Beowulf Production Unit PBLA

Beowulf Production Unit PBLA

P. Muratori

Research Links:

Assessments

Assignment:

We are members of a Pre-Production Team for the development of a new movie of Beowulf, 2007. Pre-Production means that before the film is shot, all research must be completed regarding scenery (setting), costumes, music, dance, jewelry, props, weaponry, fighting tactics, food and drink, casting, set design, and script (written in contemporary language, please!). Your individual responsibility:

1.) Pick ONE area of pre-production from this list -- or something you've thought of yourself as a result of your personal interest/passion.

2.) Use the Internet to find sources that will help us be authentic, realistic, but imaginative. I'll be helping you with this as well.

3.) Prepare a presentation on your findings and ideas. The “presentation” of these ideas may take the following forms:

a.) Oral presentation with pictures, drawings, or clip art

b.) Sketch book

c.) Photographs

d.) A Written Diary/Journal

e.) Scrap book

f.) Collage

g.) Script

h.) Or any other form you okay with me

Here are some specific examples to think about:

1.) Scenery: How do you want the movie set to look? Do some research on Anglo Saxon England. What was the climate like? The weather? The landscape? The colors? The plants? The crops? What season do you want to show? Prepare a detailed description and/or a drawing, painting, pencil diagram, or three-dimensional diorama of how you envision the movie set. Or if you like photography, go find some suitable locations and take some pictures.

2.) Costumes: Show how one or two major characters will be dressed. Your imagination will determine how you choose to show your plans, from drawing sketches, to creating paper dolls, to collages, to dressing actual dolls or creating real life costumes.

3.) Music: Choose a musical sound track or write your own music. Make a list of the pieces or songs and write a brief description of when the music would be used and why you chose each piece or song. You may of course make an actual soundtrack on tape/disc and play it during our production pitch. Remember: This can be music from any period in time. Heavy metal, for example, is very “Anglo Saxon.”

4.) Publicity: How would you get our message out to our potential audience? Think about some possibilities:

a.) production handbill (program with ads)

b.) advertising poster

c.) magazine ad

d.) computer homepage

e.) television or radio commercial

5.) Scriptwriting: Choose a significant scene and rewrite it in contemporary language. Be sure that Beowulf stays a hero and Grendel, Grendel's mother, or the dragon stays the villain. You may bring this conflict of good vs. evil to life anyway you want. I can provide you with Hollywood scripts so that you can copy the format of what they look like on the page.

6.) Props: (This category could include jewelry, weaponry, food/drink, furniture in the meadhall, battle strategies, ships, etc.). You pick what you're interested in researching and then you look for historical information and then find pictures, clip-art, illustrations, or make a model that shows what you'd do with this element of the production. Please note: no real weapons or anything that even vaguely resembles a real weapon may be brought to school.

7.) Dance: Do a little research on the cultural influences of the Anglo Saxons (their gods, for example). You may choreograph and perform a dance to show us your imagination and authenticity. It seems to me that Hip Hop could easily be adapted to this for our film. This is for dancers only-Gregg, you can't do this one!

8.) Casting: You may choose to pick the actors and actresses whom you would like to see in our production. All you need to do is find pictures in magazines or on the Internet, and put them together with quotes from the real Beowulf story in our book. You will need to explain your choices. You can't just pick Angelina Joli because you think she's hot-even though she is.


	Beowulf Production Unit PBLA P. Muratori Research Links: Assessments Assignment: We are members of a Pre-Production Team for the development of a new movie of Beowulf, 2007. Pre-Production means that before the film is shot, all research must be completed regarding scenery (setting), costumes, music, dance, jewelry, props, weaponry, fighting tactics, food and drink, casting, set design, and script (written in contemporary language, please!). Your individual responsibility: 1.) Pick ONE area of pre-production from this list -- or something you've thought of yourself as a result of your personal interest/passion. 2.) Use the Internet to find sources that will help us be authentic, realistic, but imaginative. I'll be helping you with this as well. 3.) Prepare a presentation on your findings and ideas. The “presentation” of these ideas may take the following forms: a.) Oral presentation with pictures, drawings, or clip art b.) Sketch book c.) Photographs d.) A Written Diary/Journal e.) Scrap book f.) Collage g.) Script h.) Or any other form you okay with me Here are some specific examples to think about: 1.) Scenery: How do you want the movie set to look? Do some research on Anglo Saxon England. What was the climate like? The weather? The landscape? The colors? The plants? The crops? What season do you want to show? Prepare a detailed description and/or a drawing, painting, pencil diagram, or three-dimensional diorama of how you envision the movie set. Or if you like photography, go find some suitable locations and take some pictures. 2.) Costumes: Show how one or two major characters will be dressed. Your imagination will determine how you choose to show your plans, from drawing sketches, to creating paper dolls, to collages, to dressing actual dolls or creating real life costumes. 3.) Music: Choose a musical sound track or write your own music. Make a list of the pieces or songs and write a brief description of when the music would be used and why you chose each piece or song. You may of course make an actual soundtrack on tape/disc and play it during our production pitch. Remember: This can be music from any period in time. Heavy metal, for example, is very “Anglo Saxon.” 4.) Publicity: How would you get our message out to our potential audience? Think about some possibilities: a.) production handbill (program with ads) b.) advertising poster c.) magazine ad d.) computer homepage e.) television or radio commercial 5.) Scriptwriting: Choose a significant scene and rewrite it in contemporary language. Be sure that Beowulf stays a hero and Grendel, Grendel's mother, or the dragon stays the villain. You may bring this conflict of good vs. evil to life anyway you want. I can provide you with Hollywood scripts so that you can copy the format of what they look like on the page. 6.) Props: (This category could include jewelry, weaponry, food/drink, furniture in the meadhall, battle strategies, ships, etc.). You pick what you're interested in researching and then you look for historical information and then find pictures, clip-art, illustrations, or make a model that shows what you'd do with this element of the production. Please note: no real weapons or anything that even vaguely resembles a real weapon may be brought to school. 7.) Dance: Do a little research on the cultural influences of the Anglo Saxons (their gods, for example). You may choreograph and perform a dance to show us your imagination and authenticity. It seems to me that Hip Hop could easily be adapted to this for our film. This is for dancers only-Gregg, you can't do this one! 8.) Casting: You may choose to pick the actors and actresses whom you would like to see in our production. All you need to do is find pictures in magazines or on the Internet, and put them together with quotes from the real Beowulf story in our book. You will need to explain your choices. You can't just pick Angelina Joli because you think she's hot-even though she is.