A setting e.g.: Siberia, void deck, Mom’s house

A physical place
The place in your story where events occur and characters interact

Interactive Location

a setting and surrounding that interacts with the characters of the film by adding importance to their actions
An environment which impacts the action and heightens the stakes

E.G: Jurassic Park

Location – A zoo/amusement park located on an island off the coast of Central America

Interactive Location – The island is completely isolated, and anyone on it will be trapped until assistance from the mainland arrives

• Action is any kind of activity, movement interaction of characters with their surroundings
• Talking about feelings is not as powerful as illustrating why they do the things they do

Film is behaviour

• Actions are simply the manifestations of behaviour
• Human emotions are understood by watching the actions and reactions of the characters

Dynamic Action

• Has the potential to enrich the experience of the audience by building an emotional relationship between the characters and the audience

I watched The Kingdom and American Gangster recently, both shows really showed what a wretched world we live in. With all this violence, it seems like the world is literally burning. We in Singapore, are so fortunate that we don’t realise how troubled it is in other parts of the world.

In American Gangster, we see the rise of Frank Lucas played by Denzel Washington. Frank Lucas is the biggest drug lord in America, in the 1970s. While it may not be a classic like The Godfather, it is definitely intense. A crime story, we see the lives of a detective and a crime lord. We enter the world of drug abusers, and it is scary. The deaths, and crime of these people is so horrifying that you’d wonder if the world we are living now is actually Hell itself. Bent cops, deaths in the streets and a community filled with drugs, it is really pure anarchy.

Meanwhile, in The Kingdom we see the problem of the modern word. Terrorists. It is a also a crime story, but seems more action packed. Jamie Foxx plays an FBI agent trying to find the terrorist responsible for attacking an American community in Saudi Arabia. While, this story seems above average at best it shows how extreme this people are. The lengths they’d go to, for their “beliefs”. I do not wish to comment on their beliefs, but what I’d like to mention is the terror they bring to the world today. We should all be afraid of this threat, it is so real. The world is literally tearing itself apart.

What has this world turn to? If this is just the beginning, I do not want to witness how much worse it can get. Here’s for world peace.

Roy sits, alone as usual, on the long table at the back of the canteen. He looks around the canteen, trying to see if there is anybody he knows. He snorts to himself dejectedly.

“Do I even know anyone, at all?” he mumbles quietly to himself.

Roy turns to his plate of fruits. He starts to eat carefully, making sure none of the fruits drop onto his well-ironed clothes. Wearing a dark green long sleeved shirt and neatly combed hair, Roy is a very well maintained person. He continues eating his fruits, observing the people around him intently.

Friday, 15th November 2007. 2.47pm.

Roy walks to his usual seat, at the back of the canteen. Today, he is wearing a black blazer and looking as neat as ever. He tries to make eye contact with the people at the other tables, but everyone ignores him. He sighs heavily as he sits down. He looks gloomy as he starts eating his fruits. He stares at the plate of the fruits. They are probably his sole comfort everyday.

Roy looks up, as three women passes by his table. He smiles at them. Yet none of them notices. It is as if he does not exist. Everyone in the canteen remain oblivious of his presence. Downcast, Roy continues eating his juicy fruits.

Monday, 16th November 2007. 2.14pm.

Roy watches a man and his daughter, sitting at the table across of him, intently. This while doing his daily routine of having fruits for lunch. He munches the small watermelon pieces with satisfaction.

“Be careful darling, its hot,” John says to his daughter as he feeds her a spoonful of the chicken rice.

His daughter blows at the rice before smiling at her father.

“That’s my girl,” smiles John proudly.

Roy watches with envy. A small piece dropped, missing his pants by inches. Roy looks irritated with himself. He doesn’t want to dirty his clean suit. He pushes his unfinished plate of fruits aside and stares at them. His expression changes to one full of concentration. He makes up his mind and gets up from his place and walks towards the father and child.

John hugs her daughter. She is his pride and joy. She smiles every single time he hugs her after he feeds her. As Roy approaches, John looks up.

“Don’t ever leave your daughter. I know what it feels like not having someone there for you. Look at me now, a nobody. A forlorn figure. I wished my dad showed the same love you have for your daughter,” Roy mutters with difficulty.

He tries to smile, but it looks more like he has trouble opening his mouth. Roy walks away miserably.

