Our time in the studio went well, though I definitely had a hard time staying within the time limit and effectively communicating the many layers of my film— there’s the plot with the urban fantasy setting that has its own sub-layer of explanation, there’s the obvious messaging of the Council being a metaphor for society and the way its neglect of its members results in isolation and self-destruction, and then there’s the underlying layers of the characters as well: the additional layers of feminism theory both within the worldbuilding of the Artemis mutation, and the fact that the Council still operates on patriarchal values despite aforementioned worldbuilding. Or the queer subtext— how Wynn and Dolores demonstrate self-acceptance and undergo arcs of growth while Mariko does the opposite and ultimately devolves until she eventually dies. There is so much to talk about, and keeping my spiel sensible and to the alloted time that it really shone a light on the part that comes after writing. Yes, this is a class about writing. Yes, I am a writer. But after that, the writing goes through more. A book goes through the publishing process, and then the marketing process. A script goes through even more: acting, cinematogrophy, animation and video editing. But in-between these two phases of writing and making, there is the pitch, the part of reality that bridges the art and the release of it.
In this revelation, I noticed that I tended to focus on the plot itself in my discussion, but I did take the time to point out that Act II focuses on a devolution of the protagonists, while Act III focuses on Dolores struggling and eventually succeeding in rising once again, though not unscarred. In this time and the fact that this is the big takeaway I mentioned in my discussion of Acts II and III definitely made me reflect on the creation process of my screenplay as well. I already had a world and two out of three of my most crucial characters conceptualized (one of these characters being incredibly fleshed out), but figuring out what to do with the less developed characters and what exact themes I wanted to explore was a new creation for me. This world (I call it “The Angel Killers” Universe) deals with concepts of exploitation of the youth, conformity versus empathy, false altruism versus healthy selfishness, and the importance of community. What I got a chance to do with this story, something that furthered itself as I developed Acts II and III in preparation for our movie about movies, was explore these themes from a new perspective with added layers. The main perspective I had dealt with (and still do) with this universe is that of a young adult who grew up always expected to be selfless, always treated more as an accessory and tool rather than her own person, learning the importance of self-love, healthy selfishness, and community. With “Infatuation,” I got a chance to look at this world and its society from the view of an adult, analyze how false altruism becomes such an issue to begin with, or how our own lived experiences shape us and the way we react to society.
The time in the studio was really great. It made me nervous, and I feel that I didn’t explain the premise of my screenplay well, but I also am appreciative that I have something other than my first act to show for all of the work that I’ve done in the class. I also really appreciated time being provided for me to hear about everyone else’s screenplays. I knew the first act of everybody’s, because of peer review and other group activities we’ve done, but I really genuinely enjoyed knowing where everybody’s thoughts were regarding their hypothetical second and third acts. I wish that I had taken mine slower, because I feel that I could have allotted time to certain themes and elements that aren’t explicitly “happening” in the screenplay but that are alluded to due to the nature of it.
To be entirely honest, I had no idea at all what to expect coming into this class. I knew it would be a lot of writing–considering it’s a writing course; that’s in the name– but I didn’t know what screenwriting itself would be like. And I had no idea what it would feel like to write a screenplay– what the format would be like, how the story would go, and how my writing style would change over the semester. As I got into developing my story and writing my screenplay though, I actually had so much fun, even more than I was expecting to have.
As previously stated, I pretty much had no clue what a screenplay was when I started this course. However, I jumped right in with the hope that I could figure it out as I went. And I did, surprisingly enough. Of course, there are some things that I am still somewhat unsure about. For instance, I’m not entirely certain on when and where to use capitals or bolding–like when objects or actions of significance are written in ALL CAPS– and I seem to continue to have a bit of difficulty with writing descriptions in a visual sense (or, in other words, through the vision of the lens). Additionally, when it came time to peer review and revise, I realized that I did a lot more (perhaps excess) description than dialogue, which didn’t seem to flow too well for a screenplay. All that being said, though, these notices of what I did wrong really helped me to progress and improve. For example, realizing that I needed more dialogue in my screenplay allowed me to go back, change some things around, and end up with a screenplay that I feel I can be even prouder of. And thinking back on my use of certain screenwriting-specific techniques (like emphasis through capitalization and visual writing) has enabled me to pinpoint exactly what I need to work on so that when I write in the future I can ask questions to improve my craft and gain a better understanding of what it means to write a screenplay.
Overall, I have had a great time in this class, writing this screenplay. I really wasn’t sure what to do or what to make of it at first, but I quickly came to understand that I needed to push down my fears and uncertainties. Instead, I sat up and enjoyed the journey. And I ended up with a final product that my time, effort, sweat, and tears went into building. As well as with a new set of skills to add to my writing reservoir.
