Storyboards

Why are storyboards so important for planning your film?  How does the script relate to the storyboards?

    Storyboards are important for planning because it allows you to visualize each shot before you start shooting which is incredibly helpful to know what you want to shoot as it can keep you on track and prevent you from forgetting a shot you wanted to take. You can also convey a lot of information on the storyboard, such as movement on screen or camera movements. The script relates to the storyboards as the storyboards are the visualization of what's been written down. They help to make the vision clearer for shooting the scenes written in the script. The script doesn't always say how the shot should be framed, just what's seen and what's happening. Thus, the storyboard allows the framing of a scene to be more solidified. You can also use a shot list as well if having a written list would be of more help.

Three-act Structure

In your own words, summarize each act of the three-act structure and explain what its role in the story is.

    The three-act structure splits the story into three sections and follows the character arc of the protagonist. The first act is the setup where everything is established. This includes the exposition where the characters, setting, conflict, and premise of the story is given to the audience. In the first act, the inciting incident happens and the act typically lasts the first quarter. The second act is the confrontation where the protagonist has to overcome obstacles in their journey. There are often also a moment where it seems like the protagonist is going to win before everything falls apart as well as their lowest moment. The third and final act is the resolution. This act includes the climax of the story, the falling action, and the ending.

How to Write a Treatment

What is a treatment?  What are three key points of advice this article gives on how to create an effective one?

    A treatment is similar to a synopsis and an outline, however it is a multi-page document that is written in a story-structure. It's essentially a more detailed version of the outline and it works as a roadmap for the people working on the project. They can be great for experimenting with the ideas and tone of your film, allowing you to explore them without as much risk as doing so with the draft would have. It can also help you create a pitch as you have a better idea of the story after making a treatment.

    Three key points of advice that the article gives on how to create an effective treatment are to not go overboard with dialogue, create an experience similar to watching the movie, and to use the treatment to experiment. Many writers often forgo using dialogue all together, but the author of the article suggests using a few lines for emotion or humor. Dialogue should be kept to a minimum as it is likely to change and you don't want to get rid of an idea because of the dialogue. You should create experience similar to watching the movie by including the major points and the emotion of the project. The author includes a template with prompts that help create this experience and doing this will help increase engagement and desire for the project. Using the treatment to experiment is great as you can feel out different ideas, emotion, and concepts without as much repercussions as experimenting with the first draft. This can help solidify your vision and find ways to make the story better that you may not have tried otherwise.

Synopsis or Treatment

In your own words, explain the differences between an outline, synopsis and a treatment.

An outline is a guide or plan for the writer before they start writing. This typically includes all the major plot points, the theme, and most important details. You don't need to follow an outline perfectly; if you find that a different route with the story or characters feels more fitting, it may be better to deviate from the outline. An outline can also be used for other types of writing as well, helping to make it more organized and thought out. One kind of outline in television is a "beat sheet," which breaks down each scene into its major beats (or significant moments). A synopsis is typically a one paragraph description of the premise of your film or show. This basically explains the essence and concept of the story without revealing anything that may spoil the media. It's similar to a logline and it's what describes the story of your film on a one-sheet. This differs from an outline as it is intended for people consuming your film, rather than to help the writer create the story. A treatment is typically a 2-30 page version of your script. It's basically a more detailed version of an outline, written with a story structure. It's uncommon for producers to ask for a treatment and, if your pitch didn't sell it, it's unlikely for the treatment to do so.

Raising Arizona Reflection

How does Raising Arizona mix comedy with deeper themes like love and family, and how can you use this in your own films?

