From Stones in his pockets, I've learnt about using drama medium and elements of drama effectively.

Authors Avatar

From Stones in his pockets, I’ve learnt about using drama medium and elements of drama effectively.

The set was minimal with 2 boxes and a line of shoes along the back of the stage. There are two actors playing all the characters who keep changing. Audiences need to concentrate on the action. Having a minimal set means they aren’t distracted. Therefore the action doesn’t stop for set changes, making the play flow, keeping the audience interested and focused and maintaining the fast pace. The shoes along the back were a significant prop. They symbolised the other extras that were always on set in the background. They were easily forgotten, symbolising they weren’t stars like Caroline, they were invisible and unimportant. This raises the question, what makes someone valuable? If you’re a star are you more important? The shoes were simple like the people, different to the glamorous, Hollywood people, showing the widespread influence of Hollywood. The backdrop is symbolic as it’s clouds but around the edge it looks like a roll of film. This challenges the audience about whether we’re in the country or in a film studio. It raised the issue, what’s the difference between fantasy and reality? The beginning backs this up. It’s dark and all you hear are voices talking like adverts, then the backdrop changes to ‘No smoking.’ You feel you’re in a cinema.

Join now!

Sound creates atmosphere. When Caroline and Jake talk, soft music plays creating a romantic atmosphere. This helped the audience as two men were playing everybody. As the set was minimal, it changed the mood and made you forget they were both men. Lighting was used similarly. The lighting was red and dimmed to add romance. In church the lighting was lowered,, giving a dull, sad atmosphere. A gobo (cross) was projected showing this was a church. The lighting changed when they were shooting the film, so you knew when they were filming and when it was “real time”.

The ...

This is a preview of the whole essay