Set Design

I want my set design to have a similar mood to a boxing ring, so I want the audience to feel as though they are watching a boxing match not a play. I think this would be good because it would mean the audience would have more sympathy with the characters if they don't see them as just actors. 

I want some bright colours particularly on Ajay's clothing during the final fight. I think this would emphasise his "showboating" but also be a kind of irony considering he is the one who brain damages Cameron. 

For levels I want the ring in the centre t be slightly higher than the others as it is where most of the important action will take place. 

For proxemics I want the set to be quite spread out because this will make it easier for the action scenes to be shown clearly while having other action going on as well. 

Challenges

One part I found particularly difficult was trying to perform dialogue clearly while doing quad jumps as the continuous movement jars the way you talk so it is difficult to speak well as you are doing this. I managed to overcome this with practice and I think I spoke clearly enough but it was difficult in rehearsals but I think it would have been more difficult if our quad jumps scene had been longer but luckily ours was quite short. 

Another problem in our group was trying to talk at a normal pace while doing slow motion movement because it is is difficult to not let our voice mimic you movement and speak in slow motion which would have made the scene appear comical which is not what we wanted. 

Group Assessment

I think our group did well because our chair duets scene fitted in with the music and tied in well with the point of the scene, this meant that we could show the point of the scene without having to use dialogue. The other groups found that this was the best part of our performance. Some groups also thought that the dialogue was delivered well during the quad jumps scene. To improve the other groups thought we should speak louder because we could be quite quiet at times and improve synchronisation with the music and with each other during the quad jumps. I agree with thee comments because I thought our quad jumps could use more work as they were added on nearer the end whereas our chair duets were rehearsed a lot more. 

In the other groups my favourite performance was where one group had one person doing a monologue whilst the other two people in the group were doing movement in the background such as sparring and press ups. I thought this was good because it meant there was always something to look at while the monologues were going on because a monologue isn't always the most interesting things to watch so by having other things going on it made the piece more interesting. 

Around By Through

Around By Through is where you have one person, generally standing still, and the other people move around them using their body and you have to make contact. I think this technique is good for close proximity scenes because you have to make contact. I think Around By Through could be used for boxing scenes because it can look very similar to dance and can make a piece flow well. 

We practised this technique in small groups where we just had to manoeuvre around each other and try and come up with versatile ways of using the technique. I found this helpful because as a group we came up with a lot of ideas which we then used when we were in our separate groups so we had a wider selection of ideas for when we actually tried to fit the technique to our scene. 

Group Progression

Our group is progressing well, we have the chair duets memorised well and just need to work on speeding them up so that they fit in with the fast paced music. The movements need to be in time with the music so that our performance looks polished and tidier. Once we have done this we need to add in dialogue because at the moment we only have a movement scene. After this we also need to learn the dialogue so we can perform without scripts as this makes the performance look better. 

Boxer Research

Gerald McClellan was brain damaged. During a fight against Benin McClellan went into a coma. When he woke up he was deaf, blind and brain damaged. A friend of McClellan, Roy Jones, refuses to visit McClellan until he gives up boxing because it is too hard to see what happens when your luck runs out. 

This is similar to Cameron because he is also brain damaged and the boys find it difficult to visit Cameron because the thought of being injured in the same way frightens them. 
Cameron shows the darker side of boxing in a way that does not glamorise it, as many films about boxing do. 

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.