4/29-5/1/14 – Inciting incident

Tuesday, 4/29/14

HW: Finish up through “Into the Wide Unknown” for Thursday

Aim: Understanding and outlining the inciting incident and consequential actions.

Daily Spark: Describe a BIG decision you had to make. What was it? What were your options? What did you decide and why? Describe the moment you made your decision.

Ex: In the summer of 2009, I was ready to leave New York. I wanted to be in a smaller city, and started interviewing for jobs in other places. One place I particularly liked was Burlington, VT. I interviewed for a film teacher position at the school.  When I got back to NY from my first interview, I had received an interview invitation for a similar position at FSSA.  I decided it wouldn’t hurt to at least interview, so I did.

I ended up getting both job offers and had to decide what to do.  On the one hand, Burlington was a lovely city, a change of pace from NYC, a big school with a well established media arts program and a strong faculty. The administration and staff seemed welcoming and nice and the city on a whole seemed very livable with a lake and affordable, big apartments and it was near lots of places to go skiing. But I didn’t know anyone in Burlington, was far away from friends and family, didn’t know much about the school system there and it gets extremely cold for half the year.

On the other hand, was FSSA.  FSSA was offering me a position where I could create the curriculum for their new film department. I knew the NYC school system and had built up my personal reputation in NYC, I have lots of friends and family here and the school was very prestigious. Like Burlington, I didn’t know the faculty or administration yet, but the people I had met seemed nice.   I wouldn’t have to find a new home, move, make all new friends…

Obviously, I decided to stay.

On my first day of school at FSSA, I met my first class…

 

Today, you will work on your Inciting Incident and your “big decision” outline sections.

++If you haven’t filled out up to this point for Million Dollar Baby, please make sure you do before Thursday++

 

Inciting Incident
Page 10 or Page _2-3_ (the 10% mark)

In the set-up, you have told us all about the world of your script. The inciting incident will turn that world upside down. Protagonists get fired, find out they have a long-lost brother, get news that they have three days to live, meet the girl or boy of their dreams, get transported somewhere over the rainbow by a powerful tornado, etc. This is what forces your protagonist out of a daily routine and into the adventure of a lifetime.

 

 

The Big Decision
Pages 10-25 or Pages _2/3___ (the 10% mark) -__3-5__ (the 25% mark)

Page 25 is the point of no return. From page 10 until this point, your protagonist should be debating whether to embark on his or her journey or just continue living his or her uneventful, everyday life. Your protagonist should ultimately choose the more dangerous and exciting path towards his or her goal, but it won’t be an easy decision to make.

Write two lists from your protagonist’s point of view: one stating why he or she should keep things as they currently are, and one stating why he or she should embark on the adventure.

Reasons why I keep things as they are:

Reasons why I should embark on the adventure:

 

 

Into the Wide Unknown
Page 25 or Page __3-5__ (the 25% mark)

This is a big moment for your protagonist, and you want to make sure that your audience knows it. He or she is leaving the old world behind, and stepping into the unknown. Because these two worlds are so distinct, the act of actually stepping into the new one must be unmistakable. A great example of this is in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy steps out of her house and into the Munchkin City.

Describe the moment where your protagonist steps into the “new world.”

 

 

Thursday, 5/1/14

Aim: Understanding the turning points of a film though watching Million Dollar Baby

HW4.3: Read Million Dollar Baby through page 37: http://sellascript.com/Source/resources/screenplays/million_dollar_baby.pdf

Describe the characters of Frank, Maggie and Scrap, as we know them so far. Highlight (or write down) action lines with good description.

Daily Spark: In Million Dollar Baby, the conflict is set up. Maggie wants to train with Frankie, Frankie doesn’t want to train her. List the reasons why you think Frankie should and the reasons he should not train her.

What do you think he will do? Why?

 

Watch Million Dollar Baby through the first major turning point

4/23-25/14: Outlining second screenplay

Wednesday, 4/24/14

Aim: Outlining our second screenplays:

Daily Spark: Describe the first moment of your day, or an activity from your vacation.

Ex: I peered through the dirty glass of the dim sum restaurant. There was one family sitting inside. All the other tables, though there were only 4 or five, were empty. The restaurant had a refrigerated glass display along the front left with a smiling hostess of about 70 standing behind. She was short and had her greying hair twisted into a sloppy bun on top of her head. She wore an apron that at one point may have been crisp and white, but was a few hundred wash cycles past its prime. The yellow stained linoleum floor times were sticky and the glass topped, plastic tablecloth topped tables could use some updating. I looked back at my guidebook and back to the restaurant sign to make sure I had the right place.

 

Today, we will begin the second packet : http://2012.ywp.scriptfrenzy.org/files/scriptfrenzy-ywp/sf_ywp_11_hs_workbook.pdf

 

You will use your first packet to help answer the questions:

