notes
Week 1 notes
Writing format
-present tense
-third person
-visual voice
THE THIRD PERSON/PRESENT TENSE
-character is ‘narrating’ the story as it is happening
-presents a more immediate and urgent feel to the material
commonly used in
-screenplays
.story/film is unfolding as we read it
-fosters a more urgent and immediate feel to the story
-thriller and suspense genres
Passive vs active voice
Passive voice
.uses weak verbs
.tells what’s happening in the character’s head
-distances the reader from the story
Active voice
.uses strong action verbs
.shows the action
.uses an immediate sentence structure
.conveys the story in a lively manner
eg. Passive voice
the sky was blue filled with fluffy white clouds clouds
eg.active voice
-fluffy white clouds drift like cotton in the ocean blue sky.
Tips for writing
.everyone will not have problems coming up with a list of excuses for procrastination
Biggest problem is to get started.
openers
Li walks into Bukit Timah police post wearing nothing but a hula skirt. The policeman facing him spits out involuntarily a sip of Milo from his mouth while his hand failing to grab the handle of the mug filled with boiling Milo.Li moves his right leg swiftly away from the spit.
“Since when did milo came in pink?”
…incomplete
Note down questions you were asking yourself as you wrote it
-whose story am I telling
-what is the point of this story
-how can I engage the attention of the audience
assignment
Week 2 Notes.
Sex. That’s the only word that matters to him now as he steps into the place. As his friend waves goodbye he approach the counter where an old Chinese lady is sitting.
‘you above 21 already or not’ she said with a singlish slang.
He nods while showing his IC. He could see several old men accompanied by woman half their age exiting the brothel.
‘okayla…pick one’ she said as she pushes a bulky looking album towards Kevin.
He…
Conflict is the central feature of the screenplay.
-man against man
-man against environment
-man against self
Its variations of sex, age, religion and culture which provide variety to the conflict
Conflict=Change
.Change is common to everyone
Change is universal
Bodies change
Seasons change
Lives change
Relationships change
Feelings change
Locations change
Technologies change
As universal as change may be, people often resist it for fear of the unknown
People must learn to cope with change if they want to survive.
The action on drama depends on conflict.
Definition
(Opposition of persons or forces)
It is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests, or wills, and creates the plot.
Plot cannot be constructed without conflict.
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.
The Call Home
Man vs Man
- Kasi vs supervisor
- ” “vs roommate
- ” “vs family
Man vs environment
- vs phone
- vs Singapore
Man vs self
- self-esteem problem
The Secret Heaven
Man vs man
- vs mother
- vs teacher
Man vs environment
- piano
- home
Man vs self
- playtime vs pianotime
Writing for an audience.
Screenwriter=storyteller
-the cinematic experience is not just made up of words you might put on paper, but the audiences’ emotional reaction to that information.
Writer’s purpose
- To connect:
- themselves
- their unique vision
- the material
- the drama
- others
Where do you look for a story
- Inside yourself
- Figure out how to connect i
Week 3 notes
Storytelling tool 1:
Observation
. Observe in a conscious way
. Develop the ability to see and record movements, physical characteristics and settings
.Adopt a keen eye
Develop a natural SENSE OF CURIOSITY
.-An observed event, when subject to simple questions, can set up a sequence of possibilities that will develop into a story worth telling.
.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.
People rarely observe familiar people or things closely.
Most people pass through the day with 20%-30% awareness.
Mindless observation vs True observation
-their movements
-their physical characteristic
-the setting/place they’re in
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 “people-watch” page that you will create on your blog.
Week 4 notes
Review exercise 2:People-watch
Vijaya ran towards the toilet.He had a strong urge to vomit as he drank red bull and milk as a challenge by his friends.He found out that there is no sink but only a cubicle.The cubicle was locked and occupied. As the mixture of red bull and milk almost reaching his lips,he kicked open the cubicle door.The door fling forward and he vomits involuntarily towards the toilet seat which was seated by a half naked Clawson.Vijaya wiped his mouth with Clawson trousers.Clawson looking at Vijaya in disbelief as his private was burning with mixture of red bull and milk…
Purpose of this exercise
The world is full of potential stories.!!!
Definition of tragedy
Story needs to have something serious to happen making us feel pity for the character and scared .
6 parts of tragedy
• Plot-presentation of the story
• Characters-let the audience feel emotion through them
• Thought-let the audience think
• Diction-old definition of acting
• melody-music
• spectacle-visual effects,lighting,cinematography.
Tragedy creates cause and effect chain that clearly reveals what may happen.Arrouses not only pity but also fear because members of the audience can imagine themselves within the cause-and-effect chain.
Plot-arrangement of incidents.it is not the story but the way the incidents are presented to the audience.the structure of the play.
Beginning
• the incitive moment
• it must be caused by earlier incidents and itself cause the incidents that follow it.
END
• Resolution
• Must be caused by the preceding events but not lead to other incidents
• The end should resolved.
Episodic plots
• The worst kinds of plots
• The acts(episodes) succeed one another without probability or necessities.(eg.seinfeld)
Simple vs Complex Plots
Simple has only a “change of fortune”
Complex
Character
• Character support plot
• Personal motivations are connected to the cause and effect chain.
• In the ideal tragedy,the protagonist will mistakenly bring about his own downfall-not because he is sinful or weak-but because he does not know enough
• This lack of self-knowledge is called “hamartia”
Important vocabulary
Katharsis
Mimesis
Anagnorisis
Week 6 notes
Review Exercise 4 :Letter To The Past
Purpose of exercise
In dramatic writing, the very essence is character change
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.
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 story sources.
