'13' By Mike Bartlett - The Technical Side Of '13'

'13' By Mike Bartlett - The Technical Side Of '13'

Introduction:

Week 7 Synopsis Blog:
http://sdcperformancens.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/level-3-acting-extended-diploma-week-7.html

Above, I have included a link to my Week 7 Synopsis Blog, which gives specific detail as to what I had done in the week and it also includes much information about my evaluative judgements towards some of the scenes I had blocked for '13' in this week.

The sessions for this week is when we had really started to experiment with the technical side of '13'.  My teacher had ran through all of the scenes, with the required actors, to devise what lighting/colour schemes we would use for the different scenes and also have sounds implemented to present an effective environment/atmosphere for both the actors on stage and the audience members.

Lighting:

When experimenting with the lighting of '13', we had used many forms of how we could present the scenes to show off a natural environment.  I'll list below each form of lighting we had used in our scenes and a short desciption of what it represents, and I'll also give my evaluative judgement towards them.

• Singular Light Bulb:

For a few of the scenes within our performance of '13', we had implemented a singular light bulb as a form of lighting, which was located at the center of the stage, to represent an in-door environment, i.e, a house, an office/workplace/building.

I thought that this form of lighting does indeed fit into these certain scenes and it does bring an effective environment since it brings a naturallistic vibe to the scene, also bringing a sense of realism since everyone uses lightbulbs in these certain scenarios in real life.

• Spot/Follow Light:

For some scenes within our performance of '13', we had implemented a spot light which would follow certain actors on stage whether they are presenting a monologue or when we want the audience to look more onto specific characters as a key point of interest for a certain moment in the scene.  We had used this form of lighting more often when there are background characters appearing in some scenes, and we had wanted the audience to listen and watch more specifically towards the key characters in these scenes that actually deliver lines from the script and not background noise.

I thought that this form of lighting would help the audience discover which characters are the key point of interest in certain scenes and that it also is an effective form of lighting to use when one character is presenting a monologue, whilst there are other actors on stage, so all eyes would hopefully be on them.

• Stage Lighting:

For most of the scenes within our performance of '13', we had implemented the use of the stage lights which would, evidently, reveal all of the characters on stage, but I picture using the stage lights to represent an out-door environment as though the lighting is meant to be the Sun in the sky.

I thought that this form of lighting did deliver, in my eyes, what it intends to bring, and most of scenes being outside does work with this form of lighting very well, much more than the other previously mentioned forms.

There were some moments in the play where we had used more than one form of lighting, if not all of them at once, to bring in all of the represented uses which, in my opinion, makes that scene seem much more developed and be delivered effectively in terms of story.

There was also talk of which colours we could use for each form of lighting within all of the scenes, like how the colour red would represent evil or violance; and the colour blue would represent peace and harmony. But we had just left it to be that we dim/enhance the lights are certain points within the main scenes of '13' and for the dance routine part of our performance, we will include many colours of lighting to represent a sort of disco/party environment.

Sound:

As well as the forms of lighting in '13', we had also implemented a few uses of sound to create an effective atmosphere for the scenes within the play.  Again, I'll list below each use of sound we had used, and what it could represent, and I'll give my evaluative judgement towards them.

• Protesters Shouting:

Although it does make sense that people shouting isn't anything to do with the technical side of '13', it still is an element of sound that is being produced within a few of the scenes which does, indeed, create a violent, disruptive atmosphere.  The protesters shouting within scenes is meant to represent the struggle between the general populace and the political decisions delivered by the Prime Minister in '13', Ruth.

I think that how we have implemented certain actors to become protesters in certain scenes is delivered very effectively.  It does, again, bring that violant, disruptive atmosphere which we had wanted to project in the play when the audience witness the protests happening within it.

• Birds Singing/Tweeting:

When there are scenes taking place, I guess more appropriately, in an out-door environment, i.e, in a park, we have implemented the background ambience for birds singing/tweeting whilst the scene is being performed.  This is, evidently, meant to represent that the scene is taking place outside, but this use of sound coincides with the form of lighting used within these certain scenes and it also brings a peaceful vibe towards them.

I think that implementing the sound of birds singing/tweeting does, indeed, bring that peaceful atmosphere towards the scene, and there is the sense of both naturalism and realism being delivered through this also since this would happen in real life when there are events taking place in an out-door environement like a public park.

These are the main sounds that we are going to be using within our performance, but there are also sounds which are playing for one specific moment in a few scenes, such as the alarm clock going off at 7:13am whilst 'The 12' are sleeping, and the character Esther playing the piano at the end of Act 1 Scene 12 once Holly has exited the stage.  There is also the dance routine part of our performance, to which we will include a song to party along to.