UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts

Acting for Camera

Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
Introduction
In this unit you will explore Shakespeare on film by critically watching and
analysing the work of other filmmakers and learn how to analyse the text for
performance opportunities.
This activity forms part of your pre-production process for your FMP so ensure
you work through it and complete all tasks.
This activity will also provide you with the opportunity to discover how your
own attitudes towards Shakespeare can influence the work you create, but also
how observing and critically analysing the work of others can open
opportunities to see his work in a different light as well as opportunities for you
to create and perform that you may not have otherwise considered.
Before completing this task, make sure you sit down and take the time to read
through it carefully before you start completing the tasks.
It would be highly advisable to do this with a notepad so you can highlight
anything you don’t understand or elements that you may find challenging. This
will ensure you know exactly what is expected of you, before you start, so you
get all tasks completed on time and to a high standard.
You will be presenting the outcomes of this work to your teacher and peers
during the week of 31st January 2022. I want you to be mindful of this before
you start so you can highlight things as you are moving through the tasks
instead of having to go back ands find something later
All the tasks are timed and dated so make every effort to stick to the schedule I
have provided here. This will ensure you don’t fall behind and you stay on
track for a Friday finish.

Cast of Characters

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
CHORUS.
ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.
PARIS, a young Count, kinsman to the Prince.
MONTAGUE, heads of two houses at variance with each other.
CAPULET, heads of two houses at variance with each other.
An old Man, of the Capulet family.
ROMEO, son to Montague.
TYBALT, nephew to Lady Capulet.
MERCUTIO, kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo.
BENVOLIO, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo
FRIAR LAURANCE, Franciscan.
FRIAR JOHN, Franciscan.
BALTHASAR, servant to Romeo.
ABRAM, servant to Montague.
SAMPSON, servant to Capulet.
GREGORY, servant to Capulet.
PETER, servant to Juliet’s nurse.
LADY MONTAGUE, wife to Montague.
LADY CAPULET, wife to Capulet.
JULIET, daughter to Capulet.
An Apothecary.
Three Musicians.
An Officer.
Nurse to Juliet.
Citizens of Verona; Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of both houses;
Maskers, Torchbearers, Pages, Guards, Watchmen, Servants, and
Attendants.

Synopsis

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
'A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life.' In Verona there is an ancient and ongoing hate
campaign between the Capulets and the Montagues. In the street a Capulet bites his thumb at
a Montague, an insult. A fight breaks out. Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady
Montague appear. The Lords want to fight each other. But the Prince Escalus, the ruling
Prince of Verona, declares that the next man to incite a brawl will be killed. Lady Montague
is relieved that her son Romeo was not involved and asks Benvolio if he has seen his cousin
who is depressed. Romeo tells Benvolio how much he loves Rosaline, the niece of Lord
Capulet. She has rejected Romeo and he is desperately unhappy: 'Tut, I have lost myself; I
am nothing, / This is not Romeo, he's some other where.'

An illiterate servant asks Romeo to read an invitation for him. Rosaline is invited to the
Capulets' party that night. Benvolio challenges Romeo to go there and to see that the other
girls at the party are just as lovely as her. Paris, a nobleman, wants to marry Juliet, the
daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet. Paris approaches Lord Capulet who likes him but he is
reluctant. Juliet is only thirteen. Lady Capulet is keener and talks to Juliet about marrying
Paris soon. Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio go to the Capulets' party. Mercutio talks about
Queen Mab who is the queen of sleep and dreams. Romeo has a strange feeling of doom
about the evening. As soon as Romeo sees Juliet there he is struck. He asks who she is. He
watches her: 'Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne'er saw true beauty till
this night.'

Tybalt, the nephew of Lady Capulet, spots Romeo and he prepares for a fight. Tybalt tells
Lord Capulet that Romeo Montague is there. Lord Capulet has heard the boy has a good
reputation. He forbids Tybalt to fight. Romeo approaches Juliet. They talk briefly and in
moments they completely fall for each other. Juliet is called away. Romeo asks Juliet's Nurse
who is she? A fine Capulet. Juliet also quizzes her Nurse, who is the young man who is
leaving now… Romeo Montague: 'My only love sprung from my only hate.' So. You

Benvolio and Mercutio search for Romeo but he gives them the slip. He climbs over the high
wall of the orchard to be near Juliet. She comes out of her room and stands on her balcony

and starts to speak about Romeo, how a name is simply a label, meaningless in itself:
'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
Romeo comes out of the shadows and they confess their love to each other and kiss. Juliet
will send for him tomorrow, they'll get married; she'll give up her name to be with him. They
are completely in love. With the help of her Nurse Juliet is married to Romeo the next day by
Friar Laurence, a local Franciscan Friar and a confidant to Romeo.

