Week 13 notes

Importance of format
–    Why do we need special format for scripts?
–    Ultimate goal is to make the script easy to read.
–    Intended as a blueprint for production – must meet the needs of the various departments.
–    Format has been designed so that the flow of the story is not interrupted by extraneous details on the page.
–    Only use Courier 12 point type.
Dos and Don’ts
–    Only print on one side of the page. Only use plain, white paper.
–    Put the page numbers, followed by a period in the upper right hand corner
–    Don’t use correction fluid, don’t draw arrows, smiley faces, etc. on the page.

Margins (left and right, punch hole and notes purpose)

Slug lines (EXT/INT – Location – Time [all caps])

Action – action description
–    Describes what can be seen on the screen
–    Stretches across entire page.

Writing style
–    Action description is always in narrative style, 3rd person & present tense
–    “What can be seen” includes actions as well as descriptions.
–    It is good to suggest shot sizes and content through the writings but best to leave out specific shot references (CU, WS, Push In, etc.)
This is the director’s job

Character
–    First appearance in CAPS
–    All other appearances normal.

Character’s dialogue
–    Dialogue (name in caps)
–    Left margin at “3.5” from edge of page

Dialogue…

Others
–    The character name followed y (V.O.) indicates Voice Over – Luke Skywalker
–    The characters name followed by (O.S.) indicates Off Screen – Han Solo (phone, has voice but no visual sight)
–    Parenthetical appears in dialogue to give specific description of movement, gesture, or method of delivery.
(Sarcastically) or (waving)

Online lecture
Post 2nd draft on discussion
Comment on 3 classmate’s stories
+ 2 other people from T1B2
trial
use Wan Fong’s story and analyse

Week 12 notes

Week 12

Interactive Location

What is a location?
– Physical location/ address/ place
– World created by you
– The place in your story where events occur and characters interact

Location
–    Rules
–    Address
–    Other elements that reside within location

Interactive Location
–    A setting and surrounding that interacts with the characters of the film by adding importance to their actions
–    An environment that impacts the action and heighten the stakes.

Jurassic park
– Location: Jurassic park is a zoo/amusement park located off the coast of central America.
–    Interactive location: the island is completely isolated, and anyone on it will be trapped until assistance from the mainland arrives
Movie: Lou Lou lives here
Why shouldn’t a little girl walk alone

Godfather 2:

Week 11 notes

Week 11

Review Exercise 3: Dialogue

>>> Purpose of the exercise

–    We write best what we know well

Dynamic action
<< Story is Action >>
–    Action encompasses any kind of movement, activity and interaction between the characters and also between the characters and the surroundings.
–    Talking about how one feels is not as powerful as illustrating why one    feels the way they do through action

Frustrated
slams open his office door
– Heavy breathing
–    Tense body
–    Stomping
–    Gritting his teeth
–    Shut his eyes forcefully in a few seconds
–
<< Film is behavior >>

–    Action is the manifestation of behavior
–    The complexity of the human psyche and interaction is better understood when it is possible to watch the actions, nuances and reactions of the characters.

<< Dynamic Action >>

–    Has the potential to enrich the experience of the audience by heightening the stakes and increasing the tension.

Moving Pictures
The power of any story lies in the narrator’s ability to project a mental picture for he audience

Exercise: Translating emotional responses into actions.

Acting…

>> Purpose of the exercise

Steve Pavolsky’s “INJA” (Australian 2001) 17 mins

2nd draft of story due 15 July 2009
Printed copy in class
Format: same

Week 8 notes

1. Story Assignment (2 July in class)
2. Dialogue Exercise (26 June 10a.m.)
3. Complete all online exercise and notes (26 June 10a.m.)

Week 8 notes

Elements of Dialogue

Only for conversation with others, 2 or more. Not for talking for yourself

–       Dialogue reveals character

Good Dialogue

• Sounds real but not too real
• Is short (relatively)

Bad Dialogue

• Not concise, long winded
• Too Real
• Cheesy

–       A character will talk about himself and other people will talk about him

(e.g. Character says rather wait for a 15min bus – Lazy <or a rude e.g.>)

Can hate a character but does not reveal and pretend to like him/her

–       Dialogue establish relationships between characters (tells closeness)

–       Once you have established your main character’s point of view, you can use dialogue with other characters to show that they have other attitudes, creating opposite/alternative point of views.

