Weaselling your Way IntoYour Students HeartsScreenwriting and movies for education and trainingGareth J JohnsonWeasel Televisual Enterprises(and University of Leicester )

FILM 1

Creating movies for training, education or promotionConsidering the educational power of humourGoing from script to screenSome of the practicalities…Fade In

All role-playing will be me only…no, I’m not going to make you work with puppetsFeeling The FearRole-playingPuppetry

Started filming in 2007 for funBought a camera and editing softwareMoved on to developing short filmsStarted using videos in (some) teaching and trainingMade freely availableGenesis of the Weasel

Where do humour and librarians meet?A powerful a communication tool as rhetoric or repetitionMakes it engagingA key goal for any education or marketingMakes it memorableAudiences will remember serious points made Makes it digestibleSugar coating for difficult topicsA Comedy Tonight

How can this be educational?Breaks the iceChange of focus, raises attention levelsRe-enforcement of core messageProvides respite for the speakerAvailable for local and distance learnersWon’t click for everyoneNeither do other forms of instruction or promotionAnother weapon in the arsenalEducating Weasel

A video short should contain 1 core conceptConcept encapsulated in 25 words or lessStart simple with message then plot then dialogueChoose your artistes with careDull inflection/intonation bring death on swift wingsAvailability can be the key factorGet someone else to film it if you can…Block out plenty of time the first timeVideo: Planning

Remember the hookThe opening line has to grab the audience’s attentionGet someone else to read/review the scriptSpot the best bits and polish your diamondsHelps avoid major clangersWrite for your audienceBrevity, clarity and punchBasic screenwriting techniques will helpNot a simple migration of words to screenUse or adapt a template style or formatKeep thinking message, message, messageVideo: Scripting

A need to make use of a visual grammarsThe lexicon of movement and reactionShow don’t tell at the heart of best practiceFewer words and more movementDon’t over rely on clichéBookshelves back drop can be a major turn offTalking heads looking straight into the camera…but can be a handy visual shorthandBreaking the rulesWhat works for me, might not work for youExperiment – it might just workVideo: Finessing

FILM 2

Outline a movie concept in 25 words or lessThink about the central messageThink about your audience & stakeholdersUse the plotting templateGroup ExercisePlan 2 or 3 scenes (or more) in detailThink of locations, situations and actorsThink about practicalities of the shootScript the opening line(s) of dialogue

Think about the central message

Think about your audience & stakeholders

Use the plotting template

Think of locations, situations and actors

Think about practicalities of the shoot

Script the opening line(s) of dialogue

Screen writing formatsUseful as a guide but don’t follow strictlySee references and handouts for suggestionsWriting effective and engaging dialogueTwo heads can be better than oneAn interrogative between two speakers is bestQuestion and response format works wellRules of thumb on the page1 page/1 minuteThe Speaking script and the shooting script are strictly two different entitiesScript to Screen

Videos are a non-trivial creation exerciseA 3-5 minute movie might well takePlotting, scripting, planning 1-2 hoursSet up, shoot and re-shoot 1-2 hoursEditing & polishing 2-3 hoursMay not be consecutive periodsHelps if are relatively close togetherNeed for script approval can increase timesTiming is Everything

Be wary of information overloadTempting to cram too much in - One or two core messages onlyRemember clarity, pacing and engagementShooting tipsAlways consider simple backgroundsAvoid busy backgroundsMake sure it’s well litShoot once, shoot twice, shoot thriceBe prepared for reshoots after rough cutYour Name In Lights

Keeping it on trackComplex/long scripts make for more time consuming shoots and editingA little each day is a more manageable approachGood editing can save weak movie makingCan sharpen by trimming dead airDaily rushes & rough cutsScreen to a small audience & listen to their feedback or commentsBe prepared to make (minor) changes or reshootsOutputs in multiple formatsLower res for web, higher res for DVD & archiveEditing: Saving It In The Mix

Get someone else to read the script out loudDo multiple takes of every sceneBe aware of backgrounds and lightingUse what ever software you are happy withMake & watch a rough edit as quickly as possibleProduce low & high quality final versionsBack up your original footageThe Golden Rules

Keep thinking…Message, message messageFade Out…

Contactgazjjohnson@googlemail.com0116-252-2055Twitterwww.twitter.com/llordllamaVideoswww.youtube.com/llordllamaFacebooktinyurl.com/weaselchumsAfter the Film