Disathairne an 19mh den Ghiblein | Saturday 19th April 2014

Tha mi a’ cur air dòigh sgeadal an-diugh, a’ tòiseachadh le na gnìomhan bunaiteach an-luib na pròiseact agus an uairsin na rudan a dh’fheumas a bhith dèante nan cois no fìus ro-làimhe. An uairsin feumar rùrachadh na rudan sonraichte nach gabh an fhàgail às –  an ‘dearbh staran’ a bheir seo gu crìoch.

I’m working on a schedule today, beginning with a list of principle actions followed by a highlighting of those subsidiary tasks that need to be completed in tandem, or even beforehand. From there, I need to work out which particular steps are needed create the minimal ‘critical path’ that will bring this to completion.

Mar eiseamplair, chan eil ach sia seachdainean gus am bidh an dràma air an àrd-ùrlar, agus chan eil sinn air cleasaiche a lorg airson an caractar cudromaich, Goramal. ‘S ise a tha a’ mìneachadh fuasgladh airson àm-èiginneach am prìomh-charactair, Scott, agus tha aice ri bhith ann ro-làimh airson clàradh a’ bhidio beag airson toiseach na deilbh cuideachd. Ìoc! A bheil tè sam bi an-seo a lùigeadh cothrom seann-seanmhair Gàidhealach a chluich air an àrd-ùrlar, idir?

For example, we only have six weeks until this drama is on stage, and we still have to cast the key character, Goramal, who serves to bring protagonist Scott to resolution of his conflict. She also has to be there for the pre-recorded opening film sequence. Eek! Anyone out there fancy the  chance to play a one hundred year old Gaelic matriarch on stage?

Tha mi air a bhith a’ cnuasachadh air feumalachdan  innealan ‘F-Bh’ air-loidhne, leithid Skype, nuair a tha sinn a leughadh tro scrioptaichean an toiseach. Leis mar a tha sinn sgaipte nar bhuidheann, dh’fhaodadh seo a bhith na mheadhan air leth freagarrach airson a bhith a’ gluasad gnothaichean air adhairt eadar na coinneamhan seachdaineach. A thuilleadh air sin, tha mi a’ cluiche pàirt bheag ann an dràma a chur caraid air dòigh airson an t-sreath – rud eile gu tur mach às an àbhaist airson an ùranach-sa – agus tha fios gun dèanadh e feum mhòr dhomh cothroman trèanaidh agus taic fhaighinn ann a bhith a’ cur guth ris a’ charactair seo cho luath sa ghabhas. Chanainn gum biodh Skype cuideachail airson sin cuideachd. Co-dhìu, cuiridh mi air dòigh e, agus leigidh mi fios dhuibh air mar a chaidh dhuinn a thaobh na buannachdan agus na tàmailtean na chois.

Beàrnan limineal air-loidhne airson obair-gnàthachadh ? Cò aig a bha dùil?

There’s an idea that’s been percolating at the back of my mind about using online audio-visual communication tools such as Skype for the early read-throughs of scripts.  As a dispersed group with other commitments it could prove the ideal medium for moving things along between weekly meetings. Besides,  I have a bit part in a friend’s production for the showcase – another first for this newbie – and I could certainly do with intensive voice coaching in the early stages. I’m pretty sure that Skype could help with that. So,  I’ll set it up and then report back on its merits and de-merits as a rehearsal tool.

Liminal on-line rehearsal spaces? who knew?

 

 

Diardaoin an 17mh den Ghiblein | Thursday 17th April 2014

An-diugh tha mi a’ rannsachadh deilbh airson bhidio a tha an cois na dràma. Cha leig mi a leas ach coig no sia de dheilbh ach tha uiread air-loidhne ‘s gu bheil mi gus a dhol fodha, is mo cheann cha mhòr  tuathail leotha. Tha’d tarraingeach agus gaireasachail aig an aon àm. Tha cuid an-seo bhon National Media Museum ann an Aistrailia, air an cruinneachadh le Frank Hurley/Australian War Records:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmediamuseum/3007981750/in/photostream/

Today, I’m researching still images of the Great War for a short video compilation that will accompany the drama. We only need five or six for this very short segment but there are so many online that it is both bewildering and overwhelming. They are strangely compelling and dreadful at the same time. There is a good sampling here from the National Media Museum of Australia, drawn from the collection of Frank Hurley/Australian War Records:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmediamuseum/3007981750/in/photostream/

Tha tòrr fuaimean SFX rin fhaighinn air-loidhne: http://soundbible.com/tags-mortar.html Feumaidh sinn a bhith gu math faiceallach agus cinnteach gur e na seòrsachan armachd a bhathas a’ cleachdadh aig an àm a chuireas sinn ris a’ bhidio.

There are many sound effects recordings also available online: http://soundbible.com/tags-mortar.html. We need to take care to be certain that we add only the correct weaponry sound effects, in terms of contemporary small arms and ordnance, to the video.

Tha mi a’ faighinn foghlam an-diugh ach chan e foghlam a tha còrdadh rium feumaidh mi aideachadh. Tha beagan a bharrachd de dh’ eòlas agam a-nis air armachd-làimh leithid durcan-spreadhaidh, raidhfilean agus dagaichean; agus, air òrdanais leithid gunaichean mòra agus moirtearan an gunaraidh. Oideachas mì-dheonach agus gann de thoileachas a th’ann ge-ta.

I’m learning a lot today, though it is scarcely edifying, about small arms such as grenades, rifles and pistols; and, ordnance such as the big guns and mortars of the artillery. There is little pleasure in this broadening of my knowledge, I confess.

