LukeGuyverdramaproduction

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Microsoft Word Document

[lukeguyvermiskin]

This is where I designed the roof tiles. As it was made out of polystyrene, it would be easier to lift and mark out where the tiles would go, however, you can’t paint polystyrene because it would look awful. Getting the design model of one of the trucks, we would look at the shape, colour and accuracy with a scale ruler so we know how big the tiles would be. Finding out that the tiles are 20 Cm apart, I would grab a piece of wood, 20 Cm long and start drawing lines across so I can draw my squares on properly. As the tiles are all over the place, I would not have to worry about the width of the tiles but making sure that after you do the first squares, drawing lines upon the middle of the first set of squares and so on.

After I was done with the outlines, I would move on to making the bricks look more effective. The tool that you would use for it is a wire brush because it’s not sharp enough to cut through it and is the best tool for the job. starting from the stop, You would brush the top of the line of first set of bricks by brushing along, diagonally in a straight line because the bricks are meant to look like they’re all stuck together. If the line at the top is not deep enough, start to brush down but making sure that you blend it in by brushing diagonally again.

After I was done, I would start to make the bricks look more sticking out. Before, with a knife, you would cut out the little lines of the end of the bricks then you would start to go over the edges. The method to do this is brush down then start brushing the corner, doing the same to the other side, then after putting pressure with the last line is to go over the bottom of the brick.

Once you have brushed the lines and all the polystyrene, you will need to get a bunch of muslin and start cutting squares out. The reason why you are doing this is because you will need to glue it to the polystyrene as you can’t paint over it. Once you have your squares to cover both pieces, you will get a big pot of PVA glue, dip the muslin in then start to stick it on. You will need to overlap when laying down the muslin, also making sure you get the edges of the roof. Another thing you need to remember is make sure the muslin is touching itself, so in other words no edges because the edges stop it being detailed when painting.

After you are done with that, you will need to base coat it with white emulsion. The reason why you need to emulsion it is because the emulsion will make the muslin easier to paint on. You will need to cover the whole of the muslin in emulsion, making sure that you get in between every edges and painting down the lines that are under the muslin. Once you are done, you will need to prepare the spray gun. What colour was used for the ‘Burnt sienna’, ‘Burnt umber’ and ‘chrome yellow’. We would spray the chrome yellow first all around both roofs because it is the lighter colours out of the three. The burnt sienna which would be sprayed on most of the roof, leaving the bottom part unsprayed by the colour because we were following the design. Then the last colour burnt umber which would be sprayed the least used colour because it is the darkest and it would show up all the lines underneath the painted muslin.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Unit 73

There ways that you have to prepare for scenic painting are straight forward. You will need to prepare your area by cleaning what you want to paint. If you want to paint a set piece, you will need to clean your area by sweeping the dirt because you don’t want dirt to go onto the piece. If you are painting on the floor, you will need to sweep what you are painting on as it can look awful if dusts is painted on. If you are painting with a brush, roller or spray gun, you will need to cover your area with dust sheets but if you are spray painting you will need to do more covering by covering the walls with dust sheets and LX tape so the sheets don’t come down. When you are about to use any type of paint you should always stir the paint because on top of the paint is the coloured layer so you will need to mix it in. If you feel like that the paint is too thick and hard to spread, you should add water to the paint but best to use a tub or bucket for it. If you are going to use a paint brush to paint your object, you will need to double check that the brush is clean by washing it with cold water as you don’t want any excess going into the paint or wall. It is always best to get a tub or bucket so you can pour paint in. This means that other people can use the paint so they don’t have to come over to you to dip their brush in. If you are going to use a roller for painting, you should always have a tray that comes with it when bought. Pouring the paint into the dip of the tray, you should not overflow with paint as it can be a waste or may go on the floor. When you are about to paint something, you should dip your roller into the tray with the paint and start rolling up onto the tray, getting rid of excess paint. If you are going to use a spray gun, you should prepare the tank of air and power box by plugging in the tank to the box then the box into the plug socket. You will have to do this because the box provides enough power for the tank and the tank will provide air through the tubes. Once you have done that, you should attach the spray gun to the tank. When you are ready you should turn on the tank by turning the leaver or pressing the button. You will hear a loud noise coming from the tank which means that the air is travelling through the tube into the spray gun which will spray out paint. This is where you will get your paint and with a bit of muslin, putting the muslin in first over the open tub on the spray gun, then pouring the paint through the muslin into the tub. The reason why you would use muslin is because it filters the paint, getting rid of lumps in the paint which helps the paint come out better.

