From Viv

*DRAFT PROPS LIST
Darth Vader*

Smart Funeral Attire {c/o All as per stage show plus casual clothes for off camera}
Darth Vader Helmet {c/o Robbie?}
Obi-Wan Kenobe Cloak {c/o Viv} Am currently trying to source....*
Light Sabre {c/o Viv} Am currently trying to source...**
Coffin {assume c/o Go As You Please. Claire to confirm!}
Small Child! Either of my two could do after school Fri/Sat a.m. or Abbie?
White 70's disco suit {c/o Viv £15 to hire or £25 to buy}
Afro Wig {£5 to buy - don't think hiring optional}
Medallion {Have a really cheesy Sports Medal c/o kids/anyone else got one?!}
Black TDTNL Flowers {c/o Viv}

* Obi Shawl - Need to check Dandy costume hire. At worst can get Black Velvet cloak but may as well use Mike's folded
back if that is the case. Are we filming in black and white??
** Light Sabre - have heard Asda do them but at worst everyone to keep an eye out! Will check with Mam's at school.

TDTNL Props box incl: {c/o Claire} I think these would be handy to have as 'cameo' props/on standby whatever
Wreath
JCVD Cap
Cathy Wig
Milk Tray shawl
Red Rose (wooden)
Candle Stick

*Also To Do;*
Locations of Red telephone boxes?
Book restaurant for Speed Dating scene (c/o Claire)
Possible Female 'outfit' for speed date/kiss scene {Claire - are you acting this? Seems good idea}
Lighting - {Neil?}

*Dog Eared Death*
Blue Tea Dress and bow shoes {c/o Viv}
Grey Velvet Jacket {"}
Gold Star Headscarf and clip {"}
2 x teacups and saucers {")
Teapot {")
Tray {"}
Water Bowl {"} Can provide pink one but anyone got a more Doggie one?!
Candle Stick TDTNL box
Lighter {c/o Viv}
{Optional} surgical glove {c/o GAYP?}
Lipstick and Make up

*Ideas for Dog Eared Death Discussed Sat (Claire to add Notes to)

*Lighting Grainy/stylised '70's

Walk in to place as if going into work
Nod curtly to someone leaving as if taking over for shift
Keep the poem as a complete voiceover
Film the scenes separately
Hitchcock-like tension build/suspense
Preparation for a visitor
Innocence/naievety as opposed to sexual
Capture anticipation
Someone coming to visit

Background:
Viv loves this place, it is her comfort zone
She is very relaxed here.
Shots of Viv running hands along luxurious fabrics e.g velvet
and also objects relating to Funeral parlour found in GAYP
Option to wear e.g. surgical rubber glove for some/all shots?
Also place as cameos other eulogy props e.g. Cathy Wig/JCVD Hat
for her to 'covet'. These could look very incongruous with surroundings

Building 'visitor' scene:
Viv arranges black flowers in vase
Sets table for tea for two
Candle Stick {Light candle if allowed and does not affect lighting}
She bustles around, perhaps saying some lines to self
She is very proud of her imminent 'visitor'
Make up - Cut to funeral/body make up if avail from GAYP
Look like Viv is putting it on ( tho I assure you I won't be!!)
Shot of Viv with added make up on/lipstick
Shot with gold scarf/yet to be decided if wear as 'turban' like live show? {What do you all think?}
Viv looking reflective/waiting for visitor
Blow out candle/or candle to sputter as 'visitor' arrives
Capture smoke blowing in draft or noise of door opening
Never actually see visitor

As we ran out of time on Sat this is obviously up for discussion/input and also what feels right on the day given the location.

Tenth Ave recordings

YES! I finally figured it out.
This is the link to Ghost Town -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imX1AfJbzz4

Here is the link to Darker Shadows -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of0Ofw7UN0c

And lastly here is the link to Death never fucking stops -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcOdxGar7uo

Latin Fucking

(Posting this for Viv who's having a wee bit 'o difficulty posting to the Dead blog)



Please find attached an attempt at the Latin Motto....it took blinkin' ages as I went down the route of creating a really fiddly template and painting etc as my graphical skills or packages are not up to it! But in the end I am just not sure about it and it may be easier just to print some gothic text....I guess the one good thing is that it looks very old fashioned, as if around for centuries as it's a bit crap.
Lemme know what you think? We can take it or leave it, no harm done!!!

