The Director’s Notebook is a creative project in which you develop a coherent, n

The Director’s Notebook is a creative project in which you develop a coherent, nuanced vision of a production of Hamlet that you would like to direct.
Director’s Notes: Major Themes (500+ words)
Character Summaries & Analysis (500+ words)
Design Elements (500+ words)
Directorial Vision: Key Moments (500+ words)
Times New Roman, size 12
Double-spaced
Standard 1” margins
Use headings for each section and subsection.
Include page numbers. For correct MLA format, this means a header with your last name followed by the page number in the top right corner.
Include in-text citations and a Works Cited page (MLA format) if you have included references to other works, quotes from Hamlet or images in your Notebook that are not original. Use Purdue OWL as a handy reference or visit the Writing Center if you need help with citations.
You are free to design a title page if you like. It must incorporate the information below but need not be typed in the upper left corner of the page.
Section Breakdown
1: Major Themes
Choose one theme that will be the “lens” for your production of Hamlet. It will focus your vision for the play. Name the theme, describe it, and offer at least three instances in the text that highlight the theme for you, showing how each instance is a good example of the theme. Next, discuss why you think this is the most important window into the play for you and your audience. Why did you choose this theme above all to highlight in your production?

Minimum word count: 500 words

2: Casting – Character Summaries & Analysis
Choose two characters to showcase, and give each character their own section. Label the section with the character’s name (e.g., “Laertes”) and the subsections (i.e., “Casting,” “Summary,” and “Analysis”).

Casting:
Cast each character, and explain your casting decision. You could choose from well-known actors, historical figures, fictional characters, or people that you know. Include an image that inspired your casting decision. For example, if you want to cast Danai Gurira as Hamlet, maybe you would include an image of her from Treme (where she plays a fairly normal lady) or from Black Panther (where she plays a complete badass). Explain any connections you see that you found meaningful and inspirational in your casting decision.

Be sure to cite your image. I will upload a sample assignment so you can reference a good format to use.

Summary:
Summarize what you think are their most important character traits. Remember, part of the purpose of a Director’s Notebook is that it is a resource on how to direct your actors. If Ms. Gurira is not sure how to approach the character of Hamlet, you would use this summary to help her understand her character. Include at least three but not more than five character traits.

Analysis:
For each character, include an analysis of their character arc through the play. An arc is, basically, the journey a character makes through the play and a description of how they change. For your analysis, explain how each character begins the play, how they are different in the middle of the play, and what they’ve learned by the end of the play. Sometimes, this can be a remarkable change; for other characters, the changes can be subtle. But every character has an arc!

Minimum word count: Each character analysis should be a minimum of 250 words. I recommend trying to break up your subsections somewhat equitably. For example, under “Hamlet,” if you aim for 100 words each for the casting decision, the summary, and the analysis, then you’ll easily meet the 250 word minimum. Remember, you must cast, summarize, and analyze two characters. That means this section of your Notebook will be a minimum of 500 words.

3: Design Elements
Choose two of the following design elements to discuss. While some texts dictate a particular time period, not all do; nor are you necessarily constrained by the time period that is set. For example, if you would like to set your production of Hamlet in a contemporary high school in NYC, you can! Be creative in your settings (both in period and place), but explain why you are making this choice.
Costumes
Describe in detail a costume plot for one character over the course of the entire play. That means you must choose a character who appears in at least two of the five acts of the play. You should describe material, style, color palette, etc. for a costume for the character to wear in each act. Include sketches or images that you find online as inspiration, but remember to cite any images that are not original. Include a minimum of three images to show the character’s development or evolution.
Set/Props
Imagine the setting that you would like for the play. Describe in detail what you would like the stage to look like overall. Remember, you need to accommodate different settings, like the battlements of the first scene, Gertrude’s closet, and the duel in Act 5. Be clear about what differences you would include to accommodate moving to different places, or if you would design a more neutral backdrop on which set pieces or props would change. For the set or prop pieces that are necessary, describe in detail the pieces you would want for your production — discuss dimension, color, material, style, etc. Explain the reasoning behind your choices. Feel free to include sketches or images you find online; just remember to cite anything that is not original.
Lighting
If you are electronically inclined, you could discuss how you would like the production to be lit. Lighting can be as complex or as simple as you could imagine, but the design should always follow the director’s vision. Start by thinking about the effect you would like to achieve and how you’d like the audience to respond or feel as they watch the play. You can refer to this excellent guide to stage lighting Links to an external site., but you don’t need to get technical in this description (unless it’s helpful to you). Rather, I’m interested in hearing about your overall vision for the lighting in different scenes (e.g., the wedding vs. the funeral), the mood you hope to elicit, and how the lighting design can help achieve that mood.
Music
There is some music that is set in the text, but you are also free to describe music before the performance, between scenes, or during intermission. Describe how you would incorporate this music into the production, and why you choose a particular method. For example, would you rehearse the actors in the production and have them sing the music live? Or would you use a recording? Would you hire musicians to play a soundtrack during the performance? What would be your practical and artistic reasoning for a particular choice? Would you include other music in the production that is not specifically called for? If so, describe the music choices you envision, how you incorporate them, and what effect you hope the music would have on the audience.
Minimum word count: The Design Elements section should be at least 500 words, so each element you choose should be at least 250 words.

Directorial Vision: ‘Key Moments’
You will choose two key moments from different acts of the play. This means you could choose a moment from Act 1 and Act 3, or Act 2 and Act 5. You cannot choose two moments that are both from Act 1.

Introduce each moment briefly with the characters involved and a sentence describing the interaction. For example, “In Act 1, I have chosen the moment between Hamlet and the Ghost, when the Ghost prompts Hamlet to avenge his murder.” Then explain why you think the moment is a significant one in the play. Does it reveal or highlight a theme that’s important to you as a director? Is it a moment of great tension or specific emotion? Why did this moment stand out to you as an important one?

Next, you will need to go into detail about each moment with production elements and performance elements. For production elements, discuss any technical aspects (like lighting or sound) and scenic aspects (like costumes, set, or props). For performance elements, discuss how you would direct actors to use their bodies, voices, and movement or blocking.

Minimum word count: The Directorial Vision section on Key Moments should be, in total, at least 500 words. So, each of your two Key Moments should be at least 250 words.

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