Homework for January 6, 2009

1. Everyone: An Event In Your Life

Think of a great event in your life. It can be happy, sad, a mixture of both, scary or milk-out-of-your-nose funny...whatever.

Write it down. What happened? Give a description of the event. Why was it funny, sad, etc.?

Who was there? What time of day was it? The weather (if you can remember it)? Any other details that you can remember? How did you feel? What did you do? How do you feel about it now?

How did this affect you?

How do others remember the event? (Whether they were there or not.) How were they affected?

What was going on before the event?

What happened after the event?

[We will do some group improvisations around these descriptions during the month of January.]


2. Cast: Watch Movies

Watch your favorite DVD. First time through watch how the characters react differently to events and situations in the film.

Pick your favorite scene and rewatch it again from the perspective of one character.

Explain what the scene is and how your character reacted. Why did he/she do what they did? How did the other characters react?

Please give a good amount of details. The cast members will choose the best of these descriptions for some improv sessions in January.

3. Crew: Watch Movies

Watch your favorite DVD. First time through watch the action, but also listen how the music and the sound effects create a mood for the scenes.

Detail some specific scenes where the music is important in setting the mood. Explain the action, the music, and how they worked together or against each other.

Listen for some special sound effects: remember most scenes are shot on sound stages, not in real settings. Or they are miked close to the actors and don't really catch the footsteps, door closings, etc. All of these are put in later during the sound mixing session. Explain the scene, the sound effects, and how they helped or hurt the scene.

If you have any questions about the homework, please email Tess' Dad at tapedave@comcast.net over the break.

Note: The Monologues

For the first meeting in January, we will pick up where we left off with the monologues.

Anyone who did not read their monologue on December 17th, please be ready when we return in January. We are trying something new with everyone.

If you don't have your copy of the pages, please check the Monologues [1] link to the right.