Story telling unit: Casting

Casting

My film had three characters, in the 1st 2 minuets only 2 of them (Matt and Lucy) are seen on screen the other (Gary) is heard out of shot.

The characters include:

River Dana Bloom as "Matt/Mave"
"Matt (Mave) is a 19 year old biological boy from a Military family. They're a skinny and awkward teen who tries to blend into the background, they keeps a very close circle of friends and is obviously uncomfortable in their own skin."

Zak Wilkins as "Dad/Gary"
"Gary is a 39 year old father, his wife died when Lucy was 4. He has spent his entire adult life involved in the army following his fathers footsteps, he takes pride in his appearance."

Grace Buffham as "Lucy"
"Lucy is a 19 year old girl raised by her single father. She is bubbly, social and has been best friends with Matt since they were 5."

Story Telling Unit: Shot list/Story board

Shot List/Story Board

Shot 1= CU side profile of Matt/Mave walking down an empty street in scuffed heels

Shot 2= CU of Matt/Mave's shoes walking

Shot 3= WS Lucy sat on the edge of her bed texting Matt/Mave

Shot 4 = CU of the text conversation between Lucy and Matt/Mave

Shot 5= CU of Matt/Mave turning the corner into Lucy's front garden

Shot 6= CU of Lucy's hand making her bed

Shot 7= MS of Lucy spraying perfume around her room

Shot 8= CU of Matt/Mave knocking on the front door

Shot 9= CU of Lucy missing the last few steps as she goes down the stairs

Shot 10= MS Lucy opening the door

Shot 11= Shot reverse Shot MS Matt/Mave talking to Lucy

Shot 12= MS Lucy pulling Matt/Mave into the house and shutting the door

Shot 13= CU of Lucy looking/rummaging through a draw looking for face wipes

Shot 14= MS Lucy cleans up Matt/Mave's face while they sit on the edge of the bath

Shot 15= MS Lucy sits next to Matt/Mave on the edge of the bath

Story-telling unit: Research into screenwriting

Screenwriting research

What is a screenplay?

A screenplay is the script and shooting directions of a story ready for the production of the film itself. [Merriam-Webster "Definition of a screenplay"] It often has 90-120 pages that are written in Courier size 12 font, this means that roughly one page is equal to one minute of screen time. 

Hence why a screenplay is between 90-120 pages (90-120 minutes), comedies are generally shorter but a drama should be around 120 pages (2 hours). [Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"] 

Our brief is for a 10 minute screenplay of a meeting between two characters, therefore they will be ten pages long and when we come to film it will be the first 2 minuets (2 pages).

Screenplays being used

When on a set the; Producer, Director, Set designer and even the actors will all alter the script to what they can do, what they think will work and what they know is achievable, this is because everyone who works on the set of a film is a creative person themselves and a film is a collaboration of these talents. A screenwriter should be aware of the roles people have as well as their individual strengths and weaknesses, this should be reflected in the script. [Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"] "A screenplay can survive a bad director and producer but not a bad actor"- Steve .C

A screenwriter should keep in mind that both film and TV are visual mediums (show don't tell), a long monologue from one character works well in a novel but not a script, people don't talk naturally in more then three sentences usually. 

"The very nature of screenwriting is based on how to show a story on a screen, and pivotal moments

can be conveyed through something as simple as a look on an actor's face."-[Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"] 

Structure of a screenplay/elements of a screenplay (the first page)

SCENE HEADING/SLUGLINE: A scene heading is a 1 line description of the location and the time of day the scene takes place, it should always be in caps.

SUBHEADER: When a separate scene heading isn't needed but a distinction needs to be made in the action, a sub-header can be used. *should be used sparingly as a script full of sub-headers is frowned upon. 

When there are a series of quick cuts between two locations you'd use the term INTERCUT and the scene locations.

ACTION (AKA= DIRECTION, VISUAL EXPOSITION, BLACK-STUFF  DESCRIPTION OR SCENE DIRECTION): The narrative description of the events of a scene, this is written in the present tense. *Only things that can be seen and heard should be included in the visual action*

CHARACTER: When a new character is introduced their name should be in capitols within the action. After the character's name is always capped and listed above his lines of dialogue. Minor character however can be listed without names and using their job title instead e.g. "TAXI DRIVER"

DIALOUGE: Lines of speech for each character, the dialogue format is used whenever a character is heard speaking even if off screen or through voice-overs.

