BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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 cinematographer is the head of the camera department, and they work closely with the lighting department in order to create the look of the film. They are also responsible for assisting in the decision of locations; they must work in a certain allotted time very efficiently, and they must know what equipment is needed to achieve the shots they want to get. They should also be able to effectively communicate with the director and work with the actors, as they also have a part in how the film will look. They must be able to construct an image based on the director's vision.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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 an art form. It's similar to a language, because it's what you communicate with the viewer visually. It's also built on principles similar to a language; cinematography has rules and definitions. It's based on cinematic language: angles, color palettes. You determine these shot-types based on the perspective you want to show. You can do this by thinking about this main question: what emotion do you want the audience to feel? Power? Then use a high-angle. Weakness? A low-angle would work best. Cinematography tells the audience not just what to see, but what to think and feel.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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?

    He explains that having too many concepts in a film isn't realistic in the allotted timeframe you're given. At most, a good story focuses on 1 central idea. By focusing on one idea, it leaves the audience with one specific question at the end; otherwise, it'll leave them confused. Everything in the story should engage the audience and connect to the central idea. Having a complicated story based on an idea that isn't easy to understand doesn't make it an amazing story. Being able to take a complicated idea and make it into a simpler, more digestible story is more impactful to the audience. Instead of trying to make complicated, feature-length films in your script, you need to practice by creating simple scripts. This will help you build your skillset and allow you to write more complicated ideas later on. Essentially, understanding how to simplify your stories, what to focus on, and how to finish your stories will help you in the long run.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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?

Note: Try to think about how the following were affected in the final cut: character, pacing, tone or visual storytelling

The scene I chose is from The Social Network, and it depicts a flashback that shows an exchange between Mark and Eduardo, while also intercutting to the deposition room. In my opinion, I think the interpretation of the script on screen looks much more interesting than how the scene was described in the script. In the deposition room, the camera cuts to the reactions of different people rather than just primarily focusing on Gretchen, Eduardo, and Mark speaking, even though they were the only ones talking. It adds an element of tension in the scene as you get to see the reactions of people as they learn the details about what happened to the shares. The actors interpretations of the script also added an extra dramatic element, as Andrew Garfield channeled more emotion and anger through the character's dialogue, even though the script didn't have include any parentheticals to direct his tone/emotion. I think allowing the actors to channel the character's feelings allows for more natural and genuine acting, which is why the delivery of lines during this scene is so iconic.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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 feedback I got included details about our actual pitch formatting, such as having to much information for the character descriptions. However, most of the issues had to do with the scale of the project, such as the cast size, the locations, set-dressing, and the complicated relationships of the characters. In the time we are allotted, it would be hard to flesh out the character dynamics, motivations, and personality traits. Our hero's journey structure also needed to be tweaked a little as some events didn't make sense, and the archetypes for the group leader were conflicting (shadow and mentor). If we were to make it, it would have to be on a smaller scale, meaning we'd have to cut down on actors and locations, and maybe change the plot itself. For the next steps, we can either reconfigure the archetypes and narrow down some simple location ideas, or we can put this idea aside and work on a new hero's journey with the rest of the advanced kids.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: SCREENPLAY FORMATTING P. 2

 explain what each of the following parts of a script is and why they are essential:

DUAL DIALOG: When two characters are speaking at the same time, you should put their dialogue next to each other on the script. Most script-writing software will do this for you. There are some special cases, such as characters with a dual identity or characters that have names that aren't revealed until later, but they follow the same rules as any character and would just be introduced with their regular names above their dialogues. This is essential because it keeps the dialogue organized and easier to digest for the readers.

DAY OR NIGHT/DAWN & DUSK: You don't have to specify what specific time of day it is in the headings, unless it specifically takes place during sunrise/sunset, and if it does, you would put dawn/dusk. If you're writing about a place that exists with no time (such as space), you just put the location down. This is essential because it tells important details about the time of day a scene takes place and it can be used to plan production times.

CAMERA NOTATIONS: Unless this is critical to the story, you don't have to figure out or include camera notations, as it's the cinematographer's job. If you have a specific shot in mind, carefully craft your language in the action description so that the choice of shot is more unavoidable (ex. describing someone's hands reaching down would most likely result in a CU). This can be useful for directors who have a specific vision in mind for the story, even if they don't have too much control over the shotlist.

MUSIC CUES: Unless it's crucial for the story, you don't have to include this. If you need to, you would write it at the top of the scene (ex. Ave Maria plays as xyz). This could be useful for films such as musicals, or anything that relies heavily on music being played.

I found the Dual Dialogue rules the most interesting because it also goes into details about unique character types, such as characters that have two identities or characters that are "unknown" until later in the story.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: SCREENPLAY FORMATTING P. 1

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

Slug Line: AKA headers. These give you details about the locations of the scenes, such as whether it's filmed in the interior or exterior, the actual physical location, and the time of day. This is important because it gives context to where a scene takes place in the character's universe.
Action: A description under the header that describes the scene in more detail. It's all the action of a character, the visual information of what you see on screen. This is important because it gives the character directions on what their actions will be on screen.
Character: This goes below an action line, and it lets you know who is speaking during a scene. This is important because it differentiates which character is speaking during a scene.
Dialog: This is placed below the character's name, and it lets you know what they are saying. Dialog helps drive the story forward.

