Ken Burns On Story

Ken Burns: On Story from Redglass Pictures on Vimeo.

Males Suicides Outline (rewrite)

Below is a bullet point outline of the film, there will be 3 lists, each one covering one of the characters. Then I'll attempt to merge the 3 lists into the timeline of the film.


Character 1. 19 year old student.

• We see the student looking despondent as his friends laugh and joke at a table in their local pub. 
• The student has a couple of empty beer glasses besides him, he's clearly been drinking faster than his friends. 
• He takes a long drag of his beer, empties the glass. 
• Something is said/ a friendly nudge from his friends suddenly causes the student to snap. 
• He gets up, angry, shouting at his friends, then leaves the pub. 
• Outside, the tirade continues for a little while, then the student begins to cry, he tries turning away to hide his face. Looking on, one of his friends hesitates slightly but then grabs his shoulder and embraces him. 
• Information cards? 
• We then see the student walking in the park, he passes the 16 year old school boy and the 24 year old with his girlfriend.

Character 2. 24 year old professional.

• We see the 24 year old in his car, upset, staring aimlessly through the window, silent and still. 
• The car is somewhere outside of the city, it's night and the rain is falling heavily. 
• At his side his mobile phone begins to ring, he ignores it. The caller ID is 'Molly' 
• Information cards?
• We then see the 24 year old with his girlfriend sat on a park bench chatting calmly. The 16 year old and 19 year old student are in the park also.

Character 3. 16 year old school boy.

• The school boy is sat in the dark, lit only by his computer screen, he looks tired, his hair is dishevelled and bags hang under his eyes. 
• We see him scrolling through Facebook, stopping at times to read a post or two. (or, maybe responding to a friends post - 'How is the studying coming along? I hear you've got to get a * grade to get into college' - 'Don't worry, I'm fine' ?) 
• At his side are a stack of school books, A level text books, screwed up paper lies on his desk.
• Information cards?
• We then see the school boy perched up against a tree in the park studying. The 19 year old passes him buy and the 24 year old sits with his girlfriend on the park bench.   

FILM TIMELINE. (revised version)

We see Jack, a 19 yr old student, looking despondent as his friends laugh and joke at a table in their local pub. 

Jack has a couple of empty beer glasses besides him, he's clearly been drinking faster than his friends.

Jack takes a long drag of his beer, empties the glass.

/cut

We see David, a 24 year old, in his car, upset, staring aimlessly through the window, silent and still. 

The car is somewhere outside of the city, it's night and the rain is falling heavily.

/cut

Alan, the 16 yr school boy, is sat in his bedroom in the dark, lit only by his computer screen, he looks tired, his hair is dishevelled and bags hang under his eyes. 

We see Alan scrolling through Facebook, stopping at times to read a post or two. (or, maybe responding to a friends post - 'How is the studying coming along? I hear you've got to get a * grade to get into college' - 'Don't worry, I'm fine'  or maybe not responding at all.)

/cut

/Display some information about male suicides.

/cut

Back in the pub with Jack, something is said/ a friendly nudge from his friends suddenly causes Jack to snap. 

Jack gets up, angry, shouting at his friends, then leaves the pub.

/cut

We're now back with David, at his side his mobile phone begins to ring, he ignores it. The caller ID is 'Molly'.

/cut

Now with Alan, at his side are a stack of school books, A level text books, screwed up paper lies on his desk.

/cut

Outside the pub with Jack, the shouting continues for a little while longer, then Jack begins to fight the urge to cry, he tries turning away to hide his face. Looking on, one of his friends hesitates slightly but then grabs his shoulder and embraces him. 

/cut
/Display some more information.

/cut

We potentially see all the characters again in a public space going about their day to day lives. We see David with Molly, we see Jack and we see Alan. (This isn't 100% confirmed yet). I want to use this scene to say that anyone can be suffering but you can't always see it, we've just seen 3 intimate moments where our characters have displayed signs of mental strain but in this scene we see them in a very objective way.  

/cut .

/Display - Time to talk. Time to listen. Time to Change. 

*If you need a point of reference to understand how the film will look and flow please watch the Cancer Research adverts. e.g; Mirrors. 