There are various methods for a scenic elements that can be used. Base coat is when you use emulsion for basing your item so that you can paint over it easier. The reason why this is used so that when you are painting over the base coat, the paint will look better quality and less of a chance that the paint damaging the item. Another method is the first coat. You would use this to paint over your base coat. The reason why you would paint your first coat is because you want the paint to stay on the item, giving it definition. Another method you would use is a second coat. A second coat is a second layer of paint over the first coat. The reason why you would use this method because the first layer may still show some emulsion or could still look poor quaility, but normally that is down to water based colours. Another method you can use is scrimming. Scrimming is a method where you would cover a material that isn’t paintable with muslin or a thin fabric, cover it over with emulsion then start to paint or spray paint the emulsion. The reason why you would this method is because you can make certain materials paintable.

There are a few ways you can translate a model design to stage. By eye is one of the method’s that is used which means that you are looking at the model and painting from an eye view without judging it first. It’s mainly used to create an effect to your item. Another method of transferring is girding up. This is where you would get a pencil or permanent marker and mark out your squares, making sure that there is the same amount of squares each row. After you would then transfer the outlines by looking at the model and working out where everything goes. Another method that you can use is over head projector. This is where you will need to photocopy your design onto a piece of acetate and put it on the projector, painting the outlines that’s reflecting on your item.

There are many ways techniques you can use for scenic painting. ‘Wash painting’ is a basic brush over going up and down, side to side getting the paint across the surface area. ‘blending naturally’ is a way for another colour to go onto a painted area. For example you would paint with a basic coat then while it’s still drying, you will get another colour of paint and make it watery then start painting the areas you want. Another method you can use is called ‘splattering’. Using a brush and stick, get a bit of paint on it and hit the metal part of the brush with the stick so it creates scattered spots. ‘dry brushing’ is a method where you put paint on your brush but remove most of it. dragging the brush, drag it’s own weight across the area you want dry painted. ‘stippling’ is a method where you put paint on your brush, removing some of it of then dabbing the brush onto the surface area where it gives that ‘stipple’ effect. ‘Sponging’ is a method where you get natural or normal sponge, dipping it in paint, squeezing the sponge to get rid of excess paint then dabbing onto the surface. ‘rag rolling’ is a method where you use a piece of rag, dip it into paint, squeezing the excess paint then roll it gently across the surface you want. ‘ragging on’ and ‘ragging off’ are similar techniques but different methods. With ragging on, you dip it into paint, after removing excess paint, then you dab across the surface. Ragging off is using a dry rag then dabbing it on the painted area as soon as you are done painting.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Unit 80

step by step, you will need to get all the measurements you need to cut out your pieces for the model. This is where you will need to make the model look better than the white card cut out. What you will need to remember is you will always use MM when it comes to model making but remembering that 305 mm = 1 foot. As CM is next after MM, you would use 1:1250 of the ruler. The equipment that you will need is a piece of material you want to design on, a pencil so you can mark out where you are cutting, a scalpel ruler so you can cut your material, scale and metal ruler so with the scale you can use to measure up and the metal ruler so you can cut neat, a set square with a 90 degree angle so you are accurate with your corners and a cutting board so you don’t damage the surface area you are working on. You will need to learn how to use a scalpel knife properly before you should cut. How you should learn how to cut is to hold the knife like a pencil, gently but adding preasure, start to cut down the line of the ruler. You should hopefully get a nice cutting edge. If you are wanting to cut a curve or edge, you will need to do this free handed but carefully as you will not have support of a ruler.

