Notes
Week one
How does storytelling fit the “big picture” of fms?
-Through storytelling, we learn how to tell stories
-Through storytelling, we create plots/films which people will want to watch and be interested in.
Writing format – Present tense
- 3rd person
-visual voice (creates visual images)
The “third person/present tense”
-A character is “narrating” the story as it happens
Eg “Mark picks up the gun and holds it in his hand. It begins to tremble as if alive”
-It presents a more immediate and urgent feel to the material
- Commonly used in : – Screen plays (story/film is unfolding as we read it)
(fosters a more urgent and immediate feel to the story)
- Thriller & Suspense genres
Passive vs Active voice
Passive voice Active voice
-uses weak verbs – uses strong verbs
-tells what’s happening -shows the action
in the character’s head
-distances reader from story -uses an immediate sentence structure
- conveys the story in a lively manner
eg – The sky was blue with a lot of fluffy white clouds ( this is passive)
- Fluffy white clouds drift like cotton in the ocean blue voice ( active )
- Mark slams the door and stalks across the chamber. He shouts, “BITCH!!!!!!”
Tip : Start with emotion, hook, then go into what and why.
Tips for writing – The biggest problem is getting started.
- If you have a work in progress, NEVER stop for the night if you’re stuck.
- Always solve the problem and keep going until you’re in safer water. A good night’s sleep is important. Sleeping on problems is bullshit.
- if you can’t get started, just write anyway. To do this, you need to have some words to type.
- It doesn’t matter what you write, you’ll soon begin to think and move in your own rhythm/pace.
Ex 1A: Openers
-Write with this opener :
Li walks into Bukit Timah police post wearing nothing but a hula skirt.
Instant way of grabbing attention.
The usually efficient policemen did not know how to react. Acting as though oblivious to the stunned looks he was generating on the policemwen, he proceeded to place both hands on his neck and did a sexy dance.
The three policemen on duty simply did not know how to react to this situation. Training never covered on dealing with dancing nutcases!
As the dance came to an end, Li reached under his skirt and pulled out a… handgun. With trained, deadly efficiency, he gunned down all three gaping policemen.
- Note down questions as you were asking yourself as you wrote it
1) whose story am i telling?
2) What is the point of the story?
3) How can I engage the attention of the audience?
Week 2
Write a story based on an opener – ( I’m taking Atigah’s)
“No, John. I’m a teacher,” Adam says as he brings a knife to John’s neck.
Johns eyes the knife warily and asks as casually as humanely possible under such a situation.
” What do you teach?”
The corners of Adam’s lips turns up to form a maniacal smile. An obvious sadistic glint in his eyes, he seductively whispers, ” I teach…. biology”
He then brings the knife to his face and licks it slowly, all the while keeping that sadistic grin on John.
In one fast and strong motion, he swings the knife, hitting the target where he wanted it to be. Johns plutters.. How did such a man ever get to become a teacher? Feeling nauseous due to the blood splattered on his shirt, John slumped on to the floor.
“I expect you to master the art of dissecting frogs, John,” Adam boomed, believing John to be his next prodigy.
Today’s lesson – The Role of Conflict
√ Conflict is the central feature of the screenplay
- man against man
- man against environment
- man against self
√ It’s the variations of sex, age, religion and culture which provides variety to the CONFLICT.
Thus, ALL scripts have conflict.
Environment is more than physical things, but also
√ Conflict = change (IMPT)
-Change is COMMON to everyone
-Change is UNIVERSAL
-Bodies change
-Seasons change
-Lives change
-Relationships change
-Feelings change
-Locations change
-Technologies change
√ As universal as change may be, people often RESIST IT for fear of the unknown.
√ People must learn to cope with change if they want to survive.
√ The action in drama depends on conflict.
( Mr leslie draws a bottle and tries to pass it off as a girl, claiming every script starts like this )
Example from dear man in front – “Mute girl strives to be best singer in the girl”
“Girl wants to be singer but loses voice”
Definition of conflict
√ ( Opposition of persons or ideas )
√ It is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests or wills and creates the plot.
