Telling the Story Physically

1/27/2014

Below you will see the 3 video performances from today's lesson.

comment on each with 'a star and a wish', try to give them at least a couple of sentences and use good drama vocabulary. Comments have to be approved before publishing, s it won't appear immediately.

For ease, I have named them for you

Rain-Atlanta, Caitlin, Madison, Megan, Skye, Sean,

Fayre- Eve, Jaime, Lauren, Lewis, Matthew, Steph,

War- Chloe, Ella, Lilly, Sophie, Tilly

Example comment-

Rain
star- comedy really effective at ending as all of your eyes focused on Sean as he fell and that put all of the focus on him. This the audience could really see his wide eyes and trembling lip, meaning we could laugh at how sad he was

wish- I wish the characters had been clearer, perhaps if you entered one at a time this would help, so we could all form an idea of who each character is.

Videos...

So leave a comment with good feedback- no excuse to not do it! I expect these by Thursday's lesson.

14 Comments

Mr. Otley

1/26/2014 08:02:04 pm

Rain-

star- excellent comedy, particularly when everyone was hit on the head with the broken umbrella and when Skye went back to pick it up. Her nervous look towards the audience and awkward small steps as she entered made this effective.

wish- I wish you'd all had an individual reaction to the rain, to make you stand out more as characters- eg someone could have angrily pulled their jacket over their head, or Atlanta could have hidden under her news paper.

Fayre-
star- again very funny, I think the reaction to when Matt unfroze time were very effective. eg Jaime jumping at full stretch to get the floating away balloon, with her eyes focused on the sky, clearly showing the audience where it was

wish- While the mime was excellently detailed, I think the time building the sandwich could have been shorter, allowing you to stay in time with the music

War

star- an excellent example of telling an emotive piece, this would have been much harder to achieve so effectively if it was done with dialogue. The synchronization with the music when marching showed an army very clearly.

wish- With more time I think we could have made Sophie's death slow motion and have a greater impact. This could have gained greater sympathy from the audience, or maybe if we'd seen her and Lilly at the start to establish that relationship.

Ella Tournes

1/29/2014 05:17:24 am

Hyperlink to the drama vocabulary was really helpful...wonder who thought of that....

Rain

Star - Entering separately before the more synchronised movement was a really good idea. Each character got to express their own separate mannerism - like Atlanta's more official walk, which contrasted well with the other characters entrances, which were more happy and lively, with wider gestures. This created a happy, jovial atmosphere from the start and made for a more interesting opening for the audience. The use of slapstick comedy, which appeals to nearly all target audiences was really good as well.

Wish - The story could've been a bit clearer. Maybe there could've been more detail in each character, and they could've kept on mannerism each throughout, to allow the synchronisation but still keep the characters there.

Fayre

Star - Matt's dancing, obviously. The use of placards was really effective, because it helped the audience to understand where scenes and settings were changing in a simpler, quicker way than acting it out would've. The timing was really well done; as the music changed dynamic so did the nature of the scene, so they used the music to actually emphasise what they were doing. The distinction between all the characters was really clear - this was helped by the characters entrances and their mannerisms that they sustained throughout the piece.

Wish - The piece overran slightly which took the audience's attention to the technical elements of it. To avoid this they could've selected the best few scenes, or done the same amount of scenes but in slightly less detail.

War

Star - The slower music when Tilly handed Lilliy the letter worked really well to emphasise the more tragic part of the piece. The timing as Lilliy died at the end also worked well because it went completely silent, which worked with the story of the piece. Chloe and Tilly's falls were quite realistic as well.

Wish - I should've stepped back at the right time after speaking to make the soldiers look more synchronised with everyone else - it was quite clear to the audience that I'd made a mistake. We should've marched on the same feet, together, to signify the marching of the soldiers as one. There should've been more development between Sophie and Lilliy's characters because the story wasn't particularly clear until Lilliy laid the letter next to Sophie, which would've confused the audience and detracted from the piece's effectiveness. An opening scene of Sophie going off to war, rather than the leader announcing war, which wasn't made that clear, would've worked better.

