Director/ Designer Meeting La Ronde/ Mary Barton

The design team met the Director for Mary Barton at 12.00 and La Ronde at 1.30. Both meetings started as usual discussing the set design. Obviously some costume queries evolved out of such discussions this often helps put the production in context and makes it easier to visualise how the costumes will look on stage. Have such a short preparation time for the meetings I had to decide what I would show and how realistically manageable the work I would do for each director.

For Mary Bartons I presented a combination of digital printed sketches and some reference material in the form of photos and photocopies, all presented in a sketchbook. I also presented the director 2 on screen mood boards.

For La Ronde I have prepared digital mood boards for each character, and had printed off the digitally manipulated, hand-drawn line drawings which had a suggestion of colour and pattern by hand rendered coloured pencil.

The practical outcome of both meetings are recorded in more detail in my production notes but the focus of my reflections are to support my research question

I observed the following in response to my research question:

The more I work with the three different directors at the same time I am realising that whatever you present to them and whatever the ideas are that you suggest you need to treat them all differently. Reading the directors personality and responding to their reaction accordingly helps when developing a relationship. The director for Mary Barton works very organically. As the script is still developing and probably will continue to do so during the rehearsal period he is open to ideas but also thrives on how creativity and concepts can evolve. In images which I have presented to him I have purposely tried to evoke a strong sense of atmosphere in them. Detail was left to the imagination which allowed for different interpretation and creative dialogue. The only danger in that, which I can foresee is that the actual costumes, may not capture the atmospheric quality of the painterly designs. The director did admire the quality of the drawings and commented on them. I am not sure at this point if he knows whether they are rendered on the computer or even if he cares.

The director for La Ronde could not be more different. Her approach is to map every step of ever scene out. Responding to her personality I knew the designs would need to be precise, very clear and detailed and accurate to the period. In her meeting I presented the line drawings in a sketchbook accompanied by individual ‘on screen’ mood board with historical references for each character. Her response was positive the character boards on screen allowed her to see the design choices and where the ideas had stemmed from. Though this could have been done is a sketchbook. I felt the digital presentation gave an added air of professionalism. I gave the director a copy of the character boards which she can use as she continues to plot out the play. She was very thankful to receive them at the end of the meeting.

The reaction to the computer and on screen presentations has so far been ‘normal’. What I mean by this is none of the directors have reacted negatively towards them. Nor have they been overly positive. I sense that they see it as just an accessory to the meetings.

I have not yet mentioned my MA research topic as I do not want it to influence the way I am seen. However I am establishing good relationships and presently see no reason why the research should be a problem. The director of La Ronde is a woman in her 50s and who is a self confessed computer novice. She commented at the end of the meeting when discussing sending some designs via email that she doesn’t know much about computers. On commenting that this will help her learn, she said pleasingly that it was a great opportunity to get her head around the technology.

Other than my sketchbooks and the Laptop I haven’t taken any other books or reference materials to the meetings. I have not once felt I did not have an image to discuss nor that what I had already saved on my computer insufficient for the conversations.

As this will be the last meeting with the directors of La Ronde and Mary Barton before the presentation of the designs to the actors, I wanted to identify key areas to look forward to as the production develops and the costumes designs translate in to 3D costume.

For the production of La Ronde my key area of interest is (1) whether the designs will communicate clearly the entire costume to the wardrobe supervisor. The show is very reliant on costume as in the action which takes place is of the actors un dressing and dressing on stage. Will the designs have enough information in them for the supervisor to understand what is required? (2) Considering the budget restricts, I wonder how many things will be made, therefore will the design be supportive when going to hire places to find costumes? (3) What reactions will the actors have to the designs? Will they find them helpful to understand their character?

For the Production of Mary Barton the director wants the design to evolve as the rehearsals progress. So (1) will the designs which are produced before this evolutional process be supportive to the wardrobe supervisor as the design develops. (2) Does the costume designs support the evolving script and add atmosphere to the rehearsal process. (3) How effectively will the doubling work and has this been clearly communicated in my designs? (4)In such an organic process is a design necessary? (5) Has the combination of designs and photographic images worked will together to communicate a whole production look?