Step+One

=Step One: Initial Brainstorming=


 * Select three potential scenes to film and get your ideas on paper.** The most successful groups generate lots of ideas before settling on one, so I'm asking you to fill out a Project Planning Guide sheet for **three** different scene choices.

Add. . . list three things you like about this scene (want to keep or preserve) and three problems you have with it

Be as detailed as possible in filling out these sheets, and don't devote most of your thinking to one single candidate at this point, even if you're pretty confident that it's the one you'll end up choosing. This stage is important for getting your creative juices flowing and for giving me a sense of your group's range of thinking about the play.

You can combine scenes or pieces of scenes if you wish, or you can also choose to do only a portion of a longer scene; I think 75 to 150 lines of text is a good starting point (much more than that will overwhelm you). Don’t necessarily reject a scene because you don’t have enough group members to play all of Shakespeare’s characters, as some of you can play more than one role (or you can recruit extras, if needed). Likewise, you don’t have to disqualify a scene because it doesn’t include enough characters for everyone to have an on-screen role, as there is more than enough going on “behind the scenes” to keep everyone plenty busy; remember that someone has to hold the camera.

In detailing your vision, be creative and have fun. Do you want to stage the action in a traditional or modern setting? Are the Montagues and Capulets rival families of the nobility, or are they supporters of two different football teams? I've had groups set their scenes in modern-day Atlanta, Renaissance Italy, the Old West, and even in A Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Most importantly, how do you interpret the action in the scene? How will you define your characters? Are there images or thematic ideas in the play that you want to capture? Let the text be your guide—the planning sheets specifically ask you to highlight lines from the play that might shape your vision in this regard.


 * A thought or two about location:** Setting should certainly be a part of your early deliberations. Be aware that you have three factors to balance in selecting an eventual location for your filming: story, visuals, and logistics.


 * In terms of story, your choice of scene and concept may suggest a particular location, like a public square or a church or a balcony. I’ve had groups film in grocery stores and graveyards, bedrooms and basketball courts.
 * Moreover, some locations are simply more interesting than others in terms of visual appeal. Given a choice between filming a fight scene in the street in front of my house or filming it in a pool hall, I might choose the latter for both the atmosphere and the staging opportunities it would provide.
 * Finally, however, you’ll need to balance your ideals with logistical constraints. Some locations are simply easier to get to than others or will allow you more flexibility in terms of what you want to do. Can’t convince the MARTA Police to let you stage a sword fight in the subway station? Maybe that neighborhood street is not such a bad idea, after all. You might find that your brilliant idea to film in the Phipps Plaza food court falls apart because of all the impossible-to-avoid background noise. And maybe, just maybe, your parents won’t be all that thrilled to drive you to the beach so you can finish your homework. Because of these and other perfectly valid logistical concerns, most groups end up filming at one member’s house or here on campus. These locations are perfectly okay, but think through all the possibilities before settling an a firm choice.