A mascmmva sum as THE TELEVlSION
mumouas m THE momma
0F gm m coma

”.-

mESl‘S FOR THE DEGREE OF M. A
MEGHEGAN STATE UNWEfiSETY

WEEK? SHEBWDGD
E 9 6 3

 

NOV 1 3208’!
01 0 9 0‘4

 

_ . . 3—; “232‘

chhzo'an “a“;
URN-£35333! g
5‘

a, LIBRARY $5

  
 

ABSTRACT

This thesis deals with the interpretation by the director of
Study in Color in producing the play on television.

The first chapter presents an interpretation and analysis of
the script by the author and the values in the drama that he chose

to emphasize in the television presentation.

Chapter II deals with the conditions of production including
such consideration as the studio used, the inherent limitations of
the medium, casting, budget and finally with the television tech-
niques employed by the author to communicate the essence of those

dramatic values arrived at in Chapter I.

The third chapter presents a shot-by-shot representation of
the television play through the use of a photograph of each shot,
the portion of script relevant to that shot and the author's reasons

for the framing, camera angle and transition used.

Chapter IV summarizes the specific application of the general
rules of television production as they were applied specifically in

this production of Study Tn Color.

The appendices include reproductions of the set design, a

floor plan and the director's marked copy of the script.

A kinescope recording of the production, which is an
integral part of this thesis, is on file with the Television
and Radio Department, Michigan State University.

A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE TELEVISION TECHNIQUES
IN THE PRODUCTION OF STUDY IN COLOR

3?

Robert Sherwood

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Television and Radio

1968

Approved //fi;g{/2<:/g, [Té2;jé;<:__i

1/ Major Professor

PREFACE

This study was undertaken to provide a first-hand account
of one director's application of several general rules or conven-
tions of television production to one particular production. The
production was an adaptation of the play §£gg1.;3_gglgg and in
this thesis the author, who was the producer-director, sets forth
his approach to the play, details the shots taken and the transi-

tions employed from shot to shot.

The purpose of this study is to provide a source for the
student director to examine the results of a television director's
work in the light of that director's stated intentions on a shot-
by-shot basis.

An integral part of this thesis is a kinescope recording
of the production of Study In Color which is on file in the
Television and Radio Department, Michigan State University.

The author is grateful to Father Malcolm Boyd, author of
§52g1 In 9219;, for permission to produce his play for television
and for permission to reproduce the play in this thesis. The
author also wishes to thank all those who participated in this
production of §£ugy In Color and the writing of this thesis, par-
ticularly Arthur weld, the author's major advisor.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
PR EFAC E O O O O O O O O O O

O O O O O O O O C O O O O O O 0 ii

Chapter
I. INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPT . . . . . 1

Script Synopsis--
Interpretation

Plot

Character l.~;,sfi
Setting ’
Masks

Summary

II. THE CONDITIONS OF PRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Studio

The Limitations of Television
Casting

Budget

Television Techniques

III. DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED . . . . . . . 16
IV. SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

The General Rules

The Opening

The Establishing Shot
The Close-up

The Wide Shot

Size and Position
Camera Angle and Lenses
Transitions

APPENDICES ... . . . . . . . . .
APPENDIX A. Set Sketch for Study In Color . . . 83
APPENDIX B. Floor Plan for Study In Color . . . 85

APPENDIX C.. Director's Marked Copy of the .
' Script for Study 12.Color . . . . . . 87

iii

APPENDICES
APPENDIX D. Press Release Announcing the
Presentation of Study In Color

by WSB C O O O O I O O O O O

B I BL IOGRAPHY O U C O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

iv

CHAPTER I
INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPT

The television director requires many things before he is in
a position to communicate with an audience. Cameras, of course,
and lights, microphones, a crew, sets and props, but most important
he requires program content, a reason to turn on the cameras and

microphones, a subject to interpret for the medium.

The subject in this case was the script for Stggy In legg.
The script was written in 1962 by The Reverend Malcolm Boyd, an
Episcopalian Priest, and at that time Chaplain at Wayne State
University in Detroit, Michigan.

Script Synopsis

.gggdy‘lglgglgg is a two-character play in the tradition of
Absurd Theatre. It opens with both characters on stage but oblivious
of each other. One character, played by a negro actor, is dressed
in white and wears a white mask; the other character, played by a

caucasian actor, is dressed in black and wears a black mask.

The play begins with a series of alternating soliloquies by
the characters, each preoccupied with his state of color and the
relationship of color and color-descriptive words to attitudes of

good and evil, grace and sin, race and humanness.

The white character begins by lamenting that he is bored with
color yet wishes he had some rather than being washed out, pallid
and ... dull. The black character begins his series of speeches by
wishing whites could understand what it is to be colored and decries

~\ \‘

 

 

their stupidity in escaping the reality of it and their lame ex-

cuses for avoiding interracial confrontation on a social level.

White then turns to comparing the sounds of the words
"nigger" and "negro," wonders what it is like to be negro and
then proceeds to recite a litany of color-loaded phrases such as
"black cloud" and "black night" and "black sin" carrying it‘ul- ‘
timately to the human body from black face to white teeth.

Black then goes into his own litany of color-loaded words
emphasizing "white" and its association with cleanliness and

purity.

The soliloquies continue with White reciting the joke about
God arriving by Spaceship: "§hg was 23339." Black continues the
color litany, and finally both of the characters decide to be
"colored" and thereupon don brightly colored masks over their

respective black and white masks.

Now for the first time the characters are aware of each
other and engage in dialogue. White tries to make polite conver-
sation but is rebuffed by Black. After a few moments of silence
Black thinks better of it and apologizes, offers White a cigarette

which, afraid to accept such a‘Ehing from a "colored" man, he

, ,,refuses for if; being withofit a filter.

..
“'2

The conversation then turns to their "color" and the dis-
guised White in a self-conscious display of his "tolerance" re-
cites some of the typical white platitudes about race relations
and hmman understanding, forgetting for the moment he too is
"colored." The disguised Black confronts him with his "colored-

ness" and in embarrassed confusion White admits his "color" is a

m..- ....- ...

.w “mm--— ...—.q-q».'-_.- H4Wvfi-z.——‘—- 4-

. A, ‘. .AH-o...‘ .WE-nw -.- ...... “-‘nu— ..- .n~—.r.H.--.-¢an-——e——u-n- “,— m‘- ”—v 4”“.:<. —-- .-1-

--‘o

mask he can remove at will and expresses his sympathy for Black
because he cannot do so. At this point Black removes his mask

explaining, "I'm not colored; I'm black."

White finds this confusing (it does not fit the stereotype)
and finally asks why Black did not wear a white mask; after all, it
is a white culture and it is easier to be white. Black's testiness
on the subject leads White to declare heatedly, "You're so darned
conscious of being a nigger ...," almost choking on his words after
realizing what he has said. He continues to accuse Black of hold-
ing misconceptions and judging everyone on the basis of a few ig-
norant or prejudiced people. Black, weary and hurt, apologizes.

Then White does the same.

At this point White suggests that they change roles for a
few minutes. Black agrees and at the climax of a primitive dance

that symbolizes birth and life, their masks are exchanged.

Now, White, wearing the black mask, is touchy and defensive.
Black, wearing the white mask, finds himself foolishly trying to
explain how the suburban "point system” works in real estate, his
confusion turns to embarrassment, and as he goes into the cliche
lines, "I don't know what we're going to do about this race busi-
ness. I think it's getting worse all the time....," the lights
fade and his voice rises, becomes artificial, almost hysterical,
_as he repeats, "Anybody can see you're negro and I'm white." Ab-
ruptly the voice stops, the lights come up and Black is back behind
his own mask and White behind his.

/

Interpretation

Father Boyd regards Study In Color as "an attempt to see two
human beings -- two persons underneath masks, and the foolishness

of stereotypes and prejudices and all the rest of it."1

This author regarded the play as a significant and well
formed statement, an absurd statement perhaps, about an absurd
aspect of the human condition. In analyzing the script we find
two stereotypes -- almost super-stereotypes -- living in the same
world but apart, ignorant of each other. The opening speeches of

each set the tone of their character and the direction of the drama.

The negro actor wears a white mask made to suggest negro
features and a white actor wears a black mask modeled on stylized
white features. The "race" of the actors is thus obvoluted. The
lines of White tell us he is "bored with color" yet he is pre-
occupied with it. In wanting "color" he is considering only rain-
bow hues and while he characterizes his "white" condition as
"washed-out and pallid," it is also "antiseptically clean" -- a
concept we may owe to soap advertising. With it all, however, he
finds it dull.

When he turns to the consideration of non-white humanness
he dismisses the rainbow colors. In fact he seems not to consider
color at all but rather words, more precisely, labels. A contrast
of the sound of "nigger" and "negro" speaks for itself. His won-
dering what it feels like to be negro devolves into "black"
cliches -- black ivory, black velvet, black cloud, etc. The most

 

1Interview with Malcolm Boyd at Detroit, Michigan, March 20,
1964.

loaded of the cliches is "black sin" which (along with the referen-
ces to the parts of the body and the earlier reference to "nigger")

is picked up in the following speech by Black:

"I dislike the name Nigger. I dislike

the name Nigger. Cleanse my sins and

I shall be whiter than white. Wash me

in the blood of the lamb, and I shall

be white, wash me in the blood of the “ *
lamb, and I shall be white. My black-

ness is hot, my blackness is hot, send

a white angel so I can be cool under

its wings, cool under its cool wings."

This speech is an indictment of our white culture, our
white religion that has assigned to the role of the good guy a
white hat and to the bad guy a black one. Sins are to be cleansed --
clean is good. Antiseptically clean is white. Blackness is hot,
so is hell; and what is cool? A white angel, of course, the

scourge of sin and hell and a non-white devil.
White then tells his joke, an old joke to be sure, but in
his stark self-confrontation at the end he sees the joke is, in

fact, on himself.

Rather Boyd regardshis plays as "preparatio evangelica,

- , ‘you'might say; preparatiofitfor gospel,"2 and there is a conscious

‘imitgtion of church litany here. In fact, at this point, the lines
are intoned by Black in a cross between Gregorian chant and a

'singing commercial. Continuing the analogy to a religious service,

those first lines are our "opening sentences," an invitation to

the worship.

 

Ibid.

To further depict the absurdity of "color" as any essential
criterion of knowing a man, that is to say in truth "cataloguing"

him, they each put on a second multi-colored mask.

If they ever really get close to seeing each other it is
during this period when they are both "colored." During this time
they exchange words but in spite of their new masks they still
know themselves only as what they were without the second mask.
The "white" actor dominates the dialogue still mouthing platitudes

and fatuous epithets. White is still guilt-ridden, Black is still
mistrustful.

Plot

 

Such plot as may be found in this work consists of the
eventual recognition by each character of the other, their attempts
to communicate -- on the basis of their own preconceptions -- each

one with the other and their ultimate failure. As stereotypes
' themselves they can only recognize each other as a stereotype and
proceed from there. They often speak in platitudes and cliches to
each other and so fail to communicate in any real sense. This lack

of communication and understanding is the key to the entire work.

Father Boyd has said in regard to this play, "a lot of people
look at Jewishness or Christianness or Hinduness, Whiteness or
Blackness or Yellowness ... and they say 'ah I understand this guy,‘
but they don't understand anything except their own prejudice,

their own ignorance, and the way they stereotype everybody out of
their own need and fear."3

 

Ibid.

~.- "“‘.fl\w ‘ - -

___.__.__—_-m-m:.-J.-_'P"' r'a‘“"" I" ,....

Character

The characters do not grow; they change, or seem to, but
the stereotype of the mask remains the same. At the end, they are
what they were in the beginning, prisoners in separate worlds,
hidden behind masks.

Even the metamorphosis, the one real attempt to see the
other side, results in seeing only one side again and so fails.
In the ritual analogy used earlier, this part of the play can be
_ considered the communion. A spiritual rebirth for each character
and yet nothing changes. The negro actor, now in the black mask,
reads Muhammad Speaks rather than the more "middle class" magazine
Eggny used earlier by the white actor in the same mask. This is
not an indication of an intensification or reaction in attitude.
It serves rather to underline the sort of "packaged" attitudes
that go with our masks. The white mask, now on the white actor,
is as fatuous as before and again the characters fail to reach

each other.

The climax of the play, as the "white mask" repeats metal-
lically, maddeningly, "Anyone can see you're black and I'm white,"
only to have the masks once more reversed, brings home the truth
that, as people, we are not black or white, but only prisoners be-

hind our several masks and alone.

Setting

There is no time or place in Study In Color; it takes place
everywhere, anywhere, all the time, anytime. It is a limbo world

but still "our" world; it is here and now.

To emphasize this universality the set was designed as ab-

stract patterns and shapes but hung in such a way as to present a

‘

closed or bounded world. No attempt was made to represent a
"place" in anyone's real experience but rather to suggest a modern
dream (perhaps nightmare) landscape with room for the principal
characters, the dancers and the musician to perform the roles as-

signed to them by the author.

Masks

The actors, in a tradition as old as theater itself, are
wearing masks. The origin of the mask in theater goes back, in
fact, to the pre-theater ceremonies of primitive religious ritual.
The mask has long served a useful purpose in drama from the Greek
and Roman drama, the Japanese Noh drama and Kabuki Theater to
Genet's The Blacks. It was at once a means for an actor to play
two or more roles and an indication of the character's age, sex,

mood and position.

In.§£ggy In legg, Black and White are not real people, they
are not even given names, but we know them. In fact, they are us.
Yet they are more than us. White especially is not believable as a
"person." He is his mask and his mask is an irony in itself.
Stark, unrelieved, chalk white, it is made with a broad flat nose,
a juxtaposition of a feature commonly regarded as negro on the
white face. The black mask, on the other hand,.has a thin aquiline
nose to provide idealized "white" features for the black character.
These masks were designed and executed for the original stage pres-
entation of Sgggy In QQLQE by Father Boyd and Mr. King.

80, in Sgggy In 9919;, these masks convey blackness and
whiteness, but they convey these qualities with the features deli-
berately confused. In their section on the commedia dell'arte,

1

MacGowan & Melnitz, referring to the practice of comedians appear-
ing masked, point out: "Since so many of the scenes in the com-
media dell'arte depended on pantomine, it seems strange that the
comedians should have sacrificed the mobile expressiveness ofv
their faces. The masks, however, permitted stylized exaggeration

of features appropriate to the characters."4 80 here we have the

"appropriate" features exaggerated.

Summary

From foregoing the following values appeared to the author
as those to be emphasized in the television production: The
isolation of the individual, his separateness from his fellow man,
the lack of understanding and communication resulting from the use
of stereotypes as means of knwoing or understanding other people,
the universal character of these conditions of human existence and
the hopelessness of retreating behind our own stereotype "masks"

for any solution to the problem of prejudice.

