Lecture Notes(Week 11)
Dynamic Action
- Definition of dynamic: stimulating development or progress (dictionary.com)
- Every action in a film has to have a reason and build up the story
- STORY IS ACTION (e.g. show that a character is angry, not by telling)
- Action encompasses any kind of movement, activity and interaction between the characters and also between the characters ad their surroundings.
- Talking about how one feels is not as powerful as illustrating why one feels the way they do through action.
- FILM IS BEHAVIOUR
- Action is the manifestation of behaviour (Behaviour is shown through actions)
- The complexity if the human psyche and interaction is better understood when it is possible to watch the actions, nuances and reactions of the characters.
- Dynamic action has the potential to enrich the experience of the audience by heightening the stakes and increasing the tension. (Every part of the story builds up to a point)
Moving Pictures
- THE POWER OF ANY STORY LIES IN THE NARRATOR’S ABILITY TO PROJECT A MENTAL PICTURE FOR THE AUDIENCE
- Exercise: Translating emotional responses into actions
• 2 students are to act out their emotion set by a simple narrative according to the following:
⇒ The couple have just met. This is their first evening spent together. He is very shy. She desires him.
⇒ The young man has decided to leave her
⇒ He has another woman friend. She is also eating at the restaurant.
⇒ She is pregnant. She can’t bring herself to him.
- Purpose of Exercise:
• Addresses the problem many newbies have to screenwriting: How to convey visually any sense of inner conflict of emotion.
Short Film: “Inja” – Steve Pavolsky (Australia, 2001)
- Not may dialogue in the film
- Necessary dialogue:
• “He (the dog) must learn.” – The dog must learn who his master is. The boy must as well (double meaning)
STORY ASSIGNMENT
- Write a 1st Draft of an Original 1-2 page Story. (Note: Give your story a title)
- Write it in 3rd Person Narrative / Present Tense
- Use 12-pt Courier/ Single Spaced
- No Less that 1 page and No More than 2 Pages
- Besides writing your Name, Student Number and Tutorial Group, also label your story as “1st DRAFT”.
- Due Week 10 (next week!!!) at Tutorial
- *Remember Film is a Visual/ Aural Medium *
- “SHOW” VERSUS “TELLING”
- Tip: Write stories that happened to you, your experiences. Write on simple stories