NHS 1st Treatment

For this 3 minute NHS film highlighting the 'Time To Change' campaign I've decided to focus on the issue of male suicides, a huge problem largely unknown by most of society. This film will try to raise awareness about the problem.

The film will follow 3 characters, each one in their own unique situation, all suffering from depression. First we have a 19 year old student out on a chilled night with his friends. The next character is a 24 years old, employed and dating, seemingly with the world open to him at his feet. And finally we have a 16 year old school boy struggling to study for his final exams.

Depression, mental health and/or emotional difficulties manifest themselves in different ways, so having the film follow these 3 characters we can display 3 very different situations and 3 different emotional responses.

The film will begin with a light introduction to each character, quickly establishing that they are not content, that something is amiss. The 19 year old ignoring the friendly banter of his friends. The 24 year old sat in his car, alone, on a rainy night outside of town and the 16 year old scrolling through Facebook ignoring his study books on his desk. Archetype characters but characters the audience can understand very quickly.

We then move a little closer to each of the characters. It's been said that when a man has something seriously troubling him that their outward actions are commonly interpreted as being anti social, aggressive and even violent. So, what the 2nd act of the film will show is these characters breaking down. Further research needs to be done to make sure these characters act out in a real and legitimate way. I want to really give the sense that these characters are bottling up their emotions then suddenly the lid bursts open letting their feelings begin to show in a very real, random and human way.

The 3rd act will see these characters embraced by their friends and/or family. The message I intend to deliver with this film is that you should not feel alone in your suffering, that it is OK for a man to show their feelings, that your friends and family will be there to help and listen. But I also want to make the public aware that we should all be open to help anyone, regardless of gender. As a society it is wrong to think less of a man for displaying emotions or admitting he has problems. That's where the message 'Time To Change' is so relevant.

With regards to style visually/structurally I believe that this film will work in a way similarly to the Cancer Research adds. Those films display multiple stories and multiple characters in a short but emotive time frame.

We will need a multitude of locations if we are to follow the 3 characters. The stories will take place in a pub, a car outside of town (preferably), a bedroom and a park. I understand that within the time frame of this project that might pose a problem, this maybe something to take into consideration before work really begins on the scripts.

At the end of the piece I'd quite like the 3 characters to meet. Just briefly. In a short scene that hits home the message that 'you're not alone'. I want to leave as positive a feeling as possible at the end of the film. Hopefully inspire these men who are suffering and make the public appreciate that this problem needs addressing.      

Short Film Writing Notes

When developing a short story for film there are a few things to consider -

• Choose a single moment in a life time and explore it. A tiny moment, not a grand narrative. Sometimes the simplest of stories can have the most unexpected effect on the audience.
• Try to develop how the characters fit into their own world. It can be difficult in short film to allow the story to breath but a slower pace allows the audience a chance to observe the world and its characters. 
• Look at all the characters in the film - it's important to get across their personalities, even if they only have a minor role. Simple and slight moments of character can help shape the larger narrative.    

Story Notes

A Story.
Stories embrace the fundamental story principles, they involve a character or a number of characters who go through transformation and who change lives and themselves as a result of having gone through life's ordeals and having made certain decisions and choices.

Acts;

• Exposition - set up.
• Conflict.
• Crisis
• Catastrophe 
• Catharsis 

Character; 

Elements that make up a good character. 

• Good/fine with moral purpose.
• Fitness of character. 
• True to life.
• Consistency.
• Necessary or probable. 

Theme;

• You need to know what the idea of the film is.
• Ideas make films interesting.

Diction;

• Genre 
• The expression of the meaning in a way which is appropriate to the plot, characters and the resolution.

Protagonist;

• The protagonist needs obstacles to over come. Sometimes the obstacles come in the form of an antagonist.
• The antagonist should always have a goal - but his goal should not be to stop the protagonist.
• Both goals are needed to make the story work.

Mystery;

Audience Knowledge.

• 1. Audience and character have equal knowledge.
• 2. The audience knows more that the character. 
• 3. Character knows more that the audience.

Each one can be used at specific times to help the story maintain the interest of the audience, using one option for to long may become tedious. 

