Task 2:('Proposal') Director's Journal (EXTRA)

Extra Videos for Director's Journal:

Scene 1 Lighting + Stage Directions




Scene 2 Lighting


Scene 2 Stage Directions

Scene 3 Lighting

Scene 3 Stage Directions

Task 4: ('Commentary') Reflection on Film Scenes Unit

https://youtu.be/kYj7fTy2G1E

Task 3: ('Process and Product') Rehearsal Videos and Final Performance of Film Scene

Rehearsal Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCfAhczknJ4



Final Performance: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW94meY6ARo&feature=youtu.be

Task 2:('Proposal') Director's Notebook

Wolf of Wall Street

Cast:
Luca Simic as Jordan Belfort
Abdul Moghrabi as Donnie Azzof
Melissa Sharma as Brad
Deniz Hyo as Chester Ming

Annotated Script:

Rehearsal Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCfAhczknJ4



Staging for Scenes:

In scene 1 the stage had mini objects for each character to demonstrate to the audience more about the character through the use of props and non-verbal devices. The mirror was there Jordan's part that would show the wealth and confidence of his character. The next would be Donnie's chair which would show his simplicity and how he only needs money. Then you would have Chester's desk with a laptop which would show his commitment to the team and his efforts. And finally in the purple is Brad's weights showing that he's not in the team but he is still part of their friendship.


For the next scene we tried to make it look like a restaurant because that's where it was set. The table was placed centre stage and the chairs were around it (trying not to block each other). This was done so that the audience would understand that the table is the main focus and the props on the table helped elaborate on the restaurant atmosphere


Scene 3 was an office so we placed the table once again however this time we had more towards left centre so that the audience would understand that busy environment is being presented and the characters would have many other jobs to do once again amplifying the busy office atmosphere. 





In scene 4 we placed the table back in the middle however this was done to yes put emphasize of the main action but also instead of using it as a table we used it as a podium/stand that the model would stand on. The other characters around would be discussing and evaluating the plan, having the model in the centre stage. 



Finally in scene 5 we kept it empty showing how their lives would also contrast with the consequences of their actions, emphasizing the emptiness of their lives when they have been jailed and taken away from the stock market.

Props:

Headset (Scene 1)
Water in plastic glass (Scene 1)
Paper (Scenes 1& 3)
Laptop (Scenes 1, 3, 4 & 5)
Poker Set (Scene 1, 3 & 4)
Playing cards (Scenes 1, 3 & 4)
Clipboard (Scenes 1 & 3)
Menus (Scene 2)
Food for restaurant / drinks (Scene 2)
Table cloth (Scene 2)
Handcuffs (Scene 5)
Cash (All Scenes)
Cigarettes (All Scenes)
Toothpick (All Scenes)
Pen (All Scenes)

Sounds:
Scene 1: No background music
Scene 1 to 2 transition (office): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ZZp8XuUTE
Scene 2 (restaurant): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XjPUA54gqY
Scene 2 to 3 transition (office): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ZZp8XuUTE
Scene 3 (office): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ZZp8XuUTE
Scene 3 to 4 transition (office): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ZZp8XuUTE
Scene 4: Radio (phone application)
Scene 4 to 5 transition(police): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N0C0Wbe6AI
Scene 5: No background music

Costumes: 

 Scene 1:
Jordan Belfort








Scene 1:
Donnie Azzof

Scene 1:
Chester Ming

Scene 2:
In the restaurant
Full cast

Scene 3:
Office
Full cast

Scene 4:
Money Smuggling
Full Cast

Scene 5:
Arrest
Full Cast

Show Day:

Sunday 29th May

Final Performance: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW94meY6ARo&feature=youtu.be

Task 1: ('Presentation') Presentation of Research about an Actor/Actress

Othello Reflection

1) What character were you playing and how did you try to portray this character to the audience? (how did you want the audience to think of your character?)
My character was Roderigo, the  rich, unintelligent guy who thinks that if he sends Desdemona enough expensive presents, she'll fall in love with him. In this scene where Roderigo is talking to Iago in a duologue he's usually portrayed sad and miserable, however I wanted to show a more confident and passionate side of his to show his true emotions. I wanted the audience to understand his "blinded by love" point of view, doing anything to get the love of his life and that meant even trusting a psychotic evil persona Iago. 