    The overall genre of Raising Arizona is comedy, however the major focal point and driving force of the plot are the deeper themes like love and family. The way they mix is that the genre of comedy allows a much greater suspension of disbelief, as the audience are going to be much more accepting of absurd topics and ideas. The external conflict of the film itself is objectively a ridiculous and absurd concept; if it were in any more serious genre, it would be seen as such and the audience would be less inclined to accept it. For instance, the fact that the Arizona's had quintuplets, the fact that, because of that, Ed thought they should kidnap one because "they have too much to handle," or all of the odd criminal activity surrounding H.I. and his friends. This way, a funky story about a couple kidnapping a kid was able to be accepted and the feelings from the deeper themes were able to shine through to the audience. The comedy aspects soften all the darker ideas that many of the topics in the film had, allowing for the mood to be so much more light-hearted and for the positive message to be the one left on the audience. If the movie had taken those darker topics such as kidnapping, recidivism, trying to make a life after having a criminal background, and infertility more seriously, the audience would've been more likely to take away those ideas rather than the positive themes and note that the movie ended with.

    I could use this in my own films by taking advantage of the different effects that certain genres and themes have on the audience to direct their emotions the way that I want. This way, after they watch my film, they leave feeling the way that I want them to. This could be by amplifying specific emotions or using a genre where there is more suspension of disbelief to help the audience accept some absurdity.

Pitching

What are three major tips from this article that you took away on how to create a great pitch?

    Three major tips from this article on how to create a great pitch are to focus on essential elements of your story, begin by revealing how you came up with the idea, and to leave the buyer in suspense.

    Focusing on the essential elements of you story is important as you are making this pitch in a very short amount of time and you want to be able to have time left to ask and answer questions and possibly make a second pitch if the buyer passes on your first one. Some key elements that should be established are the protagonist, their "everyday" life at the beginning, why we empathize with them, what opportunity is presented early on to get the story going, what situation are they put into by that opportunity, what visible goal or outer motivation are we hoping the protagonist accomplishes by the end, what is the conflict that makes the goal seem impossible, and what are two antecedents to your screenplay (successful films with the same genre, tone, and/or potential market as yours). In order to get all this information in, you need to avoid trying to tell the whole story and to not get caught up in explaining detailed scenes.

    Starting off the pitch by explaining where you're coming from can both give the buyer some context and also might give them the same excitement that pulled you to write the story. This can be from a personal experience, or that the story was based off of a true story, or a novel that you got the rights for, or an article that spurred your creativity.

    Leaving the buyer in suspense is important because it will leave them wanting more after your pitch. This can be used to push them to ask more questions and be more interested. Some ways to do this can be to put the title and tagline at the end, that way the buyer has a better understanding and the title has more value, and to not say what the ending is. Although you want to keep them in suspense, if the buyer asks a question—like what the ending is—you should answer it clearly and succinctly. 

Pre-production Intro

What is pre-production?  What are the steps that a filmmaker must take to transfer an idea in their head into a form that is ready to be filmed on camera?

    Pre-production is the planning phase where you finalize all of the details of your film (eg., the script, budget, location, actors, and schedule) before you start creating anything. The steps that a filmmaker must take in order to turn an idea into something that is ready to be filmed are: (1) breakdown the script, (2) determine the budget, (3) work out a production schedule, (4) assemble your crew, (5) finish planning, (6) hire talent, (7) rehearse with the cast.

    The first step is to breakdown the script. This is a necessary step to take as it lays everything that is required out. This is typically done by having the AD go through the finalized script to create a breakdown of most every detail: times of day, locations, characters, stunts, extras, special effects, props, music cues, costumes, etc. This covers everything from the script on a logistical level and prepares you for what you'll need to put that script into reality.

    The second step is to determine the budget. This is the step where you find the pathway to achieve your vision as to the best of your ability (and budget). Figuring out the costs requires research on everything you'll need and you will have to decide where you should allocate funds within your budget. Having a higher budget gives you more leeway and the capability to invest in better tools for your film, but having a lower one means you'll have to get more creative on how you use your money.

    The third step is to work out a production schedule. A production/shooting schedule helps you and everyone involved know when and where scenes are being shot. You have to use your time effectively as natural elements such as the weather and daylight may end up working against you and affecting the production.

    The fourth is to assemble the crew, which includes the crew and department heads. Some key roles that need to be filled are the director, first assistant director, production manager, cinematographer (or director of photography), casting director, and a production ad costume designer. These departments will expand as the pre-production phase progresses and are vital throughout the making of your film.

