Tuesday 21 May 2013

Additional Help Section B (part two of the question)


Here are a few hints on answering the second part of the question in Section B.

When answering the question say how you would ACT your character in BRH focus your answer of a particular scene or section you acted well in, and you remember lines from. You must answer in the first person e.g “I would make my eyes wide to show that I was surprised”. Make it clear exactly how you would tackle the character, your vocal and physical expression etc.

Use the following structure to write your answer

A good answer will show that you can visualise the performance and can respond imaginatively to the challenge of playing your chosen character.


Firstly state the play’s title; "Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter written in 1979, set in the West country during WW2."

Next say which character you are answering on, who they are, their age, their status and their role in the play’s plot (for BRH you should also mention why their age, the fact that Potter wanted them to be played by adults and the need for them to have a West Country accent.)

Then work through the section you have chosen e.g 'killing the squirrel or Donald in the Barn' taking a few lines you speak and explain how you would perform it :
vocally
then physically
and finally how you would respond to the other character’s on the stage.





         


Additional Help on Section B (the first part of the question)


You will have the choice of two questions in Section B, each question is divided into TWO parts (this will be numbered either 5&6 or 7&8, choose the question most focused on ACTING) 

Here is the examiner feedback from last year's question 5, Part One of the question:

“Excellent responses to this question had thoughtful application of vocal and physical skills to the preparation work undertaken by candidates. Strategies used to develop skills included, workshops, character profiles, off-text improvisations, role on the wall, reading and discussion of the script, use of youtube and seeing a live production of the play”

To answer this you must first select a few rehearsal techniques for example:
  • Hot Seating to understand your characters background, thoughts and feelings.
  • Watching the film of BRH (this helped with accent, vocals, physicality of children)
  • Playing children's games (for physicality)
  • Looking at stage directions and character descriptions given by Potter in the play
  • Using memories of childhood (this help with movement and interactions between characters)
  • Improvisations
Choose one key moment to focus on, I would suggest the scene you know the best and can remember lines from. Explain how you created your character in this scene and how you moved, your facial expressions and your vocal delivery. Be detailed and use lines from the play to back up your points.





SECTION B Help


SECTION B

45 minutes to answer the question.
There are TWO questions in section B each divided into 2 sections.
If possible choose the one that is aimed at ACTING skills only.
You must read both questions and choose the one that suits you best.
Aprox 10 minutes on each part of the question.

Part 1 of the question assess’ AO1 “Informed knowledge and understanding of the ACTING SKILLS needed to CREATE a play” This question’s focus is on rehearsal techniques.

Part 2 of the question assess’ AO3 “Ability to ANALYSE and EVALUATE the effectiveness of your acting skills” This question’s focus is a reflection of the performance. Analyse in detail your key scene and how effective your acting skills were.

In the exam you must 
  • Identify the role you play
  • Give detail about what you did in rehearsals
  • Analyse with clear evidence (lines) from the play
  • Make very clear reference to the performance skills used.

Start with a clear introduction that gives all the essential information about the play.

Blue Remembered Hills was written by Dennis Potter in 1984. It was originally written for Television. The play takes place in the West Country during the long summer holiday, 1943 in the middle of World War 2. The time frame is “real time” where one incident follows another. Our version  of the play concentrates on five 7 year old boys, played by adult actors as Potter felt the adult body works as a “magnifying glass of the children’s emotions”

Next you need to describe YOUR CHARACTER. What is their role in the plot? Their Status? Their relationship with other characters? Use the information from the text (what other characters say ABOUT you and the stage directions that describe you)

Miss Howell's class 1984 notes


1984 from the novel by George Orwell adapted by Matthew Dunster
Seen at South Hill Park - Bracknell


Winston Jack Cosgrove
Julia Lily Knight
O’Brien Owen Lindsay
Charrington George Bryan
Syme Jonathan Ashby-Rock

Act 1:
4 White pillars two have screens on for Big Brother broadcasts (blue light) and to watch people (red light)
4 Tables on wheels on which they work, stools
Feeling is open, clinical
Workers take their place behind tables and are given papers to process, work is repetitive
Big Brother rally - all enthusiastic and fired up except Winston who is at the back and not so active
Scene changes are done behind the action so the pace maintained
Winston’s bedroom - he does exercise directed by Big Brother
When he is being watched screen turns red and he is nervous and conscious of it
When he meets Julia in forest, there is a slo-mo fight behind them involving the proles (lowest class of workers)
As Winston and Julia continue to meet in their rented room, other events are played out as dreams or flashbacks, eg the story of Winston and Catherine his ex wife
They generally undress for the love scene meetings - symbol of not wearing uniform and therefore defying Big Brother
The space is transformed for the big rally using banners and bunting

