Lesson video

Hello everyone.

It's lovely to see you here today.

My name's Dr. Clayton and I'm here to guide you through your learning journey today.

Welcome to today's lesson, and we'll go in to explore how theater in Shakespearean times use special effects in order to create a sensory experience for the audience.

The theater is not just about what you can see on stage, but really about activating all the senses, specifically sound and smell, in order to really immerse the audience in the experience.

In modern theater, these effects can be achieved through technology, but in Shakespeare's time, they had to be a little bit more creative with what was available to them.

The key words that we'll be using in our learning today are sensory, simulate, mimic, mood and chaotic.

The definitions for our keywords are appearing on your screen now.

These words will help you unlock the learning for today, and you'll see them throughout the material.

They'll be identified in bold and I'll try to point them out to you as well.

If you can, try to use them in your discussions and written work today.

We have two learning cycles in our lesson today, for our first learning cycle, we're going to explore how Shakespearean theater use special effects in order to create a sensory experience for the audience and really immerse themselves in the atmosphere.

We're gonna be thinking about how they might have created certain scenarios such as the battlefield, but also how they might have created special effects such as injury details on actors.

For our second learning cycle, we're going to focus on Shakespeare's "The Tempest", and you are gonna think about how you might create a certain scenario in the play using Shakespearean special effects.

So we're gonna begin our learning today by thinking a little bit more about the theater and what it means to watch a performance.

The word theater comes from the Greek word theatron, which means to behold.

Now this word means to see or observe something, but there's a lot more to the theater than just seeing.

What I'd like you to do is discuss what you think this means.

What other senses do you use at the theater?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, some fantastic ideas there.

I really like the conversations about how much sound plays into our experiences of not just the theater, but also TV and cinema as well.

A slam of a door might make us jump or a specific musical score might make us aware that something tense or scary is about to happen.

We're going to begin by looking at special effects by considering something quite simple, how actors get on and off the stage.

So some of you may know that Shakespeare's company built the Globe theater from scratch, using the materials for another theater they had taken down.

When they built the Globe, they specifically designed it to produce certain special effects.

One of the things they really thought about was how to have actors enter and exit the stage dramatically.

So they built trap doors into the stage floor which were big enough to hold actors and props, as well as trap doors in the ceiling.

The trap doors on stage floor were known as hell, and the trap doors in the ceiling were known as heaven.

What I'd like you to think about is what the trap doors might have been used for.

How do you think they would've added to the performance?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, some fantastic ideas there.

Like Andeep, you might have said, the trap doors could make the actors appear and disappear quickly, which would make the performance much more dramatic and exciting.

For the trap door on the ceiling, they attached ropes to the actors and this allowed them to look as if they were flying, which would add a more ghostly or magical effect to performances.

We're now gonna think about how you might create the experience of a battle in Shakespeare's time.

Now, many of Shakespeare's plays involve battles.

What I'd like you to consider is what you think about when you picture a battle.

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, had some great ideas there.

Like Lucas, you might imagine lots of people running around holding weapons and shouting, or like Sofia, you might imagine lots of noise, like the sound of cannon fire and horses.

So all in all, a very chaotic, loud, noisy environment.

Now we're gonna consider how you can create this atmosphere of noise and chaos in a theater performance.

So to simulate or imitate the noise of battlefield, stage hands would ring bells, blow trumpets, and bang drums.

We might imagine they'd do this in quite uncoordinated and unplanned way to make it seem more like the real sounds of a battle.

In order to mimic or copy the sound of cannon fire, gun power was held down by wadding, which is essentially material like cotton wool and burned.

This would make the sound of a bang like a firework, which would be very effective as a sound effect and would likely make the audience jump.

You might remember, a lot of the audience would be standing very close to the stage, so any noise would've sound incredibly loud to them and would've made the atmosphere more immersive.

As well as creating very realistic sounds, the use of gunpowder also had another perhaps unintended consequence, which was to make create a very strong smell.

The ingredients used to make gunpowder was sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs, and saltpeter, which is made from dung.

The combined effect of these would've been to give the theater a really nasty smell, which would perhaps added to the intensity and realism of the battlefield scene, as the audience would likely have been quite uncomfortable.

As well as being very effective, the use of gunpowder was also very dangerous.

For example, the original Globe Theater actually burned down in 1613 because the wading used to hold the gunpowder caught fire and the whole theater burned down within an hour.

This highlights the balance that theaters had to have.

They had to be quite creative to make the performances as real as possible for the audience, but they also had to be careful, as a lot of these materials were very dangerous.

Now for a quick check for understanding, is it true or false that the theater was a safe place to visit, consider what we've just learned about the special effects and the fact the audience would've been so close to the stage.

Pause the video and make your selections now.

The correct answer is false.

Now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Which of the following is the reason why theaters may not have been particularly safe place to visit?

