Miss Saigon

During a research trip to London, I had the opportunity to experience Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of the sensational Miss Saigon, a tragic tale based on Giacomo Puccini’s, opera Madame Butterfly. Set in 1975 during the final days of the American occupation of Saigon, Miss Saigon is an epic love story about the upheaval relationship between an American GI and a young Vietnamese woman.

This West End revival has created a striking, new freshness and accommodates for its 21^st century audiences. This can been seen through the much angrier and meaner American GI’s, through the using and abusing of Vietnam’s woman, and through culture and politics; all of which create a essence of heart and reality for the audience to experience.

Furthermore, Production and set designers Totie Driver and Matt Kinley created a squalid Vietnam, with so much realism you can almost smell the mixture of smoky, contaminated air and cheap perfume. What is more the set design itself explores a sordid atmosphere and an utter emphasis of poverty and destitution. In addition, it allows the audience to understand the desperation of getting out of the slums and keeping her child safe. This type of ingenious use of set design, is the kind that draws the audience into the story and what is more aids in the progression of the characters.

Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer

The scene-stealer of the whole production is the dramatic flashback scene, featuring the Embassy gates and a helicopter. For this scene, the front of a real helicopter is used and lowered onto the stage, the realism is done by using sound, and lighting. This one fast paced, heartfelt scene gives a real sense of the imprisoned corrugated-iron Embassy gates and the agony and despair of the Vietnamese citizens trying to break through.

Embassy Gates and Helicopter

Overall, director Laurence Connor’s production has an astounding cinematic fluency and keeps the drama and tension running throughout, which forces the audience onto the edge of their seats.

Sources:

http://www.miss-saigon.com/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/10846634/Miss-Saigon-Prince-Edward-Theatre-review-superbly-slick.html

Miss Saigon, Prince Edward Theatre Programme

Mackinnon and Saunders

After touching on the subject of fantastical puppet making in my previous blog post, and introducing one of the world’s leading puppet making companies, Mackinnon and Saunders, I felt the need to learn more about the vast world of puppet making and looking in particular into the talented team at Mackinnon and Saunders.

Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders

The founders of the company Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders, teamed up over 30 years ago on a stop-motion version of The Wind in the Willows and since then they have collaborated together on countless creative and inspiring television commercials and on some of the most successful stop-motion feature films. Based in Greater Manchester, the company was founded after the pair established their puppet making team at Cosgrove Hall, an organisation that shaped the British animation industry. Cosgrove Hall films was a British animation studio and was once a major producer of children’s television and animated programmes. There are best known as the creators of such creative productions such as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, The BFG and The Wind in the Williows as well as making a handful of episodes for the BBC including Noddy, Bill and Ben and Andy Pandy. Both Mackinnon and Saunders learned their creative trade at the famous Cosgrove Hall studios and also recruited many of the company’s former employees after its closure. Describing the region as the heart of creative talent, the pair were keen on keeping this visionary talent in one place, particularly for their thriving business. In addition, the company still receive fantastic opportunities for collaboration and also have expanding networks, proving that they can still continue to run a prosperous global business. What is more Mackinnon and Saunders have set an example for the animation industry not just in Manchester, but also in the UK.

Danger Mouse produced by Cosgrove Hall Films

Despite having over 30 years of experience, the creative pair found one particular collaboration daunting. Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation version of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, challenged the duo, their team and their preconceptions about what stop-motion puppets are. What is more with Anderson not haven’t worked a great deal in stop- motion, accelerated the creative team to try new ideas, new techniques and new materials.  In addition, the director insisted that he didn’t want the film to look sleek and polished, which can sometimes resemble computer-animation, but instead versioned for the viewers to respect and embrace the medium of stop-motion itself.  Furthermore, the puppet makers rediscovered and adapted techniques dating back to ‘King Kong’, which was to cover most of the cast in fur, this was insisted by Anderson whom was infatuated with the tangibility of real fur and the effect it gave on camera. When using real fur meant that the hair would appear to ripple unnaturally, this was due to handling the models between frames. However, it give the feeling and effect that there’s a soft breeze blowing on the character, which resulted in quite beautiful qualities. In addition, the animals’ fur was a combination of real goat’s hair, which was dyed using supermarket everyday hair dye and artificial fur, plucked off plush toys. The characters hair colour required specific, individual dying times in order to get the colouring right. In addition, the human characters hair was taken from studio employees, who had matching colour hair to the character. Mackinnon and Saunders produced over 500 puppets for the entire film and every last detail was made by hand. Mr. Fox had 17 different styles and each of these styles had to be done in six different sizes, resulting in the character having over 100 puppets alone.

