The Role of the Cinematographer

What are the key responsibilities of the cinematographer on a film set?  What is the cinematographer's relationship with the director?

    The key responsibilities of the cinematographer on a film set are about controlling the photography of the film: the lighting, the framing, and the camera work. The cinematographer (or director of photography) is the head of the camera department and works with the head of the lighting department in order to dictate the look of the film through the technical aspects in order to enhance and elicit different emotions in the audience. However, the role also goes beyond the lighting and camera as the DP is involved in other aspects of the production such as figuring out locations, what time of day to shoot, and being efficient and economic with equipment and time. As the role is the head of the camera department and works closely with the lighting department, the DP is also responsible for everyone in the department, i.e., grips, camera operators, etc. The cinematographer's relationship with the director is to give the director the space so that they can focus on the actors; their performances and their comfort. The DP is trying to achieve the vision of the director, sometimes having to take more liberties depending on how visual the director is.

What is Cinematography?

How is cinematography like a language?  What are three techniques of visual language that you realized while watching this video?

    Cinematography is like a language because you are able to convey so many meanings and feelings through the cinematography, that being the lighting, framing, blocking, etc. Three techniques of visual language that I realized while watching this video are the use of angles, movement, and perspectives. A key aspect of cinematography and visual language are camera angles. Different camera angles are able to convey and enhance different emotions and ideas to the audience. For example, if you want to show a character's fear or how they are powerless, you can use a high angle to make them appear smaller. Another example can be the use of dutch angles to show that the world is off kilter and that something is wrong. The second technique, movement, is able to change the way that a scene feels. Steadier camera movements feel more secure and confident, whereas shaky movement feels more uneasy and intense. The third tool is to show perspectives. You can use different methods to show the character's perspective and make the audience feel the same way, for example, you can emphasize a character's fear by showing a high angle of a monster. These are some of the many ways that cinematography is a language.

How to Simplify Your Script

What does this video have to say about focusing your story?  What are some key points it as to say about why scripts are too complex?

    This video advises that your story should tackle one central concept which is communicated to your audience through your characters and themes. Some key points that Tyler Mowery talks about for why scripts become too complex is that a common misconception of good stories is that a good story should tackle a multitude of ideas in a complex way. Because so many people online equate difficulty to understand to quality, it creates a misconception for newer writers who are led to believe that, in order to create a good story, they must cover a ton of concepts at the same depth, which instead just leads to a confusing and unfocused story. Instead, newer writers should instead prioritize practice by focusing on one central idea and finishing their stories so that they could learn from the experiences.

Script-to-screen Scavenger Hunt

After watching your selected script-to-screen video, how did the screen adaptation transform elements of the original script?  What did you notice about the adaptation that you think makes the final film less or more effective?

    The screen adaptation maintained most of the elements from the original script, but made the scene much more concise and eliminated some details. Specifically, the adaptation removed some of the extra shots and lines that directed the focus onto other characters and away from Elle. I feel that the choices that they made in this scene made the final film more effective as it condenses the scope of this scene to show Elle's growth specifically, rather than including extraneous information and adding a line which characterized another character to be even more of a bully than she already was at this point in the story. Specifically, the final product cuts a line from Vivian (who was named Sarah in the screenplay) where she mutters "The idiot speaks." which would've characterized her as someone much more negative and mean-spirited than she ultimately was in the film, which may have hurt the audience's perception of her and altered the dynamics between her and Elle when they become friends later on. Otherwise, the details changed made the scene's pacing better, such as eliminating the shot of Emmet walking in and instead including it as a reaction to Elle's answer. A minor detail that they also changed was that Elle's resume was scented rather than engraved, which makes for a more comedic moment as the professor Callahan then sniffs the resume.

Hero's Journey Film Pitch Reflection

Write an in-depth reflection on the input you got from pitching your hero's journey film project.  What was some of the constructive feedback that you got? What were some issues with your story and pitch?  What are your next steps in the process with it?

