Film Studies and Cinematography_Project 1

23.09.2024 - 5.11.2024

Ruthlene Chua Zhen Si 0365222 

Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media - Project 1 

• Instruction
• Lectures
• Class Summaries
• Task 
• Project 2
• Project 3
• Feedbacks
• Reflections

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INSTRUCTION

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LECTURES

Week 1_Stortelling Basic

• Idea Generation:
• Draw inspiration from personal experiences or creative "what if" scenarios.
• Use relatable elements to connect with your audience  for example: family, relationships, personal growth. 

• Formats and Duration (Film lengths vary based on the medium)
• Feature films: ~90 minutes.
• TV series: ~20–30 minutes per episode.
• Online content: Shorter, audience-tailored durations.

• Story Structure
• Character: A clear protagonist is essential.
• Setting: Define the world in which the story takes place.
• Conflict: Introduce challenges to drive the plot.
• Plot Progression: Typically follows a 3-act structure:
• Act 1: Setup (introduce characters, world, conflict).
• Act 2: Development (characters attempt to resolve conflict, stakes rise).
• Act 3: Resolution (conflict is resolved, lessons are learned).
• Theme: The underlying message or moral of the story.

• Act Proportions:
• Divide the story appropriately: 1/4 for Act 1, 1/2 for Act 2, and 1/4 for Act 3.

• Writing Techniques
• Logline: A concise summary capturing the essence of the story.
• Synopsis: A brief narrative outlining the main events and themes.

• Scriptwriting:
• Follow proper formatting to estimate screen time (1 page ≈ 1 minute).
• Use tools or templates to standardize margins and dialogue formatting.

• Visual Storytelling
• Film Grammar:
• Understand shot types (e.g., close-ups, wide shots) and their storytelling roles.
• Apply rules like the 180° rule and rule of thirds to maintain visual coherence.

• Storyboarding:
• Begin with thumbnails to explore ideas.
• Create detailed storyboards with annotations for camera movements, actions, and audio cues.

Week 2_What 'if' statement

• Idea Generation:
• Draw upon your own life experiences or favorite stories-films, books, or events in your life.
• Consider what moved you-the emotions, themes, or angle that you or your audience can identify with.

• Relatable Stories:
• Select themes your audience can identify with, including personal struggles or universal experiences: friendship, love, or loss.
• Create your characters and settings relevant but at the same time interesting.

•  The "What If" Framework
• Creating What If Statements:
• Use your imagination to put a frame on some really unique situations:
• Examples: "What if toys came alive?" (toys story) "What if the last robot was still living in Earth?"
• Examples: An orphan kitten and an abusive-pit bull forge a long-shot friendship. A university's lake overrun with monsters gets infected by the zombie virus. (Video during class)

• Building Story Features
• The heroes as well as side characters must know what they want or at least have something specific to identify with. Make use of archetypes: mentors, allies, foes. Introduce a series of challenges that create tension to push the story onward.

• Theme
• Establish a moral or message-for example, tolerance, development, survival.

• Merge Worlds and Characters:
• At times when a unique world collides with great characters, stories get developed.

• Writing and Visualizing
• Writing Steps:
• Develop the logline: One sentence that tells what the story is about.
• Synopsis: Short paragraph showing how events will unfold in your story.
• Script: Use standard format to approximate screen time (1 page ≈ 1 minute).
• Storyboards: Draw key moments and include notes on camera angles, camera movements, and timing.
• Animatics: Include music, sound effects, and transitions to enhance pacing and tone.

• Keep It Simple:
• Focus on one strong idea rather than overcomplicating the story.
• Too much text in presentations is a NO 

• Practice Regularly:
• Write, sketch, and test ideas regularly to hone storytelling skills.

Week 3_Character

• Introduction to Character
• Design your characters so that they easily respond to challenges.
• Power tool: The Elevator Test – tests character reactions in crises.
• Good characters are flawed characters but appealing.

• External vs. Internal Features
• External Features: Appearance, clothes, design.
• Internal Features: Emotions, insecurities, personality traits.
• Take inspirations from reality for authenticity.

• Wants vs. Needs
• Wants: Motivate character actions-desiring something, such as fame or success.
• Needs: Drive character growth and learning-self-discovery, relationship.

• Obstacles
• Things that stand in the way of a character, including:
• External: Situational or physical barriers.
• Internal: Predisposed emotional conflicts or fears.
• Obstacles reveal character flaws and create growth.

