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[rachaelje13]

Sound Design Assignment

[rachaelje13]

Midnights is a wild ride of an album and I couldn’t be happier that my co pilot on this adventure was Jack Antonoff. He’s my friend for life (presumptuous I know but I stand by it) and we’ve been making music together for nearly a decade HOWEVER… this is our first album we’ve done with just the two of us as main collaborators. We’d been toying with ideas and had written a few things we loved, but Midnights actually really coalesced and flowed out of us when our partners (both actors) did a film together in Panama. Jack and I found ourselves back in New York, alone, recording every night, staying up late and exploring old memories and midnights past. We were so lucky to also work with our brilliant collaborators Sam Dew, Sounwave, Lana Del Rey, Jahaan Sweet, Keanu Beats, William Bowery, and Zoe Kravitz. Laura Sisk was our excellent engineer. The wonderful and wise Beth Garrabrant took the album photographs. Midnights is a collage of intensity, highs and lows and ebbs and flows. Life can be dark, starry, cloudy, terrifying, electrifying, hot, cold, romantic or lonely. Just like Midnights. Which is out now  

https://taylor.lnk.to/taylorswiftmidnights

[rachaelje13]

SCRIPTWRITING

The Lost Dorm Key

Scene 1

Act 1

(Rose is running around the dining room frantically throwing things off a table. Her sister Sammy enters)

Sammy:(yelling)  What the hell are you doing?

Rose:  I lost my keys. They cost $200 dollars to replace. 

Sammy: I don’t think throwing everything off the table is gonna help

Rose: I’ve looked everywhere 3 times. I'm desperate.

Sammy: Where was the last place you remember having t?

Rose: I'm going to sell you to make up for the money my new keys will cost

Sammy: I'm just trying to help

Rose: (Rose throws a pen at Sammy) Try shutting up it would be more helpful

(Their mother, Jenn, walks in the front door)

Jenn: Rose are you planning on going back to school?

Rose: I’m homeless now since I have no keys to get into my home

Jenn: That seems dramatic

Sammy: Just get a new one you have no choices

Rose: I don’t have 200 dollars

Sammy: don’t you have a Taylor swift concert fund?

Rose: that’s important

Jenn: and have a dorm key isnt?

Rose: Shes going on tour soon

Sammy: did she announce that?

Rose: no but she been dropping easter eggs about it

Jenn: Use the 200 on the key and worry about the concert when she actually announces it

Rose: I’m going to cry myself to bed

Jenn: go back to school

Rose: after I take a nap

Act 1 

Scene 2

(Rose runs into class dripping wet wearing a skirt several sizes too small)

Professor: Thank you for coming

Rose: I’m so sorry. I took the train and it got delayed because of the rain.

Professor: I wasn’t being sarcastic. Half the class was skipped I'm genuinely glad you’re here.

Rose: oh no problem

(Rose sits down next to her friend, Olivia. The two begin whispering)

Olivia: That was awkward

Rose: This has been the worst 24 hours of my life

Olivia: Why are you wearing a miniskirt? it's 45 degrees out.

Rose: I lost my dorm key when I went home for the weekend so last night I went back home to look for it and when I couldn’t find it I took a depression nap but forgot to wake up so my mom had to frantically wake me up this morning and shove me on the 8 am train. This skirt from middle school was the only clothing item I could fit into that I didn’t bring to my dorm.

Olivia: That sucks but you're giving main character vibes

Rose: yeah plus maybe someone will mistake me for a hooker and give me money

Olivia: I don’t think you look like a hooker

Rose: great ill be cold wet and still poor

Olivia: what's happening in this class?

Rose: how the hell would I know? You won’t stop talking.

(the two girls listen to the professor talk about morality for 5 seconds)

Olivia: Where was the last place you had your keys?

Rose:(loudly) why does everyone keep asking that? If I knew that then I would know where my keys are. Clearly, I can’t remember where I had my keys

Professor: Girls I’m trying to teach here

Olivia and Rose: (simultaneously) Sorry

Act 1 

Scene 3

(Olivia and Rose exit class and take shelter from the storm in the lobby of the building)

Olivia: Are you going to Jesse’s thing tonight?

Rose: If I can get back into my dorm.

Olivia: I’m sure by 7pm tonight you will make it back in.

Rose: Are we supposed to dress up?

Olivia: It’s a comedy show

Rose:  people dress up for SNL

Olivia: It’s a Temple smash rehearsal, not SNL but you can dress up if you want

Rose: If it was up to me everyone would have to dress up in heels and a pearl necklace

Olivia:If it was up to me everyone would have to wear crocs

Rose:I would rather die 

(Olivia spills her water bottle)

Olivia: Shit

Rose: I have napkins in my pencil case

Olivia: You keep napkins in your pencil case but no pants at your house?

