MODULE HANDBOOK UPDATES

Schedule wk 11 (Thu 26 April)

11am-12.30pm Guest speaker (Roland Moore)

12.30-1pm Module evaluation

Seminar assessment

- 25% Class presentation

- Any active contribution to class discussion will be considered when assessing general learning outcomes

U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED

WEEK 6

COMPLEX NARRATIVESCase study: Mulholland Drive

SHORT FORMATS (1):

SIT-COMSCase study: Friends

SCRIPT FORMATS

COMPLEX NARRATIVES

Case studies:

Pulp Fiction

Memento

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

- Mulholland Drive

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

Blonde Girl’s dream – Who is she?No exposition until late into third sectionProtagonist introduced 17’ into the film

1 2 (1h53’) 3 (25’)(2’30’)

Awake

(reality)

Asleep

(dream)?

MULHOLLAND DRIVEJitterbug dance- Solid color blue screen, no wall, no

floor- Superimposed images of dancers- Further superimposed images (Blonde

Girl and parents?) - Overexposed, out of focus, jittery

STYLISED, UNREALISTIC NARRATION...

POV shot, s’one heading towards bed- Handheld, moving camera- O.S. breathing sound- Selective focus on red sheets and

pillow- Superimposed images (glimpse): link

to Blonde Girl and parents- Closing in on pillow, fade to black:

character’s loss of consciousness (falls asleep)

SEQUENCE MOTIVATED BY CHARACTER’S PSYCHOLOGY

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

CREDIT SEQUENCE

- Closing in on pillow, fade to black: character’s loss of consciousness (falls asleep) DREAM STARTS

- Road sign shimmering (effect motivated by cause: i.e. Cadillac headlamps flashing on and off in next shot)

ROAD SIGN = FILM TITLE (Credit sequence started) Film ‘born from’ blackness (dream state)

Dream length = 1h53’Section 2 as a focused chain of events when does

the dream stop?

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

DREAM, SECTION 1 (DARK-HAIRED WOMAN)

- Cadillac, Dark Woman threatened, car crashNarrative disequilibrium (disturbance)- Who is this woman?- Why is she being threatened?- How has the crash affected her? (amnesia)

- Stumbles into apartment (whose?)- Falls asleep (dream within dream – Winkie’s)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

First meeting two protagonists (turning point)

- Betty: blonde, smiling, positive- Rita: dark-haired, mysterious, passive

- Naked, injured, amnesiac vulnerable

- Identity made-up

- Often falls asleep (whose dreams?)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

LINEAR-TRADITIONAL NARRATIVE

3-act pattern cause/effect logic

MULHOLLAND DRIVE (complex narrative)

Own pattern/logic (?)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

1 2 (1h53’) 3 (25’)(2’30’)

Awake

(reality)

Asleep

(dream)?

Cadillac on Mullholland Dr. scenes

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

PATTERN REPETITIONS W/DIFFERENCES• Important events in Section 2 are repeated in Section 3• Different characters (played by same actors) repeat same

actions/event/piece of dialogue in different context - Significant and mysterious in Section 2- Mundane and ordinary in Section 3

• Car crash; Winkie’s; Coco (landlady, Adam’s mother); mysterious cowboy; Diane’s rundown apartment; lovemaking; Silencio Club; blue key; etc.

MEANING (through spectator’s mental activity)• Priming in Sections 1 and 2• Link up repetitions and compare differences (Section 3)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

DREAM REALITY

Naomi Watts Betty (+) Diane Selwin (--)

Laura Herring Rita (-) Camilla Rhodes (+)

Diane’s dream idealized image of her lover (Camilla) and of herself, with reversed power dynamics

Section 3 exposition: jitterbug contest, inheritance, audition, Camilla, lovers and paranoia

Dream and repetition pattern to tell story of thwarted dream

MULHOLLAND DRIVE - MAP

SHORT FORMAT - STRUCTURE

TV FORMATS (series)

• Long = 1-hour slot, 42 minutes ca. (4-5 acts, up to 7)

• Short = ½-hour slot, 22 minutes ca. (2 acts)• + teasers and epilogue/coda

• TV terminology Act

22-minutes format, Sit-com

FRIENDS• Set characters

• Chandler, Joey, Ross, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe• Recurring minor characters: the Gellers, Gunther,

Janice, Carol and Susan, Ben, Estelle• Other characters: boyfriends and girlfriends,

other friends and relatives (the Bings, the Tribbianis), employers, etc.

