Micro Cinema Theatre
WHAT IS MCT ?
Micro Cinema Theatre is a style of performance that blends the new technologies of video with the manual skills of object manipulation and visual theatre. Often seen in contemporary puppetry, the technique allows creators to devise narratives and effects through a combination of projected imagery, live feed video and stage craft.
If we point little cameras at tiny objects we begin to see extraordinary details and hidden movements that are totally lost to the naked eye.
In this very practical workshop we will keep the technology simple and get straight into the Art by exploring what we find with a live camera and a projector.
By following some simple cinematic principles we will create a fascinating new type of miniature cinema.
Then by combining these discoveries with our more traditional forms of performance, we will find ourselves in the fascinating and beautiful world of Micro Cinema Theatre.
Working in small groups we will -
• Play with colour, focus and light.
• Look at action, process and metaphor.
• Build 2 and 3 dimensional spaces and work with collage and diorama.
• Establish the many different ways to integrate the images that we have found with the performance on stage.
• Decide what movements and materials work best for the stories we want to tell.
• And finally add sound and foley and present our work to each other.
Participants can go home feeling inspired and more confident to develop these ideas using their own technology within their own creative practice.
I also offer online follow up sessions if people need further support and advice.
Participants may be asked to bring a number of objects to be used during the workshop and a list will be provided before the workshop.
Micro Cinema Theatre is ideal for all puppet and visual theatre creators but also suitable for any type of performance - theatre, dance, film making, even fine artists, scenographers and animators find the techniques useful.
Duration: 2 to 5 days (12 to 35 hours)
Capacity: maximum 12 people
“It is such good news that we can create a microcinema style performance without all the heavily expensive technology”
participant Manipulate Festival, Edinburgh 2023
Title photo credit: Christophe Loiseau
“This workshop really focuses on the process and is highly accessible for theatre-makers and art-makers in other forms such as experimental film-makers, live artists, designers. I found working collaboratively during the workshop really opened my eyes to how the technique could work in practice.” Michelle Read, Dublin 2017
tiny stages
incorporating text
simple technology
physical theatre and performance
Photo credit: Tomáš Roček/draktheatre.cz
Photo credit: Tomáš Roček/draktheatre.cz
black and white
textures and colour
Workshops at FIMFA, Lisbon, Portugal and Klagenfurt, Austria 2023
See Calendar for upcoming workshops
Quotes from previous workshop participants:
“This was a very valuable, well lead and resourced workshop. The techniques shared and the context in which we were invited to explore them collaboratively, was very well thought out and inspiring.”
“After a brief introduction we began playing, making and experimenting pretty much straight away, and the possibilities inherent in the technology became immediately apparent. The focus on theatre-making meant the learning had immediate application for my practice.”
“I believe the techniques taught in the workshop would greatly benefit all practitioners in the fields of Theatre, Design and Live music performances.”