John looks at him, bewildered.

Knowing he is attracting the attention of the entire temple, Salihin stops abruptly several feet away from the altar. The elders surrounds him and demand to know what is his purpose of visit. He smiles wearily at them this time without answering any of their questions, before focusing his gaze on the Golden Monkey. He stares intently at the statue without even blinking his eyes. The room seems to have gone silent to him, and all that matters now is the statue. Suddenly, a hand grabs his right arm.

Salihin turns slowly to look at the monk who is touching him. Without mustering any expression, he turns away and walks slowly towards the exit. All eyes are on him as he slowly walks across the main area of the temple. This time however Salihin’s eyes are focusing on the tiny window near the main area. And then he sees what he is waiting for. A black clad figure stealthily climbs in the window. Nobody else notices the figure moving towards the Golden Monkey and stealing it. The figure then exits through the same window quickly. Salihin smiles widely and proceeds to exit the temple.

A tall and pale figure looms from the darkest corner of the room the moment that Uncle John stops breathing. The figure glides slowly towards the bed where the old man lay. Cold air comes into the room sweeping the robes of the figure making him seem even more supernatural. The figure stands at the foot of the bed and stares intently at the old man. The long robe is covering most of his head, yet there seem to be a red gleam where his eyes should be. The moonlight manages to light his lips. It was thin. Slowly, the lips formed a grin. The grin grows wider. The figure let out a soft cackle sinisterly.

Characters should have a three dimensional structure:
1. Physiology
2. Sociology
3. Psychology

1. Physiology
• Sex
• Age
• Height and Weight
• Colour of hair, eyes and skin
• Posture
• Appearance
• Defects, Abnormalities, Deformities, Birth Marks, Diseases
• Heredity

2. Sociology
• Class : lower, middle, upper
• Occupation: type of work, hours of work, income, condition of work, attitude towards organization, suitability for work
• Education: amount, kind of schools, marks, favourite subjects, poorest subjects, aptitudes
• Home Life: parents living, earning power, orphan, parents separated / divorced, parents’ habits, parents’ mental development, parents’ vices, neglect, character’s marital status
• Religion
• Race, Nationality
• Place in the Community; leader among friends, clubs, sports
• Political Affiliations
• Amusements: hobbies, books, newspapers, magazines he/she reads
3. Psychology

• Sex Life, Moral Standards
• Personal Premise, Ambition
• Frustrations, Chief Disappointments
• Temperament: choleric, easy-going, pessimistic, optimistic
• Attitude Towards Life: resigned, militant, defeatist
• Complexes: obsessions, inhibitions, superstitions, phobias
• Personality: extrovert, introvert
• Abilities: languages, talents
• Qualities: imagination, judgement, taste, poise
• I.Q
• What is the deep and personal secret this character has which he is desperate to protect/hide

2. Separate the components of his life into 2 Basic Categories

Interior
• The interior life takes place from birth until the moment your film begins.
• It is a process that forms character. [when you start formulating your character from birth, you see your character build in body and form]
• How old is he when the story begins?
• Where does he live?
• Does he have siblings?
• What kind of childhood did he have?
• What was his relationship to his parents?
• What kind of child was he?
• Is he married, single, widowed, separated or divorced?

Exterior
• The exterior life takes place the moment your film begins to the conclusion of the story. It is a process that reveals character.
• Who are they and what do they do?
• Are they sad or happy with their life?
• Do they wish their life was different, with another job, another wife?

You must create your characters in relationship to other people or things.

All dramatic characters interact in 3 ways:

1. They EXPERIENCE CONFLICT in achieving their dramatic need.
[Eg, they need money – how do they get it? Rob a bank? Rob a person? Rob a store?]

2. They INTERACT with OTHER CHARACTERS.
[Either in an antagonistic, friendly or indifferent way]

3. They INTERACT with THEMSELVES.
[Eg, he must overcome his fear of being caught to pull off the robbery successfully]

When and where did Aristotle live?

Born in Stagirus in the year 384BC and died in Chalcis in the year 322BC. During his life, he left for Mytilene when Hermeas was overtaken by the Persians. He then returned to Athens when his work was being finished. Finally he fled to Chalcis in Euboea when the pro-Macedonian government was overtaken after the death of Alexander the Great.
Here is the general outlook of his life:
Stagirus (Born 384BC) > Mytilene > Athens > Chalcis (Dies 322BC)

What were Aristotle’s Poetics?