 

4Kenneth MacGowan and William.Melnitz, The Living Stage
(New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1955), p. 108.

CHAPTER II

THE CONDITIONS OF PRODUCTION

This chapter is concerned with those elements that governed
the decisions made in producing the play §£2gy,;2’gglg£ for tele-
vision: such things as the studio, the inherent limitations of
television, casting, budget, color, and the techniques of television

production.
The Studio

This production was mounted for television in Studio "A" of
WMBS(TV), the television station of Michigan State University, in
East Lansing, Michigan, in February, 1964. The studio held a set
r.{;:~.rapproximatelnywenty-eight“Tee; wide and thirty-four feet deep,
'which was designed by Jack Dunlevy, the staff artist and designer
.for WMSB. The play was written for one setting and was so executed
for television. The set consisted of six panels of heavy gauge
plastic netting decorated with various shapes, such as squares,
rectangles and triangles, which were painted in contrasting shades

of color (see Appendix A).

' The Limitations of Television

The first limitation of television as a medium for dramatic
expression is, of course, its fixed viewing format in which, no
matter how large the screen, the image is always three units high
by four units wide. In this production this inherent limitation is,
in fact, an asset. It is at once an aid to confining the characters

and action to a fixed, immutable, yet unreal, world.

11

Three cameras were used for the production. All were RCA
type TK-ll studio cameras, with lens-turrets and a standard lens
complement of one 50mm lens, one 90mm lens and one 135mm lens each.

_w;;—,,Two cameras were mounted onfiHojzton Fearless counterweighted studio
I pedestgls. These cameras each had, as a fourth lens, an eight and
a half inch telephoto lens. The third camera was mounted on a high
hat fixed on a Mole-Richardson studio microphone boom dolly, adapted
to this use by WMSB engineers. This camera had as a fourth lens a
thirteen inch telephoto lens. All three cameras were monochrome

type, image orthicon television cameras.

Three RCA BK 5 type microphones were used for audio. All
three were fixed in place. One was used to pick up the drums and
the other two were hung from booms fixed to the lighting grid and

aimed to cover the limited acting area.

Casting

The choice of Malcolm Boyd and Wbodie King Jr. as the actors
was part of the author's original decision to produce the play for
television. Malcolm Boyd had written the play and he and Mr. King
had been appearing together in it, off and on, for over a year,
under all sorts of conditions ranging from church basements and
coffee houses to fully equipped college theatres. The play was a
very personal thing to them and the author felt that they brought
something to it that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to
instill in any other actors available to work without pay in the

Lansing area. "

The drummer, Ted Small, was chosen because of his interest
in and affinity for the project. He was the drummer for the Michi-

gan State Band and was recommended to the author on that basis when

...,

12

he sought a musician for the production through the Michigan State
University Music Department. Mr. Small composed the drum solo that
is the theme music and basis for the dance.

The choreographer, Sharon Cardwell, was recommended to the
author by a teacher of modern dance at Michigan State University,
Jean Gal. Mrs. Cardwell, a primary school teacher in East Lansing,
Michigan, was immediately attracted to the play and the challenge
of scoring the dance that symbolized the change of identity or re-
birth of the principal characters. 'She chose the other two dancers,
Gloria Davis and Clintona Robinson, on the basis of previous profes-
sional association with them and first hand knowledge of their

ability as dancers.

Budget

One important consideration, mentioned briefly above, in
casting this program.was that those chosen be willing to appear
without pay. There was no cash budget for this production. The
entire television crew, including the author, worked on their own
.Lime. The television station, WMSB, provided the studio equipment
and video tape as well as their available resources in property

and materials for the setting. The author and his wife provided

‘ transportation, food, and lodging for the principals, Malcohm Boyd

and Wbodie King Jr.

Television Technigues

Sgggy In gglgg presents an immediate problem for monochrome
television because of the need to indicate color. The designer
approached this problem by using many shades of grey in the set
pieces. Variety was added to these by changing the lighting from

13

time to time. To emphasize the "colors" of the second masks used
by the actors, contrasting shades of grey were used in stripes on

one mask and polka dots on the other.

Directing a dramatic work for television presents unique
problems and requires some understanding of the values of the var-
ious pictures and angles available and the use of transitions from

picture to picture.

The conventions of television transitions demand that a

cut, or instantaneous change in picture, he used when going from
one camera to another when the action is continuous in time. The
dissolve from one shot to another should ordinarily be used only

to indicate a lapse of time and/or change of place. The most valid
acceptable exception to this use of the dissolve is in the realm of
fantasy and it is on this basis that the dissolve is used in.§£gdy
lfl.§2l2£ -- not to show a lapse of time but rather an absence of
time in any relevant sense (see for example the transition from

Shot 2 to Shot 3 in Chapter III, page 23). '

«I:

— f/ The essence of televi§i0n is the close-up: the ability to

show re;l things and real people in great size on a small screen.
The size of the television screen and its composition of five hun-
dred and twenty-five lines preclude showing any great amount of
detail in a long shot. The long shot is used often in Sgggy‘lg
£9123, however, to emphasize the smallness of the characters, their
isolation from each other and from the rest of the world (symbolized
here by the shadowy figures of the dancers in the background). In
this case it can be effective because it is not necessary to per-

ceive small details to feel the message of the picture.

___._._—.-..__-. "mo-OD .--v-w¢~ a.” 5.... a

14

In this same context the high angle shot, made possible by
placing the camera on the microphone boom dolly, is used to make
the characters seem smaller, less significant and occasionally

to emphasize humility.

The low angle shot, which in the extreme can make a person
or object seem huge and pwerful, is employed here most often to
underline the stereotype of the white character, present him as
larger than life, and at times threatening. In this same respect
I most often chose to put White in the foreground of two-shots and
therefore have him appear larger and more threatening than the

black character. ”To dominateethe screen is to dominate all other

.-

_,..' I

fffelemepts within the shot.

Lighting changes are used to emphasize some of the impressions
to be communicated. The actors are lit separately in the beginning;
in the wide shot this underlines their separateness and makes them
appear more isolated than the few feet between them.would allow if
it were evenly lit. When the don colored masks and become aware
of each other the lights on the background are brought up to bring

them together and emphasize their new awareness.

During the transformation scene the main characters go into
darkness, a kind of visual returning to a dramatic womb for the
spiritual rebirth to come. Spot lights come up on the dance area
as the dancers come to life and move in and out of the light in
primitive, ritualistic movement; now white, now grey, now black,
and back through the whole spectrum again and again to the constant,
basic pulse beat of the drmms., The sequence is seen partly through
one of the mesh screens of the background to point up the mystery

of the dance, to suggest hidden meanings, hidden fears; and the

15

camera then trucks the screen out of its shot symbolic of a lift-
ing of the veil, revealing it for what it is, a dance in celebra-

tion of life, new life, and new hope.

The new hope is unrealized in the ensuing dialogue between
the characters; and again the lights go down, the characters go
once more into darkness, the drums pick up the beat of the repeat-
ed lines of the actor, and the dancers descend like gods to return
the actors to their original roles. The lights come back on as
they were in the opening, the characters are again apart, alone,

isolated and imprisoned behind their own masks.

CHAPTER III

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED

This chapter presents a shot-by-shot representation of the
television production oflgggdy In 92125.5 Each shot is accompanied
by that part of the script relevant to it and by the author's
rationale for choosing the particular transition, framing of
content and camera angle. A complete, marked copy of the script

used by the author for this production is included as Appendix C

to this thesis.

 

5Study I2_Color, Copyright 1962 by Malcolm Boyd. All Rights
reserved. No portion of this play may be reproduced in any form
without permission.

l7

 

l
rfl!-\"¥Tf_bv.""§" —'I—V"“ _ _. ".‘,':"_."|"7-, .Ir-v.-

 

“.‘ V'!.l

lr
t
I
t .
a
I
5
La
r
r
n
F
L
|
r
E
L

FADE IN

assist

BLACK SCREEN, SOUND OF DRUMS SETTING A PRIMITIVE RHYTHM AS
LENS IS RACKED INTO PROPER POSITION REVEALING ENTIRE SET. DRUMMER
IS IN LOWER LEFT FOREGROUND, THE TWO ACTORS ARE MID-SCREEN BUT IN
DARKNESS AND THE THREE DANCERS ARE STANDING 'FROZEN' IN THE BACK!
GROUND. SUPER TITLE CRAWL; STUDY IN COLOR, BY MALCOLM BOYD, WITH
MALCOLM BOYD AND WOODIE KING JR. AS LAST TITLE FADES OUT LIGHTS'
FADE UP ON THE ACTORS.

DISSOLVE TO

RATIONALE

The opening shot is a "rack-in" of a 50mm lens, prefocused
on the entire set. Only the perimeter of the set is lit, but a
range of greys, necessary for a well shaded picture, exists because
of lights on the vari-colored panels of the background. This also
provides a dark area center frame to super the titles over.

The shot is high and wide.. After the opening credits fade out the
lights come up and the set environment is established without cut-
ting. We see the main characters seated on similar stools in the
same set yet separated, alone, each unaware of the other's existence.

18

 

\
5"" I.“ fill“ r, ’ \
L f I 1‘0"»? }
' I J I ,,,..'_.A A
p 2"“. t... m . . I
5‘ ‘ I ,

 

 

 

’ \
1.5 fl‘ 'J".
I 1
' J \ x
'i }{T§;>!
E " ' I, ‘uo ‘
' '. '7‘}: r
9 Xe" I 'r' , . -.
r ..., WW ..-—..f . ' ”_“C—fl" l"
be“ e. ”_uswefle-aii_i~.‘-_ah-i e a
SHOT 2
sen—PT.
WHITE

I become so bored with color. (PAUSE) As a matter of fact,
I wish I had some. (YAWNS AND STRETCHES) All of this race jazz.
(LEAFS THROUGH PAGES OF MAGAZINE ... BORED ...) I mean, what Lg
color? well, you know, on a human being? Is it like being a paint-
ing, is it something like being a painting all the time, you know,
like walking around like a painting among a lot of non-paintings?
What is a non-painting? It's so complex, it's hard to talk about
intelligently. I'm sorry, I know there isn't any such thing as a
non-painting, but ... I become so bored, so bored. With just being
white. I want some color. Actually, as they say, most of the world
will be colored. Color is so beautiful, isn't it? Red, Yellow,
Blue. And I'm just white all the time. washed out. Pale. Pallid,
antiseptically clean. Dull. It's so damn boring.

DISSOLVE TO

’4‘." a

,-

RATIONALE __' ~ _ ’ a, -«

"A.medium shot of White close enough to establish the white
mask (with its 'typical' negroid features) and the magazine he is
reading. The shot remains rather fixed, objective, to establish his

*'”re1ationship to the set for his initial lines on "color." At this

point in the play there are no "action" lines. In the background
are the dark figures of the dancers, the rest of the world; he is
oblivious of them and they of him.

l9

 

 

..L a .2.“ _i_‘.i__.. -“_.-i _..___i- A ‘4‘; ..-... ...- _'_-.'._.:.a

SHOT 3
SCRIPT

(HE SLUMPS IN HIS CHAIR, BROODING, STILL HOLDING HIS
MAGAZINE. THE LIGHTS COME UP ON BLACK: HE TOO IS LEAFING THROUGH
A.MAGAZINE.)

DISSOLVE TO

‘ RATI ONALE

The dissolve is used as a transition to add an unreal qual-
ity to the situation, to add to the fantasy feeling of the setting,
the lines and the masked actors. The return to the high, wide shot
is to establish, to reset the situation in the viewer's mind, the
isolation of the characters and their position in this unreal world.

20

 

 

 

SHOT 4
scmpr
BLACK

1 wish that just one white man could understand ... just
once ... how a negro feels, what goes through a negro's mind. A
white man is stupid when it comes to negroes. Like the white
woman who called up to ask about the Booker T. washington who,
lives out on Boston Boulevard. Like the white woman who has just
put up a 'for sale' sign in her yard and she happens to run into
the negro woman who has moved in next door, and she tells her,
"My dear, you know my husband has a heart condition and we're
going to have to move ... right away ..3 because we've got to move
from.this two-story house into a one-story house... immediately ...
in another part of town ... _M_ag.

DISSOLVE TO

RATIONALE

Using the dissolve again to Black's face with its black mask
‘maintains the out-of-thme feeling of the sequence. The shot itself,
like the previous shot of White, is close enough to see the features
of the mask and fixed, as impersonal as the lines to underline his
introspection. And, in the background, again the shadowy figures
of the dancers.

21

 

 

 

5“ I g
F:
E
E if? 9
s? .
I I I ‘1’!"-
l. 9 l- >
. by
r ‘5‘ .
1 ‘.o“.
L 1... N ‘ Lot-:5
A J ’
. ' x
a i v . «3212‘; ._ .
t A”? -, .
r . ' ‘
' ‘8 Is v x t P? . . ‘A ‘ ‘-
.‘.l 3
f
t
é ..‘A L n.- ... A M - ..I ..- A _i __ A. h _. A,“ A.“
SHOT 5
SCRIPT

(BLACK.SLUMPS IN HIS CHAIR IN DISCOURAGEMENT AND THOUGHT
AS WHITE TOSSES HIS MAGAZINE TO THE FLOOR AND SITS UP AS THOUGH
WITH A NEW'IDEA. )

. DISSOLNE TO

RATIONALE

This dissolve is in keeping with the established mood to
this point. It keeps the pattern of the shots consistent with
the lines and maintains the slow, reflective pace of the play so
far. With this shot the positions of the actors are firmly es~
tablished within the set and the point of their nearness -- apart-
ness is brought fully home. -

22

 

 

 

, ‘ - . ‘ , 1 A . I_'
Am 13 ._ L. - 31.1... . . v Lima..rn_._.j;lik‘.~ ....LS", .‘_ ,_.

SHOT 6

SCRIPT
WHITE

Nigger. (LONG PAUSE: HE IS REFLECTING UPON THIS WORD.)
Nigger. (THEN WITH GREAT DELIBERATION AND CARE) Negro. (PAUSE)
I wonder what it's like to be a negro. What it's like to be a
nigger. Wauld I be different? would I feel different? (PAUSE)
I feel so black and blue, I feel so black and white, I feel so
black. (PAUSE) Black ivory, black velvet, black cloud, black
eyes, black night, black sin. Black face. Black arms. Black
chest, black feet, red lips, brown lips. Black hair. White
teeth.

CUT TO
RATIONALE

With this speech the white character shows emotion and the
beginnings of physical involvement with his intellectual preoc-
cupations. The shot is wider now than the previous shot of this
character and from a lower angle. The extra room at the start
gives us room to dolly in as the character gets involved emotion-
ally in the recitation of color-loaded words. As he gets into
feeling the "colors" he is wrenching the words from deep inside
himself. The dolly-in on the last half of the speech (starting
at "I feel so black"), combined with the low angle of the shot,
makes him loom large and threatening in the frame. By the time
he laughs and recites "White teeth," he seems almost mad.