    Some of the feedback which my group received on the pitch was concerns over how we'd fit the whole story within the allotted time, locations and set dressing, the issue of the mentor and shadow being in one character, and suggestions for locations and solutions. Some issues with our story and pitch was primarily the conflict as we combined the shadow and mentor, which is contradictory as the shadow is supposed to stop the hero from achieving goal whereas the mentor helps the hero achieve goal, and that the ordeal was unclear. Regarding the pitch, our character slides were too info-heavy and contained too much text, making the presentation much longer than it should've been and leading to added confusion. Some options for next steps are either to fix the issues with our story and pitch, or put the idea on the back burner and work on something new. In order to solve the problems with our story, we would need to alter the characters, either by simply reassigning the archetypes and exaggerating certain details (i.e., making the older sister the shadow and further leaning into her protectiveness and controlling personality to hinder the hero and be the primary focus of the conflict), or by creating new characters for each archetype that was previously rolled into one character (herald, shadow, and mentor) and changing the plot to fit around them. Additionally, searching for more locations which can better reveal the setting of the story, such as abandoned-looking buildings, rural-looking trails, roads, and neighborhoods, and/or different interior locations, would greatly improve the story. However, it is likely that we will ultimately produce a new story entirely. 

Screenplay Formatting Pt. 2

Explain what each of the following parts of a script is and why they are essential: dual dialogue, day or night/dawn or dusk, camera notations, music cues, and notions. Which ones out of the video did you find interesting?  Why?

    Dual dialogue is a way of formatting in order to convey that two or more characters are speaking at the same time. In screen writing softwares, this can be formatted with an option, and it is shown by having both lines of dialogue next to each other. This is important because, when making natural sounding dialogue, there may be instances where characters talk over each other

    Day and night are used to describe the time of the scene; however, if the scene takes place somewhere where it being day or night is irrelevant or not applicable, you can simply exclude it from the slug line. Dawn and dusk are more precise descriptions for the time of day, typically only used if having the scene take place at that specific time is important to the story. Including the time of day is important because it changes when you'll be shooting, the type of equipment you may need to bring (such as an ND filter, diffuser, or lights), and the context of the scene.

    Camera notations should only be used when it is an absolutely necessary detail for the shot, such as POV shots. It is important for notation because it may alter the way that the story is depicted drastically if the notation is included, and if too much were included, it would impede on the cinematographer's job.

    Music cues should be treated similarly to camera notations and using dusk or dawn; only include it if it's absolutly necessary to be stated for the scene. If the music happening at a specific part is important for the story, then that is when you should include it. To show it, all you have to do is say what plays at the top of the scene.

    The ones that I find the most interesting is the dual dialogue as it feels a bit more unconventional and could be a creative choice in a film, if done well.

Screenplay Formatting Pt. 1

Explain what each of the following parts of a script is and why they are important:

    The slug line appears for every new scene and any time the location or time changes. They state whether the scene is interior or exterior, the location, and the time of day. Slug lines are always all caps and located on the left side of the page, above the scene that they describe. An example of the format could be EXT. PARK - DAY. Slug lines are important because it informs you where you should be shooting and the time of day, which are important for understanding what equipment may be needed such as an ND filter, a diffusor, or lights.

    Action lines are the lines under the header which describe, in more detail, what happens in the scene. These only include visual information, i.e., exactly what is occurring on screen and what they character is doing. When it's the first time a character is named, their name is put into all caps so that it is clear that this is their first appearance. This is important because it explains what happens in the scene, which dictates blocking, acting, and camera placement.

    Dialogue is placed below the character's name and is written regularly, i.e., not all caps. This is important because it is what the characters in the film are saying. Different factors about dialogue, such as whether it is a voice over or the tone of voice, is dictated by parentheticals. 

    Parentheticals are used next to character IDs and before dialogue in order to convey info about the delivery of the dialogue. When the character is speaking through a voice over or off screen, it is marked with a (V.O.) or (O.S.) next to the character's name. When providing context to how the character is speaking, it is placed before the dialogue but below the character ID. These are important as they differentiate the way that characters are speaking, thus affecting how the dialogue is said or filmed.

Fixing Common Short Film Mistakes

What are the key mistakes short films make in their stories?  How can these be fixed?