Act 2:
The forbidden book becomes important and symbolic for Winston
Voice over when Winston reads book as Julia sleeps, so we hear contents of the book
Nice repetitive movement sequence of 4 workers
Sing a political song
Winston is shocked by what he reads - control and memory... electric shock treatment
The thought-police come to arrest Julia and Winston at the bedroom
Beating up scene - brutal they use truncheons
The lighting is an evening state with steel blues
Lights snap to pinks for slo-mo to emphasise movement of hitting and kicking
Winston in the cells
Make-up for bruising very good
The inmates are all being taken off to be beaten and come back blood splattered
Winston is tortured using beating and electric shock
Shadows cast on back cloth and eerie music gives this scene an otherworldly feel
The torture scene is very intense
Jack Cosgrove playing Winston is superb in these scenes. He shows the fear on his face and the pain as his body is abused. He changes his body physically to shake and twitch in pain. Body language closed in and defensive
Room 101 where he is strapped to the rat cage
This finally breaks him
After confessing he is stripped and placed in front of mirror - his moment of utter degredation
Becomes silent as he dresses and steps into line for inspection
He meets Julia and they talk but feel nothing for each other
Winston’s last tragic words “I love Big Brother” he makes a triumphant fist-in-air gesture but it is very sad... the system has beaten him and robbed him of his individuality

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Y11 Revision 2013

Hello Year 11 Drama students!

I have updated the blog for the exam this year. Please look at the post on Section A.

The Revision Sessions with me are:

Thursday 16th May, period 2 in the drama studio.

Tuesday 21st May, period 1 in the drama studio.

THE EXAM IS ON WEDNESDAY 22nd MAY.

Please email if you are stuck with anything and I will help as soon as I can.

Please check this blog as I will update it with additional revision sessions we are running in school and helpful materials for section B.

Good Luck!

Thursday 10 May 2012

SECTION A HELP


SECTION A 
I have put together some help, advice and examples for each question in section A. These are to read through and then use as a revision aid.
Question 1 should be answered in short, clear, informative sentences.
·        Describe what your piece is about e.g the Plot.

   Who do you play? State your Character.

         What is the Style?
·        Performance Space? (the stage configuration)
·        What is the genre?
·        What is the time period? Please give a date, don't just say 'modern'
·        State what theatrical skills you have contributed to it e.g Acting.
Answer in statements, not long justifications. Answer in short sentences. You must identify that your chosen skill is ACTING. LOOK AT THE QUESTION AND MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER EVERY POINT YOU ARE ASKED FOR IN Q1 SECTION A. YOU SHOULD GET 9/10 MARKS FOR THIS QUESTION IF YOU DO THIS CAREFULLY.
2)    Explain what you have contributed that made you proud. Give details of one part of the play to support your answer.
This question is marked against AO1 'To recall, select and communicate their knowledge and understanding of drama to generate, explore and develop ideas'  This question has a REHEARSAL focus.

Make it clear you are applying your knowledge of your chosen skill of ACTING to your piece. 

You need to write about the following:
·        Characterisation (What methods did you use to get into character? Hot-seating? Role-on-the-wall? Don't just state what you used explain HOW it developed your character and the way you acted)
·        Voice, movement, gesture, facial expressions (give as much detail as possible)
·        Creation of moments of pace, rhythm and energy.
·        Your theatrical style
·        The effect on the audience
·        How you interacted with each other on stage
This is James' homework, it is a good example of a concise answer to questions 2.
            In our performance, I multi rolled, playing both the father and a policemen. To distinguish between the characters, I played the father with an upright, open stance, a soft, even voice when calm and a loud, forceful voice when I was angry and the use of gestures around my son to show that I cared deeply for him but also to show me as a parental figure with control as the naturalistic style demanded. This use of acting skills was displayed in the scene with my son in whom I admonished and then consoled him, shouting and then using a pat on the cheek to make him feel better to maintain the naturalistic feel of the piece and to make the audience sympathetic towards my son and me. When I played the Policemen, when I had a strong stance, a stern voice and a disapproving glare to show that I was a negative figure in the play. This was a useful tool, as when I arrested Sam’s character, it made the audience feel both shock and dread and drew them in to the story more.
3)    Analyse the work by taking one key section in the piece that developed in rehearsal and give details of one occasion where progress and improvements were made.
This question is marked against AO3 'to analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others using appropriate terminology' This question is looking for you to reflect on your acting and how you developed your skills during REHEARSAL. It should be a detailed answer using lines from your piece and analysing exactly how you acted them (movement, vocal and facial expression) and evaluating the improvement you made.

