THE SCREENPLAY P.1

Have you ever read a screenplay? What is a screenplay used for? What are 3 important things that you should keep in mind when writing one? How do you think a hollywood formatted screenplay is different than a 2 column AV script?

   Yes, I have read a couple screenplays. A screenplay is used for knowing what is suppose to be on the screen. When writing a screenplay you should always format it correctly. Also, make sure you have your story arc and your plot nice and clear. This way your audience will be dragged in easily and quickly. A screenplay doesn't have 2 columns like the AV script. 

HERO'S JOURNEY INFOGRAPHIC SCAVENGER HUNT

Why did you select this image? What about it symbolizes or describes the hero's journey for you?

I selected this image because it breaks down The Hero's Journey in Star Wars.The film has one of the best and most basic Hero's Journey. There is a reason why Star Wars is one of the most beloved franchises. That's no coincidence. It's because it follows The Hero's Journey in a perfect way.

SAMURAI FILMS AND STAR WARS?!

How did Kurosawa influence George Lucas? What parts of the samurai film did Lucas incorporate into Star Wars? What is the most interesting thing that you learned in this video?

   He helped him make his space opera into a beloved and successful franchise. He got the Star Wars wipe transition from Kurosawa. Also, R2-D2 and C-3PO were inspired from Kurosawa's film, The Hidden Fortress. He also took a shot from Seven Samurai, where bandits walk over a hill, and placed it in the Star Wars prequels. I really enjoyed the history lesson about the war and how it had an impact on film making. For example, after the war everyone left the city and moved into the suburbs. Therefore, nobody went to the movies anymore.

MOVIE PLOTS DONE TO DEATH

Pick one of these plots and answer the following questions:

Plot - Probably-uptight workaholic learns what’s important in life

1. Summarize this plot type.
    This plot is your basic blind man to the world. He's obsessed with working as hard as he can and not enjoying life. Think of him as Squidward from Spongebob SquarePants.
2. Why is this plot so overused?
    It's very overused because it's an easy way for a filmmaker to sell himself as a great storyteller. He can talk about the importance of life in a boring, cheesy, and simple way and your basic movie goer will find it deep and thought-provoking. When really it isn't. It's easy, overrated and makes money.
3. How do you think this plot type be done in a new way?

   Perhaps you could have the character stretch to the limit where he can go no further with his life. He has to fight his mind to gain the memories of when he enjoyed the life. They're there but not in his hands. He must look for them. He runs into someone younger going through the same problem. They also need their life back. Our hero helps this character find his way. After our hero does that, he realizes that there is nothing for him. He helped one person reach their life potential and sees that he can't do the same. He gives up in an honorable way, as we give our understanding and respect to him.

    

HERO'S JOURNEY ARCHETYPES

Which archetype seems easiest to write? Which do you think seems the most difficult? Why? What archetype do you understand the least? Why? What kind of hero's do you like telling stories about?

  

JOSEPH CAMPBELL'S MONOMYTH

What is the hero's journey? What parts of the structure stand out and seem the most important to you?

   Joseph Campbell broke down the basic story every hero goes through. This is known as the Hero's Journey. The hero is starts off in his ordinary world. He is given the option of the journey/quest. Once they've accepted they enter a new and unexplored world. This world has different living beings, rules, and threats. But of course this hero can't face evil alone. He always has his companions there to help. Throughout this journey the hero and his allies go through a series of obstacles and tests. After facing pure evil and overcoming their power these hero's are rewarded with something meaningful, and worth it. They've changed and now live their lives differently. I really enjoy the part where they enter the new and different world because you can create anything you want and break/make the rules.

THE 7 BASIC PLOTS

Pick two of these plot types that most interest you and write about them. Why does each of these plot types interest you? What makes them seem more interesting than the other ones? Which two of the plot lines out of the seven would you like to use for a future video project? Why?

  From the seven plot types I chose overcoming the monster and voyage and return. They interest me because you can come up with just about anything for them. One can make "great evil" just about anything. Also, the "magic land with crazy rules" is another opportunity to let your mind do what it does best. You can ask yourself, what is this crazy land? What are these crazy rules? You can literally do just about anything. You can even have other plot points cross through these to plots to have a better story.

GENRE AND STORYTELLING

What genre of films do you tend to gravitate toward the most (sci-fi, horror, action ?) Describe how your answer reflects your attitude and approach toward life.

I tend to gravitate towards action-adventures, independent, and thriller-mysteries. The action-adventure films are enjoyed by everyone. You can see a reflection of the character on the screen to yourself. This is because they always try to make the character relatable. Therefore; i guess i'm Tony Stark, Clark Kent, and Bruce Wayne. Independent films are petty self explainable. They're made to have an intimate connection with the viewers. They basically made for everyone but are not made for everyone. Finally, the thriller mysteries are for people who want to do some of the thinking themselves. People who want to keep on guessing until the end of the film. Someone like me.

PROVERBS & THEME

What makes this proverb stand out to you? What would make it an interesting theme for a short film?

"As you get older, the questions come down to about two or three. How long? And what do I do with the time I've got left?" - David Bowie

  This inspirational quote from the genius David Bowie tells us to live life to the max. The fullest possible and no limits what so ever. You can have a character take care of their bucket list and do what they've always wanted to do. We all know that we won't live forever and the time of death will come. But at this current moment we are alive and feel infinite. 

7 TYPES OF CONFLICT SCAVENGER HUNT

Take a moment to look up two different trailers from YouTube and embed them into your blog. Write a description about what type of conflict each of the trailers demonstrates, and who the protagonist and antagonist are. Which type of the seven conflict categories are each of these trailers? What were your clues that helped you decide?

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is a perfect example of Man vs. Man. The protagonist, the Batman, is tracking down the Joker, the antagonist. His attacks on Gotham have gone far enough. It's clear that the Joker is the villain. They make him look edgy and menacing. He always has a trick up his sleeve.

Spotlight is a man vs. society type film. Reporters from the Spotlight Boston Globe take on the Catholic church. They break the story of the Catholic church's priests raping children and the church doing nothing about it. They track down the witnesses and get everything they can. They risk getting shut down considering the church controls everything and they could've called the police on them.               

7 TYPES OF DRAMATIC CONFLICT INTRO

Where have you seen any of these kinds of dramatic conflict? What are three of them that you might be post interested in using for a film you would like to make in this class? Why?

I've seen these dramatic conflicts in every movie ever made. I'm interested in the person vs. person, person vs. self, and person vs. nature. These seem like the most possible conflicts to make. They seem easy and could be made with a low budget. With the equipment we have I believe they are possible. 

SILENT FILM HOMAGE

Who is your silent film subject? Why are they so significant? Pay special attention to what made them so famous. Talk about three reasons why they are significant filmmakers and made contributions to the art.

My subject is Georges Melies. He's very significant because he basically created the so called "movie". Not literally, but he did have a huge influence on the movie-making industry. Films such as A Trip to the Moon and The Impossible Voyage are a couple that astonished audiences. Also, another unique and entertaining thing about his films were the color. They were all hand pained and that payed off because it looked good.

PUTTING YOUR CHARACTERS IN THE HOT SEAT

What is the hot seat technique? How can you apply this to the next script that you write to create interesting characters?

   The hot seat technique is placing the actors on a chair in the middle of a stage. This is done regardless of how big or small their role is. Once they've sat down they have become that character. Then they begin answering questions and that way the characters get more flesh on their bones. The better you know your characters the more believable they will be. This can help me give more heart and mind to my characters.

THE STORY SPINE REFLECTION

Did the exercise help you craft an interesting story synopsis? If or if not, why? What are two things that you learned from the exercise?

   Yes, it did in fact help me with basic storytelling. I learned how to casually end a story. Also, I learned that a good basic story starts off with a regular day and takes a wild turn for the worst. Each incident leads to the next until finally we get to conclusion. The character we were introduced to in the beginning has changed and isn't the same in the end.  

TIPS FOR GOOD STORYTELLING

Pick three tips that stand out to you that you would like to work on practicing in this unit. What are they? Why did you select them? How do you plan to use them going forward?

   I picked #9 which talks about establishing the conflict. This is very important in a story. It gives the actions a meaning. If there is no meaning then the audience will stop caring. Also, I chose #12 that brings up the importance of the attention you want at the beginning. If the viewer is bored in beginning they will quit watching. Finally, I chose #16 because films are all about visuals. Moving images are the base of film.

WHAT IS GOOD STORYTELLING?

What is good storytelling? Name 3 important key elements of telling a good story. Why are those so important?

One can tell a story in many ways. It can be a good story or a bad story. What ever it is it always comes down to the way you tell it. Is it linear storytelling or non-linear storytelling. First of all, you must make sure that your story makes sense forwards and backwards. Meaning no plot holes. Also, you must communicate well, with the audience, things you want them to understand. That way they're never lost or confused with the plot. Another thing you want to do is make sure you have their attention from the start. A good way to do this is making sure your story is original.