√ Plot cannot be constructed without conflict ( no conflict = no plot )
√ As your characters attempt to reach their goal, they come into conflict with each other
√ The end of the story nears when the protagonist and antagonist approach their goals and conflict rises to generate maximum suspense and excitement.
The Call Home
- About Banglah worker.
- Photo of him and wife appears ( just arrived )
- Kasi rejects cigarettes and alcohol ( new to place?)
- One weirdo dresses up in shirt and tie at night in dorm.
- Kasi learns to smoke
- Link to title appears : He and fellow workers (?) visit handphone shop
- Link appears again : Fellow worker dictates message to ben written home.
- Link again : Letter from home, family problems. (wife can’t moves, can’t take care of child, no one to take care of them)
- Kasi drinks alcohol. ( he picks up vices?)
- Link : Kasi asks fellow worker what does he tell family back home. He replies with “good food, good living conditions…” He adds that it’s stuff that makes family happy hearing about and everyone says that.
- Kasi withdraws money and buys phonecard. He gets cheapest card. ( indication to low pay?)
- He calls home. He says that he’s “enjoying it here”
- Flashes Brothel scene.
- Flashes to scene where he is denied medical care and is physically abused.
- Back to phone call. He narrates his story of hardship. Debts back home. “How much work can I do?!” Continues passing instructions about family even though he knew phone card was low on credit. He walks off, sobbing.
- * “Empty scenes” can be filled with music fitting to the mood of current point in movie
- Attends what appears to be screening of Indial film and ends.
√ Secret Heaven
- Girl feigns tummyache to escape piano lesson.
- Teacher teaches using physical means.
- While first girl fools around, another student plays the piano without complaints.
- Apple.
- Theme of physical abuse appears again.
- Indication that younger girl dislikes playing the piano.
- Younger girl hold bottle of aliment. She was told it was poisonous. Later told ‘poisonous’ means ‘getting stomachache if consumed”
- Aliment appears again. Told it again it was poisonous and will cause her to die. When asked what does it mean to die, she was told “won’t wake up tmrw”
- TV scene of R&J
- Told about Heaven. Told that “Heaven is a nice place”
- She walks into toilet with bottle.
- Scene of innocent children playing flashes between attempts of her paretns to wake her up.
- Wakes up. Wtf?????
- Underlying meaning? Not to lose your dreams?
The Call Home
Man VS Man - Kasi vs Sup. Man vs Roommates. Kasi vs wife.
Man vs Envro – Phonecard. Kasi and working site. Kasi vs SG.
Man vs himself – Frustrations
Crux of phone call – Man vs enviro.
In the ends, he changes, becomes part of the community/environment.
Secret Heaven
M v M – Mum vs Daughter, Teacher vs Daughter
M v E – Forced to go for piano lessons. Daught vs Home. Sister plays better than her
M v H – Playtime vs Piano time.
¬ Writing for an audience
√ Screenwriter = storyteller
- The cinematic appearance is not just made up of words you might put on paper but the audiences’ emotional reaction to that information.
√ Director to people? Writer to people? Camera to people?
It’s people to people.
√ Writer’s purpose?
- To connect : Themselves, their unique vision, the material, the drama, others.
Audiences want to be transported by a screenplay.
√ Where do you look for a story?
Inside yourself. Everything to learn about other people is already in you.
Now you need to figure out how to connect to
√ Assignment
- Reflection
- 5 stories of exactly 50 words each. ( New page )
Storytelling week 3. Aristotle ( Presentation )
Storytelling tool 1 : Observation – Observe in a concious way – Develop ability to see and record movements, physical characteristics and settings.
When observing, you need to adopt a keen eye- Develop a natural sense of curiosity
Only when you understand people, can you make a good film.
An observed event, when subject to simple questions, can set up a sequence of possibilities that will develop into a story worth telling. – Whom am I writing about?- Who is my character?- What is he/she/it like?- What does he/she/it do?- What happens to him/her/it in the story
Exercise : awareness level
( Conclusion of exercise – People rarely observe familiar people or things closely, people around you are potential stories )
Most people pass through the day with 20%-30% normal.
Mindless observation VS True observation
Mindless observation – Takes in details but not thinking about it
True observation – Develop the ability to SEE and RECORD people – ( Observe + conclusions )
Exercise : People-Watch
Walk into the canteen/library, etc and watch people pass by.