There are many materials that you can use for model making. (Part of Task 1 & 3)

Foam board - this material is commonly used when it comes to model making. As it is easy to cut, it is made of paper and dried foam which is easy to cut because of the paper. Also it is easy to mark on it with a pencil so you don’t need to used a market. You could use this type of material for nearly anything as you can paint and draw over it. Foam board is not recommended for smaller objects because of how thick it is so you would mainly use this for the main part of the model box. It is one of the cheapest reliable materials in model making. Balsa Wood - Balsa wood is a weak type of wood which is not good to use for everything, however, the benefit for it’s a light piece of wood. You would use this type of material for objects that are wood. it’s best not to use a paint brush or spray gun to paint over the wood as it will look awful when it comes to the outcome of the paint. You could use balsa wood for basic designs or designs that are going to be made out of wood. Cork - This is a similar material to balsa but the cork material comes from an oak tree. As cork is more weaker than balsa, you would more likely to use the cork for designs that are movable and not stuck on. The cork is strong in other ways. For example, champagne bottles use cork for lids so it is useable for certain sets. You can’t really paint on cork with a brush but you can paint on it with sponge. You can buy this type of wood from any DIV or crafts store. As cork is like balsa wood, you can still get a splinter if the wood snaps in half. Thin white card - This material is commonly used in model making as well as foam board. As thin white card is what it says in the name, it is as easy to draw on as foam board. Also when cutting the material, you will need to remember that cutting properly is needed because you can damage the edges. The material is recommended for smaller objects because of how thin it is. White and coloured cards - This material is the same as thin white card but thicker. With card, it’s not best to paint over it with water based so you may have to use acrylic. The benefit with card is the fact that it is more stronger than foam board because of how it’s made. Card can be also bend so if you are wanting a curve, you can do that. You could use this material for anything big on the set, but it is expensive. Acetate - This type of material is the only see through sheet you can get. It is also cheap so you could use it for certain models. You cannot make anything 3D out of the model as it is very thin and you can’t glue the sides. However, as it is see through, you can use this in front or on top of designs to repersent glass or anything see through. As you cannot see acetate paper clearly, you could poke yourself in the eye with it, so keep away from eyes. Corrugated cardboard - This material is hardly used when model making. Corrugated means a row of the same pattern. As the cardboard has curves going along, you should not cut across as you will not get a good accurate cut and the layer is more likely to be less stronger. Again, the cardboard is weak so it can snap easily. You are more likely to use this type of materials for little props or designs around the area. With cardboard, you can catch someones eye with or your own so you should not put the card close to your eye.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Unit 76

With my drawing, I had thought about what is best with the use of stage. First of all, I would start drawing the theatre scale, thinking what pieces of decking is good enough. As we have only had the first meeting with the director, they mentioned height and wanting it to feel like a maze. What I thought was making the door knockers movable would be a good idea, but however, what I should have drawn was the door knockers against the back, below the steel deck. As you can see, I have based the door and door knockers on the search I have done. The reason why I have made them look similar to the film is because you want it the knockers and handles to be close to the film. As we spoke in the group, I thought that it would be a good idea to have the bedroom upper stage with cabinet because that’s where the director wanted it to be started from. Another thing that I suggested was the open doors, one on its side and one upside down. This is where we decided to move the doors off the decks and put a row of them below the deck. I thought that it would be a good idea to have a maze kind of feel by having three plats of wood and one gab down the middle so actors can go through. How I got that idea was the fact that I looked on the wall and saw different types of open doors. However, I did not think about where they would go on stage and would take too much time to have two of them. Another idea I drawn was to have the goblin king’s chair top of the lower stage where everyone can see them. however, What I should have done was put the chair left or right of the corner of the decking because you do not see the goblin king sat in his chair most of the time.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Unit 78

As design elements for the idea of my stage, I thought that I would make use of the space. First, I would start off drawing on the table with a pencil of the theatre, using the exact measurements. Also I had to remember where the fire doors were. This is where I would decide to use 4X4 or 8X4. I had thought that I wanted to use more 8X4 than 4X4. The reason why I went for the 8X4 is because they would go along the fire exits, not blocking it. For my design, I would use one 4X4 and 12 8X4. The reason why I have used a lot more 8X4 is because the director wants height. What I should of done with the stage was to not make the stage left bigger than the right because my idea was to make the stage base most of the scenes on it. Altogether of my design I was happy to share what designs I had. Even though there should of been moving around of the decking, I felt like I had shared the ideas I had. (Task 1 and 5)

