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Lecture 4:Lecture 4:Starting Out: What’s it About?Starting Out: What’s it About?

Professor Christopher Bradley

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Written by Guillermo del Toro

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• The Nature of Story

• Conflict and Goals

• Emotion, Action and Dialogue

• Approaching Form

• Writing Exercise #2

Apocalypse Now (1979)Written by John Milius and

Francis Ford Coppala (screenplay) and Michael Herr (narration)

In this LessonIn this Lesson

• The Characteristics of a Good Short Film

• Where to Begin?

• Research, Belief and the World of the Story

• Turning an Idea into a Good Film Story

• Writing Exercise #3

Jurassic Park (1993)Written by Michael Crichton and David KoeppBased on the novel by Michael Crichton

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The Characteristics of a Good The Characteristics of a Good Short FilmShort Film

Lesson 4: Part I

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Written by Hubert Selby, Jr. and Darren Aronofsky

Based on the novel by Hubert Selby, Jr.

What Makes a Good Short What Makes a Good Short Film?Film?

• Simplicity• Interesting

Characters• Conflict• Emotion• Originality• Filmic Qualities• A Deeper Meaning

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The Ring (2002)Written by Ehren Kruger

Based on the screenplay Ringu by Hiroshi Takahashi

Based on the novel by Kôji Suzuki

SimplicitySimplicity• The best ideas for short films are

relatively simple. They can often be told in a sentence.

• They focus in on one main conflict or one incident.

• A good idea for a short film needs to be focused and specific, as it doesn’t have the time to leisurely explore more than one topic.

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ExamplesExamples• Consider the plots of the two short films

we’ve watched so far, George Lucas in Love and Ten Minutes.

• George Lucas in Love focuses on one conflict – a young George Lucas struggling to find inspiration for a movie.

• Aside from the brief bookends, Ten Minutes focuses on one incident – a young boy trying to get bread for his family in a war-torn neighborhood.

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Interesting CharactersInteresting Characters• Characters become interesting in different

ways. Sometimes the nature of the conflict the character faces creates enough tension to stimulate our interest.

• How the character responds to conflict, what actions he takes and the consequences he faces will define him more for an audience than anything he says.

• And most importantly, it’s the questions you elicit from your audience!

ExamplesExamples• Consider a character

who, in a film’s opening moments, abandons her child or a man who slips poison into a colleague's drink at a party. Without a word of dialogue, the character is suddenly interesting because of her behavior and actions.

Being John Malkovich (1999) Written by Charlie Kaufman

ConflictConflict• Good short films contain more than just

the seeds of conflict. They expose a situation where conflict already exists.

• Remember, the best characters are the ones that are trying to accomplish something and who have their goals and desires impeded by obstacles.

• Conflict in a short film can be subtle or pronounced, but it must exist in a way that drives the plot forward.

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EmotionEmotion“Every successful short delivers emotional content – whether it’s a joke we laugh at or an incident that moves us to tears. If you aren’t touching your audience in some way, you’re not doing your job. Great filmmakers consider how they want the audience to feel about their stories – and not just at the end, but throughout. As they plot the action they are also plotting an emotional arc.”

--Cowgill11

OriginalityOriginality• The best films are always fresh in some way.• We may feel we’ve seen every iteration of

genres such as the Western, romantic comedy and action film, but genres can be re-invigorated with– A fresh set of characters– Content based on ideas never before explored– A new point of view towards an old subject– An innovative film style– Combining genres

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Filmic QualitiesFilmic Qualities• All good films are inherently visual – they

must be more than talking heads. The real power of film lies in using both sound and image to tell a story.

• This means that a good narrative film takes advantage of the properties that distinguish it from other narrative media.

• Our brains process visual information much more quickly than verbal data and you should always consider this while writing.

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Filmic Qualities (Continued)Filmic Qualities (Continued)• Remember that a film unfolds in space and

time and that your screenplay must reflect that by making characters active and by creating a precise setting in time and place.

• To convey a story, the filmmaker uses specific tools – space, time, light, color, and sound – and the screenplay must include ample opportunity for the filmmaker to work with those unique aspects of cinema.

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ExampleExample

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CONTINUED: CLOUDS ARE FLOWING FROM ALL DIRECTIONS ... converging on the distant mountains in a stormy MAELSTROM.

