9/23-27/13 – Understanding 3 act structure and treatments

Monday, 9/23/13

Aim: Understanding 3 Act structure

Daily Spark: What do you know about narrative or 3 act structure

The 3 act structure is what holds screenplays together. Screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be divided into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution.

Act I comprises the first quarter of the screenplay. (For a two hour movie, Act I would last approximately 30 minutes.)

Act II comprises the next two quarters of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act II would last approximately 60 minutes.)

Act III comprises the final quarter of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act III would be the final 30 minutes.)

The “Plot Point”–The three acts are separated by two plot points. A plot point, often called a reversal, is an event that thrusts the plot in a new direction, leading into a new act of the screenplay.  Plot Point #1, which leads into Act II, is the moment when the hero takes on the problem.

Understanding our 3 act structure is the first step in writing our film treatment

Let’s read together

Understanding 3 act structure

Example of 3 act structure

The King’s Speech:

Thelma and Louise:

The Matrix:

The Postman Always Rings Twice

E.T.

Wednesday, 9/25/13

Aim: Creating an outline for our films

Daily Spark: What is an inciting incident? See if you can name an inciting incident from a film you have seen recently (give the log line of the film and then explain the inciting incident)

First: review “roller coaster” 3 act structure hand out

Next: take your long line and create your “roller coaster”

Think:

Who is my character

What is the major conflict

What decision does my character make to change the course of the film – the original “point of no return” (inciting incident)

What is the second turning point of the film (changes the problem/complicates the problem/raises the stakes)?

How does my conflict come to a head (climax)?

How is it resolved/not resolved?

You don’t need to know all of your rising and falling action at this point, but you should have your key points

Friday, 9/27/13

Aim: Practicing understanding three act structure

To better understand the idea of 3 act structure and character, we will watch Thelma and Louise and afterwards, discuss the characters and plot points

While you watch –

Direct/indirect characterization

Major Turning points/Important plot points

9/17-19/2013 – Week 2 Character and intro-ing Loglines

9/17/13

HW 1.2: Write log lines for 2-3 tv shows or films. Write these in your idea-logue
Aim: Understanding characterization, description and log lines

Daily Spark: Think back to your HW due Friday – who was your main character, what was his/her main goal and what was the main obstacle?

– does everyone have an idea-logue??

1. Review from Friday

-Everyone should read through their direct characterization and the two indirect characterizations they received back.

Share out some

Did you imagine your person similarly? Differently? Do the other authors capture a sense of the person’s character through the indirect characterization they wrote?

Shifting gears

1. Share out Daily Spark

2. Think: What do you think makes a story compelling? In other words, what makes a story one we will pay $13 and use 2 hours of our day to sit through?

3. What is a log line?

A log line or hook:

The story in one to three active sentences, focusing on the concept, main character and main conflict. Ideally in 25 words or less.

“Turns out, the Wicked Witch didn’t melt. She’s been in Munchkin jail, she’s extremely pissed off, and now she’s coming to New York to get her slippers back.”

After a twister transports a lonely Kansas farm girl to a magical land, she sets out on a dangerous journey to find a wizard with the power to send her home.

A logline must present:

who the story is about (protagonist)
what he strives for (goal)
what stands in his way (antagonistic force).

Since a screenplay provides the story for a motion picture – a visual medium – it is important that the logline convey visual/external aesthetics. For example, words like “decides,” “realizes,” “learns” should be avoided when constructing a logline – especially when presenting the major conflict of the story. These words connote an internal process that is not wholly appealing to the cinema.

Turn your Daily Spark into a log line

Think of another movie/tv show you’ve seen – see if you can create a good logline for it!

Share out!

 

 

Thursday, 9/19/13

HW – Idealogue – come up with 3-4 film idea sketches/loglines – included should be main character, main goal, main obstacle.

 

Aim: Understanding Loglines and seeing script to screen

 

Daily Spark: Take out your logline that you wrote Tuesday.

Share loglines and try to guess

After a logline, we write a treatment.

A film treatment is similar to that of an overview or synopsis of the film idea. It usually ranges from 8 to 15 pages and includes all the important conceptual elements, structured in 3-5 acts, each with a beginning, middle and end. When you submit your script, your treatment will often be the first document to be glanced over. If the main concept is enjoyable and your treatment is well written maybe, just maybe, your script will make it into the hands of the “professional script reader”

In order to get there, we first have to discuss story structure, characters and narrative arc.

 

Today – we will watch and look at a script together The Class (2008, Dir: Laurent Cantet)

Think about –

How the script translates to the screen

How we understand the characters

How we learn the backstory of the characters and set up for the rest of the film

9/9/13 – Welcome *again*

9/9/13

Aim: Introductions

Daily Spark: What did you do this summer? Be as detailed and visual as possible in your description

What is screenwriting? What is the difference between screenwriting and other writing mediums?

Syllabus

Watch House of Cards

1. Who is our main character? What do we learn about him – physical and personality traits?

2. What is our setting?

3. What is our tone?

4. What is our main character’s goal/main obstacle – make a thoughtful guess?

5. Do you want to continue to watch? Why or why not?

 

Wednesday, 9/11/13

HW C1.1: Watch a TV show or a film. Identify the main character, his/her main goal and his/her main obstacle that gets in the way of attaining that goal.

Aim: Talking about character

Daily Spark: From your reading, what did you learn about Francis Underwood from the reading that you didn’t already know? What did you read that you already knew from watching? How did you learn these things about him (from something he said, some way he acted, something someone else said? Etc…)

Were you interested in continuing to watch? Why or why not?

Direct and Indirect Characterization – how do we learn about a character?

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. 

Example: “I am a patient and well mannered mother.”
Explanation: The speaker is directly telling the audience her personality

Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character.

Ex: A woman hands of two young children, standing at a cross walk. One pulls at her hand, whining. The woman bends down and quietly speaks to him, brushing his hair off his forehead.  The young boy nods in understanding and the three continue to wait for the light to change.

There are five different methods of indirect characterization:
Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts: What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings? (AND HOW DO WE LEARN THIS IN A FILM?)
Effect on others toward the character: What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions: What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks: What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

Now it’s your turn.

You will take 5 minutes and describe a person using direct characterization.

Next, we will exchange papers.

 

Friday, 9/13/13

Aim: Characterization

Daily Spark: describe the main character of the TV show or movie you watched with direct characterization (2 descriptions) and give an example of each with indirect characterization.

 

First, we will continue from where we left off Wednesday.  At this point, you should have the direct characterization of someone else’s character.

On a separate sheet of paper, you will use INDIRECT characterization to SHOW the direct characterization.  (10 minutes)

Rotate: Pass the direct characterization sheet to another person (not the person who’s sheet it is) and NOT YOUR INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION SHEET

This person will ALSO write the direct characterization into indirect characterization. (10 minutes)

Please DO NOT write on the direct characterization sheet.

 

Return all sheets to Direct characterization writer.

Direct characterization writer, read the two other writings.

Share out.

Are these the ways you expected to see your character portrayed?