Film Studies and Cinematography - Project 1: Story Development
24.4.2024 - 11.6.2024 / Week 1 - Week 8
Chan Wan Qing / 0350928 / BA of
Design (HONS) in Creative Media
Film Studies and Cinematography
Project
1
INDEX:
1. Lectures
2. Project 1: Story Development
3. Feedbacks
4. Reflection
LECTURES
Week 1 / 24.4.2024
In the first week, we were briefed according to the Module Information Booklet (MIB) about the module content outline and assignments. We were introduced briefly what we will be learning and how will we proceed with our tasks. It will be a weekly basis consultation for our assignments. This module is designed based on Pixar shorts, so it adapts more on animation, but it also suits other types of films as well. Mr Kamal also showed us some work from the past year students so that we know the standards and the expectations on the assignments.
Week 3 / 8.5.2024
Since week 2 was a public holiday, so the class was not conducted. We started our lecture class with the first topic, Pixar - Art of Storytelling.
5 Elements of Story
1. Character
2. Conflict
3. Setting
4. Plot
5. Theme
(Lessons)
Pixar - Art of Storytelling (Slides Notes)
https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKK119rk=/
Storytelling Process (Pushing Ideas)
- Re-telling
- Rewriting
- What happened
- Write what you know!
- Interesting
- Emotional Connected
- Relatable (Personal Experiences - Theme - Audiences)
Lecture 1: Story Telling (Miro Notes)
Week 4 / 15.5.2024
In week 4, we are going to learn about the topic Character Development.
- External vs Internal Features
- Wants vs Needs
- Obstacles
- Character Arc
- Stakes
Character Development (Slides Notes)
There are protagonist and antagonist. Antagonist can be anything, not only human, but also nature, social injustice and so on. Identify the character's needs (internal) and wants (external), with this, you can create a character arc and story arc. From here, include the inciting incident into the story. Remember to create the story from personal experiences, make it interesting and relatable.
We did a brainstorming exercise - character analysis with two short films, Bao and For the Bird. Focus more on the main character, just let the side characters off as they don't affect the story much. The visual design can express and tells you about a character (externally). External stakes - physical (life and death); internal stakes (broken emotions); philosophers stakes (good vs evil).
Week 6 / 29.5.2024
In week 6, we continue our lecture with Story Structure. Based on the character arc, we are going to create a story structure based on the character's want, need, personalities and so on. There are many different types of story structure.
3 Act Structure
Act 1 - Beginning (25%)
Establish characters (protagonist, antagonist), setting, conflict (inciting incidents), goal / theme
Act 2 - Middle (50%)
More conflicts (Longest Part)
Act 3 - End (25%)
Establish resolution, ending
Story Structure (Slides Notes)
https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKCUineY=/
After lecture, we did an exercise about Story Spine using Pixar short movie: Piper. We were divided into 3 groups and we need to apply story spine in Piper based on the 3 act structure. My group was assigned to fill in Act 2.
ACT 1
2. Every day…
3. Until one day…
ACT 2
4. Because of that…
5. Because of that…
6. Because of that…
ACT 3
7. Until finally…
8. And ever since then…
The moral of the story is…
"Piper" Story Spine - Act 2
Week 7 / 5.6.2024
This week, we focused on writing script after we finished the story spine. We will learn about screenplay format and title page format in the class and start writing our script for Project 1.
There are a few ways to write a script including using Google Docs, online websites such as Celtx or software like Studio Binder.
Font: Courier New
Font Size: 12
Cover Page:
- Title (All Caps), by [Name]
- Contact
- Address
-
Scene Heading / Slug Line -
[INT./EXT.] [CLASSROOM] - [DAY/NIGHT] (All Caps) -
Action Line -
[AKIF and ALYSSA are sitting next to each other. MR. KAMAL comes in.] -
Dialogue -
Put character NAME (All Caps), (parenthetical).. dialogue
(Excitedly)
Good Morning
STUDENTS
(Sleepy)
Morning sir...
Action Line...
Transitions: CUT TO / FACE TO BLACK / FADE OUT / ... (All Caps)
EXT. LIBRARY AT TAYLORS - DAY
Action Line...
