Elements of Play Production

Elements of Play Production

• Literary elements, direction, acting, editing, set design, production design, cinematography, costume design, make-up, properties, light or lighting effects, and sound effects are the key elements of play production.

Literary Elements

• Literary elements are the elements of drama as a literary art.
• They are the foundation of the play.

Direction

• The director is in charge of the dramatic performance.
• He instructs the actors and all the people involved in the production.
• He is always present from the preproduction stage to the post-production of the play.

Acting

• The members of the cast perform the roles assigned to them by the director.
• They read the script, memorize their lines, follow the instructions given by the director, and give justice to their assigned roles.

Editing

• The editor sequences the scenes to be presented in a coherent whole.
• He takes out unnecessary scenes, particularly the obscene and offensive ones.

Set Design

• The set designer does the layout of the set.
• He determines what to place as backdrop and what to put on stage.
• Set designs are classified into realistic, abstract, suggestive, or functional.

Cinematography

• The cinematographer takes charge of the photography.
• He looks for a location that fits the story and shoots the scenes forming part of the drama.

Production Design

• The production designer is tasked to do the overall design for a drama to be shown on the small screen or the wide screen.
• He has a bigger responsibility than a set designer because his work covers an area as wide as a small community or a large province.
• At times, his work involves designing costumes, determining the props to be used, and collaborating with the cinematographer.

Costume Design

• The costume designer creates the clothes to be worn by the actors and actresses.
• He sees to it that the costumes suit the characters to be portrayed by the performers.

Make-Up

• The make-up artist beautifies or uglifies the actors and actresses based on the roles they portray.
• Make-up is made up of body paints and paddings.

Properties

• The properties (props for short) are the things which the actors and actresses carry or bring with them as they perform on stage or in front of the camera.
• They are used to establish their characters.

Light/Lighting Effects

• The lights man is in charge of determining the amount and the sources of light needed to make scenes realistic and credible.

Kinds of Drama

• Tragedy: a drama in which the hero fails to fulfill his goal or goals due to his tragic flaw.
• Comedy: a drama in which the hero succeeds in fulfilling his goal or goals.
• Tragicomedy: a drama in which the hero fails with respect to some goals but succeeds with respect to the other goals.
• Farce: a drama written to poke fun at the hero.
• Melodrama: a drama that focuses on the action or the situation, characterized by a sentimental love story, sensational actions, extravagant emotions, and a happy ending.
• Religious Play: a drama that serves to reenact a biblical event or to teach a truth or truths pertaining to a certain religion.
• Historical Play: a drama that serves to reenact a historical event that plays an important role on the lives of the viewers.