Dimàirt 15mh den Ghiblein | Tuesday 15th April 2014

Le ceann-ama airson na dreachd làn-chrìochnaichte a’ teannadh faisg, thàinig rud thugam ‘s mi gun dùisgeadh ceart, tràth sa mhadainn. Aig buth-obrach airson sgrìobhadh cruthachail o chionn ghoirid, mhol an sgrìobhadair Chriselle Rothach rium a bhith a’ gearradh air ais, “chun an dearbh rud a tha thu airson innis.”

With the deadline for the final draft of the script approaching, a critical realisation came to me as I awoke this morning. At a recent meeting of our local creative-writing group, professional script-writer Chriselle Ross had advised that the way to approach a drama in its early stages was by paring it right back “…chun an dearbh rud a tha thu airson innis| to the very thing that you want to tell”.

Dhomh fhìn, is e am bròn an rud as miosa an-luib Cogaidhean an fhicheadamh lìnn; gun deach teaghlaichean an sgaradh nuair a chaidh na balaich òg aca an cur chun an àir. Chan ann air uabhas an Cogadh Mòr a tha an drama seo stèidhte ge-ta, ach air a’ ghaoil a lorgas sinn ann an teaghlaichean.

For me the sadness of the two World Wars of the early twentieth century is that families were sundered when their young young boys were sent to the slaughter. This drama is not about the horror of war though, instead it is all about familial love.

Chunna mi nach robh mi air sin a dhèanamh buileach soillear san dòigh a bha mi air cruthachadh guth an caractar, Scott, oileanach òg san latha an-diugh. Tha e gu mòr draghail mu thrioblaidean fhèin, is e ann an droch-thruma, nuair a tha e ga lorg fhèin ann an teis-meadhan àm-èiginneach. Chan eil sinn faicinn gu bheil dìugh a’ choin aige airson a theaghlach air fad an toiseach. Ach, tha na h-aobharan a th’aige airson an oilthigh fhàgail stèidhte ann an gaoil, gu ìre: tha e airson nach bith aig a phàrantan a bhith ag obair cho cruaidh airson a chumail san oilthigh, agus tha e airson a bhith na laoich airson a chèil’, Katie. ‘S ann gu mòr ceangailte ri bhith cosnadh airgead tro chùmhnant-obrach seasmhach a tha tàladh aig an airm dhà; cùis leantainneach airson òigridh an clas-obrach ann an duthchannan nua-aimsireil air fad. Le sin, tha mi dol a thoirt guth den ghaoil a tha glaist’ na bhroillich tro bhith a’ labhairt air na rudan is gràidheal dhà, airgead agus cosnadh is leithid, le eiseamplairean beaga co-cheangailt ris a theaghlach.

I realised that in depicting the young latter-day student Scott, in particular, I did not fully give voice to this; he displays mostly anxiety for himself and a dollop or two of petulance in his latter-day crisis rather than any fellow feeling for his loved ones. His reasons for dropping out of university are, in part at least, based on love, however: he wants to see his parents not working so hard to support his studies, and he wants to be ‘a man’ for Katie, his girlfriend. Much of his attraction for the armed forces revolves around money and gainful employment, a perennial issue for the working classes in post-modernity, so that is how I’ll frame his love as well.

Airson seo a thoirt gu buaidh, tha mi dol a chur loidhne no dhà ris a’ scriopt, far am bidh Scott (nach e tha coir?)a’ beachdachadh gum biodh telebhisean ùr feumail dha phàrantan, zimmer gleansach dha Granaidh Goramal, agus dha Katie? as doch fàinne. Tha mi an dòchas gu seall seo gu bheil uidh air choiregin aige dhaibh, agus le sin gum bidh a character a’ ceangal a-steach leis a’ smuain thùsail aig bonn na sgeul: gaoil fhèin. Bu choir gum bidh seo ga dhèanamh nas tarraingeach na charactar agus a’ toirt dhuinne co-fhaireachdainn air a shon, ann an dòigh nach todhar leisgeulan mu dheidhinn fiachan, agus cho dòirinneach sa tha a bheatha.

In order to bring that into profile I’m going to add a line or two, where Scott decides (selflessly!) that a new TV for his parents wouldn’t be so bad, a new go-faster zimmer for granny, and for Katie? perhaps a ring. Revealing his hopes for his family should bring his character into line with the dynamic of familial love that drives the drama and which holds it together, accounting more sympathetically for his reasons for seeking the steady wage of the army apprentice in a way that reference to his student overdraft and boredom perhaps don’t.

A thuilleadh air a’ sin, tha feum aig Granaidh air a bhith beagan nas sgiobailte na cabadaich.  Ged a tha i airidh air urram ri lìnn aois, cha leig i a leas a bhith a’ searmonachadh buileach cho fad (no mi fhìn a bharrachd feumaidh mi aideachadh). Tha mi airson na trì labhraidhean mu dheireadh aice ri Scott atharrachadh, agus aon phuing a-mhàin a dhèanamh airson gach pàirt den aithris air fad, agus le sin a h-argamaid a thoirt gu ìre ann an ùine nas goirid.

Also, granny needs a little bit of organising. Whilst repetitious meandering has long been accepted as the prerogative of the elderly (and evidently the fledgling drama writer too) I think that her three final utterances to Scott could be tightened up to flag one main point along each section of her narrative path.

Ceart matha, bu choir gun cum sin na cleasaiche dòigheal…agus tha mi an dòchas nach bi co-òrdanaiche na pròiseact air fad, Rachel Cheanadach, air a gonadh nuair a chì i dreachd eile den scriopt a’ tighinn tron phost-dealain.  Bòididh mi gur e seo an dreachd mu dheireadh…

That should see us right and give the actors something concrete to work with… and I hope that project co-ordinator Rachel Kennedy can forgive yet another revised script landing in her in-box tomorrow. This is the final draft, I promise…