Before you can start researching, you will have to go over the film of the play because you are more likely to get a clearer understanding of the props and set. You will have to think about how big the set pieces are going to be so you can decide if it’s best to use foam or mountain board for your white card model. As a team, we were given pieces to research, such as doors, mazes and others that relate to the play. We had to think about find similar look alike to the film because we don’t want it to look like a random show. I was given the task to research doors, castles and knockers. First of all I started my research on castles. Looking at the castle in the film, I had to think about the shapes of the castle and grab pictures that are similar. It’s always best to get the original image and base your other images on that because if it’s too much work for one castle, then it’s best to base it around others. After I was done with the castle research, I would move onto the door knockers and handles. This was more tricky as you can not base the exact same knocker but could base the handles on circle handles. However, you would need to research other types of knockers with circled handles to see what they’re like. As I was told to search for Victorian knockers,I would get the same knockers from the film and base it around that. The last thing I had to research was castle doors. As you would see in the film, the doors were rounded up the top, it would be easier to do my research on it, however, I had to think about what the door was made off so I research wooden doors.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Unit 6

As a team, I think that we work well. At times we have bad moments but we always ask for help if we are stuck on something. The benefits of our design team is the fact that we talk about our ideas to each other and not keep them between ourselves. However, there has been times where we have not communicated properly with each other, making the process slower to work. As a team, the tasks that we would have to complete is to make a model box for the christmas show and to paint the sets for the last dance show and last show of the year called ‘lil abner’. As the dance show wasn’t much to set up, we did have to paint the stage grey. We also had to paint the poles white as well. As it took not long to paint the dance show, we then moved onto focusing what to do for the christmas show. As we knew what the christmas show was going to be, we decided to watch the movie and analyse it. Taking notes from the film, we would search what would symbolise the film and take images so we could stick on the wall. As the show ‘little abner’ was close and was more prioritised, we would have to stop the model box for the christmas show and move onto the painting. This was where we had to do a lot such as spray paint the flooring, paint two trucks and the back of a drop. Once we had done all of that, we would then go back to the design of the christmas show and get that complete.

As I attended all the meetings I was asked to go to (couple of meetings with the set design group and a big meeting with everyone), the director was talking about a range of ideas which what they want for the Christmas show. As the film is mainly based on height, the director wanted the decking to be high but not too high. This is where they wanted us to decide how high it is. Another thing that got mentioned was the fact they don’t want it to be exactly like the film. It would take longer to do all the extra bits so they want to narrow it down so work can get done quicker and in more detailed. doors and Big knockers was mentioned in the meeting. As I mentioned that the doors and knockers should be moveable and not against the wall, they did suggest that they want two actors to be the knockers instead of designing them. Also another thing that I mentioned was about stairs. The director wouldn’t want to have stairs as they could trip on their costume and have a fall so they would rather have ladders or a slope.   (& Unit 78)

[lukeguyvermiskin]

This is where I done model making. The first model I made was the white big square. I had used foam board to make this because you would use this board to practise on. After I made the box, I had moved on to making a cuboid. again, I would use foam board because of how big the measurements were. After I completed the cuboid, I would make a smaller box. This time I would use mount board because of how small the model was. Another model I had made was stairs. I would use mount board as the set of stairs because the measurements would be difficult to make if I used foam board.  

[lukeguyvermiskin]

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Here are a few 3D drawings I’ve created. The vertical lines going up the page are angled so that the items in the background are smaller than those in the foreground. This is called perspective drawing. These will be used to show the directors the position of items on stage.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Roles and responsibilities

Reading through the script

Share ideas and creativity

Planning, drawings and different model of the set

Estimating the cost of the set

Managing budgets

Planning

Attending rehearsals

Meetings with the constructing

Meetings with the design team

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Set Design - Process

Read script (Plot)

Read script (Info)

Read script (Real vs. implies)

Director concept

Research

Moon board

Sketch

Director meeting

rough model

Director meeting

Scale white card model

Director meeting

full colour model

Director meeting

Tech drawing

Model presentation

Construct

Paint / texture

Photo shoot

Run

Press night / previews  

Get paid

Get out

Returns

[lukeguyvermiskin]