 

 

F" . ..., r ‘flm1u_ ‘ ...I-‘_ v-r~ ‘1'.- 1 "In" 117* 1., ‘F'—'7 m rur— fl ‘fr 7 W ' .‘. _ Apr—- "‘_v_ _ r ’ w,

‘4.

 

\
I
'. .t't‘h—ih. '4...s ..

u
as
s
x
-.
“huh—n \“44

3\

 

 

 

 

BLACK
You know, I dislike the name nigger. I dislike the name
nigger. (PAUSE) Cleanse my sins and I shall be whiter than
white. Wash me in the blood of the lamb, and I shall be white,
wash me in the blood of the lamb, and I shall be white. (PAUSE)
My blackness is hot, my blackness is hot, send a white angel so
I can be cool under its wings, cool under its cool wings.

CUT TO

_ \

RATIONALE

The cut from the previous shot to this one indicates the
new tempo; the pace is quickening. The angle on this shot is
high, the opposite of the preceding shot. This angle and the
loose framing make the actor seem.smaller and increase his humil-
ity as he stands to offer a pseudo prayer for relief from
"blackness." ,

23

24

 

 

 

I “' - I. I
I' .’ .~
I .4 i
t ’ " l
L. {23"} '. 3" K . ‘
E‘ . , 'a
fl“ ‘ h _ A .___ ii _ r we“ 3.
SHOT 8
SCRIPT
WHITE

(HE IS TELLING A JOKE) They were all waiting at the
washington Airport for God to arrive in a spaceship. They were
all waiting to see what God looked like. And then God got off the
spaceship, and God, §h§_was negro. (LAUGHS, ALMOST GETS OUT OF
CONTROL.)

She was negro. God was a nigger. (GRADUALLY REGAINS CONTROL
OF HIMSELF, THINKS FOR A.MOMENT.)

My God is a nigger. I am a nigger-lover because I love my'
God. Jesus Christ. Nigger Christ. Christ Nigger.

CUT TO

RATIONALE

The cut will be used for transitions from now on except for
specific exceptions which will be indicated and explained. This
shot is still from a low angle but starts tighter than the last.
The camera goes in tight on the punch line of the joke but as the
character realizes what to ham are the unpleasant and unfunny pos-
sibilities inherent in his joke he backs away to slump again in his
chair. By backing away he makes himself smaller in the shot and so
to the audience. ‘

25

 

- "r‘fi'T‘W’m’W‘V‘T Y' _— r7 1- “VY‘W— V" ‘ fl -- ~ ’1‘."' . fi'l“.-‘ vr'fvj'w
F .
1
A .
I
: "‘x \l‘ j
E ...-......- ’/ A; \ .5
’ 3 -' I 3 «i
J /“" 4 i f
r \. ' .1
1

 

 

 

: )1 ,,a_3 1
,fi/f’TT‘ i= t
I __ is __ _ A W. “My
SHOT 9
SCRIPT
BLACK

Coal white, tar white, dirty white, white white, ugly
white. White ivory, white velvet, white cloud, white eyes (LAUGHS)
White night. (FINDS THIS VERY FUNNY) White sin. Oh, my God.
(PAUSE) White face. White hair. White teeth. Black teeth.
(FINDS THIS VERY FUNNY, BREAKS UP COMPLETELY.)

Black teeth, black teeth. (GRADUALLY REGAINS COMPOSURE,
THEN SITS QUIETLY).

CUT TO
RATIONALE

The camera is below eye level this time as the black char-
acter launches into a litany of white-antiwhite and white-white
word pairings as the white character did in Shot 6 with black
word pairings. The camera dollies in as he begins to find the
pairings funny until, at last he leans into a grotesque tight
close-up at "black teeth" making it even more mad than the
"white teeth" climax of Shot 6.

26

 

f". -—- .w'. “3'1 x . ..r wu—w—‘nwu n V7. ”,7 .‘r-j—r w“ wt 7..-... .v. ...-,v ,7. ... ""71“

.1.
an.“- 43“!

L x

7_ w—wv—w.-
IAc—m‘AI-L‘. 54.13;“..3- tm‘MJua' “..1

{4 an.

‘I‘

r..v.

 

 

v—vI—Y. 1-

 

'..AML L r. Ami.

 

SHOT 10

.3313;
WHITE
_ I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to experiment with
color. Experiment: (HE RISES AND TAKES A WHITE BOX FROM UNDER
HIS STOOL AND TAKES OUT A.MASK WHICH IS PAINTED WITH POLKADOTS:
HE EXAMINES IT, HOLDING IT IN HIS HANDS.) This is pretty, I think.
I'm so bored with white and this is red and yellow and green and
ablue and black and purple. I think I'll wear it. I think I'll
wear a mask. Why not? I'm not really being dishonest, I'm still
me, I'll still be me, but it will be a change. I wonder what my
friends will say, I wonder if they'll know me. But I'll still be
me, won't I, I'll still be mg;

RATIONALE

Cutting from the tight close-up of Black to a looser shot of
White is an abrupt change that signals a corresponding change in
the course of the drama. The shot needs to be loose éhough for the
actor to move around in the frame without a lot of panning, but it
is too loose at this point to see the mask clearly.

 

27

 

 

 

 

SHOT 11

 

(HE PLACES THE MASK OVER HIS FACE, LOOKS QUICKLY AROUND
THEN FREEZES IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND SELF-CONSCIOUS POSE.)

CUT TO

RATIONALE

In order to see the mask clearly and get the full impact of
mask upon mask and the rigidity it causes him at first, the camera
dollies in quickly to a medium close-up of the actor.

28

 

}
I .

 

 

 

 

SHOT 12

 

BLACK .
I am a colored man. A colored man. (PICKS UP A BOOK AND
.' READS IT FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN PUTS IT DOWN) If I'm supposed
to be colored, then I'm going to be colored.

(HE RISES AND TAKES A BLACK BOX FROM BENEATH HIS STOOL
AND TAKES OUT A.MASK.WHICH IS BRIGHTLY PAINTED WITH STRIPES:
HE PLACES IT OVER HIS FACE.)

DISSOLVE TO
RATIONALE

The high angle shot is used here as it was earlier to
emphasize the humility of the character. A low angle shot corres-
ponding to that used in the preceding shot of White would not work
here. The low angle makes Black too grotesque, too threatening.
The best way to lessen the threat of Black to the viewer is to go
to this looser shot from a higher angle than the preceding shot
of White. ,

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

F."
E
I
i
l ‘ g "
i 4 /' i

E if i . :7; .‘
g 2,: a v
i ' T‘ ,
I, /V .9; 'r'; l ‘
i «’,«#”'L, ’3 1.
f ‘?,w _W a
r f» I!
. ”1’ ii
{43.4” .-
E v~ ‘ns;v;tiémmzt*
" ‘ ‘ __;__u ‘4‘ .. AA‘QL‘ “#4 4‘ _. ‘7"

SHOT 13

WHITE

Hello

BLACK

Hi
WHITE
It's a nice day, isn't it?
BLACK
well, if you call it a nice day when it's
raining, then sure it's a nice day.

' WHITE
I'm only trying to ... make a conversation.

BLACK
Why are you trying to do that?

WHITE”
If you feel that way about it, then I won't

try.

   

29

 

30

BLACK
That's okeh by me.

(THEY SIT IN SILENCE)

CUT TO '

RATIONALE

The dissolve here should jar the viewer's time-sense,
subtly reminding him we are going into another time if not place.
The lighting cue brings up the background lights and erases the
black void between them and so for the first time they are
"together" in the picture. Holding on this two shot through
this initial exchange forces the white character to speak away
from camera and so balances the importance of each even though
White is a large foreground figure.

 

31

 

 

 

 

htw --mw.in."wwcw_m mm . it ,w:
h 1
i i
. 1‘ 5
.~ / :K ‘1“ * '
g I '.“/:/" .1: I.
g '2" ' "I" ' ,1
t 3
{- }// 3,4
F T:
l ,
i v _ -'.‘-—-/ t ‘4

" f; / - ‘3 j
b f//,rk/// ' “fi' '
b .y . . . ' . :l ' 1
,‘. fly’ \3 j
P 1’, I i
. . 7 4'
s" I ‘w 2' ' I ‘ a
I III," :
E l
A 7
L .. w... ....iei A I“ _ __. .... i .4.“
SHOT l4
SCRIPT
BLACK
Hell, I'm sorry.
I'm just in a bad mood today.
There's no use -
CUT TO
RATIONALE a

Cutting to the high shot of Black here adds to the humility

of his apology and gives him room to rise and cross around behind
his chair.

 

 

32

 

     
 

 

 

 

: . . l
i I
t . i.
E ' .'
' .‘
'2 a“
i . , i
E e .“
t '3 - = - j
E ' [K '4» i
s {...-’3- y a... . 'j
A 3;:I .' :

é ' ' ‘i' f e {.1} ‘
2‘ ' r.’ "3' <4
\vf. 0"" "'“fl I f j
a .
. . . - I. 4
t1 / A if. ':
f / ' 3
g ‘5 "' ‘ -‘ a
E..- J‘i .. K." t, l1

SHOT 15
SCRIPT
BLACK
(continues)
not talking. Here. Have a cigarette?
,r WHITE
L Is it a filter? I only smoke filters.
BLACK A
No. It's not a filter.,
.‘ ‘i, .;.-- a,“ '
,/- A ’ ~ .- ' ’ - , CUT TO
RATION

The cut from the loose, high angle shot of the black char-
acter alone to the low angle two shot with the white character in
the foreground and the black character advancing on him, crowding
the frame, makes the situation as menacing to the audience as it
is to the character. '

33

 

 

 

 

 

 

FTP-"V "‘ -... 'f' -"' 1 " *‘T .— '—“‘" "' v- «Ta—...—
,.
E . ”...—"*0“ 73
J "I
i' .4
E; I a
t * 1”” 3
i. In f"
r; t I" -
I ’ r 4
I ' ’ '_: W
F J i i
. 3 I
= ..J
i . V
l: ‘.\ ... I
' § 0 v
. Er
r \W; , i
ax” ‘
f ’f' v }
I ' 5
: ; ,
L ..
g g z z 4
': ,' a 7.3:.) I'A'
5 ‘ ‘ ..‘A. ‘b- ,' '
' -.'\¢:.4- I
a \\\. €J‘: , '
p .
: L "ed I
r.
SHOT 16
Same:
WHITE

Then I'll smoke my own. Thanks. Thanks for offering me
one. But I get a sore throat when I don't smoke a filter. You
know how it is.

CUT TO
RATIONALE

This cut to an opposite angle from a lower point of view
is to show us the reaction of the white character to the nebulous
threat posed by Black with his offer of a cigarette. This shot
underlines his withdrawal; his defensive hand is raised to the
audience as well as to the other actor.

 

34

 

 

 

  
   

 

 

 

m“ V 'J—Ivr- T' r“ —... .- w—VW‘ FV‘ - " .V" -"*"1' -' "H” 'v .
l . _ _ . .-..- ..-- .. .. . 7‘ L"_
F 2|.
I :.
1.
E a
i :‘
E. ‘i
I. ’ , .. . 1
E "d”..- .1
. 1’. p '1
: .~ ?_,K ./ .
'- I g - 1
. .5 . .1:
i if K .1
E é:
I 1". ' . '1':
t. .v”*"'/ 4 ,3
I z. 4 7 ' I f
L ' if
R‘ ..
! A”
I . .
r’.
t
r'
i
.'
IS.
I. . -.
~ 0 ‘ ‘- '2'
I
I . " 3 a? ‘
i' ' ' W'— : r '7' w. w
SHOT l7
SCRIPT

BLACK
(HE RETURNS TO HIS STOOL AND THEY SIT SILENTLY.) It's
stopped raining.

WHITE
The weather bureau didn't say it would rain anyway.

(THEY SIT IN SILENCE)
CUT~TO “ "
RATIONALE
Cutting back to this opposite angle shot puts White in the
foreground and lets the audience see his vast relief over the solu-
tion to the insignificant problem he faced. By staying in the shot

as he crosses,the black character recedes and becomes insignificant,
exactly what White wishes him to,be.

35

 

 

 

 

w—w-'-~-— -~- -0-—-- m-—¢-»~——.m__ -.- -
z - ' ‘ -
, g ‘
I .~
5 3
I V; q
‘ '. . .
E m: ...... x :
' ' LC: ." rzv ,1 g
-’ $ , a",
I 2; i I “_vi' I, 1
I K ' ' a ' "
.' J t
I "““"“"""" \ . / . ‘ _‘\\ i
' ' b *'".:9. I ; K 1
No K. “2,.- I’m .3‘1 x“ } i
r - . YI'
. ;/?]'* 3
L _ . 3. z, .
E - .. ~1
, :. X 1
F .-...w" 5
‘ 4
. .. ‘I. f
I“ 1
\ l
t -J ‘
fv' ‘* - 1
.”’ ;
1M ”I J
i I _ - __ i- __. “a. _ _ J
SHOT 18
SCRIPT
WHITE

I hope you don't mind my saying this, I hope you're not,
well, self-conscious about this, but ... well, you know, this is
the first time I've really talked with a colored man.

BLACK
What?

CUT TO
RATIONALE
The cut to this opposite angle is to put White in the same

position that Black was in, in Shot 15. He will advance on Black
during the speech and loom larger and more threatening as he does.

36

 

r .....- ... I,“ ., "..., r. .-.- V- m- _.....w 7 - ... eflw- ,
I .

I

.

L

L

I

f

 

-—.‘-‘. _vw fir 7

 

 

 

I '-
E ,
L
I
[I
SHOT l9
SCRIPT
WHITE

I hope you're not offended, I didn't mean to offend you,
but it's true, it's the first time I've really, well, talked,
you know, with a colored man.

BLACK
Well, actually .....

CUT TO

RATIONALE

A quick cut to catch the reactions of the black character
to White's reference to talking to a "colored" man. The shot also
allows the white character to back out of frame, retreating and
obviously unsure of himself.

 

 

37

 

 

 

 

 

._ 4"“

;_ ,rw ~7— m .... Twwwfim, ... , ..- - Y, Y ...M
i -~--—-- - .-.- .... . _ _ .. 1%
I { r’j‘; \ '
g 2. ‘ \z; x 4

I x? “
L x‘ . .
r. , . z
i "cu—an
L ‘\.\f
I '
t 4 ...
. “w ‘x \
f g‘ .. ‘
\ \
t x
s \
1—}
SHOT 20
SCRIPT
WHITE

I've wondered what it's like, what it must be like, to be
colored. You know, in a white society. (PAUSE) I hate all this
prejudice.

