Category: Drama and Theatre

As you answer the question about costume in the film, be sure to read the PowerPoint slides first so that you are able to describe the costumes using proper historic costume terms. These are your class notes.  I will be looking for information from the notes when I grade the assignments.  You can also do some outside research in the Library and/or on the Internet for additional information. 
In other words, your descriptions must be more than just your observations about the costumes and accessories from viewing the films.  Your answer requires research as well as observations. You should also be able to compare the costumes in the films to those shown in costume history references to assess whether or not the costumes in the films were historically accurate or whether they were more the creative imagination of the costume designer with a bit of history thrown in. Be sure to include details about the costume that identifies it as part of a certain historical costume era.  For example, men have been wearing suits with jackets, pants, and shirts for about 170 years.  What details of construction, style, fabric, colors, make a “suit” from 1850 distinguishable from a suit worn by men in the current year?
Also, the summary of the story in the film is more than a brief overview of the plot. It is a detailed act-by-act summary of the storyline in the film, not the Wiki overview.  You can take notes while you view the film or you can use one of the many complete summaries that can be found on-line.
Select the film that you wish to view in its entirety. These are not short film clips or trailers for films. Appropriate films will be listed each week. The list is not exhaustive and you can also search for films to use for each assignment. Films do not have to be Hollywood blockbuster films. They can be documentaries or films from the History Channel or National Geographic. Some are foreign films and may have subtitles. You can use films from YouTube, NetFlix, Hulu, rented films or films that you already own. AVOID animated films (cartoons) and comedies because these do not illustrate authentic historic costumes. The intent is to find a film that accurately depicts the historic costume of the era. The more recent films are usually more historically accurate as far as the costume designs are concerned. Be sure to check with me if you are not certain about the appropriateness of the film you are considering for each assignment.
Before you view the film, read the Power Point slides that pertain to each historical era. These are your notes for this class.  I will be looking for information from the slides such as the use of proper historic costume terms in your Film Journals and Modern Design assignments. Refer to other references from the library, Internet, books, or other films for additional information about the historic era and clothing. By reading about the historic costume first, you will know what to look for in the film.
The following is a list of suggested films for the assignment about the the Directoire/Empire Period.  It is not a complete list and you may include documentaries as well as films.  If you discover other appropriate films, please forward them to me so that they can be added to this list. Remember to avoid animated, fantasy, or comedy films because the costumes are not accurate.  It is up to you to find the source of the film that you choose. 
A Quiet Passion (Empire era into Romantic era) The story of the poet, Emily Dickinson.
Pride and Prejudice (2003 or 1995 BBC series or other versions)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Vanity Fair (2004)
Becoming Jane (2007)
Persuasion (1995, 2007)
Mansfield Park (1999)
Emma (1996, 2009)
Miss Austen Regrets
Lost in Austen (modern and Empire)
Wuthering Heights (Netflix) (first part takes place in Rococo Era and ends in Empire Era)
Northanger Abbey (2007)
Mayerling
The Red Violin (first part of film only)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
War and Peace (2007)
Amazing Grace ((2006) *elements of Early Empire (1797) and Late Rococo (1782)
Bright Star (2009)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) 
Lady Caroline Lamb (1972)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Death Comes to Pemberley
Hazard of Hearts
Bridgerton series (costumes have been “modernized” mostly in color and embellishment)
Sanditon (takes place in 1805 – Jane Austen’s unfinished novel) Costumes look to be historically accurate
Include the following in your journal report:
FILM JOURNAL
Information about the film (film credits): (5 points)
The title of the film/appropriate for the era
The year the film was produced
The historic costume era in which the film took place
The name of the director
The names of the main actors and the characters they played.
Write a detailed 1 page summary (2 – 3 paragraphs) of the story from the film. This is a detailed summary of the storyline from the film.  It is NOT a brief Wikipedia overview of the plot of the film.  YES, you can use the summaries of the storyline in films found on Wiki or film reviews. I would rather that you took notes re: the clothing and accessories while you view the film rather than making notes about the story. (15 points)
Clothing and Accessories (hats, scarves, shawls, jewelry, shoes, canes, fans, watches, etc.)
Examples of research topics: 
Select one head-to-toe outfit of a man, woman, or child from the film that you viewed. Describe the elements of the ensemble including the clothing and accessories using historic costume terms. Be sure to identify the details that make this costume different than modern costumes.  See the PP slides for the specific details of the costume for the historic costume era. Use historic costume terms to describe the ensemble.  If all of the elements of one outfit are not shown in the film (hats, shoes, etc.), add them by doing outside research from the PP slides and/or the Internet or textbooks.
OR, select one article of clothing or one accessory such as men’s/women’s hats for the historic costume era.  Describe hats from the film. Research ALL hats from this era – see PP slides, the Internet, historic costume books, etc. for additional information. In this option you are adding to observations from the film.
OR, Select accessories such as jewelry, hairstyles, headpieces, shoes, etc. Describe accessories from the film. Research VARIOUS accessories from this era. See PP slides, the Internet, historic costume books, etc. for additional information.
OR, research the costume designer for the film. What is his/her background?  Where did he/she get training in costume design? What are some of the designer’s accomplishments/awards/other movies in which they designed the costumes. Some considerations: what challenges did the designer encounter in producing costumes for this film and how were they overcome?; were the costumes historically accurate or were they “modernized”?; were the costumes borrowed or made specifically for this film?;  describe and illustrate an example of one of the costumes; Other?
OR, select a topic of your choice that concerns historic costume such as military attire, religious attire, sportswear, textiles used in the clothing, embellishments used on the clothing, etc. *Check to make sure your topic is appropriate. (40 points)
Use appropriate historic costume terms – see PP slides and other sources of information. (10 points)
Download a picture(s) to illustrate your topic.  (10 points)
Include your references in a bibliography at the end of your report. You should always include the film and the PP slides in your references. (5 points)
The total report should be approximately 1 -2 pages in length.
Film Journal Points:
A.  Title, Year, Director, Era, Actors                5
B.  Summary of the story                              15  
C.  Clothing/Topic Summary                         40
D.  Historic Costume Terms                          10
D.  Illustration(s)                                              10
E.  References (film and PP slides)                5
TOTAL:                                                          85

