DESIGN CLASS NOTES of SHRI RAM CENTRE

WHAT IS STAGE DESIGN?

1.       Architectural arrangement

2.       Presentation of available material

3.       Creative approach

4.       Objectifying the idea

5.       Enhancing the output

6.       Explanatory of genre

7.       Should communicate the scene essence

8.       Arrangement of properties to make sense

TYPES OF DESIGN?

1.       Properties

2.       Music

3.       Light

4.       Sound

5.       Costume

6.       Make up

7.       Set

8.       Digital integration

PRODUCTION BOOK CONTENTS (in order):

1.       Script

2.       Set plan

3.       Ground plan

4.       Area plan

5.       Blocking plan

6.       Lighting plan

7.       Lighting cue

8.       Music

9.       Costume and make up

10.    Poster

11.   Brochure

12.   References

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:

1.       Line:

a.       Straight

b.      Curved

c.       Zigzag

2.       Shape

a.       Circle

b.      Rectangle

c.       Square

d.      Rhombus

e.      Trapezium etc

3.       Volume

a.       Big

b.      Small

c.       Huge

4.       Texture – material used to make

IMPORTANT THEATRE WORDS:

1.       Abstract stage – any furniture on stage

2.       Ad lib – improvised acting on stage

3.       Apron – section of stage that extends beyond proscenium

4.       Baby spot – small spotlight

5.       Backcloth – flown cloth behind scenic element

6.       Back drop – back scenery

7.       Barn door – device adjust spill of light on lantern

8.       Batten – group of flood lights

9.       Beam light – light from a lantern

10.   Brail – moving bars up or down by ropes

11.   Butterfly – tabs fixed at top and down from sides

12.   Cinemoid – type of color gel

13.   Cross fade – some go up, some go down. Could be lights or sound.

14.   Cyclorama – semi circular backing

15.   Diffusion gel – softens light

16.   Dionysian -

17.   Dramatic departure -

18.   Dress parade – costume check on stage lights

19.   Elex – electrical things

20.   Ellipsoidal – type of reflector used in profile spot

21.   Faustus -

22.   Fit up – installation of equipment and scenery

23.   Flies – area above stage where flown scenery kept

24.   Fly – raising scenery above audience sight level

25.   Fly space – actors movement space left after stage design

26.   Gate – optical centre of profile spotlight

27.   Gobo – light created through pattern

28.   Ground row – lights on stage

29.   House lights – lights illuminating audience

30.   House tab – front curtain

31.   Iris – facility in lights to adjust beam size

32.   Lavalier – type of radio mic fitting

33.   Level – intensity of sound or light

34.   Milliput – type of modelling plastic

35.   Prism convex – a lens in a lantern

36.   Pancake – water based make up

37.   Preset – position of scenery and effects before performance

38.   Profile – light for hard or soft light

39.   Prologue –

40.   Prompt – left side of stage

41.   Proscenium – traditional picture frame of stage

42.   Quarter – call given before 25 mins before curtain up

43.   Rake – incline of stage

44.   Rigging – fixing lighting, sound and scenic

45.   Rustrum – moving platform

46.   Scrims -

47.   Setting line – line on stage on which nothing can be set

48.   Shin buster – low side lights

49.   Shutter – light beam shaping lens

50.   Spill – unwanted lights on stage

51.   Strobe – flashing light

52.   Supernumerary – actor playing  variety of non speaking roles

53.   Walter Plug – actor with more than one role

TYPES OF STAGE:

INDIAN:

1.       Rectangle

2.       Square

3.       Triangle

WESTERN:

1.       Proscenium : eg SRC

2.       Thrush : eg Ramp walk type

3.       Amphitheatre : eg IHC

4.       Profile

a.       Sports arena

b.      Blackbox

c.       Basketball

STAGE AREAS:

UPRIGHT : least prominent	UPCENTRE	UPLEFT
CENTRE RIGHT	CENTRE CENTRE : most prominent area	CENTRE LEFT
DOWNRIGHT	DOWNCENTRE	DOWNLEFT : 2nd most prominent
AUDIENCE

SET PLAN:

This is the audience view of the properties on stage. The audience sitting in the centre of the auditorium is taken as reference for drawing this plan.

AREA PLAN:

This plan distributes the stage area into areas where somethings are prominent enough. Like somewhere acting can be prominent. Somewhere music. Somewhere properties. Rest leftover area can be named as last AREA NUMBER.

GROUND PLAN:

The top view of properties on stage is called the ground plan. It is used to make the blocking plan and has to be made for every time the set changes along with the cue it changes on.

BLOCKING PLAN:

Every movement of each character in every scene shown on ground plan is called blocking plan.

For good lighting effect on yourself and to prevent self shadows on face, don’t look straight, tilt head 2-5 degrees above normal.

Comedian movement lines can be zig zag or curved but LEADS should have straight lines.

LIGHTING PLAN:

Type of lights:

1.       PAR (parabolic Al reflection) – for big wide lighting

2.       PC (plano convex) – specific small area lighting, only circular

3.       Profile – specific small area but different shapes/textures can be made

4.       Fresnel

5.       Halogen – for shadows

6.       LED – highlighting properties

7.       Strobe

8.       Moving head

9.       Mirror light

10.   Baby spot

Type of intensities:

1.       Narrow

2.       Wide

3.       Middle

FOH – front of house lights are above audience – mainly PC, PAR or Profile.

Lighting plan tells us what lights to be faded in or out or cross faded according to the script and also tells us the intensity.

BROCHURE DESIGN:

Page 1 should have Theoritical design of the play OR Poster

Page 2 should have About the play/playwright

Page 3 should have Synopsis of the play/Director’s note

Page 4 should have Cast & Crew/ Acknowledgement

Page 5 should have Sponsors

Page 6 should have any other related instructions

Dark background with bright text is advised. Stark contrast should be there between background and font.