RATIONALE

This low angle across Black at White puts White into a
commanding position and he delivers his pseudo solicitude from
this authority position, looming over Black.more as a threat than
a comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

E

E

I r

. _(fr

I 1' z‘

I ' s; '

; 1

I‘ . ‘ .f‘ u_

I ~ “'7 "

\xw \

i I

i . K \

I ,‘ I I, I

u . 12 L

r I 3. 3'. ' I.

i ". l -‘

t _ .' .; .

I V». 1

I . x.

E ". x

I I "

SHOT 21
SCRIPT
WHITE
(continues)

The root of prejudice surely is ignorance. I think the
answer to everything is more education.

CUT TO
RATIONALE

White crosses behind Black now into a darker area of the
set and into the foreground. As he advances, quoting cliches,
he becomes larger, darker, more anonymous and more threatening,
but now he is speaking away from the other and the other has
drawn within himself, no longer listening with full attention.

38

39

 

 

 

...
' \-
.- Hutu,

 

     

 

 

 

1
K‘ L'
. ' 4
. - X I
I. v ‘ 1'
fl ‘ "L. . .l
a . .. . , . .1 ., 1 .
I z I J
' 3 , 1’ 4%3‘ t
i. I 5 / \‘g 1 L J
E- l \ W .i “‘ ‘i ‘ .1
3 I I I we” 1' V ‘ ' " i:
,7 '1 ‘ fl. 1 .1
1 , S.
1 _fi . 1 , "..., 1
I ' J'— “‘ ..4 1 i
t % fl? ax - WM1~3~T~ z.‘
‘1 a .. . “*J - "y l, . ‘1
I; - f' ,I ‘1‘ I “1"; Z . .
E‘ . ‘ ‘ " ...- '42 '1
; ‘ \ . . z ,. __, 1
I" "K ‘1. 3‘ .1
r. \ [JC’\. f '1
x " . ‘ ' ‘
t. ' Va " I” f 3'
h, I '9. w" 1‘ . I
5'" s H ‘3 f '1. i
5' I . r 3" 't
. ‘ r ‘ ' 1
I: 1 ‘ ,_ g
. ‘79 - f -
" . hung-r «run—9‘
:. z
W‘ ' ‘ T * ‘r *- -—-A — _ “...... ~---— -A- A‘ #1.: A; .M' Inu‘h
SHOT 22
WHITE
(continues)

God, I hate the south.

BLACK
The south?

WHITE
Yes, all that race prejudice. All the discrimination. The

race hate. Some of my best friends are southern whites but ...

RATIONALE

Cutting on White's deliberate move adds impact to his resig-

nation to the fact he is not reaching Black and may as well give up.
As he walks to the foreground he looms as large in the frame as he
must in his own estimation; he has gone as far as he can. Black is
kept in the shot for his reaction to "the south."

/

40

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

t .Yi. A ?
éiw 1
r 2" I
I ‘ "3. L?" j]
x... .1
I 1 ‘\t a
I
I A I} 4'
1 '( " "z
13“ .' _\ 1.:
\ W 1
' l L..- ‘1‘?-
. “n. 'w’ "”
I k":
w r
1 I.
: \.\
SHOT 23
SCRIPT
BLACK
You"re ... you're a northern white?
WHITE
No. I'm a western white. I just happen to be living in
the north.
BLACK
But ... but you're white?
CUT TO
RATIONALE

Black rises and advances in curiosity on White who recoils
in fear and confusion. The angle helps the viewer to feel White's
apprehension of the advance of Black.

- \

 

 

M

 

' ,t"
i _r .V a. I i..wr__r .... ...—W _ V -..-w III
1 __ ”mung..- -.........---.....~.- -~ ...... --...._._.._ _____‘
r 1
i ' \\ I
I
I ' \
,w-u 1
4 ‘ / \1 '\ 7
i ' 1b. ' ‘0.
I. I
’ I ”Y~~‘. . ..
.' 4'.
M
' W

 

 

 

i ,v..
I ‘5
1 ‘ f :i
I ' ; .’ . ‘_
s . ~ .1 . , ‘
1 .1 j. \
L ' '\.' I ‘ r" ‘.'1 ¥
1.-' 11". ”I! i x . } 1
L ' 1' . .
L ";Li:i *' i“...\ ' 1
i; _L g _ _ . - .,___ M .._ i _ A
SHOT 24
SCRIPT
WHITE

White? Why, of course I'm white. What made you ask a
thing like that? Oh! This mask. (LAUGHS) Well, I was exper-
imenting. Experimenting, well, with color.

‘ CUT TO
RATIONALE

This medium close-up of White is to show his confused re-
action and then relief at knowing the reason for Black's curiosity.

 

 

... w—vvv. “fir-Wi" w .w‘t _ v, r‘ Ya...— _, VI 7'“? v‘w—‘v,_.' ._J__,.“ F v.7, _‘__ hr ~v—-v‘-.——-v-‘rv-——1
I
f _._._---..‘. --..-.e -.. J
I ---. .—. 1
F 1
z , i
. ll. J
/ ., .1
I V‘-
L .y ., i
F g ,1
> I ’ s< 1
4 -
i , i 1
I ‘ ‘d I I‘
, ..
‘3 ‘K 1 ‘ l
I \
I r Cb. ' w v k r j
I * ‘- ;
0 . ‘3 ' .0.
f \ l. x. . .
’ ‘ K k ' I” - I ‘
. y 1 "V J
' I ) ‘ ‘ “I , ’l
v ..

w—vv w v V-u-vvv
‘1
o
J ,‘
.4 L—AJL .4

 

 

 

‘ ;
i z
r
t I
A... - _‘ _A.‘ L__ M, A _L _ __ A 4
SHOT 25
SCRIPT
BLACK
You do have some beautiful colors.
RATIONALE

A quick cut to a close-up of the black character to under-
score the irony of the line and catch his expression.

42

 

 

 

 

 

,.
k.
E’
i
g 1
F hp‘x .~\ 1
'1 a ’ \‘, 4
E - 4,‘ “ z 1
i so 7" ' f
F ’ K /{ J
9’7 l
[I 1‘. ,1 7 \
E \n '/ \\\ 1
,’ ’k I). \\ I
L > "" J h ’ \2 l
I ..- ‘r»‘ r‘
E, / I - I- a V )\ 1
k ' .. if ' \ l
t ‘ L' ' ‘3
L . . ‘. i ‘ 1
. K ,' / ' ‘ \‘.
t ‘ K . J f |. ‘
» ., , a4/ . V K, 4
‘x z E 3?
i .IW. .em_wwi i 3
SHOT 26
SCRIPT
WHITE

May I say that you are yourself one of the most, well
attractive colored persons I've ever seen?

“I- .“--"o
,I. . ,_

RATIONALE _- . ' . . .4

"‘ For. "

_a'. I

'lThis"c&t to the close'shot of White as he rises shows he
has missed the irony and puts him in position to draw the other
character into the shot.

, j

43

 

 

 

 

 

 

F m - W." W? ,F - -e- _r _ t m w w" "aw-rm
R J
E q
I 1
F- A
t , '
i .

l
”" \\.
, ~ ,W
"\vi", ~ ‘. ‘ -‘
I \‘ I l. Y m" j
t h a? ' A ‘ v
t, \..-.»-U-'w.-l~ I \ ' ‘4]
/
Or 1
' ‘. "lax
I
E
l
f \k "2 \
SHOT 27
SCRIPT
WHITE
(continues)

It embarrasses me a bit, even makes me angry, when I realize
that I have all the advantages of being white, and I just wear this
mask when I want to, but you're colored, you're colored all the
time, you can't take a mask off or put it on when you want to.

It makes me really angry.

BLACK
Why?

WHITE
It's ... it's so unjust.

CUT TO
RATI ONALE
Black is drawn into the shot by White so that we now have

a tight two shot of them as the last shot of the "color" charade.
Now they are equal in the shot.

 

45

 

 

....yr (avg-aw“ Y "r” u. "um

 

Iv‘v-I r— V w.
‘5‘ p5“
{ —. M;
-
... h
\
‘
.
N ‘
. w‘vu ‘
War
...
'No‘wx

 

 

SHOT 28
SCRIPT
BLACK
I'm not colored. I'm black.
(ABRUPTLY REMOVES STRIPED MASK.)
WHITE '
Oh.
RATIONALE

A cut to the reverse angle of the previous shot to get the
full impact of the removal of the mask. As the new development
sinks in White turns toward the camera confused. The stereotype
is no longer what it was for either of them. Black is hurt, White
somewhat angry and disappointed.

 

46

 

 

 

 

 

‘V'WW " "'V'V‘" 77"" ‘1 *1 Iv 7'“ V ‘V" “V "' ‘ ‘7" II "' ‘= --W V'" -'— .r
g i
F J
V ’.
f
, _; . 3
L 'i 1 r 9
Y .‘- .
, z E s a 5
, 3 ; ~‘ 1
' ‘2 I 1
b ‘ ‘ _.
q I
,‘1
‘ a
I ' ‘ J
l 1 ' . - ."'\- 1
f “ ...-“‘11:: . I I {1‘ ! q
/ L .- cg ..~; " , _ _f f , . 1
~ k I .T ‘1'“, 4‘ 3 ‘1 \ ‘ I ’ i
“:N-I - V. a, a) ,3: .
I j + 1 ' ‘I‘* 11 \ t ': J
r 'ch z’L‘: V ' */~{ I .1
‘ C .'h1 " ' 1 i p ' j
E ';'t' i 'lij. C \J" --.. h‘ _I ;
1- x _, . 4., :1 x. ,. .
' +\s\ ‘ x‘fi ” v‘ 1
I \ ,\, " A: .!~ * .¢ 1
.. .‘x. E 73 ' ’ .4
_fi . “s" l .I " :
......“ .W,... j
’ 2.

SHOT 29
SCRIPT
WHITE
(continues)

(SLOWLY REMOVES HIS POLKADOT'MASK. ) I ... I don't know what
to say. (LONG PAUSE) I thought you were colored and you're not
colored, you're black. You're only black.

RATIONALE

As Black returns to his stool and White to his, the camera
loosens up and, keeping one character on each side of the frame,
allows a visual space to grow between them underlining the other
gap, their failure to communicate with each other. -

 

47

 

rt..." .w .-, _....- ..., _,,, H. tut”.- .—.,~.—._.- “-1
. . .-..-. _.

i
a
1
:1

‘
.r
“L“:fi_h_'d.L—fl.“.- A_‘._' _____‘ l‘_,

 

 

 

_ g .; 1,
L. § ‘ .- («\. a
>f~ _’/ I \ E

. ' .2 \ {Ii-”1" ‘ l" '3» \ 1
i‘ / V J V -- x a I; \
5 _fi/ ..- { ‘ fix ’1 k. F-
i fix“ ’ ' 1‘ )5 'J' *

/ 1 - . A 1
E [X HT "35 J " ”*1 1
r "“ "‘" 2,1 _ _;,'.r\" E
L 1/ \. 3:” 1/“ """ I “I, l
,‘ : ‘V \:‘ ‘\ huff: ; 1
E‘ 4' ’ ' \ '. \ - ‘m \N‘ " I." 'I
c ‘3 z' . " ' .=
E . “p. ‘j. “a ’, \ a“: .-
f .ffigi. iuwgmw; .WW; '
a , , . . . - J)“ ) ’

SHOT 30
SCRIPT
WHITE
(continues)

You had ... such nice colors. I liked them.

BLACK
Don't you like my black?

.WHITE
I didn't say I don't like your black, I just said I liked
-your colors. Why are you so touchy? Why are you so touchy about
being black?

BLACK
Who said I'm touchy about being black?

WHITE .
I don't know, you just ... seem to be touchy about ... being
black, that's all. (LONG PAUSE) Why did you wear a colored mask?
Why didn't you wear a white mask? I'm.sure you could find one.

BLACK
Why should I wear a white mask?

WHITE
Oh, I don't know. It's ... a white culture, after all, and
it's easier being a ... white man.

 

48

BLACK
Is it?

CUT TO

RATIONALE

As the characters are seated the camera pulls back to frame
them as in the original recognition shot when they first speak to
each other. The gulf between them is dramatized by the open space
and hanging scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

B.
Ifi“\ . :1
.1 . . .“ I
{ 3! ?\ l
1 .---(ii:
L . ““‘N
t /'l: V? ( f ‘
3. 1
L // K ‘;‘\ I I\,.\\
. ". kwn ‘“‘ “ ‘
3’ A ‘x ' y \ l
l f. 1 ‘ " ‘ i \ ‘
. y, _ ' . ' ‘
r j _ “/ \ " g 3
. '- - x "
I ‘ I
: a i ‘ \ - i 3
SHOT 31
SCRIPT
"" WHITE

God,’you're so touchy. (PAUSE) well, since you don't
want to be friends ...

CUT TO

J

RATIONALE

1. A medium.close shot for White's reaction and his line.

49

 

17?ng v? 17: rw-w-n-v—c .—— '1 ~1- "n 1 Yw-v— — ,T‘fi‘u“ ,- -

.—

VVYFZI"."‘I ‘T'w"_ VF

 

.1 ..w—u “v r"'__

I r1” .

- 9 -—---¢' “"0"... ‘-‘"“"“““~~“ - hum ‘d.
"‘- I...

\
a' §
‘ \
I ' ~A
I .‘ ‘4' ‘
a ' k.
: '. z
1 {‘3‘ 1' ,..
\ .
3 ~ " M
f 1. ' ‘\ i f
i
i ..3 ~
1 x
. ‘ ~
E ’ "
i.
l
r
F
P
U
l x
I- \«. ,' _
l, \o / ‘(
L' 0 “
I § 1 “
. ' " ‘
i \ f. _ ’.
.
“Mir" .\ "'
baa-u"
s_ ' "' ‘ ..-
1‘ 4kg" _ I. mum; ._'_.L . »_._.1. ~ g.‘ ~.. . 1;. ..L-L'g . : .... «...-AL..." _A:‘

 

SHOT 32

SCRI PT
BLACK '

I didn't say I don't want to be friends.

RATIONALE

 

. .....
‘DLMA".

 

 

50

The quick cut away to Black to show he has turned his back

on White in spite of what he says.

‘

k

 

 

 

 

 

 

\\
'1
. i
F i
' \\ .
} /// . \ 1
.' . v " ‘ x‘
t 'r ‘3’}, ‘ '
5'; ‘ - ‘x l
i 1‘. .7 V“ s j
5 i x ("
' \\\\\ X f 3
> / ‘ A \ fl: '
i ‘ \ -\ 1
/ 1. ,
' -’ ' bfflfi' .\ 9 {
‘ ' x. t
i A t > K _- u
L ‘ ' 4 \ l. K \\ 4
L i - .. a I
i ' ' ' ' i
' \'§ ‘ ' ‘ a “ 1
v .5; ‘ .}- "\ '
x "x ‘L 3 '~ ‘ ' 4
x '- . F1. ,
I “x \- ‘ W; ‘ -. \ i
v ~ J
\z 5!. - 351 . / a
L \
s.__+
" * “w W I
SHOT 33
SCRIPT
WHITE

(HEATED, ANGRY) You're so darned conscious of being a
nigger ... (ABRUPT PAUSE) of being a negro ... (PAUSE) ...