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 the heart, not the head.
Remember the role of an audience
After all, you ARE the audience
Storytelling tool 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
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.
-what is the difference between memory and experience
-how do we use memory to build creative content.
Memory is what you choose to remember while experience the act of the event(facts).
Elements Of Dialogues
.Dialogue reveals character
-A character will talk about himself and other people will talk about him
.Dialogue establishes relationships between characters
-Once you have established your main character’s POV,you can use dialogue with other characters to show that they have other attitudes,creating opposite/alternative POVs.
-thus helps to create and sustain the element of CONFLICT between characters.
.GOOD EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE WILL MOVE THE STORY FORWARD
.DIALOGUE COMMUNICATES FACES AND INFORMATION TO THE AUDIENCE
-It conveys essential exposition
-Characters will talk about what happened, establishing the storyline.
.DIALOGUE COMMENTS ON THE ACTION
.DIALOGUE TIES THE SCRIPT TOGETHER
-It is one of the devices that YOU as a writer can use to expand and enlarge your characters.
“If you see it or hear it,don’t write it” – Neville Smith
.Dialogue should be used sparingly
.Never tell the audience what they can see for themselves!!!
<<DIALOGUE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTION>>
.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”
When giving a characters a voice think about-age,gender,education,race
.Good dialogue is not somebody’s ability to write authentic speech as heard in real life.
.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 EXAMPLLE
-students tend to create radio shows with images
<<FILM IS A VISUAL MEDIUM>>
A screenplay is a story told on pictures
The scenerio:
.A middle-aged man returns home from work
.He had stopped for a few drinks with his friends and forgot to phone 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.
“22 years.22 years and not one single day you forgot!!!”-woman
“I met Jason. You know how he is. He’s persuasive.We went for a drink and you know…”-man
“Ohh..drink? Are you sure just drink and no sex?!!”-woman
“Why the fuck would I have sex with Jason?”-man
“I received a phone call from my brother yesterday.He said he say you entering a brothel for god sake”-woman
“Now,may I fucking ask why is your brother there?”
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
Purpose of exercise: true or false story
- a true story is not necessarily a good story
- true life stories do not offer neat and relevant endings
- life is unpredictable
- in a story, we can and must control the events ad 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 f your story
- It is through your characters that the viewers experience emotions
- It is through your characters that they are touched
<without action, you have no conflict>
<no conflict, no story>
<no story, no screenplay>
When developing a character, ask yourself:
- Who is the character?
- What does he want?
- What is his quest?
- What drives him to the resolution of the story?
Characters should have a 3 Dimensional structure
a) Physiology – physical makeup
b) Sociology – social makeup i.e. background
- Sex
- Age
- Height, weight
- Colour of hair, eyes, skin
- Posture
- Appearance
- Defects, abnormalities, deformities, birth marks, diseases
- Heredity
Sociology
- Class (lower, middle, upper)
- Occupation: type of work, income, condition of work
- Education: amount, kind of schools, aptitudes, poorest subject, marks, favourite subjects
- Home life: parents living, earning power, orphan, parents separated/divorced, parents’ habits, parents’ mental development, neglect, character’s marital status
- Religion
- Race, nationality
- Place in community: leader among friend, clubs, sports
- Political affiliations
- Amusements: hobbies, books, newspapers, magazines he/she reads
Psychology
- Sex life, moral standards
- Personal premise, ambition
- Frustrations, 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.
- What is the deep and personal secret this character has which he is desperate to protect/hide
- age
- gender
- race
- educational qualifications
GOOD DIALOGUE is not somebody’s ability to write down authentic speech as heard in real life
-If that was all there is to it, you can just push a button on your tape recorder and then go collect your Oscars
GOOD DIALOGUE is the illusion of reality.
- You’ve got to know how to edit what people say without losing any of the spirit and essence.
Common Mistake
- students tend to create radio shows with image
<<Film is a Visual Medium>>
Purpose:
We write best what we know wellDynamic Action
<<Story is action>>
• Action encompasses any kind of movement, activity and interaction between the characters and also between the characters and their surroundings.
• Talking about how one feels is not as powerful as illustrating why one feels the way they do through action.
<<Film is behaviour>>
• Action is the manifestation of behaviour.
• 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 the audience
Purpose of exercise: addresses the problem many newbies have to screenwriting:
- Write a 1st draft of an original 1-2page story
- 3rd person narrative, present tense
- Use 12-pt courier/ single spaced
- No less than 1 page and no more than 2 pages
- Besides writing your name, student id n tutorial group, label as ‘1st DRAFT’
- Due week 10(next week) at tutorial
- *Remember film is a visual/aural medium
- *SHOW vs TELLING
What is a location?
A physical place
The place in your story where events occur and characters interactInteractive Location
A setting and surrounding that interacts with the characters of the film by adding importance to their actions
An environment which impacts the action and heightens the stakes
Interactive Location: The island is completely isolated, and anyone on it will be trapped until assistance from the mainland arrives.
Written and directed by Chris Jones
Australia, 8:00
Interactive location in Heisenberg
Desert – isolation – give the feeling of being trappedGodfather
Scene: in café
VC – vito is calm and silent, F is arrogant
IL – café (separates from the festa)
DA – the slap/pinch, the offer. F is ‘above’, vito is ‘below’
Scene: festa
VC – F is blatant, Vito is cautious
IL – rooftop – separation, stalk
DA – the hiding of gun (not shown)
IL – Dark, gunshot blend with fireworks
VC – Vito more powerful than before
IL – rooftop chimney area, crowded street
DA – getting rid of disassembled gun, meeting up with family, blending in the crowd
