SUMMARY
Role:
I was the screenwriter for this project, but I also served as the group’s director.
Intention (SMART Goal):
By January 28th as part of my film class project I will develop my screenwriting abilities by utilizing techniques taught to me in the “Big Packet” to set the tone and emotion of the characters nonverbally using written dialogue techniques.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s):
Warren Ellis, I love his writing in Castlevania and Ironman 3, this style of character focused writing contributes lots.
Training Source(s):
I got most of my techniques for screenwriting from the large packet provided to us by our class, but also by Trope Talks by OSP, and the story telling advice features in Running the Game by Matt Colville.
Project Timeline
Pre Production: January 4th – January 21st
Production: January 24th – January 25th
Post Production: January 26th – February 2nd
Proposed Budget
Only around 5 dollars for the tin foil used in the doodle-bobs.
Production – Action
The Film
The Film: The Extraterrestrial Cheat-Day
Skills Commentary
Resource Used: Trope Talk: Planet of the Hats
-Explain: This trope talk is on the trope “Planet of the Hat” which is a jargoned way of saying a culture personified by one major trait. Elves = Alien Woodland Hippies. Dwarves = Manly Bearded Craftsmen and Warriors. Etc.
-Why I wanted to learn this technique for the film because I was going to be portraying an alien culture and I wanted the audience to register that this was alien speech.
-Where: I used these skills learned most prominently in the script, I made the choice that they would use overly formal language and no contractions. I implied complexity in the culture by having two very differently dressed characters interacting in a relationship.
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking
State how you were creative: I was creative in the script, when writing these aliens I tried very unusual phrasing for their dialogue and strange often exaggerated reactions to mundane evens to show the non-human elements of these characters whilst still expressing human emotions to be accessible to the audience.
Ways of Working:
State how you were a communicator and collaborator: During this production I worked as both the director and the screenwriter because due to an off number of students our film team was short one member compared to the others.
Tools for working:
State how you successfully used Information and media literacy: I utilized the screenplay writing tool known as Celtx and storyboarded the screenplay.
Ways of Living in the World:
State how you developed career and life skills: I took focus as a leader in the group this time and I was put in the position as the director where I had to make a hard choice in only a few seconds time so we weren’t wasting precious filming minutes.
Editing Program: Spellcheck
Editor: Matthew