A Macbeth Production

*video*

Well hello there, welcome to another one of my blog posts. As you’ve seen above, this last project was quite interesting, and clearly required a lot of collaboration as the whole class was in on it. 

“How might we create a compelling vision of “Macbeth” set in the 1950s?”

This project started like any other, we’re given the spiel of what we should be expecting, which includes the new driving question (as seen above). We were then taught the knowledge necessary to completing the final product of this project, which was compiled of two separate topics –  The Cold War and infamous play Macbeth. By the time our final film production is compete, we would’ve ultimately connected the two topics to compile them into one engaging story and production. In order to learn about these two subjects, we were given a series of lectures on the Cold War, and read the play, as well as watched a film based on it for inspiration.

Now onto the film process. Out of all the projects I’ve done in PLP, this one has been the most difficult for me. Less on the content and assignments themselves (although they were still challenging), but because I had the most difficulty in trying to find my place in this project. I didn’t get to participate in this project as much as I had hoped in order to begin to achieve the goals I had set out in my mPOL. Although, I regret not applying for a bigger role, as head for one of the departments for example. 

An excerpt from the annotated script

The role I was given in the production was Sound Assistant, working with Noah who was head of the department. The placings weren’t very relevant however, because our roles and jobs were the same. Our camera guy made a last-minute decision to not need a boom mic, so instead of focusing on the sounds while on set, we only focused on the sounds that would be added during post-production. We annotated the whole script to figure out places where certain sounds could be added. I then wrote up a list in Basecamp to put all the sounds needed in one place. Finally, we found/created some of the sounds that we’d like to be used. 

The competency I decided to focus on was Collaborating, previously mentioned in my mPOL. This meant that I would be able to not only work well with others, but also take on a leading role. As I said before, I really regret not applying for a bigger role, as it would’ve enabled me to accomplish this competency much more successfully. Being Sound Assistant allowed me to collaborate and lead to a certain level, but not nearly at the level I had hoped to be. Another competency I could’ve focused on was that of Communicating, which would’ve been effective in a big acting role but there were complications that lead to me not applying for one. 

Some of the Literature Notes I made this project

Despite the tough situation, one thing I learned and made sure to keep in mind during the entirety of this project was to focus on the things I could control. I may not have been able to have as big of a role in this production, but there were other things we were being graded on. That’s why I tried to focus largely on the writing portion of this project – my Zettlekasten as well as an Act Quest on the Macbeth play. 

Draft 1

Now onto the Act Quest, this was an analysis written on the first three acts of the play Macbeth. This assignment was first assigned to be written up in class under a certain time constraint, where we had to discuss the play in regards to theme, plot and character. I was decently happy with my first attempt, but it was not exactly what our teacher was looking for and I still could’ve done much better. I wasn’t specific enough when it came to the plot and took the wrong approach when I chose to connect the play’s theme to something in our world, when I should’ve stuck to that of the play and connected it to us as readers. As I was determined to get the highest grade possible in this assignment, I went to the teacher a few times before/after school to achieve a better understanding of what she was looking for, in order to make my text the best it could be. If you’d like to read my final Act Quest, click on the accordion bellow. 

“Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time, for from this instant There’s nothing serious in mortality. All is but toys. Renown and grace is dead, The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees/Is left this vault to brag of.” The King is dead, all is lost. All Macbeth has to live for is the remains of wine at the bottom of the barrel, as life has been drained from the kingdom. This was likely a common feeling throughout the kingdom, but more specifically relates to Macbeth’s direct suffering after committing an act of treason from killing Duncan himself. This passage from the play also represents irony as everyone around him believes that he had said that in result of the death of the king, when it was in reality Macbeth speaking of his own murder of the king. Immediately after doing such actions, it’s pretty clear that he feels some sort of remorse or guilt as he dramatically implies that the blood could stain the world’s oceans red. In other words, the consequences of his actions will not be easily hidden and he will forever be a changed man – which is inevitably true for his character as he doesn’t ever turn back from his tainted future. This specific passage is one of many representations of Macbeth’s past, present and future. Past, as it is no secret that he had spoken about this dark desire before (but after it’s done, he and his wife’s thoughts change as their lives drastically change). Present, he had just killed Duncan, and is now realizing that his life will never be the same. From this moment on, there is nothing left to live for. If only he had died an hour before this event, he could say he’s lived a blessed life. Finally future, as he steps in deeper to his new “legacy” as a murderer as he later accepts the fact that there is no turning back – it would take just as much effort to reverse what he’s done as to keep killing. This is one of many lines that represents the reoccurring theme and message throughout the play. Shakespeare is telling us, the readers, that before making a decision, you must first consider your own actions and judgement to assure that it is not being influenced by others. It’s not ideal to be the type of person who is so easily manipulated, as it will involve major consequences. Macbeth’s only form of motivation to commit treason was his ambition. He then allowed himself to be easily swayed by his wife, as he was then suddenly very set out on his decision.

 

Although this may have been a tough project, it was a memorable one. It is quite exciting to think of the fact that our class created a whole movie…and the acting wasn’t that bad either ;). Not only that, but I did also learn a valuable lesson – choosing to focus on what was within my own control, those of which I thought went pretty successfully. However, if I were to do a project like this again, I would certainly apply for a bigger role in the production or as an actor. 

 

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