Thursday 7th May 2015 - Set, Colour, Sound and Lighting

Thursday 7th May 2015 
Set, Colour, Sound and Lighting

Set And Props - In scene 3 we used bamboo sticks to represent the guns, these were taken off of the aborigines at the start of the play, this represents the English colony coming over to Australia and taking the land off of the original occupants. It suggests taking things that are not ours and thinking that we have the right to keep it. Throughout the play we used minamilistic simple props, this shows the audience that they didn't come over with a lot of things as there wasn't alot of space on the ship, this also suggests why all of the convicts were cramped together in the opening scene. In scene 6 we used a bench which was later used in the rowing scene and other stalls which were also reused. These were everyday items in the 1700s and so it wasn't unusual to have them, as they were reused it shows that because they were the first colony in Australia they had to make do with the simple items that they had. As well this we used a bamboo stick with ribbons attached to it to form the tent in which Harry sleeps in, this helps the audience visualise the scene. We didn't have a set to base around, this also shows the audience how little they had at this time.

Sound - In the opening scene when the audience were walking in, we had music playing, this is to create an atmosphere and also adds energy to the beginning. Then when we arrived Australia we heard some aboriginal music, this contrasts with the opening music, this also suggests the difference between the English people and the Aboriginies, there was also music in Harrys tent. In the tech run we decided to add in a gunshot into scene 3 when i shoot my gun, this is because without it, it didn't really make sense as the audience couldn't see that i had shot and the other officers comment on it. When the scene is based in a prison sound effects were used to sound like water droplets, this suggests that the environment is dirty with no plumbing, this makes it seem more realistic to the audience.


Lighting - The blue light represents the coldness on the ship and how the convicts all have to keep close to each other to be as warm as possible. In contrast to this the red represents the blood of the convicts after they have been punished, it also represents the fear of the convicts as they are terrified of all of the officers. We also used a UV light to enhance the aborigine marks, this gave a difference between them and the English. As well as this everyone has some paint on them, this represents that everyone is part savage, as it is a part of human nature.


Colour - All of the characters have different colours associated with them. For example all of the convicts ear a dull white/cream with brown and sometimes dull red. This symbolised all of the mud and dirt that the convicts have to live in as they are having to build things with their hands as there are no tools available to them, as well as this they probably don't wash and don't get given new clothes to wear so they are never clean. The dill red represents blood if the convict has been flogged, they would have been given no medical equipment and the wounds would have just been left. All of the officers wear red apart from the governor, who wears navy blue, this is because of his status. They also wear beige, white and black, their whites are not dull and worn out like the convicts as they do not have to work the land. The difference in colours represent the difference in power between the officers and convicts have, the convicts have the most basic clothing whereas the officers have expensive, fine clothing.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Cyclorama


We used the cyclorama for two different concepts and was part of our set and background.

• Shadows - We did this twice, one when Ralph Clark is thinking about his wife Betsy Alicia, Amber stood behind the screen with someone holding out her skirt. This represents his lady and his thoughts towards her. We also used this at the end when Arscott goes out to say his first lines of "The Recruiting Officer".
• Projections - During the opening scene we had a projection of the see, we also used this when Harry is sick and the prison scene. Because we had minimalist set it helped the audience understand the difference between each scene.