We picked up where we had left off the day before with scenery already in place. I helped the group of with some tasks such as organising the prop cupboard and arranging the scenery. As the group were working co-operatively and didn't require much assistance, I found time to work on my own performance. The important things I focused on was LFX, the jump and 'the tank'.
I already had a rough idea of the light used which is blue/green combo. With the screen it creates a light shield and also shadow. If I stand at the back with the curtain or a black sheet wrapped around me, I am basically invisible until coming close to the screen. As I am able to move quickly, the visitor has little time to react and they see some demonic looking creature (the Gringe. Ring+Grunge) burst towards them and smash the screen shouting mock swear words that sound distressing. At time I will impro something creepy before being pulled back into the abyss.
Currently I have been using the backdrop as a screen where I burst out from a full standing position. I have also explored jumping from the floor or from a crouched position. I think it may be useful to vary the delivery to keep the performance fresh. I may ask Riley to pull me back, as it could be his job. It also ties our performances together and provides an excuse from him to be walking behind. When Jamie comes back it gives opportunity for Riley to move into position.
In my free time, I have been watching films and clips from films as research. The films are typically horror or psychological thrillers. Such examples are The Ring, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Silence of the Lambs and Theatre of Cruelty.
My character build has an appearance very similar to the ring. This could be useful as it provides additional psychological fluff, where the audience can associate my act with the spirit from the film. I studied the movements and noise of the film.
I watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose due to the actor Jennifer Carpenter's physicals in this film. She plays a character who is possessed and is able to contort her body in abnormal manner. There are certain sections where she is staring in silence whilst in a twisted position and then after a moments pause, explosively screams at another character. I have since considered how to use such a style with my performance and practice acting out 'Emily Roses' behaviour.
Another Emily, this time fully human, friendly and from the Digital department in college, joined the class. She brought a new toy, a VR camera that records a surround video. The video is played back via a VR headset. This technology is mostly used for Virtual Learning. However, we are the first in college to use the new camera and its purely for entertainment purposes. The camera is around the size of an early 2000's Nokia phone and plugs into a smart phone to become operational, making it ideal for this type of performance. The camera can also be used with a selfie stick and head set and uses algorithms to remove the objects and the users hands from the recording, creating a clearer, refined film.
To demonstrate the camera, Jamie the Ring Leader, took Emily through the tour of the Circus. She recorded throughout the duration of the tour. Through the tour, each student played our their characters performance. Emily was a fine test subject as she is 'easy prey' and scares easily. I was able to get a good jump scare on her and made it helped me feel more confident with the effectiveness of my performance. In costume and refinement, this performance will work effectively. The class was able watch the video after the performance. Due to the bubble like visual or helped create a focus onto the performance and masks some of the imperfections. We plan to use the VR camera to record an official virtual version of the tour. The video provided an indication that our performance is not far from completion. Some actors need to work on their performance in order to create some additional scares and are currently holding back. Maybe I should get Sonia to suggest that Adam returns but this time he is even angrier. The video will be made available to us once it has been edited. It has made my consider whether it would be possible for each group to pay for the option of a unique VR recording of their tour. Other options selfies and memorabilia.
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