09-21-11 Reflection: Scripting part 2

            Last class was Part 2 of the scripting lesson. After reviewing the 3-Act Form which easily answers the major questions: Who (Set Up), What (Conflict), When (Set Up), Where (Set Up), Why (Resolution) and How (Plot Points), and briefly understanding how this form can be graphed into an arc (and that every character has their own arc of change), the concepts of the Log Ling and Synopsis were introduced. A log line is simply one or two sentences that sum up the script to quickly and efficiently get the story across to movie producers and curious audience. The log line should capture the audience’s imagination, capture the entire story but not necessarily give the ending and make people want to go view the production. The short explanation should instantly introduce the characters and their problems, and even demonstrate the irony of the story. A synopsis is longer than a log line, but no longer than one page of writing. This condensed statement or outline tells the entire story of the script, focusing on the major plot points and ancillary plot points, written in present tense. From the teacher’s presentation, I learnt information that will be useful to me when I write up my Criterion A assessment, and also in the future if I need to submit ideas to producers, customers or sponsors. Learning the difference between a log line, two short sentences that capture the entire story, and a synopsis, a page-length excerpt of the script to explain the story, will definitely help with future work, both in Film class at school, and in the real business world.

             We moved onto continuing what we had started last class with the second half of the students presenting their stories. The majority of the presentations had a lot to improve on, be it developing the story more in general, presenting the key points more concisely, or simply coming up with a plot that fits the film noir tradition. The ones that did stand out however were Ethelia’s story of The Booth, Alexandra’s Deception and Stephen’s Drug Ring. Ethelia’s story was well developed with a mysterious plot and was presented efficiently. The only thing to be worked on here was the presenter’s confidence! Alexandra and Stephen were both good in that their explanations were short and concise, with a setup of just the right length and nice twists in the plot. After listening to the rest of the class’ plots, I learnt more about what was good and what was bad when it came to stories and speeches (last class, I was too nervous to really pay much attention when others were talking). Hopefully, the next time I have to present my ideas, I will be concise, to the point and be able to communicate the plot clearly.

            Finally, we took a brief look at the screenplay and story writing program Contour. We briefly discussed each part in the timeline that would effectively organize our stories to use in our Criterion A assessment. Questions set the scene, explaining who the main characters are, their goals, obstacles and consequences. Archetypes lay out the main character’s development and growth throughout the story, from an orphan in Act 1, to a wanderer then warrior in Act 2, and finally a martyr in Act 3. This program will definitely be useful for writing the structure of my story and using it in my assessment, as it tells me what to write about through a question-answer format. In addition to helping with writing skills, my presentation and verbal skills will be improved, as I will be able to get the idea across clearly simply by thinking of this structure in my head and going through each stage accordingly.

            Today I was more of a passive student and quiet audience. Even though I did not voice my ideas however, I was still able to learn a lot through the feedback given to my classmates. Listening to feedback for others however can only bring you so much knowledge, and next class I hope to voice my own opinions to get personal feedback that I can learn from as an individual.