Learning Zone Pack Review

Learning Zone Pack
Name		Minimum Target Grade		Challenge Grade
AS Drama and Theatre Studies
Contents: 1.    Learning Zone assignments – unit 1. 2.    Evaluation Notes Assignments - unit 1 3.    Learning materials for Learning Zone assignments - unit 1

1.   Learning Zone Assignments:

Instructions: You must complete all the tasks for the Challenge Grade you are aiming to achieve. If you complete the tasks before the end of your Learning Zone Session you must work on the independent learning assignments described below

Week / task	Dates	Learning Zone Task	Checking method
1 Playwright & Context	09.09.13-13.09.13 (timetabled teaching starts 11.09.13)	Explain how the context of the play Gotcha is directly referred to in the script. Gather quotes and create a blog page that links each quote to the contextual information you gathered for your  ‘getting ready’ packs.	Blog Post
		Write a paragraph that explains the main difference between the context of the play and your own context.
2 Visual, Aural, Spatial	16.09.13-20.09.13	Select a non-naturalistic set design from Pinterest and evaluate the success of the design in creating a suitable setting for the action, at particular moments in the play.	Blog Post – Peer Check
		Create a blog post that has an annotated picture of your set design. Write up all your ideas for sound, lighting, props costume etc
3 Practitioner Week -Relaxation -Circles of Attention -Given Circumstances -Emotion Memory	23.09.13-27.09.13	Find three reviews of the Gotcha production at The Riverside Theatre. Highlight all sentences that contain opinion and post in your blog with a summary of your findings.	Self Review Blog Check
		Create a mind map with Stanislavski at the centre and the examples from the weeks lesson around it. Photograph the mind map and insert into your blog.
4 Non Verbal Communication Blog Check	30.09.13-04.10.13	Create a table in your blog that records and analyses the exercises you participated in during Non Verbal/movement week.	Teacher Blog Check
		Select a character from Gotcha and write a description of how you could use the exercises you tried this week to develop the character.
5 Vocal Awareness	07.10.13-11.10.13	Explain how one or more performers used vocal, physical and facial expression to engage the audience at particular moments within one live production you have seen. Assess the effectiveness of their performances. (PEE Rule)	Practical Grade by Teacher
		Create a blog post that presents your findings on your work understanding your own voice and then describing the techniques you tried within the lesson.
6 Interpretation & Language Blog Checked & Graded.	14.10.14- 18.10.13	The language of the play contains references that suggest the context of the characters.  List the references and explain what you feel they suggest.	Blog Graded by Teacher
		Create a blog post on how you would direct the play. What do you think the message is? What is it important for the audience to understand?
7 ASSESSMENT WEEK.1. Exam Circs	22.10.13-25.10.13	Prepare to reduce your class notes on Gotcha to 1500 words. Arrive at the lesson having edited your blog notes into one post.
		In exam circumstances you will review your notes and prepare your final 1500 word piece of coursework on Gotcha.
October Half Term –     Purchase beautiful Burnout by Frantic Assembly and read blog posts about the piece.
8 Induction, Playwright & Context	04.11.13-08.11.13	Summarise the steps that Frantic took to devise Beautiful Burnout. What was interesting/original about the way they explored the Boxing theme? Look at the Education for guidance. (See below) Follow You Tube links and make notes on the two injured boxers in your blog.
		Insert the class chair duets film into your blog and assess what worked particularly well? Highlight all ‘opinion’ in all posts so far.
9 Pre Show Review Lesson	11.11.13- 15.11.13	Prepare for shows by reading reviews and highlighting opinion.	Blog Graded by Teacher
		Evaluate the Sylised Pedestrian Movement Video. What was difficult when adapting the mimed pedestraian movement? What worked well? Was it easiest to try things  physically or discuss? Was your sequence in time with the music?
10 Post Show Review Lesson & Quad Jumps	18.11.13- 22.11.13	Which scene could work well with the first three techniques and why?
		Evaluate the Quad Jumps Video. How could you develop the exercise? What kind of dialogue would work well with this approach?
11 Characterisation, Non Verbal & Vocal awareness	25.11.13- 29.12.13	Write 200 words about how your group is progressing? Include group analysis gathered on whiteboards.	Blog Graded by Teacher
		Discuss ‘Around By Through’ as a technique. Could you add it into your routine?
12 Scene Development **Filmed BB Scenes Lesson	2.12.13 – 6.12.13	Summarise the group peer assessment of your choreographed scenes. Do you agree? Write 200 words on the most memorable moments from the scenes (including your own)	Group Peer Review
		Ensure all filmed class work is in your blog. Write 200 words about the challenges faced during the process of preparing the scenes. In particular discuss combining dialogue and continuous  movement.
13 Interpretation, Context & Visual, Aural, Spatial	09.12.13-13.12.13	Upload set designs into blog with full detailed annotation. Comment on mood, colour, levels and proxemics.	Blog Review by Teacher
		Summarise your approach to interpreting Beautiful Burnout from ‘page to stage’. How much does the language dictate context?
14 Exam Circumstances.2.	16.12.13-20.12.13	Prepare notes for both plays. Ensure you have sentence starters for each section and have made clear choices to support each category.	End of Unit Assessment
		Write second draft of Theatre Review, responding to feedback.