1. Log line
2. Describe your opening image. Close your eyes and think about what the first image your audience sees and why this is the first image they see. Describe it. (Think about openings of other films – why does that become important?)
   1. The opening scene is an opportunity for you to give the audience the starting
      point of the protagonist’s journey. It can be an image of your protagonist, an
      important setting, a revealing conversation between characters, an object that
      is essential to the plot, etc. This should give your audience a “snapshot” of
      what the rest of your film might look like, or what your film is all about. The
      opening scene in The Wizard of Oz depicts Dorothy and Toto running down
      a dirt road with storm clouds approaching in the background. Once you
      watch the whole film, you realize how important that first scene really is. And
      remember, just as the first page of a script needs to draw the reader in, the
      opening image of a script needs to draw the audience in.
3. When you are finished, move on to the outline of the first three pages of your film, up to your inciting incident:
   1. All the important characters (your protagonist, antagonist, and supporting
      characters) in your main plot will be introduced during the first ten pages, or
      at least hinted at. You want your audience to know all your characters’ strange
      tics and behaviors—basically, what makes your characters unique. You will also
      want to set up your internal and external conflicts. By page 10, your audience
      needs to feel for and identify with your characters enough to care about their
      stories
   2. So, you will write down your conflict and a few distinguishing features that make each of your characters unique. In the first 3 pages of your script, make sure you set up this conflict and portray your characters’ unique personalities.
4. If you finish this, move on to outlining your inciting incident.
   1. In the set-up, you have told us all about the world of your script. The inciting
      incident will turn that world upside down. Protagonists get fired, find out they
      have a long-lost brother, get news that they have three days to live, meet the
      girl or boy of their dreams, get transported somewhere over the rainbow by a
      powerful tornado, etc. This is what forces your protagonist out of a daily routine
      and into the adventure of a lifetime.

 

Friday, 4/25/14

Aim: Understanding setting up a film/the inciting incident

 

Daily Spark: What is one decision you had to make over the vacation. What were the pros and cons of each, what decision did you make, why did you make it and what impact did that have?

Example: In San Francisco, I had to decide whether to have dinner with my cousin who I never see  and don’t really know (and am not sure I like or not) or with my friend who I also rarely see, who I was visiting and had spent all week with.

Pros of dinner with my cousin: Get to know her and her husband better, get to do something new, sit on the ocean with a nice view, my parents will be happy, I’ll feel good

Cons: Have to travel into San Fran from Oakland (40 minutes on the train), less time with my friend, I’m not sure I have a lot in common with my cousin so what would we talk about?

Knowing me, what decision do you think I made?

 

 

 

Decision/why: Dinner with cousin. She’s my cousin, I’d like to know them better, it’s the right thing to do…

Impact: I realized I like my cousin and we had a great time. I know her and her husband much better now and will have a better relationship with her in the future

Today we will watch the set up of the film Million Dollar Baby. 

You will write the answers to the questions you answered for yourself on Wednesday for the film today.

4/8-10/14 – Beginning Screenplay

Tuesday, 4/8/14

Aim: Deciding on a story to tell

Daily Spark: Describe the meeting between two people. First as a drama, then as a horror film then as a rom com.

 

A few things:

1. Many of you wrote your scenes into the 7 turning points instead of making the scene ONE of the 7 turning points. If this is you – you must rewrite today (later)
2. First you will decide on a script to write. We will start with an exercise in the packet you have in front of you (good script, bad script
   1. At home,  click here and scroll to page 6
3. Which of your two stories have more elements of a “good film” and less elements of a “bad film”
4. At this point, if your 7 TPs are one scene, you should work to rewrite it, if it is not,

 

 

Thursday, 4/10/14

Aim: Developing our conflict

Daily Spark: Write the logline for the screenplay you decided to write.

 

Today we will develop the characters in your screenplay

 

When you select which of your two outlines you want to work with, move on to “casting your characters” – read through and answer the character questionnaire for the characters in your screenplay
Please finish Character questionnaire for your main character by Thursday
Share out

Over the break:

Page 15-18. Develop conflict

 

Over break, finish your outline (finish this packet)

3/31-4/4 – Innocente and beginning script

Monday 3/31/14

Aim: Watching Innocente for critical understanding

Daily Spark: How would the story of your year so far be different as told by you versus as told by a parent or sibling of yours (telling the story of your year?

 

Here are some big questions/big ideas to think about as we watch:

1. What is the subject of this film? Can you determine the filmmakers’ perspective on this subject? What evidence can you find in the film to support your view?
2. How does this film help you analyze and interpret points of view about issues that concern people?
3. Does the filmmakers’ perspective foster respect for diversity and an inclusive society? If so, how?
4. Whose story is told in this documentary? Whose story is not told? How does this story, and the way it is told, help you understand your own community/life?
5. What film techniques do the filmmakers use to convey the identity of the people in this film?
6. What insights does this documentary offer about the ideals of good citizenship in the community depicted in this film?
7. How does the film deal with issues of freedom, equality, human dignity, and individual and collective rights and
   responsibilities?
8. How does this film help you understand a community’s values and its attitudes towards an issue at a particular time?
9. Which aspects of a people’s culture does this film focus on? Why do you think the filmmakers focused on those aspects?
10. How do the images, themes and message of this film help you understand the filmmakers’ attitude towards the subject?
11. What do you think might have been the intended audience’s attitude towards the documentary subject?
12. What global issues are addressed in this film? What is the filmmaker’s point of view on the opportunities and challenges
    of those issues?

As we watch:

Take notes on, or jot down connections to, two of the thematic domains from the Big Questions/Ideas/Themes.  Find proof
from the film that supports your connections.

 

Wednesday 4/2/14

Sarah

 

Friday 4/4/14

Aim: Deciding on a story to tell

Daily Spark: Describe your best friend and his/her bedroom as if you are describing them to a police sketch artist who has to draw each of them based on your description.

 

A few things:

1. Many of you wrote your scenes into the 7 turning points instead of making the scene ONE of the 7 turning points. If this is you – you must rewrite today (later)
2. First you will decide on a script to write. We will start with an exercise in the packet you have in front of you (good script, bad script
   1. At home,  click here and scroll to page 6
3. Which of your two stories have more elements of a “good film” and less elements of a “bad film”
4. At this point, if your 7 TPs are one scene, you should work to rewrite it, if it is not, move on to #5
5. When you select which of your two outlines you want to work with, move on to “casting your characters” – read through and answer the character questionnaire for the characters in your screenplay
6. Please finish Character questionnaire for your main character by Tuesday
7. Share out