We definitely had some interesting and entertaining "encapsulations." I put the word in quotation marks because most of the projects seemed to be closer to abridged dramatizations.
Here are some strengths I saw/heard in the projects:
1. Subtle inclusion of Hawthornian literary elements and characters from stories other than the one being dramatized -- e.g., bare-branches forest scene, the minister's black veil, Hester & Pearl, Georgiana (in Lady Eleanore), etc.The common weaknesses I suspect are more a product of the limited availability of time and technical expertise: e.g., sound ("turn down sound on the waterfalls"), lighting ("my, it sure is dark in this house"), sound ("I think we may need to use subtitles"), and sound ("would someone please stop the cars from driving down our street?").
2. Inclusion -- subtle or otherwise -- of elements that resonate with the class: e.g., a character reading from Clerestory, the return of Soapy, reference to "those whom we do not mention."
3. Use of varied accents and speech patterns to differentiate characters, especially in the audio presentations.
4. In some cases, excellent costumes (e.g., Lady Eleanore), props (e.g., Birthmark), and setting (e.g., Rappaccini's Daughter)
5. And, in at least one case (Birthmark), excellent frame composition (e.g.,painting reflected in the armoir mirror), lighting and sound.
6. Use of soundtrack music (e.g., Happy Days) and subtle humor.
Suggestions for future reference:
1. Oft-times, less is more. Limit the number of actors and characters involved.
2. Pay careful attention to what's going on in the background! It is easy to get too involved with the foreground. But viewers notice the background of every shot just as much as the foreground. Again: Less is more. Choose backgrounds that are simple and not distracting to what's going on in the foreground.
3. Carrying around scripts in a movie is, um, not the best technique. Memorize lines or use queue cards like the Birthmark people did (though, be careful of the wandering eye).
4. Don't let the credits and theme music overshadow your project. Integrate.
Lady Eleanore's Mantle is available on Youtube. Click the window above to view. Or, if you'd like to see the bloopers, click on the window below. NOTE: If any other projects are online, please let me know and I'll link to it here. If you'd like me to post it, send me your video file -- and I will post it for purposes of posterity and immortalization.
In the bloopers, I like the alternative ending -- with the mantled Eleanore figure walking away, looking like one of "those whom we do not mention" from The Village.
ReplyDeleteExcellent line: "Lady Eleanore, Queen of Death, where are you?" And how nice it is when a magician-like Audrey pops out to say: "Here I am!"