Blog 5: The Rough Theatre

When I did the reading for the rough theatre, I began to think of our upcoming assignment for the Bolex shoot.  We have to do some improvising to make sure it works out and use things that are not high quality.  We use the tools at hand to bring in a second sensory element to our film, and it can be almost anything we want.  Plus, we’re going to be doing this in a backyard, or somewhere that is not expressly for screenings; I feel that adds a lot to the feeling of being similar to rough theatre.  We’re doing things in a very lo-fi situation, and it is very similar to what people might do for rough theatre.

I feel that aspects of rough theatre can be applied to making films as well.  Sometimes, you do not need fancy special effects or CGI to make a good movie.  A person can make a truly terrifying horror film without the need for crazy effects.  Sometimes, all one needs is a scene with low lighting and a person with some cheesy make up, and one could turn something not scary into a horrific experience that gives people nightmares.  Reading about rough theatre has helped remind me that sometimes doing things practically, and sometimes even inexpensively, can produce the right image.  While fancy effects are nice and can really go a long way to helping make something look good or right, it is important to remember that doing things on set can be helpful, even if it is as simple as powdering someone’s face to make them seem unnaturally pale.  Rough theatre contains some useful information for filmmakers, and it is important not to forget the lessons one can learn from that.