CUT TO

RATIONALE

51

Back to the close shot of White. We hold on this shot for‘

his reaction to "nigger" slipping out. His own embarrassed re-
action serves to anger him further.

 

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHOT 34
m
' WHITE
(continues)

... that you go around with all kinds of misconceptions
about how other people feel ... you ... you judge everybody ...
just because some people are ignorant or prejudiced, you feel
that ... that ... everybody ... (LONG PAUSE).

BLACK
\xLook. I'm.aorry. If I offended you or seemed to be rude,

I'mbsorry.

WHITE
(PAUSE) I am too. I don't know what's the trouble with
‘me. It's just a bad day, I guess. (PAUSE) would you mind ...?
I have an idea, there's something I'd like to do but I don't know
how you'll feel about it and ...

BLACK
(PAUSE) No. That's okeh by me.

DISSOLVE TO

 

53

RATIONALE

Cutting back to the two shot here as White begins to run
out of steam allows us to see both character's reactions and, again,
have the image of space between them.

 

54

 

 

 

 

 

grwwwmwwr -..--_-~~wq w-w-_wr
i A“... .. ...- m-E‘a ..
' 1'5 3‘ K
L i if: "A. ' ‘\ f .. 2
F ‘»~' \/ ') \ :1
' / /‘ ?C°\ 2‘1
s / 1 , . 'l

, fug/
E ,3" ,2 ' .3
' fl } 5 x . .or.- I
r ":flu '. \" 7'3l ‘ i
i 'i/ .... 3., " K , 4‘
I; '5? . / , k \ ‘ ..r’ ( : A f:
h .4271/ J
r <:’ “' J
l 3
.s 3
,’ ._ ,5
r ”“r—““* i

SHOT 35
SCRIPT
WHITE
You're so black. You're such a dark negro.
DISSOLVE TO
RATIONALE

Dissolving back to the original shot of the play symbolical-
ly is going back to the beginning. The accmmpanying light change
and introduction of the drums reinforce this impression and set the
stage for the ritual dance.

 

 

 

E

h ..-

r

r

f

E

L in...

: A um
c , .

i i If 4.. 1/ .
i 1’ au' - f j

A E ”’lIT"\ ' f) i

. -M ‘ y . ' , ;

l i ‘ ~- I if I I :i' I, g

:1: -' <1 ’

'. : . . . '1

? I . . ' " ‘7’! I

F ‘ e

r ' ‘3 ‘ 4

L ) '. ) :' . \ F: .. '3

E 1;. ;'t ‘ ... 5

,1 \ 1 I 3 f 1

F V x .\ 1: r

E J I :g x ‘ 1

i ._S , 1‘ .\ i

‘s
'r j.// k ‘ j
‘ {

 

SHOT 36
SCRIPT

(THE THREE DANCERS DANCE A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF A
PRIMITIVE RITUAL TO THE RHYTHM OF THE DRUMS.)

RATIONALE

The entire dance is shot on one camera with very little
camera movement. The dance was scored for this limited space,
and the cover shot of the dance area allowed the dancers to com-
municate in their usual manner. The dancers, all three seen
throughout the dance, present an image of people acting in con-
cert, of a world with depth and design and rhythm that the two
principal characters seem to be unable to attain.

55

 

 

 

 

:5” m. mete“, V . _ w _.fi_-_ ....“ 7 mm . w a w- w . r -.w. w. :5!
E -
E 1
E ... . 3
I _ .-
L ‘ , 1
E; I '5 )
r '2 a)
E. \\ ,/ '
\ a! .y a.“
Q, g 1} ' V ,
' '- ’ “ll 59
F I I", .. P I
x . .?' .
.i‘l z T
i A. “4'" . 1
I... ‘rf/ s
i ' a. . f1
- ' l
l ’ i
F :
I : a
-. ‘L ' '{i
5 | .
- \x 1
\ o
1
.I. 4
... ‘ g _u‘ g __‘L_ AJ- __1 M 4 i ._ A A J“ _.L A . L4 4 IK'J a h'.:.

 

x snot 3%

7-."— _ . ~¢ 0

(THE DANCE CONTINUES)

RATIONALE

Here the camera has trucked left to show the dancers
through the hanging screen. The move is made to emphasize the
‘mystery of the dance, the situation of the drama and life itself.
The original script of the play describes the dance sequence as
signifying each man's becoming a new person by the invocation of
the Holy Spirit.

56

 

 

y'- vnfim‘p- ‘\‘ wa'm‘- .V'l‘
, .

7&5

 

 

SCRIPT

RATIONALE

SHOT 38

DISSOLVE TO

(THE DANCERS PLACE THE BLACKLMASK ON WHITE AND WHITE MASK
ON BLACK.)

The climax of the dance is the enactment of the re-birth

57

of the characters through the exchange of their masks by the danc-

ers. To maintain the feeling of mystery the key and fill lights
for the actors are not turned on and the characters remain dark

and mysterious figures in the foreground.

 

I
.. .... ..s‘_. A.

_ w-x
/A
.
.4...—

./ _ - /
xv,
It“ <.

7",v—7,Uv"'w ’IV-‘v-up-v‘ ‘

_._ _.A‘ A _1 LrL.‘ - *4 ‘ 1—— ..- .‘u “A—A

 

 

 

SHOT 39

SCRIPT

(THE DANCE AND THE EXCHANGE OF MASKS COMPLETED, THE DANC-
ERS RETURN TO THEIR BACKGROUND POSITIONS AND WHITE Now IN THE
BLACK MASK GOES TO HIS PROP Box AND PICKS UP THE NEWSPAPER
MUHAMMAD SPEAKS.)

RATIONALE

Dissolving again to the establishing shot shows that all
is as it was in the physical world. It is still bounded by the
same veils, populated by two principal figures with the rest of
the world seen as vague shadows in the background.

58

 

 

 

SCRIPT

 

 

BLACK
Hi.

WHITE

,. "‘= BLACK
I'm.white. Are you negro?

WHITE
What difference does it make?

BLACK
I just wondered.

WHITE
Does it make any difference?

BLACK
I suppose not. Well, statistically, they want to know.

WHITE
Know what?

59

 

60

BLACK
Know who's white and who's negro.

WHITE
Why?

BLACK
I don't know. They just want to know.

WHITE
Who are they?

BLACK
I don't know. They just want to know. Well, I'm white.

WHITE
Are you?

BLACK
(NOW DEFENSIVE) Yes, yes I am ... (CHANGES MOOD) ... but to
tell you the truth, I can't really tell --

CUT TO

RATIONALE

The dissolve continues the impression of being back at the
beginning of things again; it is the same shot used earlier for the
initial recognition between the characters. The camera dollies in
a little so that the audience can identify the new mask on White
and read the title of the paper he is reading. The camera then
pulls back for the two shot with space between the characters again
symbolizing the gulf they are unable to bridge. The camera then
remains still, objective and uninvolved.

61

 

.r';

)

\
f /
5
/,

 

PW w "T
-—.
..v - ,u A
M /

 

 

.’ ' - I
L /’ .~~- f
I I,' . ”“xx \
, J . r x, 4,” I K
i 5"- r ‘1 . K.;l‘ I \

, ‘ ' ' L
4-? J AAA-l *- A) ‘- " ‘L - A

 

 

SHOT 41
SCRIPT.
BLACK
(continues)

--if you're negro or, well, just ... tanned.

quite embarrassed about this.

WHITE
Oh, I'm sorry.

BLACK

Yes, it's, well, really quite embarrassing.
you understand, but I live in a neighborhood --

RATIONALE

I'm,really

I don't care,

CUT TO

_, The cut to White and his- steriled reaction quickens the pace

anfl lets us see clearly his expression of surprise.

 

 

 

 

\v w-vvvyv “7-7—1 1 wv—vv- -v s-w ITW‘W‘ v-wr '- 'V‘ " " W'— V 'V' V‘" —-""Y _— r~ v. 7‘ .
f — - 1
' I
i- j
t
i 1

-4...“ I
A . -:
/ ' j
.0 l, H
I .1 .
. ‘ ' d
i ‘ A J

‘3' -- . . .

" 4 f7 4' "‘
t A ' I ’ i

’1') iv),
3 ~ .
L .. . \
‘ Em. ,— i
t ( :-
, ,
I - : é
: «' it" A
r L ’ g
I 1,. 1
F = .
i ‘ u
l \ _ ;
r ' I
. K 1
E 5
SHOT 42
SCRIPT
BLACK
(continues)

eewhere we have ... it's so hard to explain ... where we
have points.

CUT TO

RATIONALE

9 Cutting back to Black in a close shot let us see his help-
.lessness, his confusion and brings home the full impact of his
white‘mask.

62

 

‘
4 ...i .‘_’ .Lmn- ‘

l- «v ‘7‘“. —- v—qv—v—w.

~ \
.I -"
a"
P
c
' u
-
d e.
. t ‘
I 1 ,
/ ,I.
bu "“h_‘—u—A‘_ ...L-A I... l... ..-

 

“_._-va
D
r A
.—
9-"
If“.
a!
_A‘J‘LA

 

 

 

SHOT 43
SCRI PT
WHITE
You have what?
RAT IONALE

Cutting rapidly to keep the pace fast as the scene builds
to a climax we see White's confused reaction to this speech in a
close shot.

63

 

 

64

 

‘H
v,‘
"...A' A11 ...-41'.‘ m- A s" _-I ...

 

 

 

SCRIPT
BLACK
I know it's complex and it sounds ridiculous, but we have
points, somebody looking for a house to buy is given so many points
on the basis of, well, his race or his religion or ... and a ... a
colored man doesn't have many points, enough points ... you see?
This is really quite embarrassing. I'm terribly sorry.

CUT TO
RATIONALE
Now Black is in a flustered state but he must go on, he must

finish what he has started and the close-up brings his state home
to the audience with the greatest intensity.

 

65

 

 

firyp- r—‘prvw_v

 

 

SHOT 45
SCRIPT
WHITE

That wouldn't affect me, would it? I'm not 'colored,'
I'm black.

BLACK
Well, as a matter of fact ...

WHITE
It would, huh?

BLACK
I just don't know what we're going to do about this race

business. I thin --
CUT TO

RATIONALE

The two shot here allows both reactions to be seen, the de-
flation of Black, the irony of White, and once again, a gap between
them. Black has had his say and it has not helped his feelings,
his conscience.

66

 

 

VF—F— A 1" 1

i—Kr

 

 

 

SCRIPT

BLACK

(continues)
--it's getting worse all the tnme ... just because of the
color of a man's skin ... I mean anybody can see you're black and
I'm white.

DISSOLVE TO

RATIONALE

The opposite angle two shot suddenly reduces Black in size;‘\

he is receding into the background, frustrated, almost in a panic
while White sits quiet, eyes downcast, defeated.

 

67

 

 

 

 

S V '"T F" W I ' I ' " w I" I "w " “'— I "w ‘
.I 1
L, _ , _...£ - .. ~ I
E ' C j
i ’. f 1

‘l I .‘I ' ..- " 1 K
.i 5 0' . g.
g I
. x N
i A! - ~ «J “
1 ”32" ' 4
E "I {I "J j ' 1
I" ,;J 5.
E /‘ A"; ' '4
.. A i. ‘ } ~ I
I T."- ‘W‘ . 1' ' ( 7'1) I 1
t I J I
"'* ‘ T" '“ 1 HJ' 1
7 - L
’N‘xm, 4» 1
3:? 1
j ,. ‘K‘ I
.‘f”/ ‘ ‘
. 1‘9, “ i
t ). j
j j, 1
;f; “‘1 j
I
SHOT 47
SCRIPT
BLACK

(GETTING LOUDER, DRUMS START UNDER) Anybody can see you're
negro and I'm white. Anybody can see you're negro and I'm white.
(VOICE AND DRUMS CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN PITCH AND VOLUME AS THE
LIGHTS ON THE PLAYING AREA FADE TO BLACK AND TWO OF THE DANCERS
SWOOP DOWN AND EXCHANGE THE MASKS ONCE MORE) Anybody can see that
you're negro and I'm white. (VOICE AND DRUMS STOP ABRUPTLY, LIGHTS
FADE UP ON THE ACTORS.)

DISSOLVE T0

RATIONALE
Once more a return to the establishing shot, the beginning,
is necessary. In this new beginning, the rebirth is repeated and

the dancers once again change the masks of the actors while they
are in the dark, limbo world.

 

 

 

‘5
-‘A-A .Z. n‘

I

2"
.-
I
\
X g.
5".
‘fI-Mh-n
i x
14‘).— A Ann .14 —‘-l

‘-'W v*v- .uo‘mw'fl . - . ...-y --~.-. .‘ .. .... ..-. . V ..... .V'

 

 

A ___._.._ I..-._“.-' .... » ____ M- _._._- .u. _ A ' )A-_n..'..u

SHOT 48

SCRIPT
(BOTH ACTORS ONCE MORE IN THEIR ORIGINAL MASKS SIT IN
SILENCE.)

DISSOLVE TO

‘ ‘ RATIONALE

The close-up drives home the point that, while the mask
has been changed again, nothing has changed. The experiments
with color and role have failed. The character is alone again
--behind his mask.

68

69

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ewh'fi'f' "" "Ir-r TWV—v v-- I --v-- v “w 'r'r "7 ' ' —.-— -—"'- "" "Pr—v - v nv v -.~~ - _. ,n‘ VW
t I
’ ’1
3

. 3
k _
.L f
E. l
i

i i
é
i '4
g .:
F ,5
L t!
I H
,, . a
l _" g
I. . ,1
i _ :
E . i
g a
E s:
4* ~ -— - ‘ ~' in

SCRIPT
DISSOLVE T0
RATIONALE

A.matching close-up of White to make the same point as the
last shot. Neither has been changed. For whatever has been risked,
nothing has been won.

 

7O

 

5 WV?"— .m—
1

I" I ‘ ' . ' *n I'-
....//.:o"'-'\ ‘.{f‘, O ..4.;’f¢‘%‘{ if: t, :5
. ‘. \Q."wi_lo':i_‘\ my ’ihwh"“ ”y, .' _~

 

 

 

5 4 ‘ . '
F / 4'
‘ ' 1
I I
’ f
I 55
.u __ A ‘ *A‘ ....A “#44 ¢ _‘_ A. _u‘
SHOT 50
SCRIPT

(DRUMS BEGIN CLOSING BEAT, THE SAME AS THE OPENING, SUPER-
IMPOSE TITLE AND CREDITS ON CRAWL:

STUDY IN COLOR
By Malcolm Boyd

with Malcolm Boyd and Woodie King Jr.
Dancers: Sharon Cardwell, Gloria Davis, Clintona Robinson

Drummer: Ted Small

Produced and Directed by Bob Sherwood
FADE TO BLACK

RATIONALE

This final shot brings the drama full circle visually and
we see at the end only what was there at the beginning. The title
and credits are super-imposed over the wide shot as the lights on
the actors fade out.

