FIRST ATTEMPT AT WRITING A SCRIPT!

CHARACTER INTRODUCTION - SCRIPTING

To start off with, I wanted to practice introducing a character as this is key to the story and for actors when they read a script. I tried to write a character introduction for the character I hope to create for my actual screenplay.

This is my first attempt:

I am pleased with this first attempt at scripting as I tried to show my characters emotions instead of telling the viewer.

TALK BY RYD COOK

TALK BY RYD COOK:

During our Film studies lessons, a young film producer/ director came in to speak to us about how he goes about creating short films. Ryd has won many awards at film festivals for his short 5 minute film called Single to London. 

Ryd explained to us his main tips on each of the main stages which goes towards creating a short film:

THINKING:

To help us think of an idea or synopsis for the film we could build off, Ryd suggested using a log line. A log line would be put on the front of a script. This would be the first thing a producer sees when picking up your script so it needs to be short and catchy. A log line should be one sentence explaining your film.

LOG LINE:

- Should include a protagonist

- May include a goal the protagonist is working towards

- May include a deadline/ thought that something is at stake

- May include an antagonist

- May include an indication of time/ lack of time

WRITING:

- Find your locations and actors first

- Max 3 locations and 3 characters

- Pick an actor and script around them so you don't need to make      any changes to script/ character later on

PLANNING:

- Create a storyboard as this is "editing on paper" and helps you      visualise framing in the scene

- Create a shooting schedule and this plans when you will film which parts of your film so it is more organised

SHOOTING:

- Whilst shooting have a max of 2 other people with you or it          becomes too crowded on set

- Remember your role on set and respect the directors vision

- Having a voice over instead of recorded sound is a lot easier and    faster

- Shoot all in one day or one weekend so weather matches up            across footage

DIALOGUE:

- When scripting, don't include dialogue in first draft

- Only include dialogue if it's important or forwards your plot/      reveals something you need to know about a character

- Speak your dialogue aloud with someone to see if it flows

EDITING:

- To start, put all footage in a timeline and then cut out bad bits

- Start with assembly and then cut and edit bits

- Drafts are called rough cuts so you may have many different versions of your film

SOUND:

- Work on sound after as you don't want to keep editing after          adding sound and the image and sound won't sync up

- Spend more time on sound and effects than editing

MUSIC:

- Need to use non-licensed music

- Can find music to download online 

LEARNING TO WRITE A SCRIPT:

LEARNING TO WRITE A SCRIPT:

In order to create a screenplay we first needed to learn the correct scripting techniques. A man from Long Road came in to speak to us about this.

GENERAL SCRIPT:

- Font Courier new
- Font size 12
- 1 page of script = approx. 1 min of screen time
- When introducing a character, you should put their name in          CAPITALS
- Any important props should be written in CAPITALS
- Script should always be written in present tense
- Script divided into scenes. A scene is a unit of action which        takes place in a specific place in continuous time

SLUG LINE: 
- The slug line is at the beginning of each scene
- Should show your location/ setting e.g City/ day or night or        evening
- INT/EXT = interior or exterior
- If you have a scene which transitions from outside to inside or      vice versa, you write INT/EXT. 

ACTION LINE:
- Comes underneath a slug line
- What we see or what characters do
- Shows what you can see on screen
- Don't include cinematography

DIALOGUE LINES:
- Don't include "" 
- Less dialogue in your script the better

CHARACTER CUES:
- The name of the character who speaks
- Always CAPITALS and centred above their speech

ACTOR DIRECTION:
- In brackets under the character name, used to describe the way      they speak and who they are speaking to

INITIAL IDEAS - NOVEL ADAPTATION

1984 - George Orwell

I have decided to look at the novel 1884 by George Orwell as I studied this book in drama during my GCSE'S in order to devise a piece. I found the underlining themes of the book engaging and versatile and therefore may be useful for inspiration in my film.

