‘SHAKESPEARE ON SCREEN’
1. Introduction
2. Schedule
3. Post Production
4. Enrolling
5. Workshop Director
6. Participants' Credits
Due to the success of “The Alchemy of Screen Acting” workshops, award-winning screen director, Andrew Higgs, is offering an exciting new development in the form of an intensive 5-day workshop devoted entirely to shooting Shakespeare on screen. The workshop will be in two parts. Participants will come prepared with a Shakespeare sonnet (a mini 3-act drama) which will be rehearsed and shot on camera during the first two days. The second part will be rehearsing and shooting a series of short scenes or part-scenes from a plot line of one of the plays, so that the particular story line makes narrative sense and is resolved satisfactorily within the workshop period. An appropriate play will be specially chosen which reflects the casting potential of the workshop participants.
The workshop has been trialed at The Actors Centre, London but now with the refinement of editing during the 5-day period so that participants see a rough cut of their work on the final day. Post workshop, participants receive a VHS copy of the sonnets and all edited scenes.
The play will be announced in advance and specific scenes and roles will be nominated on Day One so that the maximum period is allowed for learning lines (ie. 3/4 nights) and participants will have the opportunity to take on as much or as little material as they wish during the intensive 5-day period.
Participants will be encouraged to approach a Shakespeare scene as they would a well written movie scene, concentrating on the logic of the dramatic situation and the body language, emotion, thinking and moral stance of the characters involved to produce a rounded, believable screen performance.
Please note that this is not a workshop for beginners and participants should either have previously attended an “Alchemy of Screen Acting” workshop, or have other screen experience.
The text used will be “First Folio of Shakespeare in Modern Type” prepared and annotated by Neil Freeman (Applause).
• DAY ONE
Rehearse sonnets.
Feedback.
Selection of scenes and
casting of roles from the chosen play.
Read through scenes and text
analysis.
• DAY TWO
Shoot sonnets (two different
versions).
Replay sonnets ‘rushes’ and analysis.
Feedback on screen
performance.
• DAY THREE
Detailed rehearsal of all play
scenes.
• DAY FOUR
Shoot play scenes.
• DAY
FIVE
Shoot continued (am only).
View all ‘rushes’ of play scenes and
analysis.
View rough cut of material shot on Day Four.
Strategies for
gaining further screen experience.
Handouts (including reading
list).
Post workshop, a fine cut will be made on Final Cut Pro HD, with titles and appropriate music and sound effects, and participants will each receive a DVD copy of the sonnets and all edited scenes. As all material is shot wide screen (16:9 ratio) on mini-DV and edited professionally, participants may wish to include some of their work on a showreel. Therefore, mini-DV copies will be made available at a special rate.
Dates: TBA
Venue: Basement Hall
Borough
Welsh Chapel
90 Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 0EX
Timings:
1000-1800 hrs daily
Workshop Fee: UKP 400 plus VAT (ie. UKP 470). This
covers 5 full days tuition, including 2 rehearsal and 2 shooting days, analysis
of rushes, rough cut viewing, DVD copy of sonnets and edited scenes and copious
handouts.
Capacity: The workshop is strictly limited to a maximum of 10
actors and, due to pressure of demand, places are allocated on a ‘first come,
first served’ basis.
ENROLL NOW by calling 07785 394214 (24 hours) to
book your place and sending a cheque for the full amount (payable to ‘Andrew Higgs’) together with a CV and a small photograph to:
‘Shakespeare
on Screen’
Macheath Productions
Room 1
13 Thurloe Street
London SW7 2SS
Tel: 0207 584 2554
Andrew Higgs trained at the London International Film School, graduating with distinction having won the Fuji Scholarship Award for 'Macheath' starring John Hurt. Subsequent directing credits include 'Brookside', 'The Bill', 'Jupiter Moon' and the German police series 'Die Wache'. He recently set up Macheath Productions and is in development with a first feature film. He is also a member of the current Council of The Directors Guild of Great Britain and was recently one of only three people granted an interview by Roman Polanski to discuss his Oscar-winning film 'The Pianist' (see www.dggb.co.uk/publications/article11_100.html).
Click here for Andrew Higgs' CV
6. POST WORKSHOP CREDITS AND FEEDBACK
For a list of broadcast and feature film credits subsequently received by participants of the “Alchemy” workshop, together with feedback from them, see here.
Stephen King and Peter Charlton (as Edgar and Gloucester) in 'King Lear'