Applying the fur - image taken from Mackinnon and Saunders' website

Puppets varying in size

Overall, this one collaboration out of many that Mackinnon and Saunders have experienced, proved a challenging yet learning curve experience. Pushing the boundaries, exploring new techniques and materials and re-discovering the old ones, allowed for the pair and their team to expose themselves to something new and re-invent the old. Furthermore, it also shows that even with having 30 years of experience, there is always a new challenge and a new way of thinking just around the corner.

Sources:

http://www.mackinnonandsaunders.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432283/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosgrove_Hall_Films

Stop-motion Animation: Frame by Frame Film-making with Puppets and Models, Barry Purves

Corpse Bride

The Corpse Bride is a film created using stop motion animation, a technique to make a physically manipulated object or persona appear to move on its own. This is done using small individual movements, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence.

Victor Van Dort(Johnny Depp) & Corpse Bride(Helena Bonham Carter)

The stunningly crafted puppets were created by one of the world’s leading puppet making companies, Mackinnon & Sanders. With over 30 years of experience Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders’ talented team have been privileged to bringing to life some of the best known animated characters, from Bob the Builder to Fantastic Mr Fox. The talented team ensure that any character produced is created to the highest of quality and to establish maximum impact on screen. From concept maquettes, mould making and armatures to costume, hair and paint, each piece is created with precision and attention to detail.

The puppets are made from stainless steel armatures covered with silicone skin and are around 25-28cm in height.  Were fitted with heads that contained special gearing that allowed the animators to manage individual parts of the puppets’ faces. The three primary characters, Victor, Victoria and Emily, the Corpse Bride had multiple identical puppets created, fourteen of Victor and Emily and thirteen of Victoria, this allowed for the production went faster. In addition, the sets for the film were built three to four feet off the ground, which included trap doors that allowed the animators to access the sets’ surfaces to manage the puppets.

Overall, the production is a visually exquisite animation adorned with dismal dark tones in the above-living world, which greatly contrasts with the uplifted colourful filled underworld. What is more the intricately crafted puppets create visually interesting characters and attract the eyes of the audience, but more importantly keeps puppet animation alive.

Sources:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121164/trivia

http://www.mackinnonandsaunders.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2005/10/12/121005_corpse_bride_feature.shtml

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

This re-designed, re-invented production of Sweeney Todd centres around Toby, after he kills Sweeney, and takes place in an insane asylum, where Toby recounts the story, using his fellow inmates and other members of the asylum to re-tell his history.

Sixteen inmates at a Victorian Mental Asylum act out the 
act out the story of Sweeney Todd

This re-invented story also brings along a re-invented design, with a simple, minimalistic set design. A dirty washed, white brick wall and white tiled flooring is what makes up the entire set. This simple layout relates to the Insane Asylum setting, but also allows for the many scenes to be depicted, in a past and present setting.  In addition, in the opening shows, there was an up-close viewing of Toby in the lobby of the theatre; where the audience were held until right before the curtain goes up, this allows them to experience the character being led to the stage in a straight jacket.

Every character is mental in some way
and this is what drives the story forward

This kind of reinvention exposes the audience to something new and a risky artistic move that was never thought possible. It allows the audience to be intrigued and curious and to experience true theatrical artistry. What is more is that it asks the question – what if you strip back the fancy chair and gore and bring to light the psychological drama ? 

Simplistic props used to depict certain scenes

Floating Heads!

The ‘Floating Heads’ installation is quite literally turning heads at the Kelvingrove Museum, situated in Glasgow. This installation was created by the talented Sophie Cave, a Scottish artist, and over 50 of them are asymmetrically hung, each displaying variations of emotions, ranging from laughter to despair. Each head is completely white, with defined, statement expressions and certain accents of the expressions are highlighted with a faint blue light. What is more is that these realistic faces, pose questions and suspicions to what it is that is provoking these said expressive declarations.