 

 

CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY

The preceding chapters have dealt in detail with the de-
cisions the author made as producer-director of the television
production of Study In Q9123. Each shot in the play is explained
from the opening to the closing fade to black. This chapter will
examine the general rules or principles that were applied in mak-

ing these specific decisions.

The available literature on directing for television covers
”how to do it" completely. All of the special language of the
control room and studio is given and explained. The rules for
transitions, movement, framing and staging are laid down and ex-
plained. The best available sources for the rules and conventions
of television production are listed in the bibliography for this
thesis. The author has abstracted from these sources and his own
- experience those which are applied in this production of Sgggy‘gg
92125. No single program can possibly contain all the rules, con-
ventions, exceptions to rules and other niceties of television pro-
duction. A few writers have attempted to describe the performance
of others as directors and interpret their work and its intentions,
but there are no illustrated, first-hand expressions of method and
intention that can be compared to the final product. For the bene-
fit of the student using this thesis, the author has included a
kinescope recording of the production for study and reference.
This kinescope recording is on file in the Office of the Television
and Radio Department, Michigan State University. It is also avail-
able, on a rental basis, from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai
B'rith. ~

 

72

The play was video-taped without interruption and, therefore,
approximates a live production. It was first aired over WMSB(TV)
(Channel 10, East Lansing, Michigan) at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, July 12,
1964, as part of a one hour program entitled, "The Dramatic Sermon:
An Experiment in Theatre." This program is described in the WMSB
promotion release for the program which is included as Appendix D

of this thesis.

The General Rules

The general rules of television production dealt with in

this study are:

l) Attract attention, arouse viewer curiosity with the
opening of the program and at the same time establish
_ the overall tone or feeling, the atmosphere, of the
show to follow, with the opening shot.

2) Establish the setting, and so the time and place, as
soon as possible as well as the physical relationship
of the characters to each other and to the physical
environment. '

3) The close-up is the essential story-telling shot of
television.

4) The wide shot is necessary to establish impact for the
close-up and provide relief from the tension of succes-
sive close shots. Further, the wide shot allows the
viewer to keep spatial relationships in the scene clear-
ly in mind.

5) Position in frame and camera angle can give a character
or object special qualities such as importance, insig-
nificance, menace or loneliness.

6) The choice of camera angle and lens can reveal charac-
ter. The low angle makes the subject loom large and
important in the frame; the high angle makes the sub-
ject seem smaller or less important.

7) The rules or conventions of transition from shot-to-shot
are valid; and breaking the rules for a desired effect c
is only another method of obeying them.

The Opening

The opening shot is one of the most critical in any program.
It should set the style and give an impression of what is to come
in the ensuing program. Television dramatic programs have long
used "teaser" openings ahead of their title: exciting or curiosity-
arousing scenes from the body of the program or that climactic
moment that provides the problem for the hero to solve. The effect-
iveness of the attention-attracting scene before titles is attested
to by the fact that even such predictable productions as news pro-

‘grams and quiz shows are using the device at present.

In.§£gdy In QQLQE all the action takes place in one set and
all the characters and props are on set for the entire play. The
setting is an abstract design in space that captures the abstract
.Jlrfayor of the play"itself. Itérefifesents no time or place. For
.- these reESOns I chose to open the program and super-impose the
title over a cover shot of this set. In this way the opening it-

self becomes a teaser.

The play can be said to actually begin "in black." The
drummer was cued first, and the sound begins over a black screen

to arouse the audience's curiosity about what is to come.

The rack-in of the lens was chosen over simply fading in
the shot for the same reason. The image of the drummer floating

diagonally across the screen catches the eye because it is unusual.

‘ The opening titles are brief; §£g§y_lg,§glggfi by Malcolm
Boyd, with Malcolm Boyd and WOodie King Jr. This because the
author feels "long" openings a waste of the limited time available
in television as well as providing too much static time for a

potential viewer to begin dialing to other channels for more action.

74

In the opening shot of Study In Color all elements of the
play are present. As mentioned above, the flavor or "tone" of the
show is there in the abstract setting, the dark figures in frozen
tableau and the drummer providing a pulse of life for the scene

that catches the audience at a visceral level.

The EstablishingAShot

In the case of Study In Color the establishing shot is the
opening shot. It must be made clear that this is not a rule. The
only difference between "opening" and "establishing" in this in-
stance is that there is a light cue after titles that allows the
audience to see more detail as the super-imposed titles fade out.
It is the author's view that the transition between the picture
the viewer sees first and the picture that establishes where, when,
what and/or who is involved should be as smooth as possible. For
some programs this might involve dollying back or zooming out; it
might require a pan shot or, in the case of Study In Color, a
light cue. The important thing about this picture is that it makes
the viewer aware of where he is, what there is to be acted upon and

who is there to act on it.

Because of the establishing shot in.§£ugy;;3 Colo; the view-
er knows, because he knows where the other characters are, that the
actors are talking to the audience or to themselves in their open-
ing lines. Knowing that a given character is to the right or left
of the character in close-up on the screen the audience knows to
whom lines are addressed. Showing the audience, in the establishing
shot, the relative positions of the actors shows them the possible
lines of action and dialogue. In.§£ggy'l§lgglg£ the actors speak
in a direction in which the audience knows there is no one to hear.
This fact and the individual lighting employed make the characters

appear alone even though they are on the same set; more importantly

they are unnaturally alone.

 

 

75

Through this technique the author attempted to underline one
of those basic values of the script he felt had to be emphasized to

the audience: The isolation of the individual, his separateness

from his fellow man.

The Close-up

Because the television screen is comparatively small and is
made up of a limited number of varitoned lines (525 in the American
system), only so much detail can be shown in a given picture. The
closer the camera to the subject then, the more detail can be repro-
duced and, therefore, seen and appreciated by the audience. The most

important shot in television, because of these facts, is the close-up.

The close-up can reveal the most subtle rise of an eyebrow,
the slightest twist of a mouth, the slightest trace of moisture in
an eye or twitch in a muscle. In this production of §£2§X.lfl:§2l2£
most of these fine shadings of expression are hidden by the masks
employed by the actors. In spite of the masks, sometimes because of
them, the close-up is still the most important shot in this tele-

vision play.

When the white character tells his joke about God in the
opening sequence of speeches he is framed in a close-up at the
climactic moment that shows each detail of the mask and the lower
part of the actor's face to the audience. The detail is grotesque

.this closely seen and, combined with lighting and a low camera

angle, it is shocking.

During the inane conversation about "points," after the
characters have changed roles, the close-up is employed for im-
pact. Combined with an increased pace of cutting the tighter shots
point’up the climaxéof the play.»aTh€‘close-up brings the audience

...-9'

.
" 'C

 

-V- "‘ ./ ' . ' "I: ' . 76
_ ,4.- .‘ '- ‘o
.-.

face-to-face with the characters involved in this (or any other)
drama and, up to the point where the shot is too close for easy
recognition by the viewer, brings him.more intimately, more im-

tnediately, into the action.

The Wide Shot

While there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the close-up
is the most important shot in television, that a well-chosen se-
quence of close shots is the best way to tell a story through
this medium, it is equally true that without relief the close-up
loses its impact. Without a shot wide enough to establish spatial

relationships the close-up becomes meaningless.

The elements of a wide shot should be carefully chosen to
be easily recognizable without much detail. Like any other shot
chosen it should contain only those things necessary to convey the
meaning. The wide, or cover, shot should not be used as a crutch
to avoid going after a more meaningful shot, a shot that shows the

viewer more of what he wants or needs to see.

When building a scene to a peak of dramatic intensity it is
necessary to begin with a wide shot to make the viewer aware of the
arena of action and the physical relationship of the participants
before going tighter and tighter with the framing and cutting more
often to increase pace and intensity. After a high dramatic mo-
ment, a series of quick close-ups or a highly emotional speech de-
livered in close-up, the wide shot is necessary for relief. The
audience needs a picture that will re-orient it to the total situa-
tion, give it room to breathe easily again and prepare for the next

series of shots building to the next climax.

 

77

In §£2g1,;g Colo; the wide shot is used again and again to
give the audience the impression of distance between the actors,
to emphasize their condition of being confined, without walls or
bars, in the prison of their known and comfortable environment.
In Study In 9919; this environment is depicted by their stools and
the small pools of light they are in. Without the use of a wide
shot this feeling of isolation and confinement could not be con-
veyed. The immediate environment of the characters must be seen
in the context of the whole set before its meaning can be perceived

by the audience.

Size and Position in Frame

When a director wishes to give more importance to one per-
son or object in any given picture the simplest and most direct
method is to put that person or object in the foreground of that
picture. More important in the television picture than the greater
size of the person or object is the fact that the person or object
in foreground shows more detail, more clearly, than anything else

in the frame.

Lenses make a difference in the feeling of any shot with one
person or object in the foreground and another (or others) in the
background. A very short focal length lens distorts the image in
such a way as to make closer persons or objects much larger than
*more distant ones. The distance between people and/or objects on a
short focal length lens seems to be greater than it really is. On
a long focal length lens distance between people and/or objects is

diminished, that is, it appears to be much less than it really is.

In Study In Color the author often chose to put the white

character in the foreground to make him appear more formidable than

 

 

the black character. In our culture "black" is usually more

wthreatening than "white," witness the color of hats in the tradi-

tional cowboy movie. The good guy wears the white hat and usually
rides the white horse. In another type of cliche movie the "girl
next door" will usually be a blonde and her rival, probably a
sultry, heavy-lipped, dark-eyed beauty of questionable intent,

will be a brunette.

Taking the two shot, on an angle from the white character's
side, on a wide angle lens makes the white character loom large
over the black character, almost threateningly large. The black

actor looks small, insecure in comparison.

Another device used to make White look larger and more
powerful was to place him higher than the other in the frame. This
has the effect of making the other less significant. Any person or
object framed below someone or something else seems to have less

importance than the person or object above it.

In this same situation the upper object or person is most
often seen as threatening to the person in the lower part of the
frame. This, of course, depends upon the situation being acted
out. In a conflict situation if the upper figure does not repre-
sent a threat or menace then it is already victorious. In keeping
with this principle, if two things or people are meant to be per-
ceived as equal in value they are shot the same way, placed in the

frame in a similar manner.

The high wide shot used to Open and close Study In Color
places both principles on the same plane, in similar seating,
lighting and costume, for this reason. Further, when they give

their opening speeches they give them from similar shots.

 

 

79

Camera Angle and Lenses

Closely allied with position in frame is the angle from which
:3 given shot is taken. The importance or authority of a foreground

figure is diminished if he delivers his lines away from the camera.

The low angle shot on a wide angle lens can distort the

friendliest sort of face into a menace.

In.§£2dy In Color the author often used the low angle to
imply an attitude. This angle is used most often with the white
character because he represents the establishment, the culture re-
fusing acceptance or admission to the "black." The low angle makes
the subject loom large over the viewer; on a wide angle lens the
effect can be horrifying at best, grotesque at least. One need
look no farther than the old "monster" movies to see how much the low

angle shot on a short lens can do toward frightening an audience.

Twice in the opening speeches of Stggy_gg Color the low angle
close-up was used to create a kind of feeling of unreasoned fear,
to make both characters unlikeable, unreasonable aspects more than
real people to the audience. The joke about God that the white
character tells is one instance (see Shot 13, page 29) and the
other is the black character's soliloquy on the color black (see
Shot 9, page 25). When he reaches the words "black teeth" he is
leaning forward, head down, and as he raises his head he is, in

this distorted low angle close-up, the epitome of menace.

When it was necessary for the black character to appear
small and humble the high angle shot was used. The high angle
diminishes the size of the person or object in the frame, makes any
action more humble. When the black character asks heaven for a white

'

angel :9 cool‘hin th. :13: angie puts the viewer in the position of

 

80

receiving the supplication. If the angle had been low then the
viewer would have been, in a sense, praying with the actor. The
high angle was chosen because there is more stress in being prayed
to by, rather than praying with, someone. The angle also allows
the audience to look down on the character and remain objective
rather than to look up with him, thereby suffering with him and

so escaping any obligation they might feel hearing his plea.

Transitions

The rules for transitions between shots in television have
been handed down from the motion picture and are generally as

follows:

1) When action is continuous the only permissible transi-
tion is the cut or instantaneous change from one pic-
ture to the next.

2) To show or imply a lapse of time or change of place or
both the dissolve is used. The length of the dissolve
can be used to imply the amount of time that has past.
A long dissolve indicates a greater length of time
than a short dissolve.

3) The fade out or fade to black is used only to indicate
the end of a major division or part of the program such
as the end of an act.

Over the years these rules have stood in as good stead in
television as they have in the motion picture. The one notable
exception in television usage is found in musical programs where
the dissolve is often used for a smooth, flowing effect. Very often
this technique is used for its own sake, especially on singers,
where slow dissolves are used to create super-impositions of two
different shots of the performer or the performer and a musical
instrument. The effect is usually no more than a momentarily pleas-
ing picture with no more, often less, communication value than a

straight-forward shot of the performer would have.

 

 

v

 

81

M,
‘\§;SFSE3ecause of long usage the audience accepts these standard

:340n conventions and they then become tools that work well

\

éhte Ehat action is continuous, just keep using the cut; no need

television director. There is no need to tell the audi-
to explain time has past between scenes, simply dissolve.

In Stggy‘ln‘gglgg time is not a relevant factor. The stereo-
typed characters must be seen as being in all places and at any
time. Thanks to the audience acceptance of the traditional use of
the dissolve the author made this point by dissolving from the
establishing shot to the close shot of the actors and back again.
When it was necessary to pick up the pace of the show and begin to
put speeches together in time and place the cut was used. During
the portions of the play where the characters are carrying on a
dialogue the cut is used exclusively lending more strength to the
dissolve that takes the picture back to the establishing shot and

the characters to a timeless limbo world.

Without strict adherence to the rules of transition between
shots there could be no meaningful breaking of rules to enhance
fantasy effects or such things as dream sequences or absurd situa-

tions without the time or place as important factors.

 

 

APPENDICES

 

APPENDIX A
SET SKETCH FOR STUDY IN COLOR

BY JACK DUNLEVY

 

 

.u‘ ._' ._ ‘L-

wflmfi“-_..- ..., ...

