WRITING FOR FILM BLOG POST

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In Group STeve our objective from the outset was to invert the script writing process through experimentation with genre. Rather than a focus on the finished product, we were concerned with our process. We completed everything in a very experimental and non-traditional manner. Initially we chose the basis of our storyline (four people living in a share-house, one of which is a housemate’s mother and landlord) and then instead of basing our work knowing what type of show Keeping Mum would be, we worked outside of convention and tried reinterpreting our premise through different genre codes.
We integrated our research, pre-production and post-production knowledge to create drastically different examples of how Keeping Mum would look by exemplifying different genre tropes.
Once we had conceptualised our project plan, we divided up various genres and each wrote two one-page scripts to shoot as rough exercises. For these informal shoots we used ourselves as actors, which ultimately became a crucial factor in our script writing process. After researching the catagorising codes of each genre, we were able to write and produce scenes which held true to these conventions. Using our skills gained through practical studio sessions we were able to edit our footage to typify our chosen pastiche. This is clear when viewing some of our experimentation shoots, including the trailer for Keeping Mum as a thriller/horror and a short scene of Keeping Mum as a sit-com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-ISsTyDNk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfUhEJmKT-4

Over the course of our research and experimentation, we came to the conclusion that mockumentary was our chosen genre. But despite ending this initial pre-production period of inverting writing traditions, we continued to tweak the standard scripting process in other ways. For once we had chosen mockumentary we then assigned each group member with the task of writing and acting for their character, and consequently created semi-improvised scenes. These scenes were very loosely scripted; we would plan a conflict or motive, a rough sketch for what action would take place, and then trial a few takes. Each would be adapted from the last and result in a scene that seems natural, loose, not over-scripted, and true to character. The scenes shot this way for our mockumentary format are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZV2QMN4KYc

Overall we achieved Group STeve’s objective, and throughout the entirety of creating “Keeping Mum” we moved away the traditional script writing process. Our prototype has been a product of experimentation and a labour of love.

Yesterday’s Presentation Day

Yay! I feel our presentation went really well, and that we gave a holistic overview of our practice and product. Even though we were the second last group to present and the studio were looking disinterested by this point, we spoke well and delivered a great pitch.
Dylan and I spoke about location, and overall we were all integrated throughout the 15 minutes and each contributed.

Here are our plans for the presentation:

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and our slide presentation by Wei Yun:

WEEK 12 – STeve Presentation

Because of time restraints we were not able to exhibit all of our final scene cuts for Keeping Mum. These were the scenes we filmed using minimal scripting and once we had decided mockumentary was our chosen genre. Therefore I believe they are the truest to our overall objective, to invert the traditional writing process through experimentation with genre. Unfortunately we couldn’t show all these scenes and also show our process/different genre scenes so these were left off the presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZV2QMN4KYc&feature=youtu.be

These were the process scenes used to experiment with genre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfUhEJmKT-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqXiYCUkyIo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU1UsEKLFDE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-ISsTyDNk