Matt bomb

1/30/2014 06:54:49 pm

rain
Star - the use of mime was very affective and entertained thoroughly. the comic value was affective and the facial expressions replace words in telling the audience how they feel
Wish- i wish the story was more obvious so i could understand what was going on because as Gok says "it's all about the audience"

War
Star- the timing was incredulous and this shocked the audience very effectively. the use of choral movement when they were trying to revive Sophie's character looked slick and interested the audience
wish- i wish it couldve been ... idk i liked it

Skye Terblanche

1/27/2014 12:40:10 am

Fayre:
Star - Everyone showed their character effectively by over-exaggerating their characteristics and mannerisms, e.g. Stephanie's posture- walking in with a hand on her hunched-over back to show that she was an old woman- and Lauren's mannerism - fiddling with her jumper and moving continuously on the spot to show that she was an excited little girl.

Wish - Maybe less pranks could've been done- they were all really funny and original but this would've let you finish in time to the music.

War:
Star - The timing fitted perfectly to the music and everyone was in sync with each other. The strong, sharp movements of everyone when they moved their guns around, along with their focused stares, further showed the powerful, ruthlessness of the army.

Wish - At the start, when everyone is in a line, the stomps that are done could've been stronger and together to show the united front of the army.

Rain:
Star - The part where everyone was under the umbrella was synchronised and fluid as the group leaned to the left and to the right and it was comical where Megan broke the umbrella and this was shown when she passed the umbrella back to Caitlin, Megan looking nervous with her arms close to her body and a 'closed' body posture and then jumping back suddenly when Caitlin snatches back the umbrella.

Wish - Like the members of the 'Fayre' group did, maybe some people could've exaggerated some of their traits to show more of their age, status or personality.

Madison Wright

1/28/2014 01:20:12 am

FAYRE-
Star- They really emphasised their actions/gestures well in order to show their characters without speaking e.g. when Steph squinted her eyes and hunched over and used a stick as a prop- it was really clear to the audience that she was showing an older women.Also it was made comical by big movements, such as when Lewis was making the sandwich he made it very clear that he was catching things and putting them in the sandwich.

Wish- There could've been more choral movement which would have made it easier to stay in time with the music and would have been clearer of what was going on therefore creating a bigger impact on the audience.

WAR:
Star- The story was showed really well and was very clear to the audience what was going on. In order to make the audience understand what was happening they used a lot of facial expressions such as when Lilliy found out the news she softened her eyes and fell to the ground showing that she was drowned in feelings and couldn't take it. Also the piece fitted really well with the music and they used the climax' in the music to add the more important things which had a greater impact on the audience.

Wish- They could've maybe added a bit of a back story on Sophie character so the audience felt sorry for her.

RAIN:
Star- It was made quite comical by having the over-exaggerated stopping and then bumping into eachother, also it was made quite obvious when the umbrella broke because, for example when Megan handed back to Caitlin she used proxemics to show that she was scared by being as far away as possible and then quickly jumping back when Caitlin grabbed it.

Wish- It could've included more stories and detail about the characters in order to make the story clearer to the audience, also to make it funnier there could of been more exaggerated gestures and facial expressions.

Sean Holdforth link

1/28/2014 02:23:11 am

Rain
Star - Everyone did a great job of looking really nervous and ashamed when the umbrella was broken, because everyone passed the umbrella hastily to show that they didn't want the blame put on them.
Wish - I know it would have been hard to change, but sometimes when it was supposed to still be raining there was nothing to show that it was so seeing it back, it almost looked as if the rain kept stopping and starting again.

Fayre
Star - Everyone was in time with Matt when he froze and unfroze time which made it look very well-rehearsed and the reactions after were immediate.
Wish - There wasn't much that was in the play that needed improving, but it was very long. It felt like some parts were dragged out too much and overly detailed.

War
Star - The tone of the piece was brought across really well by the use of choral movement and the directness and force of each movement, especially at the part with the guns.

