| Session Number | 5 |
| Week Number | 5 |
| Total Estimated Hours Contributed this Week: | 4.5 hrs |
| What was your overall goal for this week? | Make progress on production |
| Date | Task Description | Time Spent | Was this a Best Practice? |
| 4/24 | Pre-production blog post | 1 hr | No |
| 4/25 | Practice shooting last scene | 30 mins | Yes |
| 4/26 | Shoot last scene | 1 hr | Yes |
| 4/27 | Shoot hallway scene | 1 hr | Yes |
| 4/28 | Shoot spelling bee scene | 1 hr | Yes |
| Session Number | 5 |
| Week Number | 4 |
| Total Estimated Hours Contributed this Week: | 5 |
| What was your overall goal for this week? | Get feedback on our film and have a good start to production |
| Date | Task Description | Time Spent | Was this a Best Practice? |
| 4/17 | Filming and editing one day film | 2 hours | |
| 4/18 | Watching one day films | 1 hour | |
| 4/19 | Practice still shots | 1 hour | |
| 4/20 | Practice moving shots | 1 hour | |
| 4/21 | Other work | 0 hour |
| Session Number | 5 |
| Week Number | 3 |
| Total Estimated Hours Contributed this Week: | 5 |
| What was your overall goal for this week? | Edit script, prepare for shooting, and finish blogpost |
| Date | Task Description | Time Spent | Was this a Best Practice? |
| 4/10 | Finalized script edits | 1 hour | |
| 4/11 | Refined storyboard | 1 hour | |
| 4/12 | Researched cinematic storytelling elements | 1 hour | |
| 4/13 | Researched influences | 1 hour | |
| 4/14 | Finalized blog post | 1 hour |
My scriptwriting process is mostly typical, I had my initial idea and fleshed it out over the course of a week. I knew the overall sequence of events, but to make my script true to the comedy genre I tried to make my characters react in ways that are unexpected.
Cinematic Elements:
My co-writer, Charlie, edited my first draft of the script. He made minimal changes that mostly concerned practicality and simplicity. Our script is more of a guide because our dialogue is able to be improvised, similar to other films in the genre.
Our film revolves around our main character, an eccentric speller that is characterized almost immediately by their dialogue and energy. Through her spelling and unbelievable stories just on the first page, we know that she is a unique personality.
American Movie (Chris Smith) – Has an eccentric subject that is overly committed to their craft
The Office (Novak, Kaling, Schur, Wilson, Daniels) – Same as before + mundane environment, documentary style, almost universally comedic because of it’s absurdidty
Parks and Rec (Schur, Daniels, Pohler, Offerman) – Similar to the office, but in my opinion better
Best in Show (Guest, Levy) – Centers silly competition, dog show and spelling are both comedic in their absurdity
Napoleon Dynamite (Scarpa) – Makes something boring comedic, and attaches us to the quirky characters
Included in above post
The tri-fold board that the main character utilizes shows their commitment to persuading the judge, as they will go as far as to make a visual aid.
Through the Pre-Production process, I learned how much needs to be done in a team to properly prepare us to make a good film, and how important it is to use that time well. A problem that we solved was getting a supervisor for when we need to film outside of the classroom, we picked a staff member that we all like and who is willing to be in those locations with us.
| Session Number | 5 |
| Week Number | 2 |
| Total Estimated Hours Contributed this Week: | 8 |
| What was your overall goal for this week? | Finish script |
| Date | Task Description | Time Spent | Was this a Best Practice? |
| 3/27 | Script writing | 2 hours | |
| 3/28 | Script writing | 1 hour | |
| 3/29 | Script writing | 2 hours | |
| 3/30 | Script writing | 2 hours | |
| 3/31 | Script editing + location scouting | 1 hour |
| Session Number | 5 |
| Week Number | 1 |
| Total Estimated Hours Contributed this Week: | 5 |
| What was your overall goal for this week? | Make progress on script |
| Date | Task Description | Time Spent | Was this a Best Practice? |
| 3/20 | Watched Short Films | 1 hour | |
| 3/21 | Interview | 30 minutes | |
| 3/22 | Mood Board | 1 hour | |
| 3/23 | Trello/Scrum and Location Scouting | 1 hour | |
| 3/24 | Trello, Script, and Storyboard | 1 hour |
Student searches for answers and redemption after losing a spelling bee
Our main character is obsessed and passionate about their loss, they are stuck in the past. Think Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite, or Mark Borchardt from American movie. They channel the motivation that once went to their spelling career into making a documentary about the word “Capital/Capitol” which made them lose their championship bee.
Our protagonist was a spelling bee champion and took great pride in their skill. At some nondescript “championship” they were down to the final word which was “Capital” which they spell with an A, but the judges were looking for an O. The protagonist is deeply upset by the situation, and they are searching for some form of closure.
Mockumentary – eccentric subject: Michael Scott in The Office, Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, Mark Borchardt from American movie. Interviews man on street style, and testimonies/confessionals Ancient Aliens and Survivor style. The “documentary” itself is absurd because it follows a question that can be answered in a simple google search.