Is it A, the theaters generally weren't structurally sound and risk of falling down or B, the theaters employed potentially dangerous tactics to make the experience as realistic as possible?

Pause the video and make your selection now, the correct answer is B.

The theaters employed potentially dangerous tactics to make the experience as realistic as possible.

If you consider they were using gunpowder, it does sound very dangerous, especially when you consider the Globe Theater in 1613 burn down in less than an hour, which considering how many people packed into the theater, makes for some potentially very dangerous situations.

If any of you have read or seen a Shakespeare play, you'll know they involve a lot of injury, gore and death, from having people's eyes put out to having people baked into pies.

What I'd like you to discuss is how you might achieve these effects without modern day technology.

Nowadays, we can use prosthetics and CGI to make things look incredibly realistic, but how would you do it without access to those things?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, some great ideas there.

Like Aisha, you might have thought actors could potentially add it into their performance and do some stage trickery, like catching the sword between their arm and their body and angling so looks that they've been stabbed.

While the actors would definitely have employed some acts of perspective and illusion to make it look as if they've been injured, they also used special effects in order to sell the illusion.

To simulate or copy death and injury, actors would feel pigs bladders with blood and hide them under their clothes.

When they were stabbed or hit, the blood would look like it came from a real wound.

Now what I'd like you to think about is how the use of real animal organs and blood would add to the sensory experience of the audience.

So how might they immerse in the atmosphere more and what other senses apart from sight might it affect?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, had some great ideas there.

Like Alex, you might have said that seeing actual blood spurt and splatter on the actors and stage would be something the audience could not only see but also smell and potentially touch as well.

You might remember that for the audience members who were standing in the arena by the stage, there was no gap between them and the stage, so it's likely those closest might have had some blood end up on their clothes.

This would've obviously added the sensory experience because they would've had the physical experience of having blood on or at least very near to them and it would've been a continual reminder of the grizzly nature of the scene.

Now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is match the special effect with the intention.

So what was the intention of clanging drums and ringing bells?

What was the intention of using trapped doors and what was the intention of using pigs bladders full of blood?

Your options are creating an injury, creating the sounds of battle or creating dramatic exits.

Pause the video and make your selections now.

The correct answers are that the clanging of drums and ringing bells were designed to create the sounds of battle.

The use of trapped doors was designed to create dramatic exits and use of pigs bladders full of blood were designed to create and mimic injury effects on the actors, so very well done if you select those answers.

As well as injuries, there are also a lot of dead bodies in Shakespeare's plays.

In order to mimic or copy a dead body, the theater would often use a turntable to swap an actor for a dummy that have been covered in blood.

What I'd like you to consider is how these effects might add to the mood of the play.

So how might they add the general feeling and atmosphere?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, some fantastic ideas there.

Like Jun, you might have thought that seeing a dead body on stage, even if it's a fake one, for extended periods of time with no movement and covered in blood would probably have made the general feeling and atmosphere a lot more tense, since it would've been something the audience might find their gaze drawn back to and it would definitely add to an air of horror and distress to the scene.

Now, for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is think about whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that seeing the dead body, meaning the dummy covered in blood on stage, would likely create a tense atmosphere?

Pause the video and make your selection now.

The correct answer is true.

Now I'd like you to justify that answer.

So why would seeing the dummy covered in blood create a tense atmosphere?

A, the audience would've thought it was a real dead body, or B, the constant presence of the dead body covered in blood would've been unsettling.

Pause the video and make your selections now.

The correct answer is B, the constant presence of the dead body covered in blood would've been unsettling.

If you imagine seeing a dummy on stage covered in blood without it moving, you'll probably feel your eyes drawn back to it constantly, which would create a very unsettling atmosphere for the audience.

So very well done if you selected that answer.

You're all doing amazingly well everyone.

We're onto our first task of the lesson.

What I'd like you to do is imagine you're an audience member watching a performance of a Shakespearean play.

How might you feel seeing the special effects?

You might consider how the sudden ringing of bells and banging of drums might make you feel.

Remember how close some of the audience members were to the stage.

You might also consider how the sight of real blood would make you feel, especially since it'd be splattered on the stage and the actors in an attempt to make injuries look real.

You might also think about the use of trap doors and how an actor might suddenly appear on stage.

How might that make you feel?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, heard some fantastic ideas there.

I really liked the discussions about how exciting these effects might make the theater.

They would really make you feel as if you're watching a real battle or seeing a real ghost if you're seeing the actor flying through the air.

The theaters really did go all out to make it really seem as real as possible.

In one performance of Doctor Faustus, the actors playing devils had firecrackers in their mouths, as they swung from ropes from the ceiling, to make it look as if they were not only flying, but also breathing fire.

Like Aisha though, you might have thought that actually the use of trap doors to have actors suddenly appear and disappear would actually make you feel a bit scared and potentially also make you feel a bit tense, since you might never know when an actor might appear or disappear.

Like Izzy, you might have also thought potentially it would make it a bit too realistic.

