SUMMARY
Our goal was to mimic the interrogation scene from Pulp Fiction and create suspense and tension. As screenwriter, I craft the vision for our scene and try to be as close to the original as possible, while also considering our means and goals. We made a short film depicting an interrogation that was strong in it’s ability to create suspense.
Role
Screenwriter
Intention
By Jan. 13, as Screenwriter apart of Team 2 I will have evidence for rhythm in a script with a beginning, middle, and end, with tension by following How to Write Great Dialogue for the Session 3 project. I will know I met my goal if when people watch our film they are engaged by the dialogue.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader in the Field / Exemplary Works
Quentin Tarantino Explains His Writing Process
0:33 Choosing a story to write is like falling in love, you flirt with many ideas, but eventually you want to find “the one” to commit to.
1:56 Don’t think too far past the middle, it’s easy to figure out a story up until that point but a good ending might change based on production.
3:50 To create a mythology, you have to know all the rules of it.
3:54 A screenplay should be a form of literature, it should not be about cinema or what it will look like as a movie, but a standalone work that could be published.
6:55 When writing a mystery, it does not have to be solved, you do not have to write backwards. As a writer you can put yourself in the place of a reader/character and take your characters at face value. Your story can reveal itself to you.
8:22 Writers should not be result oriented, you should focus on the journey and live the story. If you put your heart into it, the result will be rewarding.
Training Source
How To Write Great Dialogue
0:28 The best dialogue comes from moments of extreme clash and tension.
0:43 Dialogue, or every line of dialogue, must serve a purpose.
2:44 If dialogue serves no purpose to your story, it will be boring and hard to watch.
4:11 Subtext is the difference between what a character says, and what they mean.
6:55 It is important for dialogue to have subtext, it is jarring when a character says something completely literally or even gives away the theme of the story.
9:09 Conversation and dialogue must be distinguished, and strike a balance between authentic and engaging.
Project Timeline
Pre-Production
December 5: Build Team, Begin Brainstorming
December 11: Complete Pre-Production Blog Post
December 14 (WINTER BREAK) January 4: Set Goals, Storyboard, Build Trello, Pitch
Production
January 5 – January 10: Shooting
Post Production
January 11: Add role evidence to team slides
January 12 – January 13: Editing
Proposed Budget
$6,852
Computers, cameras, audio equipment, and editing software for 35 days.
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The Film
Skills Commentary
Screenwriter, evidence on Slide 11 with annotated script.
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
I grew as my creativity in this session by working with my team on creating a film that is original while also following the inspiration we chose.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
My team and I collaborated on how we wanted out film to look and sound, and solved various conflicts by trying different variations of our script/production.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
I created a properly formatted script on celtx.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
I learned the importance of planning and time management with flexibility to allow for mistakes.
Reactions to the Final Version
“Very strong film, could have more creative cinematography” – Gracen Bayer
“You can vary your shots and also take planning more seriously” – Abby
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
I was proud of our final film and how my script came to life. I have a better understanding now of how rhythm works with dialogue and am excited to screen write on future projects. I think our film was simple in that the plot was straight forward and easy to follow. Our ending was somewhat unexpected and exciting for the viewer. We use emotional lighting and music to illicit reaction. Our story is gripping and open ended.
Grammar and Spelling
Checked with grammarly and spellcheck.
Editor
Oscar R.