Characters and Conflict –– The Challenge of Scriptwriting

The wonderful thing about creating short films is that they can be anything –– the only limit beyond the cost of production is that of your own imagination. Therefore, coming up with an idea for your script can be challenging.

How do you choose the right way to tell your tale? The following techniques will help filmmakers and educators alike to create compelling and screen-worthy scripts.

The best short films often focus on ONE moment or event in the life of ONE main character. The moment you choose to write about must have a story at its heart, a conflict that needs resolution, a deadline for action, and/or a choice that a character has to make.

Your goal is to successfully engage your audience, relate to your viewers and create something unique. To begin, there are three basic script idea elements: a world, a character and a problem.

The World

For your audience, it is important to establish an instantly recognizable world. Set your film around a memorable, universal event or ritual: a first date, a wedding, the first day of school, dinner with stuffy relatives, etc.

With a setting of this sort, you can generate the audience’s familiarity with the situation and don’t have to spend much time setting up the story’s exposition. It is unusual for a short film to take place over a long period of time, so consider writing your script, more or less, in “real” time.

A story that spreads over more than a few days is unlikely to work well as a short film. Keep your time line simple.

The Character

Once you have decided which significant event in the life of your main character to focus on, the most important questions to then ask yourself are, “Who is this character?” and “What must they overcome?”

To answer these, start by writing a brief back story for your character. Include information such as where they come from, what they do for fun, what their parents are like, why this event is so pivotal for them, etc.

Not all of this information will go into your script, but it will help you develop a well-rounded and realistic character. A back story will also assist you in deciding what motivates you character will have and establishing the conflict they will face. Classic literary conflicts range from: person vs. person or group, person vs. self, person vs. society, person vs. nature, and person vs. machine.

The Problem

Aristotle defined character as “that which reveals moral purpose, showing what kind of things a man chooses or avoids.” Your main character, or protagonist, is the one who has the conflict, and if there is not a conflict in your script, then you don’t have a film.

Decide what is driving you character’s wants, needs and/or obligations. Then, once you decide what is driving your main character, you need to throw a road block, or foible, in their way.

Create something to make the situation harder for your character to pursue what they want and/or need. This will move your story forward.

With character and conflict in place, now you must consider how to manifest the conflict of your story for your audience. Make sure that you demonstrate your skill as a filmmaker and not just as a storyteller; you need to “show” and not just tell your audience the conflict.

Your audience cannot look inside a character’s head, so they need to see characters DOING things that show the audience what they think and feel.

First decide if the stakes are high enough. Ensuring that there is something at stake in your story means that the audience can understand what the character stands to lose if they don’t solve or overcome their problem.

If the story is hinged around a life or death situation, then the stakes are clear. However, if the conflict is simply that the character’s car breaks down, think about how you can set up your tale so that the audience knows why this really matters.

Is your character late to see the most important game of the century? Is he going to miss the opportunity of a lifetime or lose the girl of his dreams if he can’t get the car started? The audience has to value and recognize the urgency of the conflict to help the story move forward.

Finally, ask yourself, are you telling the story from the best point of view? Consider the story of Cinderella, and imagine if you told the same story from a stepsister’s point of view. The story may have the same plot, but a different perspective. Contemplate the point of view you are telling your story from in order to keep your script interesting to your audience.

Whether you are in the classroom or writing on your own, let your imagination fly and play with your script ideas. Remember to keep your thinking focused and avoid clichés. Write what you know and feel passionately about.

To spark ideas, try watching as many short films as you can. You will get inspiration and a feel for how to “show” a great story in a short amount of time. Scriptwriting is an art form, and creating art is never easy.

Your goal is to create a fresh, original and unexpected vision with a universal and clear situation, a high stakes conflict and a relatable character. It is said that everyone has a story to tell; now it’s time to get scriptwriting!

Filmmaking Tips: Homemade Special Effects

The media and the Internet are abuzz with ideas for a variety of fascinating, project-enhancing effects that will easily bring new life to your films. These effects can be simple and inexpensive; your options are not limited.

You can implement some effects during filming, such as makeup and camera techniques, and create others during the editing process. The links below will take you to further demonstrations and how-to lessons to achieve these effects in your own films.

Makeup for the Screen: Countless tutorials online show you how to apply makeup that will result in a certain effect. Whether you are creating a sci-fi creature, a frozen actor, or a super hero, expensive makeup and prosthetics are not necessary.

For example, you can purchase basic makeup from your local drug store to create Hollywood worthy ghouls and zombies, both of which are favorites at the box office this year. Yellows, greens and browns can darken eye sockets and blend away lips or brows. Taking out color from the skin with even a simple pale foundation gives a quick sickly appearance perfect for the screen.

Camera Tricks: For sweeping camera movements, try using a camera mount. This trick was invented during the filming of the 1981 cult classic film, “The Evil Dead.” Director Sam Raimi wanted to create an effect that would realistically depict “Evil’s” point of view while chasing his actors. Raimi ordered Tim Philo, his cinematographer, to bolt a camera to a two-by-four-inch piece of lumber.

Then, having two strong grips (lighting and rigging technicians) hold the board, the cinematographer ran with the camera pointed forward near ground level to track the actor’s feet, and the final shot literally looked as if Evil was right on the victim’s heels. Duplicated in hundreds of films since, the Shaky Cam technique is a simple trick to achieve a great effect.

Reverse It: Another option for giving those daring scenes a realistic touch is to have your talent perform the actions slowly –– and backwards. When you’re editing, reverse the scene to move “forward” and speed it up as you did with the slow motion effect. The result is something a Jedi Master would be proud of.

For example, you want to use “The Force” to summon an object. Start with the object in your hand and then drop or toss the object away from you. In post-production, reverse the footage and voilà, the magic works. The object will look as though it flies to your hand at will.

Disappearing and Ghostly Characters: Making your actors vanish is a snap. Secure your camera with a tripod or on a table top –– a shaking hand will not make this look realistic. In order to make your actor “disappear,” shoot a scene with the actor, stop the camera, and have the actor move out of the shot before restarting the camera. When you play the scene back, you’ll see terrific results. You can also achieve this effect in post-production by editing the footage.

You can also try the classic “ghost effect” with the same secured camera and a screen shot. This trick layers footage and makes your actors look as if they are transparent.

Resources: These are only a few of the possibilities when it comes to creating your own special effects. You can find resources online, in countless books and also on television. Airing for its second season is Science of the Movies — “where art and science meet at the movies” on the Science Channel.

Host Nar Williams, self proclaimed movie geek, provides an inside view of the unbelievable workings behind the screens of our favorite films. In each episode, Nar gives step-by-step directions on how to use some of these techniques in his own short film creations through interviews with innovative artists.

Another great resource on film how-to’s is the site Indy Mogul, where each week, new tips on inventive, cheap filmmaking techniques and effects are unveiled to the moviemaking public.

Making your own film effects can be fun and doesn’t have to be expensive. If you add these simple suggestions to your repertoire, you’ll be making your own eye-catching, independent films in no time.

If you are still unsure about adding effects to your film, check out the first place winner of the iBeatYou.com Summer Short Film Contest, Tyler, age 13. With his family and friends he created his own version of The Final Destination franchise, complete with simple and low budget special effects to create a big budget feel.

Film effects just take a little creativity and some know-how. Experiment and have fun!

Young Minds Digital Times Reaches Across the Globe

The Young Minds Digital Times Student Film Competition has made overseas news recently. Over ten countries have taken an interest in the contest, and Young Minds Digital Times has been highlighted on Teaching News , a site aimed to share the latest news, links and teaching ideas, in order to support teachers around the world.

Teaching News was created this year by merging two existing teacher blogs: Primary Teacher UK, created by Andrew Ross in 2005, and Teaching Blog, originally created in May 2009. Together they share news, best practices, educational issues, lesson ideas and resources, student competitions, and professional development and helpful links for educators worldwide thanks to Mark Warner, the Teacher News director.

Mark has been running websites (mainly Teaching Ideas but a few others too) since 1998, and  these resources receive visitors worldwide. His sites are extremely popular with thousands of free ideas, resources, and activities for teachers.

We are all very excited for this year’s competition and its growing interests abroad. For more information, check out our www.youngmindsdigitaltimes.com. Register today!

Plan First, Film Later

With the availability of technology and equipment today, anyone can grab a camera, think of an idea, and step up to create some fantastic films … and some not so fantastic. However, even budding Spielbergs and Scorseses have to start somewhere. Whether you are a student or an educator, the following tips, hints and techniques will assist you in the disciplined planning process of filmmaking.

Most of us have been raised with video our entire lives, and we can tell the difference between homemade films and a major motion picture. But how can those of us just starting out give a professional style to our work? No matter how expensive the camera or how large the size of your filmmaking budget – a successful film is all a matter of planning!

Just like in anything we do, we need to have a plan. When filmmaking, even the professionals start on paper as they create a script and storyboard in a process known as pre-production.

Scripts for film, television and even commercials are crucial to the collaborative process, and all are very similar in style. But scriptwriting is an art form, and creating art is never easy. Decide on a simple story if you are just starting, and experiment with dialogue and characters. If you need help drumming up an idea, talk to your peers, watch your favorite films, and find something that inspires you. Or, you might already have the idea for your script and just need help with the formatting.

General script resources and templates are available on-line on sites such as PizzaByTheSlice.com and DependentFilms.net, both great for finding tools and utilities for first time filmmakers. A plethora of script examples exist online that you can view for inspiration.

Once a script is in place, it is time to storyboard, the process of creating a graphic organizer of illustrations or images in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing your film. Again, there are countless resources online, such as the extensive American Film Institute Education Process Handbook, which demonstrates best practices and a storyboard glossary of common film shots. This handbook is a great tool if you are thinking about teaching film in the classroom.

Your storyboard should read almost like a comic book as it displays the action and dialogue from your script. Remember, you don’t have to be able to draw to create a storyboard: some filmmakers create graphic novels, and some simply draw squares on paper and use stick figures to get their point across. As long as you deliver the concept, it doesn’t matter which medium you use. Be sure that you are paying attention to the types of shots you use to tell your story. This will help you organize your shots when you have the camera in hand and are ready to film. To help, look at some existing storyboards and notice how camera angles change and the images show motion without ever moving.

With a plan in hand, your vision is complete even before capturing it on film. Resist the urge to just grab a camera and go –– pre-production is the key to success. Disciplined, educated filmmakers will take the time to plan their vision and subsequently create a stronger film. To some new filmmakers, it may seem like an extra step, but it means the difference between amateur and budding star. You will see the difference in your film, and so will your audience.

Early Bird Registration Special for the Young Minds Digital Times Competition

The Young Minds Digital Times Student Film Competition Registration is underway and we are eager to get kids signed up so that we can anticipate how many judges we will be inviting to this years competition.

If you  register before December 31st, 2009, your name will be put in a drawing and the lucky winner will win a $100 Gift Certificate. Those whom have already registered with the competition will automatically have their name’s submitted into the drawing as well. You do not have to re-register.

When you register you are not committed to submitting a video to the contest, but you are claiming the right to vote on a winner. And don’t forget, the teacher with the most student entries, and the school with the most student entries in our Track One: “Young Filmmakers Doing Good”, will each win $1000! Details are found on the Prizes page.

For further information about the contest and its rules, check out the Young Minds Digital Times web site, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact us via info@oneseventeenmedia.com.

The Benefits of Equipping Students with Cameras

Research from Videomaker magazine reveals that in today’s world, dominated by high-tech gizmos, viral videos, blogging and video games, some people may not realize the impact filmmaking can have on kids. The video camera is not just for adults anymore. It may be surprising to find out that shooting video can be an exciting — as well as educational — experience for teens and tweens.

Media Literacy
Kids, even at the youngest age, are tech savvy. With all that is available on the TV and Internet, fantasy can seem like reality. By using video cameras in play and in school, parents and educators can teach children the truth about what they really see on the screen.

Experimenting with video cameras can teach a child that what he or she sees isn’t always real. Dr. John Bisaga said that children four and five years old can’t sort out whether things they see in games or on screen are real or not. Yet, according to Bisaga, kids who create or star in their own video dramas can learn to sort out the difference between real life and make believe.

When children reach their teens, the use of video cameras can help them understand media. Dr. Craig Corp, a pediatrician, suggested that by allowing kids to make up commercials, parents and educators can point out how easy it is for advertisers to make products look better than they really are in reality. Student develop a keen eye when it comes to persuasion techniques.

Developing The Imagination
With a video camera, children can let their imaginations go and make their creations come to life. Kids around the ages of three to five have very active imaginations, and as a child’s imagination develops, so does his or her social skills, learning abilities and well being.

Increased Confidence
Teens love to see themselves on camera, whether it’s acting in a mini-play, singing, dancing or otherwise hamming it up. They gain more than just entertainment from watching themselves perform; they also gain self-confidence. According to Dr. Bisaga, “When a child discovers an area they do well in, they gain self-esteem.” Dr. Bisaga added that kids of all ages can become comfortable on camera or in front of others by seeing themselves on tape.

Improved Communication
Barbara Kemper is a teacher who uses camcorders in her classroom to teach students presentation skills. In one case, students focused on the subject of weather. The teacher asked each student to research the topic, then pretend to be a weathercaster on the news and present the weather on a video. Kemper then played the video in front of the class.

“The exercise made a lot of them realize how important it is to speak clearly,” she said. “They noticed some of the reports were easier to understand than others. They also learned the importance of voice level and speaking slowly and clearly when giving a speech.”

Responsibility
By showing kids how to operate the camcorder and teaching them how to care for it, you can help them develop confidence. Start with the basics, such as how to hold the camcorder, insert the tape, turn it on and off, and start recording. They may need to charge a battery, clean the lens, attach a light or microphone or secure the whole thing on a tripod.

By giving kids ground rules, you’ll teach them to enjoy caring for the equipment. It will become a privilege to use it. If the rules are broken, that privilege is revocable. In that case, kids can learn what they did wrong and how it was irresponsible.

“Children have the opportunity to try everything from playing sports to learning a musical instrument when they are growing up,” Dr. Bisaga said, who suggested that when thinking of an extracurricular activity in which to expose kids, consider letting them try video production. This can provide a way for them to explore their creative side. They may learn that they have a real eye for photography or a knack for public speaking. No matter what the case, kids can explore their talents through the lens.

“Different kids have different learning styles,” Bisaga said. “For visually oriented children, video could provide an opportunity to explore a visual channel of communication.”

Next time you break out your camcorder, you might consider letting the kids do the shooting. You never know how it might benefit them as they grow. Whatever the case, it will create memories through a child’s eye. Best of all, it will give the kids a new outlet for fun.

Jaclyn Bell
Director of Community Content for OneSeventeen Media, Inc.
Competition Director for Young Minds Digital Times

Online Dangers For Kids: More Hype Than Truth

“The notion that predators are using the Internet as an L.L. Bean catalog, that’s not what’s happening.” — David Finkelhor, Study Author

The man who first brought us the staggering statistic that 1 in 7 children would be solicited online, David Finkelhor, is now reaching out to explain his data in context.  In his most recent study, Finkelhor explains that the online world is no more dangerous than the offline world, and that the largest threat of child abuse comes from individuals kids know in real life, not online.  

The entire article by Lenore Skenazy is worth a read because it is packed with useful information put into valuable context.  From Skenazy’s piece:

“Is letting your kids go online the same as dropping them off at the Vince Lombardi Rest Stop in fishnet stockings at 3 a.m.?

A lot of parents think it is. Or maybe worse. My husband and I took our time letting our oldest boy, who is 13, start his social networking, though that was because we were worried it was like dropping him off at the Vince Lombardi Rest Stop to do his homework—we figured it would never get done. But the towering fear that the second a kid goes online he or she becomes cyberjailbait turns out to be way off base. According to new research, the danger online is teeny-tiny unless your kids are running into chat rooms, typing, “Anyone here like ‘em young?” and posting photos of themselves licking lollipops. Naked.”

We don’t want to begin to belittle the value of teaching kids to be smart, digital citizens and continuously monitoring their online activities; however, some context around popularly quoted statics is useful in considering the big picture and helping parents and companies make decisions and polices that are proactive in keeping kids safe online, not rooted in fear of misunderstood threats.  Kid safety is our top priority at OneSeventeen Media, and we diligently seek out the most accurate information to share with our community while proactively working to create safe online spaces.  

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Kids Less Likely to Graduate from HS than Parents

The U.S. is the only industrialized country where youths are less likely than their parents to earn a high school diploma.

While most parents dream of providing a better life for their children,  the LA Times reports that students today are actually less likely to graduate from high school than their parents were with one in four kids dropping out before graduation.  Any adult could attest to the difficulty of creating a sustainable income without their most basic high school education, but while the value of a high school education is widely accepted, something is moving in the wrong direction as fewer youth are completing their high school education.    

The OneSeventeen Media team is eager to provide students the tools and resources to help them push through their difficult growing up years.  By aiding their social emotional, communicative and learning skills we can help all kids meet the success of graduating from high school and putting themselves on the track for long-term success and responsible citizenship.  

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