Reflectzion Eight

We did a little bit of action today.. like action and no sound.. like a silent film.. MOS.. i and vivian had a hard time thinking up of stuff to do. I thought that it would be easier to make it look like she liked me but how to make it look like she was expecting a proposal.. I added a little diggin into the pocket while the girl peered over expectantly.. to see if anyone could take the hint.. Ben thought i was crying.. people do put their hand to their eyes for lots of other reasons too.. I thought that it was pretty fun for an exercise.. it was almost like a drama session. I liked it.. Siew Eng’s looked like charades to me.. it didn’t look like someone wld actually do that.. but it was a pretty tough situation.. and the documentary, the terminal bar.. that was pretty cool.. i watched this movie the other day.. ‘who framed roger rabbit’ and i saw this bar called terminal bar, i think, in there.. if i hadn’t watched that documentary, i would have never noticed.. Who framed roger rabbit was really nice.. the way they integrated live action with animation.. brilliant..

Storytelling Eight

Terminal Bar..
2,500 photos of customers..

All it takes for a visual trigger is a simple picture, of even just a face.

Bugis was a seedy place in the 50s

Story is action.
Any activity or movement and interaction.
showing feeling is better than stating feelings.

Film is behaviour
Actions are behaviours
Emotions understood from actions and reactions.

Dynamic Action
Enrich the experience of the viewers by building emotional relationships between them and the characters.

and, oh yeah, I still wanna be batman!!!!

Reflection Seven

The importance of dialogue…you know? We learned that, you know? It is important to have good dialoge in you movie, if not it will become boring, you know? If your dialogue is good, your movie is good, if your dialogue is bad, then your movie is not so good, its simple mathematics, you know? Yea.. you know? OK.. i just watched Rocky and I am facinated by the dialogue. Rocky keeps saying, ‘you know?’ Its so funny.. The EYE-talion stallion. He thought of the name while having dinner one day.. Rocky.. that’s one good movie man.. Inspirational and all.. makes you wanna fight.. and run and punch meat and speak in a funny accent. you know? This is week nine and i am writing my week 7 reflections. I am so behind time. but not like it’s something new.. i am always late at handing up work.. always been.. i think that’s just how i am.. i can’t do anything right– on time.. I want to be bruce wayne.. Then i can be batman.. Batman is really smart.. he can outwit superman.. but only because superman doesn’t try.. Superman has super fast thought processors and stuff in his head..

Function of dialogue
*Possibly–
- Conveys message of the story.
- Helps explore character’s emotions.
- Understand character personality.
- Creates moods.
- Shows relationship between characters.
- Makes the film more interesting.

Dialogue reveals characters.
-Character talks about himself
-Other people talk about the character
Dialogue establishes relationship between characters.
-They express attitudes and opinions
Good Dialogue moves the story along.
Dialogue communicates faces and information to the audience.
-It conveys essential exposition
-Characters will talk about what happened, establishing the story line
Dialogue ties the script together.
What is bad dialogue?
-Long dialogue
-Ambiguous dialogue
-Telling instead of showing

GOT TO WRITE REALISTIC DIALOGUE. NOT fancy, NOT real, BUT realistic..

A man in his forties, after work, he had some drinks with friends, he comes home late and drunk, not knowing his wife made dinner and he ruined everything.

Wife: Do you have any idea what time it is?
Man: I dunno.. 13 O’clock?
Wife:You said you’d be home at 8.You’re late..
Man: Late for what?
(Pause)
Wife: I made dinner.
Man: I am not hungry.
(Pause)
Wife: You’ve been drinking.
Man: I might have had a glass or two..
Wife: Why are you doing this?
Man: I am not doing anything! You know what? I don’t have time for this.. I gotta work tomorrow..
Wife: You should have–
Man: Don’t tell me what i should have done!
Wife: You could have called..
(Pause)
Wife: I was worried, i thought–
Man: I’ll sleep on the couch..
Wife: …
Mum: Why are you so late?
Dad: I was at the Bar. With Friends.
Mum: I thought you said you were going to come home at 8 today..
Dad: I was.. but my friends talked me into it..
Mum: I made dinner, you know..
Dad: We could still eat it you know..
Mum: That’s not the point..
Dad:…
Mum: Why didn’t you call..
Dad: It slipped my mind.. I completely forgot..
Mum: I am not going to make dinner anymore then..
Dad: I am sorry, i promise to call next time..
Mum: There is going to be a next time?
Dad: OK.. if i say i’ll be at home early, i’ll stick to it..
Mum: Good.. Now we can eat…

Reflection V!!!

