5 - Look and feel of production
Stage
Keeping strong with the themes and style of Expressionism the production will use Film Noir techniques as a reference point for intense visual effect, concentrating on suspense punctuated by moments of extreme emotional violence. I will be using a gauze (scrim) as a cyclorama to produce images and symbols of the society Zucco journey’s through. The imagery produced in the play, downtown seedy areas full of dark characters and back alleys lends itself heavily to cult comic book heroes like ‘Batman’ and ‘Blade’ but then these are in themselves influenced by German Expressionism. So the design should have a distinct cult-comic book feel. (See Chapter 7 – Pictures and Sounds). There is a challenging idea to produce a story-board of the play around the auditorium to surround the audience in our world for the evening.
Lights
The use of a reduced palette on stage bringing the black and white world of German expressionism and film noir, and within this tight control allowing moments of intense colour creating stark visual contrasts. Extreme lighting techniques creating excessive lights and shadows, silhouettes, using basic film lighting techniques.
Back-lighting behind the gauze to produce dimensions that create a magical effect onstage. Black silhouettes of a metropolis for example will be put in place when other action in front of the gauze takes place.
Projection Imagery
The use of a projector to create film-like scenes that introduce each chapter will be displayed on the gauze (scrim). The Brechtian technique of informing the audience what is about to occur so they can take a step away from the scene and examine how the events come to pass. The start of the play will be introduced like a film with the title credits of the play name and author followed by the actors appearing as each of their main identities from society. This will allow the audience to view the play as representatives of society rather than a Aristotelian way of slowly introducing people throughout the play to add to the plot/story.
And yes there will be a huge ‘Wanted Poster’ with Tix’s portrait projected onto it.
Costume/Make-up
The characters (excluding Zucco) will be heavily stylised. Like cartoon characters from a cult-comic book. I have been using references of look from a cult comic called ‘Sin City’ to give a feel for what I want to achieve. Black/White costumes with just the odd suggestion of colour. Zucco will appear as described (like a true hero) in combat trousers and a khaki shirt. He must stand-out from the crowd, whereas the rest appear almost uniform themselves but to society and not as individuals.
The make-up will also rely heavily on creating the characters appear heightened. Not real. We are not making a point that these people could be us. Merely what they represent is a depiction of how ugly society has become. A world where it would be plausible for a brother to sell his younger sister to a pimp.
Keeping strong with the themes and style of Expressionism the production will use Film Noir techniques as a reference point for intense visual effect, concentrating on suspense punctuated by moments of extreme emotional violence. I will be using a gauze (scrim) as a cyclorama to produce images and symbols of the society Zucco journey’s through. The imagery produced in the play, downtown seedy areas full of dark characters and back alleys lends itself heavily to cult comic book heroes like ‘Batman’ and ‘Blade’ but then these are in themselves influenced by German Expressionism. So the design should have a distinct cult-comic book feel. (See Chapter 7 – Pictures and Sounds). There is a challenging idea to produce a story-board of the play around the auditorium to surround the audience in our world for the evening.
Lights
The use of a reduced palette on stage bringing the black and white world of German expressionism and film noir, and within this tight control allowing moments of intense colour creating stark visual contrasts. Extreme lighting techniques creating excessive lights and shadows, silhouettes, using basic film lighting techniques.
Back-lighting behind the gauze to produce dimensions that create a magical effect onstage. Black silhouettes of a metropolis for example will be put in place when other action in front of the gauze takes place.
Projection Imagery
The use of a projector to create film-like scenes that introduce each chapter will be displayed on the gauze (scrim). The Brechtian technique of informing the audience what is about to occur so they can take a step away from the scene and examine how the events come to pass. The start of the play will be introduced like a film with the title credits of the play name and author followed by the actors appearing as each of their main identities from society. This will allow the audience to view the play as representatives of society rather than a Aristotelian way of slowly introducing people throughout the play to add to the plot/story.
And yes there will be a huge ‘Wanted Poster’ with Tix’s portrait projected onto it.
Costume/Make-up
The characters (excluding Zucco) will be heavily stylised. Like cartoon characters from a cult-comic book. I have been using references of look from a cult comic called ‘Sin City’ to give a feel for what I want to achieve. Black/White costumes with just the odd suggestion of colour. Zucco will appear as described (like a true hero) in combat trousers and a khaki shirt. He must stand-out from the crowd, whereas the rest appear almost uniform themselves but to society and not as individuals.
The make-up will also rely heavily on creating the characters appear heightened. Not real. We are not making a point that these people could be us. Merely what they represent is a depiction of how ugly society has become. A world where it would be plausible for a brother to sell his younger sister to a pimp.
posted by Dave at 6:15 pm
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