Summary:
1984 is a dystopian Novell by George Orwell which follows the life of a man called Winston Smith. He is bothered by the oppressing nature of 'the party' and the ominous leader 'Big Brother' who control's every aspect of peoples lives and is always watching.

What I would take from the novel:

• I really like the idea of having a character who feels like they are being constantly watched
• The ominous character who is never properly introduced interests me as it leaves the viewer with questions they need to answer
• As I don't have a large budget, I will have to use minimalistic sets. Therefore I will focus on ways in which people can feel watched in todays society
• I would focus on the motif of the eye as this is a key symbol in the novel. I will include close ups of peoples faces and on cameras

Starting plot ideas:

• A young woman is becoming more and more paranoid as she feels she is being watched/followed by cameras around her e.g CCTV cameras, phones etc..

TALK BY ROB WRIGHT

TALK ABOUT SCRIPT WRITING:

We had Rob Wright (amateur screenwriter and teacher at Long Road Sixth Form) come into the class to talk to us about general script writing.

THEME:

- Your script needs perspective or spark a conversation with the      audience/ make them think about an aspect of life from a            different viewpoint

PREMISE/ CONCEPT:

- Premise is the inciting incident or primary story which drives      main plot

- Concept is the idea at the core of the story

3 ACT STRUCTURE:

- 1ST Act = establish characters/world/ inciting incident occurs      which begins protagonists journey/ disruption occurs to              protagonist or world

- 2nd Act = Rising action/ characters attempt to solve problem/        success and failure occurs/ antagonist at their most powerful

- 3rd Act = Story's resolution/ climax/ protagonist defeat antagonist

CHARACTERS:

- Every character should be multi dimensional and believable

- Protagonist needs external and internal conflict

- Villain should have goal/ reasons for actions against protagonist

- Supporting characters must serve plot/ forward plot

- Antagonist not always a person

DIALOGUE:

- Needs to advance plot by revealing information about character or theme

- Needs rhythm of a real conversation to seem realistic

- Don't include lots of exposition (telling not showing)

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - OPERATOR

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - OPERATOR

OPERATOR - CAROLINE BARTLEET - 2015

Genre: Drama/action

Narrative:We see a phone operator at a fire station as she talks to a woman whilst the fire brigade is on its way. She helps the woman to stay calm. The film ends with us hearing that the woman and her child are saved from the house but the line is cut. A new call is then connected and the operator starts again. There is a linear narrative but it feels cyclical as the operator must repeat everything over and over.

Audience:The viewer is positioned there with the operator in her office. There is a focus on how the events are effecting her instead of the events happening on the phone. We are bing shown her at her job but we are also shown how exhausting it is.

Microelements:

• Diegetic sounds of keyboards and phones ringing in background to place us inside the office 
• Held close up of the operators face throughout in shallow focus to highlight her emotions and what we are hearing on the phone
• Acting of the operator makes the film as she keeps viewers engaged 

Representation:The film is showing how emotionally and physically draining the work of the operator is as people rely on them so heavily and then they are gone. The operator gets hardly any thanks but must go straight from call to call having to hear horrible and distressing things whilst remaining calm.

Aspects I liked:

• How the diegetic sound is muffled out during the phone call to focus on the action
• The dialogue is simple yet effective as it doesn't feel dragged out or slow
• How the viewer was not allowed to see any of the action going on on the other side of the phone. This is so effective as we are placed in the same shoes as the operator, who knows nothing about the people she is trying to save.

Aspects I disliked:

• I liked the majority of the aspects of this film, it is hard to fault
• More movement of the camera would have increased tension even more, but I think the held camera was more effective as we focus more on the operators words and we are almost forced to imagine the scene going on inside the house

Aspects I may develop:

• I will look into how possible it is to take out certain back ground sounds as this is good to create an eerie effect
• Close ups of peoples faces to show more concentrated emotions
• The fast paced and natural nature of the dialogue which doesn't feel forced

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - THE FLY

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - THE FLY

THE FLY - OLLY WILLIAMS - 2014

Genre: Dark comedy

Narrative: A getaway driver is waiting outside a bank for his crew when he is gradually more infuriated by a fly he is unable to kill. He ends up becoming so distracted and angry he destroys his car, alarming people to his presence. The short ends with the police turning up and catching the robbers.