Wish - I think that if there was a short scene where we saw Lilly's relationship with Sophie at the beginning, maybe where she is begging her not to go to war, that would have shown the audience that there was a stronger reason for Lilly to kill herself when she found out the news.

Megan Barclay

1/28/2014 04:56:11 pm

Rain:
Star - Everyone used big facial expression when expressing the certain mood they were in, so when it wasn't raining everyone had big smiles and wide eyes and when it was raining everyone everyone frowned. The movements were also very fluent and synchronized when leaning under the umbrella.

Wish - If each of the characters had more background stories to their character

Fayre:
Star - It was a very comical piece and everyone was in time with each other showing it was well rehearsed. When Matt froze time everyone was quick to stop their actions by holding a still body position and when he un-froze time their reactions were immediate.

Wish - If they didn't go into a lot of detail when making doing the different scenarios so then the piece could fit with the music.

War:
Star - The eerie atmosphere was created very well with the quick sharp choral movements of everyone's arm gestures and it was timed very well with the music. Lilliy and Sophie showed their relationship by using proxemics.

Wish - It could have been better to gain more sympathy from the audience for Lilliy's and Sophie's character if Sophie and Lilliy's relationship was developed more.

Lewis Watson

1/29/2014 04:28:12 am

Rain

Star - The slapstick comedy and chaplin-style movement around the stage created a really funny performance. The use of mime to represent the broken umbrella was very well rehearsed to ultimately produce a very well-performed, funny sketch.

Wish - Maybe including a few more slapstick gags similar to the sudden stopping bit would just give that bit more comedy.

Fayre

Star - I very much enjoyed doing this piece as it was something fast and fun contrasting to the monologues.

Wish - Music timing. That was awful. And maybe a better way of representing the time-watch-thingymadoody although Matt did an excellent job regardless.

War

Star - This piece was excellently timed to the music furthermore increasing the emotional effect that the acting and storyline provided. Every actor (we are all Actors not Actresses :P) performed flawlessly throughout and the whole piece seemed amazingly well-rehearsed despite them missing a lesson.

Wish - Maybe a little more use of facial expression to show sad emotions when Sophie dies would make the whole piece just that little bit more emotional for the audience.

Steph Ryland

1/29/2014 04:55:01 am

RAIN:
Star - Everyone was very synchronised in the choral movement when they all ran under the umbrella and when they clicked off stage. They also have nice facial expressions as the scene progressed and different things happened (i.e. the rain started)

Wish - Though the expressions and body language were good throughout, I think they could've used bigger gestures to distinguish each character and use that for more comic effect. Also maybe more could be done in detail with certain parts of the scene, I didn't really get that the umbrella broke at one stage... Really made me laugh anyway (as you can probably hear on the video)

WAR:
Star - Brilliant timing with the music, really used that to create a darker atmosphere, like at the end when Lilliy shot herself - the music added to the intention of shocking the audience. Also very synchronised in their choral movement
Wish - Perhaps there had been more explanation of Lilliy's relationship to Sophie in the beginning? Also I think more could be done with Sophie's death to really impact the audience and gain more sympathy for that character (slow motion or just more exaggerated movement and facial expression from each of the actors). But overall I thought it was fantastic :)

FAYRE:
Star - Everyone used their gestures and posture to great effect to distinguish each character, and the promexics to show the relationships - mostly quite close to each other to show the family relationship.

Wish - Used more than enough detail on parts of the scene, could've been cut down to fit in time with the music (e.g. the sandwich bit). Still, it was fun to act out :')

Caitlin Decierdo

1/29/2014 05:02:51 am

Fayre:
Star- Very comical and funny to watch. Everybody's actions were big and bold to emphasise the situations and to create a slapstick piece. You could clearly see each characters age by their mannerisms and props e.g. Lauren had bunches to show she was young, Steph had a walking stick and walked with a hunched back. It was well rehearsed and the timing was good, everybody froze at the same times when Matt stopped time and started it again.
Wish- Some parts of the play could have been made shorter and they would still be clear. To not loose the focus of the audience.

