Scenic Backgrounds for the Indian Camp Scene (Set Design 1)

I drew two scene backgrounds-

• The top one is of a mountainous landscape with flat grass land leading up to the camp, on the grass land I have placed some Buffalo as this was the type of animal they would hunt.
• The bottom drawing was of a rocky landscape of a valley/ desert land. With slight vegetation and a river running through it.

Set Design for Western/ Sci-Fi Genre

Set Design 1

From drawing the story board it allowed me to gain better visual imagery of how I would like my set to be for the scene I picked in Hansel and Gretel. My scene from Hansel and Gretel was when the children find the house made out of sweets and sugar and start eating it. So for this genre I designed it as though the inventor has been walking for days as seen in the story board and comes across a camp (the ginger bread house) were there is food cooking so he tries to get some of the food (like the children eating the house) but he's caught and made a prisoner by the Indians (like when the children are invited and tricked by the witch).

So for the set I tried to include all elements to create an Indian tribe, I included tipis, the food cooking on a fire and pole which is were I imagine them to tie him up and then some bushes for him to hide and the back drop is of a mountainous landscape.

Story Board for the Western/ Sci-Fi Genre- Time Travel

My reinterpretation of Hansel and Gretel converted into a Western genre with the story line of Hansel and Gretel.

Cowboys

These Mood Boards demonstrated Western Cowboys and the areas in which they lived. A normal town would consisted of a Saloon (Bar/Pub), Church, School, General Store (Supermarket), Jail House (Prison), Stables where the live cattle and horses would be stored. The buildings were all wooden houses/ structures generally of the same structures and frame work.

Built within a desert area it was very dusty and again surrounded by little vegetation.

I've more examples of Cowboys characters and costume. As described in an earlier post. The mood board demonstrates a bit clearer and visually what they wore and the actions of a cowboy.

Native Indians

Above are my two mood boards representing the Native Indian Culture or tribal/travelling tribes. I've included images of the areas they used to travel around, dusty, canyon/ valley type landscapes, rocky with little vegetation.

They would live in Tipis as drawn and demonstrated through Images. Decorated with colourful symbols.

The character sheet at the top shows what type of colours/ patterns and styles of clothing they would wear and examples of Native Indians are within the pictures.

I used these ideas just to gain information and create ideas into how I would present the Indians in both the Western/ Sci-Fi and The Western Kids Play Genres.

The Magnificent Seven

Above is the Trailer for Magnificent Seven a Western Movie made in 1960. Even from the trailer it demonstrates the attitude of some cowboys and the ways in which they handled themselves. Also it gives a clear picture of the setting in which westerns are set and the costumes that they wear.

Costume

• Straight style trouser.
• Cowboy boots
• Shirts- usually open at the top
• Scarf tied around there necks.
• Big buckled belts.- Usually leather belts.- With Gun holders attached.
• Jackets/ Waistcoats/ Long Coat Jackets.
• Cowboy Hat
• Guns kept in there holders- until used but always on the person.

They are almost always smoking a cigar style cigarette and there image is dirty from all the dust.

Western Genre

My two main genre ideas I have been focusing on are both based around the Western Genre.

My ideas follow these story guidelines.

1. Western genre but incorporated through child play. So the story will be told through children performing the story through made up play as Cowboys and Indians.
2. Western genre and Sci- Fi genre combined. I have looked into Time Travel and Time Machines and created a story at which someone from the future travels back in time to a Western civilisation were he is captured by Indians and taken prisoner.

J M Barries Peter Pan Theatre Performance.

http://www.peterpantheshow.com/#/video

Above is as short video to the stage performance of J M Barries Peter Pan. I looked at stage presentation for ideas as how to set out my set design.

From the video I print screened the bedroom scene which is what I was focusing on.