PARENTHETICAL: Parenthetical is direction for any character, this can be either attitude or action oriented. *Only used if absolutely necessary* this is because if you need to use one to convey what's happening in the dialogue then it more the likely needs a re-write, it's also the directors job to tell an actor how to deliver their lines.

EXTENSION: An extension is an abbreviated technical after the character's name to indicate how the voice will be heard onscreen, for example if the character is speaking as a voice-over it will appear as *LIAM (V.O.)* 

TRANSITION: Transitions are film editing instructions, they generally only appear in a shooting script. 

Transition words can include:

Cut to

Dissolve to

Smash cut

Quick cut

Fade to

*Should avoid using a transition unless there is no other way to indicate a story element*

SHOT: Shot tells the reader/audience the focal point within a scene has changed. *Like a transition there is rarely a time when a screenwriter should insert shot directions, this is the directors job*

Examples of shots:

Angle on...

Extreme close up...

Pan to...
"Top, bottom and right margins of a screenplay are 1" (1 inch), while the left margin is 1.5" (1.5 inches). 

The extra half-inch on the left allows for the binding of the script.

First item on the first page should be "FADE IN", the first page is also never numbered subsequent page numbers are shown at the upper right hand corner next to the right margin."[Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"]

From 'Writer's Stores' I learnt the basic structure of a script, what I should and should not be including in it. I learnt how to introduce a character to the script and how minor characters are introduced differently (through their job title not their name), and script terminology such as "extensions", "subhead", "Slugline".

Screenwriters
Youtube channel: 'Lessons from the screenplay'

"Where story meets style- Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson"

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola have a distinctive way of writing their screen plays, whenever you watch a Wes Anderson film you know it's his through the style and look. His scripts include things like; writing detail that is relevant to the story however overlooked in the screenplay it is gets written in parenthesis, including very little camera directions, having a narrator that breaks the 4th wall, and have visual details such as props and colour palettes included in it. 

As well as this characters are written so that they are going about their daily routines before being pulled into the story/introduced to the audience. An example of this is Becky from 'Moonrise Kingdom' who is first seen by the audience eating a sandwich, she later offers food to the men around her and only Scout Master Ward takes one. This both sets up a link between Becky's character and food as well as providing the building blocks for the love story between her and Scout Master Ward that occurs in the background. This allows the world of 'Moonrise Kingdom' to apear as an actual reality within itself, the movie gives the sense it will continue when it ends.

Adventures in the screenplay (William Goldman)= "Every movie...sets it's own special reality. Once those limits are established, they may not be broken without the risk of fragmenting the entire picture."

The dialogue in the film is direct and lacks emotions, characters speak with intense emotion but at the same time they are blunt with each other, what ever they think they say. This gives the audience a direct insight in what they might be thinking, it creates a dissonance (a lack of agreement/inconsistency between the beliefs a person holds and their actions [Merriam-Webster definition of dissonance])for the audience.

Youtube channel: 'Lessons from the screenplay'

"Don't underestimate the screenwriter- Gone girl Gillian Flynn"

Gillian Flynn is the original author of the book 'Gone Girl', she is also the screenwriter for the film adaption. 

Flynn writes her screenplay with efficient action lines, this sets the tone for the script but also means that if a actor or a director wishes to make a change to a line they can do it in the context of the script making it easier for them to do.

Another thing Flynn does is make the last line the point of the scene.

The anatomy of story (John Truby)= "The beginning of the scene should frame what the whole scene is about. The scene should then funnel down to a single point with the most important word or line of dialogue stated last."

(I found this source very informative, it provided the information I need as well as visual demonstrations of what it was explaining. I learnt that screenwriters often have their own unique way of writing a screenplay especially when people like Wes Anderson who is a very visual creator is writing as they want what's in their head to be reflected exactly.) 

Story Telling: Location Recce

Location Recce

Location 1:Waterloo Road, the exterior shots of "Matt" walking down the street



Location 2: Exterior of house/doorway



Location 3: Bedroom where the introduction of Lucy's character takes place



Location 4: Bathroom where the main of the interaction takes place between Matt and Lucy

Overall my location recce allowed me to plan my shots effectively around what would work and both in terms of kit and how it would be shot but also what would look aesthetically pleasing. 

Story telling unit: Inspiration for the "Meeting Mave" Screenplay

Inspiration for the 'Meeting Mave' screenplay

The inspiration for my script was a band called "Against Me!" whose lead singer is a Trans woman named Laura Jane Grace. 

