JANUARY - APRIL 2013

Screenplay & Storyboarding
10/11 jan 2013 - 7 april 2013
DM2C
Thu 12-3pm 05-18 / DM2D Fri 12-3pm 05-24
BLOG: http://storyscript2012.blogspot.sg
DOWNLOADS:
https://sites.google.com/site/jt1download1

Week / Lesson
1 - Loglines, 3 Act, Storytelling, brief for Ex1 & Ex2
2 - Case Study - Trailers - Group Presentation
3 - Characters - What makes them unique & special. Case Studies.
4 - Submit Ex1 & Pitch - My Story adapted from true stories (news articles/mag), Storyboards/Scriptwriting
5 - Story Design 1 & Case Studies
6 - Story Design 2 & Case Studies
7 - Submit Blog & Ex2 & Script Read - Group Presentation
8/9 - Online Test
10 - Submit Assignment - Draft 1
11 - Case Study & Assignment
12 - Case Study & Assignment
13 - Submit Assignment - Final
Showing posts with label case studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label case studies. Show all posts

Monday, 15 April 2013

#34 EX1 STORIES

Here are some of your Ex1 storylines...

always recap brief:
1. write your own story based on a true story from a news article
2. story to take place in asia & suitable for a 5min screenplay
3. involves one dominant cultural /social issue

2D Nithin's Story
(yes, Nithin may not have written his story according to the 3Act but look at how he has written the storyline... notice how he builds his story by letting the reader know more about the key character and her dreams... this is called character development, where you provide info about your character for the audience to know them better such that the audience will feel for the character later in the story... building up the story for that "tragic moment"...)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

TITLE:                                 WOLFS
GENRE:                              Tragedy
TARGET AUDIENCE:       Youth

THE DOMINANT CULTURAL / SOCIAL ISSUE FEATURED IN MY WORK IS:
Anti rape activism (cultural issue - rape victims are embarrassed by the crime, do not report the crime for fear of being criticized & labelled... social issue - how much are rape victims protected by the law? what is considered justice in a rape case?)

LOGLINE: A female physiotherapy intern was beaten and gang raped. She died from her injuries in thirteen days later while under going emergency treatment.

SYNOPSIS:
She was a student. She was 22. She was coming back from a date with her boyfriend. Her fault: she boarded the wrong bus. And oh yeah, SHE WAS A GIRL!!! Six men raped her one by one. And left her to die on the road. Naked. Wounded. Exposed. Devastated. What’s more no one even turned to look at her. No one even bothered to throw a shawl on the ill-clad, ill-fated girl. She can never lead a normal married life again. She has gone into coma five times since 16th December. She is unconscious, critical and hasn’t been able to stop crying. But don’t worry, she wasn’t your sister. She wasn’t your daughter. But she could be. The brutality has to stop right here guys. These people deserve a capital punishment for their heinous, pervert act. This Story is going through the cruel moments which an innocent female had in her life. To talk about the rights of woman and the all men have to respect woman.

STORYLINE:
Meera wakes up in the morning hearing the noisy ring of her alarm clock. Rubbing at her eye unwillingly, she momentarily stretched her hands before groping for her alarm clock to switch it off. Sitting up on her bed upright she skimmed around her bag for her glasses. She picked up her phone and her face  lit up instantly, smiling to herself she looked at the mirror.

In matter of ten minutes she got herself ready and looked at her gorgeous reflection at the mirror. If there was something that got her to smile early in the morning, it could only be Ravi’s text. Her mind was in a state of nervous jeopardy , and she her thoughts kept wandering to weather Ravi will propose to her or not.

It was a beautiful morning and Meera could see Ravi’s bright demeanor. The Rest of the day passed in a complete haze from coffee to movie to a romantic candle light dinner. Meera could still remember Ravi’s face and his bright eager eyes when he held her hand and looked deep into her eyes. It was a moment of oblivion. She though that it may not be real. He just asked one question. The question he she had been hoping to hear all day long. “will you marry me?” he asked. His face looked expectant and her voice faltered when she fought with her own emotions and looked back at his face. “yes” she said and the world was complete.