    The fifth step is to finish all the planning. Typically, each department will work with the line producer (or production manager) to figure out what needs to be done to execute the vision. This stage includes location scouting and securing permits, creating a shot list and storyboard, and figuring out the props and equipment. After these are established the production manager will revise the budget to ensure everything fits. Settings, props, or scenes may have to be revised or even removed in order to fit within your budget.

    The sixth step is the hire the talent. This is typically led by the casting director, who will hold auditions for all the roles according to the script breakdown and director's notes. Finding cast who fits the role is important as it is difficult and may subtract from the film if roles are changed to fit the actor.

    The seventh step is the rehearsal process. This is a important thing to do before shooting begins as it prepares the cast for their roles and helps to understand the emotion behind their acting. This also gives time for the department heads to go through the final prepping stages to make sure everything is ready. Once this step is complete, you can sent out call out sheets to the whole cast and crew and begin the production phase.

Camera Unit Reflection

Review your camera unit goals blog entry at the beginning of the unit.  What did you do to achieve those goals?  What did you learn in the Intro to Camera unit?  What are more questions you have about using a camcorder?

    Looking back at my initial goals going into the unit, I can confidently say that I achieved them. In order to reach them, I reviewed the slides and diagrams, watched the skills videos, practiced through labs and assignments, and took notes. The slides contained a lot of valuable information and graphics that gave me the information on how the camera works and what functions it has. The skills videos were an easy way to learn what each button and function did and to refresh myself whenever I needed to. The labs and assignment gave me hands-on practice that helped to solidify the skills I learned in the slides and videos. Taking notes helps me retain information and thus taking notes on the lectures and slides helped all the info stick. In this unit, I learned how to white balance, focus, set the exposure correctly, set up and balance a camera on a tripod, extract the shots on the computers, the names of different ways of framing up a subject, different angles, camera movements, and cables. Some more questions that I have about using a camcorder is how do you properly set up a mic onto it and how to connect up the camcorder to a monitor.

Steadier Handheld Moving Shots

What are the tips that John gives to give steady shots in this video?  How can you use this in your next video?

    The tips that John gives are to use the strap of a smaller camera, walk heel-to-toe going forwards, lower your center of gravity, and walking on the balls of your feet going backwards. Many smaller cameras have straps and if you want a steadier moving shot, a way to do that is to put the strap around the back of your neck and hold the camera out until there's tension in the strap. This creates essentially three points of contact, making the camera steadier. The next tip was to walk heel-to-toe, which lessens the shakiness in each step. To do this, simply start with your heel and roll out to your toes. The next tip was to lower your center of gravity by bending your knees. This helps to lessen the impact of your steps and is important when you want to move faster, going lower when you increase your speed. The last tip was to walk on the balls of your feet when you go backwards, which provides the same purpose as walking heel-to-toe. It will lessen the impact and shakiness of each step when moving backwards. I can use this in my next video by apply the tips when taking my shots. Most of these are easy things to keep in mind so I just need to remind myself to do them and improve the steadiness of my shots.

The Wheelchair Dolly

What are three key tips that you found valuable from this video?

    Three key tips that I found valuable from this video are to take a look around the location before finalizing the script, leave the location exactly as you found it, and using a wheelchair as a cheaper alternative to a dolly. After writing out your script, you'll need to find a location and sometimes you can't be picky about where you shoot. So instead of turning down a location, you should first scout around and see how you can adjust your script to fit the location. Leaving the location how you found it is basic courtesy and helps maintain a professional relationship with the owner's of wherever you shot. This opens up the ability to ask to come back for any reshoots that might be needed. Using a wheelchair is a considerably cheaper option to dolly equipment and can allow you to take a dolly shot without extreme costs. If you're shooting entirely handheld, then this also maintains that handheld feel without being way to shaking when tracking the movement of your actors.

Dolly vs. Zoom Shots

What is the difference between zooming and dollying?  What do dollying and trucking add to the shot?

