02/28/13

I watched the production of Anything Goes today. The dance was amazing. I thought the acting needed work though. There set was amazing. It could transform and it had port windows and at least a hundred rivets. It was all ivory colored and beautiful. I loved it. I need to make a few changes to our set now. Even the doors were perfect, it looked like a stamped steel door just like on a ship. It was so grand, it had to be at least 2 and a half stores tall. I loved everything about it. I wonder what the budget was on that thing?

02/26/13

Today we have to make a survey. I don't need one for my project obviously because I'm making a set. I would ask questions like, do you like wood? Not good servey material. So I desided to make a survey for my fellow cast members. This would not really be helpful to me though and I probably won't need to use this.

1. Are you aware of the current set design?

yes or no

2. Are you happy with the set?

(Picture of set design)

yes or no

3. What has been the most difficult part of working with the set?

a. The size
b. second story
c. the stairs
d. blocking and dancing

4. Did you like last years set for Beauty and The Beast?

yes or no

5. Would you be willing to help build the set this year?

yes or no

02/25/13

That's part of my project. The time machine for A Christmas Charol.

02/21/13

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people." -Randy Pausch

The question is how well do I deal with brick walls? Lets put it this way, I've never let a brick wall stop me if I know I can go through it. I don't think a person should aim for an impossible task or a goal that is too easily accomplished, but a person should go for something that they know they can do. A person has to know what they can do. I have encountered problems with the fall play set. My whole project, a time machine. Not too easy, I can't just get a flucks capaciter and Delorean sports car, Doc. I had to build this thing from scratch. It had to be life size. It had to be "steam powered," well, look it anyway. I produced a pretty cool machine I have to admit. When I was almost finished with the chassis it turned out that it had to be shortened and channeled.* Turned out that the driver also wasn't sitting in it, he had to stand on top of it, Luckily my design was already strong enough to do this with minor alterations. But now my ex-bicycle time twisting clock was no longer functuional from the drivers seat. I ended up putting a person inside it to drive the clock face. I realized after these modifications I had little time left for details. I ended up having my friend Craig cut out the grill on the lazer engraver and my friend Antonia paint the mock wheels. I'll upload a picture later.

*channeled-height was cut down.

02/20/13

Materials still need to be ordered. Besides that nothing new in the project. Adds for the Musical are due tomorrow, music theory test, and have to memorize lines and music. That this all for today.

02/14/13

Who and What to Ask in an Interview???

Being a theatre kid myself, I usually just improve an interview but these would be the main points of my interviews

Actors/Set Crew

1. What do you like in your set?
2. What set did you like the best?
3. Do you always feel safe with a set?
4. How soon do you rehearse with the set?
5.Are you responcible for any scene changes?
6. What is most challenging about working with a set?
7.What was the hardest set to work with?
8. If you were to work with my set, what would you like/dislike?
9. What would you want changed?
10. I think before these questions we should start with some questions about them and there acting. Filler, unrelated to sets

Set Designers

1. What is the biggest challenge in making a set?
2. What was your most difficult set?
3. What is your average budget?
4. What was your favorite set?
5. What are you working on now?
6. How did you start in this feild?
7. What was your first experience in this?
8. What do you think of what I'm doing?
9. How often do you have to work?
10. Do you like this carreer, would you do it all over again?

In my area of study, I don't need many different people, just a few perspective

Today, I talked to Hirsh, we have to get fire retardent lumber for the set. But we found a fire retardent paint additive that might do the trick. I have to do some research on this. Hopefully, I'll have some time after school for this.

02/13/13

Today I learned interviewing skills. Pretty straight forward. I interviewed my friend David to harnes my newly found skills. He is making a video game for his senior research. He has his work cut out for him, he wants to do it all by himself minus the sound track(which one of his friends is helping him with). The general idea of this game is that it's a snow ball shooting game. I could tell you more but I want to cover a few more things

I was talking about my srs with shtino and we got talking about set design and 'Broadway magic." Shtino showed me a video from the Grammy. One of the bands was performing and it started raining.

I also had a meeting with Hirsh and Pinto and we covered alot of stuff. I'll go into more detail tomorrow. Right now it's time for homework.

02/12/13

1. How to make weight bereing sets?
*study structures in real life
*interview construction workers
*work on a site
*share ideas with other workers

2. What is the process to create a set from 2D to 3D?
*Talk to Broadway builders
*Watch a special on this.
*Study with some mechanical engineers
*Build a model

3. How can a set reflect a show?
*Watch some shows
*Read scripts
*Draw inspiration from other sets
*Talk to set design crew

4. How to make a set for a budget.
*Look at what goes into a set
*Interview construction team and designers
*Share ideas with experts
*Subscribe to a magazine specializing in this and read.

02/11/13

1. How to make weight bereing sets?
2. What is the process to create a set from 2D to 3D?
3. How can a set reflect a show?
4. How to make a set for a budget.

NEW AND VERY IMPROVED but still crappy.

02/08/13

1. What makes a great set in the aspect of size to function?
2. What are some ways to make weight bereing sets?
3.What makes a set work well with its show?
4. Can I do this?

Research questions are what narrow down your study. They help to keep one on task when working on a long term project like this. They keep your mind on the mission. They allow one to have a straight forward question to answer, so one knows where they're going to go.

02/07/13

A few changes have been made. I've done alot of math on those new stairs. On a different note, Rehearsal was cut short today because Mrs. Gargus was angered by everyone not showing up. I don't blame her. I feel the same way. I'm pretty mad, I have to admit.

02/06/13

I met with my mentor today. A picture speaks a thousand words.

02/05/13

Well, I aquired some materials today! Cardboard! Yeah, it's not 21st century tech. but it's good for making models. Now, for the "J" staircase. All this means is that the stair case is of that shape. It's literally a "J" from an airial view. Hirschefield wasn't here today. Hopefully, he will be tomorrow. When I see him I'm going to make a premier redering of the set. Back to actual drafting.

02/04/13

It's not that i'm lazy. I am just busy. Right now it's 8:37pm and I'm home from a long day. It wasn't a complete waste. I managed to score an Architectural Digest out of the art room. I have no idea what's in it. I haven't had a chance to thoroughly go through it. I was talking to Mrs. Grupp(costume designer and maker) she said that she'd like to see that the set was capable of having people walk through it. If it's bad weather then it's a real pain to go outside to get to the other side of the set. Hopefully I can fix this. It also turns out that I don't have to make a complete spiral staircase. It's going to be more of a "J" now, but more on that tomorow.