Parentheticals: This is placed next to the character's name that tells the reader if the character is doing something besides regular speaking (ex. voiceover, speaking into a phone, whispering, shouting). This is important because it gives context to how the character is speaking.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: FIXING COMMON SHORT FILM MISTAKES

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

The first key mistake is forgetting to have a philosophical conflict. This gives your story purpose and is the backbone of your film. If there's no beliefs or conflicts, the audience won't understand the point of the film. You can fix this by going back to the basics and focusing on the viewpoint vs viewpoint conflict. The second is having no narrative structure. Characters need wants and goals to give the story momentum. They also need a cost, which will create stakes. Having these will get your audience invested in your characters. You can fix this by clearly defining your character wants and the obstacles they face to get them. The third mistake is having too much exposition. The audience won't feel attached to the characters because they won't be able to fully understand the characters or know what their wants are. You can fix this by using dramatic storytelling structure and the Harmon circle. The fourth mistake you can make is having the story happen off screen. This is usually done through exposition told through dialogue. This doesn't drive the story or give it momentum. You can fix this by showing the events that the characters are talking about and making sure it follows the dramatic structure. Lastly, you don't want to rely on montages. This can be unnecessary, and a lazy way to show the passage of time and to convey your exposition. 

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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?

To write a short film, start by organizing your ideas. Whether that be a concept, a scene, or characters. If you need ideas, pull inspiration from existing media, such as movies or books. The first thing you need to establish is your philosophical conflict. It's the backbone of your story. You can build this by creating a viewpoint vs viewpoint conflict. A philosophical conflict is a moral dilemma that challenges the beliefs of a character. The second thing to do is attach these beliefs to your characters. Each character has a different point of view. You can attach their philosophical beliefs to define who they are. After you establish this, this will also help you determine what their actions will be. The next thing you need to do is build out your story by creating a structure. You can use the story circle to structure your story, as it can apply to a huge script or a short scene.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE MID POINT

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

In the middle of your story, things should progress, and characters should face numerous obstacles. A major event should happen at the midpoint. Everything beforehand should be building up, and everything after should be the effects of this event. This should be the turning point of your story, and it should send it into a new path. This gives momentum and purpose to your story. You can think of the structure by using Freytag's structure, which happens to be exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. You can also Dan Harmons story circle. The midpoint usually takes place between 5-6 (The find and cost). The biggest climax of a story doesn't always have to be in the middle, but having a turning point will keep your story dramatic and help you with determining what events should happen in the middle.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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 when rewriting a scene? What does this video have to say about that?

In the first draft, when writing a scene, you should keep the scene simple. You should ask yourself these two main questions: What do the characters want, and what happens in the scene to move the story forward? In a scene, characters should learn something, or the world should change. All scenes should change the trajectory of the story in some way and push it forward. These changes can be huge or minor, but they should all drive the story forward. When you start rewriting a scene, this is where you can add all the details. Ask yourself, what do the characters want? What is the specific problem in the scene? What creates the scene conflict? How do the characters try to get what they want? How does the scene change the overall story? Now that you have all these questions, you can use them as prompts and answer them through the scene.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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 create a sense of logic in a story by making the resolution justified. It makes the stakes feel real and makes the audience feel invested. A successful set-up creates a sense of coherence and builds suspense, and a successful pay-off satisfies the viewers' desires and leaves an emotional impact on them. There are multiple ways to create a set-up and pay-off, but a common way to do it is by introducing something that seems unrelated to the main story and tying it in at the end. It's important to not overdo those kinds of set-ups, as it might be too obvious or it might turn out a bit corny.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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?

Most movies can be broken down into 3 acts. That's act 1, which is about 25%, act 2, which is 50%, and act 3, which is about 80-100% of your story. However, most stories are more than just 3 acts, and in between each act lies a more complicated structure. There are 8 points in a Harmon story circle: 1. comfort zone, 2. need or desire, 3. unfamiliar situation, 4. adaptation to that situation, 5. get what they wanted, 6. but pay the price, 7. return to comfort, and 8. having changed. When broken down, it can be put into this phrase: "You need to go search, find, take, return, change.". Films can have multiple story circles within them, and you can even use a circle to create a single scene. The circle helps prevent writer's block as it tells you what events need to happen in a scene. I think I prefer the hero's journey when trying to think of a story overall, but the Harmon story circle is a good tool to use when you need to get into the details of specific events. Some similarities that this circle has with a hero's journey include the beginning, where a character is part of an ordinary world they're used to, they leave for somewhere unfamiliar, go through obstacles, and then return to their regular world as a new person.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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 the video discusses are the different variations of the hero's journey. There are different tropes that you should know how to use when writing within a genre, since genres mainly rely on these to get the audience engaged with something they're familiar with. Using the patterns in the hero journey will keep your audience on your side. Most movies that you watch follow the hero's journey structure, and anything that deviates from that might be off-putting to watch as an audience member. Following the hero's journey helps your script stay organized and understandable for the audience.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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?