“a.—

-. ,y , -- -'¢ -o¢..._-.._
4

"~ " ~k " ....-- «...: Invrr- n

 

 

..a. .....-—-~...._—-'..m. . v-

“.s

~~~.... 'U‘VKHQ 6
17-..... 0'

,null'
- u
n

a o.""""
{a
a

l
,,.'r.' -‘ .u

 

i

APPENDIX B

FLOOR PLAN FOR STUDY IN COLOR

S6

Taut Cyclorama

. 5 CO)
/ x Q s

c e
Dancers S r en

Screen

Screen ’ Egii)
. 2’, {éi
aw

 

a}:

 

 

Camera 2
Microphones ~ ~ _
‘\\\\E&"
‘67
gt?) Camera 3
A I Drums
Camera 1

Floor Plan

STUDY lg COLOR

 

   
 

Scale 1/5" I l'

STUDIO A
WMSB

APPENDIX C
- DIRECTOR'S MARKED COPY OF
THE SCRIPT FOR'

STUDY lg COLOR

'1'.“
_l“ ‘l
V_. '
s_ S \
. -. v

we?
1:“).‘

' matter of fact, I wish I had some. SELF—CCX38CIOUSLY

88

STUDY 11‘; ICOLOR / J, ‘
a 7' ‘5' a. 'x .1 f. \7’ ALP-’3 CF", ‘.'"/

C? has.“ Lv-.4\'\.LX/~-M c; “"11"" K "\ ”Ax ‘ 5

('No per- one are seated. on aflfare stage. One rather
harsh, right spot shines on one of the persons, a similar
spot on the other. Onvpcrson'; is seatcd~on e-«severely
straiwh’rbacb chair, the-other; v‘uécn a-high stool. Each
is isolated from the other person, oblivious of his pre-
sence“ cn the stage. (AM white actor wears a Negro mask,
a Negro wears a white mask.§)

“I, k1 M ' fatal; (LA/M. (( [’L': (Lurk) A/L‘Ll'l-

KING: I become so bored with color. (pause) As a‘

I .—

s'msrcnss AND was) All or this race jazz.

W ...-.-

 

...,

(PICKS UP 15113121143, LEAFS THROUGH IT FOR A roast-«T, IS x
......r)

“

MUM

BORED AND SUI WWII-{AT FEE—OCCUPIED AND PUTS IT DOw'N:/‘ SPEAKS

 

NOW W 1TH IO?“ E AitVESTi‘yESS , AS IF TRYING TO SAY SOME-

THING, TO 1m soy-:5; POINT.)

I mean, what is color? Well, you know, on a human being.
Is it like being a painting, is it something like being
a painting all the time, you know, talking around like a
painting among a lot of non-paint: ngs. hhat is a non-
painting? (Shrugs) It's so complex, it's hard to talk

about intelligibly. I'm Sorry, I know there isn't such

'

f .‘n- O

athing as a ton-painting, but ... (pause) I become so
bored, so bored. , With being just white. I want some

color, I want some color.. Actually, they say most of the

_world will be colored. " (pause). Color is so beautiful,

isn't it? 'b‘lue. Yellow. Red. And I'm just white;d.l
the time. 'Jashed out. Pale. Pallid. Antiseptically

clean. Dull, it's so damned boring. (PICKS UP THE ;-:;-.a'.-‘-

t:
J
i”
{4
E

t

(

O

k
U:
EC
E;
ti
0
H
r 3
O
V

m,” . '
.13" f. . ‘ . 39

i BOYD: I wish that just one white man could understand...just
{/‘\
.' - \ 1 -9 I g ,0 1
V. Once...how a Negro fec ls wnat goes thrugn a degro :3 name.
”(CU A white m n is stupid when it com ..-s t Negroes. (Pause)

Like the white woman who call ed up to as}: about the Eooker
'1‘. l'fashington who lives out on Boston Boulevard. (Pause)
Like the white woman who has just put up a "for sale" sign
in her fpsrd, and she happens to run into the Negro woman
who has moved in next door, and she tells her, my dear,

a ‘ you know, my husband has a heart condition, and we're

1‘ V going to have to move ... right swag,r ... because “e' ve

{ got to move from this two-atomr house into a oneéstory

lian .

TH: 1.}.C-AZDIE ONTO THE moon). Nigger. (LONG
J((__/\.:L\. 5_J:2:"?‘.k101’.‘¢

HE IS an LEC‘ .er UPON 'EHIs 1.05:1). ) Nigger.

 

(TPEN WITH GREAT BELIEFA TION AND cam)
Negro. (pause) I wonder what it's like to be a Negro,
What it ts like to be a Nigger. Would I be different.
-I‘ ‘E'ould I 333.; different? (Pause) I feel so bled: and
SIEME/ U blue, I feel .50 black and white, I feel so'black. (PAUSE,
- C) ~' ‘IIGJ'S A CIGAEE TTE) Black ivory,a black velvet,
black cloud, black eyes, black night, b" ...an sin. Black

face. Black arms. "Black chest. Black feet, Red lips,

 

. ‘ I t I ' "\ O o .
.4.) {...}: brown 111.35% Bl'ck hair. White teeth. —{’
15"” c ‘ {a l’A“ l‘i’H". 1‘". (‘3. ‘31)", {I}: "E
inc. 3 5033-» cu know, I disl'ke the name N'gger. I dislike the-nan:

Ligger. (Pause) Cleanse my sins and I shall be 2:! it 2r
than white. ‘.'-;'ash me in the blood of the lamb, and I

4).)..(11‘- ”Shall be l-zhite, wash me in the blood of the lamb: and I

90

 
  
 

(E . ‘5 hot, send a whit anrel so I can be cool under its

'ings, cool unc‘. r its cool wings.
bet/'1‘} its?"
(He is telling a joke) They were all :aiting at the

il'fashihgtcn airpOrt': for God to arrive in a space ship. They
were all'» aiit ing to see what God looked like. And then Cod
got off the space s..ip, and God, _s____he was Negro.

EU“ 1L, Wk (LAUGHS, ALE-303T GEE)“: OUT OF cowl-£1,15U'Enl‘lr CAr;..I':. D
/‘ ‘3 ‘l. ' _
/ A..AY 1.: i111 Tran 1.UI :Oli OI} HIS o ) ‘

Sh____e_ was Negro Lee was a Nigger. (sans oven, CAAr-l-‘
AJAX 1»: 1n Tat Hum cs lHIS- THE.» GAEUUALLY' REGAINS

U (/Vg/Wm M .5. M'" .-....
001mm OF Hives ., 115.2. 5118 Ann mums roe A 2.1:»::::~..T )

6,4 4
‘4 w $75,311:; God is a .~Iigger. I am a Nigger lover because I love

M, mtg.“ Jesus Chris e. Nigger Christ. Christ Nigger. (pause) ._
Cu; BJIBJ Coal white. ' Tar white, dirty white, white white, ugly
53% white. «hi ee ivory, white velvet, white cloud, white e; s.
(051$ (laughs) uhite night. (Finds t..is very funny ) L‘n‘ite sin.
V Oh, my God. (Pause) White face. ikhite hair. White
' teeth/. 225313 teeth. A

/. (FL-ms THIS VAY PU. mY, seams U: COl-lPLEThLY.)
{LU

 

Black teeth, black teeth. (G: U3UA=_.LY mews coxPosUAt
flw-~~~flfifll _SJTS ‘Q'JILf-TVY..- __ .

WL/ .1. knc -I what I'm going to do. I'm going to e:;c ei.r tent

 

I, “_
AD 0 C I’D“; 3’1“ E‘
t- o” 9“ T: ' _. (-— — .( ...; .
with color. Ezrrrern..rent:(_ he. uses A ... a1 1;- fillet w‘ ..~.
~.’- mr—:;.- ~V-~.. .‘V'
i I. g: rev-- m-"""..‘L‘ . 71-1 ._.,.,_.. v_v -nr ~c~ fi 1- m—-v- *r-r~1..' ," "1
4 ”A." ' Aw.) 12ml...) Obi A 12:12:: anlwi l.) “Lulw 1.11:. .Cl.fw.s\ iv:
. \ _ \' .... ““n.-~‘- _.__...._._,_, .-. _.- "_ ‘ .7- “ ‘
0.. ( \Jg‘J ’
9! Q-‘I ...- T'fi ORV fif" '"L‘ “(71 'I‘T‘"" ‘- 'Tm "' " E‘ . I W . o
I" :12. men-1 ‘ :4.» ll, ;.\.;-LJ.'.-.C' 11. l1» :1; ;..-.:....-S.) InlS is pretty,
t‘r ’ 5’ .t‘ D‘R . '9’ I'. .. :L ‘a‘ “..:I‘I : \ IA" Q 1 0
151111.-.. 1'3. 133 c0195. r‘lLfl .‘3;;we 8...”; ..-...s: .18 PUT). {.1in ‘791l0fi”

and green and blue and black and purple. I think I'll wear'it.

 

5.. ‘V)u -- W . . __A

‘l .'91

_ .1 f {I think l'llwecen_.ateaxslt.‘_Why not? 1: I'm not really
,. F‘ ’ "9 being dishonest, I‘m still me, I'll still he me, but it
willbe a change. I wonder what my friends will say,
‘ I wonder if they'll know me?/ {But I‘ll still be :e, won't
.-. ‘ wen/e 4- . . -
“(CL @Q L'I,.l'll still be 132... . , - . A r i"

‘ {m ,.:-'n-.-_.:..4 '-=4. :..-'i' /
(PLACHS TH: HAS :4 UUUH H: 3 FA cg, A D eLLJA,,,.;,wm .....---, ,.

   

..J’ J, ' e -. .
M' ' ' BOYD:;‘ am a colored men. I Ac olored mm. (HIGHS FP 11330011

ARD/hE. ‘5 VI” I’m—LA}: Fetligl ~._ TJQ/lri... EUILLll' DOM.)

If I‘m supposed to be 2012133 then I'm going to be

u". . U r
'3}. .3 colored. 1‘
’ 4 {wet Us: ' .
(HE 0%.: “‘35 A SAL-ALI.- BR. IECHSL‘J AND TAKES OUT A biASK Wh’I‘eh IS

BRIGHTLY PAmT-HU Um: S'l‘iiIPn'S; H23 _UUA vent-«.3 1-1', HCLDIHG :T
CW m HIS Hung; THHH H5 FLA ces IT OVHH HIS FACE

f-‘A/fl fur-Q

. 5.»:"
o ...“ -

‘3 _- - _e ,/ r ‘4 .. ,3 -. .2
5;, ’a- :1) {.r‘gk "- 5’) ... .\ [£12. ”‘1..LIY{-{r JL;J'D~‘IVR/
3 (AH-— mm;- ALIGHAe cues-m est-HA 0312::- TH: Aw 51tGL2r~‘

i I .
\ . fl

' $ 9’ \‘f‘g: 1 Pfifi “1 (*1: ‘r I T- ‘H- ‘ ‘1 ‘| .g '1 '
LANA ..." SPGHD. THU into Fuses-s seco 21'. CUHHCIUUS c: AeH ”gee F311

5'; ~4- . . .. ' m"- .
ix). 12’ i THE FIRST new 0'- "HUY ARE on TH: STAC s)

:7 - -
KLIG: Helm).

 

 

'_ BETH): Hi. ‘ . ‘
KING: It's a. nice day, isn't it?

;' BOYD: Well, if you'call it a nice day when'it's raining, then,
sure, it's a nice day.

KIHG: I'm only trying to ... 'meke a conversation.

EOYD: ‘s‘Fny'are you trying; to do that?

KEG: Ifyou feel that 'way ahout it, then I won’t try.

BOYD: ' -nat's Okeh by me.

 

[J . - . _. . x 2;." 3K. '.
v¢>2\ 0mg: [SET .14 SILEUCfi) . i
If)“ 1‘!“— . . ‘
BOYD: Hell, I'm sorry. I'm just in a bad mood today. There’s

D
.’ ‘ '
1 - i
' .- n
' - |" . ¢.4

Fuge-S 7 (“Dig
A 7 92

no use not 10r~.7\ta here. Have a cig .arette?

“‘an- 9“
I".

Is it a filte r? I only smoke filters.

No. It's not a filter.

Then I'll smoke my own. lbs-mks. rlhanks for offering me

 

one. But‘I get a sore throat when I don ft smoke a filter.

 

\ '71:-__':"-.‘~ :“h
. <;.‘-L...- ‘
I.

~- You £\1;U'-' 7 If;
7 7 - _._-”A
’7'."\ \'..v~'7r'.- '77 ' '
fin», _ I: :01 : (Pause) It's stopped raining.

KING: ihe 'r. eather bureau didn't say it would rain anyw ay.

-'

'1 l/ r“

/.«- g

‘- \" 777717397177 ..ope you don't mind my saying this, I hope you're not,

\_ ‘3 ~'~

bx“; 6/777.»— “~“ well, self-conscious about this, but ... well, you MOW,
wfl'w

“”1157“? -. this is the first time I've really talked with a colored

((33-2113 3211"~'I\N SIILviCE.) 3X

'1‘"

’4’“ ..‘;>i—"

I W.
DID what?

LNG: I hope you’re not offended, I din' t mean to offend you,
but it's'true, it's the first time I’ve really, well, talked,

you know, with a colored man.

. j EQYD..</x 11, actually

LI! / :73, '5:

KIL‘G: I-ve wondered what it's like, that it must be like,-to be

 

colored. You know, in a white society. I hate all this

.95.
@reju ice. The root of prejudice surely is ignoranceul
\L’I '“‘

T"? K
think the answer to everything is more education n/ 967::

 

.()_\}' X" .
U477 11“" ‘r ‘/ NW0» ‘-
J “A.” ‘ .1 v 4". » I" 7", 7'7"” ~% '“n .J’
23).: I hate theflsoutn. v L 7“- {1‘ 7 7 ‘K "~-
2& The south?
KEG: Yes, all that race prejudice., All the discrimination. The

race lute. _ some of my best friends are southern «hi has

but ...

, 93

I
[x Lg.) (7/47"! 1);...

{_jk/xt/l ’7‘ ’L/ I
EOYD: You're ... you re a northern Lb;
" lefig' No. I‘m.a western white. I just happen to be living

in the north.

BOYD: But .. but you're white?

- z, - y
0 KING} “hite? ’n‘ my, of course I'm a white. "'hqt made you ask

’
- 1",.

a thing like that? Oh! This mask. (laughs) well, I was
Xherimenting. .5xperimenting, well, with color,

nave some beautiful colors.

se.y that you are yo :self one of the most, well,

 

1 ' attractive colored person ns I've ever seen? t embarrasses
7 --’ 7
me a bit, even makes me angry, when I realize that I have

'7 /
1 0/4 r’L; '72,,

:2 :,;,r\ all the advantages of be ing white, and I just wear this

  

meek :hen I 1 ant to, but you're color ed, you're colored all
the time, you can't take a mask off or put it on when

you,want to.» It makes me really angry.

 

 

 

 

 

BOYD: Why?

KING: It’s ... it's so unjust? 7 ‘f"

BOYD: I'm.not colored. I'm.b ”..
(111111191131 21:: :ovas : 1:12.018. 2.) ’¢\-«-k .
:‘n'x‘x J1El‘c [AKHOh er; 7 [77‘7" \

“1.1 K1110- 0.10 P" '51.; 1111311 5101.12 211. 0.1..8’1115 101.111.1101 211511)

A'.$;“c“ d . ' “...,” ' “.4" -----
7N .- 2~47 ‘ .
'V -“ I ... I don't know whe.t to say. (long pause ) I thought

.-1 you were colored and you' e not colored, you're  black.
liib Youre only black. (long Pause) you had . .. such pigs
