Question 1

In this course I would like to be able to build on my screenwriting abilities. Learn how to properly write strong and meaningful screenplays, following the write rules and formatting it takes in professional screenwriting. It would also be interesting to see how a screenplay would change in the hands of a different director, how the creative vision can change based on perspective and interpretation. It would also be nice to dip my finger in a variety of roles in pre-,  principle, and post-production. My main goal is to write a full script, from first draft to final (with help from the rest of the group of course).

Question 2

One of the main points that I took an interest in concerning Jasmine’s screenwriting lecture  is her point about plotting and constantly upping the stakes. Jasmine seemed to suggest that the stakes are constantly upped, and the audience is constantly pushed and inched closer, until the final climax at the end of the film. Whilst I agree that plotting is a consistent push of the audience, and raising the stakes is a major part of that, I don’t believe that it should all be pushed throughout the entire film and only be resolved in the climax. Continuing with the roller coaster metaphor from the lecture, I think a film should not be a constant climb until the climax, then a drop, but a constant fluctuation of highs and lows, with some necessary plateaus of short, non-intense pauses of action and intensity. Whilst this may be harder in a short film, it would make longer films and TV shows more dynamic and entertaining.

Question 3

 I found the reading “Writings in Short Film” to be really exciting. As I mentioned above, I would love to be able to write screenplays, and this reading helped establish some of the rules that I might need in order to correctly format and produce scripts and screenplays and others. It was also nice to see one of the scripts of short films so I can get a rough idea on how it all plays out, set the wheels in motion for ideas and inspirations, get an idea of what to expect in the future of this course.

Clown Train

The film “Clown Train” uses sound as one of it’s main factors in creating an atmosphere of  fear and chilling suspense. It is this atmosphere that lends the film to it’s more horror-centric genre, generating an idea of a constant, growing buildup of suspense until the climax at the end. The underlying soundscape is filled with a constant buzz, like a fluorescent light fixture makes, as well as the various creeks and groans of the train setting. Along with these constant noises, there is also other sounds that are in dispersed throughout the film. These sounds include the feint sound of a train on the tracks, the sound of objects moving around, a feint, piano based musical accompaniment. All these sounds are enhanced by an increase in volume compared to the dialogue. All together, a tension is created not just by the sounds that are heard along with the dialogue, but the long, seemingly empty spaces between. A space that gives an ominous feeling that something, like a jump scare or revelation, is coming up. This tension, like with most horror films, is brought in in the first second of the film. The film opens without visuals, only sounds, leaving the boarders that we see as objects more opening, with the audiences individual imaginations having to feel in the gaps.

Readings

I found a real interest in the week 2 reading “Slogans for the Screenwriter’s wall”, in which a list of ideas and “rules” are established for a screenwriter. I mainly gravitated towards this reading because of my love of writing, as well as it’s simple and direct ideas and beliefs, something that isn’t as common in a lot of media based readings. The first idea that stood out to me was the idea of showing before telling, that a film should be 60% comprehensible in a foreign language. I like this idea because lends to the action portions of a script or screenplay, rather then being dialogue heavy and falling back on the cliches of dialogue, like monologuing exposition. The other idea that stood out to me was the idea that in order to write for comedy, you need to be able to write drama first. It’s a simple idea that opens up a wide range of possibilities and further ideas that can arise. It got me thinking about how some of the most emotional and dramatic moments in films and TV can be from comedies. Also, the idea of comedy being dramas with happy endings, or dramas from another perspective.

Rolling

In my belief, “Rolling” was a very thought out and creative idea, with an interesting script and strong attention to detail, but it was let down by some of it’s production and post production, which is understandable in a student film. The script of the film, mainly the dialogue, seemed to be well thought out with a lot of little other details that added to the comedic tone of the film. These details were not just in the dialogue. There was detail in the setting, including the post-it notes and toilet paper in the apartment. It was these details, along with the over-arching ideas and themes. On the downside, things like editing and sound were a little lacklustre, consistently reminding me that I was watching a film. It seemed a bit choppy and the sound could have been mixed a little better, as there seemed to be some disparages with volume.

Glowstick Graveyard

Black Light

Flickering Shadows