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.