Tableau

A tableau is a living picture, created by people to represent a scene from a story or from history. Often, whole stories can be represented by a tableau set.

For a successful tableau, you must consider your ability to freeze the scene, to focus on your pose, to create smooth transitions, having different levels and employing appropriate depth.

Just like creating a painting, your tableau must have a view side -- a side where the camera, or the audience, can see your vision in its integrity -- and just like a painting, your composition is most important in order to tell your story.

Tableau Checklist

Do I have bodies in different levels? High, medium, close to the ground?
Do I have bodies forming different shapes -- open bodies, closed bodies, hands going in different directions?
Do I use the space given effectively?
Can the audience see everyone in my tableau?
Are our poses strong enough to communicate the story?
Do our faces match our poses, showing the emotion of the scene? Exaggeration is important in tableau.
Is our focus appropriate and do we stay in character?

Below, one of the best tableau sets I have ever watched!

And below, a couple of fun ones made by students!

Things to Consider

What song should we illustrate with our tableau?
How many scenes should we do in order to illustrate the whole song?
Consider your levels, body positions and expressions; consider your composition. How can you improve upon it?

Good luck and let's have some fun!