Peer Assessment on Silent Movie

Riccardo, Adam, Ward, Gunce, Omar Group

Save the Princess, Save the Day

I feel the silent movie was substantial,  the actors are great and made to sure to exaggerate all their actions. I loved how Ward made sure she showed how much of a damsel she was. The different costumes and props that were used were excellent and the music for the fighting scene suited it greatly. More cue cards should have been used to explain what was happening more. The music should have been more loud and half during the ending scene as it was a happy ending. Overall, the aging was excellent however the music was substantial.

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Salma, Arthur, Nasser, Presha and Ammal

Birthday Surprise Group

I'd say my silent movie was substantial as we had used props and costumes to enhance everything, most of the actors in it exaggerated their moves and I felt that the music that was incorporated in with the scenes suited them greatly especially the fighting scene as while it was breaking out, the music was loud and suspenseful. We also made sure to use enough cue cards that sufficed enough but were not too much.

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Sireen, Ibrahim, Kareem, Harang

Strapped onto the Rails

Substantial. The acting was good and I loved the music and acting incorporated in it, however the tying up scene was practically half of the movie so there wasn't much action when the fighting scene should have been much longer. I love the way Karim and Sireen exaggerated their moves to get the point across. There was also a good use of cue cards to ensure that we understood what was going on.

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Akshansh, Anishka, Faris, Maygol

Oliver's Sudden Rescue

Substantial. The music was great but the acting could have been far more exaggerated. I loved how there wasn't too much violence and it was all pretty happy and light hearted like a melodrama should be. The hero also did not show his face which is vital in silent melodramas as since there is no sound, we need to see their expressions and actions which were quite difficult to see.

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Rania, Sam, Kiara, Hyeonho

How to Find your Maiden

This was my favorite melodrama, everything was incorporated in it. Acting, music, cue cards, etc. the acting was exaggerated and made sure we knew what was happening, Cue cards were used to back up the acting in case some parts were confusing. The only thing that should be improved is that it should have been more synchronized and in sync. Overall, it was excellent especially the comedy as melodrama should be light hearted and funny just like this one.

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Monica, Rathin, Jenna, Bassel

I'd say this melodrama was adequate due to there being too much violence due to the numbers of guns shown and being shot. Comedy was evident in it in the costumes used and the music was great as it meshed well with the rest of the scenes however the acting could have been more exaggerated  and the filming had different orientation.

Silent Movie - Birthday Surprise

Melodrama Worksheet

Melodrama Worksheet

1. In which century did melodrama develop?

Melodrama developed in the 19th century. 

2. Why is it called Melodrama?

It is called Melodrama because the plays always had music in the background, thus the name 'melo' whilst the drama part is pretty straightforward as drama is related to acting. 

3. Why was Melodrama so popular?

Melodrama became popular because they used spectacular settings, music, exaggerated acting and interacted with their audience during the performance to promote its popularity.

4. List the three segments of a standard Melodrama plot. What action does each segment involve?

- Provaction: It's the cause for setting action into motion. Emotions during this segment are jealousy and greed to encourage the villain to plan an offense or 'evil plan'.

- Pangs: This part includes the suffering of characters that are kind innocents who get caught in the evil plan.

- Penalty: Justice is granted as the villain is defeated and handed a punishment.

5. What are conflicting themes a Melodrama would usually explore? 

Themes a melodrama play would usually have is using polar opposites to engage the audience. Examples are justice vs revenge, honesty vs dishonesty, innocence vs dishonesty, etc. These plays also had small scenes of actions and violence, along with a mixture of romance and sentimentality. 

6. Are the characters in Melodrama life-like or stereotyped? 

The characters in melodrama are stereotyped, as in every play, there's always the same set of the characters. The villain, the damsel in distress, the hero, etc. They also always have the same type of personality, the villain is evil, the damsel in distress is innocent and requires saving and the hero is always handsome and brave, ready to save the day. Their personalities are very easy to identify and they are referred to as 'stock characters'.

7. List 3 Stock Characters and describe each of their personal qualities. 

- The Hero: The character is handsome, strong and brave. He is usually middle class or higher.

- The Damsel in Distress: She is beautiful, innocent and vulnerable. Usually middle class or higher.

- The Villain: Cunning, cruel and evil. Usually middle class or higher. 

8. What is the difference between a faithful servant and a maid servant?

The differences between them are that the faithful servant is usually the one to find out the villain's evil plans whilst the maid servant is the one that simply flirts with the faithful servant. 