EXT. PASS OF CARADHRAS - DAY SARUMAN’S voice strengthens ... rolling past the FELLOWSHIP like THUNDER. A LIGHTNING CRACK explodes on the mountainside above them.

ANGLE ON: FRODO looks up in HORROR as a huge snow avalanche thunders down towards them!

ANGLES ON: LEGOLAS pulls GANDALF to safety. ARAGORN shields FRODO and SAM as snow piles around them. Within moments, the PASS is blocked and the FELLOWSHIP are enveloped in snow. BOROMIR and ARAGORN frantically dig for the HOBBITS ... who are pulled out SHIVERING and FEARFUL.

The Deeper MeaningThe Deeper Meaning• All great films, whether short or long, have a

broader subject matter, or theme, that extends beyond the particular story that the filmmaker wants to tell.

• A theme is the unifying, underling idea of a story and is concerned with a universal concept such as love, honor, identity, ambition, greed, etc.

• The universality of themes ensures that the audience will relate to a story on a level deeper than just the plot. 16

ThemeTheme• Without theme, there is no purpose or

meaning to a work. • Some themes include:

– Good triumphs over evil (or vice/versa)– Love conquers all– Violence never pays off– Every human deserves freedom – The universe is unjust

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Discovering ThemeDiscovering Theme• It’s not essential to have theme worked out

ahead of time, but it must be clear by the final draft.

• Themes grow out of who you are and what you believe. The best themes come from your emotions, experiences and insights about the world.

• A theme must be important and compelling to you for it to be important and compelling to an audience.

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Discovering Theme (Continued)Discovering Theme (Continued)

• A few questions can help you define and clarify a theme. Ask yourself:– How does the story speak to me?– Does it represent my best dreams or worst

fears?– Is there something innately universal suggested

in the material?– Are there archetypal relationships in the story?– Who is destroyed in your story?– Who changes and grows?

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Subtlety in ThemeSubtlety in Theme

• Though themes are crucial to a story, they must emerge subtly and organically from the characters and situations.

• Don’t beat people over the head with a didactic theme or lesson. Audiences want to feel as though they are discovering the theme on their own. They don’t want to be preached to.

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Where to Begin?Where to Begin?

Lesson 4: Part II

Back to the Future (1985) Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale

Coming up with an IdeaComing up with an Idea

• Depending on how you work, ideas for short films evolve in different ways.

• Actual events might provide inspiration.• A person you’ve just met or a situation

you’ve been involved in can spark an idea.• Beginnings can be difficult if an idea

doesn’t jump out at you, but there are ways to narrow down the possibilities.

Areas for Source MaterialAreas for Source Material• Character

• Environment

• Incidents

• Abstract Ideas

• Situations

• Informational Area

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Character Character • Human action and interaction forms the core

of drama and most films, regardless of what they are about, are Character Pieces.

• This term is often used to describe a story that supposedly has little plot, but all the best stories in every genre are character-driven.

• Think about your characters while you are coming up with your plot. They will help you in developing your story.

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EnvironmentEnvironment• Because specific human behavior tends

to occur in certain places, writers can sometimes use place to generate ideas.

• Place also helps to establish mood.

25Chinatown (1974)

Written by Robert Towne

IncidentsIncidents• An incident can be defined as a rapid

change in circumstances for one or more people. It usually has to do with actions and events; someone does something to others or something happens to someone.

• Although incidents can be gentle or violent, for a writer the most productive are life changing.

• The change in circumstances should involve highly contrasting conditions.

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Abstract IdeasAbstract Ideas

• Although you can use a philosophical or thematic idea as a starting point for your screenplay - “love conquers all” or “the universe is unjust” - you have to be careful that your story doesn’t lose dramatic momentum or become didactic. As always, make sure to ground your abstract ideas with strong characters and situations. Remember-- questions, not answers.

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SituationSituation• A situation can be defined as a

relationship placed within a certain set of circumstances.

• Contrasting individuals thrown together make for colorful situations.

- The African Queen- Wall-E- Harold and Maude- All About Eve

Informational AreaInformational Area

• This consists of subjects such as terrorism, child abuse, genocide, etc, that you want to expose and write about.

• Current and past historical material and other real world subjects can provide a rich backdrop for stories.