• Set locations• Monica and Rachel’s apartment• Joey and Chandler’s apartment• Central Perk• Ross’s and Phoebe’s apartments (less frequent)• Workplaces (may change over time)• Others

22-minutes format, Sit-com

FRIENDS• Stories

• Ongoing major narrative threads (Rachel and Ross, Ross’s ex wives, Monica and Chandler, Chandler and Janice, Chandler and Joey, Rachel and Monica, Joey and Rachel, Rachel’s pregnancy and daughter, Phoebe’s brother’s children, Phoebe and David/Mike)

• One-off stories (episodes)

FRIENDS – EPISODE STRUCTURE# PLOT A (Chandler & Joey) Plot B (Monica) Plot C (Rachel & Ross) Location Transitions

1 J pays back C and gives him a “best buds” bracelet - 1’40”

Boys apartment

CREDITS - 0’50”

2 M’s job interview – 1’10” Kitchen

3 M, Ross & P see C’s bracelet and make fun

M took a shower. Ross suggests borrowing money from parents

Ross takes a phone call for Rachel and worries - 2’25”

Girls apartment NY street

4 The Gellers bring boxes(*). Rachel arrives too – 1’05”

Girls apartment

5 C’s bracelet the women-repeller. J gets upset – 1’30”

Central Perk NY Skyline

6 Ross “saves” Rachel from a guy. They argue over the lobsters thing: “no us” – 2’40”

Central Perk FADE OUT11’20”

7 J and C argue. C has lost the bracelet – 1’20”

Boys apartment

8 Ross helps M to ask money to the Gellers – 1’20”

Girls apartment

9 C bought a new bracelet. Now they have two: best buds again – 1’15”

Central Perk

10 Ross lends money to M Rachel arrives: cold w/Ross.* The prom video in the boxes: Ross does not want to watch it, Ross in love w/Rachel, Rachel realizes that, they kiss – 5’55”

Girls apartment

+ Gellers’ house

FADE OUT 21’10”

11 Epilogue – M watches the tape, the Gellers in bed – 0’30”

END CREDITS – 0’10”

FRIENDS – EPISODE STRUCTURE

• Total duration 21’50”• 2 credit sequences: 1’ in total• Actual story duration: 20’50” in total• 11 scenes(ie. 10 scenes incl. teaser + tag) (but

scenes 3 and 10 include multiple narrative threads each)

• 3 narrative threads (plots A, B and C)• 14 narrative units• 6 main characters + Gellers + Guy at cafè + Hot girl

+ Chip&Roy• 3 usual locations (INT.): girls’ apartment, boys’

apartment, Central Perk• 2 other locations (INT.): kitchen, Gellers’ house

FRIENDS – EPISODE STRUCTURE

• Avg duration per scene: 2’ ca.

• PLOT A 5 narr. units: 6’45”• (Chandler + Joey) + Phoebe• friendship + incomprehension = gags (funny)

• PLOT B 5 narr. units: 4’35”• (Monica + Gellers) + Ross• Work/money + family = everyday life (serious)

• PLOT C 3 narr. units: 9’40”• (Ross + Rach) + Phoebe• Love anticlimax / expectations (emotions)

SIT-COM - DIALOGUE

• Fixed structure• Set characters• Set locations

• Where is creativity? DIALOGUE

• How many lines per episode?• How many lines per character?• How many laughters?• How many ooohs?

SIT-COM - DIALOGUE

• Fixed structure• Set characters• Set locations

• Where is creativity? DIALOGUE

• How many lines per episode?• How many lines per character?• How many laughters? 80-100 per episode• How many ooohs?

SIT-COM - DIALOGUE

• Fixed structure• Set characters• Set locations

• Where is creativity? DIALOGUE

• How many lines per episode?• How many lines per character?• How many laughters? 2000-2500 per season• How many ooohs?

SIT-COM - DIALOGUE

• Fixed structure• Set characters• Set locations

• Where is creativity? DIALOGUE

• How many lines per episode?• How many lines per character?• How many laughters? 25000-32000 total (over 10 yrs)• How many ooohs?

SCRIPT FORMATS

Samples

Feature films

TV series

- US sit-com (30-min slot)

- UK 1-hour slot

SCREENPLAY FORMAT/STANDARDS

U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

HEADINGS (scenes, shots, slug lines)

BUSINESS (action, direction, description)

DIALOGUE

TRANSITIONS

PUNCTUATION

DRAFTS & SPECIAL PAGES

SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SCRIPT ELEMENTSSCENE HEADING / SLUG LINE (all caps)• Scene intro (location) EXT./INT.

• Description (location)• DAY/NIGHT (DAWN/SUNSET• Info for production manager• Production plan• Production design (sets)

• Photography

ACTION / BUSINESS• Description of action, people, places

• Single-spaced• Margin-to-margin (not justified)

• Sound effects capitalized

SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SCRIPT ELEMENTS

...

DIALOGUE•Character’s name (capitalized)•Character’s extension (O.S. or V.O.)•Parentheticals (stage direction; keep to a minimum, only if essential, e.g. reactions)•Dialogue lines: single-spaced

TABS (from left margin)•Action / Business = 0•Dialogue = 2•Parentheticals = 3•Character’s name (before dialogue) = 4

TRANSITIONS•Only if/when necessary