The both of them sunk completely into a moment of euphoria and they were meant to be, This was the only part of  her day that she remembered with so much clarity. The day was done and Ravi waited at the bus stand to drop her home. Along the lone street , the Delhi street corners were dark and dreary. To the couple though , the world seems to be full of light. They finally boarded a bus that turned around with a lot of noise. It was getting late for Meera.

The bus seemed quite empty at first btut later the couple realized that they were not alone. The laughter of some teenage boys filled the air and Ravi started to feel uncomfortable as they came a bit closer to Mira. The couple remained silent and weary. Some of the boys , the older one in particular started goading Ravi.  They could see trouble was coming their way.

A sudden attack from the back of ravi’s head made him momentarily falter in his seat. Grasping all his energy he tried to protect Meera out of harm’s way but in vain. He was outnumbered.  And the last moments of his life all he could see was a vision of his girlfriend Being brutally molested and abused. The previous hour’s happiness seemed to be a false Dream. Meera screamed filled the air…and Ravi’s breath slowly stopped.

She frantically tried to fight her way out of the bus but brute force over rides her good will. She tried to find solace in her unconscious boyfriend’s arms. His body twitched with life but he was too weak to protect her. Her fellow passengers pulled her from behind and away from her dear Ravi.

The pack of wolves found their pleasure in an ultimate feast. Ravi’s dimmed vision could see his girlfriends injured and brutally attacked body. The predators were busy hunting. Ravi pulled every last bit of energy in his body and slid himself behind a bus seat. He stealthily picks up his mobile phone and calls the police, with great effort so that no one would divert his attention to him.

Delhi Police force was surprisingly quick to Ravi’s surprise. Within a matter of minutes, the bus was made to stop and the attackers were arrested immediately. Mira’s body was wounded and injured beyond imagination. Ravi couldn’t bear to put eyes on his almost destroyed girlfriend but there was still life beating in her body. She was immediately hospitalized and given emergency care. It took years for Mira to recover from the emotional and mental shock.


2D Nadia's Story

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

TITLE:         KILLER HERO
GENRE:         Psychological thriller/Crime
TARGET AUDIENCE: Adults & youth (violence)

THE DOMINANT CULTURAL / SOCIAL ISSUE FEATURED IN MY WORK IS:
Schizophrenic Murder (think the issue is that this mental illness can become a danger to self & society if not diagnosed or treated... there seems to be a double tragedy - where both mental patient and his victims suffer. story also provides a glimpse into child abuse as social issue...)

LOGLINE:
A Schizophrenic man believe he is a superhero saving innocent lives when in reality he murders them brutally

SYNOPSIS:
Wearing a costume to disguise himself, Phoenix a schizophrenic lurks in the dark, believing he is saving innocent lives when in reality he butchers them violently. Having been arrested and awaiting trial, he stands firm on his heroic deeds.

TREATMENT / STORYLINE 
Wearing a costume, Phoenix lurked into the dark and enters a house occupied by a family of five. Slamming the door open, “I’m here to help!” phoenix exclaimed. Imagining the house has caught fire, he ran to one of the inhabitants and says, “Trust me, I’ll let you out safely!”

Sadly, Phoenix is suffered by a rare case of Schizophrenia, and seemed unable to differentiate between what is reality and his imagination. He sees himself as a superhero protecting innocent lives.
This is the story according to Phoenix’s shattered mind:

Phoenix led the couple the way out of the flaming house, covering them with his cape to protect them from the burning sensation. Next, he rushed into the house again to save the young daughter of the couple, carrying her safely out of the burned house going through levels of soaring fire, returning the daughter to her beloved parents. The couple, without hesitation, thanked him for his heroic deeds.

But in reality….

In the first place, the house is in a perfect condition. It was just another cold, gloomy night. Phoenix grabbed the couple from their back, using his cape to strangle them. He held on to their necks tightly for a few minutes until blood was oozing profusely from their necks. Next, he turned to the distraught daughter who had witness the whole scene. Frightened, she ran out of the house. However, Phoenix was much faster than her. Catching her by the neck, he starts to skin the innocent child with his fingernails. The girl screamed as the pain was far too excruciating, He carried her put her on top of her dead parent. 

