16/10/14

Unit 3 Acting Skills: DATE: 18/09/14

MY LONG TERM TARGET IS…

To use more physicality 

To be more confident in myself

Improve my use of space

My long term targets of using physicality has been improved by putting my self in real life situations and thinking what my character would do, how they might behave and their unusual mannerism. Furthermore, I have improved in my confidence by the whole class run through and also the exercises ran by the teacher as this helped me to get used to performing in front of an audience. Finally this links back to how I improved my confidence by the exercises ran by the teacher because I had to be spatially aware of my surroundings.

For the evaluation:

What were the strengths of your performance? Why? One of the strengths of the performance was my tone because I really emphasised Sephy's emotions by using a panicked tone when it was needed and a demanding one to show her strong mindedness. I was able to show control because as in my scene I had to run around, I had to control my voice effectively so the audience do not loose my lines, also everyone was walking on at the same time as me so I had to project and control my voice so I could be heard over the shuffle of people

How did the overall performance go? The overall performance was really focused and good because we were all able to project our voices so the audience can understand us in the large space, it helped a lot because it showed how hard we worked on our articulation, we were also able to stay in role this made us portray a believable character because we were all focused. Generally, although we worked hard on our characterization, I felt that we could of worked more on our use of body language to show our characters more.

What did another actor do that was effective?  Oliver really used his range of voically skills effectively according to his mood, you could really tell the characters variation of emotions by the tones he used.

What would you have changed/developed if you had to do the performance again? (About your performance) I think I would spend more time on my use of pause because I felt as if I rushed my lines and the audience struggled to hear everything I was saying. 

9/10/14

Dear Diary,

This morning was average, simply average like most of my life has been. Mum had been drinking, Minerva was sucking up to dad, and I was stuck in my room trying to distance from it all.It wasn’t until that faint tapping sound started that I dared to move off my bed. At first I struggled to believe that it was actually him at the bottom of my balcony, I had to blink a few times to see if I was imagining things, but secretly I wanted it to be Callum and at the sight of him, along with shiny little pebbles at the bottom of my feet, I knew he had come to see me. I asked him how he got past security but he wasn’t giving me straight answers and at that point I knew Callum was scared. His answers were rushed and he didn’t hesitate to climb up to my room, no matter the danger of him falling. I don’t know why I expected us to stay in the comfortable silence for more than a minute. Before I knew it Callum and I were arguing and he was shouting, I was shouting. I admit when he said he hated me, my heart split but I still felt something for him that I never acknowledged before. I didn’t even refrain when the sweet words tumbled out my mouth.‘because I love you’I really wanted him to say it back, but instead he hit me with the harsh reality ‘love could never happen between a nought and a cross’, I didn’t want to believe it but, the way Callum said it made my head spin in a frenzy of different emotions. As soon as he laid next to me, his arms wrapped around my waist hugging me closer to his body, I knew I didn’t regret my words I loved Callum McGregor.

Unit 3 Acting Skills Audit: DATE: 9/10/14

Throughout your blog you will be marked on:

P2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop

M2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and reviewing progress

D2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and evaluating progress

Workshop and rehearsal observations:

Which acting strengths have you been able to demonstrate today? How?
projection because my scene has a lot of movement and in order for my lines to be heard I have learnt to speak from my diaphragm.

Some key words: 

articulation      

projection      

breath control      

learning lines   

pitch, inflection and modulation 

tone and vocal colour        

phrasing             

pace                

use of pause              

gesture  

facial expressions     

characterisation         

staying in role             

balance                   

coordination 

movement memory       

spatial awareness       

weight placement        

focus and control 

relaxation                              

pace, energy and dynamics 

Which acting skills do you need to develop based on the workshop today? Why?
pitch, inflection and modulation because my scene is very dramatic and if I don't create the atmosphere properly with the ranges of my voice, the audience will struggle to believe the scene, also body language because I tend to just use my voice to do the acting instead of showing it in my body as well.

