Film – Week 8 – Screenwriting

Screenwriting
“Screenwriting” by pietroizzo is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
  • Josie’s Blog Post was very well written because she had many funny examples and she gave very thorough and detailed responses to the prompts.

“Ali film script” by Zadi Diaz is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

“You can’t fix a bad script after you start shooting. The problems on the page only get bigger as they move to the big screen.” – Howard Hawks

SUMMARY

  • I enjoyed this week’s blog assignment because it included very informative and interesting tasks, such as the “Every Story is the Same” video.

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Image from sneakonthelot.com/my-courses/
  • After completing this course, I have learned a lot about the origins of film and some of the first creators of film, such as the Lumiere brothers. I have also learned about the different roles in film making and what each role has to do in order to make sure that the film is completed in a cost-effective, timely manner.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

  • Some of the things that create tension for me are homework assignments, studying for tests, and my dog when I’m eating food.
  • I have a bad habit of not thoroughly reading the direction for homework assignments. As a result, I end up missing key parts of the assignments. This is something that I will try to practice in the future.
  • I tend to procrastinate when it comes to tests and usually when I open them up, a fair chunk of the questions look super complex and I have to scramble to try to do them.
  • Most of the chairs in my house are fairly low to the ground which makes it really easy for my dog to steal whatever I’m eating. My dog, being a terrier, has a big disadvantage when it comes to range, but, he makes up for it with his jumping ability.

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • The protagonist is an NFL player. The antagonist is the fact hat he has to play on the New York Jets. The protagonist is working toward not stinking on the field.
  • The protagonist is a man who wants to travel to all 50 states. The antagonist is his mode of transportation, the family truckster from “National Lampoon’s Vacation”.
  • The protagonist is a talented cowbell connoisseur who plays in Blue Oyster Cult. The antagonists are his band mates who don’t allow him to reach his full potential.
  • The protagonist is a beat farmer who lives on a farm with his salesman cousin. The antagonist is big lettuce who is taking away from beat sales. The protagonist is trying to out sell big lettuce and farm as many money beats as possible.

STUDIO (FILMING)

  • We build a great story by following the pattern you, need, go, search, find, take, return, and change.
    • This was a very fun video to watch.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • I learned about how the each of the different roles in movie making are performed. I have also learned about the fundamental pieces that make up most of the stories that have been told throughout history. I enjoyed most watching the video “Every Story is the Same”.

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Film – Week 7 – Tools, Time, and Rooms

CreativeCommons image Tool Stash by Meena Kadri at Flickr.com

SUMMARY

  • This week, I have learned the basics of the Sneak on The Lot website and by doing so, I have learned a bit more about the film making process.

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpDkYrWMjbw&list=PLqazFFzUAPc7tJwr4opBVx0-AIAAweDHh This playlist is done by the TJ Free Youtube channel.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Image from sneakonthelot.com/my-courses/
Image from sneakonthelot.com/my-courses/
  • I have completed the first-time user activity in Sneak On the Lot and by doing so, I have gained some basic knowledge in film production and in how Sneak On the Lot functions as a website.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • Today my nemesis are homework assignments that I must complete. I must try to finish as many of these assignments as possible by tomorrow. I have realized that I must have a sequence of completing work and the thing that will help me to be at my most productive will be to put my phone out of sight.

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

Developing Quality Workflow

COPY AND PASTE ALL THE CONTENT BELOW

  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s ALL UPPERCASE INSTRUCTIONS
  • TITLE THIS BLOG POST: DEVELOPING QUALITY WORKFLOW

What is Workflow?

Image Creative Workflow from Behance.com, https://www.behance.net/gallery/27919515/Creative-workflow-GIF

Work•flow /ˈwərkflō/

“The sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.” – lexico.com

What is a quality workflow?  How do we develop it?  Below are elements of the production cycle that most creative people move through as they create something.  First, we must identify the stages of project production. What is each stage and what are the quality checks for each stage.  Read on and find out!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. FILL IN THE QUESTIONS BELOW FR EACH STAGE OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
  2. PUBLISH 

Stages of Creation Development

Inspiration

How do we find ideas to develop? We find ideas to develop by holding meetings where members of a team can propose ideas that need to be developed or ideas that are working well.

  • We should use a site or streaming service that allows us to view movies and filming techniques
  • We should use the Kaizen method to ensure quality by constantly improving the work process.
  • We measure quality by reviewing how trustworthy and relevant the movies and filming techniques are by doing background research into their creators or authors.
  • All members of the group review quality.

Intention

How do we clarify our specific goal(s) for a project?

  • We should use a collaborative platform, such as Zoom or gmail in order to specify what the finished product should be like.
  • We should continue to use the Kaizen method of supportive criticism and the encouragement of group participation.
  • We measure quality by thinking about if the finished product can be realistically finished in the given time frame and whether it meets the requirements of the project.
  • Each member of the group thinks about whether the goals of the project will help to focus the team on the end goal or not.

Pre-production

How can we brainwrite, brainstorm, storyboard, and plan our ideas at this phase?