“Dad must be proud of me!” he gleamed. 

For years, Phoenix had always been striving to make his father proud of him. In his childhood, he was abused by his own father, and was no stranger to physical and sexual assault. He was used to being beaten with a leather belt and belittlement by his father. To him, however, his father was just being a good parent teaching his son about discipline.

Leaving the house, Phoenix’s costume was soaked in blood.   

‘Put your hands in the air, several police officers exclaimed in unison.

Without reluctance he went to the police to be handcuffed and went straight into the car. However, his mind was playing tricks on him again; to him the police had come to reward his good heroic deeds.
During an interrogation by the police, he stood firm that he had not killed even a single life. The police did not believe a single word said. Having been arrested and now awaiting trial, he was brought to court.

He showed no remorse or empathy for victims as the judge strucked his gavel. 

Phoenix was charged of murder and was sentenced to death.

As soon he hears the word: DEATH’,

He turned completely berserk.

His mind started playing tricks on him. 

He became delusional.

He began hallucinating, imagining that people in the courtroom just suddenly caught on fire.

Once again Phoenix was out of control. Using his strength, he breaks free from his handcuffs. He pounced on the judge and stabbed the judge continuously on the chest with the sharp edges of his broken handcuff. He grabbed a pistol from the security guard and starts shooting randomly.

It didn’t take long before he realized something was amiss. A policeman had fired at him. Blood was pouring from his chest. Phoe nix looked at his bloodied shirt, but instead of seeing red, he muttered to himself, “why is Father staring at me in anger?”

Phoenix slumped sideways, hitting the floor headfirst. The chaotic racket engulfing the courtroom has stopped to silence, as they watched several policemen taking his body away.


2D LayZin's Story

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

TITLE:                Nightmare
GENRE:                tragedy/crime/drama
TARGET AUDIENCE:        Teenage to adult, 18 year old and onwards

THE DOMINANT CULTURAL / SOCIAL ISSUE FEATURED IN MY WORK IS:
After I read that documentary of true crime story, all of victims came from weird or poor family that leads them to do something or wrong thinking to do because of the poverty. Almost all trafficked victims are young people who want a better future for their struggling families, but they are vulnerable to exploitation because they are trusting, not prepared for life in a foreign country, and have limited employment. Why the people treated bad to other people especially weak people? Are they lacking of love and concern, that what came into my mind. Sometime, we trust a lot the person who will give the good chance for the life. We shouldn’t believe anybody like friends even relatives because we don’t know the trick of the human beings when we are not getting the full knowledge of the society.

LOGLINE:
A teenage girl who is struggle in poor family receives a job from her friend. But she doesn’t about her fortune will be worst after she gets that job.

SYNOPSIS:
A 17 years old girl, who is the eldest from the poor family, wants to support her family .One day she persuades the broker to get a well-paying job. But she had been duped and escorted to the border of Myanmar’s with China. But one day she can ran and escape from the border and she faces a lot of difficulties on the way back to her home.

TREATMENT / STORYLINE & STORYBOARD 

Thazin, a 17-year-old Burmese girl had been running for the past few years in Myanmar was doing so poorly. There are a lot of family members in her family. She gave up her study when she was 12 years old because of her family poor condition. So she had the responsibility of her family as she is the eldest child of her parents, Thazin wanted money to support her family. So she was looking for a job to struggle her life.

Meanwhile, her friend introduced Thazin to the strange person as the broker. The broker persuaded to her as she will get a well-paying work in the textile shop at the town of the borderline between Myanmar and China. When she decided to work the job from the broker, she left her home town together with the broker, Htet Htet. But she had been duped. After taking food and drink offered to her by the broker, Thazin fell asleep – and woke up to discover she had been smuggled into China. On arriving in China, all three were forced to marry men they’d never set eyes on before: farmers, construction workers and labourers, typical of many who, after decades of a Chinese one-child policy and a cultural preference for male offspring, are unable to find a Chinese bride, let alone pay her dowry.

