Screenwriting

Today we learnt about the 3 Act Structure and tricks we need to use to make the audience interested in our film.

Act 1

Act 1 should give the audience all the ingredients from which your story should be made.

• The characters
• The setting
• The tone
• The characters goals 
• A time scale

Act 1 has to give the audience a hook so that they will be gripped to the story and feel emotionally attached to the characters.

As we approach the end of Act 1 there will be the inciting incident which causes a crisis and leads to the first turning point of your film.

Act 2

Give your audience breathing space, a pause for reflection.

The rest of the act put your characters through a series of highs and lows.

At the end of Act 2 there is a second turning point where the stakes are raised and the protagonist has more to lose.

Act 3

At the end of Act 2 the protagonist is defeated (temporarily).

Their actions in the second turning point has now thrusted them into the climax and the protagonist will now have new goals.

In the climax the protagonist will be forced to put their physical survival at risk, they must do something they never thought they could/ would do.

Through the final act you will be tieing up all the loose plot ends building to your final climax.

The push to the climax will often involve a chase against the clock.

The climax is the greatest obstacle that the protagonist face in the story. It must integrate 3 elements:

• Resolving main plot
• Showing through action the new transformation of the protagonist.
• Playing out the theme of the script

Ending Resolution

Having got over the final climax you have to give the protagonist and audience time to breath.

Protagonist has faced their biggest challenge, won or lost but either way they would have learnt something.

You will also tie up and resolve any secondary plot-lines and create a sense that these characters will continue to live on after the credits.

Ideas for the Meeting

I've come up with a few ideas for The Meeting.

I used a mind map to help me brain storm some ideas and start to think about stories which would be original and interesting but also fun for me to do and reflect my personality.

The idea I like the most is a fan meeting a celebrity I'm going to develop this idea and see if I can come up with an original and funny story line.

Script Writing

Today we learnt how much work goes into script writing. Writing the actual physical script is just 5% of what script writing is all about first of all there is pre-writing which is coming up with your idea and developing it  and getting to know your characters and setting. You have to go through the process of pre-writing so that you can actually write the script as you will know the rules of your game and how your characters will act and feel.

To test these skills we had learnt we had to use today's news paper as our stimuli and come up with an original idea and then pre-write about it describing what genre and film it would follow, where it would be set, what characters there would be, the story and what it would be called. We had to work in pairs and I worked with Maddie and this is what we came up with.

Good Looks

We used this story from the news as our stimuli.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1356974/Ashton-Kutcher-swots-Demi-Moore-looks-young-bikini.html

My "Spaced" Synopsis

A dry comedy drama set in an urban area of north London following the lives of two individuals who are thrown together by fate and realise they need each other more than they first thought.

Aspiring comic book artist Tim meets Daisy a highly emotional struggling journalist in a cafe when both are left homeless. After fast editing and transitions, post production techniques used throughout the series, the couple find an advert for a spacious two bedroom apartment for a professional couple. They decide to pretend they are a happily married couple with highly skilled and challenging jobs to ensure they get the flat and can then kick start their careers getting their lives back on track.

The series follows the couple trying to convince Marsha the alcoholic land lady that they are a genuine couple as well as watching them both emotionally maturing and growing together. The two protagonists are surrounded by a strong group of supporting characters including Tim’s best friend an immature fantasist obsessed with guns and Brian an anguished artist with a split personality. These characters add a different side of comedy to the show with their different personalities and quirky characteristics.

Most of the series is filmed in Tim and Daisy’s cramped apartment so that the audience becomes familiar with the setting and makes them feel like they are visiting somewhere they know each time they sit down to watch the programme. The audience is obviously the most important part of the show as without them there would be no show. Popular culture references and animation are used to get the audience involved and make them feel like they are in on the joke. The jump cuts and unusual camera angles add comedy to the scenes as they make the audience aware of what they are watching by catching their eye and making them follow what is happening.

Word count: 314

The First Day Shooting

On our first day of the course we had to come up with a 3 minute film which had to include the word "Life" in the title and there was no post-production allowed so we had to film the whole thing in sequence. We were placed in groups so that we had the chance to work with and get to know others on our course. I worked with Dan and Zee and I think we worked well together as we all had input on developing the idea, changing the idea when we came across obsticals but also how the film should be filmed.

Our origanal idea was to have a security gaurd sitting behind the desk at reseption on his night dutty, falling asleep and then hearing a big noise which he needed to go and investigate. We came across alot of obsticals as we were not allowed to use the reseption area and so we had to change the majority of our story. We quickly brain stormed and thought of how else we could film our story without having to use the reception.

From doing this project I've realised that I can work well in a team which is under preasure and that it is very difficult to film something in sequence as you have to think alot more and you can't make any mistakes as it could mean shooting alot of scenes over again.

My "Spaced" Pitch

This is the pitch I came up with for "Spaced"
Comedy drama about the twisted everyday lives of a couple pretending to be in a relationship, their group of friends and their dreams
- 24 words

The Pitch

I had always heard of people pitching their ideas but I didn't fully understand what this meant but after todays lesson I have a much greater understanding of what goes into writing and delivering a pitch and would feel confident to write and present my own pitch when I need to.

What is a Pitch?
A pitch is a way of selling your idea in 25 words or less
It should entice the person you are trying to sell the idea to and get them interested and wanting to hear more.
Pitches should include:

• The main plot/story idea
• The theme
• The characters
• The setting
• The genre/ style

These points need to be included so that the idea can be fully understood.

Broadcast Media

What attracted me to this course was the amount of hands on experience we could get by studying and working at the studios. The actual units of the course seem to be projects I will really enjoy and can sink my teeth into.

The Units for the First Semester

Story Telling
What we have to do:
A 10 page correctly formatted script for an original idea
A 25 word pitch
A 1 page synopsis
A story board for the trailer
A 2 minute trailer
All to follow the title "The meeting"

Deadline: 4pm Wednesday 6th April at the Studios

Sound, Performance and Image
What we have to do:
To create a video of still images and add sound to them in post-production to create a story which follows the title "The Journey"

Deadline: 4pm Monday 16th May at the Studios

Media Strategies
What we have to do:
A Power Point presentation
A 1,500 word essay to support and elaborate on the presentation
Both answering the question "How have audiences affected the creation and transmission of contemporary television programming?"

Deadline: 4pm Monday 23rd May at the Studios