Set yourself  three targets:

1. Use a range of pitch

2.  Use body language more

3. Use of gesture 

Reflect on the targets set:  Have they been achieved? How?
I managed to achieve target 1 by using different pitches for different emotions in my voice and 2 because I was able to display my emotions more by my body language  but not 3 because my gesture was not that clear
       

Date of review: 13/10/14

13/10/14

In the lesson, we started of by doing an exercise we firstly had to get into the character of someone being late, while the teacher said commands. Furthermore, we had to respond and to accomplish that we had to really focus and listen, this helped me because it got me focus into the mindset of Sephy's character, we then progressed into doing a debate activity by splitting the class up and making one half against segregation and the other for segregation (the half I was in) we made many different points towards each other, out of the activity I developed an understanding of the political world and what's actually going on and how serious it is. I then took on board what I learnt from that activity and portrayed that in my character by remembering some of the view points that was said and thinking about if Sephy would agree, the activity also helped me to understand the play in depth and to be more knowledgeable about it as well, knowing the background of the play.

When we ran through the whole performance, it helped me to acknowledge other people's  interpretation of the different characters and I was able to evaluate them and use their ideas to shape my own scene.

Upon reading last weeks peer assessment, I have improved on my lack of energy by taking more risks during the scene to enhance the level of drama seen by the audience, because the scene is quite dramatic I chosen to use a bit of melodrama. Also to improve the over use of pauses, I used Miss. Goodall's technique by making my lines into a monologue, which helped because not only does it allow me not to rely on the other person but it also helps me with my improvisation skills.

2/10/14

Another group that watched mine and my partners scene evaluated our work and this was our feedback:

As they did for mine I evaluated their work as well:

Unit 3 Acting Skills Audit: DATE: 2/10/14

Throughout your blog you will be marked on:

P2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop

M2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and reviewing progress

D2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and evaluating progress

Workshop and rehearsal observations:

Which acting strengths have you been able to demonstrate today? How?
Today I was able to demonstrate staying in role so even when I messed up I continued like nothing happened, and I demonstrated imagination as I had to pretend I was holding a carton even though it hard trying to get the shape of it right I was still able to do it.

Some key words: 

articulation      

projection      

breath control      

learning lines   

pitch, inflection and modulation 

tone and vocal colour        

phrasing             

pace                

use of pause              

gesture  

facial expressions     

characterisation         

staying in role             

balance                   

coordination 

movement memory       

spatial awareness       

weight placement        

focus and control 

relaxation                              

pace, energy and dynamics 

Which acting skills do you need to develop based on the workshop today? Why?
Coordination because it doesn't look like the scene flows because of so many pauses which leads to relaxation that I shouldn't rush or panic if I mess up a line.

Set yourself  three targets:

1. Learn more about the character 

2.  More energy

3. try not to mess up any of my lines

Reflect on the targets set:  Have they been achieved? How?  In my other lesson I managed to met all my targets by relaxing and practising more so I make sure I'm confident with my lines so I won't mess up, and also putting much more energy in the performance so it doesn't drag.               

Date of review: 6/10/14

25/09/14

• What is subtext? We were asked in the lesson to do write subtexts for our character that's for the scene, most of use didn't understand the task, so in the lesson we began to understand that it meant that what is the emotion, the true meaning behind our words for example someone could say to someone that they hate them but actually they mean they love them, so we had to write what the character actually was thinking and meant for what they were saying. most of the groups had loads of subtext most didn't such as mine. My scene was very literal from mine and my partners perception as we thought what the character was saying is actually what they thought except from one line where Callum speaks, but overall it was really hard to find subtext in my scene as i said it was really literate. as our lines were basically the same to what the character was thinking it didn't really change the scene in any way as we thought.

Unit 3 Acting Skills Audit: DATE: 25/09/14

Throughout your blog you will be marked on:

P2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop

M2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and reviewing progress

D2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and evaluating progress

Workshop and rehearsal observations:

Which acting strengths have you been able to demonstrate today? How?
i demonstrated a lot on characterisation so actually being the character and trying to think like her and act like she would also knowing the blocking helped so i could work more on the character and make my character realistic. I learnt all my lines so this was an advantage and this meant we could do more rehearsal and i could develop and teak more on my scene to make it better. also i did well on movement memory but remembering all the blocking and thinking ahead before i make the movement  so i wouldn't need to stutter on my words just to remember movement. Finally i think i demonstrated my pace well and not rushing any of my lines