• Character Arc
• The process by which a character is altered through obstacles.
• Steps of the Arc:
1. Desire at the beginning
2. Lessons learned through obstacles
3. Changed by the end
• No obstacles = No arc.

• Stakes
• What characters can win or lose.
• Kinds of Stakes
• External: Physical risk.
• Internal: Emotional destruction.
• Philosophical: An ideology or values at stake.

• For an examples : Pixar Short 'BAO'

• Personality Analysis
• Write down characters and then write about those characters actions/reactions when difficulty was introduced

• Feature Description
• Define external and internal characteristics.

• Desires and Needs:
• Read and outline what each character wants/ needs to learn.

• Challenges:
• Identify external/ internal challenges.

• Character Arc:
• Map the character's progression and change.

• Stakes:
• Establish high stake moments and label them.

Week 4_Story Structure

• Story structure is the foundation to all storytelling, guiding how information is presented in order for a story to be engaging and emotionally impactful. 

• The structure could be explained most simply as having three parts: 
1. opening
2. middle
3. end

• Through this organization, creativity can be explored by any storyteller while maintaining coherence in the process.

• The Story Spine is a fundamental pattern that gives the story some beats, or story points, on which the overall story is carried. In such a setup, there is allowed order so that one can logically be taken through by the person telling the story.

• Theme is deeper, meaning the underlying message or moral of a story. 

• Theme pertains to the need of a character and gives another dimension to the storytelling, providing meaning to the story. 

• Most stories build up to their theme over time, building momentum and resonance in the story.

• The three-act breakdown simplifies a story into three easy-to-see divisions:

• Act 1: Establishes setting, characters, and beginning conflict. The set-up begins with "Once upon a time…", that climaxes at a turning point: "Until one day…".

• Act 2: Forges the development of conflict based upon cause-and-effect relationship. The events are seen to be occurring based upon: "Because of that…".

• Act 3: Concludes the conflict; wraps up the ending of the story. It concludes at "Until finally…" to look back into the lasting impression: "And ever since then…".

Week 5_Script Writing 

• Scriptwriting Basics
• A script is a formatted document that combines visual storytelling with written dialogue and action.

• Cover Page:
• Title should be in all caps and centered on the page.
• Written by (Your Name).
• Date.
• Contact information-email, phone number, address.

• Scene Headings:
• Location and time included and capitalized; for example, INT. CLASSROOM - DAY.

• Action Lines:
• Action described in sequence; keep it visually oriented.

• Character Names:
• In all caps when introduced or speaking.

• Dialogues:
• Tabbed in under the character's name.
• Parentheticals optional to convey tone or action.

• Page Setup:
• Use US Letter paper size with the following margins:
• Top: 1 inch
• Bottom: 1 inch
• Left: 1.5 inches
• Right: 1 inch

• Font:
• Use Courier New, size 12, for a standardized reading speed of 1 page ≈ 1 minute of screen time.

• Spacing:
• Cover page: Single-spaced; 0.85 custom line spacing for details.
• Dialogue: Indented to 1 inch from the left, stopping at 4.5 inches on the right.

• Writing Techniques
• Scene Headings:
• Include INT. for Interior or EXT. for Exterior along with location.
• Scene locations include time of day.

• Actions:
• Use present tense.
• Be concise and focus on what the audience sees on screen.

• Character Dialogues:
• Names in uppercase, followed by dialogue.
• Use parentheticals sparingly to clarify delivery or action.

Week 6_Film Grammar

• Film grammar represents the core concepts that filmmakers need to know in order to construct an effective visual storytelling. Basic concepts include framing, staging, motion, and editing-all of which contribute to the overall form and texture of the film.

• Major vs. Minor Beats
• The beats represent significant moments in any story. Major beats are main plot points and significant actions, whereas minor beats are much softer and tend to build a story or character.

• Understanding shot types is fundamental to visual storytelling. Here's how each of the main types may be defined:

1. Wide Shot: Establishes setting and context.
2. Medium Shot: Conveys character interaction and detail.
3. Close-Up: Emphasizes emotions or specific details.

• Extremes and Angles
• Extreme Shots: The use of extreme wide shots can be used to imply grandeur, while extreme close-ups are used for intensity.

• Camera Angles: High, low, and neutral angles provide different views of characters and scenes for added emotional or psychic dimension.

• Static vs. Dynamic Shots
• Static Shots: The camera remains fixed, emphasizing stillness or calm.
• Dynamic Shots: Include pans, tilts, or tracking shots, creating energy and guiding audience focus.