The bands song 'True Trans Soul Rebel' from their concept album 'Transgender Dysphoria Blues', is what inspired the initial idea of 'Meeting Mave'. 

'True Trans Soul Rebel' music video

The rest of the story is inspired by events from friends who came out to our group of friends, as well as various stories from my research that I've come across.

Research into the transgender community

Research into the Transgender community

What is gender?

Gender is a social construct in which people are categorised into groups of male or female, it's more of a frame of mind over a physical state. The gender someone identifies as is not always the same as their physical sex.

There are hundreds of genders with the two most socially acceptable being male and female, others include; Cisgender (someone who's biological sex conforms with their gender identity), Genderqueer (someone who doesn't conform to standard gender labels, they are non-binary), Transgender (a person whose gender identity doesn't conform to the conventional notions of psychical male or female sex) among others.

Someone's gender identity does not have a direct influence over their sexual orientation for example someone who is a trans-woman and is attracted to men is straight. Other sexual orientations include; Asexual (someone who does not experience sexual attraction, however experience romantic attraction), Demi-sexual (someone normally doesn't experience sexual attraction however it is possible if they become close to someone they like), Aromantic (someone who doesn't experience any romantic attraction to people), Bisexual (someone who is sexually attracted to both men and women), Pansexual (someone whose attraction is not limited to the two conventional genders, or gender in itself) and homosexual (someone who is attracted to someone of the same gender as them) among others. 

What does it mean to be Transgender?

"Trans" is an umbrella term that can cover people with a gender identity and/or gender expression different to their physical sex. The term "Trans" includes but isn't limited to; Transgender, Transsexual, Crossdresser, Genderqueer and Non-gender. [website: belongto "What does Transgender mean"]

Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that can function as a phrase by itself and refers to either yourself (e.g. I, you) or someone else (e.g. she, it, this). 

Common pronouns in reference to gender are he and she, however many Trans people are not comfortable with these established pronouns and come up with ones that they prefer.

How would you feel if someone used the wrong pronouns for you?

Elisha 19 Female: "Slightly annoyed, but it's understandable if the person isn't familiar with new pronouns so it would be a misunderstanding. If it's intentional then I'd be angry"

Kirsty 19 Female: "If it wasn't on purpose I wouldn't be angry, we were all taight the pronouns specifically assigned to gender from day one and it takes a lot to adapt and use something that isn't familiar to certain people. It's a generational thing, in years to come it'll be second nature to not get mixed up but right now it's still new and slightly confusing at times. It's like the whole thing with older people and using words for race that aren't considered PC anymore but they still use it because that's what they were taught. I wouldn't expect people to get it straight away, I'd only be angry if someone was deliberately doing it to upset me"

Skye 19 Agender/Genderqueer: "It really depends on the circumstance to be honest. We live in a society that has conditioned us into assuming that feminine presenting people use 'she' pronouns and that masculine presenting people use 'he' pronouns. If a stranger uses the wrong pronouns it doesn't affect me so much because they didn't know and I can just correct them, the real problem is when someone outright refuses to use the correct pronoun because then they are showing me they don't respect my identity or believe me to be who I am (which is especially common with non-binary people like myself). Because I use 'It' and 'They' pronouns, which make people feel uncomfortable as they say that using 'It' pronouns sound disrespectful, even though it is actually more disrespectful for them to refuse to use it. When people refuse to use 'They' pronouns it is considered grammatically incorrect, despite the fact that they actually already use 'They' pronouns for people that they don't know the gender of. If it's a genuine mistake it's cool, if it isn't then I get annoyed."  

Jemma 19 Female: "If it was an honest mistake then I would have no hard feelings, however if it as someone who repeatedly misgendered me knowingly and with the intent of upsetting me then I would feel pretty annoyed"

How do trans people experience gender?

*Various point of view from an unknown website*

Person 1= felt something was "wrong" in their early teens, they joined the military, got married and had kids (all things stereotypically associated with masculinity). They occasionally wore some of their wife's clothes and were careful not to get caught. During the period of coming out they had a negative experience from their wife, they received counselling from a gender therapist.

[website: Bustle]

Started to struggle when puberty hit, "brain was like a Camry someone had tried to fuel with diesel-it wasn't meant to run on testosterone...wished I could be like the other girls in class, something just seemed right about who they were." Sank into depression, couldn't sleep without drinking and often drunk until they couldn't walk. They started hormone therapy.

