Pinterest Links.

Mermaid and Clown Inspirational Pinboards

The above link will open a new window and take you to the Pinterest page I put together when researching and collecting inspirational images for the makeup's and costumes of the Clown and Mermaid characters, for the 'Real Medway and Swale' project.

Group Orpheus Pinboard

The above link will also open a new window displaying the group Pinterest board that myself and the Orpheus team put together, in order to collect historic reference images and visualisations for the characters and environment.

Maidstone Studios: Contextual Background

As the UK'S largest independent TV studio, Maidstone Studios possesses access to professional equipment and high-profile TV shows , with opportunity to network with leading industry professionals.
Facilities include: 25 Apple editing suites, screening, audition room, sound booth, kitchen, kit room and library. Access to the actual TV studio spaces are also available, which is where we were able shoot 'Teach Em' A Lesson.' I believe we were making use of Studio 2 which is 6,000 square feet and equipped with the capacity for 200 seated audience and boasts a full saturation lighting grid of 116 barrel hoists.


Examples of shows filmed at Maidstone Studios:
Later With Jools Holland, Catchphrase, Take Me Out, Sports Relief's Top Dog, Mister Maker, Jo Brands Great Wall of Comedy.

Orpheus costume mood boards: 1950's male fashion.

With the students coming to visit us at Farnham I also had the opportunity to sit down with the pupil who'll be performing as Orpheus and chat with him about the potential costume. As lead designer for the male characters, (Hades and Orpheus) I still hadn't been given any information on what the Performing Arts students wanted for the main characters so this was a prime opportunity to straighten this out. In general, I got the idea they wanted a man kitted out in generic 50's male fashion. However, I was also able to discuss characterisation for the figure of Orpheus:

He's not wealthy at all, and working at 'The Underworld' club as a struggling musician and club presenter with his love, Eurydice. Down beat, desperate, love stricken, afraid and frustrated, Orpheus is also horribly in debt to Hades; a debt he's struggling to pay off. Having this conversation gave me a lot more to go on, and now I have more of Orpheus' characterisation understood. Hades on the other hand  is the puppet master, the over lord, a dominant and twisted man who manipulates anyone for his own gain.

Through research I learnt that during the 50's the long trench coat and trilby styled hat was very common within the working 'businessman' class. Even though this was every-day wear, it also has a very formal appearance to it that I don't think would suit the down-trodden vibe of Orpheus. This style seems too mature and official. Instead I began concentrating on the style of younger men, or envisaging the fashions without the coat or hat. During this era, wearing a hat was 'the done thing' in polite society and all men would usually don the before mentioned trilby style before leaving the family home. However, if Orpheus is very poor then I can't visualise him in thick new coat and smart hat. Why wear clothes that hold a social status symbol when he's hit rock bottom? Because of this, I think a simple shirt, tie and waistcoat would be more accurate for the character, possibly distressed or aged up too? This would also be more cost effective and suit the minimal/ symbolic uses of the other costume.

I was also potentially considering braces, but don't want the fashion to come through too American in style, as the production is set in 1950's England. However, upon research, it turns out that braces would be worn very commonly in late 1940's/ early 50's England by gentlemen, e.g. A tailor would assume that trousers would always be worn with braces, as "any gentleman would insist upon". Because of this, I think that braces would suit the character as they were a commonly worn undergarment and no where near as fancy as a hat and coat, but I do think that aging them up or making them look patched up and old would be appropriate.

References:

http://histclo.com/style/pants/sus/sus/chron/20/1950/suspc-1950.html

http://fiftiesweb.com/fashion/1950s-mens-fashion/

Later on I discovered this photo on Pinterest, which I think sums up the visualisation I have of Orpheus in my head at the moment! Slicked back hair, distressed and aged clothing, dirtied face and skin (makeup), fake cigarette prop. The braces should be a little worse for wear, as should the trousers and shirt but that can be achieved with simple distressing methods. 

Contextual Document: Partner Profile, Ruth Torr.

Information and LinkedIn Profile:
http://www.uca.ac.uk/staff/ruth-torr/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ruth-torr-1308b189

Bio: Leader of the new Acting and Performance degree at UCA Farnham, Ruth is currently collaborating with us through the 'Taking Flight; project; A series of half hour group productions of traditional plays  performed by small teams of the students. Throughout this project Ruth has organised face to face meetings alongside Fiona Watts, so that presentations and fittings can take place. Ruth has also made sure we have a good understanding of 'The Maltings' and its layout, which is where the final performances will take place.

Contextual Document: Partner Profile, TV Production student roles.

This is a list I put together showing all the names of the collaborating production students and their related roles as appear in the credits.

Series Producer: Wesley Denne

Studio Director: Jordan Parker

Assistant Producer/ Floor Manager: Adele Faldetta 

VT Producer/ GFX OP: Jessica Gray

P.A./ VT Editor: Alexander Barker

GFX/ Promo Producer and Vision Mixer: Megan Waters 

GFX/ Promo D.O.P & Studio Camera OP: Patrica C. Dixon 

VT Camera OP & Lead Studio Camera: Harry Taylor 

VT Camera OP & Assistant Studio CamOP: Plamen Dimitrov 

VT Director & Studio Camera OP: Lawrence Sedgewick 

VT Directors & Studio OP: Mary Green

VT Sound Recordist: Shannelle Laniyan 

Studio Sound OP: Mike Hoad 

Set Design - UCA Creative Arts For Theatre and Film:
Debbie Abbott, Jessica Ampleford, Carmela Arbelaez-McCarthy, Anna Beaumont, Charlottle Dean, Tara Dunne, Lily Greenhalgh, Bruce Hill, Louise Humphries, Leigh Osbourne, Hannah Quinn, James Wright.  

Contextual Document: Partner Profile, Roy Smith.

Roy Smith Bio:

'Roy Smith lives in the Medway Towns, where he works with young people and spends a lot of time writing nonsense. Most of his writing happens at night and other inconvenient moments, when he is regularly interrupted by his dog and the desire to play old video games.

Roy became interested in using Augmented Reality to tell stories after completing the University of Potsdam's 'Future of Storytelling' online MOOC, leading him to set up Real Medway and Swale with funding from Ideas Test Swale and Medway. He launched his first game, Monsters of Rochester in December 2015.

Roy also runs Seasonally Effected and open mic night for original poetry, music, short film, comedy and theatre performance.' - Written by Roy as requested by me.

Throughout the Medway and Swale project, Roy has been quick to answer all inquiries and incredibly supportive in our work. Offering criticisms and ideas along the way, as well as showing enthusiasm for our progress and designs, it's been a real pleasure working with Roy!

LinkedIn Profile:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/roy-smith-6b78a8a

Contextual Document: Partner Profile, Del Brown.

Del Brown was the director and manager of the TV Production students at the UCA Maidstone studios while we collaborated on the 'Teach Em' a Lesson' project. Although our team didn't see a lot of him, he obviously managed the Production students well as they were all organised and his involvement meant that the project ran smoothly. I think without Del's supervision it would've been harder to come to definite decisions, and by having someone in that lead directing role that the Production students could run everything through, the project could be completed in time.



Information and Linkedin profile:
http://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2015/november/del-brown-masterclass

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/del-brown-876ba61