9. What is an 'aside'?

An aside is when the character speaks directly to the audience, explaining their plans and revealing their thoughts. 

Train Track Terror

Train Track Terror Reflection

Above is the video of my performance in Train Track Terror along with the other members in my group; Ammal, Arthur, Akshansh and Omar. It started with me, as the damsel in distress, exclaiming for help which was responded by the angry shouts of the villain (Ammal), asking the henchman (Arthur) to tie the damsel up who refused as the train was heading their way. As the damsel pleaded for help, the hero (Omar) finally appeared, ready to save the day. The sidekick (Akshansh) followed behind him and the hero tied the villain up, releasing me as we made our escape and the sidekick fell to the ground.

The good things I found out about my performance was the way I let out my words with a voice that sounded like it needed saving, although I could have been a bit more high pitched. I feel I could have done adjustments to my performance. Firstly, I mostly only showed movement in my legs when it should have been my body which just made me look like I was kicking aimlessly in my legs, not bothering to use my arms. Well, the damsel has always been a tad bit ditzy... To enhance my performance with costumes, I could have dressed in the classic innocent damsel in distress look, which usually is just a simple dress, with my hair let down and a wide doe-eyed look, showcasing innocence.

I felt that the rest of my group did quite well, although Ammal had stumbled over her lines once or twice. I liked how my group created space instead of just using a confined space, using the free places to jump around and incorporate a small fighting scene. We also added a sidekick, which was not originally in the script and was used for a bit of comedy. The villain could have used a costume of a black cloak and suit. The prop being a rope to use to tie the maiden to the train tracks. The henchmen could have worn very ragged, old looking clothes as they are usually turned away by society due to them being 'weird and ugly'. The sidekick could have worn pretty much anything as they don't really have a specific costume unless let's say the hero was Batman and the sidekick was Robin. The classic costume for Robin would be a cape and tight clothing like Batman. 

Year 8 Drama

Year 8 Drama

MYP : Melodrama

Key Concept : Relationships 

Related Concept: Audience, Expression, Presentation

Global Context: Fairness & Development 

Statement of Inquiry: A hero saves the day in Melodrama to ensure that justice and peace will overrule the destroying plans of evildoers. 

Inquiry Question: Will the hero always destroy the evil plans of the villain to save the day? Will Melodrama always have a happy ending? Must all stories have a happy ending? Will good always win against evil? How can the world become a better and more peaceful environment for all?

Me, Myself & I Piece

Reflection

When I was informed about what this music assessment was based on, I began to think about my personality. Who am I? What do I enjoy? What traits am I known for? I didn't just focus on my likeable traits because that does not cover my whole identity, I have traits that are my flaws such as my pessimistic mindset and my negative outlook on many things, I decided to incorporate my mood changes into my piece, if you listen closely, the beginning part is quite slow and sad, the middle is a lot faster-paced and more melodic and light-hearted and the ending is much softer, giving a calm sound that shows a relaxed ending. So this is my meaning behind my piece and how it describes my personality, at first I am negative and sad, then my mood brightens up after something good happens and by the end, I am at ease and relaxed.

To explain my process through creating this piece, I first put my mind on what I wanted it to sound like which I've already explained so I played around with some minor chords that bring out a sad sound whilst playing lightly to give off a soft, sad sound then I began to go to more major chords and notes in the middle of the keyboard as they give off a more neutral sound which shows great contrast, I show repetition at both the beginning and end as well, although the ending is much softer but nevertheless around the same notes and technique of playing.

I used the violin as my instrument as it provides both a harsh yet calming sound which is what I wanted my piece to sound like. I also took a what instrument am I quiz because I wasn't sure what instrument other than the piano represented me.

To improve my piece, I would try to extend the length of it and perhaps show more techniques of presenting my personality and incorporating more of my traits such as showing anger through my piece as I have a short temper so I could have played some notes more harshly.

In my actual video, my introduction to my piece was a book opening, I used snippets from music videos from my favorite artists such as Marina & the Diamonds and Melanie Martinez, I used some of my photos from my previous post on photos that represent me and used a video of a typewriter in it to show my passion for creative writing. In the happier part of my piece, I used clips with my friends and I to show what makes me happy which is as you can tell, people that I am close to. At the end, at the part where the sound is more relaxed and at ease, I show a clip from one of my favorite book series, Harry Potter. To give it a proper finale, I added in a clip of a book closing to show my love for reading.

Peer Assessment