As an ASM, there are three different organisations (Small, Medium and Large). Starting from small scale companies, there may still be a large amount of travelling that might have to be done. The job roll is to sort out props and may need to be driving or access to public transport. You would have to be working varied hours and may have to be working evenings or weekends depending if they ask. The benefits of a small company is the fact you will learn the basics if you are wanting to move up to a medium or higher company. However, the down fall is you may have to wait to move up. Another benefit of a small company is the fact that they take on a lot of people so you are more likely to get a place. On the other hand, places could be taken fast so you would have to get in fast. The small company salary could be 15-20k a year. With a medium scale touring company, you will have to start touring so you’ll have to know how to access props and other items from the base. Also the salary for this type of company could be 18-23k a year. The benefits of being in the medium scale is the fact they’re working on bigger shows than a small company, however there is more work to be done in the same amount of time. Another benefit of this company is you will be making more money, however, you are more likely to be working in the evenings and weekends. With the large scale theatre you will find that this is more of an outdoor event as well as an indoor event. There are many advantages but many disadvantages of this type of company such as you can hold more people but however, people may notice that they can’t get a good view of what’s going on from far. Another advantage is the fact that there can be more stunts done outside, on the other hand, it will have to take more work than usual. With the large companies, the ASM will have to do a lot more work than the small and medium companies as they’re travel more. With this type of company, you will be working weekends and evening because you will be traveling. However, the salary could be 25-35K and can rise up to 50K depending how long you have been working there.

When it came to pre-production, we had to do a couple of things such as marking up the stage plan in the studio and sorting out the props table so the actors can practise with the dummy versions. Before we could go over anything, we would be given a copy of a script to skim read it and pick out props. During the time of sorting out the props, we had to do marking up of the studio so the actors and musicians know how much space they’ve got on the real stage. We would have a plan of the auditorium so we would use a triangular ruler to measure where we would need to chalk up and use the tape. We would have three coloured tapes which marks out the stairs, wings and arks. Finally, we would come up with a rough props list, having to confirm with the directors in the first meeting if they’re the props that are needed. When we was sure of the final prop lists, we found it would be easier working in two groups as there were quite a few props we had to sort out. When it came to production meetings, I would attend to all the meetings I was called for. My group wanted to ask questions privately as we wanted to show the props to get a better idea of how the directors want them to look. Half of the times I had to work independently when none of my group were in or busy doing something else. For example, I had to do some research to find out how to make the props or if that the prop had to be bought. Also I would go to rehearsals if I was needed, asking when I need to go and if there was a break, I would ask what time I would need to be back. There was problems with the bricks as expanding foam was not the best idea to make bricks. As someone found polystyrene and made them into a brick shape, it was mine and another ASM to paint the bricks yellow and gab brown paint with a sponge on them.

As there was enough people to handle props, I was managing the AV projector. The AV was connected to the white screen so I didn’t have a monitor in front of me. The easiest way I found out to run the video smoothly was to put it on full screen then move the cursor fades, unplugging the mouse when I see the cursor and menu bars fade away. As I was dealing with the AV, there were a couple of problems I came across where I had to use effect fast. For example, when the house was open, there was a Bluetooth problem where I had to immediately plug in the mouse then click off the pop up. When I am ready to press the space bar, I would listen out for my que to be ready then when I hear the word go, I would press the button. As I was upstage with sound, I had remained silent and only answered when hearing my call on the con. As soon as I am done with the AV projector, I would turn it off from the switch and unplug the power cable.

When it came to the idea of making props, we had to use a couple tools and materials that could cause a risk or hazard. For example, we used expanding foam from a can which can cause skin irritation. How we would avoid touching the foam is to use gloves and use the long tube that comes with the can. A tool that could cause a risk was a snap blade which we used to cut cardboard for the prop. How we would stop from cutting ourselves or damaging stuff would be to use a big piece of cardboard underneath the cardboard we would cut. As the roll of ASM, we may need to move props from room to room so if we are dealing with big heavy props, it would have to take two people to carry it and for someone to open the doors so they don’t trip up.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

The technical theatre department team have been organised into the following teams. All of the teams are liaising with directors, going to production meetings to discuss health and safety requirements as well as keeping up to date with the directors about each department.      

Construction - These are the people that make the big props on stage. They are very important as the props these guys create make the show stand out, making it look realistic. There’s not much they can do but when it comes to the show, they’ll have the job of drawing the curtains out because the ASM roll on stage would be to carry out small props. These are the people who have to carry out parts for the big props from the workshop to stage. As they are the ones who create the big props, they’re going to follow out how pacific the directors want it to be. These are the guys who will have to work longer because they will also have to plan out what props their making and where they’d go.