Some key words: 

articulation      

projection      

breath control      

learning lines   

pitch, inflection and modulation 

tone and vocal colour        

phrasing             

pace                

use of pause              

gesture  

facial expressions     

characterisation         

staying in role             

balance                   

coordination 

movement memory       

spatial awareness       

weight placement        

focus and control 

relaxation                              

pace, energy and dynamics 

Which acting skills do you need to develop based on the workshop today? Why?
I need to work a lot on energy because i will build up with energy but then I'll start to loose it and the character won't become believable and the audience won't start to enjoy it because it'll look really fake, furthermore i need to work more on gesture and not just standing still but using body language to go with the facial expressions i do, last of all i need to improve in staying in character because sometimes when i muck up a line i come straight out of character and apologise when i should carry on and at like there isn't a mistake 

Set yourself  three targets:

1. use energy throughout the scene 

2. relax more when performing 

3. use gesture to go with facial expression

Reflect on the targets set:  Have they been achieved? How?  
I have reflected on some of my targets, the only target i did not meet was relax when performing, as i was panicking and i was thinking of my lines before i said them which made me mess up my lines or forget what i was saying. so it wasn't really a listen and response tasks.           

Date of review: 29/09/14

18/09/14

·         WHO AM I? Sephy, 15.

·         WHERE AM I? Shopping centre

·         WHEN IS IT? In the afternoon, spring- sunny day

·         WHAT DO I NEED? To know what’s going on, what’s behind the panic and why Callum won’t     tell me the reason I need to leave immediately and who’s involved.

·         WHY DO I NEED IT NOW? I’m confused and worried

·         WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I DON’T GET WHAT I NEED? Anxious, panick, curious, be bothered

·         WHAT DO I DO TO GET WHAT I NEED? Ask questions to help and clarify the situation.

·         WHAT MUST I OVERCOME? To find out what caused the explosion, may be Callum was involved with the explosion planning because he wasn’t answering my questions and what is Callum hiding?

What kind of person am I: Demanding, confident girl

What is my background: bad relationship with mum, father is not always there because he is fully committed to his work with the government, which has had a tremendous side effect on my physiological and emotional needs. Further on in my life, my parents split up. So I’m left with damaged emotions.

Likes:  Soul music, reggae, my favourite food is rice and beef stew, my favourite colour is purple, my favourite drink is shandy and orange juice, my favourite fruit is watermelon, I like to visit the beach and meet Callum, alongside that I like going out shopping. I like to be left alone.

Dislikes: Not getting my own way, my mum, hate foxes, hate most vegetables , hate when people don’t answer my questions, I don’t like running, hate when people ignore me.

Education: Heathcroft school, September starting boarding school.

Relationships : complicated with Callum, struggled with Callum's perception who later died in the end.

What has happened previously: On the phone with Callum- might be coming to the shopping centre to get stuff for school. Had an argument with my mum. Where am I going afterwards? Depending on the outcome of my shopping.

Unit 3 Acting Skills: DATE: 18/09/14

MY LONG TERM TARGET IS…

To use more physicality 

To be more confident in myself

Improve my use of space

Unit 3 Acting Skills Audit: DATE: 18/09/14

Throughout your blog you will be marked on:

P2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop

M2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and reviewing progress

D2 Present an on-going review of acting skills, describing strengths and areas to develop, setting achievable targets for improvement and evaluating progress

Workshop and rehearsal observations:

Which acting strengths have you been able to demonstrate today? How?

I developed my imagination by using/seeing things that actually aren't there and having to work around that.  Blocking by knowing my movements and my surroundings and how I can use the space to portray my character better. Movement memory by having to focus and to remember if i'm in the right place at the right time, ability to think if i'm doing the right movement to match the situation. Developing characters objective by making an aim that I have to meet to and by asking the character what does my character want in the scene. I also was able to demonstrate focus and control.

Some key words: 

articulation      

projection      

breath control      

learning lines   

pitch, inflection and modulation 

tone and vocal colour        

phrasing             

pace                

use of pause              

gesture  

facial expressions     

characterisation         

staying in role             

balance                   

coordination 

movement memory       

spatial awareness       

weight placement        

focus and control 

relaxation                              

pace, energy and dynamics 

Which acting skills do you need to develop based on the workshop today? Why?