Really looking forward to it!

Vxx

Scrooge Intro

I just threw this together. It still needs some tweaking but do people like it? Are we still going for the whole voiceover thing for the Death of Scrooge intro? (Could also do some visuals if so desired).
Hope this link works. If not just go to my SiHy page on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrR-YAtnSto

cryo-cart

a rough image from Nick, re: Dog Eared Death

and then ross said:

Hi Guys- hope you are all well. Here's my list of comments, responding to Claire's post + the feedback before it.

1. DOG EARED REAPER

Thanks for this, Si.

Viv, your performance of this poem just gets better and better!

I've passed the audio to Nick to see what he'll come up with. He's given me a few rough sketches, which I'll post in a minute. We asked Nick to look at this before we developed Viv into the fortune teller character, so I'm not too sure how (if at all) these two bits could fit together.

My first thought would be that Viv would put the candle on the lectern, then pull out some paper and begin drawing at the lectern. Then we see the pictures emerge above her. Then, when she 'accidentally' draws Death, it is like seeing Death in tea-leaves. She is as shocked as we are. Cue the final..."He...is...ddog...eared...death!" bit.

What do you think?

Let me know here on the blog and then I can feedback to Nick. If we decide not to use visuals at all, its best to inform Nick now. The guy is working ostensibly for free until we make that decision.

2. DEATH NEVER STOPS

a) latin lectern: yes! yes! thats a great subtle ref. I love it.

b) cutting a verse. less sure about this. it does feel long when we roll around to the third verse, but I thought that was the funny bit- the idea that the song 'never fucking stops'. I've been deliberately hamming that boredom up, so maybe its my fault!

I'd like to hear everyone else's opinion on this. I was surprised that our audience members picked up on this. I would also suggest that the song was one of the least rehearsed items, and didn't have the proper backing track, which would have reduced our confidence a bit.

Two verses feels a little too short for me...but I think a straight vote is the fairest way. Guys?

3. CATHY / DARTH VADER

Both were picked up by our audience as perhaps being out of place. I think that this was more a question of them being new and still being learnt. I would like to keep them in and see how they look come our next rehearsal. I'm sure that they'll be awesome.

4. GHOST TOWN

One other things I'd like to suggest before I email you all your scripts- moving Ghost Town to the very very top of the show.

Assume that it takes 10 minutes between opening doors to curtain up. I say we start with the EVP video, then roll straight into Ghost Town, so people are coming in, sitting down, getting adjusted, during that film.

> Then it finishes, going straight into Fisherman's News Bulletin.

> When the lights dip for the anthem, I replace James.

> National anthem cuts out, and before the lights go up, we have the opening 4 bars of Ghost Town again, along with the TDTNL title slide.

> Music stops, lights up and I go straight into the sermon.

This stops the drag time of Ghost Town. Also the EVP stuff is very chilling walk-in music, but it isn't getting the crowd excited. Ghost Town is more fun (but in its current place, people wont talk over it because the show has already begun)

5. SCROOGE

I'm cool for Mike's bit to be done just audio, like a documentary. I think thats a good idea.

6. USHERS

I am SO UP for greeting audience on their way in. "I'm sorry for your loss", etc. I think that's really funny. Maybe all of us should be congregated in the lobby in little groups, with two in the doorway shaking hands with big watery eyes. Dram of whisky/apple juice. A few hankies get whipped out. Once we hear Ghost Town start, we head in and slowly take our seats on the stage (maybe leave the 2 on the door right till the show starts)

7. ???

Have I missed anything else? How about we say that we close the phone-lines on Saturday. At that point, I'll email the final scripts over.

Looking forward to my funeral

Disjecta Membra,

Rx

Dog Eared Death audio

Here's the link for the temprorary Dog Eared Death audio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lXZVqO0ojw&feature=channel_page