Written Off

1. Having performed your first scripted mime, what was the biggest challenge you personally faced?

Expressions. I would always laugh on stage when performing. I could never keep in character- who was angry and upset. I would always crack up when Maya came to push Giovanni away. Me laughing all the time made the story less believable and since it was a scripted mime it would be even harder for the audience to understand what was going on. For example, when Maya came on I'm supposed to be disgusted but if I would be smiling, the audience might think that I'm happy that Maya is here. Also my moves would be soggy and boring but I needed them sharp. So keeping in character and not laughing helps me too have sharp moves that are believable to the audience, like the slap. 

2. Having watched your video... what are you most proud of? 

I think that our performance was quite accurate and everything happened at the right time. This only happened because we had good team work. We would watch each other when performing and then make suggestions if their was something that someone had to improve on. When getting used to out script we would help each other learn the correct cues, movements, and timing. We also helped Maya a lot when changing into her fat suit throughout scenes back stage. We practiced a lot and everyone was focused and on task all the time. 

3. What skills have you learned in the mime unit that you will be able to continue to use as we move to improvisation? 

When acting whether it's miming or improvising there are always certain skills that you can carry with you all the time. For example, facial expressions in very important when performing anything. If you don't have facial expressions then the audience can't really tell that well if your angry, happy, scared, sad, etc. You could act out something very clearly, but the audience won't really know what you as a character are feeling. If you roll your eyes then that means that your annoyed. If you pout that means that your sad. If you smile from end to end then that means that your happy. Body language is another skill that you can use when preforming. Your facial expressions can mean one thing but you body language is anther. For the audience to really get what is going on you need to about your facial expressions and body language and if they make sense together. For example, if you are smiling, but your arms and legs are crossed and your head is looking down then the audience doesn't know if you sad or happy. 

Final Memoir- Excellence is an Attitude not a Skill

Here is my final memoir flip snack... I hope you enjoy!

Critiquing My Mime

For my mime in the box project I was a spy/super hero. I was in my villain's house and when I heard footsteps I decided to run for cover. I found a room with a bed where I hid underneath the covers. Waiting till the footsteps were gone. When I decided it was safe to go outside, I found myself stuck in the room with no way to get out.

In my first in the box video I sped up everything. I sped it up so much that not even I knew what was happening. I just wanted to get it over with. But speeding up my performance made everything unclear, and I didn't have a proper fixed point. I also didn't think out my mime clearly as I  kept on repeating moves and doing the same thing over and over again which would be quite boring to watch. Not only did I speed things up, I also showed no facial expressions. The audience couldn't tell if I was happy or sad or even scared. I also started smiling a lot when my character was supposed to be serious, confused, and surprised. My character was also unclear, I could've looked like a baby pretending to fly or even a child playing a game acting like a spy. My surroundings were unclear too. I could've been at home in the backyard or even in my room. I also wasn't sure of what I was hiding or stuck in. I decided to by stuck in a cardboard box, but where would that come from, there were so many unanswered questions to my cardboard box. When I was moving from wall to wall I didn't have eye contact with my hands. I should've looked at one hand and then the wall and back at the hand and then move the hand to the other wall. I could have established that it was a wall by moving my hands up, down, right, and left, not just touch both my hands once to the wall and then move on. I really think that my first video of the in the box mime was a total disaster.

My second in the box mime was way better but it could also be improved. I was in a bit of a rush because class was almost over so my mime could have been a tiny bit slowed down. I could have also established that there was four walls that I was feeling. I should've moving side to side and up and down. I also smiled once in my performance when I wasn't supposed to, so that sort of ruined the mood. When I punched the door after knocking my wall sort of moved. When getting out of bed I was supposed to hit my head on the wall, but instead my foot hit went through the wall, and my head almost touched the wall. This shows that I should be more careful on not breaking illusions. In the speed of time I also forgot about my gun and it just "disappeared", when I should have put it back behind my back.

The main lessons that I have learnt from watching myself preform my in the box are... I have to show my surroundings and character well. I have to plan and thoroughly think about every single part of my performance. I have to know why I am in a certain place, what is that certain place, and how do I get out. I also need to slow down and be careful. I need to make sure that I don't break illusions or loose
props in the worry of time.  

Pakistan's Earthquake Island

All my information is from an article which my science teacher found. This article is on Pakistan's Earthquake Island. 

There was a new island made from an earthquake in Pakistan. The question is... how? Well, the island was formed with the earthquake shook a deposit of natural gas trapped below the surface. Also, hot water underground mixes with sediments and gases. This loosened the material above it, allowing the gas to rise, carrying mud, rock and sand with it. So this island is probably a mud volcano. If the harmful slurry finds a crack opened by earthquake shaking, a mud volcano erupts. 

This island, unfortunately, won't last long because it's not solid. Within a few years erosion will tear it down. So basically, as the layer cools and settles, waves and storms will wash was away the loose and soft clay. 

Artist in Residence

 

This week in drama we had a wonderful artist in residence come and teach us. The artist in residence is named Ian Johnstone (Ian Harvey Stone is his stage name). He is stage combat artist, hypnotist, Shakespeare artist, mentalist, magician, and mime. He is from England and has two kids.

He taught us a lot of skills like isolation, translation, rotation, inclination, fixed point, and the robot.

Isolation really will help us with our current unit in drama- mime. The reason why I say this is because isolation is when you isolate every part of your body except one part and focus on that one part when carefully. In mime I sometimes tend to speed up and isolating parts of my body one at a time will help me focus on my actions and go slower.

Translation is one of the moves that we humans do everyday in ordinary things like walking, but we just don't notice it or know what it's called. Translation is moving forward and backwards. So when we walk forward or backwards we are doing translation.

