Drama appreciation to be discussed
By Rosli Abidin Yahya 

Preparing for a drama shot involves five main operations - the art department and property master prepares the set furnishings and props that actors will use; the actors run through their lines and movements; the director of photography selects the scenery and arranges the lights; the camera operator rehearses the various camera angles and movements to be used in the shot; and the sound crew determines the volume level and placement of microphones. The importance of a director in determining the good visual impact of drama to the audience will be discussed extensively at the monthly discussion of Drama Appreciation which will be held at the Dewan Sarmayuda, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei Darussalam (DBP), Berakas on April 26 at 2.30 pm.

Organised by the Affiliation of Drama, Entertainment and Creative Artists (GAPHAR) in joint-co-operation with DBP, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the three panels of the discussion session comprise lecturers Edwin Chan and Mohd Zefri Ariff Mohd Zain Ariff of Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

The discussion will be chaired by Pg Hj Mohd Yunus Pg Hj Besar, an actor who has accumulated enough experience in drama acting over the years. The director of DBP, Hj Abdul Hakim bin Hj Mohd Yassin is also expected to attend.

Organisers welcome scriptwriters, drama activists and practitioners, actors and actresses as well as interested members of the public to attend the dialogue session.

Activists said the creativity of talented and experienced drama directors are vital in determining scenes that will give a good visual impact to the audience.

They said some low budget productions received good response from the audience because of artistic qualities of drama directors.

Well-written drama scripts, good actors and a creative director is vital if a production is to make a good impact on the audience, they added.

"The director of photography (DP), also known as the cinematographer, works closely with the director and interprets the action of the story in terms of light, shade, composition, and camera movement.

"Other responsibilities include selecting the type of lens to be used for a shot, which influences the appearance of the image, and determining the camera's position and angle.

"The DP rarely operates the camera directly; this function usually falls to a camera operator," they said.

They said a drama production comprises of a series of images that are projected onto a screen to create the illusion of motion.

Drama productions, they said are one of the most popular forms of entertainment, enabling people to immerse themselves in an imaginary world for a short period of time. Dramas can also teach people about history, science, human behaviour and many other subjects.

"Some dramas combine entertainment with instruction, to make the learning process more enjoyable. In all its forms, drama is an art as well as a business, and those who produce dramas take great pride in their creations," they said.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin