Writing
Basic Differences
vs.
Screenplay
Novel
Gardner (2003)
Novel
TOUCH
HEAR
TASTE
SMELL
Imagination
SEE
WRITE SOMETHING…!!!
WRITE SOMETHING…!!!
?
Screenplay
SEE
HEAR
Screenplay
SEE
HEAR
Imagination
Other Differences (Camera Angles, how something is said, etc)
Novel
vs.
Screenplay
Perfect Example:
Script Said: “Talks to himself in mirror”
NOVEL:
STAGE PLAY :
SCREEN PLAY:
mainly internal
thought & dialogue
mainly verbal
Interaction
mainly images & action
“I just ran into a….”
“I just ran into a TREE….”
Are you SHOWING or TELLING…?
Double Check in your: 1. Dialogue 2. Action
(said, thought, came, sent, introduced, etc. can also be SHOWN.)
Psychology of the image
Shock
(for the moment)
SHORT TERM
MEMORY
vs.
Visceral
Experience
(emotional-based)
LONG TERM
MEMORY
Shock here is short term
Recovery,
leads to extinction
of the stimulus
All three
must be
activated
for a
Visceral
experience
Visceral,
one takes personal/emotion leads to even more
sensitization of the stimulus
SHOCK
(for the moment)
SHORT TERM
MEMORY
VISCERAL
Experience
(emotional-based)
LONG TERM
MEMORY
Let’s look at some images that create a visceral experience, ones that hit our emotions
“Suspense is when
the audience knows something
the character in the film doesn’t…”
- Alfred Hitchcock
X – Men: Having to hide who you are
1.) A woman is murdered
2.) Husband is arrested
3.) Girl friend finds proof he is guilty
4.) She helps him in trial
5.) He is acquitted
6.) They go to Bahamas
1.) A woman is murdered
2.) Husband is arrested
3.) Girlfriend helps him at trial
4.) He is acquitted
5.) They go to Bahamas
6.) Girl friend finds proof he is guilty
Can not stress the importance to look at your story in the context of sequence
SEQUENCE CAN CHANGE ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTERS
In the first scenario
girlfriend is a guilty accomplice,
in the second she is
an innocent and now very vulnerable victim
Can not stress the importance to look at your story in the context of sequence
Many will spend a lot of time changing words
Spend some time changing sequence – at least EXPLORE change of
sequence in some of your scenes
“A
character is a collection of qualities.”
-Aristotle
External Qualities – expressed in the midst of others
examples: ethics & deceit
Internal Qualities – what resides in the core of our personality
examples: ambition & laziness
External qualities are symptoms of the inner character
..for when you hear from critics….your characters weren’t DEEP enough….
Internal
GUILT
Internal
Fallen
External
Internal
EMPATHY
HUMILITY
Internal
Modest
Internal
COMPASSION
The AUDIENCE
Psychologically
We move from feeling we
are the best person in the
world (smartest, sensible,
clever, etc.) to the worst
person in the world.
If we do this in real life,
your story must ALSO
give the same ‘roller
coaster’ ride Otherwise
your story is not as
emotionally charged as
one’s own experiences.
Audiences LOVE & PSYCHOLOGICALLY NEED:
To FEEL – live life not yet experienced or reliving life
To THINK – figuring out the puzzle
The influence of technology
Cultural Tends….also….who is/will be making films..
Cultural Trends: film
is now
international…Think
about a world-wide
market when writing
(characters, settings,
etc)…and the
technical delivery
options now available
Commercial Trends….also….
It used to be only these guys:
Commercial Tends….also….now you have….
QUESTIONS…?