Will probably talk to most of you over the next couple of days, but am putting notes here for feedback and internet-based discussion. Please let me know if you can help out with any of the components I've outlined below. I won't be able to get this all done myself foir this Thursday. I've already booked the A/V equipment that I know we need.
1) DIORAMA
Summary: We are planning on collecting stories from members of the college that describe a "domestic drama." We will then create 5-10 dioramas, complete with main characters, key props and location backdrop, that we will place in separate envelopes. Audience members will choose from among these envelopes and act out the drama using the diorama on the night of the performance. The audience members are not necessarily the people who wrote the stories. The acting out of the story will be shown on a TV in a mock-living room set that other audience members can watch.
To Do for Thursday:
- collect some test stories through several different methods:
a) anonymous submission box with written instructions
(instructions need to be written)b) one on one interviews where we describe the project
(script to be written)c) I interview people on video camera.
(Audience would watch video of story at the performance.)
- select a story from each collection method and create dioramas based on them
(what style for diorama? full color? black and white photocopy? marker drawings?- get living room components: TV, sofa or comfy chairs, carpet (coffee table? lamp?)
(ask the set/props department. Anyone know who to talk to there? or where it is?!)Other notes:
- What do you think about having the people acting out the story put cut out photos of their heads (like the ones I did for Andrew and Rebecca last week) on the paper doll characters? I think it might add an interesting dimension and technically shouldn't be hard to set up a digital camera, laptop and inkjet printer for these photos to be taken on the night of the show.
- We'll need someone to be overseeing this area on the night of the show. Any thoughts on a character for this person? or just basic tech support?
2) FAMILY PORTRAIT
Summary: a portrait studio will be set up with a Photographer. Audience members will be invited to choose their family from the other guests to pose for their "ideal family portrait". A live video feed will be showing this process in a gilt frame placed as part of the set in the living room/diorama area. Would also be nice to have a real camera (Polaroid? Digital hooked up to a printer?) so that participants can take a copy of the photo home with them.
To Do for Thursday:
- create or find a paper backdrop like the ones used in professional photography studios
- consider the character of the Photographer (Harriet, do you want to be this character? I think you'd be great for it!)
- obtain a gilt frame, or create a marker drawn one. Should match the style of the rest of the living room set
Other notes:
- does anyone have an inkjet printer that we could use to test this out? I can use my laptop for the photo gathering.
3) THE HOSTESS and GENERALQuestions for consideration and feedback:
- How is the show unfolding? Will there be parts that people can't access until later on? or is it all open?
- Will the Hostess be leading people to the different areas? Doing general crowd control?
- Will there be others wandering amongst the guests inviting them to participate in the different areas?
- Are we serving any real food and/or drink? How much of a party atmosphere do we want to create?
- Are we getting clear on what is linking the different elements together? Does is seem like different perspectives on the same issue? Is it something other than this that is holding it together?
- Words Andrew said last Thursday that came across as themes for him from what he saw: CHOICE, PROJECTION, RESPONSIBILITY
My schedule for the next few days. Call me or text if you want to meet up.
Lena is free to mee and at Wimbledon:
MONDAY - 10am-2pm
TUESDAY - after 3pm (possibly earlier)
WEDNESDAY - all day
2 comments:
Hi-thanks Lena for summarising where we got to on diorama and family portrait and your own thoughts - great to open it out!
A few things;
DIORAMA
• Do we need for the drama to be domestic? The interior set up is suggestive enough and it can give a sitcom/documentary/soap feeling with a variety of different contexts- it might also limit the nature of stories people tell us- simply a story about a ‘real life drama’ as we talked about?
• Good to try out a variety of collection methods- maybe 2 in each of your suggested, or if this is too much work for everyone maybe just opt for one- interviewing people may direct the stories people give, leaving someone to talk to camera/voice recorder/writing their own. We should give everyone the same instructions- maybe approx 50 words relaying the story then character description, location, props so we know what to find to make them. If don’t get stories for thursday maybe the group could each provide one in each of the different methods lena suggested to test out??
• If we can go for colour or black and white photo in the diorama would give a more tv likeness? Do we want that? Maybe trial different looks. More diagrammatic would be more idealistic but is that what we want?
• Yes can we source room set up or bring in things each. I have an A3 printer would be too big to bring in though, I do worry about printing costs- maybe if some one has the smaller 6” x 4” photo printers and we divide the cost between us or charge? I like the idea of the participants own faces, they have to become the character in the diorama although might not work if the story gave the mood of the character and it didn’t match the mood of the participants face…maybe we need to think about this more- they could draw the face as their own?. It will need someone to staff it if we go for it
FAMILY PORTRAIT
• Would be great if people could have a photo of their portrait- we need not necessarily print out as this may mean we need to source 2 printers and costs of that and we could create a flickr account to upload the work, giving people the address on the night?
• We talked about the paper family costumes – Corinne/stevie?? Lucy also liked the pulley system
OTHER
• Corinne- we talked about 3D paper cake with a segment pre-cut and tiny paper champagne flutes which leads to the diorama- getting people into shrinking diorama mode?? Still go for this?
• I was originally to be walking round with this but whoever can do this- maybe we need more hosts and hostesses?? Our roles can be fluid or will be have set areas- maybe me as the photographer sounds like fun but maybe we all want to explore this
• The participants journey can come through rehearsing the parts developing more?
• We also need to consider time for the event –is it durational/timed entry, we did talk about advertising the times of the diaromas through the titles of each story at one point
• Real food and rink- maybe- tis christmas after all!! But may detract for the paper champagne and cake or if we consider the journey of the participant they may get the paper cake and champagne, then diorama and later on the real food?
• Also the ending- are we still bringing the show to destruction eg screwing up the dioramas and chucking everyone out like an old toy??
am really excited about all of this- will keep in touch online and wow! Its gonna be fab, thanks for everything kids!! sorry not there in person:( leave me lots to do when i get back :)
big love to you all from rainybloodyrainy sydney ( brought the horrid weather with me- oh no!)
xxx
ps did anyone make annual group photograh??
Hey Love,
I hope that the stuff we discussed on Wed had helped. Anyways am on my way into uni so will see you there.
Need to work on the other section with who ever is in but if your free after uni we can carry on gathering everything together for tom?
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