–       This helps to create and sustain the element of CONFLICT between characters (e.g. Father invite friend, Mother gets angry because she has to cook)

–       Good effective dialogue will move the story forward (Take out useless dialogue, it’s ok if it’s dialogue to prolong time for tracing)

–       Dialogue communicates faces and information to the audience

• It conveys essential exposition
• Characters will talk about what happened, establishing the storyline. (Explaining to other character)

–       Dialogue comments on the action (Sports commentary)

–       Dialogue ties the script together

• It is one of the devices that YOU as a writer can use to expand and enlarge your character.

“If you can see it or hear it, don’t write it” – Neville Smith

–       Dialogue should be used sparingly (if possible, use action e.g. Girl slaps       instead of shouting)

–       Never tell the audience what they can see for themselves!!

<< Dialogue is no substitute for action >>

In Hollywood when they look at a page and it’s got too much black, too much ink on the paper, they say: “SHIT! IT’S FREEZE THE CAMERA TIME!!” ( too much dialogue and just focus on people )

–       Common mistake

• Students sometimes never achieve a level of competence, as they tend to reproduce conventional spoken language, long statements of “REAL TALKING”, and defend their decision by telling us that:

“ It’s how the character speaks”

Dialogue is affected by

–       Age (e.g. speed of speech? Young kids have problems expressing themselves)

–       Gender

–       Social status (Educational qualifications)

–       Race? (Siah, siow)

–       Good Dialogue is not somebody’s ability to write authentic speech as heard in real life.

• If that was all there is to it, you can just push a button on the tape recorder and then go collect your Oscar.

–       Good Dialogue is the illusion of reality.

–       You’ve got to know how to edit what people say without losing any of the spirit.

–       Common Mistake

• Students tend to create radio shows with images.

<< Film is a visual Medium >>

A screenplay is a story told in pictures.

e.g. it’s late… but it’s bright outside!

Exercise: Writing Dialogue

The Scenario

–       A middle-aged man returns home from work

–       He had stopped for a few drinks with his friends and forgot to call his wife to tell her he’ll be late.

–       The dinner is ruined.

The exercise:

–       Write a short scene composed of dialogue between husband and wife.

Role-Play

-2 students to play the roles from their stories

The Real Exercise:

–       Repeat “THE EXPERIMENT” but:

–       Husband and wife are YOUR own parents

–       Get two people to read the dialogue.

–       Record the reading

–       Post it to your blog (using Youtube, Multiply, etc.)

Week 7 notes

Review Exercise: True & False Stories

>>> Purpose of the exercise
–    A true story is not necessarily a good story. ( might need to be edited, add spice and excitement)
Good stories have to be worked and re-worked
–    True life stories do not offer neat and relevant endings
–    Life is unpredictable
–    In a story, we can and must control the events and sequences so that it gives the appearance of being like life.

Characterization: Defining the character
–    Every story starts with a character
The character is the heart, the soul and nervous system of your story.
IT IS THROUGH YOUR CHARACTER THAT THE VIEWERS EXPERIENCE EMOTIONS
< Without a character, there is no action >
< Without action, you have no conflict >
< Without conflict, you have no story >
< Without story, you have no screenplay >

Developing Characters
–    When developing a character, ask yourself:
➢    Who is your character?
➢    What does he want?
➢    What is his quest?
➢    What drives him to the resolution of the story?
1.    Establish your main character
Characters should have a 3 Dimensional Structure
a.)    Physiology (Appearance)
–    Sex
–    Age
–    Height, weight
–    Color of hair, eyes, skin
–    Posture *
–    Appearance
–    Defects, abnormalities, deformities, birth marks, diseases
–    Heredity

b.)    Sociology (background)
–    Cass (lower, middle, higher)
–    Occupation: type of work, hours of work, income, condition of work, attitude towards organization, suitability for work
–    Education: amount, kind of schools, marks, favorite subjects, poorest subjects, aptitudes
–    Home Life: parents living, earning power, orphan, parents separated / divorced, parents’ habits, parent’s mental development, parents’ vices, neglect, character’s marital status
–    Religion
–    Race/Nationality
–    Place in community, leader among friends, clubs, sports
–    Political Affiliations
–    Amusements: hobbies, books, newspapers, magazines he/she reads