    The key mistakes that some short films make in their stories are no philosophical conflict, no narrative structure, heavy exposition (no story or story only being told, not shown), and using montages poorly. Having no philosophical conflict makes the story feel unmotivated as the philosophical conflict is the foundation of storytelling. To fix this, you must go back to writing and build a viewpoint vs. viewpoint conflict that sets up the base of your story and apply beliefs to your characters. Another mistake made is the lack of a narrative structure, namely a lack of character wants and costs in the story, which are needed to maintain the momentum of the story. Giving your characters wants is crucial and making that want have a large cost to the character creates a compelling story. One of the biggest mistakes which are made that manifest in a variety of ways is the use of heavy, often excessive and unnecessary, exposition, which creates a less engaging and boring story. This could be in the form of the story being 90% exposition, meaning that there really is no actual story, and to fix this you should use a story structure to help the story be engaging. Another way that it occurs is when the story happens off screen and the characters simply say what happened. To solve this issue, you should follow the rule of "show, don't tell" so that the audience is actually engaged by the story and not just listening to characters talk. And one more method that leads to the overuse of exposition is the use of montages. Often times, montages are only used to quickly dump a ton of exposition or show unnecessary information which bogs the story down. When starting off, avoid using montages and instead focus on writing a good story within the time frame.

How to Write a Short Film

What are the key points to keep in mind when writing a short film?  What is philosophical conflict?  What is attaching beliefs and action structure?

    The key points to keep in mind when writing a short film are the different types of conflict and how they connect with each other and the characters, the story's structure, and the characters. Philosophical conflict is the different philosophical, moral, and ethical beliefs which are in conflict within the story and is the backbone of storytelling. In order to build this into your story, you should create a viewpoint vs. viewpoint conflict where there are two opposing sides in response to a question of morality. After creating the philosophical conflict, you must then attach different beliefs to your characters Attaching beliefs is giving your characters beliefs and values which will influence the actions which they take and put them in conflict with one another. Action and structure are what takes place in the story and the structure which the story follows (whether it be strictly or loosely). The video recommends using Dan Harmon's Story Circle as a good structure to follow when writing the story as it is very versatile and scalable. 

The Midpoint

What is supposed to happen in the middle of your story?  What are some ways to construct the middle of it?

    The middle of the story, or the midpoint, is the turning point for the story, where a major shift takes place and the trajectory of the story changes. A way to think of it is that the character(s) have a clear goal in the first half, which gets derailed at the midpoint and the second half is their reaction and recourse until the story resolves. Another good way to construct the midpoint is to use Dan Harmon's Story Circle, where the midpoint is around numbers 5 and 6 where the character gets what they want, but pays a price for it. There are two major questions which can help you write the midpoint: 1) what does your character want and 2) what major cost will come when they get what they want.

Writing a Scene

What should you be thinking about when writing a scene for the first time?  What does this video have to say about this?  What should you be thinking about rewriting a scene?  What does this video have to say about that? 

    When writing a scene for the first time, there are two important questions that you should answer for the scene: 1) "What do my characters want, both in the scene and in the story?" and 2) "What happens in the scene that changes the story and moves it forwards?" Knowing what the characters want in the scene is very important because motivation is needed for a scene to actually have a purpose, helping to keep the story focused and moving forwards. It is important that the scene changes the story's trajectory in some way as it changes the characters and progresses the different types of conflict within the story. This can range from major moments, such as confrontations, to smaller moments, like characters debating.

    When rewriting a scene, you should being keeping in mind what the characters want, what the specific problem is in the scene, how the characters try to get what they want, and how does the scene change the overall story. These are good reminders of what is needed to make an effective scene in the first place, such as understanding the goals of the character(s) in the scene and knowing how it affects the story. Additionally, these guiding questions help hone the important details about the scene and make them more interesting. Including a source of conflict in the scene creates a more entertaining/engaging one as, without conflict, it would simply be exposition, which can bore the audience. Understanding the way that characters are trying to get what they want can reveal important characterization and show the lengths which the character may go to in order to achieve their goal.

Setups and Payoffs

What are set-ups and pay-offs?  Why are they so important in the screenplay you are writing?

    Set-ups and pay-offs are ways for the story to logically develop, creating a sense of inevitability and cohesion that make the resolution feel more earned. Essentially, set-ups are where you establish a line of information which will be relevant and/or affect the story later on and pay-off are where that information or detail comes back and accomplishes something. These are so important in writing a screenplay because they help the story flow better and the important details feel like they are earned and fit; it breaks the audience's suspension of disbelief when a new piece of the plot appears with no set-up. Additionally, having this system in-place can improve the audience's engagement and keep them interested with more info-heavy stories.