Image 1: The Grand Teton MountainImage 2: Tensleep CanyonImage 3: Devil's Tower in Wyoming is one of those iconic American landmarks

http://glory-road.blogspot.com/

I found a Blog while researching for visual evidence of the landscape at which Cowboys and Indians lived among. The blog is a dairy based blog created by some bikers who have travelled over America on there Moterbikes but the relevance it has to my set is the places they've travelled through are the landscapes and areas at which Indian and Cowboys would have lived, camped and hunted around.

Native American hunting parties from the northern Rocky Mountains camped along the shore of Jackson Lake around 12,000 years ago while following game. For thousands of years Jackson Hole was used as a neutral crossroads for trade and travel routes in the area. One route followed the Snake River to its source in the Yellowstone area. Another major route traversed the Teton Pass at the southern end of the range, providing a shortcut to the Pacific Northwest region. Yet another southern route led to the Colorado Plateaus region and the Great Basin.

I used this picture also as it shows a Ranch House that Cowboys would usually live in. Its not surprising to have the scenery of the mountains around them especially if they rear Horses and Cattle on the Ranch. They would keep the Horses and Cattle at the Ranch surrounded by open land for them to roam on.

Black Foot Tribe

The Blackfoot Confederacy is the name given to four Native American tribes in the Northwestern Plains, which include the North Piegan the South Piegan, the Blood, and the Siksika tribes. In the beginning they occupied a large territory stretching from the North Saskatchewan River in Canada to the Missouri River in Montana. The four groups, sharing a common language and culture, had treaties of mutual defense, gathered for ceremonial rituals, and freely intermarried.

Typical of the Plains Indians in many aspects of their culture, theBlackfoot were nomadic hunter-gatherers, living in teepees and subsiding primarily on buffalo and gathered vegetable foods.

Originally living in the northern Great Lakes Region, the Blackfootwere one of the first tribes to begin moving Westward. Thought to have been pushed out by their arch enemies, the Cree Indians, the Blackfoot began to roam the northern plains from Saskachenewan to the Rocky Mountains.

No Camera Lead

I've Lost my camera lead so until tomorrow I can't put any work up :(

Peter Pan

My First Genre was to look at Western but perceiving it through the eyes of children. As the two main characters within Hansel and Gretel are children it seemed quite interesting to keep them as children and make it as though they are playing a game of Cowboys and Indians.

But keeping the story line quite similar.

For research I looked at past films mainly Disney films that have used child play within the film. Examples I explored were Peter Pan and original and the 2003 remake and Mary Poppin's which uses imaginary play.

Original Peter Pan , 1953 watch 2:10 minutes in.

I like from this how the kids have used everyday things such as bed sheets and there beds to move around on. Made swords from wood- toys.

Something I want to consider for my set.

Peter Pan 2003.

Within the remake of Disney Peter Pan it is not Animated and therefore the film makes it easier to imagine it on stage. I like how the characters and playing as children pretending to be Pirates use half costume and half there own clothes as such as they are dresses underneath in there night clothes it just gives the reality of were they are and the pretend of what they are trying to imitate.

Mary Poppins

In this image of Mary Poppin's they have jumped into a chalk drawing in which the scene turns to Animation Vs Reality but its also an imaginary situation of fun and games for the children.

In A Spoonful of Sugar the bedroom is how I imagine two small children room, full of toys and imagination and two old iron beds. Its how I would like the setting for the bedroom to be on the stage.

Hansel and Gretel

I chose Hasel and Gretel as my Brothers Grimm Story to focus on. From the story I chose the scene at which the two children Hansel and Gretel find the witch's house. They are so excited to have found a house and even happier that is was made of sweets, candy, cake, gingerbread and sugar, that they begin eating at the house and pulling of pieces of cake.

The witch hears this comes outs and find two small children nibbling at her house. She invites them in for food and shelter, happily the children follow.

From this story I made a set box covering this scene. Within the scene I needed to include the forrest from which the children emerge from and the Witch's gingerbread house.

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