7' colors.“ I liked them. I
XXX

EQID: Don't you like my black?

.~ '7
HU'H.

94

74
E3
C)

I di‘n‘t say I don't like your black, I just

said I lined your .. . colors. dhy are you so
touchy? Why are you so touchy about being black?
EDI": Who said I'm touchy about being black?

KING: I don‘t know, you just ... seem to be touchy about ...
being black, that's all. (long pause) “by did

you wear a colored mas‘? hhy didn't you.wear a

 

white r'sk? I‘m sure you could find one.

' BOYD: I'hy should I wear a white mask?

 

' KIEG Ch, I don't know. It's ... a white culture, after
1 .
1 all, and it' s easier ‘ccinc a ... white m.
“"XF‘ . T . ‘- 9
bk) I .Ls l U o
.,,\. KIEG: God, you're so touchV. You’ re so toucr my (long pause)
’5 I
(:21 \ hell, since you don't want to be friends ...
EDE<‘;f&;/dldnt+ say I don‘t want to be frienzls.
. inar<:::)eet ed, an'ry I) You' re so darned.£onscious of being a
_’1 A t ‘70 . ...}; " 5:.-
. T’I’M‘ -.i ' ”WU rs.) J41.“ 5"?" ' ‘ ' 5'
I; 1' digger ... (abrupt pans? of being a Negro ...
I ‘ v "
, I '1' '. _.rf‘b'i"; ./
[-ififid};-~/’ (pause3/>:. that you go around with all kinds of
{/43 \ ".W
t,’ .211; L” ‘1):2/ ‘
i: misconcepti ns about how otrer people feel ...

you ... you judee everybody...just because some
people are ignorant or prejudiced, you feel that...
that ... everybody ... (long pause)

Look. I'm sorr If I offendfi you or seemed

to be rude, I'm sorny.

(Pause) I am, too. I don'I knoW'what's the trouble

 

'
v .....—
l

.. w
L. .-f: ..-,L 5. '6’! d.-_,r ‘ 91"3A.‘ "-‘-".'.'u\
‘-\M- ...... _ ‘J U ' \‘-'U :4- :.-."A - ‘ 2‘. auro.‘ 5.1“»"u‘r/
- ‘ 4

-~-- ----

'- . . -
.0 ~ '0 ‘ - - ...
~— - . o - WO- - C O ‘ ‘ ‘ - °

_. -. -
~r‘-”'~--- .

‘
-....- Ado-..u- - .- ....

 

   

  
  

“as“??? just .3..__..fe’*£.11in1111e~17

9.5

BOYD: “hat is it? Tell me.
KING: '1-1'ould you mind ... if we exchanged roles, exchanged

 

 

a
.'

 

 

("f-2.11;; 2(pause) No. 'Phat's'okeh by me. - 1 /11»~-"',- “3‘51.
K 5 “TN/f 1/1" ...:
‘ s .' P) ““1“ '3 J I . ACU 27“: :OVHS ..I A Ann. 0 -
m. ' 9; {1,1111 ° “ 1.11 _«1’11‘.1-..1..) 1 1310113?” 1
fl’$'1._:,;1\?1..? 1 .5; i" o ’ "2':._."' . I “N.-Is".. W13
_ WW /’£\J.‘iG’. an“ You're so black. You' re such a dark Negro. »,/
l4 0",," - W r (1...... O o _ <\
3,1 - 5.. . ,i- ‘1 (Z- . .4
111/ ‘~ "£3: >11 1 1.1 . <44], / 1.
\ ”_.z/ ...- ‘.
. n \....1.-—r ------ ‘ ”””””” ‘
1" } 0"" at.“ ..
‘1}. ( ,{L-a (The white player who has been playing the Negro now puts
.“"1. - ."dfl‘~ : i ‘M
«k :: z on the 1:1 hite mask, and the Negro player who has been -
‘9“ .k_ ‘&W 1 ..... L \ T
1 ”Um K playing the w1ite n01.r puts on the xlegro mask. here ensues
’ ' i .5" _e "S a prim itive 1itual marked ej‘g‘asual dance movement and"
,1..,_U:,1—-11,.1." 31 "‘ theumafiuemorubcxkos,»-5131 flying each mn’s’becomng
'{ ‘ t, 1 a he»: person b the ambvation of the Holy‘\ Spirit. )1... .1 ,
"‘12.“ ~.,“ 1-‘:~"..‘W:‘
cl— ‘3‘ ’;|‘r'\o ‘hv; i‘t‘ ‘ ,“'-:::g.m :5d:$‘ ’A// s LI 3.“...- u::\"\. K's gd)‘:)\ -<;/xfl“.- g u t
O , h—a—N ’71....— V’IVJ' ,~[/,r/«:~'“, . C) 1
&- g‘h‘g‘gf‘?‘ H5" / f
f , no“, PK I - -1 .1.” 1 .1, - ’1‘ .
””115 . 2"” 11.1- 1 . ‘ .1121 11.. /‘
43:11, .LNG: hello. '-r~.r_,'"\ a! (,4, -r' c) 5"}; 1 u 1 .
, (:1... ‘ . V
7!: . , . 11
BOYD: I‘m white. re you Negro.
Km G: What difference does it make?
BOYD: I just wondered. "
KING: Does it make any difference?
BOYD: I su‘pose not. (pause) “ell,- statistically, they
. want to Imo____1_~1.
CG: .Know what?
BOYD: Know who's white and who's Negro.
KING: Nhy?
_ BOYD: I don't know. T ey just 1-1a11t to kno___.__1-_r. (pause)
KINGM Who are they?
' BYOB: ' I don‘t how. The yjust want to know. (pause)

Well , I 'm white .

96

KING: Are you?

(defensively) Yes, yes, I am ... (changes mood)

   
 

ut to tell you the tru h, I can't really tell
Wh her you‘re Negro or,.well, just ... tanned.

I'm.reelly quite emr er~assed about this.

 

/ Oh, I'm sorry.
f
' Yes, it's, well, really guite embarrassing. ‘;
don't care, you understand, but I live in a
neighborhood where we have ... it's so hard to
, explain ... where we have Eoints.
1%}; K‘EG: You have 1_____x..: t?
1", 1.51 9" V "(t-"'1
/ VI: -. ""‘"”'“‘." - . . . .
1‘ / 6°C BoYD: .L know it‘s complex and it sounds ridiculous,
\ 5/ ~ . . .
\ I 1 but we nave-pOints ... somebody looking for a
\. ;
\Qf house to buy is given so many points on the basis
of, well his raCe or his religion or ... (pause) ...
" -..» ’ '4
ir:;~ x» I. ’ and a color an doesn't have many saints, enough
’ T xix-5” i...
" ‘Isi"-‘,."'-'~"'. . J. n - -
[inwwifi p01nos ... you see: This 15 r e“ dly quite ernbarrassing.

I'm terribly sorry. But you see why I had to ask

 

/?jfi§'<:Z::;C*”Klm“: ‘hat \Jouldn 't effect me,-would it? I mean,llm
nct'colored, I'm black. ‘

BOY“: well, as a matter of fact ...

KING: Oh, I see. i

'”:;>;‘ BOYD: I just don't knoW'what we're going to do about

élLXLJv‘RV'L‘ L ~~ .. ~ - . " ‘J-I ~&+' ~~
1%) this race ouSiness. I think 19 s éettina Jorse

all the tirge/ ( 1C: Ts 5T1 .T Tzozzso T3 TOTAL

_i__
{V’I‘ “mafia.
a I‘\ >> -' -’- ~" ~"‘ -‘ _-"H-‘- 0-.-"““ ' »--
I I g -
u :7 I 'T'-"‘"‘?"‘\ ' J- ‘ .. -- ‘ - 9..
. n. VX BumbKUJlo/ uus» oeceuse 01 the color oi c man's
.
~
‘ . .- . - 9": C ‘ ‘ 1 o- 2. Q“
sgin ... (1e continues s,evnrne in level 01'3fi0bb) .

 

 

‘vo- ..v

97
C1

... .~ x‘ I' ,<. '.'"‘ . "t. I‘ 1 .
twirl-”NO ...... it K‘./ ‘1’ "" K\ MN I..- "I‘ Iv~J"-“——.

( l
I“ ..

I mean, anybody can see you're black and I'm w finite.

\a'a. vu-

(TI-I‘M HIS VOICE “Com: THE VOICE OF soIEoIIIE I‘ULKII‘IG
A TRAIN STATION AJNOUI ICEJEINT 0V” I A LOUDSPEI‘IKLIR,
IIIPEIISCIIAL, 051 PL SI vs, I Iri SEA LEGLY REPLI‘III‘EIV )
Anybody can see you're E'egro and I’m 1-.hite,any-
body can see you're hegro and I'm white, anybody
can see you're Negro and I'm white, anybody can

see you're Negm and I'm white, anybody can see

 

' 1N], / :. you’re Negro eInd I'm'white ......

    

5.7“ I I ’ . A _ :-
N o f It .. j z : 2 .‘ .— J. «rim; \3
. 1- II.) . c. . - , '4 . ‘1‘“‘.‘ 'Q . g, " .~-
...ij J../,I Iii“ \ _._—r- .. . ‘ ‘T: ‘ f 0 I.» ‘5’ \ c1 ”‘3.- \) ..p\ y ‘-"K
, v . I -. .. a Q . I . I
”1,...“ r. (a w (THE LIGHTS co; UP 1mm THE A3730 :3 III.“ SITTING
/" :1 ,I .’ L \ ’ Moo-monta- ‘Ow- on. :M./ ., j .8 ‘ . . . C;d\ ‘ C) \_.~

THE ST). ”E BUT THEY ruin. REV ... SED TIL. IR i‘ikfizfib...

. 3 -. . 0"!" . r. ‘ 1‘ (Sr-.9; ‘rd:~._.:' w 1" \(‘:y_r_ :1.) no“
Trial WhIli‘J AC On. OH. CH: AGADI VbLn‘k.:.E-J IVE-Euo anon

_ 3 . i
AND THE ELEGRO ACTOR ‘.'-."EARS A ..I-IITE 313K)

£2
'0'“
J
’-
’\
f

IN SILINI AS THE CURTAIj-I 01.0533.)

 

(Copyright 1962—Ic2alcoim Boyd)

APPENDIX D
PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE PRESENTATION

OF STUDY E COLOR BY WMSB

 

 

99

Margaret Lauterbach
WMSB, East Lansing

FOR RELEASE: 'UPON RECEIPT

. ' -‘ i
-— .o'" . h..- a
o n ‘ :-
~— ,-/ - .. .

—- I:

Two protest dramas written by the Rev. Malcolm Boyd, Epis-
copal Chaplain to Wayne State University, will be shown on WMSB(TV),
EChannel 10, Sunday, July 12, at 3 p.m. They will be repeated Fri?
day, July 17, at 12 noon.

An hour-long program, entitled "The Dramatic Sermon: An
Experiment in Theatre," includes the two short plays -- "Study
in Color," and "The Job," following an introduction by Dr. Maurice
Crane, assistant professor of Humanities at MSU, and comments about
the plays. Also included is a statement by Mr. Boyd regarding his
reasons for turning to the dramatic sermon form to inform and
stimulate. -

Mr. Boyd said the plays included in this program "represent
an attack on race prejudice and the use of color as a means of
labelling a man and thereby de-hwmanizing him."

"They are designed to disturb the audience out of complacency
about human injustice, to raise sharp questions about anthropology
and the existential human condition, and to harass an over-simplified

commercial exploitation of race," he said.

100

-continued-

"Study in Color" features Mr. Boyd, who is white, wearing
a black mask, and Woodie King Jr.. appearing in a mask as a white
man. They discuss "color" in separate soliloquies, then put on
striped and polkadot masks and eventually exchange roles during a
symbolic dance. The play depicts the absurdity of trying to know
or classify man in terms of color.

Mr. King, at the time the program was videotaped, was direc-
tor of the Concept East Theatre in Detroit.

"The Job" is a tour-de-force for Cliff Frazier, one of the
most significant actors in the Detroit area. Mr. Frazier plays a
Negro celebrity hired to promote the race angles of a new movie.
This biting satire attacks the use of race as a promotion gimmick
for selling movies, plays, books or articles in magazines and
newspapers.

Mr. Boyd, a nationally recognized figure, is the author of
four books, is a regular columnist for "The Pittsburgh Courier,"
and has written five plays.

He was ordained a priest of the Episcopal Church after
spending ten years in Hollywood and New York in advertising, public
relations, motion pictures and television. At one time he was
termed "the beatnik priest" by the press for his participation in
coffee house activities.

The program which will be shown on WMSB was reproduced for
national distribution by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith
recently.

It was produced and directed by Robert Sherwood, of the WMSB
staff. '

B IBL IOGRAPHY

 

102

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adams, Charles. Producing and Directing for Television. New York:
Henry Holt and Co., 1953.

Bretz, Rudy. The Techniques of Television Production. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1962.

Davis, Desmond. The Grammar of Television Production. London:
Barrie & Rockliff Ltd., 1960.

Hilliard, Robert L. (ed.) Understanding Television. New York:
Hastings House Publishers, 1964.

Kaufman, William I. (ed.) How to Write and Direct for Television.
New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1955.

Kingson, Walter R. and Cowgill, Rowe. Television Acting and

Directing: A Handbook. New York: Holt Rinehart and
Winston, Inc., 1965.

MacGowan, Kenneth and Melnitz, William. The Living Stage.
New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1955.

McMahan, Harry W. Television Production. New York: Hastings
House Publishers, 1957.

Millerson, Gerald. The Technigues of Television Production.
New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1961.

O'Meara, Carroll. Television Program Production. New York:
The Ronald Press Co., 1955. ‘

Reisz, Karel. The Technigues of Film Editing. London: Focal
Press, 1953.

Stasheff, Edward and Bretz, Rudy. The Television Program: Its
Direction and Production. New York: Hill and Wang, 1951.

Zettl, Herbert. Television Productign Handbook. San Francisco:
Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. 1961.

UND
90 e,

HICHIGQN STQTE UNIV. LIBRQRIES

IllllllllllIIHIIHIIIIINIWIIllIN UlllltllllllIHiiHl

 

31293009931 134