10 LGBTQ people and their parents discuss coming out [website: LGBT helpline]

G= 1st came out as gay and then trans, they found coming out as gay easier then coming out as trans. Slowly became more and more isolated before coming out, secretive and did not put a lot of effort into making friends. Her mother was very accepting.

G's Mother= 'Be there for your child'

What it feels like to be transgender

[website: Sophia Gubbs blog]

To this person gender dysphoria is a feeling of strong disassociation from them self when they look in in the mirror followed by shock and confusion. Starting the transition they felt as though they were in a dazed state as if a train had hit, they could feel them self get more grounded and closer to reality/sense of self.  

Story-telling unit review of a British television drama series

Review of a British television drama series- "Banana" Russell T Davis 2015 E4

"Banana" is an anthology series created by Russell T Davis with a different writer for each episode, it aired in 2015 on E4 with it's co-series' "Cucumber" on Channel 4 and "Tofu" on 4oD.

The series looks at LGBT youth specifically based in Manchester (it joins with the narrative of the "Cucumber" series, this series is self-contained and focuses on Henry who also features in "Banana"). Because it's an anthology series each episode follows a different plot all based around giving a mostly comedic yet at times heartfelt look at the LGBT community.

Ep4: The episode looks at Helen, a trans-woman and a restaurant manageress. Helen is stalked by her ex Eddie who still hangs onto the hope that they will go out again. Through an altercation with Eddie where Helen puts him in his place, a racy film of Helen is uploaded to social media the next day. This episode looks at who her friends and family truly are.

The lead character in episode 4 is Helen portrayed by transgender activist and comedian Bethany Black. Her comedy gigs cover a range of subjects that include gender reassignment surgery, however it was her work on 'Banana' and its sister show 'Cucumber' that marked the start of her acting career. She is also the first trans woman to play a trans woman in a leading role on British TV.

Due to her obvious personal experience in the LGBTQ+ community Black's portrayal as Helen is all the more believable. She is able to have an emotional connection with what her character is going through and because of this the audience will have no problems with accepting the character. 

The fact she is also the first trans woman to play a trans woman is a landmark for people in the LGBTQ+ community who are often represented in dramas and films by cisgendered people.

The character of Helen breaks stereotypical special expectations of trans people, she isn't denoted as 'butch' or to have any elements of masculinity which is something the general public might assume to be typical of trans people if they have no experience or interaction with the community. 

This works with the shows intent of denoting the lives of people in the LGBTQ+ community and highlighting that they are just like everybody else.

The most important thing in the scripting of this episode is pro-nouns. Pro-nouns are an important part of a trans person's transition  into their gender identity, for this episode the everyone is accepting of Helen and her identity shown primarily through the correct use of pronouns. However when Helen uses her authority over her employees their way of being defiant towards her is by using pronouns such as "Sir". This highlights the importance of using the correct pronouns as the incorrect ones have been associated with negativity and rebellion against what the person who is transitioning wishes.

One of the biggest denotations of Helen trying to blend in the binary of men and women is her lack of eccentric or out going costume for her. She primarily sticks to baggy monochrome clothes which don't draw attention to her. Connoting that she isn't fully comfortable in her own skin as many trans people who are about to transition feel. 

 

The most common editing device in this episode is graphics, the rising action of the story when Eddie's character has released the video the sudden influx of graphics that repeatedly get cut away from help to build the tension and suspense in the audience. 

They are connoting the anxiety of Helen this coupled with her fast paced breathing adds to the stress of the scene.

Story Telling Unit: Idea development

"Meeting Mave" Idea Development 

(Initial ideas)

(Development of idea)

(Character profile to help work out how character would act)

(Character profile to help work out how character would act)

The character profiles allowed me to work out how my characters would act and talk in their scenes, it made it easier to write their dialogues.

The idea development allowed me to narrow down on one idea that I would be able to work with and expand further.

Story telling unit: Trailers "Soft Trailer"

Story telling unit: Trailers "Soft Trailer"

We were given the short film "Soft" directed by Simon Ellis and tasked with making a trailer for it.

I redid my trailer as I thought my original gave too much away. 

If I had to redo the second trailer edit I'd take out the final scene, I feel this gives away the most important part of the plot to the viewer.

Overall from this task I got an appreciation for how difficult it actually is to both make a trailer that makes people want to watch the film but also leaves some enigma codes as incentive to watch.