Screenwriting Genre

Research and Pitch

Writing

You should by now have a good understanding of the

conventions of a short film. To this research you are now

going to add an analysis of genre conventions.

When choosing the genre of your screenplay, do remember that

you need to complete a digital storyboard to accompany your

screenplay. These must be photos you have digitally shot

yourself. So, if you are planning a Sci-Fi romp, this might

prove more challenging in terms of presenting the setting or

mise-en-scene in your digital storyboard.

Why is genre so important? Click the speaker…

Choosing a Genre

Task 1

What genre do you feel you know best?

What genre could you replicate well in your production?

What genre do you feel you might use for your coursework.

Task 2

What are the typical conventions of your chosen genre? (Do

this from your own knowledge, then follow up with research to

answer each of the below sections in detail.)

Setting – what settings are used in this genre?

Themes – what are the typical themes or messages conveyed

in this genre?

Characters – what types of characters are there in this

genre?

Props – what props do you expect to be found in this

genre?

Narrative – what typical story is told, how does the film

unfold, what typical events happen?

Aesthetics – what aesthetic styles are used in this

genre? (Comment on the typical film form used including

cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene an sound.)

Task 3

Look at the 4 briefs below: Which do you feel would work best with

your genre? (Circle the one you feel would work well)

A narrative twist

A narrative twist which beings with an enigma

A narrative which establishes and develops a single character

A narrative which portrays a conflict between two central characters

Why do you feel this works best for your chosen genre?

Task 4

1. List the films you have seen in your chosen genre.

2. From your list of films assign a different film to the 4 briefs

that you feel best incorporates that specific element. So, for each

brief you should have a different film that you feel best fits that

briefs description. Then explain why you feel that film fits that

brief in detail by answering the questions assigned to that brief

(see next slides). Consider discussing genre conventions and film

form aspects as well. I have an example on the slide after the

‘Questions for briefs’.

Narrative twist – how does the narrative

begin, what narrative structures do they

use, how and when is the twist introduced?

Questions for Briefs

Narrative beginning with an enigma – how

does the film establish an enigma, what is

the enigma and what questions do we have as

a spectator? How does the enigma unfold?

Questions for Briefs

Narrative establishing and developing a

character – how is the character first

introduced? How do they look, act, respond

to others, what are they like, do we like

them? Does the character change, how / why?

Questions for Briefs

Narrative portraying conflict between two

central characters – how are the characters

introduced? How do they look, act, respond

to others, what are they like, do we like

them? Does the character change, how/why?

How is the conflict established? Is the

conflict resolved?

Questions for Briefs

Scream (Craven, 1996) opens with an enigma as we don’t

know who the character is, where exactly the film is set,

what her background is etc. The film opens with a black

screen and non-diegetic ringing telephone, we then have an

ECU of the phone and the diegetic ringing. The camera pans

up the woman’s body until we have a close up of her face.

This is an unusual exposition for a film as we typically

have an establishing shot so we know the location of where

the film is set, we have detail about the key characters

and themes of the film and establish the genre

conventions.

Example

Click on the image for the first 5 minutes of Scream.

If it doesn’t work here’s the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3lSvJ5RXKA

Task 5

Consider your list of films, note down key aspects of the

films you like, or could take influence from for your own

production and explain why. You must discuss the following:

the setting, themes, characters, props, narrative, film form

and aesthetics.

Example on next slide.

I like that in Scream (Craven, 1996) the camera cuts from

inside the house to the outside of the property showing a long

shot of the garden and a tree swing. This immediately tells the

audience it is a horror with the conventions of a setting that

is isolated and away from civilisation and help. It is also set

at night making it difficult to see and positions the audience

outside the property which makes them feel unsafe and worry

about the safety of the girl inside, particularly as there is

no wind blowing. It is a still evening, however the tree swing

is moving back and forth to suggest someone was there. I would

like to try and use this in my coursework in order to make

audience feel that same level of fear using typical horror

conventions, but more so to indicate that someone is watching

my character. Although I want to challenge this convention as

in my coursework the audience discovers that it is all in the

character’s head and mental state to provide a narrative twist.

Example

Task 6

Pick your favourite film from the list you created earlier,

watch the opening and answer the following questions:

1. What key characters are we introduced to, what are they like

(consider costume, dialogue, how they interact with others,

if you like them (why / why not)?

2. What key themes are introduced in the opening?

3. What genre codes and conventions can be found in the

opening?

4. What film form (cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene and

sound) techniques do they use to create meaning?

5. What narrative structure and theory can be applied to this

film as a whole?

Generating Ideas

You have now explored genre in some detail. Now you

have a better idea of genre and the genre you might

want to write in you can begin generating more ideas

for your production.

What If?

This is a simple but effective way to generate some story

ideas. Often, you come up with scenarios you would otherwise

never have considered.

Use the question stem, ‘What if…’ and then finish the

sentence.

For example:

What if plants could talk?

What if the Matrix is real?

What if we could clone a dinosaur?

Give it a go. Aim for 30!

Five Finger Pitch

You should be able to summarise and express your initial ideas

in a few short sentences, incorporating what or who the story

is about.

For example this is a teen drama about a student being bullied

and in the climactic sequence faces up to their bully.

Five Finger Pitch

Create a ‘Five Finger Pitch’

which incorporates:

Genre

Protagonist

Goal

Obstacle

Why the story is important

Pitch a few story ideas to your family / friends and get

feedback on which one sounds best.

Synopsis Writing

Write a synopsis. This can be an extension on your 5

finger pitch to add more detail.

Example

This is a teen drama about a sixteen year old runaway who

flees her group home in Brighton to hitchhike to Aberdeen to

find the father she’s never met.

She’s convinced she’ll find him but all she has to go on is

an old picture, she doesn’t even know his name.

Gives a voice to kids that no one seems to care about.

After al the years of group homes and fostering she just

wants to find someone, somewhere, anyone who might ground her

and give her a home for the very first time.

Writing Character – Consider writing or drawing your

characters in depth to include:

I will be asking you to do lots of character work in

later lessons but for now try this activity to start

you off.

• Gender

• Age

• Appearance

• Family

• Personal life

• Professional life

• Key relationships

• Goals

• External desire (e.g. Mia in La La Land on the

surface narrative desires to be famous)

• Internal desire (e.g. Mia in La La Land’s uncovered

and realised by the end of the character’s journey

desire is a desire to be happy.

Proposed Ideas for Production

This is now your opportunity to pull together all your

research and explain your idea for your coursework. It

is very important that you email me

(Kspence@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk)this proposal by

completing a full pitch. See the sections on the

following slides to complete this.

Pitch

You must include:

• A synopsis of the film as a whole and how your short film

will need.

• The brief you intend to incorporate and how you intend to

show this.

• The genre with notes on how you will incorporate the

conventions of your chosen genre.

• Details about key characters.

• Themes / messages you want to include in your narrative or

you want your audience to take away with them.

• Style – what film form / aesthetics you will include to

reflect the genre and brief.

• Anything on the underpinning narrative theory or structure

you will use.

Finally

Answer the following questions. This will help you when

writing your evaluation as well as when you are

constructing your screenplay.

1. Who is your film aimed at (target audience)? E.g. Age,

gender, ethnicity / sexuality (if relevant)

Pearl and Dean is an excellent resource for explaining target

audiences of specific films. See the link below.

https://business.pearlanddean.com/insight/

2. How will your film appeal to them? Give examples of what

you are going to do that will appeal to them.

3. What short films and other films have influenced some of

your choices and why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9434BoGkNQ