Audience:The viewer is aligned with the getaway driver for most of the film. We are positioned outside of the car for a lot of the short so we feel we are a third party watching n as the man gets angrier. This increases the comedy element. When we are placed inside the car, the intensity of the mans anger is amplified.

Microelements:

• Non-diegetic amplified sound of a fly buzzing to show how much it irritates the man - irritating for the viewer
• Close ups on the mans face and movements to show his nervousness
• The constant swirling of the camera inside the car to increase the pace and tension in the scene 

Representation: We are shown a snippet of these criminals lives and the film is designed to mock this. The film shows how one tiny thing can grow to be a huge irritation.

Aspects I liked: 

• The use of camera angles to make the viewer feel just as claustrophobic as the man in the car
• The way we are aligned as an outsider looking in makes it funnier as we can pass judgement on his actions 

Aspects I disliked:

• Personally I was not a fan on this short as I didn't find it particularly funny and therefore I don't think the techniques were very successful
• I didn't like the gore involved as I think it was unnecessary 
• The anger the man shows is excessive and I think seems overdone

Aspects I may develop:

• I may use the close ups on faces and movements to show characters inner emotions
• This film once again has a lack of soundtrack which I am starting to like as it is a different way of increasing tension 

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - OVER

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - OVER

OVER - JORN THRELFALL - 2015

Genre: Mystery/crime (documentary-esque)

Narrative:The propelling of the narrative for this short is relatively slow. The film is in reverse chronological order to slowly unravel the events which took place in order for a body to land on the roof of a car, seemingly from nowhere, in the middle of the night in a rural village. There is a shock ending when we find out the man had been a stowaway on a flight passing over and had fallen from underneath the plane. Her had been seeking refuge in the UK. The film states to be based on real events.

Audience:The audience is kept at a distance from the action throughout the film and we are not aligned with any characters. We are simply looking on as the police conduct their investigation. There is no dialogue during the film which means the viewer must try to piece the mystery together themselves, like the police are doing.

Microelements:

• Lack of dialogue
• Lack of non-diegetic sound
• Use of time stamps on screen to indicate the non-linear narrative 
• Text at the end to reveal what really happened and how it was based on real life events

Representation: The film sparks conversation about the growing problem the UK has with people trying to illegally and dangerously enter the country. As this story is based on true events, the plot twist at the end is even more shocking. We are onlookers onto this investigation which mirrors how the general public is usually so distanced from events like these.

Aspects I liked:

• The lack of techniques which attempted to increase tension. The film was created to be stark and as similar to how a real life investigation would take place. This shows how small events like this are in the grand-scheme of things, but it then addresses the bigger overall problem of immigration and illegal refugees the UK is facing
• I loved how the plot was slowly unveiled to us in pieces so the viewer was always kept on their toes
• Lack of camera movement and instead, the action took place inside one wide angle, long shot

Aspects I disliked:

• As the film contained no dialogue and characters, the narrative felt very long

Aspects I may develop:

• Time stamps on screen to highlight changes in time, especially when they are vital to plot
• How the plot is slowly unveiled to the viewer until they are shocked right at the end. I like how the viewer has to piece the information together themselves as this creates discussion and alternative opinions about the film

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - ECHO

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - ECHO

ECHO - LEWIS ARNOLD - 2013

Genre: Drama

Narrative: The film starts with a young girl who receives a phone call about an accident involving her father. A passer by gives her money for a taxi and then it unfolds the phone call was fake and only a ploy to get money. We see her difficult home life where her father is absent but we don't know why. The film ends ambiguously. We see the scene fold out again and the viewer is unsure if this is a flashback to when this actually happened or just another one of her cons. Or, it is hinted that, this is happening in real life now but no one believes her, similar to the story of the boy who cried wolf.