Quad Jumps

We used a Frantic Assembly technique of Quad Jumps, this is where you jump in time and turn around all set to a rhythm.

We started out as basic 8, so 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 - turn on 8

We then did 8,6,4,2 each pair turned on a different number. After this we did it backwards and the pair would turn on the opposite number, so if they started out going first they would go last.

We then made the routine more interesting by doing one set of jumps in the normal line and then changing it round so we were all spread out. This looked better because we all stayed in time with each other but the pairs were separate so it seemed more unpredictable.

I think I could develop this further by using it in Beautiful Burnout scene 5 because this is a scene where they are training and it would look good because its a stereotypical boxer move is to be jumping and constantly moving.

I think this is useful because quad jumps look good if you get them right and can easily be incorporated into a scene for Beautiful Burnout.  

Adapting a Scene

We had to take a scene from Beautiful Burnout and add Frantic Assembly techniques that we had studied in class. Such as chair duets, stylised pedestrian movements and quad jumps.

My group added chair duets to a scene about training. We did this by moving each others punches away from us, swapping places and turning like they would in an actual boxing fight. We then added quad jumps to another training scene so the trainee was turning away from and towards the trainer and jumping so we were constantly moving as you would when actually training. 

We then had to speed up the routine and fit it in time to music. 

This has helped me because I can see how Frantic Assembly's techniques would be used in the play. This is important because it means I can apply techniques and understand how the play would look if it was performed by Frantic Assembly. 

Adapting Pedestrian Movement

In this lesson we took  movements from a specific job and linked them together in a sequence. We then had to make some of the movements slow motion, exaggerated and repeat some. We were told to vary space so we added more running around to make the piece more interesting.

We then linked our piece to another groups and did both sequences separately and then merged the two to make a very stylised piece with two different jobs in. We out the whole piece to music. 

when we were performing and filming we added transitions.

Chair Duets

Blog Review

Melissa your blog has been well maintained. Well done for the work you have achieved so far. 

To gain the higher grades you will need to expand on the reasons for undertaking the class based exercises/techniques, ensuring that all responses include...

Why the task is useful to an actor/director? 

How you could develop the work further? 
(if you were to act/direct the full play) 

How the task helped you to develop understanding of the characters/narrative in Gotcha?

Interpretation

I would keep the play as it is as I don't think it needs modernising because the ideas and themes, such as relationships and education, can still be applied today. 

I would make Lynne the victim and have Ton as the one who started the affair. I would have Ton as the main antagonist and portray him as a stereotypical 'bloke' so he would be quite aggressive and tough. I would have the Kid as quite sarcastic and appear strong and devious but later on in the play it would be revealed that he is also a victim and very vulnerable. 

I want my staging to reflect a claustrophobic atmosphere. I would have everything reflect the dark, dingy side of the play, which I think is like a metaphor for a dark society. I would represent this by having dull colours in my backdrop and set design, for example greys and browns and creams. I would like the cupboard to appear dusty and unused.  

Directing Peers

First we had to choose a monologue from Gotcha and decide how we wanted it to be said. We had to decide on where to speed up or slow down, where to add emotion and which words to emphasise. 

We then had to direct one of our peers to do the monologue exactly how we wanted it. 

I feel the actor responded well to my direction as they sped up and slowed down appropriately and were much more aggressive and menacing on the last line as instructed. 

I think my last line worked well as it was an important line and we made it stand ut from the rest of the monologue. 

However I put too much emphasis on the repetition of the word 'great' and when it was actually acted it didn't sound very good so I had to change this.  

I found responding to direction from one of my peers difficult in a way, as we had both picked the same scene so I had to ignore all my ideas on how the scene should be said and just focus on what my partner wanted. However overall I found following direction easy. 

We then worked in groups of four and had two directors. This time we could only say the lines we weren't allowed to use facial expressions, movement or body language.

I found this challenging because you have to rely on only your voice because there is no other way to communicate. I also think it is difficult because movement is natural so when you cant move or use expression you feel awkward and unnatural. 

I found being a director the most challenging because you have to tell the person exactly what to do in a lot of detail so they know what you want. I preferred being told what to do because I found it much easier. 

Vocal Awareness

First we did an audit of our own voices.

 Pitch- Fairly high, influenced by emotion or content, for example lower when angry and higher when asking questions. 

Accent- Quite posh when speaking to certain adults, less so when around friends, influenced by area, Bognor, family, Northern/Posh and friends who speak similarly.

Slang- Changes depending on fashion. Depends on area, different slang is used in London compared to on the South Coast. 

Volume- Louder with friends, dependent on accent, culture and emotion. 

Timbre- Emotional

I think this has helped me because it means I can focus on how my own voice is and therefore work on changing it to portray characters which may speak differently.