Reaching the resolution;

• Passage from ignorance to knowledge. Character and audience. When the character fully grasps the importance - the realization of whats really going on.
• All stories need this moment. 

Resolution;

• The resolution must reflect the events of the film. The final act is usually the hero discovering inner strength    

       

The Hero's Journey

This is a basic formula or structure of mythological narrative. Many works have followed or have been influenced by this design including the many stories in Greek myth.

Understanding Scripts

We've taken a look at a couple of scenes from films in script form, in each scene the 3 act structure is clearly identifiable. But there is a way to read a script (and write them) that is crucial for any director/ filmaker who wants to create a meaningful and dramatic story.

Lead characters in films need goals, they need an opposite (antagonist) and they need obstacles to overcome to achieve those goals. Its creates drama and intrigue which is key to an interesting story.

Reading the script you have to ask yourself a number of questions and you need to understand what your reading.

• Who is the protagonist?
• Who is (is there?) the antagonist? 
• What are their goals?
• Identify the obstacles in their way. Inner & Exterior.
• How does the hero achieve his goals, does he achieve his goals? 
• Identify the 3 act structure    

The 3 Act Structure

 

Most films have a 3 act structure similarly to this diagram above. There is the hook, then there is an event that makes the character act which leads onto act 2. There is usually a midpoint crisis to keep the film in full swing, then at the end of act 2 there is another turning point, perhaps a realisation ect... that brings the films events into focus and gives the character a final push towards his/her goal.

But it's not just the full film that obeys the 3 act structure, each scene also tends to follow the same structure. So if you break down the film into 3 acts you can also break down each scene into 3 acts as well and when you look at a film this way you see a clear formula at work. Understanding this formula is key to good screen writing, if anything it makes the job easier.

Here's a short film I watched that shows the 3 act structure at work.



There is another theory. The 3 acts are broken up into eight sequences and each of those sequences has its own part to play in creating a whole film. We've just taken a look at The Matrix and this film uses all the eight sequences to tell it's story. The formula is hidden in plain sight.

• Act 1 - Sequence 1 & 2
• Act 2 - Sequence 3,4,5 & 6 
• Act 3 - Sequence 7 & 8 

In sequence 3 the meat of the story is usually reveled and the premise is set, when coming into sequence 6 if the film has a sub plot ie. a love interest, it usually hits its peak which in turn helps the character change perspective, opinion, situation and enables them to reach the climax of the film with a flourish.    

Of course all these rules can be broken and many of them are but you still need to understand them. 

Maverick Screenwriting Techniques

In the classic structure of a script the lead character is usually in control of their own destiny. In Maverick  films the characters are at the mercy of the world around them, they do not always posses the power to change their fate.

Rod Serling

 

As a fan of the science fiction genre 'The Twilight Zone' TV show has always been something I've been aware of, I've skirted over the principle idea behind the show at times without ever really taking that much of an interest, until recently. 'The Twilight Zone' is now one of my all time favourite shows and that's because of the man behind it. Rod Seling in my view is nothing short of a genius, his ideas portrayed in each episode, theories and philosophies regarding writing in general have captivated me in a way that's changed my own views on storytelling and science fiction.

By his own admission he claimed he's no scientist, his understanding of science and physics are very limited at best but somehow he uses science to portray ideas, ideas that seem so relevant today even though the show was first aired in the 50's. He critics the nature of human beings, asks questions about government, he delves into the darkest and most illuminating aspects of the world. His show is a social commentary on the world around us and he uses science fiction as a platform to help make his point clear. What fascinates me is that I myself enjoy writing science fiction but also know very little about science, I have no desire to learn about science but somehow I'm drawn towards science fiction to help portray my own ideas and stories.

Rod Serling has quickly become a huge inspiration to me, he's so 'anti establishment' he makes me believe with hard work and a good idea you can create quality stories/films without having to follow the rules set by previous writers/film makers/artists. He's made me trust my instinct a little more, he's helped me trust my own techniques and styles. There are no rules when it comes to creativity and/or art so do what you feel is right, get the idea down on paper, make it happen the way you know how. If you have the passion to say something then say it. My only disappointment is that I didn't know of him sooner.  

These are inspiring words for any creator;