Audience: We are positioned with the protagonist throughout the film, but she is a difficult character to relate to and sympathise for. At the start we sympathise with her as we feel her distress is real, but that is quickly proven wrong which makes the viewer distrust her. We see her pushing away her brother and mum and how she cons people, but the final scene is designed to contradict this and make her seem helpless, like the start.

Microelements:

• The colour tone of the film is bleak and grey in nature to set a sombre mood throughout and leaves the viewer feeling cold
• The complete lack of non-diegetic sound and soundtrack creates an unnerving feel to the film and increases tension perhaps more than when it is used
• Close ups on the girls face to highlight her emotions so they feel real to us. This makes it more shocking when we realise they are fake

Representation: The film shows the impact a loss of a family member can have on the functioning of a family. We see what grief does to people.It shows the generosity and trusting nature of most if the general public until they are proven otherwise.

Aspects I liked:

• The simplicity of the plot, but the effectiveness of it
• The use of silence to increase tension
• The quality of the acting for the protagonist

Aspects I disliked:

• I feel some non-diegetic sound could be used at certain moments so the pace of the film could be increased. Certain times in the film felt like they dragged on and often I felt my interest in the plot disappear

Aspects I may develop:

• Moments in my short which have no non-diegetic sound to contrast more tense moments and unnerve viewers
• The colour scheme of the film to create a mood/ style of the film

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - SLAP

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - SLAP

SLAP - NICK ROWLAND - 2014

Genre: Drama

Narrative:A boy must come to terms with his sexuality and the fact he loves to dress up like a woman, while having a girlfriend. He has a love for boxing as well which is used as a juxtaposition and to show the complexity of masculinity. The film ends with the boy going to a party dressed up as a woman and how he deals with the reactions from his girlfriend and best mate.

Audience: As the viewer, we are aligned with the boy as we see him was he struggles with his realisation and attempts to hide if from everyone around him. The other characters are in the dark about this, which increases tension in scenes as the viewer is waiting to see when he will finally reveal it.

Microelements: 

• Characters framed centrally on screen so the viewers eyes are drawn to them
• The juxtaposition of mise-en-scen to the characters
• Lack of non-diegetic soundtrack to increase tension

Representation: The story follows the boy as he navigates through his confusing realisation. We see the struggles with sexuality and masculinity through his point of view which makes it more powerful we have to go through it with him. There are elements of how in society, things like this are still taboo and seen as shameful.

Aspects I liked: 

• The use of silence to juxtapose louder scenes
• The use of the three act structure to keep viewers engaged and propel narrative

Aspects I disliked:

• How the plot is dragged out slightly. This is probably due to the film being 25 minutes long so it can afford to take more time in developing plot

Aspects I may develop:

• The use of Todorov's three act structure
• Use of silence instead of diegetic sound
• Having a swell of music during tense moments just to show viewers it's importance

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - THE ELLINGTON KID

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - The Ellington Kid

The Ellington Kid - Dan Sully - 2012

Genre:Crime drama/ black comedy 

Narrative:Two boys sit in a kebab shop where one tells the other of an urban legend about a stabbing in that very kebab shop.He even hints that the kebab meat is human. As the boy tells the story, the action is played out on screen.

Audience:The viewer is not positioned with one character or group. We are kept separate from the action as if we are looking in. It is a restricted perspective as we have no idea what will happen. This gives the action a more mysterious feel which mirrors the urban legend this man is narrating. The action mirrors what the narrator is saying and therefore we only see one side of the story.