Tybalt approaches Mercutio, he wants to find Romeo who now appears. Mercutio challenges
Tybalt who then draws his sword and kills Mercutio. Romeo is enraged and kills Tybalt and
is sent into exile. Romeo spends one wedding night with Juliet, then he runs away to Mantua.

Meanwhile Lord and Lady Capulet are set on Juliet marrying Paris, but Juliet is terrified and
goes to Friar Laurence for help. He has a plan; Juliet must drink a potion that makes her look
as though she has died. She will be laid out in the family's burial vault, but she will revive.
Then Friar Laurence will reunite her with Romeo, and they can run far away and be together
as man and wife. Juliet is fearful but agrees, but she panics about the potion. What if it
misfires? What if she really dies? And how will it be waking up amongst graves? But she
takes it and goes into a death like faint. Friar Laurence writes to Romeo to tell him of the
plan, but the letter does not reach him.

Juliet is laid to rest and Romeo is told that Juliet has died. He buys poison to kill himself and
goes to Verona to see her body, but when he arrives Paris is at the grave and challenges
Romeo who kills him. Romeo sees Juliet's lifeless body and drinks the poison. Friar Laurence
arrives after, but it is too late. Juliet wakes up from her stupor and sees Romeo's dead body;
inconsolable and wants to join him so she kisses his poisoned lips then takes his dagger and
kills herself. The families see the bodies entwined together and feel remorse and regret at
their hate campaign having taken these young innocent lives and vow to end their feud.
PRINCE: 'For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.'

Romeo and Juliet Synopsis by Rebecca Lenkiewicz Registered charity no. 212481 Page 2 ©
RSC

Shakespeare on Film
Adapting Shakespeare to film has certain challenges that each director deals with differently.
The text is the biggest challenge; deciding how much you should adapt it to modern
audiences is another. Industry professionals approach Shakespeare with a sense of reverence

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
and respect that is exclusive to his work. The other side of this is audience expectation, their
perceptions of his work both positive and negative as well as crossing cultures.
However, the one thing that holds true are the themes in Shakespeare’s work; human nature
doesn’t change even when cultures and society does. The universal themes of love, power,
madness, forgiveness, ambition, murder, friendship, hatred, wealth and the afterlife are just as
relevant today as they were in the time of Shakespeare

Film Review
Activity Monday 9-10:30 am
Write a 500-750-word blog discussing your experience of Shakespeare and your feelings
about his work. Do you love it? Hate it? Did you typically first encounter Shakespeare at
school in a literature class? Have you performed Shakespeare? On film or live performance?
Do you have a favourite Shakespeare play? How do you feel about performing his work?
Do you think you require specialist skills? Are you intimidated by the thought of performing
his work?

Activity Monday 10:45 – 12:15

1 Identify an actor you like and admire, who have performed in Shakespeare performances
2 Watch a clip of your choosing, of them performing in a Shakespeare
3 Write a 500 word compare and contrast article discussing what you consider to be the
differences in their acting when portraying a character in a Shakespeare play and mainstream
or ‘normal’ performance.

Activity Monday 12:30 – 4:30

I have placed you in the following pairs/groups and assigned you a film to watch.

Film Groups
Group A
Morgan/Harry C - Richard III – 1995
Bryony/Lilley - Much Ado About Nothing - 1993
Charles/Holly/Amelia – Macbeth - 2015

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
Jack/Megan Way – Julius Caesar - 1953
Katie/Harry Marsh – Coriolanus - 2011
Jamie/Jade – Hamlet - 1996
Emily/Poppy – Titus - 1999
Shana/Megan Comer – Macbeth – 2015
Group B
Richard III – 1995 Joe/Abbie
Millicent/Adam - Much Ado About Nothing - 1993
Kitty/Lucas – Macbeth 2015
Rebecca/Logan – Julius Caesar 1993
Bee/Fi – Coriolanus 2011
Will/Scarlett – Hamlet - 1996
Tanza/Kaya/James – Titus – 1999

Film Questions
1 Discuss 3 shot sizes that you recognize from your training
2 Discuss 3 shot types that you recognize from your training
3 If you were going to make this movie what would you do differently?
4 What scene or moment stood out as outstanding film acting?
5 What scene or moment stood out as outstanding film production?
6 What part of the story, told by the movie was the most powerful? Why?
7 Name 3 significant things you learned about film acting (that aligns with your previous
learning)
8 Name 3 new or innovative ways to stage a scene that you would like to try in your own work

Film Critical Analysis - Romeo + Juliet

Activity Wednesday 9-11:30 am
Watch the film: Romeo + Juliet by Director Baz Luhrmann. You can view it online by
logging into your college account and viewing it on Replay. Here is the link:
https://replay.exe-coll.ac.uk/View.aspx?id=1366~4q~qLPaesUP

Activity Wednesday 12:30 – 1:30 - 1:45-3 - 3:15-4:30

After watching the film complete the following tasks:

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
12:30 – 1:30 Gas Station Scene Look closely at the moment when Tybalt steps from the car
in the gas station. Describe his actions, movements, and dress in relation to this statement:
Mercutio refers to Tybalt as the ‘Prince of Cats’ in (Act 2 Scene IV: Page 142).

