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My Project Proposal
 

Candidate's name: Daniel Buckland

Candidate's number: 992746021

Pathway: Stage management

Project title: Making a gravestone for a dance show

Rationale

Before I started this course, I knew very little about what happened behind the scenes in a theatre apart from props were made, costumes were made, and that people work on the lighting and sound. I was originally interested in lighting and sound because my dad used to be a DJ, so he knew a bit about lighting and sound. I did enjoy making props for my stop motion animations which I did as a hobby before this course so when I tried stage management I enjoyed thinking of creative designs and making props like I did for my stop motion animation. I thought I would enjoy lighting a sound, but I ended up liking Stage management more also I was in that department during my first term on the course for the big Christmas acting show.

Project concept

For my project I’m aiming to make a gravestone for a prop needed for a song in the dance show based around The Adam’s Family. I plan to research information about the Adam’s family to see if any characters have passed away to put their name onto the gravestone also, I plan to research images of gothic gravestone to give me inspiration to draw up my own design, so I know what to make. The resources I would need for this project is polystyrene, Hot wire polystyrene cutting tool, paint, wood, small wheels and something to attach the wheels and the wood together like a drill and some nails also something to attach the wood to the polystyrene. I will make the gravestone by carving out my design into polystyrene to create a 3D gravestone shape. Then I will paint the polystyrene which at the moment I’m thinking of painting it black with some darker greys to give it a more realistic look. After the paint dries, I will find or cut a wooden base to attach to the bottom of the gravestone with some wheels.

Date week beginning 

Week 1

17/04/2023

What am I intending to do

This week I am intending to research more information about The Adams Family, research images of gothic gravestones and to design my gravestone.

Resources I'll need

I will need my phone to research information and images, paper, pencil and a rubber to draw out my design

Week 2

24/04/2023

This week I intend to gather my matirials and research anything that needs to be bought also decide if carving out a big piece of polysterine or carving then gluing 2 smaller pieces is more cost effiecent.

I will need accsess to the workshop, my phone for research, polysterine, paint, wood and small wheels.

Week 3

01/05/2023

This week I intend to practice using the hot wire tool on scrap polysterine so I can carve polysterine with the tool better as I've never carved polysterine before and start to carve out my gravestone.

I will need accsess to the workshop, the hot wire carving tool and polysterine.

Week 4

08/05/2023

This week I intend to paint my carved out polysterine gravestone with multiple layers of dried paint then more paint going on top with black and grey paints.

I will need accsess to the workshop, black paint, different shades of grey paint, maybe some more paint colours, paint brush or roller and a paint tray.

Week 5

15/05/2023

This week I intend to add smaller details to my gravestone like vines, cracks and maybe some sort of small animal like a snail also I intend finish painting my gravestone.

I will need accsess to the workshop, black paint, different shades of grey paint, maybe some more paint colours, paint brush or roller and a paint tray.

Week 6

22/05/2023

This week I intend to cut out a piece of wood the same shape as the bottom of the gravestone, attach the wood to the polysterine, attach wheels to the wooden base and add any final touches to my gravestone.

I will need accsess to the workshop, a piece of wood, a tool or machine to cut the wood and wheels.

Evaluation

When designing my project, I over complicated my design. When making my project, I had to redesign my gravestone, but I kept my skeleton skull in the new design. I originally believed it would take six weeks instead it took two. I got help from our tutor who taught me how to use polystyrene tools.

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