2) Was there a part of your scene that you thought was the most effective? Or a line that you think you delivered well? (explain and describe)
There were a few climatic parts in our scene, usually Iago or Roderigo exploding with rage from what the opposite side would constantly be ranting on about. I believe for me personally the strongest part was either Roderigo's rage after Iago consulting him with garden metaphors, or Iago's long monologues showing various tones and moods, again all contributing to his maniac characteristic. In further detail, Roderigo's range was built up during the beginning of the play, where he just discovered that Desdemona, the love of his life, was legally eloped (married) with Othello, "the guy who has stolen Desdemona from him". This sadness, anger and mistrust of Roderigo leads to Iago using him and getting him on his side to also attack Othello for his own reasons. During this mini talk we were in the front left stage where a couple of blocks were placed for us to sit down and talk. The blocks were low and that showed more power towards the characters once they stood up, portraying the power in height difference contrasting their dominance. We were also in the front so that the audience would be more engaged (this was for both the parts), so that they would be able to witness a more intense element of the scene. Roderigo's line was "This isn't the time to be talking about your gardening problems! I have a whole in my heart that needs to be filled with Desdemona's love!" which was delivered right after Iago when he was comforting him for the elopement. Iago's monologue was the perfect time to show the anger building up, for example to show this I was breathing louder, cracking my knuckles and even face-palming. These were all body language to show his annoyance towards what Iago was trying to consult. Once it was all built up and Roderigo couldn't take it anymore, he exploded, flipped his block that he was sitting on and intimidated Iago and the audience through his outrage. 

3) What was the greatest challenge for you in this task? How did you overcome it?
I believe for the both us the most challenging part of this task was to portray the characters manly. There were parts in the scene where my character was required to be shown as miserable however it was complicated to make it less feminine as this mood would open up spots to vulnerability of making it too girly. And it was those little gestures that could change the entire role of the character that we worked hard to cover up. We were able to overcome the issue by many techniques, lowering our voices, standing tall and strong, avoiding little gestures especially neck and head waving like a bratty girl but the most effective one was keeping someone manly in mind. I believe the characters were able to evolve through these techniques. 

4) How do you think the performance went overall? Was there anything that could have been improved? What could you have done better?
Overall I believe the performance was excellent, we worked hard and watching the recording over and over again there were less mistakes than expected probably only two or three. If we were to do this again I would probably want my character to seem more clueless, however the way I portrayed him was a different light and a new side to Roderigo. I would also want my character to say more lines in between Iago's speeches. Such as ad-libbing random but relevant things.  

5) If you think back to the start of this unit, what performance skills do you think you have developed across the term? (confidence, voice projection, use of gestures and movement etc..)
In the start of this unit I was confused with the gestures and movements needed for Shakespeare plays as I didn't want to make them seem too overdone but I now understand that the gestures can be anything from mini to huge. I also became more familiar with stage business, mainly because my character had a lot less to say so he had to stay busy and not randomly standing there doing nothing. I was able to show this through movement and gestures. 

6) What was the best part of the Othello unit and all the work you did in class? What was valuable to you about learning about this play?
I enjoyed working with a script because it gave us more time to plan the movements. Once the base of what we were meant to say was settled we were able to build on it improving bits and pieces easily. 

7) If you had to do this unit again, what would you do differently or what would you improve?
If we were to do this unit again I would want both the classes to participate in the comedy version as well as the modern because from both the plays, both the classes were able to improve different skills that would help them boost confidence as well us have more fun. 

8) Anything else?

