VLOG

VLOG LA REVOLTOSA

Every week I upload an episode to my podcast LA REVOLTOSA 

This next term I'm also doing a VLOG where I talk about what we have done during our classes.

Check below the videos of every week here:

WEEK 1. TELL US A STORY 

In this episode we discuss some useful games for actors to train their connection with fellow actors, by focusing on their listening, being present and helping with vocalisation. The exercises are: The zombie exercise, the soft ball exercise, the chairs exercise, the ‘talking’ exercise, moving while embodying different elements and different types of walking depending on which part of the body leads the walk.

We also discuss how to develop a story. We performed this exercise by choosing two images and one pice of written text and then we had to create a quick story about it.

We also touched on the importance of listening for actors.

WEEK 2. MAKE EM LAUGH COMEDY 

In this episode I talk about what we did at Jack's class on the 24th of February, 2022.

We discuss the STORY CIRCLE and how to organise a story: YOU, NEED GO, SEARCH, FIND, TAKE, RETURN, CHANGE. I then explain what every part of the story is about.

I then read an example of how to organise a story by choosing to analysing The Dark NIght.

I talk more about the story I created in class following the methodology of the Story Circle: We had to choose two elements, an image and an object. We had to create a quick story and give it a title.

I then talk more about the story I have created, by explaining each part, as we had done beforehand with the example of The Dark Night.

I also talk further about the creation of a character The Buffoon. The exercise we did to develop this character and how important the walk is for developing a character. I also share a personal story of how somebody once took me as a thief in real life.

WEEK 3. TOUCH OUR HEARTS 

WEEK 3. TOUCH OUR HEARTS. Extra 

In this episode I talk about the movies that have touched my heart like ‘UP’ (2009), ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004), ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’ (1975). I also mention how I would like my performance/project for the next semester to mirror one of these stories by also touching the hearts of the audience. I mention how important it is for me to pass a message on with my performance and I elaborate a bit on the idea of what family represents to me and how I feel the idea of family has been distorsted by the current gender norms of society and the current lifestyle. I also mention how the pandemic has really affected children and what I want to achieve with my performance.

WEEK 4. UNSETTLE US 

WEEK 4. UNSETTLE US. Extra 

In this episode I elaborate on my ideas for my project next term.

I also talk about two images I brought in for the class to discuss. One is a photogram of the film ‘An Andalusian Dog (Un Chien Andalou)’ (1929) by Buñuel with scenography by Salvador Dalí. I talk about the photogram of the film where they slice the eye of the character with a blade. I mention ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1972) a film by Kubrick which also has a very unsettling scenes. For example, the one when the main character is forced to watch awful images on a television and they areunable to close their eyes or look away.

I talk about a second image, which is one of the posters for the album ‘The Wall’ (1979) by Pink Floyd and the resemblance this particular picture has with the painting ‘The Scream’ (1873) by Munch. They are both unsettling images. I mention the video of The Wall as another point of reference on how to disturb the audience without necessarily having extremely graphic images and how these ideas will influence my performance for the next semester.

WEEK 5. IMPRO & STORY TELLING 

In this episode we talk about what we have been doing in our past classes, the exercises that are good for actors to improve their presence, listening, and focus. We talk about ‘The president’ exercise and the clapping exercise.

I also talk about an exercise we did for creating a story: We had two groups with post-its and some text at each side of the class. We had to flip a coin to pick up the post-its from one side and the other and then we used a dice for picking up the text. With all of that we had material we would get random stories.

I also talk about the story I created about the last story I wrote in the last class and I explain each step of my story. In this class we implement something new in our stories: Social media.

I talk a bit about the story I will be developing for the next semester and about Federico Garcia Lorca.

WEEK 6. INTERESTING USE OF CONTENT  

In this episode I explain what my project for next term is about- 'GIFT: AND NOW WHAT?'. My original idea for this project was to work out how the pandemic has affected children as well as their parents. It is based on personal issues but I do not intend to make it soley autobiographical.

I talk about the aesthetic of the performance and the music (I’m extremely influenced by a Spanish band from the 80s, MECANO).

I also talk about what I want to achieve with the performance, and how my original idea for my performance is constantly changing and developing. For instance, I now have a very clear idea that I want to portray a positive message with this performance by not going too dark or negative. I would like to shine a light on how the pandemic has been very hard for many people, who were perhaps not acknowledged and to stand-up for the loved ones.

I mention some books I am currently reading at the moment and how these books are also influencing the development of this performance. For instance, after reading ‘Impro: Improvisation and the theatre’ (2007) by K. Johnstone, I am considering using masks of some sort in the performance. I also mention the types of traditional theatre that use masks, like Kabuki Japanese theatre.

I also mention finding a mask workshop organised by VAMOS THEATRE and my idea of creating a mask.

I consider proposing to my son to be part of the performance (perhaps in video). I am also inspired by ‘Why Is That So Funny?’ (2006) by J. Wright. After reading this book I have an idea of using games that actors use for training and playing but playing them with my son and recording that content for my performance and possibly adding it as a projection.