  • We can use Zoom in order to talk to each other and share ideas. We can also use Padlet in order to keep a list of ideas.
  • We should discuss ideas and then collectively decide which ones we like the most.
  • We measure quality by checking whether our ideas will work given the criteria of the project.
  • Each group member assesses whether or the ideas are strong or weak.

Production

How do we communicate with each other and execute our plan for this phase? This is where we actually make the project.

  • We continue to use Zoom, gmail, or Padlet in order to communicate with each other. We will also use some king of film making / editing software that Mr. LeDuc provides us with or recommends.
  • We should assign different roles to different people so that the work load is evenly distributed and people can learn more about the part of film production that they are interested in.
  • We measure quality by re-watching our film and making sure that it has all of the necessary parts to make a good film, such as, good lighting, audio, camera angles, etc.
  • Quality is measured by the group members and Mr. LeDuc

Post-production

How do we communicate with each other and execute our final stages of the project for this phase? This is where we publish the project.

  • We use production tools that are given or recommended to use by Mr. LeDuc or someone in the group who is knows a lot about film editing.
  • We should collectively share spots in the project that we think could use some work and choose who fixes those parts of the project.
  • We measure quality by comparing the edited version of the project to the version before it was edited.
  • Quality is measured by the group members and whoever the group may choose to review the project.

Presentation/Performance

How do we share our project with our learning community, advisory members, and the world?

  • We can use any platform that allows the sharing and viewing of films, possibly together with Zoom in order to share to the whole class at a single time.
  • We should take turns presenting or sharing our projects.
  • We measure quality by observing how other groups incorporated film making techniques into their projects.
  • Quality is measured by the viewer.

Feedback

How do we conduct a feedback session at the end of the project development cycle?

  • We can use any platform that allows the sharing and commenting of film projects.
  • When we view the projects of other groups, we should make sure to be respectful of their work but also give them feedback on where we think they can improve their project.
  • Quality is measured by changes that are made to the projects after feedback is given and by viewing the next film projects.
  • Quality is measured by classroom peers and Mr. LeDuc.

Recipe for Success: Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg's top 10 best films, ranked

Image of Steven Spielberg from Far Out Magazine, faroutmagazine.co.uk/steven-spielberg-10-greatest-films-list/

Born: December 18, 1946

Personal Success Definition

I define success as someone who meets their own personal goals. For the average person, their goals would probably be to get a good job, a house, a car, and possibly a family. For someone like Steven Spielberg, their goals may be to have a meaningful impact on the world through film.

Skills for Success

Check Out 'Firelight', a 17-Year-Old Steven Spielberg's Lost First Feature  Film
Steven Spielberg (age 17) recording his first feature film, ‘Firelight’ https://nofilmschool.com/2014/03/firelight-17-year-old-spielbergs-lost-first-feature-film

Steven Spielberg is a 1) film director, 2) producer, and 3) a screenwriter. At age 12, Spielberg made his first film using toy trains. He would continue to make films on 8 mm in his early teenage years. After graduating high school, his goal was to become a film director. He was admitted to California State University. Why he was there, he was offered an intern position at Universal Studios. Spielberg began his journey in Hollywood by directing TV and minor theater. Soon after, he would release the first summer blockbuster, Jaws, making him a well-known name.

How They Used These Skills

Amblin' - Wikipedia
‘Amblin” by Steven Spielberg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblin%27

Universal Studios gave Spielberg the chance to direct a short film. He presented them with the 26 min long ‘Amblin’, which he wrote and directed using 35 mm. The Vice President of Universal Studios, Sidney Sheinberg, was impressed with the work. ‘Amblin’ also won several awards. This got Spielberg a seven-year directing contract in Hollywood, making him the youngest director to be signed to a major, long-term deal in Hollywood. His coworkers realized his genius when he took on his first professional TV job, which was directing a segment for the pilot of Night Gallery. After the pilot segment, he directed an episode of Marcus Webly M.D. Afterward, he directed an episode of the name of “The Name of the Game” called “L.A. 2017”. His work would continue into shows like Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, The Psychiatrist, and Colombo. Universal signed him to do 4-films. And after these four, he would go on to create and direct some of the greatest American films of all time.

Challenges Overcome

Spielberg’s paternal grandparents were Jews from Ukraine. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family. He suffered from Anti-Semitic acts. Spielberg said, “In high school, I got smacked and kicked around. Two bloody noses. It was horrible.”. While attending Saratoga High School his parents divorced. When was offered his first long-term deal with a major Hollywood studio, he was judged because he was the youngest director ever to get such a big deal.

Significant Work

Schindler's List (1993) - IMDb
‘Shindler’s List’ by Steven Spielberg https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/

Throughout Spielberg’s career, he has addressed some serious issues in his films. Some of which are, ‘The Color Purple’, ‘Empire of the Sun’, ‘Schindler’s List’, ‘Amistad’, and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. ‘Schindler’s List deals with a subject that is close to the heart of Spielberg, the Nazi attack and Jewish persecution of WWII. The film focuses on Oskar Shindler, a German industrialist and his wife Emilie Shindler who saved over a thousand mostly Polish Jewish refugees from the Nazis by employing them in factories. This film is based off of the Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, written in 1982.