Costume Design for Roderigo

This costume design is for the character of Roderigo.
We know that Roderigo is a very rich and high class character and that is why I decided to make his costume full of rich colours in the 16th century such as purples, indigos, blues and reds. The fabric used would be velvet or satin, again representing wealth. Roderigo as a character personality wise is jealousy, unintelligent and foolish, he believes that he can win Desdemona's heart through money. Therefore I decided to give him a neat costume that is well polished and looked after. Costumes can also depict the type of environment a person belongs to, for Roderigo's case he is a dissolute Venetian that is not involved in the war as a soldier but as an ATM for Iago's scheme. The latter part of the 16th century evokes his sense of style being close to the Elizabethan era. It is suited for his age and gender as females were known to wear dresses and young males would wear less bulgy items. The process to create this costume would be to analyse the script, think of colours and fabric, sketch final outcome, obtain desired fabric and colours and manufacture.

Roderigo Monologue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fa3UCYa38c&feature=youtu.be

London

DID YOU KNOW? London Bridge wasn’t the only way to cross the Thames. People who were in a rush, or had money, could pay to cross the river by boats called ‘water taxis’. In Shakespeare’s time there were around 3,000 of them!

Background Info:

> First permanent playhouse
> 50,000 residents to over 200,000
> Biggest & richest city in England
> By 1600, London’s theatre-goers numbered 20,000 per week
> Rich noblemen became patrons of theatre companies, giving financial and legal support.
> Royalty also supported the theatre.
> From 1603 to 1613, Shakespeare’s company played at the court of King James about 15 times per year
> The dark attracted thieves and the overcrowding brought disease
> Plague struck most summers; in 1593 about about 10,000 people were killed and all the theatres were closed
> In 1607, John Donne called it “London, plaguey London, full of danger and vice”

City Landmarks:
> St Paul’s Cathedral was the biggest of London’s 120 churches
> It had a tower almost 300 feet tall; people could climb to the top
> Inside, as well as worship, crowds gathered to socialise or do business – which attracted pick-pockets and prostitutes
> Outside, the cathedral was used as a market and it was London’s centre for bookselling
> There was also an outside pulpit, where, Baron Waldstein said weekly “open air services…last nearly 3 hours”

>The Tower of London was London’s old medieval fortress
> By 1600 it housed rooms for the royal family, a treasury, a prison, a weapons store, a zoo and the royal mint, where nearly all England’s coins were made

> London Bridge was the only bridge in London
> It joined the City of London, on the north bank of the Thames, with Southwark on the south bank, where the Globe Theatre was
> It was about 800 feet long and supported by 20 pillars, through which the river rushed
> There were houses and shops either side of the bridge
> John Stow, a historian from the time, said that “it seemeth rather a continual street than a bridge”

Shakespeare: 
> Shakespeare lived and worked in London from about 1590 to about 1613
> St Helen’s: In the mid-1590’s, Shakespeare lived in the London parish of St Helens, just north of London Bridge and close to The Theatre and The Curtain playhouses
> We know he was twice assessed for taxes there – and failed to pay both times

>  Paris Gardens: From about 1598-1602, he seems to have lived in the Paris Gardens area of Bankside south of the river near The Globe, where he worked

> Silver Street: From about 1602, Shakespeare rented lodgings in the Silver Street house of the Mountjoys, a family of French immigrants who made expensive hats

Character Study of Iago

Dear Diary,
W'rds can not yea begineth to describeth mine hateth f'r Othello. Nev'r wouldst hast expect'd this from him. I was p'rfect f'r this job, and who dost he chooseth? some bookkeep'r, nam'd Michael Cassio. Fie, this ruins ev'rything! All mine plans down the draineth. . . unless. I ruineth his life, his loveth, his careth'r, watcheth out othello thou've seen nothing yet. Eloping with mine good cater-cousin's loveth, I dont thinketh so. Promoting someone else besides me, I dont thinketh so. Oh dear othello, I dont thinketh so. Due to his spite of me, I will lay-to ev'ryone and ev'rything against him to ruineth the entirety of his bootless life. Othello, I will geteth vengeance on thou. These w'rds I speaketh art spoken in bitt'r envy. I envy the mo'r and I intendeth on making him suff'r to the absolute fullest.