 George Lucas was heavily influenced by Kurosawa's samurai films. George Lucas was heavily inspired by the film "Seven Samurai". He based character titles such as "Jedi" on Japanese terms like "jigeki.". Character design for the Empire is modeled after samurai armor. Mentors such as Yoda are modeled after characters from Seven Samurai, and so are the main characters, such as Luke. The fight scenes also mirror classic samurai fights, but instead of a katana, they used light sabers. The most interesting thing that I learned in this video was that America had forced Japan into censorship, which prevented them from making Samurai films until after the end of World War 2. As America fell out of its golden age in cinema, Japan was finally able to enter its own, now that the censorship was gone.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 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?

 The video explains how movies use old myths and existing stories to make the formula of a hero's journey. In each film, it mainly follows these key steps: The hero is living in an ordinary world, they receive a call to adventure, they get some mentorship, they face a road of trials, they come out of them transformed and face some sort of rebirth, and then they return to their regular world with new experience and wisdom/knowledge.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: WHAT IS THE HERO'S 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 a kind of archetype where a character goes through some form of adventure, encounters obstacles, learns a lesson, wins a victory, and leaves as a new person. The three main stages of a hero journey include the departure (hero leaves familiar world), the initiation (hero navigates new world), and the return (hero returns to original world). One part of the structure that stands out and seems the most important to me is the initiation part. During that stage, the new world has to be fully established, and the hero has to go through new obstacles until they reach the main obstacle or enemy. They also have to use everything new they've learned during this stage to defeat the obstacle. This part seems important because you have to tie in everything that your character has gone through to make a satisfying climax in the story, and you also have to reward the hero and viewers at the end.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: CHARACTER ARCHETYPES

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 heroes do you like telling stories about?

I would say that the Herald is the easiest archetype to write, because it doesn't necessarily have to be a physical human being, and they are usually only involved in the beginning of a story to set the hero on a journey. The article says that it can come in the forms of many things, a phone call, letter, accident, or character. Whatever it is, they just have to provoke a call to action for the protagonist. I would say that the shadow is the most difficult because similar to a hero, you have to establish their own motivations, backstory, and character traits. You have to give them reasonable motivations and goals, and usually, it's better to give them qualities that make them relatable to the audience. It can be tricky finding a good balance between evil and reason. I think I understand the shape-shifter the least, only because the description is kind of confusing.  I like stories about heroes who come from an average/normal world, and are thrust upon a fantasy land or something completely out of their comfort zone.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: GENRE

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

Genre comes from French, and it means "kind/type", it was also used to describe types of books, but it became vital in differentiating types of films. It influences the production, distribution, and consumption of a film. Genres help determine the type of products that will be needed to fit the genre, the actors who can portray the characters, and the writers who can effectively follow character stereotypes within that genre. The distributors use genres to determine whether or not a film will do well at the box office, based on how previous films did within that genre. Most people have a preferred genre, which makes it easier for studios to gauge which films will do well. Overall, genres can help studios save time and money, it can help distributors choose marketable films for an audience, and for the audience, it helps them make decisions on what film to watch/

BLOG QUESTION ADV: LAWS OF GREAT STORYTELLING

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

The first most interesting law in this article is #2: Spend most of your time on the first ten pages of your script. The first ten pages must reel in your audience and leave them wanting to know more about your story. It's good to have a captivating introduction to keep them interested, and by doing so, you can also pair it with interesting visuals that complement it. The second most interesting law in this article is write economically. Most people when they begin writing a script, want descriptive screen direction in order to "help" the actors and audience understand the feelings of a character, but it's good to keep it clean and concise. It's important to remember that your script is supposed to entertain the audience as well as inform them on what the character is supposed to act like. You also don't want your dialogue to be "On the Nose" which means you don't want it to explain the story/plot too much, but more so imply information in order to keep your audience involved in the story. These laws help engage the audience as it leaves them seeking more information about your story, and it captivates them.

BLOG QUESTION ADV: 7 BASIC PLOTS

Pick two of these plot types that most interest you and write about them. Why does each of these plot types of 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 plot types that interest me the most are rebirth and tragedy. Rebirth interests me because I think its fascinating to see characters go through a life-changing event that changes their perspective of the world around them, causing them to change their morals/beliefs. I am interested in the tragedy plot because I think it leaves a lasting effect on the audience. One example that comes to mind is Dead Poets Society, which happens to be my favorite movie ever. I think stories of tragedy and death are so shocking, which is why it leaves a memorable imprint on its audience. For a furture project, I would probably use comedy or voyage and return since they seem achievable with the resources and actors we have.