Useful information for students and teachers interested in making films. Contains steps, tips, and links.

1. Script Writing, Story
Boarding, and Site
Selection Issues
MachinEVO Week 2

2. Scriptwriting Benefits
Filming and editing become much easier since less takes and cuts are
needed.

3. Scriptwriting Benefits
Finding an appropriate set/sim, costumes, and props is easier .

4. Scriptwriting Steps
Step 1: Prewriting—Brainstorming your goal and how to achieve that goal.

5. Example Goals
* Illustrate:
A grammar point—past tense, conditionals . . .
A language function—expressing anger, ordering from a menu . . .
Vocabulary terms—body parts, idioms, . . .
* Tell a story for students to understand or draw conclusions from.
* Record students acting out a script.
* Having students use English in an intense way while creating videos
on a topic you or they choose.

6. Scriptwriting Steps
Step 2: Creating an outline—the major actions that need to be
covered in the different scenes of the script.

7. Scriptwriting Steps
Step 3: Pitch—especially useful for your students to do since it
requires them to present their ideas to the class.

8. Scriptwriting Steps
Step 4: The script—the setting and dialog for your scenes.

9. Scriptwriting Steps
Step 5: The storyboard—simple drawings that illustrate camera angles and
essential costumes and props.

10. Useful Scriptwriting Tools
Story Generators: Roleplay Scenarios

11. Useful Scriptwriting Tools
Story Generators: Story Dice

12. Useful Scriptwriting Tools
Story Generators: Opening Lines

13. Useful Screenwriting Tools
Screenwriting Software:
• https://story.adobe.com/en-us/index.html
• www.moviedraft.com/

14. Useful Screenwriting Tools
Screenwriting YouTube Video: Scriptwriting by AFI ScreenNation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JcJNul9y4k&feature=share&list
=PLna7STDz_DyLBdlzcNWhChpCBZ5QVSG6u

15. Useful Screenwriting Tools
Basic Scriptwriting Conventions
Interior/Exterior -- Location -- Time of day
Description of where characters are and what they are doing
Identify speaker
Speaker’s lines
Other film-making notes

16. Useful Screenwriting Tools
Basic Scriptwriting Conventions
INT. – BEDROOM – AFTERNOON
Jenner leans on the wall next to the bed. James is in bed; his mother
stands over him. She smiles a slight smile.
MOTHER
Doctor Jenner, could you please come here for a
moment.
DISSOLVE TO JAMES’ FACE.
JENNER (V.O.)
Just a second.
FADE OUT.

17. Useful Screenwriting Tools
Basic Scriptwriting Conventions
= 1 minute of
screen time

18. Story Boarding: Why Bother?
Storyboarding helps you:
1. Discover problems before you start filming
2. Make sure everyone is on the same page about what needs to be done
3. Analyze what shots and angles you want (wide establishing
shots, close-ups, cutaways, etc.)
4. Think about the purpose, props, dialogue, and action you need in each
shot
5. Make it evident when you are repeating ideas already covered by
previous action or dialogue.

19. Storyboarding Examples
Use a
simple
form.

20. Storyboarding Examples
Draw right
on your
script.

21. Storyboarding Examples
Use comic software, like
Comic Life, to make
your storyboard.

22. Storyboarding Examples
If you
absolutely
don’t want to
draw, at least
use a detailed
Excel sheet.

23. Storyboarding Aids
Tips in “Cinematic Storytelling” document

24. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos
• Storyboarding by AFI ScreenNation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWPjjoOFIu8&feature=share&list=
PLna7STDz_DyLBdlzcNWhChpCBZ5QVSG6u
• Zero Budget Storyboarding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcXfgBLRv_E&feature=share&list=
PLna7STDz_DyLBdlzcNWhChpCBZ5QVSG6u
• Storyboarding Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ekzThzjj0&feature=share&list=P
Lna7STDz_DyLBdlzcNWhChpCBZ5QVSG6u
• Alfred Hitchcock On Mastering Cinematic Tension
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPFsuc_M_3E&feature=share&list
=PLna7STDz_DyLBdlzcNWhChpCBZ5QVSG6u

25. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

26. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

27. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

28. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

29. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

30. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

31. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

32. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

33. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

34. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.

35. Storyboarding Aids
You Tube Videos detail types of shots and much more.
A rule-of-thirds shot

36. Site Selection Criteria
Partial list of factors:
1. Is it necessary to get permission to film?
2. Is the sim voice-enabled?
3. Are there useful or annoying background sounds?
4. Are there avatars on the sim that might be useful as extras or problematic?
5. Is it possible to shoot several different type of scenes on the same sim?

37. Site Resources: Historic or Culturally
Rich Sims
Ancient Rome, King Arthur’s court, the
Wild West, Parisian catacombs, Berlin in
the 1920’s, modern New York, outer space
colonies, underwater cities, etc.
Visit SL Destinations to choose the best
place for your machinima:
http://secondlife.com/destinations?lang=en
-US

38. Site Resources: EduNation Holodecks
A holodeck stores Second Life scenes
and lets you load them from a menu
whenever you want.
Scenes can include any prim
object, including furniture, pose
balls, and particle generators.
The following links give more
information on holodecks:
• http://insidethisworld.com/the-
holodeck.html
• http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Ho
lodeck

39. Site Resources: Simple Cube Sets
Sample--easy to alter or build from scratch

40. Machinima Open Studio Project
Machinima Open Stage Project Blog: http://machinimasl.blogspot.dk/
MOSP Welcome Area: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/130/125/22
Sound Stage 1: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/31/110/1204
Sound Stage 2: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/38/105/1492
Sound Stage 3: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/38/105/1667
Sound Stage 4: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/38/105/1843
Peaceful Valley: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/114/167/23
New Orleans: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/139/123/2746
Gypsy Camp: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/222/219/723
Night Beach: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/46/125/3007
Corporate Office: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/129/125/2031
Beach Walk: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/93/32/21
Streets and Subway: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/34/100/1005
Stone Ruins: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/224/226/814
Park: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/224/229/501
Shadow Lands: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA20/19/231/3701

41. Suggested Work to Complete Before
Next Week:
1. Form film-making groups.
2. Prepare scripts/story boards.
3. Take photos of your sets/sims and costumes.

42. Additional Resources
PowerPoint illustrating SL basics:
http://www.slideshare.net/bmcqueen2/sl-how-tos-16128694

43. Additional Resources
PDFs on SL Basics:
• SL Basics.pdf
• SL Basics Part 2.pdf

44. Additional Resources