Thazin cried and begged the brokers to let her go when she found out what was happening to her - but she couldn't escape from the stranger who had paid  to marry her. The hepless young girl had nowhere else to go but to return back to her home. But the traffickers, having already struck a deal and received some advance money, tried to force Thazin to accept her marriage.

Suddenly she had been locked up the tiny room which is dark and cold. She had beaten, Tortured, starved, humiliated by the Chinese men and they asked her “Will you marry me?” Since she argued, they were continuous beating.

But one day, the Chinese man picked her up to somewhere around the market. At that time, she decided and tried to run whatever she faces even she died from the beasts. So she ran and escaped from the Chinese man who bought me from a broker to be his wife when he went to the toilet one day. She ran and ran to get the place as safe from the people who are tortured and humiliated.

Finally she found the shop name which is written by the Myanmar Language in the market. She asked the shop owner who is half Chinese and half Myanmar to help her and bring back her to the immigration.

At the immigration of the borderline between Myanmar and China, she sent to Immigration prison for a year. Eventually visited by a Myanmar Embassy official Thazin was deported home. The drama ends with Thazin’s reunification with his family, but reintegration back home is difficult.

At the end of the drama the teenagers engage their audience with messages which encourage safe migration, learning about cultural differences, foreign languages, and legal documentation to protect people from exploitation.

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

#32 WRITING EXPOSITION

WRITING THE EXPOSITION
source: http://www.scriptmag.com/features/specs-the-city-writing-exposition-and-little-miss-sunshine

please note - text in blue & red - i'm trying to emphasize tips given in this article...

Exposition (narrative)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The exposition is the portion of a story that introduces important background information to the audience; for example, information about the setting, events occurring before the main plot, characters' back stories, etc. 

Exposition can be conveyed through dialogues, through a character's thoughts, through background details, through in-universe media such as newspaper clippings, trial reports and letters, or through a narrator telling a back-story or by establishing scenes where a character is followed. 

Exposition is considered one of four rhetorical modes of discourse, along with argumentation, description, and narration.




Exposition. It’s the necessary evil of screenwriting. No one – writers, readers, audiences – enjoys or even really appreciates it, but it’s a vital component to fully understanding the main story you’re trying to tell. 

How can your audience truly understand the plot, themes, or characters you’re presenting if you don’t properly set the stage? They can’t. More often than not, writers treat writing exposition like kids treat needing to finish their homework before being able to go outside and play; it’s something they simply have to endure so they can get to the “fun” stuff in their scripts.


Be honest. Have you ever written anything like this?
SUSAN
Do you want to go to party on Friday?
DON
I can’t. My brother, who is also my twin, but I haven’t seen him since college because we had a falling out over the same woman, and then he went on a trip to South America where he became a priest and lost an arm in a horrible car accident, is coming into town.


Then you, my friend, are guilty of an exposition dump. 
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Exposition CAN be interesting to an audience. You just have to treat these kinds of scene with respect. Instead of dumping all of the information by itself, mix it in with a scene that either moves the plot forward or develops your characters further. This allows you to sneak in the information your audience needs, while still moving your story forward in an entertaining fashion.
And it’s precisely because of this attitude that so many writers tend to do what’s called an “exposition dump” early on in their script. It’s usually a group of characters standing around, asking each other questions and answering with a ridiculous amount of information.
For a recent example of a script that had a ton of information to get out early on about its characters, and did so with humor, grace, and skill, let’s take a look at…

CASE STUDY:

