UK Production Companies

My tutor advised us that we should be looking at production companies in the UK rather than thinking we can just straight to Hollywood, so here I have a list of  some UK Production Companies:

 I found these companies on www.televisual.com

• Blueprint pictures- Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin.
  Films: Seven psychopaths
  Contact: enquiries@blueprintpictures.com

• Big talk productions- founded by Nira park, Matthew Justice and Kenton Alley
  Films: Scott Pilgramme vs. the world, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Attack of the Block.
  TV: Spaced, Black Books, Friday Night Dinner, Rev.
  Contact: Jobs@bigtalkproductions.com
  www.bigtalkproductions.com
  
• Heyday Films- David Heyman
  Films: Harry Potter Films, I am Legend, Boy in the Striped Pjamas
  Contact: mailto:office@heydayfilms.com
  I found a prop maker that worked on the 5th harry potter film, Mike Peel, whos website (http://www.stagejobspro.com/uk/view.php?uid=221870) also lead me to another minor prop company that worker on the Harry Potter film:
• Armidillo LTD.
  A company that works on order with sets, props and costumes. They specialise in Design and Construction  They've also done a lot of work with the BBC.
  Contact: Rod Vass- rod.vass@armidillo.co.uk
  Armidillo.co.uk
  

Lightwater Valley Post Halloween advertising and Pirates

 These are just a few advertisements I seen for Lightwater Valley's Frightwater Halloween Night. These particularly interested me because my passion is horror props, and until this point i didnt realise how far being a prop designer could go. Theme parks are a whole world of props, set and costume, its like walking into a giant theatre but instead of watching it you get to experience it.

 These are a few props from the Pirate section that caught my eye, simply because I believe one day I could make things as good as this. I may need to research on what and how these are made but I could go there eventually.

Tidying up Art by Ursus Wehrli, TEDTalks

This is TED talks, a page of videos on new ideas that will help us live better as human beings or just bring a little humor. This is part of the artists and illusions section of TED Talks, by Ursus Wehrli. His talk takes paintings of abstract patterns, sometimes thing like Picasso's paintings, then he orders them in colour, shapes and size. I think this is an amazing idea, very original but unoriginal in a way, its comforting to the eye to see all the shapes and colours in order. the comparison between the original and organised is hilarious, especially as he commentates it. 

Victorian Architectural Drawings

Here I drew from the church outside our building in order to get the gist of drawing again. So this was from a primary source and i used only pens to draw these. I love the very Victorian style of the above picture, it almost looks like a coat of arms for something and once there was someones initials on it. These kind of patterns really interest me because of the seer royalty you can feel when you see it. Its not for purpose, it is for decoration and they are beautiful. I also love the geometric style of the church window below. It was terribly difficult to draw but the shapes all fit so perfectly together, it is an inspiration. 

Brief History of Theatre

History of theatre

Greek theatre:

•          Late 6^th century
•          Masks
•          Collecium style theatre
•          Outside no roof

Elizabethan theatre

·         Globe theatre – sam wanamaker

·         Shakespearain times

·         17^th century

·         Wood limited building material

·         Couldn’t make it any bigger

·         High class on balcony – lower class on floor

·         No roof

·         Shows in the afternoon so the sunlight would illuminate the stage

Georgian theatre

•          Small theatres
•          18^th century
•          Candle lit – caused fires
•          With roof
•          Still built with wood

Victorian theatre

•          Very much in fashion at the time
•          Royal opera house
•          Bigger rooms and had room
•          Finally moved on to better materials to build with
•          Didn’t set on fire
•          More space more money bigger better productions

Out of work sailors would usually be the ones pulling the ropes behind the stage, same kind of mechanism as on ships to hoist the sails.

Different types of stage:

•          Country yard theatre
•          Proscenium arch stage
•          Thrust stage
•          Theatre in the round
•          Open stage

The national theatre has 3 different types of stage open stage, proscenium, and studio space. They also have a drum revolve, only two theatres in the world have them. It’s like a trap door that elevates and lowers above or below the stage, it also turns.

Three types of Theatre Company:

•          Repertory Company
•          Touring company
•          Westend and Broadway theatre 

Dexter

A showtime network inc. tv production,
all information on the tv progremme regarding casting and crew:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ql_1
They are the creators of other amazing programmes such as: Homeland, Shameless, The borgias, Episodes, House of lies, Nurse Jackie and Californication.

Production designer and art directors of dexter:
Adam Rowe
adamrowe.tv 
Elizabeth Hershberger Grey
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2897409/

Showtime Network Inc. is run by a bigger company called CBS Corporation
Matthew C Blank - President and cheif operating officer since 1991. Chairman and Chief executive officer.
David Nervins - President

http://www.sho.com/sho/about/careers

For if I ever decide I want to work with the producers of the show, Dexter.

Theatre Terminology

gels -- color medium made of dyed animal material. It is used to change the color in any stage lighting instrument.

break a leg -- an expression used instead of “good luck” when one wishes an actor success before opening night

 fly loft (flies) -- space above the stage where scenery may be lifted out of sight of the audience

bump up -- stage lights come up immediately

by-play -- secondary stage business upstage while main action of the scene is being played out downstage

dead-hung -- scenery or lighting that is hanging in the air and not designed to be moved during the performance, as opposed to "flying" scenery or lighting that is designed to be moved up and down

downstage -- the part of the stage closest to the audience as you face the audience

downstage right/left -- acting area closest to the audience and on the right/left side of the stage as you face the audience (the actor’s right)

draw -- to attract the public

dry up -- to forget one’s lines

entrance -- 1) entering the stage; 2) opening in the set that is used for entering

effect -- sound, visual, lighting cues intended to enhance a production

false perspective -- a scenic effect that, by exaggerating the effects of perspective, makes a set look bigger than it really is

false proscenium -- a portal that sits in front of or inside the real proscenium, giving the set its own "picture frame"

http://teachers.oakarts.org/~mberry/Theatre+Vocabulary+List