ANSWER THE THREE DISCUSSION BOARD QUESTIONS BELOW OVER THE FILM, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968.)
1. Can this film be linked with a specific genre and, if so, to what extent does it or does it not fulfill your expectations of that genre.
2. Be aware that many movies borrow or blend elements of multiple genres. Look for familiar formal, narrative, and thematic genre elements, and ask yourself how and why this film uses them.
3. Would you consider this film an experimental film? Does it fit the criteria for experimental cinema? Which of the listed characteristics does the movie seem to fit, and which of them does it diverge from?

Find one example of a modern design that draws its inspiration from this historical era.  Include a picture of a modern design as well as a picture of the historical equivalent.  Describe the features of the modern design that are similar or the same as the historic design.
The purpose of the Modern Design Assignment is designed so that you recognize how often contemporary designers are inspired by historic fashions or certain features of garments.  You should become more proficient in identifying details of historic costumes while viewing modern films.
For each of the eras in which you viewed a film and wrote a report in a Film Journal, you are to find one example of a modern design that draws its inspiration from the historical era that you studied.  Include a picture of a modern design as well as a picture of the historical equivalent.  Describe the features of the modern design that are similar or the same as the historic design. 

personal critique of Wicked available on Amazon Prime video. include what you liked and didn’t. Be specific about the things that you like and tell me what you learned from the experience. Make sure that your paper is at least 500 words in length.
-A critique should be roughly one-third informative and
two-thirds evaluative. In other words, don’t spend the majority of your paper
stating WHAT you saw–tell me what you THOUGHT about it. Evaluate it.
-Remember that play titles should be italicized. Song titles
within musicals are in quotations.
-Double-spacing and using 12pt font are good standards.