I also talk a bit about my research in social media. Particularly TIKTOK.

WEEK 7. THE DIGITAL DOUBLE 

In this podcast I discuss what we did at the first class with Carrie. I will talk about one of the exercises we did. I called it ‘the hand exercise’. In this exercise, one actor behaves as if they are being hypnotised by the hand of the other actor.

I also talk about one exercise we did about the digital double: You cut-out the shape of your phone in an A4 cartoon. With your phone, another person records your face moving it as you please. Then you tape your phone to the cartoon you cut off in the first instance and place it covering your face. Then you move your body and the full image of your head being recorded moving while your body moves in a completely different way. The results are very interesting.

I then talk about the video I did for TIKTOK and about the digital double.

I will mention and go into detail in some of the pdf. files Carrie has sent to us like 'The Digital Double' (2004), by Dixon where the idea of the digital double is more developed.

I talk about how some of these readings are influencing the preparation for my project next term.

I also talk about the last exercise we did with Carrie. One of my classmates recorded me while I was playing with that feeling. Then that recording is projected on my chest while we do an improv about breaking up. I explain how I feel so strongly about this exercise for my performance and as a performance in general.

And finally, I talk about some performances that Carrie showed us, where the digital double idea plays a bigger part in them. One performance in particular, a solo person performance and how you can tell the story as a solo person and how you can make the performance more interesting and engaging.

WEEK 8/9. BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN GESTURES 

In this episode I comment on what we did in Carrie’s class on the 31/03/22. I further discussed some exercises we did during the class. The first one was about picking up a gesture from somebody else and implementing it into our own story. Another exercise was observing somebody else's way of walking and giving feedback about how they walk and their gestures.

Carrie asked us to write and bring a script on a conversation we would have with our younger and older selves. During the class she was asking some questions that both characters had to answer. We then did the walk exercise as one of the characters and the point of the exercise was to observe how the walk changed and what elements stayed with us.

I also talk about ‘the digital double’. We did an exercise on the topic by recording ourselves as our character and then projecting that face over our face and asking the questions that our digital double will answer (the previous recording done of your character).

And lastly I will talk about how I was thinking of staging this performance.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aqueous Humour Theatre Company (2012) ‘Bouffons’. Available at: https://www.aqueoushumour.com/about/bouffons/ (Accessed 5 April 2022)

Brandtzaeg, P. B. and Lüders, M. (2018) ‘Time Collapse in Social Media: Extending the Context Collapse’, Social Media + Society. doi: 10.1177/2056305118763349 (Accessed 5 April 2022)

Brecht, B. (1964) ''Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic'. New York. Hill & Wang.

Carlson, M. (2015). 'Postdramatic Theatre and Postdramatic Performance', Brazilian Journal on Presence Studies, pp577-595. Available at: h t t p : / / w w w. s e e r . u f r g s . b r / p r e s e n c a (Accessed 31 March 2022).

Castello di Rivoli. (2022). ‘Maurizio Cattelan’. Available at: https://www.castellodirivoli.org/en/artista/maurizio-cattelan/ (Accessed 4 April 2022)

Dixon, S. (2004) 'The Digital Double'. Routledge

Encyclopedia Britannica (1995) 'Epic Theatre of Brecht'. Available at https://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~jamesf/goodwoman/brecht_epic_theater.html (Accessed: 4 April 2022).

Freeman, J. (2010). Blood, Sweat & Theory. London. Libri Publishing

Freud, S. (2003) The Uncanny. London. Penguin Classics

Goffman, E. (1990). The presentation of self in everyday life. London, England: The Penguin Press (Original work published 1959).

Gray, R. "Freud and the Literary Imagination".Lecture Notes: Freud, "The Uncanny" (1919) Available at: https://courses.washington.edu/freudlit/Uncanny.Notes.html (Accessed: 4 April 2022)

Grotowski J. (1975) Towards the poor theatre. London. Methuen Drama

Jamieson, L. (2007) 'The Lost Prophet of Cinema: The Film Theory of Antonin Artaud'. Available at: https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2007/feature-articles/film-theory-antonin-artaud/ (Accessed: 4 April 2022).

Johnstone, K. (2007) Impro: Improvisation and the theatre. London. Methuen Drama

Kattenbelt, C. (2008) 'Intermediality in Theatre and Performance: Definitions, Perceptions and Medial Relationships', Culture, language and representation, Cultural Studies Journal of Universitat Jaume I , 6 (1697-7750), pp19-29

Kardashian, K (2015) Selfish. New York.Universe

Lecoq. J (2006). Theatre of Movement and Gesture. London. Routledge

Ploeger, D. 'Digital Parts / Modular Doubles: fragmenting the ‘digital double’'

Sage Elwell, J. (2006) 'Intermedia: Forty years on and beyond', Afterimage, 33 (5), pp 25-29

Stanislavski, C. (2013). An Actor prepares. London. ‎ Bloomsbury Academic; Reprint edition

Wright, J (2006) Why Is That So Funny?: A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy. London. Nick Hern Books

*This is a project for my MA Acting for Stage and Screen at UEL, London (2022)