 Describe how Tybalt’s clothes provide information about his character and who he is: How
do they provide information about his character? Provide specific details about his fashion.
 Describe how his movements are highlighted by his clothes.
 Describe his motivations in this scene and how they are similar to the characteristics of a cat
 Discuss how he moves? Can you find any other references to these qualities in Shakespeare’s
written text in Act 2 Scene 5?

1:45-3 Ballroom Scene

 Describe the set design for the ballroom scene
o Provide 5 examples to support your set design description
o What one word would describe the set design
 Describe Romeo and Juliet’s costume design for this scene
o How do their costumes stand out against the set design?
o Why do you think this is necessary?
 Compare the film version with Shakespeare’s text in Act 1 Scene 5
o What has the director picked from this event to convey so much visual information?
o What are the similarities?
o What are the differences?
o What would you do differently?
 Look closely at the scene where Romeo and Juliet meet at the masked ball.
o Why are all the shots in close-up?
o Why has the director chosen an aquarium for their eyes to meet across?
o What is the effect of the water and the fish floating past?
o How does this sequence contrast with what is going on around them?

3:15-3:30 Language
The director invited the actors to speak in their own language rather than with English accents.
Describe the impact this has on the following:

 Does it change your perception of watching a Shakespeare production?

o Do you think it dilutes the quality of the work?
o Does it make it easier or more difficult to watch? Explain your answer
o Should Shakespeare always be performed with an English accent? Explain your answer

3:30-4:30 Editing

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
Look at the scenes between Friar Laurence and Romeo where they are discussing Romeo’s love for
Juliet. During their conversation Friar Laurence imagines his ‘new love’ uniting the warring
Montague and Capulet families and these images of peace are edited into the conversation.

 Compare this scene with Shakespeare’s written text and observe at how the director has cut the
written text and yet reinforced the meaning, Act II Scene III: Page 137. Then answer the
following questions
o Discuss what the director kept from the text
o Discuss what he left out
o Explain why you think he made these creative decisions

Text Analysis
Activity Thursday 9-10:30
Working in your film groups, complete the following two tasks for the ACT you have been assigned
below:
Group A
Morgan/Harry C: ACT 2
Bryony/Lilley: ACT 1
Charles/Holly/Amelia: ACT 4
Jack/Megan Way: ACT 3
Katie/Harry Marsh: ACT 2
Jamie/Jade: ACT 1 
Emily/Poppy: ACT 3
Shana/Megan Comer: ACT 5 

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
Group B
Abbie/Joe: ACT 3
Millicent/Adam: ACT 5
Kitty/Lucas: ACT 4
Rebecca/Logan: ACT 5
Bee/Fi: ACT 4
Will/Scarlett: ACT 1
Tanza/Kaya/James: ACT 2

Task 1: Complete a read through of your ACT with your partner

Activity Thursday 10:45 – 12:15

Task 2: Complete the following:
 Make a list in chronological order the EVENTS in each scene. Describe what happens
 Make notes on where each scene happens - PLACE
 Make notes on each scene regarding when the action takes place - TIME What time of day?
What day of the week is it? What time of year?

Activity Thursday 1:30 – 3

Task 3: Prepare and record an informal 3-minute PODCAST/AUDIO recording of what you
have discovered/learnt in TASK 2

Task 4: Post your PODCAST/RECORDING upon the PRODJECT PADLET

Romeo & Juliet (padlet.com)

Romeo & Juliet

Unit 7: Research & Development

padlet.com

Presenting Your Learning for Assessment

Activity Friday 9-10:30 10:45-12:30
During the week of January 31st, you will present you learning from this project to your peers
in your Acting for Film sessions. This is an assessed Activity and is intended to provide you
with the time to consolidate the work you have produced and present your insights into what
you have learned this week:

Presenting Shakespeare on Film

 What are the challenges of filming Shakespeare and provide 3 examples of what others
have innovated to make it work on film?

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UAL L3 Performing and Production Arts
Acting for Camera
Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study - Romeo and Juliet
 What have you learned about ways of presenting Shakespeare to a younger audience?
 What 3 acting techniques have you learned that you can use in your own work to make
Shakespeare more interesting for yourself as an actor?
 What 3 cinematic or editing techniques have you learned that you can use in your own
work to make Shakespeare more interesting for yourself as a filmmaker?
 Do you think it is important to preserve Shakespearean language in modern day
adaptations of his work? What are the pros and cons?

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