Writing

Writing • What is the writers’ contribution? • Can you name a screenwriter? • How many writers work on a film? • How much is the director and how much is the writer?  

 

Writing • Reading a screenplay - what is there and what is missing?

 

 

Writing • Classical Paradigm – Dominant narrative structure in American Film – Protagonist - initiates action – Antagonist - resists action – Dramatic question - How does the protagonist get what he/she wants – Conflict/opposition – Patterns of action - cause & effect until climax and     resolution

Casablanca

Writing • • • •

Dramatic unity Plausible motivations Coherence All equal a smooth flow of action • Deadlines help move the action • Often Classical Narrative is a journey, chase or search • Protagonist is goal-oriented passive characters are not deemed as interesting  

 

Casablanca

Writing • Screenplay Structure – – – – –

Three Acts Act I - Set up First quarter of the movie Premise defined Obstacles laid out

Casablanca  

 

Writing • Screenplay Structure – – – – –

Three Acts Act II - Confrontation First quarter of the movie Protagonist fights obstacles Reversal of fortune in middle

Casablanca  

 

Writing • Screenplay Structure – Three Acts – Act III - Resolution – What happens as a result of the climax

Casablanca  

 

Writing • Chekhov’s Gun – If you see a gun on the wall in Act I, it better go off in Act III

 

 

Anton Chekhov, 1860-1904

Writing • Point of View – First person narrator – Omniscient point of view – Third person narrator – Objective point of view

 

 

Writing • First person narrator – Tells his/her own story or an objective observer – Can be reliable or not – Can be the camera

 

 

A Clockwork Orange

Writing • Omniscient point of view – Camera or narrator is an all-knowing observer like in a novel – Every time the camera is moved, you are given a new way to evaluate the scene  

 

Writing • Objective point of view – Variation of omniscient – Records events impartially - ideally suited to film – More “realistic” as there is less distortion  

 

The Passenger

• Non-verbal or figurative techniques

Writing

The Shining & Diane Arbus’ Twins  

 

Writing • Motifs – Integrated within the realistic texture of a film – Anything that is systematically repeated, yet does not call attention to itself - unduly…  

 

Writing • Symbols

 

Being There

 

Writing • Symbols

 

Planet of the Apes  & Godzilla

Writing • Metaphor – A comparison that cannot “literally” be true – Two items that are not normally together - “devoured be love”

 

2001: A Space Odyssey  

Writing • Allegory – Avoidance of realism – Connection between a character or situation and a symbolic idea or complex ideas

The Seventh Seal  

 

Writing • Allegory – Avoidance of realism – Connection between a character or situation and a symbolic idea or complex ideas

 

8 & 1/2

 

• Allusion

Writing

– Implied reference to a well-know person, event or work of art

 

 

• Allusion

Writing

– Implied reference to a well-know person, event or work of art

 

 

Writing • Homage – Like a quote or tribute to a colleague or established master

 

 

Battleship Potemkin

Writing • Homage – Like a quote or tribute to a colleague or established master

 

 

The Untouchables

Writing Psycho & “Halloween H20

 

 

Writing • Literary adaptations – Loose – Faithful – Literal

 

 

Emma

Writing • Loose

King Lear and Ran  

 

Writing • Faithful

 

 

Writing • Literal - often reserved for stage plays

Proof - the film and the play  

 

Writing • Casablanca – 1942 – Dir. Michael Curtiz – Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid & Claude Rains – Voted #2 film of all time by the American Film Institute – Nominated for 7 Oscars - won 3 - Best Picture, Best Director & Best Screenplay – Written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison (play Everybody Comes to Rick's), Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and     Howard Koch (screenplay)

Writing • Casablanca – Here's looking at you, kid" was voted as the #5 movie quote by the American Film Institute – "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." was voted as #20 – "Round up the usual suspects." was voted as #32 – "We'll always have Paris." was voted as #43