WEEK 2
During this week all of us continued looking at different styles and techniques on how we can modernise our Shakespeare pieces. Also we continued watching films and discussing what things worked and didn't work. Again all of us had to get with our partners and discuss other things on which things would work for our Shakespeare pieces.
Monday 18th November: DRAMA WITH YUSUF
Romeo & Juliet Review
In Yusuf's lesson this week we watched 'Romeo & Juliet', the modernised version with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Even though some of us have seen the film a couple of times we had to watch closely and see what elements the director has put into the modernised adaptation. E.G Language,Theme and Setting. Also we had to watch the different types of camera shots that are used within this film that make it bold and vigorous. The film is set in the gangs and gun culture of Verona Beach, the Capulets and the Montagues are two rival corporate dynasties with generations of hatred behind them. Whilst we were all watching the film I was thinking of ideas that I could use for me & Prince's piece, not Language but mainly Theme & Setting because I've realised that it's going be quite difficult to modernise our piece and we've only come up with 4 ideas. In the film dialogue is shouted unintelligibly, while the rest is recited dutifully, as in a high school production. What I din't like about the film which I found really off putting was Mercutio dressed up as woman performing on stage dancing with Romeo. A black man in bright silver high heels, with lip gloss signing 'Young Hearts Run Free' (By Kym Mazelle). I do take my hat to the actor having to take that risk, because if it was I was given something to do like that, I don't think I could pull it off, but the fact that it was a black guy is like 'Really ?'- if it was a whit guy playing this role it's understandable. To be honest it is very rare nowadays to see a black man portray a woman except from those top Hollywoood movie stars such as Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker and so on. When we finished watching the film there were a few things that I picked up on in the film that I liked, which were, Setting, Language and Theme. Those are my three main ones but what I also liked was there emotional connection with there characters and the way how they deliver there lines with that intensity, instead of just playing it in a Classical way, by doing that it made us understand what they were saying. Also what I liked is how the Montagues and Capulets marked and separated themselves, E.G. clothing, tattoos (Especially on their necks- Montagues) and politics.
Overall I enjoyed the film, out of 10 I would give it an 8 and a half
Tuesday 19th November: DRAMA WITH YUSUF
During this lesson all of us had to get with our partners and continue discussing how we're going to modernise our pieces. I feel that my scene with Prince is going to quite a challenge because first of all we have to bring down all the shouting, hitting and physicality stuff to a present day quarrel. Again here our ideas.........
1. PUB:, two workers (Macbeth & Macduff) who come and want to kill each other but without each other knowing who's going to get killed first-similar to what we see in the thriller films when the hero/detective or FBI secretly wants to kill the criminal. What I suggested is that rather than Macbeth & Macduff being two workers, Macbeth could be a criminal and Macduff could be a lawyer who meets his old enemy and seeks for revenge but Macduff has to be smart about it. Instead of this just being a physical fight scene, using our fists and maintaining energy. We've decided to tone it down, not go physical with this and not use our voices to much (Not having to project too much and be bold). What me & Prince have decided to do is to bring guns into this, at the start when Prince says his small dialogue ''Why should I play the Roman fool, and die.......'' as he delivers this line he can be having a glass of wine/beer thinking to himself about the bad things he has done and what he regrets doing. Also there should be a medium shot on Prince while he's saying his lines which can make this more effective so I could be seen in the background not clear but it will be blurry. After Prince deliverers his lines I come straight in with my line, and as I say my line '' Turn,hell-hound, turn!'' vocal wise I can say it in a dark and whisperery way which could build a suspense that will keep audience thinking in their heads ''What is he going to do to him, what's going happen to both of them? and so on '' because it is unexpected and I have just shocked everyone. Also I want to keep this truthful and as real as possible, things which happen today in our modern society. As this scene goes on both of us could be sat at a table and have both our guns underneath the table with the camera filming it underneath as well. Towards the end of our scene having the camera filming us holding the guns would create an image which would represent the eager, audacity and intensity with me & Prince wanting to kill each other because we don't know that we have a weapon each. Also at the end of our scene after Prince says his last line '' And damn'd be him that first cries, Hold enough'' he tries to shoot at me under the table and realises that he has no bullets. After 4 attempts I do a little snigger and say my last line ''I Banish Thee To Hell'', there should be close-up when I say this line as well which could make this more effective At this point I bring my gun out and aim at his head-with no gun sound or any sound at all what so ever, with this the camera would just have an extreme close up of just the gun. From there we would end it. This would keep the audience wanting to see more and have them saying ''Argrrrghhh!! what happens next''. Again similar to what we see in crime,drama and thriller films when we as the audience want to see more of the action. We are still following the story to the original text.
2. CANTEEN: playing chess for 3-4hrs. with integrity. Since we are all setting this in present day, me & Prince have changed the names of Macbeth & Macduff to Mac and M.D. and we have decided to make them teenagers as well as adults. Something around our cast-ability playing age. Again we still keeping the same story as the classical text. Mac & M.D. are too sixth formers who are quite close but when they're playing chess that is when they are enemies and hate each other real bad when it comes to this game. Mac (Macbeth) wants to win so badly sine it has been 7 years and not once he has beaten M.D. (Macduff). Alot ofthe action takes place in the board. Instead of me killing Prince physically, in the chess game I kill his King and it will all end by me saying Checkmate and Prince would get annoyed and knock the board over.
3. PRISON CELL: With this we want to get everyone involved in the scene as prisoners a fight breaks out between Mac (Macbeth) and another prisoner, in the background I want to have everyone cheering it on and have a police break it up and sends Mac back to his cell. Later me as M.D. a policeman comes to Mac's cell, lets his prison mate free- locks the cell and shoots him dead, and gets his justice since Mac has killed a very close friend M.D. which had affected him for years.
4.COLLEGE BASKETBALL COURT: The whole class getting involved and set it outside in the sports ground basketball court and have teams play against each other, with that same integrity as the original text but modernised.
With these four ideas we didn't know which one to choose really because both of us haven't come to a conclusion on which one would work best. The idea that I think would work best is the 1st idea because with this it has silent elements we can take from what we see in those thriller/Action films when the audience is left thinking and they don't know who's going to kill who. Also we could do alot with this because from what me & Prince have seen in those top thriller & Action films such as Taken, Fast & Furious and Mission Impossible we can take a few bits from there and figure out how we can incorporate that in our scene...........
With three of these top films in mind, I feel that it would help strengthen up me & Prince' scene and during my piece towards the end, ideas from any of these films will help build a suspense before Prince (as Macbeth) gets killed by me. Since both of us don't have to do anything physical, our main key for this is THOUGHT PROCESS!, not just saying our lines with no reaction. Behind each line we deliver we still have to keep that intention and purpose as to why we want to kill each other. Again we are still keeping the original text as it is but 2013 style. Another reason why Thought process is VITAL to us it's because we are being filmed it's important that we use our face more and react to each line we deliver and keep the intention at the same time. We just have to bounce of each other that's all.
Here are some videos we did last week since half of our class wasn't in because of Whorehouse rehearsals.............
Wednesday 20th November: BBC BROADCASTING HOUSE VISIT
Friday 22nd November : DRAMA WITH ALEX
In this lesson,we had to get with our partners, join another pair and figure out which camera shots would work with each piece and the location that is suited for the scenario for our scenes. Our task was to get as many simple camera shots as we can so that we all have an idea of what we'll be doing for this Film & TV Unit. Pierce and Claudia joined me & Prince, since they didn't get to perform their piece for the Classical Performance we went first. Claudia and Pierce came up with some amazing ideas, here are the shots we tried out............
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