Brainstorming in Drama

We have many different ideas in our mind for a particular topic. Jotting down these ideas with their links to the characteristics and other aspects that will help develop better understanding in our mind about the topic - analysis in a graphical method, is called as brainstorming.

In a brainstorming, as shown in the graphic diagram, the central core consists of the topic for which we are going to brainstorm. Followed by different branches to the imagination and analytical tree.These branches or roots take us to new understanding about the topic that not only makes the topic clear in our mind but also, explains about the qualities of the topic that we are supposed to use while acting. 

E.G.:

This is the example with a brief study to portray the character of Hitler. 

Brainstorming can be done for a character, a play, a particular costume, music for a particular play or scene. This also comes under the Criterion B - Developing Analytical Skills and under Criterion C - Thinking Creatively. It also consists of Criterion A - Knowledge and Understanding. 

The act presented on the basis of this brainstorming and analysis, comes under the Criterion D - Responding. Enactment is physical representation or responding to the analysis done on paper.

To be precise, this brainstorming sample explains about Hitler's looks - make up / personality / appearance, his attitude and thinking, his loveable nature towards animals which proves that a coin has two sides, his creativity, his voice modulation and his body language, his aggression and the reasons to hate the Jews.

This is also a research based work done by a student / an artist / director / set designer / costume designer / music designer - of the play, in the play. This is also necessary for a script writer to understand and decide different phases and angles to his own created story in order to study the flaws and expectations from the story to work on. 

In this blog, we have discussed about the Brainstorming which is necessary in every aspect of Drama and Theatre Arts. If any further questions, please feel free to communicate in order to seek answers for it. Thank you. 

Voice modulation - A voice culture

Voice modulation in spoken language

Human spoken language makes use of the ability of almost all persons in a given society to dynamically modulate certain parameters of the voice source in a consistent manner. The most important communicative, or phonetic, parameters are the voice pitch (determined by the vibratory frequency of the vocal folds) and the degree of separation of the vocal folds, referred to as vocal fold adduction (coming together) or abduction (separating).

The airflow pumped through the lungs hit the vocal chords which vibrate due to this that results in words or sound to be produced. Children can learn to use this action consistently during speech at an early age, as they learn to speak the difference between utterances such as "apa" (having an abductory-adductory gesture for the p) as "aba" (having no abductory-adductory gesture). Surprisingly enough, they can learn to do this well before the age of two by listening only to the voices of adults around them who have voices much different from their own, and even though the vocal chord movements causing these phonetic differentiations are deep in the throat and not visible to them.

If an abductory movement or adductory movement is strong enough, the vibrations of the vocal folds will stop (or not start). If the gesture is abductory and is part of a speech sound, the sound will be called voiceless. However, voiceless speech sounds are sometimes better identified as containing an abductory gesture, even if the gesture was not strong enough to stop the vocal folds from vibrating. This anomalous feature of voiceless speech sounds is better understood if it is realized that it is the change in the spectral qualities of the voice as abduction proceeds that is the primary acoustic attribute that the listener attends to when identifying a voiceless speech sound, and not simply the presence or absence of voice (periodic energy).

Other aspects of the voice, such as variations in the regularity of vibration, are also used for communication, and are important for the trained voice user to master, but are more rarely used in the formal phonetic code of a spoken language.

Physiology and vocal timbre

The sound of each individual's voice is entirely unique not only because of the actual shape and size of an individual's vocal cords but also due to the size and shape of the rest of that person's body, especially the vocal tract, and the manner in which the speech sounds are habitually formed and articulated. (It is this latter aspect of the sound of the voice that can be mimicked by skilled performers.) Humans have vocal folds that can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body, and an individual's size and bone structure can affect somewhat the sound produced by an individual.

Actors can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation. Another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx, which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of laryngeal function are described as different kinds of vocals.

Breathing Technique

It is very important to understand that everything depends on how one breathes. A term is always uttered by each and every person in theatres that the dialogues should come from within. But what is this within...? Is is heart.. or anything else..?

Breathing should be done in a technical form. When one breathes in, his / her diaphragm just below chest and above stomach including stomach should come out naturally and while the person breathes out, the stomach as well as the diaphragms should go in again. This is said to be deep breathing. As explained earlier, the air left from this diaphragm hits thee vocal chords to resonate. The more stronger the breathe exhaled the more harder it brushes the chords to create louder noise.

Exercise to be done

Keep one hand on the diaphragm, breathing in and experience with your hand that the stomach and the diaphragm comes out which means the air is filled full in the lunges too. Hold and Breathe out gently where one understands that the diaphragm moves in to empty itself by throwing all the air in a required force to talk.  Try this out with normal dialogues or monologues.

Body language and body movement....

Body Language of a King

There is a misconception about body language and body movement being one and the same. Is it so..? And the actual answer is no. Then what is the difference between both of these..?

Body Language:
It is said to be a language just because it is a popular culture. Body language is not a language but it's a study of a character's behaviour. Behavioural changes in a person or a character is said to be the changes in his actions and reactions. This is what a body language is all about.
Every person has a unique quality in him / her which differentiates them from others other than their looks. This is due to body language. A person might have subtle similarities in them but they are not mirror effects.

 

Body Language of a beggar

From actor / director / writer's point of view:
An actor has to enact a character. It maybe familiar or unfamiliar. The character has to have different and it's unique identity which is defined through his or her body language. So studying, understanding and applying that particular study to that character becomes necessary. This is possible in two methods.

1) psychological observation: if u observe every person neatly and keenly, then the uniqueness in that person can be used somewhere to justify a character's body language.

2) animal study: there are times when we have highly unfamiliar character's to portray. In such a case, animal characteristics can guide us as per the situation as in which animal characteristics match or resemble to the character. So that animal can be studies for the purpose of portraying that character in it's own body language.

Same thing is for a writer or director.

Body movement:
This consists of organ movements like hands, facial muscles, head, feet, etc. This doesn't explain your character or identity. But this explains the actual movement of the organs or whole from one place or even after being steady. Habits again, cannot be distinguished as body movement but it's body language as it defines a persons behaviour / identity.

Clubbing them together will bring an effect of action and reaction in that particular situation.

This proves newton's law - every action has it's equal and opposite reaction. To bring action into action, measures taken are the body movements but the way of reacting as per one's behaviour and psychological tendency (which is different for different people) is body language.

Eg. : Drinking water is a body movement
Being satisfied after quenching of thirst is the body language.

Raising hand to hit someone is a body movement
Hitting someone in anger is body language. That is the way of reaction.

Walking is body movement
Walking like a careless person or like a hefty person is the body language.

Gestures, organ movement, etc are body movements.