Writing for Single Cam Techniques

Unit 22 Orange Writing for Single Cam Techniques Paul U22

Unit 22 Orange Aims • This lesson is about getting into the swing of stories, coming up with ideas for them and knowing how to make a good one

Unit 22 Orange Objectives • By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • Identify different kinds of story structures • Rip off some story ideas and build on them • Create decent 3-D characters

Unit 22 Orange Different story types • There are 7 (seven) root story types • Achilles • Cinderella • Circe • Faust • Orpheus • Romeo and Juliet • Tristan

Unit 22 Orange The Achilles Story • About an invincible superhuman • A single flaw is their downfall • Superman is a good example, as is The Great Gatsby

Unit 22 Orange The Cinderella Story • Someone has dream come true • Various obstacles and opponents are in the way • A set of transformations need to happen • Emotional? • Intellectual? • The wonderful goal is then achieved • Examples = Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing

Unit 22 Orange The Circe Story • About a chase • A goal needs to be achieved in a race against time, or opponents, etc • Examples could be The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 or The Italian Job

Unit 22 Orange The Faust Story • About a bargain • Desire to exceed one’s limits • There is a trade, sometimes one’s soul for worldly power • “Deal with the devil” • Consequences occur, debt must be paid • Examples are Goodfellas, Wall Street

Unit 22 Orange The Orpheus Story • The loss of something or someone • The the effects and lessons learned from that loss • Quest for restoration • Examples are Gladiator, The Full Monty

Unit 22 Orange The Romeo and Juliet Story • Love is pitched against ignorance, hate, politics, small-mindedness • Romance • Tragedy • Examples are Titanic, Bridget Jones’ Diary

Unit 22 Orange The Tristan Story • Falling in love with one who is already betrothed • Unrequited love • Examples are Fatal attraction, 500 Days of Summer

Unit 22 Orange Genre • Conventions • Events that usually happen • A showdown in a western • A young girl is attacked in a horror film (screams) • Codes • Clues that identify the genre • Cowboy hat and 6-gun = western • Lasers and spaceships = sci fi • Large chef’s knife = horror • Includes text fonts and music

Unit 22 Orange Exercise 1 • Look at the handout • Fill in the blanks • Think: • low budget for TV • high budget for cinema • This sometimes gets creativity going well

Unit 22 Orange Good Writing • Stories need good content • Stories need good delivery • More important • Which of the following is better…

Unit 22 Orange Dialog 1 It seemed as if they had been in the air in their flimsy plane for hours, but at last the battle was almost over. The relief showed on their faces, and Tom spoke cheerfully to his gunner. “I’ll be glad when we get back home after this little lot, Jimmy. It’ll be roast beef and Yorkshire pudding at the mother in law’s for Sunday dinner, and forget about looking for the Hun for a while” “You and your Sunday dinner! It is a wonder you can fit in the cockpit the amount you eat. You wife deserves a medal feeding you up the way she does.” “Look out, here comes another of the blighters, straight out of the sun as usual, the crafty devils. Get him, Jimmy!”

Unit 22 Orange Dialog 2 It seemed as if their flimsy plane had been in the air for hours, but at last the battle was over. Relief showed on their grimed faces, but Tom still spoke warily to his gunner. “Nearly there mate! What do you say to a pint at the local when we get back to Blighty-?” He swore under his breath as a flash of silver came straight towards them out of the sun. The Hun was on their tail, and he wasn’t done with them yet. “You’d better save any thoughts of that pint until we’ve finished with this little lot!” yelled the gunner back. “Give me all the speed you’ve got, Skipper.”

Unit 22 Orange Analysis • The dialog in the first example holds up the tension and drama • It feels tedious • “Crafty devils” is weak writing • “Straight out of the sun as usual” is more for the reader’s benefit • Second piece is much more brisk • Dialog gives sense of drama, augments the action

Unit 22 Orange Other points • There’s lots more that goes into a good story • Making decent main characters • Making believable bad guys • Supporting characters • Conflict and motivation • Character development • Treating it all in a cinematic way • i.e. audio/visual storytelling

Unit 22 Orange Main characters • Get to know them inside out • Indirect descriptions give a good feel for the character • Make them likeable • As stars, they need to “stand out in a crowd”

Unit 22 Orange Villains • Opposed the heroes objectives • Could be: • totally evil “western” villain • An anti-hero • A “gothic villain” – appears good until the end • Take them seriously • Give them reasons why they are like they are • Have love/hate relationship with them

Unit 22 Orange Conflict • Main characters need obstacles that change their plans • Arguments • Problem/danger emerges • A stranger comes to town/someone leaves • Emotional upsets • Economic crisis • Birth/marriage/divorce • Deaths

Unit 22 Orange Motivation • Motives are a good source of conflict • Characters need their actions to be informed by their own personal motives • Why was the little boy staring off the cliff edge? • Why does the old woman sit at the bar every night dressed in her finest clothes? • Why does the main character drink heavily? • Motivation makes curiosity in the audience • Why do your characters do what they do?

Unit 22 Orange Character Development • For each obstacle a character clears, they need to learn something • Morally • Intellectually • Physically (Rocky montage) • Gains hope • Gives up • Finds true purpose • Moves from bad to good, or vice versa • It changes them from that point forth

Unit 22 Orange Themes throughout a story • The desire for justice • The pursuit of love • The morality of individuals • Through their choices in the situations they are in • The desire for order • The pursuit of pleasure • The fear of death • Fear of the unknown • The desire for validation

Unit 22 Orange Let’s invent some characters 1 The story is one of a gunslinger that terrorizes a prairie town in the wild west. • Who is the main character? • Who is the villain? • Who else needs to be in this story? • How does it end?

Unit 22 Orange Let’s invent some characters 2 The story of a cat who is brought to a new home and has to adjust to his new life living with a dog. • Who is the main character? • Who is the villain? • Who else needs to be in this story? • How does it end?

Unit 22 Orange Let’s invent some characters 3 The story of a survivor of a massive natural disaster that wipes most everything out. • Who is the main character? • Who is the villain? • Who else needs to be in this story? • How does it end?

Unit 22 Orange Let’s invent some characters 4 The story of a teacher arriving to teach unruly pupils in a rough area. • Who is the main character? • Who is the villain? • Who else needs to be in this story? • How does it end?

Unit 22 Orange Let’s invent some characters 5 The story of a swallow leaving a European city and heading south for the winter. • Who is the main character? • Who is the villain? • Who else needs to be in this story? • How does it end?

Unit 22 Orange Let’s invent some characters 6 A man falls in love with a woman far higher than him in society and plans to make her his own. • Who is the main character? • Who is the villain? • Who else needs to be in this story? • How does it end?

Unit 22 Orange Narrative Structure • Plot is the way the story is told • The Classic 3 Act Structure • Introduce everyone, set up the situation • A disruption or complication occurs • It may be a series of them • Builds towards a crisis • A resolution is made • Is it a satisfying end that ties up all loose ends?

Unit 22 Orange Recap • We looked at: • Different story types • Good dialog writing • Main characters and Villains • Conflict and Motivation • Themes • Made up some characters • Had a look at a 3 act story structure

Unit 22 Orange Fin! 

Writing for Single Cam Techniques