Dan Harmon's Story Circle

How is Dan Harmon's Story Circle similar to "The Hero's Journey" monomyth cycle you've learned about?  How is it different?  Which system do you prefer?  Why?

    Dan Harmon's Story Circle is a story structure which breaks down the story into 8 key points: 1) comfort zone, 2) need/desire, 3) unfamiliar situation, 4) adaptation, 5) get what they wanted, 6) but pay a price, 7) return to comfort, and 8) having changed. The Story Circle is similar to "The Hero's Journey" monomyth cycle as it bares similarity in key moments such as a character having to leave their comfort zone into an unfamiliar situation, learning and changing from it, before inevitably returning to a comfort zone. The Story Circle differs from the Hero's Journey as it is able to work effectively at much smaller scales and acts much more loosely compared to the Hero's Journey. I believe I would prefer using the Story Circle because of its great versatility and how you can use it for smaller components of a story on top of the entire story. That being said, there is a level of simplicity with the Hero's Journey that would make it easier to follow so, in execution, I may wind up using one or both of these two tools when writing my next story.

Patterns in Storytelling

What storytelling patterns does this video discuss, and what significance do they hold when you are writing a short film?

    Some storytelling patterns that this video discusses are tropes and how they are used effectively. When writing in a genre, there are going to be conventions and tropes commonly tied to the genre, which match the expectations that the audience will have of any media within that genre. It is important to use these expectations and also know when to subvert them. There is a balance required of following and breaking the set rules of any category you're following. In the video, they explain this through the archetype of the hero's journey, which is a popular formula that contains a set of rules and structures that allows writers to create a compelling story. These are significant to writing a short film because you need to work with the audiences expectations in order for your story to actually be effectively conveyed to them. You'll need to use tropes and follow some rules in order for the audience to be receptive to your story. Following their expectations to a level allows for them to be interested; however, you must also add a level of uniqueness as well in order to have an interesting story.

How Samurai Films Influenced the Creation of Star Wars

How did Kurosawa influence George Lucas?  What parts of the samurai film did Lucas incorporate into Star Wars?  What is the most interesting thing that you learned in this video?

    Kurosawa influenced George Lucas as Kurosawa had been raised on Western Films but was a filmmaker during the time of war, thus creating unique, action-packed, films about Samurai in order to slip past war-time requirements of only imperial propaganda being produced in film. The types of films which Kurosawa had created during this time fit the kind of films which a young George Lucas was getting into during his time at film school. Some parts of the samurai film which Lucas incorporated into Star Wars were inspired naming and modeling plot details and scenes after ones in Kurosawa's films. This includes the name of the Jedi, many scenes such as the Cantina scene, characters like the peasants (becoming R2D2 and C3PO), and filmmaking techniques such as the wipe. The most interesting thing that I learned about in this video was the Japanese filmmaking scene both during and after WWII. I had never previously realized that filmmaking was as big as it was in Japan and that there were films being produced and made during wartime.

The Hero's Journey in Examples

What do you notice when watching this video example of the hero's journey in these films?  How is it represented in each film?

    When watching this video example of the hero's journey within the films, I notice that each film follows the formula nearly to a T, with little to no deviations from it. However, despite the formula, they still are compelling and unique stories that people love and enjoy; they are able to convey different themes and create different connections whilst following this tried and true formula. The archetype is represented in the arc that the protagonist goes through, i.e., the way that their character progresses through the story and the major story beats that are important to that journey. Each character starts off as a regular person before recieving a call to action and meeting a mentor that leads them over the threshold. They learn lessons and face a series of trials, overcoming their fears and ultimately being reborn in someway, using some kind of boon to accomplish their mission. In many instances, they also typically find love as it is part of the human condition and is often used as an important obstacle and goal for the hero.

What is the Hero's Journey?

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-the-heros-journey

What is the hero's journey?  What parts of the structure stand out and seem the most important to you?

    The hero's journey is an archetype where the protagonist goes on an adventure where they learn a lesson and transform (typically into a more confidence, stronger, person) throughout the story, ultimately being victorious in the end. The article highlights three essential stages in this archetype: the departure, initiation, and return. Some parts of the structure which sticks out most to me are common points such as the "woman as temptress" and "atonement with the father" as they are tropes that I've seen before and feel that they can make for compelling points in the story. As for the most important, I feel that the essential beats such as the reluctance to go on the journey, the struggles of the journey, the transformation, and the return are integral to the archetype and plot. These are what makes the story a here's journey and thus are key for making the story.