What Aristotle calls ‘poetry’, he attempts to explain poetry, and teaches that poetry is divided into three genres:

- Tragedy
- Comedy
- Epic verse

It was a book written by Aristotle on what he thinks is ‘poetry’. In it he taught that poetry could be divided into three genres: Tragedy, Comedy, and Epic verse. Poetics focuses mainly on tragedy, and his examination of Tragedy. This work together with Rhetoric makes up Aristotle’s works on aesthetics

What is the definition of Greek tragedy?

Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being fond in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.

Then, Aristotle also included “a change of fortune from bad to good” aspect of tragedy and for that example I will use The Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. In the beginning, the Silver Surfer is sent by the planet eating Galactus to choose Earth as its new target. Unfortunately the Silver Surfer gets caught but The Fantastic Four somehow help him break free and they create a relationship between each other. That friendship, emotion and understanding made Silver Surfer change his mind and go against Galactus. In the end, he sacrifices his own life to destroy the evil Galactus in order to save Earth and mankind.

Aristotle’s 6 parts of tragedies:

1.Plot
• The content of the story.

2. Character
• The character commits and error/sin that turns his happy life around and leads to pity and fear.
• The character is then subjected to either purification or purgation at the end.

3. Thought
• The writer is having a thought, an overall purpose to be told for an audience.

4. Diction
• It’s what your characters say.
• The use of words must be relevant to the character, plot and thought.

5. Song or melody
• The purpose is to interject

6. Spectacle
• The meaning behind the play.
• For an example, in the climax, the plot creates a sense of fear whereas the spectacle creates a sense of magnificent at the same time.

The cause-and-effect chain

• It makes up the plot.
• Brings the incidents, or tragedies, closely related with one another, with no necessary intervention from outside the compass of the play.

Episodic Plot (What Aristotle really didn’t like)

Quite literally where things happen in episodes
Storyline has Highs and Lulls in excitement value
No twists.
Generally proceeding in the same General Direction.

Difference between A Simple and a Complex Plot

A Simple plot

• Involves a basic storyline
• Only a change of fortune
• It’s not a tragedy, it’s just something sad

A Complex Plot

• Has a reversal of intention “peripertcia” and recognition “anagnorisis” connected with the catastrophe
• Not only having something bad happening to her, but also her realizing/ discovering what caused it.

3 Act Structure

Beginning
• Introduces the character
• An incident with a conflict that leads to middle plot.

Middle
• Rising action. Built up of the conflict
• Climax. The highest point of conflict

End
• Anagnorisis
• Resolution
• Character learns from what happens

Perepeteia
• Term describing a change in plot, a reversal.
• The plot twist

Katharsis
• Form of emotional cleansing.
• It’s the audience that feels this.
• Great sense of emotional release.
• Eg, when you are so tensed up with the emotion of the characters and you get and eventual release of emotions.

Mimesis
• Imitation.
• Recreating life in a fake form.

Anagnorisis
• When the character knows and learns from the events.

Hamartia
• The tragic flaw, it is what causes the character to go through a downfall.

Your memory is a wonderful cabinet of past incidents which you have experienced or been told.

These memories are points of references to your own past experiences.

Screenwriter = Storyteller
The cinematic experience is not just made up of words you might put on paper, but the audiences’ emotional reaction to that information.
Writing for an audience is about communicating from people to people.

What is the writer’s purpose?
To connect:

Themselves
Their unique vision
The material
The drama/emotion
Others

Audiences want to be transported by a screenplay.

Where do you look for a story?
Inside yourself.
Everything to learn about other people is already in you.
Now you need to figure out how to connect to it.
It’s people to people.

Give the audience what they want, manipulate their emotions.

Character:

A story starts with character.
The character is the heart, soul and nervous system of your story.
It is through your character that the viewers experience emotions.
It is through your characters that they are touched.

BUT without character, you have no action.
AND without action, you have no conflict.
AND without conflict, you have no story.
FINALLY without story, you have no screenplay.

When developing a character, ask yourself:

• Who is my character?

• What does he want?

• What is her quest?

• What drives him to the resolution of the story?