This document discusses how costumes, props, and actors are used in film and television productions to help audiences suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in the story. It focuses on the BBC period drama Ripper Street, explaining how the producers use costumes to create a sense of time, props to build tension and action, and star actors to attract audiences familiar with their other work. Students will watch an episode of Ripper Street and complete a quiz analyzing how these elements helped the audience suspend disbelief.

1. Film theory

2. What were we doing last week?
Last week

3. We will be looking at the importance of actors to our
productions, and how costumes and props can help our
audience to suspend their disbelief
This week

4.  MUST understand how costumes are used to create a
sense of time.
 SHOULD understand how on screen talent can help to
draw an audience in.
 COULD explain how props are used to create a sense
of action and tension.
By the end of today you

5. What era is Ripper Street set in?

6. How do the producers trick us into thinking we
are looking at Victorian London?

7.  We need to make the viewer forget that what they
are watching is ‘make believe’. We need them to
suspend their disbelief
Costumes & props are powerful tools
which allow us to trick the viewer

8. How do costumes create a sense of
time and place?

9. How do the producers of Ripper Street use
props to create a sense of time and place?

10. What props does District 9 use to
create tension and action?

11. Props are important because they
help our audience buy in to a story…

12. Does the star of the film or show help our
viewer to buy in to the story?

13. If you’re a fan of Sharlto Copley, are you more likely to
go and watch the new film he’s in?
What else has Sharlto Copley been in?

14.  Film and TV stars have fans who will seek out their
new projects and watch them. This is good for the
producers as it means more money or higher viewing
figures
Star power can attract an audience

15.  What else have they been in?
Matthew MacFayden & Jerome Flynn
are the stars of Ripper Street.

16. We will watch episode 2 of Ripper Street, then you will
fill in this weeks quiz on Moodle, explaining how the
episode used props, costumes and star power to help
the audience suspend their disbelief.
Today