A classroom guide to The Language of Love

Consider The Following . . . Why is the piece called The Language of Love? _______________________________________________________

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Use of Shots

Close Up Mid Shot

At the beginning of the film we cut between a close up and a mid shot of Charlie’s face. How are these

two types of shots used to evoke emotion in the viewer?

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Identify the turning point in the film. __________________________________________________________________

Discuss the following techniques used to reveal the turning point in Charlie's character: filmic techniques: ___________________________________________________________________________________

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acting techniques ___________________________________________________________________________________

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Listen to the text. Identify the line that resonates with you the most? Why did it grab you?

THE ANALYSIS OF LOVE tailoring

creative solutions for teachers

Isolation The film deals with isolation as a theme. Analyse how this theme is presented through the following:

Character ________________________________________________________________________________________

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Setting____________________________________________________________________________________________

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Shots ______________________________________________________________________________________________

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Consider the line “I’m afraid”. Brainstorm all of the reasons why Charlie might be afraid:

Growth Think about the final moments of the film. What do you think happens after they exit the exam hall?

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Does Charlie ever tell Sam how he feels? Why? Why not?

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Does it matter if Charlie does or does not tell Sam??

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How has Charlie changed?

THE ANALYSIS OF LOVE tailoring

creative solutions for teachers

Writing Monologues

An excerpt from Kim, discussing Tommy Murphy’s advice:

1) Be fearless. Follow your instinct. Tell the story you need to tell.

2) Good theatre will come from good characters.

3) Make it authentic. Listen to how people speak and figure out the rhythms of

everyday language.

4) Let the audience know the stakes. It’s always good when the audience is aware

of what the character or characters have to lose, and what they stand to gain.

5) Theatre is about change. Theatre exists in each performance for a certain

amount of time, during which, things happen and circumstances change.

6) Finally, and this applies especially to teenagers: Don’t whine. It is very easy when

trying to write a monologue to slip into a mode of complaint. Generally, you

want your character to earn your audience’s sympathy, but complaining too

much is one of the quickest ways to lose it!

The Object of Love . . . . Sam Delving deeper, take up The Challenge . . .

Task: Read the hints from Kim’s mentor, Playwright Tommy Murphy, below and click

on the link (to the right) for tips from Caleb Lewis

Your Challenge: Write a monologue from Sam's point of view. It can be:

a) before Charlie reveals his feelings

(Does Sam suspect? Feel the same way? Is he unaware?)

OR

b) after Charlie confesses his feelings to Sam

Next: Using the script of the screenplay and your monologue, create a scene that is

an interaction between Sam and Charlie.

Try not to add words from Charlie, the scene is just an interaction of two monologues. You can

split the dialogue as frequently or infrequently as you wish. Think about where the characters are

placed in the space and in relation to each other. How does the meaning change for the

audience when you do this?

Take up the challenge, go behind the scenes, get some handy hints, become a writer/actor:

Visit our website www.atyp.com.au/education/the-language-love

tailoring

creative solutions for teachers

THE ANALYSIS OF LOVE

17 year old Kim Ho was one of the winners of atyp’s 2012 online writing

competition Love Bytes, with his 3 minute take on first love, Transcendence.

His prize? A mentorship with leading Australian playwright Tommy Murphy,

and the opportunity to work with filmmaker Laura Scrivano on developing Transcendence into a longer piece, which became The Language of Love.

The Language of Love: Behind the Scenes

“In July last year, I submitted a three-minute monologue for The Voices

Project’s Love Bytes competition, with the rather precocious

title Transcendence.

I’d scribbled ideas and lines on scraps of paper during maths; the filming and

editing process took me a couple of hours. And while I was used to acting

and liked telling stories, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I didn’t know

this would be my first tentative step into theatre writing. It’s been an

incredible journey, and completely unanticipated. I thought I might share

what I’ve learnt along the way”. Kim Ho

Watch Making The Language of Love

Read Kim’s story at http://www.atyp.com.au/education/the-language-love

Performing Monologues

An excerpt from Kim, discussing Laura Scrivano ’s advice:

Acting may well have been, for me, the hardest part of realising the monologue.

I’d only ever acted on stage, and I’m used to being over the top for irreverent roles.

Having Laura Scrivano as a director was a godsend. According to Laura, the trick is

to internalise your character’s action more. The camera should be able to see

ideas flitting around behind your eyes. On film, especially with close-ups, less is

more.

Looking for monologue films/scripts? Visit our website http://www.atyp.com.au/education/publications

“I’ll never be able to thank atyp enough for putting their confidence in a

schoolboy, and I’ve tried to write something that will resonate with many

people. The Language of Love is a piece that’s incredibly special to me.

Just as Charlie wants to hold and comfort Sam, I hope my audience will

want to step into the film and hug them both”. Kim Ho