Writing Exposition and ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

(LOGLINE: -->) The story of a dysfunctional family that bonds over the course of an impromptu road trip to the titular beauty pageant, Little Miss Sunshine is an indie darling that won over audiences everywhere after debuting at Sundance in 2006. 
(KEY & DOMINANT ISSUE -->) At its heart, the film is about a group of damaged people who learn what it means to be a family, which means, if we’re going to care about their journey towards healing, we need to understand exactly how they’re broken. This means exposition, and lots of it.
(BACKSTORY: -->) Grandpa is living with them because he was kicked out of his retirement home for being loud and abusive.Luckily, screenwriter Michael Arndt (who was recently hired to pen Star Wars: Episode VII), was up to the challenge. What he gives us is a thirteen page scene set around the family dinner table where most of the backstory and family issues are laid out bare for the audience. Now, thirteen pages is a gigantic amount of exposition, but we don’t mind because the scene serves so many purposes. It’s funny, it develops multiple characters, and introduces the voice-mail which is the inciting incident, all while managing to give us the following pieces of information:
  • Olive recently placed as the runner-up in the regional round of the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest and that, due to the winner being disqualified, Olive has now been awarded the win and a chance to compete in the finals.
  • Dwayne has been observing a vow of silence for the past nine months, and plans on doing so until he joins the Naval Academy. Also, he hates his family everyone.
  • Richard doesn’t care for Sheryl’s brother, Frank.
  • Frank is suffering through a bout of depression and is recovering here with his sister Sheryl and her family from a failed suicide attempt.
And all of that is straight-up exposition, not subtext. The scene’s amazing as a whole, but the area where they discuss Frank’s suicide attempt works best as a contained example of what Arndt did so well while handling his exposition.

(SCRIPT EXCERPT: Little Miss Sunshine
observe & note 
1. short, simple sentences/dialogue 
2. important info given in each sentence 
3. character's thoughts/values/traits/attitudes are displayed)
OLIVE
How did it happen?
FRANK
How did what happen?
OLIVE
Your accident…
SHERYL
Honey…
She shakes her head: “Don’t go there.”
FRANK
No, it’s okay. Unless you object…
SHERYL
No, I’m pro-honesty here. I just
think, you know…  It’s up to you.
FRANK
Be my guest…
SHERYL
Olive, Uncle Frank didn’t really
have an accident. What happened was:
he tried to kill himself.
OLIVE
You did? Why?
RICHARD
I don’t think this is an appropriate
conversation.
(to Olive)
Let’s leave Uncle Frank alone.
A beat. Olive has stopped eating.
OLIVE
Why did you want to kill yourself?
RICHARD
Frank. Don’t answer that question.
Frank stares at Richard. He turns back to Olive.
FRANK
I tried to kill myself because I was
very unhappy.
RICHARD
(overlapping)
Don’t listen, honey, he’s sick and
he doesn’t know what he’s…
SHERYL
Richard… Richard… Richard…
RICHARD
What?! I don’t think it’s appropriate
for a six year old!
SHERYL
She’s gonna find out anyway. Go on,
Frank.
OLIVE
Why were you unhappy?
Frank glances at Richard — deadpan victorious — and continues.
FRANK
Well, there were a lot of reasons.
Mainly, though, I fell in love with
someone who didn’t love me back…
OLIVE
Who?
FRANK
One of my grad students. I was very
much in love with him.
OLIVE
Him? It was a boy? You fell in love
with a boy? 
FRANK
Yes. I did. Very much so.
This is new to Olive. She thinks it over.
OLIVE
That’s silly.
FRANK
You’re right. It was very, very silly.
GRANDPA
There’s another word for it… 
RICHARD
Dad…. 
OLIVE
So… That’s when you tried to kill
yourself…?
FRANK
Well, no. What happened was: the boy
I was in love with fell in love with
another man, Larry Sugarman.
SHERYL
Who’s Larry Sugarman?
FRANK
Larry Sugarman is perhaps the second
most highly regarded Proust scholar
in the U.S.
RICHARD
Who’s number one?
FRANK
That would be me, Rich.
OLIVE
So… That’s when you tried…?
FRANK
Well, no. What happened was: I was a
bit upset. I did some things I
shouldn’t have done. Subsequently, I
was fired, forced to leave my
apartment and move into a motel.
OLIVE
Oh. So that’s when…?
FRANK
(hesitates)
Well, no. Actually, all that was
okay. What happened was: two days
ago the MacArthur Foundation decided
to award a “genius” grant to Larry
Sugarman.
(deep breath)
And that’s when…
GRANDPA
…You tried to check out early.
FRANK
Yes. And I failed at that as well.
RICHARD
Olive, what’s important to understand
is that Uncle Frank gave up on
himself. He made a series of foolish
choices, and then he gave up on
himself, which is something that
winners never do.
A beat. Frank looks like he could leap across the table and strangle Richard. Sheryl intervenes.

Frank’s backstory is interlaced with character moments for everyone else, and that’s what keeps us interested. The way they react to his story, and the fact that Olive’s asking the questions to begin with, tells us a little bit more about every single character at that table. If it had just been Olive asking questions, and Frank answering them, the film would have lost any feeling of momentum, and the audience would have quickly gotten bored. 
And that’s the vital question when you’re dealing with exposition. Does the exposition scene in your script serve any purpose other than exposition? If not, go back and rework it. Make the scene about something vital to the story, whether it’s plot advancement, character development, or both, and the audience won’t mind the information you’re feeding them.
Now go crank the volume on “Super Freak’, dance your heart out, and keep writing!
Related Articles:
Tools to Help:




Monday, 25 March 2013

#29 WRITING YOUR SCREENPLAY

Week12 Class

ASSIGNMENT - What to prepare 

1. production folder
- exec summary, logline, synopsis, 3act, storyline, script, etc

2. presentation board
- selling your story with one promo poster...
- content: relevant visual + title + logline + credits
(credits = creator/screenwriter, sponsors etc)

3. storyboard (of your screenplay's trailer)
- using 6-8 key visuals to tell your story
- not as detailed as a storyboard prepared for animators/team

WEEK13 TO SUBMIT:
1. print of above (b&w is ok)
2. softcopy blackboard (backup in blog)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLASS LESSON:

1. using 3Act 
Act1 - est key char + motive
Act2 - key char struggles with motive
Act3 - key char resolves motive (achieve or not)

2. storyline 
= telling your story eg tell me the story of the last spongebob episode in narrative form
- planting important info
- using beats

case study: coyote vs bugs

act1 coyote uses a door to introduce himself & his motive (establishes key character - impt info)

- uses a namecard with word "genius" (impt info)

act2 coyote struggles with catching & eating bugs


plan1 (beat1)

- coyote opens plan1, laughs (beat 1.1)
- coyote puts machine over rabbit hole (beat 1.2)
- bugs appears & sees coyote (beat 1.3)
- ......
plan2 (beat2)
plan3 (beat3)
plan4 (beat4) - CLIMAX (biggest struggle)

act3 coyote does NOT achieve motive 

(story is still resolved/ completed/ there is a closure)

3. script edits
- confirm storyline
- do draft1 script according to storyline
- rewrite rewrite rewrite!

tips:

1. important info 
- must be planted in visual or audio

2. what makes info important?
- TEST: will your story still work if you remove that info?
- TEST: remove dialogue and see if story works
- is it worth watching a movie if you've missed the first half of it? why???


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CASE STUDY: Honest trailers
notice how the logline is still the same, but the way they tell the story is NOT.

1. Lord of the Rings
http://youtu.be/AOIi9SjJvgU

2. Twilight
http://youtu.be/0gugBiEkLwU





Thursday, 21 March 2013

#28 DEVELOP YOUR STORY IDEA

WEEK11: ASSIGNMENT
this week is consultation. please have your logline ready. i will talk to those i did not talk to last week. please be patient. i want you to use class time to do your work. thanks!

SUMMARY OF 3ACT STRUCTURE
ACT1: Establish key character + motive
ACT2: key character struggles with motive
ACT3: key character resolves motive (achieves/doesn't achieve)

ref: THE SCRIPTWRITER'S LINGO


DEVELOP YOUR STORY IDEA
now you have your story idea, work on your story design:
(yes, you can go for lunch but be back by 12.45pm)

1. logline
- you'll need a character and clear motive (confirm this by now)
- logline = key character + motive + situation

2. 3 act - act1 
- must have info... how do you plant them into your script???
- use the strengths of screenplays - AUDIO + VISUAL

SCRIPT = ACTION/VISUALS + AUDIO/DIALOGUE/SILENCE

3. 3 act - how do you work on your act2?

