhibit structures.
- Coordinate the removal of sets, props, and exhibits after productions or events are complete.
- Provide supportive materials for exhibits and displays, such as press kits, advertising, publicity notices, posters, brochures, catalogues, and invitations.
- Incorporate security systems into exhibit layouts.
- Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