(Posted the wrong journal here because it was linked under #22 oops!)
I have found this class to be really immersive and rewarding. I really enjoyed having such a small class because it made it easier to become comfortable with one another, and to bounce ideas off of each other, give constructive criticism, and really understand the way that other people were functioning in regards to their writing process. I think that having an understanding of each other is really helpful in a class like this, where almost all of us are learning to write in a format that we’ve never written in before. Hearing what other people had to say about my screenplay and its characters, and also comparing my own screenplay to those of other people, specifically ones that I really enjoyed reading, was super helpful in understanding how to revise my own. A thirty-page screenplay sounded really daunting at the beginning of the semester, but being taken through it slowly made it a lot more manageable, and it does feel like a big accomplishment to know that I’ve written the first act of my own, original screenplay. If I were to do something differently, I would probably have found some space to get into more backstory, but I’m not exactly upset that I saved that for my hypothetical second act, because I think it fits in better there. But, maybe just a little bit could have been sprinkled into the assignment. Otherwise, this was a really interesting class and I’m glad that I chose it because I don’t think that screenplay writing is an opportunity that I will ever get again.
Making this screenplay has been such an experience for me. I’ve loved movies for a long time, have been watching them since I was around 5 or 6, and because of my dad, I got to watch a lot of good classics. Getting to learn what goes into the writing of a movie was one of the most interesting things I’ve done at school in a long time, and I got the chance to write it based on my favorite time in history, the Old West. Spaghetti Westerns have becomes one of my greatest interests in the past few months, with movies like “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” completely taking over my mind. I loved researching what went into all those movies, how they were written, and all the cool aspects of the movie on a more technical level, though I wouldn’t have done any of that without this class. Sounds weird or pompous to say this, but I feel like my life has been kinda changed because of this project. I am first and foremost a writer, interested in ways to tell visual stories through words, and I think a screenplay perfectly bridges two mediums together. I’ve learned a lot about how to tell people a story in a way that can truly show them what it looks like in descriptive form, and how to write respectful and truthful characters.
This semester has taught me a lot about the craft of a screenplay and given me the opportunity to hone in on a craft I began learning during my freshman year through CMM 410. While CMM 410 focused on what makes other “great” films great and how to try and achieve that with our own original story, this class helped define the structure at a fundamental level and was incredibly applicable to other types of writing. This class also made me think a lot about the other aspects of a film— cinematogrophy, sound design, music, acting, etc. In learning more about this, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the screenwriting and pitch process, while also figuring out how to better pace my stories, which is something I’ve struggled with in the hopes to create something that hooks readers who may not want to go through pages of exposition in a fantasy story. This class has also taught me a lot about how other media I’ve consumed impacts my own writing and shapes the way I picture my film. Overall, this class has been a lot of fun, and I hope to finish this screenplay on my own time to see how it comes out.
6 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 23”
Our time in the studio went well, though I definitely had a hard time staying within the time limit and effectively communicating the many layers of my film— there’s the plot with the urban fantasy setting that has its own sub-layer of explanation, there’s the obvious messaging of the Council being a metaphor for society and the way its neglect of its members results in isolation and self-destruction, and then there’s the underlying layers of the characters as well: the additional layers of feminism theory both within the worldbuilding of the Artemis mutation, and the fact that the Council still operates on patriarchal values despite aforementioned worldbuilding. Or the queer subtext— how Wynn and Dolores demonstrate self-acceptance and undergo arcs of growth while Mariko does the opposite and ultimately devolves until she eventually dies. There is so much to talk about, and keeping my spiel sensible and to the alloted time that it really shone a light on the part that comes after writing. Yes, this is a class about writing. Yes, I am a writer. But after that, the writing goes through more. A book goes through the publishing process, and then the marketing process. A script goes through even more: acting, cinematogrophy, animation and video editing. But in-between these two phases of writing and making, there is the pitch, the part of reality that bridges the art and the release of it.