War:
Star- This piece was timed very well with the music, especially the ending and the moment when Lilliy receives the news the music is very fitted as it turns dark and sinister. I thought this contrasted with the other two pieces as they did choral movements to create the atmosphere whereas the other groups mostly used acting. These choral movements where bold and heavy which showed further the harsh story they created
Wish- The relationship between Sophie and Lilliy wasn't clear at first, it would have been better if there was a short scene at the beginning with their back story, the audience would realise and sympathise more.

Rain:
Star- Another comical piece that is slapstick, particularly when the umbrella gets broken and the play breaks out into a chase. Big facial expressions were used to emphasise the mood of the piece. When al the characters were under the umbrella they all moved at the same pace whilst still keeping their characters and also when Atlanta and Megan were fighting over the umbrella, the quick, sharp movements then showed the frustration between the characters. These scenes acting as choral movement.
Wish- The characters were more developed by having certain mannerisms to show their age and their personas.

chu

1/29/2014 05:15:03 am

hihi
Rain
Star: They used proxemics very well and made full use of the stage. When expressing emotions, they exaggerated facial expressions clearly such as smiling widely with wide eyes when excited or delighted and when squeezing eyes shut everyone was hit on the head with the broken umbrella. This made it extremely funny to watch.
Wish: not really anything but maybe just watch where they're going and not walking through tables...

Fayre:
Star: great, it was snappy and well rehearsed, shown especially when Matthew 'stopped time' and everybody's actions also stopped, and when resuming. A lot of attention was paid to detail so the audience could easily understand what was going on.

Wish: i don't really have a wish i can think of but maybe you shouldn't drag the play out too much, or it gets boring between all the detail

War
Star: that timing! We planned the timing well and it was short but effective and also quite in-sync. The audience was shocked effectively when Lilliy put the gun to her temple and shot right at the end just as the music stopped. We used choral movement effectively to show the efficiency of soldiers at the front line.

Wish: the soldier parts at the beginning where we stamped on the floor and saluted should have been effective to show strong and brave soldiers in war but from lac of practice it was quite sloppy and we should have rehearsed it more. Also Sophie was terrible! Joke we should have given me more of a back story to show mine and Lilliy's relationship so the play was more understandable.

CHU

1/29/2014 05:16:35 am

IT WAS GR9

Lilliy Holt

1/30/2014 01:04:16 am

Fayre
Wish: The action of Matt stopping time could have been made more obvious (and possibly more comical) using more exaggerated poses for their characters to show the distinction between them being frozen and when they were in reality.
Star: The distinction between all the characters was really obvious; Steph had a stooped over back and a scrunched up face to show she was older whereas Lauren and Jaime moved around quickly and openly showing they were more innocent and younger meaning you got the differences of characters creating a more realistic atmosphere.

Rain
Star: The characters of everyone were made really clear by the use of exaggerated movements and big facial expressions. The relationship between the characters was shown clearly through the use of proximics for example when Megan was giving Caitlin back the broken umbrella and she jumped away quickly showing she was a younger character.
Wish: Although the relationships were shown quite clearly there could have been some distinction of age or a development of the characters which could have been put in at some point as there was more music to be used.

War
Star: Our piece was timed really well and harsher, faster pace and more dramatic movements were used to reflect the seriousness of the piece of music we were acting to, and of the story.
Wish: The relationship between myself and Sophie could have been made clearer, maybe taking out the beginning part with the soldiers and replacing it with some back-story? And possibly more of a focus on Sophie's death so there was more sympathy from the audience for my own character and her's.

Jaime Phipps

1/30/2014 06:09:25 pm

rain-
star- i really liked the miming of the dog and umbrella, it really made the audience believe it was there and let the audience picture it.
wish- the mime of the dog was lost with the umbrella, so it could have been carried on throughout the umbrella section.

war-
star- i really like the way this was timed with the music, the timing was spot on!
wish- i would have like to have seen some of the others (not just lilliy) performing a bigger role

fayre-
star- we worked well together and timed it all in sync
wish- pausing and playing of the time was better synchronised

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Telling the Story Physically

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Telling a story physically to music

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