ROLES WITHIN BUGSY
-Projection design
-Projection operation
-Lighting design
-Lighting operation (Shadowing this role)
-Properties designer/making
-Set painter
-Make up
Projection Design
My role within Bugsy Malone was to design the projections. I first started out by marking projections that were needed in the script then marked out a final projection list.
From this on Photoshop I created each projection, with firstly using mock ups of projections in certain styles.
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| Mock Ups |
Then in the Tech runs for Bugsy on the script I marked each cue and what the projection was that was needed, from this I then wrote down a final order list of what projections were needed and re ordered the cue stack with Joe at the end of the rehearsal.
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| Re ordering projections |
Then after we reordered the projections I resized all of them to their right proportions as when we created the final cue stack the projections were all the file sizes not the right size for the stage.
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| Resizing |
However the next day in the dress rehearsal I realised the resizing had not saved properly and would have to be done again after the dress rehearsal. It turns out that the output button had been on when I'd been resizing them so it hadn't formatted them and saved them in the cue stack. Hence when I resized them again I ensured the output button was not pressed.
The noise on the projector had been a problem since we first trialled the projections, this problem was never fixed as the most successful way of stopping it was to have a centralised power system in the hall as the resistance and wiring led to the noise on the projector being a problem.
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| Noise on the projection |
Another problem we had was that after adding the newspaper reeling effect the projections had a transition effect on them like a PowerPoint presentation, this problem was never solved completely as it only started happening on the dress rehearsal and the cue stack would have to be re done to stop it happening, so instead Mr Hancock told Joe to just bring the fader up slightly on each projection to allow the projection to do the animation to then be still for when the fader is brought all the way up on cue.
Projection Operator
In the second dress rehearsal Joe wasn't there for a bit so I operated the projections, I also operated them to make sure they were all the right size in the right order. I just pressed the play button on the cue stack every time there was a new cue.
I knew how to use the programme as |Mr Hancock taught me in one my study periods a few weeks ago. The problem with the programme was that it only read Jpegs which meant if I had a transparent background it couldn't be as Jpegs make transparent backgrounds white, hence I made the backgrounds black as the projector struggled projecting black.
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| Black backgrounds on the projections |
Lighting Design
Maddie left for a few hours in the tech rehearsal hence I programmed and designed some of the lighting states in the end of the first act. I learnt this skill by just observing how Maddie had done this earlier in the day. I just programmed different lights and different intensities to create the state, so you type into the programme "
Light number @
intensity (%)". By experimenting with the lighting we got the perfected environment for the scene.
When Maddie was there too I was contributing to the design of the lighting, suggesting for example when Blousey sings to dim the Fat Sam's state and then focus a brighter light on the stage block were Blousey sings.
Lighting Operator
This was the role I was shadowing and I realised I would love to apply for this role in Starlight Express. When Maddie left I was in charge in the second dress rehearsal to operate the cue stack, by watching Maddie I knew how to do this and I really enjoyed it. I also in the tech rehearsal noted down lighting and projection cues and when they were and what number there were, which then I cross referenced with Anna to make sure we all had the right information. I then followed this script in the show to keep track of the cues and Maddie copied up my lighting cues into her script for her to follow.
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| LX notes and annotated with cues script |
We discovered that having a lighting assistant is useful for writing and following cues and to help programme and be support for the main operator and me and Maddie would both like to see this continue in Starlight express.
Properties Making and Designer
Once I'd finished my projections I helped Olly with his workload by first making the newspaper, I printed off the 2 newspaper pages I made for the projection and blew these up to A3, then with double sided tape I joined the 2 pages together, then I placed a teaching newspaper within the two pieces so then when I taped the seam all together it created a newspaper.
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| Front |
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| Newspaper to weight it inside |
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| Back |
I also took the picture and Photoshopped the Dandy Dan cut out image. Then I gave this to Mr Hancock to get printed.
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| The original picture |
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| The cut out |
When the silly string cans were used in the fight I gaffer taped the cans to make them look black, as I was more durable and quicker than painting them, this allowed them to be used straight away for the dress rehearsal.
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| Gaffer taped silly string |
Set Painting
I painted all the flats with the white render and brick work with the help of Beth, Corben, Sophie and Lauren. We used a projection to trace on the first quarter then the rest of it we did free hand when we got the hang of it. We added a small amount of our grey mix to the white to make the render not optic white.
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| Mixing the grey in |
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| The finished set |
Then after the first performance we helped Scott paint the steps a grey/black as the steps were't painted before and were unfinished.
Makeup and Hair
In the dress rehearsal they didn't have any makeup so I just slicked the boy's hair. I found that the VO5 gel was not strong enough for the boy's hair that was thick, so instead I found the essential Boots gel was more effective.
I did mostly the boy's makeup, I added a base colour, eyeliner, blusher and setting powder, for boys with lighter eyebrows I used the eyeliner on their eyebrows, and some boys with pale lips I added some red lipstick.
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| Setting powder |
One of the boys had really dark skin so I found him a dark liquid foundation so consequently had to use a dark powder too to avoid any shining.
I found one of the brushes I was using for the powder the bristles were just falling off on his face so I had to the throw the brush away and brush his face off with another brush.
I did some of the girls makeup, we tried a red lipstick on one of them and it was quite old and went all clumpy so we had to remove it and use a pink newer one instead.
I also did 'Lena's' makeup, I used a toned purple eye shadow on her to give her eyes some more pop as she was a more major role who was very over the top.