Our protagonist will begin recalling their spelling bee loss, one word to the championship, and on the last word – Capital/Capitol, they are marked incorrect. They spell the word like Capital, since that is the name of their school, but the judges were looking for Capitol. The protagonist has been obsessing over this loss for months, and decides to make a film out of it. They go around their school and ask people how to spell Capital, then they go to the Capitol building and ask people to spell Capitol. Then, they interview people who have some “qualification” for talking about spelling. There are various “secret” shots of the protagonist in agony over this issue, reading books, and making a wall of pictures and string. They come to the conclusion that they should’ve won their bee and go to the headquarters of the organization. They find that the spelling bee association is fairly disorganized and archaic, and are sent to someone random. They explain their story to the person who is fairly disinterested, and just tells them they’re right, then then ask for a trophy/medal and the random employee gives them one. To the audience and everyone else, the whole situation is unproductive, but we see the protagonist leave the building with their medal, and a huge smile on their face.
The protagonist goes to Capital High School and has a pretty average life. Because of their borderline concerning ambition towards spelling, they don’t have many friends. The friends they do have are clearly exhausted by their discussion of the spelling bee, but they go along with the documentary because they hope it will end the repetition of the issue.
Screenwriter
By March 1, as SCREENWRITER, I will have evidence of MUSICAL DIALOGUE by following How Aaron Sorkin Creates Musical Dialogue In ‘The Social Network’ for Session 4.
Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network
Quick dialogue that draws you in and is impossible to look away from. The flashbacks work and are not hard to follow because they’re recounting events in discovery and then showing the happenings in real time. The Social Network is based off a real story and real people’s lives, and Sorkin respects this fact while also making the film entertaining.
0:50 – Aaron Sorkin writes with a specific rhythm that sounds musical and makes dialogue more interesting.
1:15 – Sorkin uses longer lines of dialogue than other writers (mini speeches). 2x as many as When Harry met Sally. He also varies the length of the lines to keep avoid boring repetition.
2:12 – Very few action lines to ensure faster dialogue, as well as characters interrupting and speaking over each other more like a real conversation.
2:40 – Faster dialogue allows for variation in tempo of scene.
3:10 – Sorkin has an extreme amount of repetition. 15% of the sentences in the scene are repeated almost verbatim.
3:56 – “What the words sound like is as important to me as what the words mean.”
5:32 – Sorkin writes in meter, or often has lines that have a repeated stressed and unstressed syllable.
Pre-Production
January 23: Session start
February 1: Complete Pre-Production Blog Post
February 6 – 10: Set goals, storyboard, build trello
February 13 – 16: Finalize Pre-Production
Production
February 14: Test shoot
February 15 – February 21: Shooting
February 22 – February 24: Re-shooting
Post-Production
February 27 – February 28: Editing
March 1: Evidence due
I grew in my creativity when I took on the challenge of writing in iambic pentameter, I had to be flexible with my ideas and fit the vision into a certain format.
I have grown in my communication skills because I was absent for a significant part of the session and I had to stay in contact with my team to be up to speed.
I continued my use of celtx and trello.
I continued to develop my skills on working with others towards a collective goal.
Positive feedback from Miguel: said the last scene looked like the show Hunter.
Gracen said ADR needed work.
I think our group had to overcome some obstacles to finish this film, and as a screenwriter, my job wasn’t huge because our script wasn’t dialogue driven but I was proud of my team as a whole.
Grammarly
Oscar R.
Darren Aronofsky
Aronofsky retells classic stories in new and beautiful ways. mother! (2017) is a retelling of Genesis, and the story of mankind. I believe that many of his films follow the typical Icarus arc as well, with tales of people who push the limits of humanity and passion which eventually burns them (Black Swan, The Wrestler). He doesn’t specialize in any genre, but has mastered intense psychological themes that make for movies that physically change you after you watch them.
It is a rare and invaluable talent to be able to create a scene, a story, that makes the viewer feel they are in the body and minds of the characters. Aronofsky uses the basic elements of film such as cinematography and sound to make fiction come to life. After watching his work, I often feel strange in my own reality and mundane life because I become so immersed in the worlds that he has built.
Aronofsky uses Production Design and sets to reflect the mindset of the characters. He gives us something to look at while not distracting from the substance of what is going on.
Aronofsky uses two main shot patterns: center frames, and close ups. Simple, symmetric shots convey a clear purpose for a character, putting their goal right in front of them. In Requiem for a Dream, extreme closeups create a sense of discomfort for the viewer, overwhelming our emotions which relates us to the horror of addiction that the character is experiencing.
Editing is what puts a film together, and Aronofsky’s style sets him apart. He uses short cut montages which are a compilation of short cut sounds and short cut images. This technique takes a different approach to making us understand what the character is going through, as it is a shock to our senses.
Sound is the last sense that puts us into the psyche of the protagonist. When a character is descending into madness, we can hear the voices or chaos that echos in their mind.
Aronofsky focuses on characters, and creates an environment for empathy unlike any film I’ve ever watched. I am inspired whenever I watch his films and hope to write/create something as immersive one day.
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.
Screenwriter
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.
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.
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.
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
$6,852
Computers, cameras, audio equipment, and editing software for 35 days.
Screenwriter, evidence on Slide 11 with annotated script.
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.
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.
I created a properly formatted script on celtx.
I learned the importance of planning and time management with flexibility to allow for mistakes.
“Very strong film, could have more creative cinematography” – Gracen Bayer
“You can vary your shots and also take planning more seriously” – Abby
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.
Checked with grammarly and spellcheck.
Oscar R.