    A dolly shot is a moving shot where the camera moves smoothly through a scene towards or away from something. It can also move parallel in a trucking shot or around something in an arc. A zoom is an artificial magnification, which doesn't change the spacial relationship of the actor, elements of the shot, and the camera, unlike the dolly shot. As the dolly shot physically moves the audience through a scene, it can have the effect of forcing your audience towards danger or leave a situation. It can be used to move from an over-the-shoulder shot to just a closeup of the subject to make the audience connect more intimately with that character or to focus on a particular detail.

Camera Movement

Movement in film can be used in a variety of ways. What are some that you noticed are mentioned in this film? In what ways are they used? What are some films that you like that you could go home this weekend and study for their movement? What aspects of their camera movement interest you? Please explain.

    Some movement techniques that are mentioned in this film are trucking, panning, a dolly, and a jib shot. Trucking and panning can be used to follow subject(s) in motion, which is shown in the film through a dialogue scene. A dolly shot is used to move the focus, either closer or further in order to direct the audience's attention and give them feelings. The ways it is shown in the film is with a character focusing on an object, a dolly shot in to show that, and a character looking into a dark room, a dolly shot out to show that room. The jib shot or crane shot allows for vertical movement and can be good for establishing shots or moving the camera to a lower or higher angle on a subject. Some films(or shows) that I like that I could go home and study for movement are Stranger Things and Harry Potter. I plan on going to the theater this weekend to watch Smile 2 and I can try to pay attention to the movements while watching as well. The aspects of camera movement that interest me are dolly and jib shots. The way that the image changes in a dolly in and out looks incredibly interesting and I want to learn how to use a dolly to create those shots. The same goes for jib shots, the motion and feel of them are very visually appealing and I want to be able to see how they are made and what I can do with them.

Screen Direction

What does the video narrator have to say about how characters should enter and exit the frame?  What happens if these rules are not followed?  How does this apply to diagonal movement in the frame?

    The video narrator says that if characters exit from one side, they should be entering from the other side of the frame, which helps the audience understand that they are moving in the same direction towards the same goal. For instance, if in the first shot a character enters from the left and exits to the right, then the next shot should show them entering from the left again. You should also maintain the 180° rule and stay on one side of the character unless you cut in a shot from a neutral position on the line of action. If these rules aren't followed then it will look like the subject changed directions and are heading back the way they came. When it comes to diagonal movement, the rule still apply. Having the character enter the next shot from the opposite side that they exited maintains screen direction no matter if they exited in a close up or long shot in the previous shot. However, you should be weary of graphic imbalances where you place a cut to where the subject is small when the subject is close to the camera. This will feel strange to the audience and feel like a continuity break so you should either place the cut when the subject is the same size or when they leave the frame.

Height of Camera

What do low vs. high angles mean in relation to each other?

Although you can use high and low angles to simply add visual interest, these angles are also able to amplify certain emotions and feelings to the audience. Low angles can make the subject appear larger and thus stronger or more dominant while high angles makes the subject appear smaller and weaker. This means that in a scene, you can use both to show a power imbalance between two characters. By having one character higher than the other—either by having one stand and the other sit or having one on higher ground—you can simply match their eye lines in the shot reverse shot to have each character be viewed from a low or high angle. This will make one character appear to be in charge and the one in control of the scene.

Getting the Shot Right

What are three key things that this video teaches you about composition? Why is each of them important to the images that you shoot?

    Three key things that this video teaches about composition are camera position, the Rule of Thirds, and framing. The camera position is important as shooting your subject from a lower position makes them appear more dominant and bigger while shooting from a higher position makes them seem weaker and smaller. The rule of thirds adds more visual interest to the image and gives you guidelines that help with other rules and framing. Speaking of framing, it is important because bad framing looks sloppy, odd, and can give the audience a feeling that conflicts with the scene. The biggest concern with framing is how bad framing can make the audience uncomfortable when you don't intend it. That feeling can be used if intentional, but otherwise should be avoided.