Screenplay Format
Title Page
INSTRUCTIONS
Project 1: Story Development
In this project, we have to develop the story from each week activities progressively:
- Story Ideas - get ideas on various techniques such as write what you know, what if statement and character & world.
- Character Development - from your ideas, develop your main character by giving his or her obstacles (external & internal), goal, want vs need, character arcs.
- Setting - putting the character into the right setting such as era, world
- Story Arcs and Theme - inciting incident, 3 acts structure, log line
Requirements:
1. Write a report in word document which consist of:
- Story Title
- Logline (Shorter version of synopsis - character, villain, settings, goal)
- Synopsis
- Theme
- Character Description
- World Description
- Script
3. Update all the progress in e-portfolio
Story Exploration
In week 3, we should first think about the story ideas. I drafted out a few ideas initially.
Idea 1: A woman who lives have not worked out as planned. She valiantly struggles to cope and move forward and has always buried emotions that have shaped her lives. She unearths a time capsule buried years ago during their childhood and reminisce about the past. At the end, she decided to let go of a lot of her anger and made room for more love in her life.
Idea 2: A long-lost couple embarks on a journey to find each other once again after years of living apart. As they face countless obstacles, their determination and love for one another never waver. Finally, they are reunited in a poignant and heartfelt reunion that reaffirms the power of love to conquer all obstacles.
Idea 3: A lonely performer lives in a magical circus that only appears at night. A lost teenager accidentally enters the circus and the performer helps the teenager to find the joy of life.
Character Description
Initial Character Description
Sora: Sora is a high school student who just transferred to a new school.
She is an introvert. She often misses her old friend and feels disconnected
from her peers in the new school. She is driven by a desire to escape her
current life. Despite her initial hesitations, X is curious and yearns for a
sense of belonging and happiness. Through her journey in the magical circus,
she learns to open her heart to new experiences and find joy amidst the
challenge of her life.
K: K is a mysterious figure who serves as a guide and mentor to Sora in the
magical circus. He offers her comfort and guidance through his magic. With
his magical abilities, K helps Sora navigate the wonders of the circus and
discover the happiness she has been seeking.
Character Development
After getting the story idea, I try to develop the character by identifying her features, personalities, needs, wants externally or/and internally after Week 4's class.
Want – A place to escape
Need – Learn
to accept her emotions (Goal)
Internal Description –
-
Introverted, often feeling overwhelmed by social interactions
-
Experiences a deep sense of loneliness and self-doubt
-
Longs for acceptance and a sense of belonging but is unsure how to
achieve it
-
Possesses a resilience and a yearning for happiness
-
Has a playful side when she's comfortable (free from the judgments and
pressures of her everyday life)
External Description –
-
High school student who doesn’t have many friends
-
Appears withdrawn and quiet
-
Avoid drawing attention to herself and goes unnoticed by others
-
Often tense and closed off, indicative of her discomfort in social
settings
Antagonist:
The circumstances and environment that Sora finds herself in. The antagonist
can be seen as her feelings of isolation, self-doubt, insecurities (prevent
her from engaging with others and believing in her own worth), her struggle
to fit in at school, and her desire to escape her reality (needs to learn to
balance this desire with the necessity of facing and resolving her real-life
challenges). These external factors create conflict for Sora, making them
the antagonistic forces in her story.
Conflict(s):
Internal Conflicts –
- Feelings of isolation and loneliness, but always feels overwhelmed by social interactions
- Self-Doubt and Lack of Confidence
External Conflicts –
- Social challenges at school
- Escape vs Reality
Then, in Animation Fundamentals module, I designed the character and named it Sora. The designed process is recorded here.
Story Idea
Then, I continue to explore the details of the story idea based on what if statement, world description and theme.
What if Statement:
What if magics could change all negative emotions to happiness?
What if a person finds happiness and escape from her reality within the
magic of the circus?
What if a person can be happy even though she is alone with the power of
magic?
World Description:
1. A contemporary high school setting. The dull and boring
reality of Sora’s high school life, characterized by loneliness and a desire
for invisibility.
2. The vibrant, enchanting world of the magic circus, filled
with awe-inspiring acts and the potential for personal transformation. The
circus exudes an aura of enchantment and wonder. It’s a world where the
impossible becomes possible through magics.