c.)    Psychology (How he thinks/believe in)
–    Sex Life, Moral Standards
–    Personal Premises, Ambition
–    Frustration, Chief Disappointments
–    Temperament: choleric, easy-going, pessimistic, optimistic
–    Attitude towards life: resigned, militant, defeatist
–    Complexes: obsessions, inhibitions, superstitions, phobias
–    Personality: extrovert, introvert
–    Abilities: language, talents
–    Qualities: Imagination, judgment, taste, poise
–    I.Q, E.Q (people)
–    What is the deep and personal secret this character has which he is desperate to protect / hide?
1.    Separate the components of his life into 2 basic categories
a.) interior
The interior life takes place from birth till…
It is a process that forms character. (when you start formulating your character from birth, you see your character build in body and form)
– How old is he when the story begins?
-Where does he live?
-Does he have siblings?
-What kind of childhood did he have
-What was his relationship to his parents?
-What kind of a child is he?
-Is he married, single, widowed, separated or divorced?

b.) Exterior
The exterior life takes place the moment your story begins to it’s conclusion
It is a process that reveals character
–    Who are they and what do they do?
–    Are they sad or happy with their life?
–    Do they wish their life were different? Another job, another wife

Movie: Taxi

>> You must create your characters in relationship to other people or things
All dramatic character interacts in 3 ways
1.    They EXPERIENCE CONFLICT  in achieving their dramatic need. ( e.g need money – rob bank/store/person?)
2.    They interact with other CHARACTERS (either in an antagonistic, friendly or indifferent way)
3.    They INTERACT with THEMSELVES. (e.g. He overcame his fear of being caught by pulling off the robbery successfully)
–    How do you invent your characters?
–    . Try turning them upside down
A monk who is devoted to his reliegion… but is a football fanatic
A serial killer whose obsession is to kill other serial killers
A common street rat who loves to eat and cook only fine food

Next Week
Story quiz 1
Review

Week 6 notes

Storytelling Tool 2: Experience

 

–       A storyteller should be concerned with the potential of every experience.

–       Everything about you – where you were born, what food you eat, the bump on your forehead – your experiences are unique and irreplaceable.

–       Many of your experiences are universal and translatable and can be used in any location.

 

E.g. Universal themes

– Friendship lah

– Love

– Family

– Loneliness

– Death

– Betrayal

– Hardship (broad)

– Hope

 

Translatable

–       Setting

–       Characters

–       Language

–       Culture

 

Tip:

–       If you don’t know what to do with a character, make him yourself for a while.

–       See how he relates to the world he has been thrown into.  

–       >>>>> PLUNDER YOUR OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUND!

 

The things that happen to you as you grow up and the things that are currently happening to you make terrific stories.

 

Con’t

–       All people have fragments of stories

–       These potential ideas prompt your desire to know more

–       Respond emotionally and intellectually to what you heard.

–       Good stories are born in your heart, not the head.

–       Remember the role of an audience.

–       After all, you ARE the audience.

 

Storytelling Toll 3: Memory

 

–       YOUR MEMORY IS A WONDERFUL CABINET OF PAST INCIDENTS WHICH YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED OR BEEN TOLD.

–       THESE MEMORIES ARE POINTS OF REFERENCE TO YOUR OWN PAST EXISTENCE.

 

 

Difference between experience and memory

Experience- true

Memory- Can be manufactured e.g. can be true/false, not sure of.

 

TIP:

–       WRITE what you do not know because you will find some part of you that does know.

 

THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR PERSONAL DISCOVERY

 

–       How do we use memory to build creative content?

 

Assignment

Write 2 short stories

–       One is completely TRUE

–       One is completely FALSE

Only the author knows which is which

 

–       Post these on your blogs under a page called True or False by Tues, 3 June, 10am.

 

Assignment 2 – After posting your story, visit 3 classmate below your blogroll and vote for which story you think is true and which is false

Week 5 notes

Movie: The Shawshank redemption

Assignment

–       Letter to the past:

–       Select a person that means something to you in your past, but whom you no longer speak to now.

–       Then write a letter which expresses all the things you wish could say to the person but can’t.

–       Communicate the memories of important moments you had together has made you a different person now than you were before.