Inclination is also one of the moves that we humans do everyday in ordinary movements. Rotation is moving up and down. So when you want to sit your body moves down to sit on the chair, so you re using inclination. When you are getting up to get out of the chair you are also using inclination.

Rotation is also one of the moves that humans use a lot. Rotation is moving any bone in your body that can rotate in a circle. So when you shake someones hand you use your wrist, and your wrist can rotate in a full circle if it wanted to.

The robot is very big in isolation so it helps us when miming, because we notice and make sure that every move is very slow and careful. When moving a part of your body or a bone you always have to first move a that part of your body in the opposite direction that you want to move and then move in the direction that you wanted. So suppose I had both my arms straight next to my body and then I wanted to bring my forearm up. I would first move it down- the opposite direction. But, when I move it down I only move it a very little bit and then I do a big movement bringing it up again. When I bring it up again my forearm has to sort of dangle a bit to make it look like a real robot movement.

Fixed point is when you stay in put in one place/area. When learning the robot and miming we learnt how to walk in a fixed point. Having a fixed point is very important if you are moving around a lot when miming. If you don't have a fixed point you may just walk right through things without knowing. Suppose you were opening a door and then you walked about then wanting to open the door again. You will probably not know where that door was before and this will break the illusion.

Story of my Life

   SO... 

Taught:
In grammar I learnt all about subjects and predicates. I learnt that there are 4 types of subjects: simple- a dog, complete- a fluffy dog, compound- a dog and a cat, complete compound- a fluffy dog and a small cat.

In grammar I learnt about predicates. I learnt that there are 4 types of predicates:
Predicates: simple- howled, complete- howled violently, compound- the wind howled, echoed, and roared, complete compound- howled violently, echoed like an endless canyon and roared like a pride of lions.

In grammar I also learnt a little bit about pronouns. An example of pronouns is: I, you, it we, etc. We also learnt about proper nouns. An example of proper nouns is: Tony, Amy, etc. One important thing that we learnt about proper nouns and pronouns is that they're "bad". You should never start a sentence with a proper noun or a pronoun because then it's hard to improve the sentence with subjects and predicates.

In our memoir unit, we have learnt many ways to vary what our memoirs circulate about. The first way is writing a memoir around a object that is special to me. The other way is to write a memoir around a person that is special to me. Once I'm done with this piece the reader will know everything about this person: Name, relationship to me, looks, personality, interests, dislikes, quirks, mannerisms. Another way is writing a memoir that when the reader is done reading I've taught them something, they've learnt something about me, they know how I've changed and how I'm different, they also understand a non-cliche theme that they can carry with them throughout life. The last way is writing a memoir around an anecdote (digging into the deeper meaning).

Learnt:
I have learnt what the difference between a simple, complete, compound, and complete compound subject. I have also learnt the difference between simple, complete, compound, and complete compound predicate. Before this unit I didn't know what a predicate was and now I put four kinds of predicates into my writing. I have learnt that if a sentence begins with pronouns or proper nouns then the sentence isn't that well written as you can't improve it.

I've learnt how to write a successful memoirs around an object that is special to me. I wrote about my purple blanket that I've had ever since I was born. I've learnt how to write a successful memoir around a person that is special to me. I wrote one story about my cousin Varun who is as close to me as a younger brother. I wrote anther memoir around my little cousin Anjali who is also like my baby sister. Last but not least, I've learnt how to write a successful memoir around a piece from another piece of writing. I wrote my memoir around the quote: "Everyone was starting at me."

Confused:
I'm still a little bit confused on how to turn a cliche theme into a non-cliche one, I think that I just am looking at the big picture not the small little details that make the big picture. I also need to use present tense and the past tense in my memoirs, to help convey the theme and help show how I have improved as a person. If I just make my whole memoir except one little paragraph in present tense then I won't really have time to reflect on my actions and tell the reader who I am today. So, basically I get the reason for an appropriate amount of present tense in my memoir I just don't understand how to transition from present tense into past tense.

Work on:
To work on finding a non-cliche theme I have to go deeper into the small part of the memoir that counts and find out specifically what I'm really trying to get across to the reader. I also need to use transition phrases to make it clear when I'm changing from present tense to past tense, or past tense to present tense.

Tableau Reflection

Reflection:

1. They say that words make up less than 1/3 of the message in a conversation. What do you think the other 2/3 of the message is made up of?

I think that the other 2/3 is made up of facial expressions, hand signals, and the tone of your voice.

2. How has working with tableau made you a better communicator?

Now I can communicate with people using my facial expressions. Before this I never really used facial expressions when talking but now I know how to do it properly and effectively.

3. Why is it important to be aware of proximity and levels as an actor?

Because if your scene is all over the place- in different parts of the stage, then your scene won't go together and it will also be confusing to see what's going on. If everyone is standing up it won't look as interesting as some people kneeling or some people laying down on the floor. If you don't have levels in your scene then the scene is just bland and boring.

4. In tableau we say that a comfortable position is a boring position. Why is it important to think of the audience’s point of view?

If your just standing on your feet holding up an imaginary gun it's not as interesting as someone laying on their back with their foot high up and their arms behind their head holding the imaginary gun. By doing this the audience will be intrigued about this scene because of the colorful details that you are adding.

5. How does tableau teach you important concepts such as risk taking, trust and cooperation?

When you are taking pictures of your tableaus you have to be ready fast which means that you need to know each and every scene of yours by heart. The only way for everyone to do this is if everyone cooperates together. If everyone listens and contributes ideas and helps each other out then everything will be good. Suppose someone in your group is doing a scene where their position is hard to stay in and they may fall down on you. You have to trust your partner not to hurt you or else you will not add interesting positions that may be hard to stay in into your tableau. Then you will have a boring tableau.