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Berkoff Metamorphosis, Design, Exam help

LIGHTING QUESTION FOR ‘METAMORPHOSIS’

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As a designer, outline your ideas for lighting this extract. Explain and justify how these would help to create an appropriate mood and atmosphere at this point in the play.

Extract used P109-112

Read the extract IN FULL

In pairs / small groups take EACH of the MOMENTS identified below and MIND -MAP (15 mins) the information you think is relevant to answer the question. [Include a diagram for the placement of the lights]

Your conversation needs to be FULL of the vocabulary of lighting (placement, type of lights, colour, special effects and over all MOOD /ATMOSPHERE)

MOMENT 1 = The apple throwing

MOMENT 2 = ‘New scene’ Bottom of P110/111

MOMENT 3 = ‘Gregor’s Dream’ P112

  1. Create a MIND-MAP that has 1 introduction (with an overview of the context of the extract, your AIMS (affecting the audience) or how lights assist with Berkoff’s/Kafka’s style)
  2. 2-3 paragraphs where you EXPLAIN and JUSTIFY specific ideas/moments with terminology

(If time allows) Present ONE of your ideas/moments to the class.

IN CLASS you will write out your answer to the above question.

You may use your notes

You should attempt to have 5 quotes

You must have a diagram (but take no more than 5 mins producing it) TIP: your diagram isn’t meant to show ALL your lights for ALL of your ideas -use the diagram to ‘explain’ your most ambitious idea and refer to the diagram in your writing when you get to that bit of your answer.

EACH of your paragraphs should address one of the MOMENTS specified above.

THIS WORK WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE MARKING CRITERIA

Berkoff Metamorphosis, Design

Lighting ‘Metamorphosis’

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The aim of the next 2 lessons is to:

  • Understand the principles of lighting design
  • Know what lights create what effects
  • Build subject specific vocabulary
  • Give opportunities to be creative / experiment using a light simulator

Task 1a: In Pairs, discuss for 5 mins ‘why lights are needed in theatre?‘ (Shakespeare didn’t use them!)

  • Functional lighting
  • Emotive lighting (effects designed to cause/reflect an emotion)

Task 1b: Define what each term means and provide an example from the play. (Look at the 1st 2 photos if you need help).

  • A cyclorama light
  • Side lights
  • Top lighting
  • Foot lights
  • Specials
  • High Side Gobos
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Back lighting = silhouette

Task 2: (20 minutes) Finding out what lights do (basic)

Create a Word Doc and print off by the end of the lesson.

*Take screen shots of each TYPE OF LIGHT to help YOU remember the effects created.

Log in to the website BELOW.

WEBSITE for lighting simulator

https://scenicandlighting.com/lightlab/

Set every light to zero (slide to the left).

Using 1 slider / light at a time, see what effects are created by using:

  • A cyclorama light
  • Side lights
  • Top lighting
  • Foot lights
  • Specials
  • GoBo’s (short for ‘go between’



Task 3: (20 minutes) Create a ‘lighting state’ for 2 chosen scenes in the play (using this website.)

CHOOSE A NON-NATURALISTIC SCENE /MOMENT AND A MORE NATURALISTIC SCENE / MOMENT.

In your Journal, you need to be able to:

  1. State the scene – location – time of day.
  2. Explain where lights are positioned, angled, focused and any colour choices, special effects (gobos?)
  3. Justify why you used these (in terms of the effects you wish to create eg: time / place / mood.)
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DISCUSS:

In 1910 what are the light sources available in an apartment rented by a ‘lower middle class family’ like the Samas. [THINK natural and artificial]

SHARE ideas:

Berkoff Metamorphosis, Design, Year 13

SET DESIGN – METAMORPHOSIS

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Other set designs –

Original Production – Berkoff

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Homework [after looking in detail at these set designs (below), Explain and Justify them in words (about 200 words per set design)- use all the specific vocab you can = see last post]

Look for other set design ideas on the Internet

Production 1 (Philip Engleheart.com)

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2 –Icelandic Production – Lyric Hammersmith 20

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 “I set the production in the American 1950s”
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3- Dance Production – Royal Opera House – UK

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Berkoff Metamorphosis, Design, Year 13

Expressionistic design

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Berkoff’s acting style and his design of sets has often been described as “Expressionistic”.

German Expressionism in cinema (take some notes in your Journal) – what can be translated into a theater style?

Look at the 3 pictures and identify the ‘expressionistic’ elements of the set.

Pick 2 moments EACH where these ‘expressionistic elements’ could be used in the play ‘METAMORPHOSIS’

How can symbols and emotions be represented on a set ?- think Gregor’s Room – The Samsa’s living room – what do these places symbolise – how do you show that in materials, colours, set dressing and props?

  1. Shadows
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  1. Canted angles
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  1. Silhouette
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Berkoff Metamorphosis, Design, Year 13

What do designers do?

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In Pairs (in Journals)

Divide up a page into quarters.

Identify the 4 different design jobs that could come up in the exam.

Why is EACH aspect of design necessary? [What does it do for the audience or production?] SPEND A FEW MINS CONSIDERING EACH.

FUNCTIONAL design – ?

EXPRESSIVE design – ?

What is the difference?

List as much specialist vocab as you can to help when discussing EACH design area. (E.g: spotlights, cue, instrumental sound, backdrops, etc)

Where/How could it be used in the play? [Find 3 moments where a design element would really help the story telling – eg: when Gregor finally opens the door a shaft of light can pour into the living room.]

Read P 72 & P77 of the Introduction and Stage Setting (at the beginning of the play) to discover ideas for Set, Music, Lighting, total theatre – Record quotes in Berkoff’s own words

Explain the original set design (Hwk)

(Explain it) Draw the set and label it on plain A4 paper and stick in.

Justify it (using Berkoff’s own words and yours)

Specialist words

Set location (upstage etc)

Style: Expressionistic / Naturalistic / Non-naturalistic

Set construction:

  • Raised platform – 2 storey set
  • Box set
  • Scaffold structure

Set dressing (things you add to the basic structure (shelves, pictures etc)

Cyclorama (white cloth across back of stage – for lights to be projected against.

Shadow screen

Gauze (material that is transparent if a light is shone from behind but which is opaque if light is shone from in front (can be painted or projected upon)