Microelements:

• Cyclical narrative
• Close ups on knives and gore
• Slow motion running down the tunnel
• High angle shots of the Ellington Kid to make him seem vulnerable

Representation:

• Gang culture 
• The nature of gossip and urban legends
• Stereotypes of the teenage gang members 
• Stereotypical "dodgy" kebab shop owned by foreign people

Aspects I liked:

• Cyclical nature of the narrative, how it begins and ends with the same montage of shots
• Title cards to create a comedic element to the narrative
• The action going along with the voiceovers really allows for the viewer to feel the tension in the scene and brings the story tale element to life
• How engaging the action was that the viewer forgets it is only a story and not actually happening in real time

Aspects I disliked:

• The gory nature of the stabbing as it makes the film quite hard to watch, however it does highlight the reality of knife crime
• The forced acting of the two boys in the kebab shop at the start and the end

Aspects I may develop:

•  The cyclical nature of the narrative which sparks questions at the start of the short which then are hopefully answered at the end. This keeps the viewer gripped.

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - THE ARRIVAL

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - THE ARRIVAL 

The Arrival - Daniel Montanarini - 2016

Genre:Drama

Narrative: A woman sits in a caffe waiting for an ex boyfriend to arrive to give him the news that she is pregnant and she wants an abortion. The film follows her contrasting thoughts on what the baby would be like and whether she is making the right decision. 

Audience: We start positioned away from the viewer seeing her through a pane of frosted glass. We then move inside and Remain at a distance from the woman, gradually moving closer and closer. The voiceover places us right inside her head with her intimate thoughts which contrasts with the positioning of the camera. 

Microelements:

• Light shining on one side of her face to show conflicting emotions and give an ominous atmosphere
• Non-diegetic sound of children playing placed over action in final moments to cement her decision to keep the baby
• The woman's performance is excellent but very subtle to show her emotions but for it to still feel natural.

Representation:The film shows the internal struggles of a single woman when forced to decide between abortion or keeping a baby. It also touches on the subject of the fathers rights to have a voice in the matter.

Aspects I liked:

• The shot of the woman through the glass of the window alienates her to show her feelings of isolation
• The voiceovers which convey her internal feelings (monologue style) as they draw the viewer in and add intensity to the scene
• The diegetic sounds of the cafe dip in and out to show how her concentration is elsewhere

Aspects I disliked:

• During the course of the film there are minimal shots in order for the viewer to concentrate on her monologue, however this makes the film drag

Aspects I may develop:

• I love the point of view shot from through the glass in order to alienate a character 
• The use of voiceover to portray internal emotions as this can add deeper layers to a scene

SHORT FILM RESEARCH - TIGHT JEANS

SHORT FILM RESEARCH: TIGHT JEANS

Tight Jeans - Destiny Ekaragha- 2008

Genre:Comedy

Narrative: Three black men sit on a wall outside waiting for a friend. While they do so they notice a man walking past in very tight jeans which sparks a long trail of random conversations.

Audience: We are positioned with the three boys the entire time as the camera constantly pans around the three. We are only momentarily aligned with their friend on the balcony but then the perspective once again switches back so we can feel the mens annoyance.

Microelements:

• Establishing shot of a market scene to place viewer inside the location the boys live in
• Constant panning of the camera during dialogue
• Long shots from wall up to balcony to position us with the men
• Natural lighting
• No non-diegetic sound used
• Close ups of faces, hands and feet to show emotions and the boredom the men feel

Representation: As the film is shot from the point of view of the black men it shows their viewpoint on certain issues. The conversations is set up like gossiping with a comedic hint to show the viewer this is only one opinion.

Aspects I liked:

• Use of bright colours to contrast against bleak backdrop
• Simplistic 
• close ups of hands and feet

Aspects I disliked:

• Dialogue felt staged and disjointed
• The film feels dragged out at parts due to the lack of action in the film. This was done to allow the viewer to feel they to are waiting around, however I think the director held this feeling for too long. 

Aspects I may develop: 

• The simplicity of the setting/costume/ props as this shows how a low budget film can still be entertaining.
• Bright/contrasting colours to draw the audiences attention to characters or props
• Simplistic yet effective plot