We started the lesson by trying to connect the two of our characters together with a story and some conflict had to take place and something like that. I did it.. no problem.. I like to write stories.. I always start by writing random stuff, stuff that doesn’t make any sense. But as i keep writing, i actually have a wave of inspiration and i can actually continue into a story… that’s a good thing right? I mean, whatever works right? This week I was involved in a fight with my friend. A fight as in like, physical fight.. kicks and punches and kung fu shit. we were flying all over the place.. rolling more like.. it had just rained and the ground was all muddy and stuff.. my friend got in some good punches.. my face still hurts.. but that doesn’t mean i didn’t do any damage.. i got in some good jabs and hooks.. the good ol’ ‘one two’ came in handy.. My friend is probably in hospital now.. i just left him lying in the rain..

….

PSYCHE!!!

HAHAHA!!

I didn’t have any fight! I wouldn’t hurt a fly.. well.. a cockroach maybe, or an ant.. but yeah.. i was just lying.. i had nothing to write.. so i wrote a some rubbish story…

anyway, notes…

Hello! This is Storytelling Lesson 5.I am going to take some notes.  

I am so tired and it’s just the start of the lesson. 

We are waiting for everyone to arrive.  

Once upon a time there lived a monkey who had the gift of speech. He talks to trees, plants, insects and everything he can see. But nothing ever replies. He was so bored of talking to something that never talked back. One day he was running freely through the jungle. Suddenly he got lifted into the air. It was a hunter’s trap. He was going to die! He didn’t even bother to struggle because he was too smart. 

OK…Lesson’s started. 

The meeting of Veeramuthu and Tran 

The last light of the sun leaves the sky as Anthony Veeramuthu exits the car. He walks towards the only door in sight for about 20 miles. The door swings ajar just as he steps within 2 meters of it. A faint silver light leaks out onto the dirt track upon which Veeramuthu stands. Veeramuthu takes a puff on his cigarette. He takes a step forward. Nothing happens. He walks all the way to the door. He places his right hand onto the handle. It is cold as ice. He draws his hand away. He pushes the door wide open. A fire is burning in the fireplace. He enters the house and closes the door behind him. A couch is set facing the fire. Someone is behind the couch. Anthony Veeramuthu drops his cigarette on the floor and steps on it. He walks towards the couch. ‘I know for what you have come’ said the person on the couch. Veeramuthu stops walking. The person behind the couch gets up, wheels around and faces Veeramuthu.  

‘Hanh Phu’c Tran,’ says Veeramuthu ‘you know why i came?’ 

‘Yes! Everyone knows why Anthony Veeramuthu visits you’ replies Tran. 

‘Hahaha! You are not as stupid as i thought you would be.’ 

‘Just hurry up and do it.’ 

‘You are brave! And I like bravery. Reminds me of me.’  

‘You are still going to kill me?’ 

‘No. I wasn’t going to kill you.’ 

Tran stares at Veeramuthu in surprise. From everything she has ever heard of this man, she made him out to be a real murderer. A cold-hearted, unforgiving murderer. But there he was standing in her house, tall as death himself, talking.  

‘Why did you come here then?’ asked Tran. 

‘Wrong house,’ murmured Veeramuthu, ‘wrong address.’ 

Veeramuthu turns to leave the house. He walks towards the door. Suddenly a knife plunges into his back. He gasps in surprise and moments later, he falls to the floor, dead.  

‘That was for my brother, you bastard!.’ 

Character Analysis 

A story starts with character. Stronger characters can make up for weaker plot.Character is the heart, the soul and the nervous system.Its through characters that viewer experience emotions. Connection to Audience.No character, No action.No Action, No conflict.No conflict, no story.No story, no screenplay. 

What a character needs. 

Who is my character?What does he want?What is her quest?What drives him to the resolution to the story? 

What he wants and why he wants it.- the difference. 

Interior not in the film and exterior is in the film. 

Interaction with themselves mean interacting with their emotion. 

Taxi Driver, 1976 

Involvement of memory in storytellingArchive of incidents.Points of reference. 

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. 

You can also write what you don’t know. 

Les Mistons (The Brats), 1957

Francois Truffaut