ACT2 = KEY CHAR STRUGGLES WITH MOTIVE
- use coyote & bugs bunny case study as a guide (plan 1,2,3,4,etc) - see notes below in this blog
tip: create interesting situations/events to show struggles

4. write in DRAMA into your script:
eg instead of having your characters quarrel, write in a "dramatic" cat fight scene (learn from the cat fight case study)

5. dialogue & behavior for key character to make him/her UNIQUE ON SCREEN

tip: special "voice" for your key character, e.g. signature laugh or a phrase they always use (e.g. think of austin powers, bugs bunny, etc)

tip: special "behavior" e.g. no other screen character behaves or walks/runs like jack sparrow

6. STORYLINE - 450 to 500 words
- storyline = write in a narrative form, 3rd person, present tense, simple sentences
- write the story as if you are watching it on the screen...

7. remember the main thing about writing your screenplay is...
TELLING YOUR STORY FOR YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

eg. story of "beauty and the beast"
- DISNEY will tell this story differently from LOONEY TUNES & DREAMWORKS

eg. "the little mermaid" is a romance story for children. you'll tell it differently if you were to adapt & rewrite this screenplay for teenagers or 20-somethings.

:)

ok, see you all in class this week!

CASE STUDIES:

1. Looney Tunes - bugs & coyote - "operation rabbit"
link: http://www.wimp.com/funtoon/ 

Quick 3ACT Structure:
act1 - est key char + motive
act2 - key char struggles with motive 
- struggle1 - plan1 (fail)
- struggle2 - plan2 (fail)
- struggle3 - plan3 (fail)
- struggle4 - plan4 (fail)
act3 - key char resolves motive (achieved/not achieved)


2. Mind Your Language - s1, ep2
Link: http://youtu.be/5Yn4N9k_nLI

PLEASE DO THIS IN YOUR BLOGS:
1. Logline for episode - what is this episode about?
2. Identify main plot & sub plot(s)
3. do a quick 3 Act Structure for this episode
4. in point form, outline struggles for each plot/motive in Act2




Wednesday, 13 February 2013

#23 STORY DESIGN

.... week6 STORY DESIGN

designing the visual world through:
characters
situations
location/sets
scenarios
atmosphere
colours
costumes/hair/make up
props
language
music & sound effects
---------------------------------------------------
week6 case studies:

Observe Story-telling technique & these:
GENRES
CHARACTERS (IN SITUATIONS)
CLICHES
STEREOTYPES
THEMES / KEY MESSAGE
MAKING ABNORMAL NORMAL
STORY DESIGN

Notes: 
Observe DETAILS in the visual & audio 
> how do they present an idea on screen
> eg explosions, moving peanuts


1. tvc's (assorted ads)
 link: http://youtu.be/1VYWmdMUe9g

2. bugs & coyote - "operation rabbit"
link: http://www.wimp.com/funtoon/

3. tom & jerry 

T&J "elephant mouse" (video not complete)
link: http://youtu.be/5eqntuW1oMo

T&J "Baby"
link: http://youtu.be/wmOfvDfSsqk


4. spongebob - the production process (read)
link: http://masterwriterz2.blogspot.sg/2012/01/no6-tell-your-story.html



MORE CASE STUDIES:

Observe Story & these:
GENRES
CHARACTERS (IN SITUATIONS)
CLICHES
STEREOTYPES
THEMES / KEY MESSAGE
MAKING ABNORMAL NORMAL
STORY DESIGN

1. Monty Python - Ministry of Silly Walks
Link: http://youtu.be/wippooDL6WE

2. Monty Python - Spam
Link: http://youtu.be/anwy2MPT5RE

3. Monty Python - Olympics
Link: http://youtu.be/4wRwZrThGXI
 

Monday, 14 January 2013

#20 TELL ME A GOOD STORY

STORIES
are about characters
in situations (drama/conflict)
to relate a key issue or message

*know your characters.
*put them in situations so viewers get to know them better. 
*use characters to relate to each other & talk about an issue.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

1 SENTENCE SUMMARY (LOGLINE)
= what is your story about?


What makes a GOOD story?
> character(s)
> motive
> conflict (drama)
> 3 act (the art of telling a story)
> target audience (relates to your TA)
> key message (moral of the story)


FOCUS >

> WHAT IS YOUR STORY ABOUT?