Eventually, one will catch your attention.
Write down as many details as possible through observation.
Repeat steps 1-3 for a second character.
Transcribe all these details into “PEOPLE-WATCH”page that you will create on your blog.
Week 4
Storytelling Week 4
Review Exercise 2 : People Watch
Margaret smoked and drank her iced coffee at the same time as she waited for her friend. When Aungmon walked past, she accidentally pressed her cigarette onto Aungmon’s arm. To make matters worse, she tried to cool down the burn wound by pouring her iced coffee over the wound, dirtying Aungmon’s new shirt. She tried to clean up Aungmon’s shirt with a serviette but only succeeds in dirtying Aungmon’s jeans as well. To cap it off, Aungmon’s girlfriend arrived and witnessed Margaret’s attempt to clean Aungmon up, mistaking the scene as Aungmon getting intimate with another girl in broad day light. She walks up to Aungmon and gives him one tight slap before stomping off, adding to Aungmon’s frustration and irritation. Seriously annoyed, he glared at Margaret for being such a klutz and creating such a mess. He clenched his fists and jaw, wondering how was he to fix up the mess Margaret had unknowingly created.
Purpose of EX: The world is full of potential stories!
Presentation from Mr Leslie.
Definition of tragedy – ( crap from Wiki )
6 parts of tragedy
√ Plot
action plan, arrangement of incidents
√ Characters
√ Thought
√ Diction
√ Melody
√ Spectacle
It is everything in film. Essentially in a nut shell, visual effects; visually exciting to the eye.
According to Aristotle, tragedy…
√ creates a cause-and-effect chain that clearly reveals what may happen
√ arouses not only pity but also fear, because members of the audience can imagine themselves within the cause-and-effect chain.
PLOT is the impt part of tragedy
√ plot is the arrangement of incidents
√ It is not the story itself, but the way the incidents are presented to the audience.
√ The structure of the play.
BEGINNING √ the incitive momemt √ It must start the cause and effect chain.
MIDDLE
√ climax
√ It must be caused by earlier incidents and itself cause the incidents that follow it.
END
√ Resolution
√ Must be caused by the preceding events but not lead to other incidents.
√ The end should resolve the problem created during the incitive moment.
EPISODIC PLOTS
√ According to Aristotle, the worst kinds of plots.
√ The acts (episodes) succeed one another without probability or necessity.
√ The only thing tying together the events in such a plot is the fact that they happen to the same person.
Simple vs Complex Plots
√ Simple has only a “change of fortune”
√ Complex has a reversal of intention “peripeteia” and recognition “anagnorsis”” connected with the catastrophe.
Character
√ Character supports plot
√ Personal motivations are connected to the cause-and-effect chain
√ The protagonist in a tragedy should be renowned and prosperous, so his change can be from good to bad.
√ In the ideal tragedy, the protagonist will mistakenly bring about his own downfall-not because he is sinful or weak-but because he does not know enough.
√ Think lack of self-knowledge is called “hamartia”.
IMPT VOCAB
√ katharsis
√ mimesis
√ anagnorisis
√ perepeteia
√ hamartia
3 act structure
√ 1st act : set up
Story begins with a goal oriented character introduced at a point of crisis.
The character meets roadblocks produced by the plot and antagonist.
√ 2nd act : confrontation
action intensifies
an event happens which forces the character to make his or her choice.
√ 3rd act : resolution
level of effort rises to new heights
both plot and character is resolved.
√ but the main character either achieves or does not achieve his goal.
Assignment for week 4 :
Visual image : Find an image and tell a story that comes to your mind as you see it. Story has to incorporate principles of tragedy into writing.
- That doesn’t mean that something bad happens and the story ends. It means something bad happens as a result of a flaw in your character, and you show how this tragic fall forces your character to learn something about herself or himself.
Storytelling Techniques – Week 7
RE : True & False Stories.
√ A true story is not necessarily a good story.
Good stories have to be worked and reworked.
√ True life stories do no offer neat and relevant endings.
√ Life is unpredictable.
√ In a story, we CAN and MUST control the events and sequences so that it gives the appearance of being like life.