Character Archetypes

http://adulted.about.com/od/howtos/a/archetypes.htm

Which archetype seems easiest to write?  Which do you think seems the most difficult?  Why?  What archetype do you understand the least?  Why?  What kind of hero's do you like telling stories about?

    The archetype which seems easiest to write is the Herald as the role it plays is simply to act as a catalyst, which can be done in simple forms. Additionally, the archetype can be fulfilled by a very minor character, such as a mailman delivering a letter or a concerned neighbor telling the protagonist about something. The one that seems the most difficult is the threshold guardian as it needs to test the hero in a way that correlates to a trait or need that must be met for the hero's growth and change over the course of the story. As there can and likely should be multiple guardians which can test different aspects of the hero, it adds another level of complexity. The one that I understand the least is the shapeshifter. I don't fully understand what the article means when it refers to the animus and anima and the explanation is unclear as well. I like telling stories about heros who change a lot over the course of the story, while maintaining core aspects of their character, especially if those core components are challenged throughout the plot.

Genre

What did you learn about genre and film from this video?  Why is it important to a film?

    From this video, I learned that word genre comes from the french word for "type" and in film it is used to categorize all the different kinds of movies and stories that exist, e.g., comedy, sci-fi, horror, western, etc. Genre is important to a film because it affects three major areas: production, distribution, and consumption. The genre of the film dictates a lot of what needs to go into the production; the setting often revolves around the genre and thus different costuming, set design, etc. will be needed depending on what the setting (which fits the genre) is. For example, a western film often takes place during the time of the Wild West which was a period in American History of westward expansion. Many of these take place in rural areas, most often that not deserts, in a specific era which will impact the different production elements. Although westerns can have different settings, because of the nature of the genre, most of them will share a similar setting. Because of this connection to what will be needed in for a production depending on a genre, it makes it much more convenient for every aspect of production as there is going to be some kind of framework that can be followed for creating designs, casting, and writing. Distribution is affected by genre as financing and distributors are able to predict how well a movie may perform based on the genre as there are characteristics which attract audiences. This also applies to the consumption as it makes it much easier for a consumer to find a new film that they are likely to enjoy because many films share commonalities with others in the same genre. So to summarize, genre is important to film because it increases the convenience for every side; the filmmakers, the distributors, and the consumers.

Laws of Great Storytelling

http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-11-laws-of-great-storytelling-for-the-movies.html

Summarize two of the most interesting laws in this article.  How do they help create engaging visual stories?

    Two of the most interesting laws in this article are writing economically and making sure every character has a unique voice. Writing economically means to not overwrite your stage directions and your dialogue. This law helps create engaging stories because you can focus your stage directions on entertaining and not muddle it being verbose, and making audiences work to understand the meaning behind dialogue helps build a better emotional connection. Giving every character a unique voice encompasses many traits and aspects of the character, i.e., making unique characters (avoiding stereotypes and giving them quirks), writing a character that someone would be interested in playing, making them dynamic and changing throughout the story, and making their journey difficult. This helps create an engaging visual story as it makes the character have more depth and the audience can connect to them better. It also makes them more interesting because having unique aspects can cause the character to be more memorable and differentiate from other characters.

7 Basic Plots

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots

Pick two of these plot types that most interest you and write about them.  Why does each of these plot types interest you?  What makes them seem more interesting than the other ones?  Which two of the plot lines out of the seven would you like to use for a future video project?  Why?

    Two of the plot types that interest me are The Quest and Tragedy. I find an interest in The Quest plot as I enjoy a lot of media which follow that type and I feel that the typically character growth in quest plots is very interesting and entertaining. As for tragedy, I enjoy it a lot because two of the aspects of stories which I am most drawn to is characters and emotions. I feel as though tragedies have a large focus on these ideas and leave a lasting impact emotionally on the audience. The reason I find these more interesting than the other ones is because I am familiar with stories following these plots and I enjoy the way that characters change and are affected within the ones I've seen within these types of plots. As for future video projects, I also feel like The Quest and Tragedy are plot types that I may be likely to use. The Quest plot type can provide a good goal and want for the protagonist and create a guide for the events and plot, whereas the tragedy aspect can create a greater emotional experience.