> WHAT RELATES TO PEOPLE? TO YOU?


how do i get my story going?
- premise (statement)
- what if
- why not?
- character 
> motive
> conflict (DRAMA)

Learn the art of telling a story 
> make the story yours!!

WHERE DO I LOOK FOR STORIES?
- news
- mag
- our experiences
- other people's experiences
- research

- etc etc etc

tmi? (too much information)



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NO CHARACTERS, 
NO STORY.
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CLASS EXERCISE 1
CASE STUDY - WHAT MAKES A KEY CHARACTER SPECIAL & UNIQUE?
- six million dollar man
- johnny bravo
- powerpuff girls
- austin powers

CLASS EXERCISE 2 
CASE STUDY - MIND YOUR LANGUAGE (PILOT - S1, Ep1)

link: http://youtu.be/lzrXeBhYCFg



Class Exercise:
* 1 sentence summary
* character list
* choose 2 characters - write up the character bio
* what are each characters' unique "voice", trait or action?
* do a quick 3 act structure


IDENTIFY & OBSERVE
- character's unique traits
- character's unique voice
- character's cultural, social, racial, political background, etc
- character's conflict
- relationships - how characters relate to each other
- location (London, classroom)
- situation (learning English in a foreign country)
- protagonist, antagonist, comic relief
- key message 
- stereotypes / cliches 
- genre / theme / issue



Observe:
- characters relating to each other
- a huge setup
- comic relief

Comic Relief
What is a comic relief?
What is the role of a comic relief?
give some examples...


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1 Sentence Summary: (S1, Ep1)
Jeremy Brown starts his new job as the teacher of English as a Foreign Language class, and meets his students for the first time.

Synopsis:
Jeremy Brown starts his new job as the teacher of English as a Foreign Language class, and meets his students for the first time. A diverse group of ten foreign adult students in London, hailing from nine different countries. From Europe come two au pairs, the flirtatious and beautiful Danielle (France) and prim and proper Anna (Germany); two young single men, Giovanni (Italy) and Max (Greece); and a laid-back middle-aged bartender, Juan (Spain), who speaks no English. From Asia come a revolutionary-minded secretary from the Chinese Embassy (Su-Li) and a Japanese businessman (Taro), as well as three students from the Subcontinent: a devout Punjabi Sikh (Ranjeet); and an unemployed Pakistani Muslim (Ali), who are constantly at each other's throats; and finally an Urdu-speaking housewife (Jamila) who can't speak a word of English. The school principal, Ms. Dolores Courtney, nearly dismisses Mr. Brown immediately as she had requested a female teacher, but he is allowed to stay on a trial basis.

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Saturday, 6 October 2012

no15. LOGLINES

LOGLINES  = 1 Sentence Story Pitch
> What's your story about?
> Whose story is it?
> What's the key character's motive?


ACT1 = Establish Key Character + Motive (focus)

ACT2 = Key Character struggles with Motive

ACT3 = Key Character resolves Motive



CASE STUDIES FOR CLASS EXERCISE:
Do these in your blogs...
1. Write the loglines for the following movies.
2. Identify the key character & his/her/their motives.


1. From Dusk till Dawn

2. Predator (1987)




3. Scream


4. Sleepless in Seattle


5. Cruel Intentions



6. Urban Legend


7. Home Alone (1997)


8. Bulletproof Monk


9. Meet Joe Black


10. Scent of A Woman



11. While You Were Sleeping


12. My Cousin Vinny


just for fun... pls watch this excerpt (below) from the movie, My Cousin Vinny. All info presented here (character traits / personalities / situation, etc) in this excerpt has ONE key purpose... 
what is that purpose?? which Act is this part of the story & how do you know which Act it is? Write your answers on your blog.