The sounds might make you jump and the sight of blood on stage might make you feel faint.

Remember as well that for the audience members who are in the arena in front of the stage, there'll be standing the whole time, normally between three or four hours, and the special effects might either make them feel really immersed in the atmosphere or might make them feel even more uncomfortable.

You're all doing amazingly well everyone.

We're onto to our final learning cycle, but we're going to think a little bit more about Shakespeare's the Tempest as a stage performance and how you might go about creating a certain scene.

The name "The Tempest" actually means a violent storm, so it's very apt then that the opening scene is that of a storm.

Onboard a ship carrying of Naples in his entourage, which includes his son and advisors.

A boat swing directs the crew to fight a great storm, but the ship appears destined to sink.

Now, what I'd like you to discuss is what emotions do you think the actors will be trying to portray?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, head some great ideas there.

I really like the ideas about how the actors would be trying to display emotions of panic and concern.

The sailors would be concerned about how they could try and stop the ship from sinking and the travelers would be afraid for their lives.

We might especially think the actor playing King Alonso will be trying to display heightened emotions, since his son was on board and he'd be very concerned for his welfare.

You're all doing really well everyone.

What I'd like you to do now is create a mind map around the image of a storm.

What feelings or sounds do you associate with a storm and shipwreck?

If we take a moment to examine the image, you'll notice that half the ship is in water and half is outta water.

What do you think that would feel like for those on board?

You might notice the spray of the waves around the ship as well.

What do you think that would feel like for those on board as well?

You also might notice the rocks in the background of the image.

How do you think those on board might be feeling about what might happen to the ship?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, had some great ideas there.

You might have mentioned the feelings of panic and chaos.

A storm, particularly in Shakespearean Times, was a great natural force that the crew would've been able to do little about.

Misfortune at sea was a common occurrence in Shakespearean plays because it reflected the reality of the times they were living in.

In order to travel or trade with other countries, most people would have to travel by sea and be at the mercy of the weather.

The ships were predominantly made of wood and would've been very vulnerable to the ravages of storm.

People would also mostly be running around everywhere in a sense of disorder because they were desperately trying to stop the boat from sinking.

You'd have people shouting instructions or shouting on pure panic, trying to find their companions.

People would also have to shout particularly loudly to be heard over the sound of the storm as well.

There'd be water everywhere as the waves crashed over the deck, which would again most likely add sense of panic and chaos, as it would make everything slippery and most likely mean people falling over.

The ship would also be rocking in the water and again, make everything incredibly unsteady and it'd be incredibly difficult to stand.

That'd also be the sounds of a storm.

You might imagine the sound of waves crashing onto the deck or the sound of thunder and lightning in the air.

Now it's time for a quick check for understanding which two emotions do you think characters on stage would want to show during a storm, A panic, B, calm, C, fear, or D peace.

Pause the video and make your selections now.

The correct answers are A, panic, and C fear, so very well done if you selected those answers.

You're all doing really well everyone, onto our final task of the lesson.

The opening stage direction of The Tempest is a tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning heard.

Now, if you remember from earlier, a Tempest means a violent storm, so we can think back to our image of the ship caught in a storm.

What I'd like you to do is discuss how you might create the mood and sound effects of a storm at the theater in Shakespeare's time without modern technology.

So think back to our mind map we read around the image of the ship caught in a storm earlier and the feelings of panic and fear we associated with it, as well as the physicality of the waves and the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning.

How do you think you might be able to create that on stage?

Pause the video and take a few moments to consider.

Amazing, heard some fantastic ideas there.

Like Laura, you might have said, you could throw water on the stage from the sides in order to mimic or copy the waves.

This would make the stage quite slippery and could add realism, as the actors would most likely be falling over while trying to recreate the panic.

It would also mean the audience would likely get wet, which again would add to the sensory experience and add to the atmosphere.

Like Aisha, you might have said you could have the actors and stage hands shouting out all at once in order to create a sense of panic or they could shout contradictory instructions in order to show just how desperate people get when faced with such a terrifying experience.

Like Jacob, you might also have thought you could create some of the sounds, such as the sound of lightning, by crashing symbols together.

This again would add the audience's sensory experience as it might make them jump, which would help add the terrified atmosphere.

In Shakespeare's time, they also created sparks of light to show lightning by throwing powder into candle flames.

Finally, like Alex, you might have thought the sound of thunder could have been mimicked or copied by rolling cannonballs across the stage, which was something they actually did in Shakespeare's time.

This would also have likely added to the sense of chaos on stage if the actors were also having to dodge cannonballs.

You all did incredibly well today everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

The theater was a full sensory experience, rather than just something to behold.

The theater used many special effects such as trapped doors, picks bladders full of blood, and gunpowder.

These special effects would not only have made the play more realistic, but also heightened the overall mood.

Thank you very much for joining me today everyone.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, goodbye.