Floating Heads - Sophie Cave - Kelvingrove Museum

In addition, this installation could play a key role in inspiration for a set or production design. Imagine having over 50 of these heads, hung as a simplistic set design as the backdrop for a theatre play. With a mixture of lighting and sound effects, it plays for an eerie yet theatrical production. 

Defined Expression

Visit the museums website : http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelvingrove/about/Pages/default.aspx

Sources :

http://www.creativematch.com/news/floating-heads-of-kelvingrove-signify/92612/

http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelvingrove/about/Pages/default.aspx

Minimalist Movie Posters!

The phrase ‘Less is more’ works its wonders on these cleverly designed minimalist movie posters. Taking a wide variety of our favourite movies and giving them all a bold new poster redesign, results in crafty creations that utilise key aspects from the films and turning them into innovative individual pieces of art. Furthermore, there isn’t just one designer/artist creating these posters, the concept of minimalist poster art has spread through major photo-sharing communities such as Tumblr and Flickr, creating a birth of hundreds of tribute artworks by movie fans, artist and graphic designers alike.

Shutter Island - http://olivershilling.tumblr.com/

Benjamin Button - Emily Vincent

Forrest Gump - Robert Zemeckis

Avatar  - Hunter Langston

Inception - Brett Thurman

The Importance of Being Earnest

Catherine Martin

Catherine Martin is a highly renowned costume, production and set designer, as well as film producer. Her distinct and highly original creative aesthetic has been an essential ingredient in many well-known films, operas and plays.

Her creative work is commonly collaborated with director, screenwriter, producer and husband Baz Luhrmann. This collaborative teamwork has been essential to each film created and the overall productions have been phenomenal.  Her film debut with Lurhman, was in 1992 on the hugely successful Strictly Ballroom, her innovative designs on this film earned her ‘Best Production Design’ and ‘Best Costume Design at both the BAFTA and AFI awards’. In addition following this success she also worked on the 1996 production of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, directed by Baz Luhrman, for which she was awarded another ‘BAFTA for Best Production Design’ and an ‘Academy Award Nomination for Best Art Director.’

Her most awarded creations was for her work on Moulin Rouge! She was awarded two ‘Academy Awards for Costume Design and Art Direction’, as well as ‘AFI awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design’ and a ‘Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Production Design’ among many others.

Martin was asked in an interview which one of her sets she would like to live in, her reply was “If I could live in one of my sets, it would be "Moulin Rouge," although, I do love the here and now, and I would always worry about the health care because I'm slightly neurotic.”

Sources:

http://www.catherinemartin.com

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323528404578453003301009718

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0552039/

The Importance of Being Earnest!

For my Introductory Specialist Techniques module, I will be exploring themes based on the play 'The Importance of Being Earnest' by Oscar Wilde. Here I have begun to document my research and collate visual research in the form of a mood board and also adding sketched initial ideas.

Initial Research for 'The Importance of Being Earnest'

For this theatre-based assignment, the exploration of design and realisation of stage plans and model box is a clear introduction into production design. A scale model task was a starting point into exploring these themes and techniques. Therefore I have produced a 1:25 scale model, that consists of two wallpapered walls, tiled flooring, a detail door and dado, coving, a framed painting, and also a scaled figure. All of which is reflective of 19th century interior, which is when the play was set.

1:25 Scale Model

The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum is an extraordinary French château museum building, internationally renowned for its collections of European fine and decorative arts spanning five centuries and situated in the town of Barnard Castle, Country Durham. With its extensive grounds it provides any visitor with a host of opportunities to see works of art, a fashion and textiles gallery and its iconic life size Silver Swan, an 18th century musical automaton.

The Bowes Musuem

The traditional permanent collections are complemented by a diverse range of contemporary exhibitions, ranging from Goya, Boudin, Monet, Damien Hirst, Vivienne Westwood and Tim Walker.

One stand out piece for me was the recreated ball gown of Joséphine Bowes, which she is seen wearing in her portrait. Luca Costigliolo was is a known theatrical and historical costumier, created the dress using traditional sewing techniques and a combination of both hand and machine sewing.  The dress was re-created in the museum during summer 2012, and was showcased in front of visitors.  The whole process was also filmed and documented and this can be watched by visitors inside the museum. 

Re-created ball gown of Joséphine Bowes

Luca Costigliolo with his re-creation

Check out the museums website : http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

First Post!

Follow the journey of my inspirations and ideas into the world of Production Design!!!