At the start of any project there
are many things that must be taken into consideration. The best place to begin
is with the initial text of the work (if present) before progressing into the
design development of the piece. This is often achieved by simply reading
through the material or listening to the text aloud. From there, it is possible
to draw upon your own individual response to the piece of work to begin designing
the potential finished production. This can, and should be, the initial step at
the beginning of any project before moving on to the research and development
stages of the project.
After Reading/Hearing the Text:
What do you make of the script?
This is to be a brief overview on
how the script makes you feel and how you could transform it into a performance
piece. It can include information of what ideas it initially inspires and the
instant mood or suggested tone it creates.
What are your initial reactions to the story?
How it makes you immediately feel
from reading or hearing the story. These can be one-word responses that are
based on your feelings to particular scenes and sequences, or the overall mood
and tone created from the script. (Example: Dark, upsetting, happy,
suspenseful, etc…)
What do you think of the characters?
Your opinion on the characters
and how they come across through their presentation in the text. This can be
based on the ways they interact with one another, their actions and their use
of language within the script.
What are the character's relationships to one another?
This information can ascertain to
how they interact with one another within the text, regardless of genetic
relationships (i.e. family relations). This can be determined through the way
they talk to and about one another, their actions, and their tones during such
interactions. The backstories of each character may also be present in the text
at times which can enhance the dynamics of their relationships.
What elements of design are most important to you for setting place, location, time of day, and season?
When it comes to designing a
production or a performance, there are many aspects that must be taken into
account, including how to portray particular locations, time of day or seasons.
This is most successfully achieved through the uses of colour and lighting, but
also through the use of sound and scenery. All these elements are vitally
important to the portrayal of the setting of the piece as they all work
together to produce the illusion and belief of a complete unified ‘world,’
whether it is one based on historic events, or an entire work of fiction.
How might you interpret the story?
A story can be interpreted in
many ways, from differing ideas of what the story may be trying to say, or the
events that occur within the text. Many stories have a deeper meaning behind
them, however, the way these are interpreted can vary dramatically through
various influences, from an individual’s personal experiences, to the beliefs
and ideals of a culture or society they belong to.
Can you imagine ways of presenting it alternatively?
With every story, there are
alternative ways of presenting it, such as the order of events that occur,
often achieved through ‘flash-back’ sequences or utilising a non-linear
narrative to alter the viewing experience or enhance particular aspects of the story.
Alongside altering the layout of events of the story, another method of
presenting a story alternatively is through transposition, whether changing the
era or setting in which the story occurs (for example; transposing a
Shakespeare play into a contemporary setting for a modern audience, similarly
to the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet).
Who are your audience, and what age are they?
By figuring out the audience of a
performance, it is made easier to determine the overall tone of the piece as different
audience create differing requirements to the work. For example, the style and
tone of a piece that suits one audience, may not suit another. This is
predominantly influenced by the age of the audience itself, as a young audience
should not be subjected to scenes of violence or those of a sexual nature,
whereas adults may become bored or feel patronised by those only suitable for a
young audience.
How might you create atmosphere and mood?
In various types of production,
such as film, television and theatre, there are many elements that come
together to create the overall mood or tone of the piece, but some of the most
effective methods used include lighting and audio to stimulate the senses.
These elements along with the imagery are highly effective at creating mood, as
these aspects vary greatly depending on the desired effect, whether it is a
feeling of suspense and horror, or peace and enlightenment. Another element
that can have an effect on the atmosphere and mood of a piece is the use of colour,
especially as colours often have a connection with the mind from a
psychological perspective, representing different emotions and ideas (for
example, green often being associated with villainy and envy, but also
occasionally nature and life).
How will it be structure to keep a flow of pace?
Pace and flow are an important part of performance as it
often determines the success of the work, as a well-timed performance with a
good pace will hold an audience’s attention for longer with greater effect. This
is why it is important to structure the performance with a steady pace,
focusing on the key moments of the story, yet ensuring that any parts which may
decrease the flow of pace have enough elements to maintain the audience’s
attention.
What challenges are there in the story's language?
Stories come from a wide range of sources, ranging from
real-life and historical events to myths and legend and entire works of
fiction, from all over the world. This can present designers with many
challenges, including the use of language from differing cultures and eras in
history. Language develops over time, meaning that expressions and terms can
alter within society, so a piece of text that was created several centuries or
even decades ago may not be fully understood by a more contemporary audience.
When this occurs, the piece of text is often updated or transformed to suit a
more modern audience. A similar situation can also occur when working on a
piece of international text, as it may have been translated for a wider
audience, with some minor mistranslations, or a collision between two separate
cultures.
What do we know from the story?
This is all the information that is provided by the piece of
text, whether it is character descriptions, locations or particular seasons, etc…
What can we guess?
These are any parts of the story that are not made clear by
the text, but we can easily imagine due to hints provided within. This can
include elements such as characters ages, appearances, setting or era, etc…
What would we like to know?
By thinking of what the text has not told us, and
questioning what we would like to know, it provides us with a good starting
point on which to begin researching in preparation for designing the
performance. This research provides designers with ideas and an understanding
of what they can do with the piece of text they are working from, whether they
transform it into something new through adaptation or remaining true to the
source material.