COSTUME AND SOUND DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN • • • • Objectives Elements of costume design Working stages Skills THEATRE COSTUME: OBJECTIVES (1) Indicates the nature of an individual character: his/her place in the action, their past, occupations, social class, and personalities Shows relationships among characters— separating major characters from minor ones, contrasting one character or group from another UAB production of the Old Greek comedy Lysistrata THEATRE COSTUME: OBJECTIVES (2) • Helps establish the style of the production Indicates the historical period and geographical place of the play or the production, if different from the play Victorian-era costumes from the production of the British period-comedy Charley’s Aunt at UAB Department of Theatre THEATRE COSTUME: OBJECTIVES (3) Meets the needs of individual performers, making it possible for an actor or actress to move freely in a costume, even when performing an intense physical action onstage It is consistent with the production as a whole, especially the other visual elements: set, light, and space. ELEMENTS OF COSTUME DESIGN Line, shape, and silhouette Color Fabric Accessories (the removable parts of the costumes: hats, jewelry, handbags) Makeup Masks Wigs Hairspray, UAB Theatre STAGES AND SKILLS This short video is about costume design in film, but the five stages of working on costume design are the same for theatre as well. What are these stages? See costume designer Emilio Sosa talking about his job and career. According to him, what are the three most important skill of a designer? What degree did Sosa receive, which helped him as a theatre designer? (You can also find the two videos published in this module) SOUND DESIGN • • • What does a sound designer do? Objectives Where are sound and music used in a production? WHAT DOES A SOUND DESIGNER DO? From making the sound onstage audible and smooth, to mixing sounds in a soundscape, to creating sound effects and music for shows—these are the things a sound designer does. Learn more about the work of a sound designer by the testimonies of Robert Kaplowitz and Alma Kelliher. For which show did Kaplowitz create a unique violin-made sound design? What was his goal as a sound designer for the musical Fela! According to Kelliher, does a sound designer create original sound effects? THEATRE AND MUSIC/SOUND Sound effects have long played a role on the stage: from live music being played in Greek performances and religious drama, to music played before and after shows as well as between the acts of a play ever since the Renaissance. Today’s theatrical soundscapes may include the use of actors’ voices, recorded music, specifically composed sound and music, synthetic sound effects, or live music played as part of the stage action SOUND AND MUSIC: OBJECTIVES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Provides audibility through speakers, microphones, amplifiers, especially in a musical or performance with live music Establishing environment (time and place) through period or ethnically specific music Telling the story through motivated sounds, such as falling rain, ticking clock, etc. that are heard by the characters Defining mood and style: from random sounds to specifically selected or created music/song that depicts the world of the play or the mood of the scene/character Aiding the flow of the action and providing rhythm: Random or motivated sounds create ambience or set a pace Reinforcing the central image or theme by using a symbolic tune, a solo piece that relates to the struggle of the main character, etc. SOUND AND MUSIC IN PRODUCTION Types of sound/music When is it played Objectives Examples Pre-show While the audience is taking their seats Creates mood and establishes style A song, which talks about themes in the play; A classical instrument solo Top of the show (random, but could also be motivated) Lights come down, curtain rises, actors enter or start doing business onstage before dialog begins Establishes environment; connects with the world of the characters Sound of falling rain; A song playing on the radio onstage; A sound of arriving car before guests enter. During a scene (motivated, but could be random) Underlining a dialog Telling the story; or action scene Aiding the action flow; Setting the rhythm Closing the action End of a scene or end of the show (just before the curtain falls) A ticking clock; An unexplained sound of breaking string; Dog barking Establishes a central A patriotic tune or theme anthem in an epic drama; A duet at the end of Romeo and Juliet SOUND DESIGN LIBRARY http://www.soundfx.com/ http://www.stonewashed.net/sfx.html http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.html http://www.a1freesoundeffects.com/ http://www.soundrangers.com/ http://www.findsounds.com/ Try to find some specific sound effects on any of these sites. What sounds could you use for the eventual production of the ten-minutes play assigned to your team?
