back.story

.Today I wrote my artist's statement that I will include in my book. The book will be called "back.story", and... well... you'll figure out what it's about once you read below!

"What is a back story?

A back story is a device used literally as a background story which chronologically would have taken place prior to the narration of a novel, film, or in this case, a dramatic work. These devices are directly related to the narration and usually deal with the history of characters or other underlying elements. Kind of like a prequel.

There are a lot of considerations an actor has to make when coming up with a back story for their performance to make it their own. The lines in their script are only a basis for practically birthing a new character. The psychology of a character simply cannot be provided in a script or the brief character summary that not even all scripts provide; it is the actor’s responsibility to create this psychology and what makes the character tick. After all, if you think about the way a person was raised, who they knew growing up, what trials they faced, the obstacles they overcame, their first kiss... All of these things shape who a person is. This should be a testament to how powerful a back story can be. Two actors playing the same role with two different back stories will portray the character in very different ways.

My intent for this series was to create a collection of “character stills” that show actors, who have played these characters, in full costume and make-up and for them to talk about the back stories they developed for their characters. The photographs are meant to capture the essence of the character and what makes each character unique. Accordingly, each photograph and back story is accompanied by song lyrics that give insight to each particular characterization.

If anything, a person who reads this book should be able to take away the importance of a back story in someone’s life and how these “prequels” shape a character, and ultimately an entire society.

So, tell me... what’s your back story?"

If you want, you should totally let me know what you think! I want as much advice as possible. I will be posting about my progress in the making of this book on my other blog: http://sbimagery.blogspot.com/. Be sure to check it out!

And on this blog, I will be posting a new set of "character stills" soon. My lovely friend and actress/make-up artist, Shemika Berry will be portraying Sarah from the Broadway musical, Ragtime. I met Shemika when we were both cast in a production of Gypsy. She was cast as a stripper with a gimmick, and I was a 12-year-old! We have worked together several times since then and I know she is the perfect actress to portray this character. I'm sure it will be beautiful! I don't want to give too much away about specifics, but this is a song from the show that Sarah sings (hope it will get you in the mood Shemika!).

sb.imagery