DSM/ASM - DSM and ASM have different jobs to do but come under the same department. DSM stands for direct stage management. ASM stands for assistance stage management. With the DSM, they are the ones who will always be in rehearsals recording what the actors are going to do with the props so they know where the props are going to be. The DSM may need an ASM with them to run a few errands if needed. Also they’re the ones who coordinate the show making sure everything is running smoothly. They will have to write down what to say through the head set as they’re going to have to communicate with a few teams during the show who also have a head set. The DSM role is very important as they are the ones who communicate with every department, confirming with directors what is going on. ASM’s are the ones who deal with props, making sure that they are suitable for the director’s standards. Also when it’s show time, they are the one who take on and off props for each scene. Also the ASM’s would have to mark out the studio where rehearses happen and mark up props table so the actors know which prop is which. They may have to go off site and purchase props if they can not to be made or hired from online.

Lighting - With this part of department, these are the people who set up the lights for the show. Before they can do anything, they have to first plan out what type of lights they need for the show and where they go. They also have to hang up lights and check what light needs to be hanging because they don’t want to make the stage too bright. This is where they need to organise a router for who’s coming in for every show as it only takes one person to manage the mixing board. If there’s manual coloured lights, there would be someone cutting coloured cellophane sheets so they can go in front of the light. They also got to make sure that the lighting is running smoothly by testing the lights before the show in case a light or machine isn’t working properly. Even though the lighting team have to manage the lights, they might have to manage other computer machinery such as smoke machines because it is much easier.

Costume - As you can tell, this department is responsible for making the costumes for the actors. Before they can create anything, they need to research ideas for various designs then taking images of their designs to the directors for feedback and agreement. This is where they will have to be in meetings to ask the directors how exact the costumes have to be. Also with this role, you will have to work with the actors to measure up body, legs and head sizes so they know how much material they need. They will also need to be in for show if part of a costume has been ripped so they can fix it. Even though they have the money for the materials, they may have to go out and buy other stuff to decorate the costume.

Set Design - This department designs the set of the stage. They have to read through the script so they have ideas of creating the set of the stage. They will have to create 3D model designs so they have a clearer picture of what can be created. They will also have to prepare an estimate cost of how much will be needed to create the set. As soon as they get the money they need, they have to manage the budget. They will be there when rehearsals are going on as they could have better ideas seeing how the actors interact with the set and working out what changes they need to make. They will have to go to all the production meetings and communicate. When the shows are still going on, they will have to still work on the design of the next show even though they are not needed for the previous show. In a way, the set design are managing with big props as well but more of the props that are going to be designed. 

Production Administer - This is a role that has a wide range of jobs to do. They’re the ones who market the show so they can get the largest audience possible. They’re also the ones who sell the tickets so they know how many seats will be available or not on the days. They hold the budget as they are the ones who have meetings with the production management so they decide how much each department can have. They also manage petty cash for little bits such as materials and tools that are needed. They will be running the front of house and the staff that are working on bar and selling consumables and merchandise. They are also important at the meeting as they inform everyone how many tickets have been purchased so the directors are aware of how well everything is going.

Sound - With this department, they are reasonable for the sound effects and music if needed. They’ve got to have a plan too like lighting so they know where to put the speakers so they get the best sound from the audience. Also they have to put up the speakers themselves as they are familiar with the plan. Also they are responsible for making sure the level of sound in the theatre is not too low or high. Also sound are the ones who will be talking to DSM, making sure that they are ready to queue a sound effect or piece of music. In the show, they will need to have two people in as one will need to be responsible for changing the microphones and the other one to operate sound but informing if there’s a low battery on a microphone. These guys have to work on the board and computer at the same time as they get the sound effects from the computer.

Musicians - With this department, there are a few jobs that are needed to be done. They will have to learn how to play all the songs by doing separate rehearsals then when it comes to dress rehearsals, they will be practising with the actors. They will have to make sure that they are playing the right song for the right scene as it would be a total mess if they end up playing the wrong song. It is also there job to inform sound if there’s any problems with the sound of the instruments because they will not be able to perform properly. When it comes to the show, they will have a leader of a band that will be listening out for the DSM to tell them when to be ready and start playing as it prepares them. It is very important that there is a replacement for someone in case they can’t make it because of an emergency.

