Reflective Theory In Use

It is all well and good reading theories and understanding them. However, as practitioners, we must relate these theories to our professional lives to gain any real use from them. In doing so, we can clearly outline which theories are effective in regards to our professional practice, and which pose questions or problems.

DEWEY

'continual reorganization, reconstruction and transformation of experience' (Dewey, 1916). 

My script writing has been a continual artistic learning curve. The 'transformation' of my script writing experience was the solid feedback I received from my agent on the filmed scene.

Journal entry about scene feedback - 27.03.2017

 Following on from actually having the experience, i.e. filming the scene, it was then valuable for me to listen to the feedback. I could link the feedback to my experiences. During my training as well as in professional productions; taking on constructive criticism in order to progress and improve is something I am familiar with. It is a strategy that bodes well for me. Rather than getting bogged down with negativity - I have adapted to having belief in myself and my work. This, in turn, allows me to find meaning in my work.

Nothing worth achieving is easy - it's a progressive journey.

LEWIN

To put my reflective thought into practice - I turned to Lewin's 'set of spiral steps' (Lewin, 1997).

1. Cycle of idea: The beginnings of my idea to script write began with casual conversations with my friend, modest brainstorms penned on paper and creative thoughts and topics in my head. An idea can't progress without it being fabricated in the first place. I realised that the cycle of idea is an essential stage in any reflective experience.
2. Fact finding planning: This section of Lewin's steps almost had to break up into two different pathways in regards to my ultimate goal - the creative pathway and the practical pathway. In regards to my creative work, the script, I had to dissect it with my co-writer. We refined it to its purest state - and the most natural to our native dialects. On the practical aspect of this stage - we had to research and plan the filming process. We had a few different options of film-makers, but we had to decide which person was going to work best for us. Once we decided on this - we had to plan a date. This proved to be a difficult step. Creative people are arguably the busiest people in the world.
3. Action: This step accumulates to the filming of the scene we had written. It felt incredible that an idea that began in our heads and furthered on paper; was now actually being documented and could be used for reflective experience.
4. Evaluation: Once I had received the final filmed scene - I could then review it. The feedback from my agent, which I mentioned earlier, also helped to give me a clear understanding of how I can improve on aspects of acting for camera. I watched and re-watched the scene many times in order to pick up on what I found effective and pleasing, and also what I found to be static or unnatural.
5. Planning: What I find interesting about Lewin's set of spiral steps is that the process goes around in a creative circle. The creative practitioner never stops. My practice is an ongoing experience of challenges, achievements, improvements and learning. The feedback and response gathered from the filmed scene spurred me on to start planning a live performance - I sent emails, contacted some industry people and began rehearsing with my co-writer.
6. Action: The result of this particular creative process was a performance in The Constellation Creatives CoLab at The Hospital Club, Covent Garden on Monday the 27th of March. This proactive action solidified the importance of putting words into practice within my profession.

   

   My co-writer and I at 'Constellation Creatives CoLab', The Hospital Club, Covent Garden 27.03.2017

KOLB

I related Kolb's learning cycle (Kolb, 1984) to the rehearsal and filming process. 

1. Concrete experience: I learnt different tips whist filming. This included 'the doughnut' - which is a screen acting technique used to visualise the best points to concentrate your gaze when working on camera. These include around the lens (hence, 'doughnut' around the lens) - this is to draw in the audience because the eyes are the windows to the soul.
2. Reflective observation: When I watched myself acting on screen, I was instantly able to pinpoint what I liked and disliked about my performance. This gave me creative leeway to discuss with the film-maker what needs to be changed.
3. Abstract conceptualism: I worked out roughly in my head where I wanted the lifeline of my dialogue to go. However, with acting, thriving off natural instinct is valuable. I found this step in the cycle is only useful when used sparingly.
4. Active experimentation: When rehearsing our scene following the filming and preceding the live performance; we began to experiment with different techniques to see what worked. I found the speed line read effective as it didn't leave room to lose intention and also it was a good test to see was my head fully wrapped around the dialogue.

GARDNER

After previous study on Gardner's idea of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983); I concluded that I am a verbal-linguistic learner. I tend to think too much whilst acting - and this perhaps doesn't bode well for naturalism. I want to work more on spontaneous chemistry and not heavily reflecting-in-action whilst acting. Over-analysis whilst acting can be counter-productive. 

On a brighter note - being a self-confessed verbal-linguistic learner is a perk for my ability to script write.

HONEY AND MUMFORD

Following on from Kolb's ideas, Honey and Mumford created a model of four 'stages' (Honey and Mumford, 1992) to do with experiences and reflection. 

1. Having an experience: Myself and my co-writer had a creatively positive experience at the Constellation Creatives CoLab. This experience allowed us to discover more about our practice.
2. Review: I personally reviewed the experience with a lot of nerves. I asked myself questions such as 'What if the audience hated it?' and 'What if they thought we were terrible?'. These insecurities revealed an important learning curve for my creative progress - Other people's feedback is as valuable as our self-analysis. We got first-hand, non-biased feedback from actors, writers, film-makers and directors. This was highly valuable and encouraging to me. 
3. Concluding from the experience: This experience led to film-makers, film production companies and directors contacting me directly. This form of networking opens up opportunities for future projects and jobs. 
4. Planning the next steps: The high of performing combined with the feedback we received encouraged myself and my writing partner to continue on from where we had started and write more material.
   

   

   This Film Production Company used Twitter as a forum to contact me

   All in all, these four 'stages' were a helpful analysis for me to come to terms with my experience and to form my own ideas and opinions on it.

SCHÖN

As discussed earlier in this blog, the use of reflection IN action and reflection ON action is valuable to practitioners. (Schon, 1987) To further reflection-on-action, social media has allowed us to share our reflection with our peers and industry professionals.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSIqSbhDjyl/?taken-by=eleanor_actor

Here I have linked a clip of my final filmed scene. By sharing this clip on Facebook and Instagram - I allowed a wider spectrum of people to reflect-on-action with me.

From my study of these theories - I can conclude that I believe people's experiences to be different when it comes to putting them into practice. Some of these theories and ideas may have worked efficiently for the filming process - however they make not work quite as effectively when it comes to a live theatre piece. The next time I am in the rehearsal room or do a performance - I will make sure to refer back to these theories and correlate the most effective theory to that experience.

References

Dewey, John (1916) Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education, facsimile of edition 2010, Charleston: Nebu.

Gardner, Howard (1983) Frames of Mind the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, New York: Basic Books

Honey and Mumford (1992) The Manual of Learning Styles (Third Edition), Maidenhead: P. Honey

Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential Learning, Englewood NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lewin, Kurt (1997) Resolving Social Conflicts, London: AMerican Psychological Association

Schon, Donald (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner, San Francisco: Josse Bass