-When we write stories, they need not be true but they must sound like they are true-
Characterisation : Defining the character
√ Every story starts with a character
-When you start to find out about characters, you start to care for them and when you’re writing a story, you want audience to care for your characters-
The character is the heart, soul and nervous system of your story. It is through characters audience are touched.
<Without a character, there is no action>
<Without action, you have no conflict>
<Without conflict, you have no story>
<Without story, you have no screenplay>
Characters should have form, background, image and their way of thinking.
√ When developing a character, ask yourself :
-> Who is your character?
-> What does he want?
-> What is his quest?
-> What drives him to the resolution to the story.
Establish your main character
Characters should have a 3 Dimensional Structure.
Physiology -> Physical makeup
√ Sex, age, height, weight, colour of hair, eyes, skins, posture, appearance, defects, abnormalities,deformities, birth marks, diseases, heredity.
Sociology -> Social makeup/Background
√ Class(Upper, middle, lower), occupation(type of work, hours of work, income, condition of work, attitude towards organisation, suitability for work), education(amount, kind of schools, marks, favourite subjects, poorest subjects, apitudes), home life(parents living, earning power, orphan, parents seperated/divorced, parent’s habits, parent’s mental behavior, parent’s vices), Religion, Race, Nationality, Place in community(leader among friends, clubs, sports), Political Affiliations, Amusements(Hobbies, books, newspapers, magazines he/she reads)
Psychology -> How he/she thinks
√ Sex life, Moral standards, Personal Premise, Ambition, Frustrations, Chief disappointments, Temperament(choleric, easy-going, pessimistic, optimistic), Attitude towards life(Resigned, militant, defeatist), Complexes(obsessions, inhibitions,superstitions, phobias), Personality(extrovert, introvert), Abilities(language, talents), Qualities(Imagination, judgement, taste, poise), IQ, What is the deep and personal secret this character has which he is desperate to protect/hide.
-Seperate the components of his life into 2 basic categories :
Exterior life of character is when Film begins till the film ends.
His interior life will be whatever that happened before the film begain.
Interior> The interior life takes place from birth until the moment your story begins.
It is a process that forms character.[when you start formulating your character from birth, you see your character build in body and form]
Exterior> The exterior life begins when the film starts towards towards the conclusion of the film. It is a process that reveals characters.
√ Who are they, what do they do?
√ Are they happy or sad with their lives?
√ Do they wish their life was different? Another job, another wife?
>> You must create your characters in relationship to other people or things.
All dramatic characters interact in 3 ways
They experience conflict in achieving their dramatic need. [eg, Need money- Rob and bank, rob a store, rob a person?]
They interact with other characters. [Either in antagonistic, friendly or indifferent way]
Thet interact with themselves. [eg, He overcame his fear of being caught by pulling off the robbery successfully]
How do you invent characters? √ Try turning them upside down.
A monk who is devoted to his religion…… but is a football fanatic.
A serial killer…… whose obsession is to kill other serial killers.
A common street rat…… who loves to eat and cook only fine food.
Next Week
Storytelling Tech quiz #1,
Review
3 Storytelling tools
√ Memory
√ Observation
√ Experience
Aristotles’s storytelling techniques *IMPORTANT*
Developing 3 dimensional characters.
Writing for an audience
3rd person present tense. 3 dimensional characters. Writing for an audience. Unity of action. Cause and effect. 3 act structure(know well)
Week 8 notes
-Dialogue
Elements of dialogue.
- Dialogue reveals character
A character will talk about himself and other people will talk about him.
- Dialogue establishes relationships between characters.
Once you have established your main character’s POV, you can use dialogue with other characters to show that they have other attitudes, creating opposite/alternative POVs.
- This helps to create and sustain the element of CONFLICT between characters.
- Good effective dialogue will move the story forward.
- Dialogue communicates faces and information to the audience.
It conveys essential exposition.
Characters will talk about what happened, establishing the storyline
( Do not ever have dialogue in past tense. Make it immediate)
- Dialogue comments on the action.
( In the example of serial killers, they never talk about why they kill. We find our via other characters)
- Dialogue ties the script together.
It is one of the devices YOU as a writer can use to expand and enlarge your characters.