(Rose opens up her backpack, grabs the pencil case and unzippers it)

Rose: I’m gonna throw myself in front of a semi-truck

Olivia: you lost your napkins too?

(Rose holds up a key)

Rose: I put it in my fucking pencil bag

Olivia: you’re an idiot.

[rachaelje13]

Quotes

“I checked everywhere like 3 times” “Where was the last place you saw it” “I'm going to sell you to make up for the money my new keys will cost” “I'm helping” “Try shutting up it would be more helpful”

“It's cold and wet and I’m wearing a mini skirt from middle school” “why a skirt ?” “I got depressed and fell asleep at my real house so it's all I had cause everything is at my dorm” “You're giving main character” “maybe someone will mistake me for a hooker and give me money” “I don’t think you look like a hooker” “so ill be cold wet and still poor”

“I'm sorry i set off your alarm i couldn’t help myself” “it’s fine I'm just glad i didn’t bring my stun gun you would have tased (name)” “he deserves it” “and this is exactly why you can’t ever find my stun gun” “ill just tell his cousin to disown him” “are you going to take his place in the family” “duh”

“Taylor Swift might release a new song tonight “ “Did she announce it?” “no but Taylor nation said “single leading” when talking about the song and then Spotify asked who would be meeting Taylor at midnight on Spotify” “i think if she was releasing a lead single she would announce it” “well ill be up at midnight just in case”

“What brings you all here” “apo” “a club?” “it’s a frat” “you’re all in a frat?” “confusing isn't it” nods “it’s coed”

“do you like this skirt?” “no, the leather is fake looking” “well I’m gonna buy it”

“did you take off the dog's costume?” “yes but she's not happy about it” “she has to save it for Halloween” “the dog won’t sleep on the bed now”

“thank you for coming to class” I'm sorry the train was delayed” “oh i wasn't being sarcastic half the class skipped I'm genuinely glad you’re here”

“Are you the 8 am turkey bowl” “i didn't want a donut it will make me sick” “so will turkey and mashed potatoes at 8 am”

“Are we supposed to dress up tonight” “It’s a comedy show” "I would dress up for a comedy show” “You can dress up if you want” “If it was up to me everyone would have to dress up with heels and a pearl necklace” “If it was up to me everyone would have to wear crocs” “I would rather die”

“Maybe we should pretend we're in Alabama” “There is no context that makes that a good idea”

[rachaelje13]

For my costume, I designed Song from the scene I previously designed during the set project. Obviously, the scene is set in Beijing so I had Song dressed in a traditional Chinese gown. I chose two colors: purple, which I had used in the set to signify Song would represent love for Guillemard, and red which represents both passion and danger. I also had an orchid in Song’s hair to match the set design. Song also wears flats because typically the type of males who want dominance over their significant other doesn’t allow their women to wear heels. The flats represent that Song will be submissive to Guillemard. While the gowns traditionally have flowers I had put butterflies for a little easter egg for the connection between Song and Butterfly.

[rachaelje13]

M. Butterfly Act 1, Scene 8 Gallimard see's song perform

The scene I chose to design is act 1, scene 8 where Gallimard goes and sees Song perform. I thought since he was just complaining about his boring life that where he sat in the audience would be boring and gloomy. The lights would be dim and the colors would be bland and lifeless.  In the scene, they are smoking pipes so I would place pipes on every table but his. I would also have smoke machines under tables putting a light amount of smoke in the fake audience surrounding Gallimard.  And because Song is bringing a sort of brightness into his life where she stood on stage would be brighter and more colorful. Sort of like he is currently in a dark place watching the possibility of something brightening it up.

Color Scheme for Audience Section on stage

Having these circular tables makes it easier to bring them on and off stages. They also make it so Gallimard doesn’t have to be hidden behind the back of a chair (at a table he could sit sideways and look at Song and the audience)

The bright color palette for the stage and whatever is on the elevated stage.

An elevated stage like this for Song and backup dancers to be performing on. (It could also stay the whole play and be used to make it look like Gallimard is looking out from his jail cell over the scenes he recounters at points) If the part that is seen by the audience could be like a TV-type scene you could change the colors or picture shown quickly. For this scene, I would use Chinese design elements/colors to remind the audience of M. Butterflies' location.

Bright white lights on the elevated stage like described in the play

An artificial Orchid background behind Song. Orchids are a Chinese flower that represents love and beauty. Gallimard is looking up from the depressing smoke-filled audience up to Song who is singing on a bright stage in front of flowers that represent beauty. In Chinese culture purple and orchids, both represent love, so it foreshadows the relationship Song will provide for Gallimard

[rachaelje13]