Radioactivity
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Radioactivity
Ballycastle High School
Download film (right-click)Artistic/Creative , Drama , Explanation , Physics , Secondary
Medical uses of the different types of radiation.
Director's Notes:
The original version of this performance won the Irish heats of the Institute of Physics’ Paperclip Physics competition, and we wanted to see how it might translate into a SciCast film. Out went the long original opening monologue, and in came some bad quickfire jokes to set the scene instead, then the bulk of the sketch became a ‘mind’s eye’ visualisation of what might be going on.
Given more time, I think we’d have shortened the piece even more. Also, the performers had presented the original so many times, and were so well-drilled, that they inevitably lapsed into very well-rehearsed spiel. Video needs to be more immediate and personal, so given a little more time I think we’d have changed some more of the script just to throw them off-balance and liven it all up a bit.
What do you think?
SciCast Notes:
This was a real challenge, trying to turn a stage performance into a short film. I think the results are partially successful, and there are some nice moments, but it’s still a little stilted - we didn’t quite manage to make a clean break from stage to screen. It’s harder than you’d expect.
For me, the really fun part was trying to work out how different sorts of radiation might be characterised. I reckoned alpha is the radiation equivalent of a moody teenager, that just can’t be bothered to do much - hence the shuffling on and the ineffectual jabs. Beta is a bit more up for a go at things, chirpy but not necessarily much more effective. Gamma, however, is the real deal - hard as nails. You don’t mess with gamma.
As I described this idea to the cast I could see them start to back away slowly. What, they clearly wondered, was I on? Credit to them for giving it a go!
— Jonathan
dis was so cool srsly