“If you can see it or hear it, don’t write it.”
Neville Smith
-Dialogue should be used sparingly
-Never tell the audience what they can see for themselves.
<< Dialogue is no substitute for action>>
In Hollywood when they look at a page and it’s got too much black, too much ink on the paper, they say :
“SHIT!! IT’S FREEZE THE CAMERA TIME”
Common mistake
Tip : Never use singlish in your scripts. If you must, use proper English and get the actors to speak the way they want instead.
Students sometimes never achieve a level of competence as they tend to reproduce conventional spoken language, long statements of “REAL TALKING”, and defend their decision by telling us that
“It’s how the character speaks.”
When giving a character a voice, think about their age, gender, educational qualities, race, etc etc. Everyone speaks differently in different situations.(Something to bear in mind when scripting)
Good dialogue is not somebody’s ability to write authentic speech as heard in real life.
If there was all there is to it, you can just push a button on the tape recorder and then go collect your Oscar.
- Good dialogue is the illusion of reality.
You’ve got to know how to edit what people say without losing any of the spirit.
Common mistake #2
Students tend to create radio shows with images.
<<Film is a visual medium>>
A SCREENPLAY IS A STORY TOLD IN PICTURES.
Exercise : The scenario :
A middle-aged man returns home from work.
He had stopped for a few drinks with his friends and forgot to phone his wife to tell her he’ll be late.
The dinner is ruined.
(Write a short scene composed of dialogue between husband and wife)
Opening
Wife sits on sofa, arms crossed, frowning while watching television.
Husband enters flat
Man : Is dinner ready?
Woman : Ruined.
Woman then continues watching television.
Man : Are you unhappy I came home late without letting you know before hand?
Woman 
temper rising) You think?
Man : (temper rising) I was out with my friends, what the hell is your problem? It’s not like I was fooling around.
Woman : No one’s stopping you.
Man : I’m going to the coffeeshop for dinner. (Stomps out of flat.)
Week 9 notes
Purpose of dialogue
-We will write best what we know well.
(Dialogue is best kept short. Write dialogue “visually.” Dialogue always stops your script)
Dynamic Action
(Something stimulating development or progress)
<<Story is action>>
-Action encompasses any kind of movement, activity and interaction between the characters and also between the characters and their surroundings.
-Talking about how one feels is not as powerful as illustrating why one feels the way they do through action.
<< Film is behaviour>>
-Action is the manifestation of behaviour.
(Use action to explain whenever possible, higher grades ^^)
-The complexity of the human psyche and interaction is better understood when it is possible to watch the actions, nuances and reactions of the character.
<< Dynamic Action>>
-Has the audience to enrich the experience of the audience by heightening the stakes and increasing the tension.
Moving Pictures
The power of any story lies in the narrator’s ability to project a mental picture for the audience.
Exercise : Translating emotional responses into actions.
Calvin & Mavis : The couple have just met. This is their first evening spent together. He is very shy. She desires him.
Afiq & Aileen : The young man has decided to leave her.
Li & Yixin : She has decided to leave him.
New guy & Li Yu : He has another woman friend. She is also eating at the restaurant.
(Dialogue is actually a last resort to convey messages)
How to convey visually any sense of inner conflict of emotion.
Assignment : Write a 1st draft of an original 1 – 2 page story (Give it a title)
Write it in 3rd person narrative/present tense.
Use 12pt Courier / Single Spaced
No less than 1 mage and no more than 2 pages.
Beside writing your name, student number and tutorial group, also label your story as “1st draft”
Due week 10 (Next week “-_-)
Remember Film is a visual / aura medium
Show versus Telling
Week 10
A location is a setting, shooting place,
An interactive location is an environment.
The environment gives the flavour of the story. The location puts thing in context.
Often, when picking locations, we only think on the practical side and not the atheistical side. Eg, an old house. It’s a nice placee to shoot it, but it often just ends up as the background.
A location can trap your character end even be an obstacle.
Eg, Jurassic Park where everyone was trapped on the island with dinosaurs on the loose and had to run for their lives.
A interactive location interacts with the characters of the film by adding importance to their actions. It is also an environment which impacts the action and heightens the stakes