1. Do I have do work in a group? – No, you can work on your own.
2. If I work independently, do I have to do all the parts? – No, pick one.
3. Do we perform the play? – No, you pretend like you will perform the play and discuss your role in making a play.
4. Do I submit a PowerPoint? – No, you have to present a narrated presentation. This can be a video, PowerPoint with recorded audio, or any other digital tool you want. I have to hear you speak. I suggest loading it on youtube or Google Drive and sharing the link rather than trying to upload the entire video or presentation. Make sure the link is public.
Guidelines for Final Project
Group Play:
Your group will work together to plan the production of a play. The play you choose is up to
you, but it should be one that we have not talked about in class. This will represent the
accumulation of everything you have learned in the class.
 The group chooses a play or movie they want to make into a play.
 The group must submit one copy of the script with the assignment. A link to the script is
fine.
 The group will turn in one presentation in which they present their play.
 The members of the group are encouraged to assume roles as outlined by the text in which
they play the part of someone involved in putting on the play. The presentation will present
a role for each person in the group.
 Choose your role from the list below.
 Choose a local stage that you would perform the play in. Feel free to email me to visit the
Duncan Theater.
 The presentation can take the form of narrated presentation. You may choose to either
create a narrated powerpoints or film small videos uploaded to www.youtube.com by each
member of the group and put together in a channel. Your presentation should take between
3 – 5 minutes per person in the group, and must include visual displays in the form of props
or pictures.
1. Actor:
Pick a character from the play. In character, relate to the audience who your character is.
 Character background
 What has his or her life been like up to this point?
 Where is he or she from?
 Where does he or she live now?
 What does he or she do for a living? (Explain if character is in school, or does not have a
job.)
 Character description
 What is his or her physical appearance?
 What is his or her personality like?
 What are his or her interests?
 What are his or her goals in life?
2. Costume Designer:
 Create color costume design sketches for at least 3 characters in your group’s play.
 Each design must include fabric swatches attached to the side.
 Costumes must be drawn on a complete body, including a head with hair.
 Each design should include the name of the play or movie and the name of the character.
 Designs should be neat, clean and professional looking as possible.
 You can show the designs and narrate over the designs.
 The designer should explain how they have expressed the individual personalities of the
characters in combination with the overall design concept in each of their costume designs.
3. Scene Designer:
 Color rendering of the set for your scene as you would ideally imagine it
 Pencil ground plan of the same set
 Designs should be neat, clean and professional looking as possible.
 Ground plans should include measurements to indicate the size of the stage and the
various scenic elements in the design.
 Use a ruler and other line guide tools like a compass to achieve straight, smooth lines.
 You can show the designs and narrate over the designs.
4. Producer and Director
 Decide what style your play will take.
 What audience is your play designed for?
 Talk about how you will get funding for the play.
 Explain what type of advertising you will conduct for the play.
 What changes will you make to the script?
 What suggestions will you make to the actors, Scene Designers, and Costume Designers?
 What is your role in the production and how can you work well with all the other people INVOLVED

Students will compile a collection of at least five narrated production stills (500 words each) that follow the spirit and tradition of the Third Cinema genre. Third Cinema directors operated in real life settings with real life people. Rather than use photography or videography, students will observe local, real life scenarios of everyday life that might be fitting for a film of the Third Cinema genre. They will describe the scene, then analyze its relevance to course concepts. Through this exercise, students will practice description and analysis.
Third Cinema is a Latin American film movement during the Cold War that decries neocolonialism and the capitalist system. It is meant to challenge the colonial hegemony of dominant Hollywood by serving the needs of colonized people in the Third World. It is a form of decolonizing through cinematography. 
Will attach sources needed

If you were acting in a role, what technique do you think you would use? Do you think it is more authentic to use the Method and work from the inside? Or do you believe it is more authentic to create the character using your senses, movement and imagination? Tell me why.

The essay instructions have been attached below. I  want the essay written on the movie Safe by Todd Haynes and want to address why the main character Carols sickness is not a real one and the implications of the sickness, so I would want to base the thesis    around the limits of diagnosis and how carols sickness relates to that but you can make that your own. I need to use 3 academic sources and cite them in    APA format. The first citation will be: Stuber, D. (2005). Patient Zero? Illness and Vulnerability in Todd Haynes’s [Safe] 1 . Parallax, 11(2), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/13534640500058574 . Then the second will be: Lessy, R. E. (2006). Feminist Treatment: Illness and Impasse in Todd Haynes’s Safe. Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 7(4), 291–308. https://doi.org/10.2513/s15240657sgs0704_1 . Then the third will be: Bouchard, D., & Desai, J. (2005). “There’s Nothing More Debilitating than Travel”: Locating US Empire in Todd Haynes’ Safe . Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 22(4), 359–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509200590475878 . These can be in any order and honestly you can use a different one if it’s a proper academic resource. Just try to find the parts they talk about the sickness and how the film goes about portraying these things. Please go off the instructions below. Thanks! (I’ve also attached the articles in the citations below so you can use them)

According to chapter 1, “Theatre” comes from the Greek theatron, or “seeing place.” Discuss what “theatre” means to you, and the different ways in which it can be “seen.”  
Discussion posts should be well thought out and supported with examples when needed.

Instructions – This exercise has multiple parts:
1. Design a Title Treatment for your selected script. (You may already have done this, but if not, now is the time). Select a typeface/font, style, colors, etc. – it should be easy to read.
2. Go through the script and identify any places where graphic design/signage could appear – most needs for graphics are not mentioned specifically in the script. 
3. Select one “need” for a graphic or sign – create the graphic or sign – identify where it will be used, the size, color, typeface/font, style, materials, etc. The work you create should be “camera ready” – the information needed to have it prepared for filming.