Theme:
The central theme of the story is escapism and the transformative power
of magic and self-discovery to bring comfort and joy during difficult
times. It explores the idea of finding joy and acceptance within oneself,
even in the face of negative emotions.
Story Structures
After week 6's lecture, we continue to improve our storyline based on the 3 act structure. We applied story spine to our story idea.
ACT 1
Sora is a high school student.
(Everyday) In school, she feels
like an outsider or struggling to fit in.
(Until one day) She transferred
school. She realises herself doing everything alone, but her other
classmates always walk, chat, study in group in the new school. She looks
around and sees everyone talking to each other, reinforcing her feelings of
being an outsider. No one comes to her.
ACT 2
(Because of that) After school, in a moment of desperation, she decides to run away. She runs past the school, past the park, and into the woods. She just needs to get away. As she keeps running, she doesn't notice the ground beneath her giving way until it's too late. (Because of that) She falls into a hole, landing with a thud at the bottom. Groaning, Sora sits up and notices a ray of light shining through a crack in the wall. (Because of that) Out of curiosity, she pushes the wall. Pushing against the wall, it gives way, revealing a hidden chamber. She hesitantly steps inside, seeking an escape from her overwhelming reality. (Because of that) A magician, K appears, tipping his hat, he offers her a chance to experience the circus with his magic. Starting with a heart of hesitation and doubts, she slowly opens her heart with in the world of magics. With K’s magic wand, the magic circus becomes lively. (Because of that) She starts to feel happiness after a long time as she forgets the reality in the world of magics. (Because of that) Amazed by the magic circus, she leaps onto a trapeze with a sudden enthusiasm and swings elegantly through the air. (Because of that) In a flash, her hold gives way and she falls to the ground. (Because of that) When she woke, she is no longer in the circus. Instead, she lays cocooned in her own bed, the familiar walls of her room closing in.
ACT 3
(Until finally) Confused and disoriented, she notices a shimmering object on her bedside table: a magic wand, just like the one K wielded in the circus. With a mixture of wonder and disbelief, Sora realises that the magic of the circus has followed her home. (And ever since then) She realises that the magic she experienced and her feelings were real. She holds the wand in her hand, she learns to perform magic with the wand, finding happiness even though she is alone. The moral of the story is we can find our own magic to be happy even though we are alone.
Script
After learning the format of title page and screenwriting, we started to write a script with our storyline in class. As we are advised not to write too long, about 3 to 4 sentences a scene, I only include mostly actions while revisiting the story spine. In the script, I also didn't plan to include dialogues. I used Celtx to write the script since I think it is the easiest way compared to Google Docs.
Final Project 1: Story Development
Final Project 1: Story Development - Report
Final Project 1: Story Development - Screen Writing
FEEDBACKS
Week 3 / Project 1
General Feedbacks:
Take note of the 'Pixar Way of Telling Story' (interesting, emotional connected, relatable) while thinking the story ideas. Start of with a theme.
Specific Feedbacks:
Create a problem for the character.
Week 4 / Project 1
General Feedbacks:
Try to figure out the protagonist and antagonist in the story.
Week 6 / Project 1
General Feedbacks:
Give motivation to the character on why she/he performs such thing in the story.
Specific Feedbacks:
Improve the introduction of the character with "The character transferred school and at the new school, she does not have new friends" (Visual - she looking on the picture she took with her friends at old school) so that the build up of the inciting incident is more solid. Think about why the magician appeared, leading to the character to realise her need. "The magician helps her to discover magics, which make her feel the happiness." Can make a happy ending with the character woke up with the wand, and she can perform magic with it, showing the moral of the story which is we can be happy even though we have no friends.
REFLECTION
Through this project, I learned to create a story based on a theme, and develop the storyline based on the character development. To write a compelling story, it required a blend of creativity, organization, and technical writing skills. Started with the rough idea, I develop the idea based on what I know and how it relates to audiences. To make the story more complete and convincing, I proceeded to the character development. I realised that character development is important while creating the story as the character's features, goals, needs and so on is the key to drive the story. To make our story logical, story structure is important. By using story spine to tell our story, I am able to know whether the story makes sense or not. While writing the script, it involves breaking down words into visual with different scenes, so it should be simple actions. For me, this project was an enriching experience that underscored the importance of each storytelling component.
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