Unlimited Theatre

Posts Tagged ‘mission’

Latest Design Images…

Monday, July 19th, 2010

We’re casting in the next week for the two main characters in Mission To Mars – Gail & Stephan. Which’ll be fun.

We’re also soon to sign off on the design for the show and Tim (Polka’s Production Manager) will then start to build it! So I thought you might like to see the latest pictures of Rhys’s model. This is going to be the coolest den I’ve ever had to play in…

Mission To Mars - set design (1)
Mission To Mars - set design (2)
Mission To Mars - set design (3)
Mission To Mars - set design (4)
Mission To Mars - set design (5)
Mission To Mars - set design (6)

The other cool thing we did last week was two days of filming in a green screen studio for the scenes with the four “on-film” characters in the show. Basically, there’s a team of six astronauts travelling to Mars in two vehicles – Firefly 1 (carrying Gail and Stephan – the two “live” actors on stage) and Firefly 2 (carrying Vlatko, Joni, Maggie and Andy – whose scenes are all on video and synced into the show). All the characters are based on real scientists we know or have met.

Anyway… we filmed their scenes last week with our fabulous cast of Alex Elliot, Lucy Ellinson, Sue Ahmet and myself (well, they’re all fab, at least – I’d describe myself as having simply been VERY pleased to be there). Lillie Lindh was on make-up for the two days while the brilliant Lucy Wilson assisted me (directing) and the AWESOME Mic Pool. Mic’s doing the sound and video design for the show and has roughed up some shots with the space ship and other backgrounds imposed on the green screen. And here be the first-draft results.

I cannot tell you HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT BEING IN SPACE!
Mission To Mars - Firelfy 2 crew in Mission Control
The crew of Firefly 2 in Mission Control, speaking to Firefly 1 who are seven days into mission

Mission To Mars - Vlatko explains artificial gravity
Dr Valtko Vedral explaining how we create artificial gravity

Mission To Mars - Maggie describes gravity
Dr Maggie Effisom-Riddick describing gravity

Mission To Mars - Firefly 2 crew on the launch pad
Crew of Firefly 2 on the launch pad

Mission To Mars - Joni in micro gravity
Dr Joni Spencer in micro gravity

Mission To Mars - Firefly 2 crew in flight
Vlatko in micro gravity

Mission To Mars - Firefly 2 crew in flight
Dr Andrew Newsam in micro gravity

Mission To Mars - Firefly 2 crew in flight
Maggie in micro gravity

Mission To Mars - Firefly 2 crew in flight
Onboard with the crew of Firefly 2

Mission To Mars - Firefly 2 crew in flight
Onboard with the crew of Firefly 2 – superhero ending!

Mission To Mars - Joni tells us we CAN do it
Joni in her private quarters on board Firefly 2, sending a message home

Mission To Mars - Andy tries to explain how BIG the universe is
Andy in his private quarters on board Firefly 2, trying to explain how BIG the universe is

Autotuned Science Symphonies…

Monday, July 19th, 2010

With all the science and space stuff we’re doing at the moment, I’m getting loads of suggestions for places to research on the internet. Today, someone sent me a link to this work of genius:

This is part of an AWESOME project by the musician John Boswell called Symphony of Science.

Genius.

Mission Badges…

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

So.

Rhys (designer) has worked up a mission badge for the astronauts on our Mission to Mars. But we’re not sure which one we prefer, so we were hoping you might help us with your opinions…

They’re essentially the same except that one has the surnames of the astronauts on the mission and the other has just their initials. Rhys prefers one and I prefer the other. We’d like to let you decide which we should use.

Here they are. Any responses below or on twitter would be much appreciated.

J

Mission Badge 3

Mission Badge 3


Mission Badge 4

Mission Badge 4

First Design Concepts…

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Hey.

So, Rhys (designer) and I have been meeting and talking about the design for Mission To Mars and this week Rhys has sent through pictures of his first concepts for the set. I’m MASSIVELY excited – hopefully you’ll understand why from the pictures below.

Rhys has made a scale model of Polka Theatre and below are photos of that model with some Photoshopped stuff on top. Neat, huh?

Obviously there’s still masses of work to be done not least on the practicalities of what we build it from, budget wranglings between Rhys, Mic (sound and video), Ben (lighting) as well as exactly how we fly the actors beautifully and safely.

So yes, these are just early drafts and we’re hoping it’ll be interesting for you to see how it develops throughout the design and build process.

Mission To Mars - concept (1)
Mission To Mars - concept (2)
Mission To Mars - concept 3
The aerial sequences perhaps happen in one specific cross section of staging, in this image the farthest downstage space RHYS

Mission To Mars - concept (4)
We see the space walk through the window (on/through the back projection screen) again utilising the sections, this time we focus perhaps on the back cross section RHYS

Mission To Mars - concept (5)

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