Explain a KEY MOMENT where you piece dramatically improved and really started to come together. For Year 10 this was the rehearsal lesson. You needed to create an ending, overcome the problems of slow pace and lack of focus and make your characters more realistic. You used hot-seating, backstory and spontaneous improvisation to do this.
a.    What did YOU have to master and do to make your character come to life?
b.    Did you add an accent?
  1.    Background?
EXAMPLE ANSWER
           
            One key section that developed in rehearsal was the ending of our piece. We found that as we moved through developing our pieces, the storylines became more complex; the pace of the plot slowed, finishing was not easy and our characters were not clear. In our rehearsal, we used concentrated individual character development to give us a clearer idea of who our characters were and how they would react in different situations, meaning we could improve them by adding accents, body movements etc. To clarify this further, we used hot seating with another member of our piece to practice behaving in character. We then performed a non-stop, spontaneous piece, in which we had to perform the entire plot in 20 minutes. This meant we had to draw our plot to a close in time, and the spontaneous nature of the activity meant we could change the plot to shorten it, making it less complex and easier for the audience to understand. We then reflected on the performance, which meant we could draw what was good from the spontaneous piece but could also say what could be improved, allowing us to perfect the plotline so the pace never became sluggish.
4) Evaluate what you learnt from your experience of working on this piece. Give details of your own strengths and weaknesses in this piece.

This question is marked against AO3 'to analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others using appropriate terminology' This question is looking for you to reflect on your acting and how you PERFORMED in the final examined performance. It should be a detailed answer using lines from your piece and analysing exactly how you acted them (movement, vocal and facial expression) and evaluating the improvement you made.


You are writing this question about what YOU did, not what your group did as a whole. Please mention the following:
·   What you achieved theatrically and how you worked as a  team.
·   How you made it entertaining for your audience
·   Your own strengths and weaknesses.
EXAMPLE ANSWER WITH TEACHER COMMENTS AND EXAMINER REPORT
I believe that I learnt from this play that comedy can work in a piece that is mainly serious and that it can increase the effectiveness for an audience. I learnt that an audience can be emotionally affected by a piece of original work and that the timing of my performance in the suicide scene could affect the impact.( this opening section focuses on the audience and the impact the piece had on them, this is a really good point to start with)  
I also learnt that my strengths lie in plays of this kind and I can reach some emotional depth when required, empathising with people in upsetting circumstances. I also learnt that it is possible to create a worthwhile piece in a short time. In fact I think that it is a good thing to do so (in this, and the next blue section the answer looks at her own strengths and what she did well in her piece).
I have learnt the need to shape a devised piece, the need for good, reliable team work and the need to give variety to the linking scenes. I have learnt that a short piece should keep the interest of the audience by working towards a powerful scene late on in the play (this section focus’ on the group working together, structuring a piece, and the demands of creating a successful devised piece.)
This was my suicide scene and I learnt here to pace my approach to the events that happened in the scene, keeping the audience involved and unsure that I will go through with the action (this section should have been extended to give precise detail from what she did in the scene, for example how did she pace her approach and keep the audience involved?). I really enjoyed this play, and particularly this last scene, as it gave me confidence to try other testing roles, created a worthwhile play as a result of good teamwork and did what we set out to do, to create a play that raised issues and involved the audience emotionally.
Examiner Report
There is a good understanding of areas of improvement and an understanding of areas from which she has learnt. There is good reference to strengths that she felt that she possessed through working on the extract. There could have been more specific detail from the scene to raise this to top band. This response would score in Band 2 (7-8 marks).
TWO Example answers for question 4
  1. Evaluate what you learnt from your experience of working on this piece. Give details of your own strengths and weaknesses in this piece. I learnt from this play that a simple plot with clear characters could be more effective than a highly complicated, intricate plot from an audience perspective. I learnt the important of pause on the audience, allowing them to absorb the action on stage and build the tension and emotion making a more effective theatrical experience. I also learnt that my strengths lie in the naturalistic style as it allows me to develop realistic characters. I also learnt that spontaneity is important in the piece as it prevents the action becoming stale or boring for the audience. I have also learnt that a devised piece needs direction and structure otherwise it will fall apart as it will have no purpose and the pace will become sluggish. I have also learnt that by building towards a more powerful scene late in the play it gives more direction to the piece.
4) What I learnt from the play was that comedy in a play about serious issues could be entertaining, and have as much of an effect on the audience as tension. I learnt that having a character that plays a significant role in the play that delivers comedy lines with good timing could be very effective.  I learnt that my strengths in acting is delivering comedy lines, with good timing and emphasis, with the right amount so as its effective, in fact I think it is the right thing to do. The characterisation was good. My movements where clumsy, I never stood upright to show how my character never took life seriously.
This kept the audience entertained and focused. I learnt how to add comedy into a serious play, and work on shaping the plot, so it’s simple and effective. We needed a good team that worked well together to link the various scenes, with a defined and simple story line.
One of the scenes featured as me telling another character of the importance of a position he’d stolen and sold In order to pay his rent. I learnt how hat you sometimes had to be dead serious to create effective tension, as I was still slightly over dramatic witch created comedy rather than tension. Tension was achieved using silence, but I discovered that my weakness was creating tension through my lines and speaking too much.