Zoë's Film Coursework

There are three main details to include in a screenplay to develop a character: 1. The impression they create- their appearance; costume, makeup, actor, age 2. Their attitude- their personality and temperament 3. The world they inhabit- where and how they live; setting, props The most important element of a character is their personality, which is what you should develop first. To do this you could place them in scenarios and imagine their reaction. These may be unrelated to your narrative but might help you come up with ideas, or you could place them a scenario you already want to include in your screenplay, helping you to build a scene as well as a character. Some scenarios might be: - What would the character do if they were cheated on? - What would the character do if they were mugged? - Would your character accept a bribe and why? Other questions you could ask about your character to develop personality are: - Why are they interesting? - How does their personality...

I began mind-mapping ideas for my screenplay by listing the objectives I wanted to cover with the final script: Featuring one on-screen character- This is because I have to make a story-board featuring photographs, and using one actor is the most practical way to create a simple short film. Character preferably a teenage girl-  This is because I am writing a screenplay and as I am a teenage girl myself, it will be easier to capture the personality (and language-use, reactions to events etc.) of my character if we are similar. Set in one to two simple settings- Again, this is due to the need to keep my narrative simple as it has to also be represented with a story-board, ideally the screenplay would be set in a house as this is the most accessible location to film in. Tackle a social issue such as mental illness- This is because I believe that film is a powerful media that can be used to deliver a message to society and potentially effect ideology. I would like my fil...

For my coursework project, I have decided to write a screenplay instead of creating a short film, and this is for several reasons: The first reason I want to write a screenplay, is because this is something I have tried and enjoyed before, and I would like to explore it further. I have always enjoyed creative writing and this is a great opportunity to pursue this passion once again.  Choosing this option means that I can be more ambitious with my narrative, as firstly the screenplay will be longer, so I can explore character personalities and dynamics in more detail, and I can also interpret more of a traditional narrative into my script. Also, with this coursework choice I also have to create a story-board to represent the different shot types I would use if I was filming the screenplay. In my opinion, as this is almost like actually filming, by writing the screenplay, I get to experience both sides of creating a film.

In this blog post, I will be discussing research I have carried out surrounding narrative structures in film, specific theorists relating to this, and structures within short films specifically. Three-Act Structure The Three-Act Structure is an old principal used in all types of story telling. Essentially it means the story has a beginning, middle and end, though these are usually called: Setup Confrontation Resolution Theorist #1- Todorov Todorov identified traditional narrative theory by studying classic fairy tales and stories; he discovered that narratives move forward in chronological order with a clear beginning, middle and end, and suggested that characters are changed in someway at the end of the narrative. He called this a linear narrative . Linear Narrative Steps: The narrative begins with an equilibrium An action or character disrupts this equilibrium A quest to restore the equilibrium begins The narrative continues to a climax A resolution occurs an...

In 2015, Jörn Threlfall directed a crime/mystery short film called 'Over'. It ultimately tells the true and tragic story of a man from Angola who fell to his death from a British Airways flight as it arrived in London. The man had been hiding in the plane's 'wheel-well' and fell out when the landing gear was lowered, by which point his body was almost frozen. Threlfall uses an unconventional narrative to tell this story; as the events, labelled with various times, unfold backwards, allowing the viewer upon their first viewing, to play detective and work out the mystery themselves. When I began to watch this film, I thought the use of very long takes of minimal action were boring, but upon reflection, I realise that once you understand the storyline, the fact that not much is happening is the point; this is the aftermath of the man's death, yet there seems to barely be any effect on the community. I think this narrative is very effective, and a new and intere...

In 2015, Nick Rowland directed a coming of age/social realist short film called 'Slap', telling the story of a teenage boy in a working-class neighbourhood, who is experimenting with wearing makeup. The film opens with the protagonist, applying make-up, and the story progresses to him struggling to and eventually telling people in his life about this. However, this doesn't work out as well as he'd hoped, and the film ends on a negative note as the protagonist beats up his boxing opponent.    .    Firstly, I thought that, because this short film was longer than most (25 mins), the character development and dynamics were excellent, and meant that Rowland didn't have to rely on stereotypes to convey personalities quickly- something that's very important particularly in this film. It is also an interesting exploration of gender roles and masculinity within life in general, and sport, as the protagonist is a boxer- perhaps inspired by or an allusion to Stephen ...