Actors - The jobs the actors have to do is straight forward because they have only one role to do. First of all, they will have to do a rehearsal to see who has the skills for the role. It’s their job to know which lines they will have to learn and say during the rehearsels and show. They will have to work with costume as they’ll all need to be in costume so measurements can be taken for creating.  Certain actors may have to work with sound as well because they will need to do recordings if necessary. If the actors are using props which takes one person to carry, they may not need an ASM. These are the guys who will mainly be working with the DSM and the musicians as the DSM takes notes and the musicians get familiar with the songs their playing.

Directors - These are the people who choose what play everyone has to work on. As they are the ones on top of everyone, they are mainly focused on working with the actors. Also another job they have to do is to analyse every actor so they know what roll is best for them. You would find with the directors, they will be teaching the actors how to improve on their voices and movements. Also they have to be at meetings as they answer questions from each department so it saves everyone’s time. As these are the people who are on top of everyone on the production team, they’ve got to communicate with every department so they are up to date with everything.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Review -

The story begins where the audience finds out that the place is set in a nursery that has a cherry orchard tree. The main character was a woman who grew up in a nursery which she lived in with her family. However, as the cherry tree is famous, a seller is trying to get the people who own the tree to sell it and build little houses so people can buy them and the people who own the nursery can make money from the bank because it’s their land. They all disagree with the choice because they don’t want to get rid of the tree but they don’t have enough money to keep it as the mother went into debt with a builder. When it came to a dark moment when the were going into a depressing mood about her dead kid, the lighting would go dim and what they use for sound is a dark heavy beat. This shows that how she is feeling deep down.

Before the bidding of the tree, there is an orchestra with a party going on in the house. This is where the stage was more bright and with the sound, you can tell that they was using multiple laughing effects and they actually had a band playing by the piano. When the tree was up for sale, the seller came to the house to tell that he had brought the tree so he can cut it down and build on it. this is where the lady was breaking down because it was the only thing that put her in a better mood. Also in the play there was a bit of romance going on and even a secret romance between the butler and one of the maids. You would see when everyone went of, the butler would light up a cigar and start to flirt with the maid, kissing her and holding her.   

At the ending of the show, everyone has packed up to leave to go their separate ways which everyone leaves expect for the old man. Which where you see the old man collapses then dies. Before he collapse, this is where we find out that the servant was arguing with the maid about how much he cannot wait to go to Paris on his own and not with her, showing no sympathy for leaving her. Also we see when the seller and see the uncle talking about money and the seller offering him money because he is broke. This is where the uncle goes into about how he doesn’t want the seller’s money because he will feel even lower than he is. Also at the ending of the show, the stage went dark with orange rectangle lights on the floor. When the old man goes to the floor and dies, cups and flowers were thrown down, as you can see in the image, this is where they threw the props down on that big circle prop, making sure they hit in on the head that could cause damage to him.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

Today, we measured up the floor plan, this was to find out how much space we have in the auditorium . First of all, we all had a look at the sheet of the plan of the stage. The plan was 1.5m bigger of the original stage. We found out that the area of the auditorium is 12X18 meters. What we used to measure out the lines was a triangular ruler which tells us how many metres we should line up before chalking up the lines to tell us where the beginning and end of the tape should go. We marked out the stage using red, orange and green tape. Green for the stairs, orange represents the Arks and the red represents the wings of the stage.

[lukeguyvermiskin]

ASM

Roles -

ASM stands for assistant stage manager which has a few jobs you have to do. For example, at the beginning of the job, we were given the script for the play and we had to source out what props are needed in the play by going through and thinking what is a prop. A prop is a small item on the stage, for example, flowers, table, axe etc. The curtains and stairs are not a prop as construction deal with the making of the large items. On a stage, At the end of this, this is where we liaise with the directors to agree with our list so we can prepare a clear prop list. The reason why there isn’t a final prop list is because certain props may not work so the list can change. nine people will have copies of the props list such as the two directors, one DSM (direct stage management) and six of us ASM’s. There were a couple of meetings with the directors and all department who are working on the show for the directors to speak up about what they expect from each teams. I think that this is necessary to have the meetings because this is where us ASM’s find out how the props should be sourced and if there are any questions, they’d be answered.

Scavenger hunt -

This was our first task to do. We were given a list of 30 props to collect with a budget of £10. The reason why we had this little money to get 30 props is to show us how to budget and see what we can do with a little amount of money. We was split up into two groups as there was six of us. The reason for this is to show how we work as a group to see the ability we work at. Also it shows that you can work with people in the group even if you don’t get along with them.