Shakespeare Through A Lens Project Brief

 The Brief

You have been commissioned by the Lambeth City Learning Centre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the BFI and the management at Glenthorne High School to gain a deeper understanding of Titus Andronicus by filming a scene from the play from a range of different perspectives. You will edit the film to produce a high-quality 3-7 minute segment of film to be screened on a 400 seated cinema screen at the BFI for family and other guests. The films will then have an online life on a variety of platforms including RSC, CLC and BFI websites.

Background of the brief

The brief was formal as it stated what we were required to do to fulfill the brief and we had to stick within relatively rigid guidelines. The essential elements of the brief we had to follow were that we produced a film with a duration of roughly 3-7 minutes based upon a scene from Titus Andronicus that was chosen for us by the RSC using the original texts. There were some aspects of the brief that we could negotiate as with these texts we could could cut certain parts however we could not change any of the original texts which meant that we kept the language the same and worked within the layout of the scene provided to us. Also, we will be using the drama academy to perform for the project rather than acting ourselves which is a requirement we must meet. However, the ways in which we interpreted the texts were very flexible, meaning that we have a large amount of control over the props, costumes and locations used within the piece allowing us to give a slightly modern twist to the original story.

My Role

My role within the brief will be the secondary camera man on the first day of filming, I will be filming the majority of shots from alternative angles to the primary camera to produce cutaways within the final piece. I will also film some additional shots of different areas to establish the scene and area that the actors are working within. Also, I will be contributing ideas to the group based upon the brief so that we can decide what we will be doing during the project. My second main role will be the main editor in the post production phase, this means that I will have to select the best possible shots to use to maintain the narrative aspect of the piece while additionally looking for areas to incorporate a more creative flare within the piece while maintaining continuity and fluidity. This will allow the film to fulfill its roll of telling the narrative of the scene we were given but also making it aesthetically pleasing for the audience to watch and giving it a sense of personality.

Some skills I may need to acquire for the project are an extensive knowledge of some filming techniques and technologies such as a DSLR camera. This will allow me to work with the cinematography and consistantly develop through the varied use of camera angles and framing which I had to adapt to fit the scenes. This will also allow me to work efficiently on the day of filming and be able to use all functionalities of the camera to produce footage of the highest standard. I will also need to be proficient in digital editing software such as Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro and Photoshop.Subsequently, I will then be able to incorporate my knowledge of editing techniques and software alongside the footage to create the final product. Additionally, I will need to be hard working and possess excellent communication skills during the pre-production and production stages due to the large group of people who I will be working alongside. It is important that I can clearly present my ideas to both the media and drama groups so that all possibilities can be discussed to achieve the best final product. I will also require an in-depth knowledge of Titus Andronicus and the language used within it, allowing me to have an enhanced judgement on the types of shots and editing styles needed during each individual key moment within the film. This will extend the performance of the actors and emphasise the emotions their characters are portraying through the lense.

Additionally, due to the play itself being very traditional I had to consider the balance between the traditional methods of storytelling through the text and also the more modern special effects in the post production stage. Because of this, I will try to implement a natural blend of the special effects and the raw performance of the drama academy. This will help to emphasize the performance of the cast while remaining subtle to make the whole film easier for the audience to watch and understand.