Week 4 notes

Review exercise: people-watch

 

–       take one character from the person above you on the bloglist

–       take 1 character from the person below you on the bloglist

–       write a story about how these two people interact

–       Don’t forget the most essential element of drama CONFLICT

 

Asignments

– No reflection

– Visual Trigger: Find an image and tell a story that comes to your mind as you see it.

– Pictures should not be taken for this purpose – use only pictures you can find.

 

Principles of tragedy

 

Incorporate principles of tragedy into your writing!

WHAT IS TRAGEDY?

Tragedy doesn’t mean that something bad happens and the story ends.

 

It means something bad happens as a result of a flaw in your character, and you show how this tragic fall forces your character to learn something about herself or himself.

 

 

week 3 notes

Review Exercise 2: 50 word stories

–       Difficulties = What were they?

–       Restraints = Did they help?

Do constraints help you to be a better writer?

What constraints do professional writers face?

Professional writers face problems like

–       Deadlines

–       Plagiarism

–       Casting problems (fit the actor)

–       Problems with directors

 

Storytelling tool 1: Observation

+ Observe in a conscious way ( with awareness )

Things to observe

–       dressing

–       way they carry themselves

–       speech ( fast, slow, mumble )

–       expression

–       gesture

 

+ Train yourself to see and record:

–       movements

–       physical characteristics ( neat )

–       settings

+  Adopt a KEEN EYE

+ Develop a natural SENSE OF CURIOSITY ( not intrusive )

–       An observed event, when subject to simple questions, can set up a sequence of possibilities that will develop into a story worth telling

For e.g. When you observe a couple having a meal yet totally not talking… … What questions come to mind?

 

       + WHOM AM I WRITING ABOUT?

       + WHO IS MY CHARACTER?

       + WHAT IS HE/ SHE/ IT LIKE?

       + WHAT DOES HE/ SHE/ IT DO?

       + WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM/ HER/ IT IN THE STORY?

 

Exercise: Awareness Level

–       People rarely observe familiar people or things closely

–       Most people pass through the day with 20% – 30% awareness

Mindless observation vs true observation

–       observe in a conscious way

–       develop the ability to see and record people:

• Their movements
• Their physical characteristics
• The setting/ places they’re in

Assignment

Exercise: people-watch

1. Walk into the canteen/library, etc. and watch people pass by.
2. Eventually, one will catch your attention.
3. Write down as many details as possible through observation.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for a second character.
5. Transcribe all these details into the “PEOPLE-WATCH” page that you will create on your blog

People you observe must be of Different

       – gender

–       setting

–       age

list down: gender, setting, what happened

week 2 notes

Conflict

–    Definition
–    Opposition of persons or forces
–    Can result internally or externally
–    It is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests, or wills that create the plot.

Types of Conflict
+Dramatic conflict is the protagonist’s struggle against something or someone.
–    Man vs man
–    Man vs environment
–    Man vs system
–    Man against self
+ Variations of conflict can arise from gender, age, religion, and culture

Causes and effects of conflict
–    Conflict arises when there is CHANGE
–    Changes may be major or minor
–    While change is universal and common, it is not always accepted
–    Examples of changes: seasons, lives, relationship, feelings, bodies, location, technologies
–    Conflict arises when people resist change
–    The intensity of conflict depends on how people react to the change
–    People must learn to cope with change if they want to survive
–    The action in drama depends on conflict

Importance of conflict
–    Plot cannot be constructed without conflict
–    Central feature of the screenplay
–    As your characters attempt to reach their goals, they come into conflict with each other
–    The end of the story nears when the protagonist and antagonist approach their goals and the conflict rises to generate maximum suspense and excitement.

Writing for an audience
–    Screenwriter = storyteller
+ The cinematic experience is not just made up of text on paper, but the audiences’ emotional reaction to that information

Director to people x
Writer to people    x
Camera to people  x

It’s people to people 😀

What is the writer/s purpose?

To connect the audiences:
– Themselves
– Their unique vision
– The material/Issue
– The drama
– Others

Audiences want to be transported by a screenplay

Where do you look for a story?

Within yourself e.g. experience, memories, emotions

Practice observing, ‘listening’ and reading body language of people

Figure how to connect your viewers to your story through emotions, characters, etc.

Assignment

–    5 stories of exactly 50 words each, posted to your blog.

(Do a word count before submission)

Movie: The call home Directed by: Han Yew Kwang

Movie: the secret heaven Directed by Sun Koh