• Storyboarding
• Storyboarding visualizes the film before production, ensuring clarity in framing, staging, and transitions. It’s a vital tool for planning the sequence of shots and aligning creative intent with execution.

Week 7_Visual Language 

• Visual Elements for Composition

1. Line
2. Shape
3. Space
4. Tone
5. Movement
6. Color

• Key Concepts
• Line: Marks connecting two points, having direction and length.
• Shape: 2D enclosed areas forming objects.
• Space: Includes perspective, depth, and vanishing points.
• Tone: Shading that adjusts light and darkness for mood.
• Movement: Implies motion using tools like motion or speed lines.
• Color: Creates mood/emotion and directs focus using contrasting or complementary colors.

• Key Tools and Definitions
• Beat Boards: Capture critical story beats.
• Composition: Organization of visual elements in space.
• Concept Art: Polished visuals illustrating light and color for film sequences.
• Contrast: Difference between light and dark values.
• Linear Perspective: Creates depth with lines and size adjustments.
• Storyboards: Sequential sketches visualizing the film before animation.
• Vanishing Point: Where parallel lines seem to converge on the horizon.

• Applications in Visual Design
• Lines of Action: Indicate character force and movement.
• Silhouette: Simplified filled outline of objects.
• Tension Point: Intersection of light and dark values creating visual energy.
• Visually Similar Colors: Harmonious colors near each other on the color wheel.

• Advice and Resources
• Utilize the glossary terms to refine visual storytelling.
• Enhance understanding through linked video tutorials on elements like line, shape, and movement.

• Glossary Highlights
• Motion Lines: Indicate object pathways to enhance motion depiction.
• Speed Lines: Simplify movement portrayal in storyboarding.
• Complementary and Contrasting Colors: Opposite or far-apart colors for impact.

Week 8_Independent Study Week 

Week 12 to 14_Consultation Week 

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Class Summaries 

Week 1: For this week, we are told that storytelling starts with ideas that feel personal or inspired, like "what if" scenarios. Relatable themes like family, relationships, or personal growth help connect with the audience. Good storytelling also relies on strong visuals, proper formatting, and tools like storyboards to bring the ideas to life.

Week 2: In this week it was to told the subject “what if” can lead to some truly unique story ideas, like "What if toys came alive?" For this class I learn that it was important to keep characters authentic and settings interesting, all while focusing on a strong theme like friendship or survival. 

Week 3:This week's focus was on understanding how creators are driven by their desires and shaped by the lessons they need to learn. External and internal challenges encourage growth and transformation, while high-stakes situations, as seen in Pixar’s *BAO*, make characters more relatable and their journeys more impactful.

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Project 1

For this particular project we are told to develop a 2-minute short story step by step, including ideas, character, setting, theme, story arc, and script, then compile it into a report with a title, logline, synopsis, theme, character and world descriptions, and the final script.

At first, I created a few 2-minute stories, and one of them stood out: the "Rain to Radiance" story. 

Pdf file 1.0: Story which I have written 

After the story was chosen, I make some changing on it after getting the feedbacks from the lecture.  

Pdf file 1.1 : Story that I have choose and improved 

Then we are told to make it into a script, which would be used in the final project. 

pdf file 1.2: Script version of the story 

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FEEDBACKS

Week 3: The third story written was noted as the best among all and could proceed for further development and improvement.  

Week 4: If the story followed a structure like <Piper> , with an ending that resolves the initial conflict, it would be more effective.  

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REFLECTION

Experience

This assignment called for a 2-minute short story from the idea down to the final script. A few ideas were brainstormed at the beginning, and "Rain to Radiance" became my story. Then, in Week 3, after receiving feedback, I refined the narrative. Now, the project would be in scriptwriting, formatting, and translating of the story into visual. In this process, I learned some key concepts in storytelling, from how to structure a narrative to the consideration of character arcs and emotional depth. Consultation weeks provided valuable feedback to enhance the final version.

Observation

I noticed during the project that feedback was important for both the improvement of the story and its script. The suggestion in Week 4 to model the ending off of a film like <Piper> really opened my eyes to how a more defined resolution can really make the story hit home. Whereas I initially focused on just getting the script completed, pacing, scene transitions, and visual elements are also important. 

Findings

Storytelling is not just about a good plot but also presenting it correctly with regard to emotional beats. Writing and visuals have to complement each other. For the future, I will be more involved with story structure and pacing so that each separate entity contributes to emotional and narrative moments.