logbook 13

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA 11 January 2015

At the start of the week, we created 3 different workshops for blind and death people.

The 1st workshop lead by Lewis, Alex, Erol and Harriet was for death and blind people. We decided to close our eyes and not speak as participants to make sure we got the real experience. I felt very lost and lonely during this workshop because I didn't have much contact with others. However, when I did have contact with others and help from the leaders I felt safe. I think this workshop has helped me understand what life is like for people with disabilities. I felt helpless and even the most

Amber-Lily Foxon �1

NEW YEAR! NEW BEGGING!

Credited: Google Images


simplest tasks like understanding others and walking was extremely hard so I think this kind of workshop would be beneficial. I think the workshop would help improve skills, social interaction with others and confidence.

The 2nd workshop was for death people which was lead by Daniella, Sam and myself. We took it in turns to lead a number of different games including the 'name and action' for an introduction and getting to know each other. We also did tangled to challenge them and get the focused, we used the skipping rope to bring them together and to teach them about teamwork. I think the workshop went well but from hearing feedback from the others I think we could have make it suit the age group better by making the games more challenging. I learnt that as a leader you need to be able to adapt to what ever the needs your participants have and I now think there is a lot more to being a leader than I initially imagined because of responsibility you have.

The last workshop was for blind people and it was lead by Julia, Levi, Connor and Charley. I think this workshop was easier than the others because, I was able to understand and be understood thought the use of speech/my voice. I felt it was comforting having someone's voice near me and always speaking because I feel being blind is like being in a dark room you get lonely. Therefore, I think these types of workshops would also be very beneficial for blind people because it's all about being able to do normal things and share an experience with others like you.

I found all of these workshops challenging, as a leader and as a participant because we had to adapt to our surrounding very quickly and think fast. Overall, I believe this experience has made me more open to disabilities and different people because, I feel like I could relate to them in a way and as a leader I'd want to help them progress.

In addition to this, as a company we revisited 'give me a hand brother' to help Sam get an understanding of outreach drama and community theatre. We called it 'where are they now brother'. I think it was strange going back to this again and it was challenging because I think you can never beat the originals but I did enjoy it and I feel like it reenforced the meaning and benefits of outreach drama and community theatre.




This week was the begging of the film process. I was so excited to be doing something new and different because I've always had an interest in film making but I've never had the opportunity to experience it, so I was really looking forward to this process. Unfortunately, it didn't start well for me because I was late on the first day. I accept that I was responsible for this and I am very disappointed in myself for making this mistake. I felt I came across very unprofessional and unreliable but deep down, I know I'm the opposite to this in reality. Creating a bad impression of myself and being late was my weakness this week. I have to improve this by making sure I'm always on time and I think I need to show commitment through working hard. I missed a lot of important information during this first session however, I caught up and took notes.

Learning the basics of being on set: - Hitting a mark: which is for focus reasons

- Multi shoot: i.e. - Soaps Eastenders lots of cameras set up/makes things quicker ( you don't have continuity problems) ie: like with cigarette but the actor gets no time to explore.




- Single camera: Dramas - continuity is hard to keep but it gives the actor time to explore and the opportunity to retake.

Job roles: - DOP: director of photography- 1st AD : assistant director — start the scene / take one - scene 5, take 2, slate 5 ( camera angle)- Director : says cut and has the final say - Actors: performers - Camera operator : getting an image- Camera operations assistant : help find that image- Sound man : sound- Continuity man : script/gestures

I thought this video was really helpful because it explains how acting in front of a camera is different to theatre. I didn't expect it to be such a contrast from theatre but I'm excited about learning all these new skills. I learnt that you must learn to love the camera but ignore it. At the same time, still be aware of it when hitting a mark and sitting down or standing up. I think this going to be challenging because there is a lot to think about. I found it interesting when Michael speaks about how important it is to feel, look and listen when you're acting and reacting on camera. I realised from watching this video that even the smallest movement, such as your eyes moving left to right could have a significant meaning to it. What I liked most about this video is when Michael Caine demonstrated how not to change your eyes when looking at the actor and I was fascinated how blinking is considered a weakness on camera.

'You don't have to do anything but you have to get a feeling for everything’ - Michael Caine.


THINGS TO REMEMBER: 1) Quite 2) Turn over 3) Camera Rolling3) Speed 4) Action 5) Cut


The acting on camera bible is very helpful in terms of equipment because I think it's important as actors to understand the different roles on set. An actor has to work with the crew therefore, I believe the more you understand about their job roles the more you will learn to appreciate and respect their work. The word 'Vista' is a view shot often used in wildlife documentaries. It's a word that stuck with me during a conversation about the camera bible. Another weakness I have is being able to stay focused for a long period of time and also being able to absolve information whiles reading is difficult for me. I plan on improving this by reading the bible over and over and testing myself on what I know.

Learning how to set up all the film equipment including the camera, tripod, sound and microphones was a long process but I think it was vital that we knew how. I noticed that most of the equipment was delicate and expensive so, I think it's important as a company that we remain professional and mature at all times when using the equipment. I think this was a strength for me as I am very observant and I quickly understood how it was put all together.

This week we also started filming and experimenting with different roles within the crew on set. First of all I was given the role of being hair/makeup and costumer designer, which involved making sure the actors looked good on screen. I really enjoyed this role because I felt like I was good at it. I noticed that I developed a personal relationship with the actors because I found the make up was an intimate routine and therefore, I wanted to make them feel at ease.

My second role was script and continuity. This role appeared easy to begin with but I soon realised it wasn't. It involved listening, looking and being focused at all times on what the actors were saying and physically doing. Some actors would change words within the script and my job was to make the actor and director aware of this. I think this role is important in terms of continuity.

Innes workshop audition prep:

- Names and balls - Focus and energy - Each person lead a rhythm walk that the company had to cope and be in time with each other - Pose stop - Thinking on the spot/Being imaginative - Trust with balance and a part - Trust balance with the company circle



- Trust leading and guiding your partner with their eyes closed with hands the with one finger : Work well with others.- Airport improvisation: Fun and spontaneous

Sight reading - We had 3 minutes to read a short monologue and then perform it straight away in front of Innes. I found this process very difficult because I didn't understand the dialogue and found a lot of the words hard to pronounce. I attempted to perform it out to Innes at the beginning but I quickly lost my line which created unnecessary pauses and mistakes within my performance. My eyes then never left the page and I thought my performance was very poor and unfocused. Not being able to read out loud and understand what I'm saying is a weakness of mine. I don't know how I a going to improve this weakness because when I looked at the page it was a blur and all the words looked mixed up.

Innes Audition Sight Read Tips:

- Always Memories your first line - Don’t hold the page in front of your face - Follow the lines with your finger - Respond and listen to what the other duo log - It’s all about practise

- Discusses and feedback from this workshop: Focus and concentrate on yourself in an audition. Less is more in improvisation Create a character but keep the intentions real Audition Panel is looking for: people who can take direction well and a good level of fitness.


logbook 13

Documents