Learning lines as I haven't yet learnt any of them and it would be easier to know them so I could focus more on the movement on what I have to say. Characterisation that links back to learning lines because I need to learn the lines and understand the character before I portray the character to seem believable, and spatial awareness- goes back to the lines. So overall my lines are affecting me because I have not learnt them yet so I cannot progress until I have learnt them.

Set yourself  three targets:

1.  Read the lines and understand it, more so it's easier to be in character.

2.  Learn lines for Monday.

3.  Don't rush lines.

Reflect on the targets set:  Have they been achieved? How?  
As I read over all my targets, throughout the week before my Thursday lesson I learnt all my lines and met all my targets, such as learning my lines for Monday, not rushing lines so slowing down and realising when I speed up and reading my lines and understanding the character, I done this by exploring my character and doing a character profile.          

Date of review: 25/09/14

Chatacter OBJECTIVE what your character wants in the scene: To find out what's happening and why callum won't answer my questions and he is in such a rush.

Facts of the scene:

In the spring- afternoon 'sunshine'

In a shopping Centre

Sephy is annoyed with her mum and is grateful for the time alone

Explosion happens

11/09/14

The exercise at the start off the lesson called 'Clear the Space' helped us concentrate, use space well and  tests our listening skills.  Actors need to do a physical warm up so they're stress free and their muscles will be more relaxed in order to assist them to portray their characters and focus better.After the warm up i felt calm and ready to work I released all the tension out of my body and it was easier to make movement.

Warming up your voice as an actor is really important because obviously acting includes speaking and articulation and making sure there's no tension in your jaw or you're not struggling to move your mouth so warming up your voice makes you articulate better and project more. After the exercise my voice felt clear and there was no tension in my jaws and I felt that my voice could project easier.

 By status it shows  if they are high class which includes being confident and overpowering the low statuses, the low status have a low class so they're uncomfortable, intimidated, shy and quiet depending on the scene/ play.

 In the ‘Hello’ exercise, my pair and I decided to make B to have a high status rather than A. In this scene we thought about the setting and decided to make the scenario about character A knocking at character B’s house asking if they want to come out and play ‘’ Are you coming then?’’

 Some of the pairs made either A or B as a high status which was different to watch and see how they made it clear who was which status.

In the Callum and Sephy scene my pair and I made Callum, have the highest status, because we wanted to make it clear that Callum really didn't want to have anything to do with Sephy and that Sephy really mucked up everything in hers and Callum's relationship and now Sephy has the low status because she is now pleading for Callum to accept her apology we set the scene by Callum and Sephy sitting down on the beach in silence and Callum looking at Sephy and then their eyes lock together then Callum looks away. 

 My character as Sephy had the aim of getting Callum back and wanting the relationship they had before to continue, before Sephy called him a 'blanker' in front of everyone which is in another scene, and making him realise that it was a mistake and she wasn't referring to him. This helped me play the character successfully because I knew in this scene that Sephy would be playing apologetic towards Callum without trying to start an argument. 

 During the pair performance's I wrote notes on two of all the performances I watched which was-

Sarah and Alex's performance :

Different types of tones were used throughout the performance

used the space well

good characterisation, overall was a really good scene

They could of improved by Callum (Sarah) not already being off stage in the middle of Sephy (Alex) talking when the scene wasn't finished and Callum had more to say.

Benji and Rosebee's performance:

climax/ tension was built up when Benji and Rosebee stood up

as Rosebee was playing Sephy, her emotion changed at the end and made it seem like she has actually realised what she has done and the effect it had made on Callum

They used the space very well

They could improve by, using the pauses when needed instead of rushing.

In the session I developed to use voice more and to use different types of tones and I learnt more on proxemics and imagination, so getting a dialogue but having to set the scene thinking about where I am, who's around me, if I'm sitting or standing etc

Themes of the play.

I did research on the play and found a summary about it:

A Book of Love

‘Life is meaningless only if we allow it to be. Each of us has the power to give life meaning, to make out time and our bodies and our words into instruments of love and hope.’

‘Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone.’

‘Radical superiority is a mere pigment of the imagination.’

Sephy is a Cross – a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a nought – a ‘colourless’ member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses.

The two have been friends since early childhood. But that’s as far as it can go. Until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools… Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum – a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger.