We need to turn in the HEB videos!!! Also Lets get these scripts done so we can start
PRE-PRODUCTION!!!!
CONGRATS ON GETTING THROUGH CAMERA!
You have a test this FRIDAY over everything we've been doing this week in class and remember I will NOT be here next week but you will be reading out of your text Chapter 4 "From Script to Schedule". You will have a test over this chapter when I get back next Friday.
This week in Intro to Film:
CAMERA OPERATION
*Also for all students studying for Tests ONE thru FIVE:
CAMERA OPERATION
*Also for all students studying for Tests ONE thru FIVE:
8 Core group of the production team:
Producers
Director
Unit Production Manager
Production Accountant
Production Supervisor
Production Coordinator
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Six phases of filmmaking?
Development
Pre Production
Production
Post Production
Distribution
Exhibition
History of film begins in 1890s
Vaudeville programs.
Single scene.
1897 George Melies built first studio out of glass. It was modeled after large still
photography studios and it had cotton stretched over the ceiling to diffuse light on
really sunny days.
What was the execution of Mary Stewart? First Special FX Movie.
Up to 1913 most films were still made in New York but since Thomas Edison Inc.
held the patens on the film industry most filmmakers moved southern California
and Texas.
Kalem Company were the first to send crews on location to shoot movies (no
studios)
Kalem also pioneered the female action heroine from 1912, with Ruth
Roland playing starring roles in their Westerns.
1902 A trip to the moon is the earliest known/example of the Sci Fi Genre.
Films then were under a minute and until 1927 done without sound.
Films were usually accompanied by live bands to enhance film experience.
First rotating camera was built in 1897 and so were the first studios
Panning shot camera was built by Robert W. Paul in 1897 on the occasion of Queen
Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. His shot was referred to as a PANORAMA.
In 1900 the close up shot was invented (some say that DW Griffith invented it)
First use of animation was 1899
1900 first motion pictures that can be considered as films.
First multi reel film was in 1906
The first theatre was called the Nickelodeon in Pittsburg in 1905
Who was DW Griffith?
The Photo Drama of Creation?
By the 1920s America was outputting 800 feature films annually (82% of the global
total) How many are made on average now?
The Jazz Singer (first talkie)
Wings. First and only silent film to win an Oscar. Filmed at Kelly Base in San Antonio
for a budget of $2 million from September 7 1926 – April 7 1927. Directed by
William Wellman and released by Paramount Pictures. Only director at the time
with WWI experience. First film two show two men kissing and first film with wide
release to show nudity.
For Fridays test:
Who belongs in the production office?
Production staff. UPM, Production Supervisor, Production Coordinator, APOC,
Production Secretary, Office PA’s and Office Interns.
Why is it important to know who belongs in Production Office? So you know who
DOESN’T belong.
What is the best way to answer the phone in the Production Office? Production this
is (NAME).
The Production Assistant or PA is thought to be half a rung up from? an Intern.
Good Production Assistants are worth their weight in gold yet as a group they are
often the lowest paid.
What is an intern? Interns are students or individuals new to the industry who lack
the experience and contacts.
What is the benefit for the production to have interns? Because they work for free!
What are the six major Hollywood Studios?
Universal
MGM
Columbia
Paramount
Disney
FOX
(and sometimes Sony)
What was the House of Un-‐‑American Activities Committee?
During the post WWII era what was the biggest threat to movies and theaters?
What is Cinemascope?
The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated Hollywood
in the early 1950s. Protested by the Hollywood Ten before the
committee, the hearings resulted in the blacklisting of many actors,
writers and directors, including Chayefsky, Charlie Chaplin, and
Dalton Trumbo, and many of these fled to Europe, especially the
United Kingdom.
During the immediate post-war years the cinematic industry was also
threatened by television, and the increasing popularity of the medium
meant that some film theatres would bankrupt and close. The demise
of the "studio system" spurred the self-commentary of films like
Sunset Boulevard (1950) and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).
Distressed by the increasing number of closed theatres, studios and
companies would find new and innovative ways to bring audiences
back. These included attempts to widen their appeal with new screen
formats. Cinemascope, which would remain a 20th Century Fox
distinction until 1967, was announced with 1953's The Robe.
VistaVision, Cinerama, and Todd-AO boasted a "bigger is better"
approach to marketing films to a dwindling US audience.
Gimmicks also proliferated to lure in audiences. The fad for 3-D film
would last for only two years, 1952–1954, and helped sell House of
Wax and Creature from the Black Lagoon.
What is Filmmaking? Unit 1. TEKS C5. Presentation describing the
history of Filmmaking. (Advanced students must present 20 facts). Must present
the history and evolution of the various related fields of study in filmmaking, its
economic impact, and the interdependence between the technical and artistic
sides of filmmaking. They can do this with a video, traditional presentation or a
graphic model.
During the 1960s, the studio system in Hollywood declined, because
many films were now being made on location in other countries, or
using studio facilities abroad, such as Pinewood in the UK and
Cinecittà in Rome. "Hollywood" films were still largely aimed at family
audiences, and it was often the more old-fashioned films that
produced the studios' biggest successes. Productions like Mary
Poppins (1964), My Fair Lady (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965)
were among the biggest money-makers of the decade. The growth in
independent producers and production companies, and the increase
in the power of individual actors also contributed to the decline of
traditional Hollywood studio production.
The New Hollywood was the period following the decline of the studio
system during the 1950s and 1960s and the end of the production
code, (which was replaced in 1968 by the MPAA film rating system).
During the 1970s, filmmakers increasingly depicted explicit sexual
content and showed gunfight and battle scenes that included graphic
images of bloody deaths - a good example of this is Wes Craven's
The Last House on the Left (1972).
Post-classical cinema is the changing methods of storytelling of the
New Hollywood producers. The new methods of drama and
characterization played upon audience expectations acquired during
the classical/Golden Age period: story chronology may be scrambled,
storylines may feature unsettling "twist endings", main characters
may behave in a morally ambiguous fashion, and the lines between
the antagonist and protagonist may be blurred. The beginnings of
post-classical storytelling may be seen in 1940s and 1950s film noir
films, in films such as Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and in
Hitchcock's Psycho. 1971 marked the release of controversial films
like Straw Dogs, A Clockwork Orange, The French Connection and
Dirty Harry. This sparked heated controversy over the perceived
escalation of violence in cinema.
During the 1970s, a new group of American filmmakers emerged,
such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas,
Woody Allen, Terrence Malick, and Robert Altman. This coincided
with the increasing popularity of the auteur theory in film literature and
the media, which posited that a film director's films express their
personal vision and creative insights. The development of the auteur
style of filmmaking helped to give these directors far greater control
over their projects than would have been possible in earlier eras. This
led to some great critical and commercial successes, like Scorsese's
Taxi Driver, Coppola's The Godfather films, Altman’s Nashville,
Allen's Annie Hall and Manhattan, Malick's Badlands and Days of
Heaven, and Polish immigrant Roman Polanski's Chinatown. It also,
however, resulted in some failures, including Peter Bogdanovich's At
Long Last Love and Michael Cimino's hugely expensive Western epic
Heaven's Gate, which helped to bring about the demise of its backer,
United Artists.
Tuesday:
Top 10 Modern Film Directors:
Films of the 70’s:
The French Connection: First R Rated Film to win an Oscar
Deliverance: Banjo Scene. Filmed in Georgia
The Exorcist: Directed by William Friedkin (who also Directed the Fench Connection)
First Horror film to get an academy award nomination for Best Picture.
Chinatown: Roman Polanski.
Godfather Part I and II
Jaws: Steven Spielberg. First Summer Blockbuster. Shark Never Worked
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
Carrie
Rocky
Taxi Driver
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Star Wars
The Deer Hunter
Halloween
Texas Chainsaw
Animal House
Alien
Apocalypse Now
Learning the following terms -
General Production Slang
Abby Singer – Second-to-last shot of the day. Named for a crew member who would always alert his crew of the second-to-last shot of a setup, scene, or the day.
Apple or Apple Box – a solid wooden box that comes in standardized sizes (from largest to smallest): full, half, quarter, pancake
Back In – phrase meaning lunch and/or any break is over and work has begun again
C47 – a clothespin
Crafty – craft services area and/or person
Day Player – a crew member hired for only one day or a handful of days worth of work
Furnie Blanket – a furniture blanket or sound blanket
Gary Coleman – a small C-stand
Hot Points – yelled when carrying something with the potential to hit somebody like dolly track or a C-stand. Usually said when going through a narrow hallway, doorway or around a corner
Juicer – an electrician
Last Looks – phrase to call in hair/make-up to give a final touch-up to actors before a scene is filmed
Last Man – phrase that refers to the last person to get their food at lunch; usually used because lunch should not officially start until the last man has gone through
Magic Hour – the time right before sunrise/after sunset in which the sky is somewhat dark but still illuminated. Often lasts only 20 minutes despite its name
Martini – the last shot of the day
Pancake – a size of apple box; see “apple”
Picture’s Up – phrase to alert all on set that cameras are almost set to start rolling
Scripty – the script supervisor
Sides – a half-sized script that contains only the scenes being shot that day
Sparks – an electrician; see “juicer”
Stinger – an extension cord
Talent – actor(s) or actress(es)
Video Village – the area in which viewing monitors are placed for the director and other production personnel. Referred to by this name because of the propensity to fill with people, chairs, and overall “too many cooks in the kitchen”
Flying in – anytime you are bringing anything to set
We are also learning -
Over/Under Stinger and Cord wrapping
C -Stand
Sand Bags
Apple Box
Tri Pod
Doorway Dolly
Reflectors
DONT FORGET WE HAVE A TEST THIS FRIDAY!!!
Here is the story structure timeline that nearly every scriptwriter follows. It’s a simple formula, Act I is the beginning, Act II is the middle, and Act III is the end.
Scripts are generally 100 to 120 pages. Each page, on average, equates to 1 minute of screen time. Of course some action-filled pages may take 5 minutes a piece while some pages loaded with dialogue only 20 seconds but it all evens out.
One of the first things that producers check when reading the script is the length. If it is under 100 pages then it appears that the scriptwriter doesn’t have enough material to tell a feature length story. Go the other way, over 120 pages, and the script is automatically thought of as cumbersome. Once you have a solid reputation as a scriptwriter you can get away with going over 120 pages but you should stick to these guidelines if this is your first spec script.
The easiest way of keeping to this unwritten rule is to break your story into three acts. In a 120 page script the first act would take up one quarter (30 pages) of the script. Act II takes up half (60 pages) of your script. Act III takes the final quarter (30 pages) of your script.
Act I - The Beginning
In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. He did this in the dark, which makes it even more impressive. As a scriptwriter you need to make an equally impressive start to your writing project if you want to create a masterpiece.
In Act I you begin with a main character whose life is about to be turned upside down, and who’s going to be pushed harder than ever before. Pushed so hard that his outlook on life will change forever.
The Ten Most Important Pages of Your Script
The first ten pages you write in your script are without doubt the most important. You need to grab the reader there and then or else they will put your script down and move onto the next script in the pile.
Elements of the First Ten Pages
In the first ten pages you will want to setup the following:
The Main Character
Exactly who is your main character? What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? Does he live a jet setting lifestyle or does he life revolve around his desk job? Whatever sense of normality your main character has is about to be torn apart.
Exactly who is your main character? What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? Does he live a jet setting lifestyle or does he life revolve around his desk job? Whatever sense of normality your main character has is about to be torn apart.
Location and Mood
Where does your character reside and how are the conditions? Does he live on the peaceful beaches of Hawaii or the cold, dingy streets of Philadelphia? Imagine if Rocky had been set in Hawaii, the movie just wouldn’t have worked on the same level.
Where does your character reside and how are the conditions? Does he live on the peaceful beaches of Hawaii or the cold, dingy streets of Philadelphia? Imagine if Rocky had been set in Hawaii, the movie just wouldn’t have worked on the same level.
Genre
By the end of the first ten pages it should be clear if your movie is an action flick, a romantic comedy, horror or other.
By the end of the first ten pages it should be clear if your movie is an action flick, a romantic comedy, horror or other.
The Premise
The premise is the basic story. For example you could describe Rocky as the ultimate underdog getting his one shot at glory against the boxing world heavyweight champion.
The premise is the basic story. For example you could describe Rocky as the ultimate underdog getting his one shot at glory against the boxing world heavyweight champion.
After the first 10 pages there are two more important plot points in Act I:
The Inciting Incident
So far the first ten pages have told the viewer of the main character’s life. Well now is the time his world is going to be thrown into chaos. A major problem occurs which the main character will have to resolve for their life to return back to normal. Your main character should have the motivation and will to achieve this goal by doing anything imaginable.
So far the first ten pages have told the viewer of the main character’s life. Well now is the time his world is going to be thrown into chaos. A major problem occurs which the main character will have to resolve for their life to return back to normal. Your main character should have the motivation and will to achieve this goal by doing anything imaginable.
Plot Point I
Nearing the end of Act I, around page 25, another huge event happens - Plot Point I. Thus far the story has been driving along and now is the time a tyre blows and sends the car careering off in another direction. The event will test your main character and challenge them to answer “how far will you go to achieve your goal?”
Nearing the end of Act I, around page 25, another huge event happens - Plot Point I. Thus far the story has been driving along and now is the time a tyre blows and sends the car careering off in another direction. The event will test your main character and challenge them to answer “how far will you go to achieve your goal?”
Act II is the longest act in the script and you should make it seem as long as possible for your main character yet as short as possible for the reader. Your main character will come face to face with a whole variety of obstacles, the obstacles steadily growing bigger and tougher. Every time he takes a step on the path to reach his goal some force (inner or outer) will block his path, forcing the main character to think quicker and grow stronger if he wants to succeed.
For this reason it is a good idea to have only one or two main characters in a movie. Anymore and you risk having characters become undeveloped and the audience not really caring about them since they don’t appear to be in any big danger.
This act is all about conflict and confrontation, nothing should come easy to your main character.
The Midpoint
Act II can be the hardest act to write as a scriptwriter. When you begin a writing project you often have a clear mental picture of the beginning and end of the script, but it’s how you get there that proves difficult. Fortunately the midpoint of the script offers a lifeline to the scriptwriter. Here we have another turning point, often the introduction or death of a character which sharpens the focus of the main character on achieving his goal.
In Rocky II Rocky has been looking for a white collar job but has been unable to due to his lack of education. Going against Adrian’s wishes Rocky accepts a challenge to a rematch from Apollo Creed.
Plot Point II
Towards the end of Act II and the beginning of Act III we come to a crisis point, Plot Point II. Right now the main character in your script has had enough. They’re sick and tired of all the obstacles being thrown in their way. Their world is a dark place with only a small beam of light left. Plot Point II should:
1. Force the main character to take action in attempt to solve the problem created by the inciting incident.
2. Make the character (and audience) fully aware of the “ticking clock”. Time is running out for your main character to finish the job.
3. Focus the main character on their ultimate goal.
Think of Rocky II when Adrian emerges from her coma to tell Rocky to win the fight. He re-focuses on his training and becomes faster, tougher, and stronger.
The clock has run out, it’s now or never for your main character. By now your main character sees the goal in front of them, but even closer to him are several more obstacles. These will be the biggest obstacles of all but your main character has come too far to turn around and head for home now.
Your character has to want to achieve to achieve their goal so badly that nothing will stop them. That does not mean to say that your story has to have a happy ending. Just a glimmer of hope or a torch being passed is equally satisfying, especially if you are expecting to write a sequel to this script.
Scriptwriting is all about solving your characters’ problems and resolving their story. However always be careful not to give your story the “yellow ribbon ending”. This is where all the loose threads in the story are tied up neatly, so neatly the ending seems false.
The Climax
The climax is the biggest scene in the movie, the final battle between right and wrong, good and evil. Your main character will save the day and resolve their problems in dramatic fashion. You have to make sure that it’s the main character who saves the day and not some Johnny Come Lately bailing him out, then your main character has achieved nothing.
In Dodgeball the Average Joes team beat the team from Globo-Gym only for White Goodman to reveal that Peter La Fleur had already sold him the gym, so the victory was all for nothing. La Fleur counters with the revelation that he placed all the money White had given him and bet on Average Joes to win. This leaves Peter La Fleur with another money to buy a controlling stake in Globo-Gym and take back ownership of Average Joes gym.
I hope this section on the three act structure of film scriptwriting has helped you greatly. Now go forth and get writing!
Course Description
Screenwriting
Topics for this course include the basics of screenwriting, blake snyder beat sheet, recognizing what to look for in a good script, story arch, conflict, character development and the three act structure.
Prerequisites
NONE
This course requires no previous knowledge in screenwriting.
Lab Materials Students will have a minimum 4GB flash drive to backup their writing sessions. A lab fee of $10 is required to be paid. An email address is required for class/blog updates.
Course Goals The goal of the Screenwriting program is to equip you with the knowledge and skills you will need to succeed in today’s world of screenwriting. The following workplace competencies and foundation skills have been designed into this course’s curriculum.
Common Workplace Competencies:
Managing Resources: Time/Materials
Exhibiting Interpersonal Skills: Work on teams
Working with Information: Ingesting and Evaluating data/ Organize Information Applying Systems Knowledge: Understanding Systems
Using Technology: Select equipment and tools / Apply technology to specific tasks Demonstrating Basic Skills: Reading / Writing
Thinking Skills: Creative thinking / Decision making
Qualities: Sociability
Instructor Information
Instructor’s name: Mr. Calvo
email: mr.calvo@me.com
blog: http://www.theurbanfilmschool.blogspot.com
Academic Integrity
Course Requirements and Grading Policy
Final grades are based on a ten point grading system
A = 100 90
B = 89 80
C = 79 70
D = 69 60
F = 59 0
Individual Projects Each student will have a total of three (3) projects being completed throughout the year. These projects will encompass all aspects of screenwriting.
Makeup policy ‘Incomplete’ final grades are only appropriate if unusual circumstances cause a student to miss one or two major assignments/tests. An ‘incomplete’ may only be given if the student and the instructor discuss and agree to this option. The student is responsible for obtaining and finishing the missing work by the next scheduled semester.
Course Content Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Identify and define terminology associated with screenwriting
2. Identify what to look for when reading/writing a script
3. Identify the elements of the blake snyder beat sheet
4. Demonstrate the use of Story Arch, Conflict, Resolution, Character development and the Three Act Structure.
5. Write a script that is structured to todays screenwriting format
