In todays lesson we focused on evaluating Snow Queen, the production side of it all.
What did you learn during this production process that was most valuable?
I learnt that you shouldnt leave things til the last minute. In this show the whole production process was very rushed. We had ideas of what to make but didnt get on with it til the very last minute. Also I learnt how important it is that set and props are made strong and durable. There were various pieces of set/props that got made very early on and then by the time the performance came they had been broken and fixed so many times. If they are made durable and strong from the start they will last and wont need to be fixed constantly. And finally I learnt that set/props need to be atleast double the size of the real life object. This is based on the flowers. We made the flowers all quite small, they were larger than normal flowers but not by much. They need to be atleast double the size of a standard flower so the audience can clearly see them. I do feel I learnt a lot and all things that I can take on with me to future performances.
Which sessions, or part of sessions, were the most interesting?...and the least interesting?
The most interesting sessions for me where when we got the most set done. I knew we were against the time so doing loads of the set felt sucessful and that we were getting stuff done. Also this is the sessions I learnt the most it felt. I havnt done much set or props before so doing this was really interesting. The least interesting session was doing our presentations. We all had to do a presentation on a specified area of the theatre. The problem was we didnt have much time to do any work on them so overall it was just pointless us trying to do a presentation, especially when we had lots of work to do on set.
What skill or production role would you like to explore further/develop next term as a result of The Snow Queen production this term?
I would like to develop my production role in make up. I did make up for The Snow Queen but I felt the role was taken over by others and that I didnt get to take on the role much. I am fascinated by it with the designs, colours, effects, all of it. I would like to be able to create my own designs and then do them on someone who has a big role in the show. Also I would like to explore the role of set/props. In The Snow Queen everyone in the class worked on the set and props and I helped make things but never personally designed anything or made something big which I would love to do. I am fascinated at the making side of it.
How effective was your contribution to the production process of The Snow Queen?
I dont feel I contributed enough in my specified area, make up. I was doing this along side Jess but felt she took charge which was fine but meant I didnt get a chance to put across many ideas of do all the make up. I contributed a lot in the making of props, I spent a lot of time making flowers in whatever material we could find. I also made a huge load of the sparkly leaves which were used in the robber scene. I never missed an academy session and never a tech lesson so my attendance was always full for this, meaning I contributed a huge amount of time.
Is there anything you would change if you did it again?
If we could do this again one thing I would change was our timing. We left way too much til last minute which caused a lot of stress nearer the end. We spent too many lessons all just focusing on working on one thing and not all contributing fully. Another thing I would change if we did it again would be the overall flower garden. It felt very messy and looked random and unorganised. We used so many different materials that there was no theme with the flowers, all random colours and sizes and designs. If we could do this again I think all the flowers should be the same size, bigger than what we did, all made using the same design idea and the colours to be some of the same. Also I think if we did it again the sleigh should be used. A lot of people put time and effort into making it but it didnt get used at all during the perfoemance which was a shame. To ensure it got used we could of made it more accesible with getting in and out. Lizzie, who was playing the snow queen, had big trouble getting in and out of it which was what ended up stopping it being used.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed working on the tech side of The Snow Queen but wish I was involved more in my specified job role.
Here are some pictures.
This is the Flower Garden.
This is the King and Queen castle.
