SUMMARY
Role
Screenwriter
Intention (SMART Goal)
By May 10th, as part of my film team, I will use screenwriting beats that end in therefor and but NOT and then raise tension by using How to Write a Screenplay by Bevins. By doing this, I will have written a script that successfully conveys the theme of community and evokes a feeling of anxiety in the viewer.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Ari Aster is an American film director and screenwriter best known for his work with A24 on his films Midsommer and Hereditary. Aster has dramatically impacted the world of horror with his unique and grotesque films. Aster has strayed away from classic horror (murders, jump scares, etc.) and has added a new style to horror that evokes a feeling of discomfort and unease for the viewer throughout the entire film. Midsommer and Hereditary have transformed the world of horror films into something uniquely scary.
Training Source(s)
| Cue | Notes |
| Steps | Before writing a screenplay, you need to learn the fundamentals of formatting; once this is done, the focus must be put on the skill of cinematic storytelling and the layering of knowledge. |
| How to write a screenplay | Great story = “…distinctive, dimensional characters, vivid description, and dialogue that has an authentic ring…” Use the least possible amount of words Purposeful (work on specific skills) and deliberate practice (big picture) |
| Read while watching | Questions to ask while reading and watching: How does the writer convey what they want the camera to show without specifying camera angles? How does the description indicate what is significant versus what is insignificant? How was the action described to evoke the visuals without using camera angles? How is description used to convey character through visuals? How is subtext – the emotional undercurrent of the scene – conveyed through the characters’ behavior and reactions rather than dialogue? How does the choice of words support the tone within a scene as well as across the script? How are all the elements working together to support the theme? |
Project Timeline
Pre-production
- Brainstorm ideas
- Create storyboard
- Create slideshow and share with all team members
- Write screenplay
- Decide on location and character roles
- Gather/make props, costumes, equipment
Production
- Set up shots
- Prepare blocking for each scene
- Film all scenes
- Record all sounds/dialogue and create music
Post Production
- Put all recordings for audio and video in shared Google Drive folder
- Label final shots
- Decide which scenes to keep, get rid of, or re-shoot
- Transfer audio and clips into Premiere Pro
- Put clips in order and make all edits
- Put audio in and sync up to video
- Make all finishing touches
- Export final film
- Add evidence to slideshow
- Present film and slideshow to the class and receive feedback
Proposed Budget
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)
Skills Commentary
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
During this session of production, our team definitely fulfilled all of these facets. Taking into account the amount of actors we had to use and facilitate for multiple scenes, teachers being gone, team members being gone, and Mr. Le Duc being absent, we definitely had to problem solve, think critically, be innovative, and creative to make sure this film was finished on time and coherent for viewers.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
Our team really honed in on these skills for this session (not necessarily by choice). Since we had a lot of absences, we were forced to find different ways to communicate and collaborate so that we could get things accomplished. When team members were absent, other team members would have to fill in to help make everything work; this of course had to be communicated with the other team members as well.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
For this session I used How To Write a Screenplay by Bevins to aide me in creating a cohesive script. This article helped me develop a baseline for what a script should look like and how to make it successful. Our group also utilized things like boom mics, lapel mics, canon camera, Premiere Pro, and more to create our film.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
The skills needed to complete this film such as communication, collaboration, creativity, time management, etc will definitely help me later on in life and with my career goals. My biggest takeaways were the communication and collaboration skills I added to; these will help me during future team projects and just in general when working with others.
Reactions to the Final Version
“It seemed as thought there was really good coordination between the screenwriter and the director to have that many people on screen and make it work.”
-Jack Rogers
“The emphasis of how happy everything was off added to the tension since you could tell there was something off.”
-Jack Grippo
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
Our film was successful due to the fact that it was simple, unexpected, and emotional. The storyline was simple enough for viewers to follow along but also make their own inferences. The film was unexpected due to the obscure storyline and tension that made the film. Emotion was what really pulled our film together in my opinion, the tension that was built was what hooked the audience and made our film unique and enjoyable.
What I Learned and Problems I Solved
One of the biggest problems I solved during this session was gathering the actors and directing them. This was quite the feat due to the fact that the actors we were originally supposed to use were unavailable since their teacher was gone; because of this, I had to problem solve to find new actors and direct them in a timely manner since we could only have them for about 30 minutes. Overall, I learned about the importance of having a back up plan and the importance of communication when planning out future events.
Grammar and Spelling
Grammarly
Editor
Josie Phillips