• Solid research is crucial to the success of such stories.

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The Next StepThe Next Step

• Once you have an idea, ask these questions to help you shape and expand the story:– Who are the main characters?– What are their relationships?– What do they want?– Where is the conflict?– How does the conflict erupt?– What drives the action of the story forward?

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Research, Belief & the World of Research, Belief & the World of the Storythe Story

Lesson 4: Part III

Vincent & Theo (1990)Written by Julian Mitchell

The World of the StoryThe World of the Story• The world of the story is not just the setting

or the backdrop in which the characters act and the film takes place.

• It’s the feeling that the space delimited on the screen extends beyond what we actually see; that the lives of the characters inhabiting this world continue when they are out of view, that this world is part of the larger world.

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ExampleExample

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Casino Royale (2006) Written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade and Paul Haggis (screenplay) and Ian Fleming (novel)

ExampleExample

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Blade Runner (1982)Written by Hampton Francher and David Webb Peoples

Based on the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Phillip K. Dick

ExampleExample

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)Written by Lucas Heller

Based on the novel by Henry Farrell

Suspension of DisbeliefSuspension of Disbelief

• At the same time, it’s important to realize that the world of the screenplay or film is not a real world but a representation of one.

• What happens on the screen is a portrayal of events, not real life. Though your audience knows this, they still desire to lose themselves in the world of the story.

• To achieve this, the audience must willingly suspend disbelief.

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Truth and CredibilityTruth and Credibility• Achieving truth and credibility in drama is

a multi-dimensional task. It starts by understanding the arena about which you are writing.

• This is where research comes in. Don’t try to make up details of a world about which you know very little. Your audience will be able to tell the difference, and it will be harder for them to suspend their disbelief and become lost in the story.

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Research for InspirationResearch for Inspiration

• Research is a writer’s best friend.• Out of research comes twists and turns of

plot, obstacles and complications impossible to imagine, little details that give a screenplay authority and authenticity.

• If research is skipped over, the work often seems superficial, familiar or phony.

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Turning an Idea into a Good Film Turning an Idea into a Good Film StoryStory

Lesson 4: Part IV

Brokeback Mountain (2005) Written by Annie Proulx (short story) and Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (screenplay)

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Concept, Character and ConflictConcept, Character and Conflict

• The evolution of ideas into screenplays has as many routes as there are screenwriters, and every writer must find his or her own best approach.

• But no matter how different the approach, ideas generally develop through the stages of concept, character and conflict.

Five QuestionsFive Questions• To develop your story, key elements need

to be defined. The following five questions will help you keep your story focused:- What is it about? Subject matter/theme.- What is the genre?- Who is the protagonist?- What is the driving action of your story? In

other words, what sets and keeps your protagonist in motion?

- Who or what opposes the protagonist?

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DevelopmentDevelopment• The basic formula for a

short or long film is:- A hero

- Who wants something

- And takes action

- Meets with conflict

- That leads to a climax

- And finally a resolution

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The MissionThe Mission• The basic approach to writing a screenplay

can be modified in many ways.• Just remember that stories must first of all

grab the audience on some level.• Our mission as writers is to entertain,

inform, move, inspire and to raise questions.

• Remembering our mission helps when we create and develop the plot.

AssignmentsAssignments

Lesson 4: Part V

The Paper Chase (1973)

Written by James Bridges

Based on the novel by John Jay Osborn, Jr.

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E-Board Post #1E-Board Post #1• Discuss the theme or themes in a recent

feature film that you have seen. What is the movie about beyond it’s plot? How do the filmmakers work theme into the story? Is the theme obvious or buried? Is it universal? Support your discussion with examples.

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E-Board Post #2E-Board Post #2

• Watch the short film from the lesson, Black Button, and identify the concept, characters and conflict. What is the basic plot and how is it developed? Is the protagonist sympathetic or unsympathetic?

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Writing ExerciseWriting Exercise• Sketch out three basic concepts for a

short film (each concept should be about a paragraph). Look back on our areas of source material for guidance. Choose something your passionate about, something that makes you laugh, something you can’t wait to write. You will develop one of these three concepts for your short script.

End of Lecture 4End of Lecture 4

Next Lecture: Who Does What and Why?

Memento (2000)

Written by Christopher Nolan

Based on the short story Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan