Milling

Milling was an exercise we did, where you walked round the space, not in circles, but exploring the space and making sure we were filling it. We then added different levels of tension, these were:

1-very slow

2-low/depressed

3-normal/neutral

4-frantic/excited

5-controlled chaos

We also focused on how we moved in the space, walking sideways and backwards and at different levels. Then we created spacial relationships with people in the room, this could involve mirroring another person or just being very aware of their movements and your movements; this could have been done from the other side of the room.

We did this exercise to practice moving as an ensemble, being aware of the people around you and using your peripheral vision. 

Pass the clap

In yesterdays lesson we did an exercise called pass the clap. We first stood in a circle and Mr Rennison started to pass a clap. To pass the clap you needed to make eye contact with the person you were passing to and then clap toward them. The person would then receive the clap by clapping. This would continue to be passed around the circle, but we did it to a rhythm. To keep the rhythm we all stamped our feet and if our clap went out of rhythm we would have to start aging.

We then made the exercise harder by walking around the room, instead of standing in a circle. We had to continue to walk in the rhythm as we travelled. It was harder to pass the clap whilst walking around, because it wasn't as easy to make eye contact with people because everyone was facing in a different directions to one another.

The point of this exercise was to work on the ensemble' s collect responsibility, their concentration and keeping the rhythm/beat.

film - this is England

1.    What is the function of the iconography used in the title sequence of the film? How might it help you understand the film?
At the beginning of the film 'this is England', there is a series of images that represent different parts of the film and different parts of skinhead culture. We see lots of concrete in the first images and run down estates, which could suggest poverty or unemployment. There are images of computer games and children's TV shows, that could show the innocence of Shaun before he joins the skinhead gang. We are shown real footage of royalty, people carrying the English flag and Margaret Thatcher , which are all very traditional 'English' things and demonstrates skinhead's belief in keeping England English !! We also see images of war, suggesting that the skinheads will fight for their country and are prepared to go to war for England. There are images of death and destruction, representing the chaos in Shaun's life after the death of his dad. We are shown an image of a sheep being herded, which shows how the people in the skinhead gang are like sheep, in that they do what the are told and don't fight back; the very much follow the crowd.

 

2.    How is Shaun represented at the very beginning of the film? How does his representation contribute to your understanding of him as the protagonist of the film?

  He comes across as a young boy who is being bullied at school, with not many friends, who needs some friends for support. he is quite aggressive and angry, but underneath is just struggling with the loss of his dad, who recently died at war.

3.    What do you think about the depiction of the skinhead gang? What are their defining features? Does the director glamorize the gang? Does he demonize it? Give your reasons.

I don't think the gang are glamorized or demonized by the director. I think the view on the skinhead gang is left very much up to the audience. We are allowed to form our own views in them. The gang have been dressed like traditional skinheads and at first the could come across as threatening, but after we are introduced to them, they reveal them selves as ordinary young men, who are well meaning towards Shaun. 
The character, Combo, who comes in later in the film is more demonized. He is extremely violent and racist. He is a more typical skinhead, who  more people would generalize a skinhead to be like. I think the difference between Combo and the rest of the group, outlines how some skinheads do live up to their generalization, but others are very different to who we may think they are.  

4.    What is the function of Milky in the story? What does his name suggest?

  The function of milky is to show that  the first skinheads were not racist. Milky is mixed race, but the others except him and he is as much part of the group as any of the others are. The name Milky is ironic, because it suggests that he is white. I think the fact that he calls himself milky and so do the rest of the group, shows that he is trying to fit in and that the others are in slight denial about the fact that he is half Jamaican.  

5.    What does the gang mean to Shaun? What does Shaun mean to the gang?

The gang is very important to Shaun, they are welcoming and excepting towards him, which is something he hasn't experienced with friends before. He is being bullied, so when a group of older boys are kind to him, he feels safe and better about himself. 
The gang are happy to have Shaun as a new friend. They take him in and tell him about their beliefs as skinheads. Later on in the film, it is almost as if shaun has been recruited by the gang to be part of the violence and racism that they believe in.  

http://blackoutscript.blogspot.co.uk/

This is our physical script !

hw

1.    What is your view of how masculinity is defined in the film?

    I think that masculinity is a very important theme in the film. Both the men and women are very masculine. This is shown by the drug and alcohol use in the film, which is divided equally between the male and female characters. This made them look like they were older than they actually were and much more hostile.

     It is also shown by the hair styles, the men have short, shaven heads, which is a typical skinhead style that makes them look tough. The women also have this sort of hair style, with a fringe at the front in some cases, which could suggest that they feel they are equal to the men in their status and that, they too, have the same values and opinions as the men.  

      finally, the body language of the characters was very 'manly'! The way they stood and walked was at times very threatening and the way they always stood in a gang made them look more dangerous than they would have done standing on their own.  

2.    Discuss the theme of loss-of-innocence/coming-of-age in the film.

The film is centered around a young young boy, who
changes profoundly through out the course of the film. He starts off as a young boy who is lost and very alone. His dad has recently died and he is being bullied at school. He comes across as a fairly innocent child, who has an angry side to him. Further into the film, after he has joined the group of skinheads, we see him change into a very unpleasant and aggressive young man who has formed very strong views, mainly influenced by the people directly around him. As an audience member, it felt quite sad for me that this young boy, who just needed some guidance in life, had had his innocence and childhood  taken away from him so early, without a chance to form his own opinions and views on things.