2. SCENARIO:
Screen Yorkshire have funding packages for first time film makers. This years theme is Adventure.
They want to receive a package of material related to a film idea. Submissions will include a
synopsis, advertising materials and a supporting video game concept.
Required production submissions:
Adventure film concept with a print/digital marketing campaign and supporting video game with a detailed
soundtrack.
Film idea should have a synopsis.
Game to include menu screen, cut scene with dialogue and also an example of a level.
A magazine cover for promotion in a film magazine. A range of different adverts to support the film and game
release.
3. Todorov’s Equilibrium
Breaks down stories in to five simple steps.
Great for generating story ideas.
Helps you bring structure and order to your narrative.
This is how humans have told stories for thousands of years.
4. Propp’s Characters
Propp suggested that in all of folklore and fairy tales, there were just 8 types of characters. Every character fits in to one of the following:
• The villain — an evil character that creates struggles for the hero.
• The dispatcher — any character who illustrates the need for the hero's quest and sends the hero off. This often overlaps with the
princess's father.
• The helper — a typically magical entity that comes to help the hero in their quest.
• The princess or prize — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her as a consequence of some evil or
injustice, perhaps the work of the villain. The hero's journey is often ended when he marries the princess, which constitutes the villain's
defeat.
• The Princess's Father — is a key figure for the Hero to persuade, as the Father is almost always protective of his daughter. The Father
may also be in competition in some way with the Hero for the Princess's affections and a triangle may form.
• The donor — a character that prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object, sometimes after testing them.
• The hero — the character who reacts to the dispatcher and donor characters, thwarts the villain, resolves any lacking or wronghoods
and weds the princess.
• The false hero —Figure who tries to take credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess. They appear heroic but they are
not.
5. Who, What, Where, Why, When and How?
Journalist technique for telling a story. The idea is you get all of these elements in the first paragraph or two so
that people know what is going on.
Can also be good for generating ideas for a story or getting a simple outline ready to pitch a project to
someone.
Idea 1
Who
What
Where
When
Why
How
6. Task:
Pick a story that you are familiar with. Maybe a film or TV episode. Something you know really well.
Use the pro-forma to look at how that story is constructed, using the different theories and methods we have
looked at so far.
8. Start generating ideas for your film synopsis by using the WWWWWH method.
This is to help you consider some different ideas and concepts for a film.
Try to make three distinct ideas. The great the variety the better.
Keep those ideas original. We don’t want just a copy of something that already exists.
Once you have those ideas, select one that you think will work best.
Produce a mind map to add extra detail and ideas to your work.
Finally, produce a mood board of inspirational images, that you can use to help you in your work.
9. Genre is word that often creeps into writing and can be easily misunderstood or misread. Genre is simply the
category you choose to write, or the sort of film you will be able to write. This can be a drama, romance,
action-adventure, science fiction, comedy, horror, musical, documentary, etc.
You have to be familiar with other films that relate to, or are similar to, the screenplay you want to write.
Each genre imposes certain conventions on the screenplay. The choice of genre sharply determines and limits
what’s possible within a story.
There will be:
•Conventional settings: In the crime genre the setting of the murder will have its particular characteristics.
•Conventional events: In the crime genre there must be a crime.
•Conventional roles: In the crime genre there will be a detective character that discovers clues and suspects; in
the horror film the character is the victim; the main character in the action film or Western is often the hero
https://writingstudio.co.za/what-type-of-story-are-you-writing/
11. Research
Research products (at least 4) like those you want to create yourself. Explore pixel art and gameplay videos,
magazine covers and advertising for games and films.
Reference;
Type of image- studio/location, angle, effects, post-production
Use of lighting/ composition/ mise en scene/ costume/ props/ location/ colours/ fonts etc.
Use of sound/ music/ sound effects
Appeal to audience
Meaning created through content
Discuss how your research will develop your final product
Common aspects in the researched products
What aspects of the research will you include in your final product
12. Product Research
You need to research a game like the one you plan to make. This could a similarity in style, gameplay, narrative
or character.
Look at character design, gameplay, screen layout, rewards and punishments, cut scenes and menus. All of
these will help you understand what exists and what you will need to make.
Audio production:
Discuss the use of sound effects, music and performance. How have the producers suggested a location/time
period and created a tone/feel.
Try to break down what you can hear. How do the different sound elements work together? How do sound
effects add to the game? What part does music play in the work?
What are the voices like in cut scenes?
13. Magazines Conventions
There are clear conventions that appear on or in most magazines. Whilst they are distinctly different in terms
of code, the technical elements are the same.
14. Advertisement
Colour scheme:
Some are loud, bright and attention seeking. Some are muted and restrained. Magazines of similar style tend
to follow similar colour schemes.
Photography:
Candid pictures of celebrities or high-quality photo-essays? Photographs are a good way to grab the audience's
attention.
Text/Picture ratio:
The amount of text in a product compared to images is another convention and audience expectation.
Fonts:
The font choices in a product help it appeal to an audience and let people know if they will be interested in it.
Metal Hammer and Kerrang use sharp, spiky and aggressive fonts which reflect the style of music they cover
and fit in with the sorts of fonts bands use to promote themselves.
15. Use http://www.neilstoolbox.com/ to generate your sources in the correct Harvard Referencing format.
• Any required information that you don’t have, put a . in the category.
• If you don’t know the author, put the word Anon as the author.
• Ensure you enter the source as you want it to be considered. E.g. if it’s from Google Books, put it through
as a book source, not a website.
21. You will need a script. This is probably the most important part of your planning as it will dictate how many
actors, locations and sound effects you will need.
Once you have a script, you will need:
Sound Effects/Dialogue
What sounds will be in your video? How could you make them?
Character jumping > A ruler being twanged on a desk
What dialogue might you include if any? What kind of voice will you need for that?
Music
What music could you use.
Can be original, produced by you (Garage Band, BeepBox for example)
22. Contingency Planning
What could go wrong? Technology, models, props, equipment, team members, weather, animals
Health and Safety
What could put people at risk? Equipment, props, animals, traffic, costume
24. Using your plans, produce:
• A synopsis for your film
• A video game that would support your film, to include a menu screen, demo level and cut scene
• Sound track for the video game
• A magazine front cover, promoting the film
• Additional advertising to promote the film
Include synopsis, magazine cover and advertising in the pro forma. Animation to be embedded in your blog.
27. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your;
Planning
Research
Time Management
Discuss the;
Technical Qualities
Aesthetic (the way it looks) qualities of your work
Aural qualities (how it sounds)
Audience appeal of your work
Strengths and weaknesses of the overall product
Include visual imagery as often as possible and where appropriate. This could be final products, screenshots or
slides from previous submissions