In this revelation, I noticed that I tended to focus on the plot itself in my discussion, but I did take the time to point out that Act II focuses on a devolution of the protagonists, while Act III focuses on Dolores struggling and eventually succeeding in rising once again, though not unscarred. In this time and the fact that this is the big takeaway I mentioned in my discussion of Acts II and III definitely made me reflect on the creation process of my screenplay as well. I already had a world and two out of three of my most crucial characters conceptualized (one of these characters being incredibly fleshed out), but figuring out what to do with the less developed characters and what exact themes I wanted to explore was a new creation for me. This world (I call it “The Angel Killers” Universe) deals with concepts of exploitation of the youth, conformity versus empathy, false altruism versus healthy selfishness, and the importance of community. What I got a chance to do with this story, something that furthered itself as I developed Acts II and III in preparation for our movie about movies, was explore these themes from a new perspective with added layers. The main perspective I had dealt with (and still do) with this universe is that of a young adult who grew up always expected to be selfless, always treated more as an accessory and tool rather than her own person, learning the importance of self-love, healthy selfishness, and community. With “Infatuation,” I got a chance to look at this world and its society from the view of an adult, analyze how false altruism becomes such an issue to begin with, or how our own lived experiences shape us and the way we react to society.
The time in the studio was really great. It made me nervous, and I feel that I didn’t explain the premise of my screenplay well, but I also am appreciative that I have something other than my first act to show for all of the work that I’ve done in the class. I also really appreciated time being provided for me to hear about everyone else’s screenplays. I knew the first act of everybody’s, because of peer review and other group activities we’ve done, but I really genuinely enjoyed knowing where everybody’s thoughts were regarding their hypothetical second and third acts. I wish that I had taken mine slower, because I feel that I could have allotted time to certain themes and elements that aren’t explicitly “happening” in the screenplay but that are alluded to due to the nature of it.
To be entirely honest, I had no idea at all what to expect coming into this class. I knew it would be a lot of writing–considering it’s a writing course; that’s in the name– but I didn’t know what screenwriting itself would be like. And I had no idea what it would feel like to write a screenplay– what the format would be like, how the story would go, and how my writing style would change over the semester. As I got into developing my story and writing my screenplay though, I actually had so much fun, even more than I was expecting to have.
As previously stated, I pretty much had no clue what a screenplay was when I started this course. However, I jumped right in with the hope that I could figure it out as I went. And I did, surprisingly enough. Of course, there are some things that I am still somewhat unsure about. For instance, I’m not entirely certain on when and where to use capitals or bolding–like when objects or actions of significance are written in ALL CAPS– and I seem to continue to have a bit of difficulty with writing descriptions in a visual sense (or, in other words, through the vision of the lens). Additionally, when it came time to peer review and revise, I realized that I did a lot more (perhaps excess) description than dialogue, which didn’t seem to flow too well for a screenplay. All that being said, though, these notices of what I did wrong really helped me to progress and improve. For example, realizing that I needed more dialogue in my screenplay allowed me to go back, change some things around, and end up with a screenplay that I feel I can be even prouder of. And thinking back on my use of certain screenwriting-specific techniques (like emphasis through capitalization and visual writing) has enabled me to pinpoint exactly what I need to work on so that when I write in the future I can ask questions to improve my craft and gain a better understanding of what it means to write a screenplay.
Overall, I have had a great time in this class, writing this screenplay. I really wasn’t sure what to do or what to make of it at first, but I quickly came to understand that I needed to push down my fears and uncertainties. Instead, I sat up and enjoyed the journey. And I ended up with a final product that my time, effort, sweat, and tears went into building. As well as with a new set of skills to add to my writing reservoir.
(Posted the wrong journal here because it was linked under #22 oops!)
I have found this class to be really immersive and rewarding. I really enjoyed having such a small class because it made it easier to become comfortable with one another, and to bounce ideas off of each other, give constructive criticism, and really understand the way that other people were functioning in regards to their writing process. I think that having an understanding of each other is really helpful in a class like this, where almost all of us are learning to write in a format that we’ve never written in before. Hearing what other people had to say about my screenplay and its characters, and also comparing my own screenplay to those of other people, specifically ones that I really enjoyed reading, was super helpful in understanding how to revise my own. A thirty-page screenplay sounded really daunting at the beginning of the semester, but being taken through it slowly made it a lot more manageable, and it does feel like a big accomplishment to know that I’ve written the first act of my own, original screenplay. If I were to do something differently, I would probably have found some space to get into more backstory, but I’m not exactly upset that I saved that for my hypothetical second act, because I think it fits in better there. But, maybe just a little bit could have been sprinkled into the assignment. Otherwise, this was a really interesting class and I’m glad that I chose it because I don’t think that screenplay writing is an opportunity that I will ever get again.
Making this screenplay has been such an experience for me. I’ve loved movies for a long time, have been watching them since I was around 5 or 6, and because of my dad, I got to watch a lot of good classics. Getting to learn what goes into the writing of a movie was one of the most interesting things I’ve done at school in a long time, and I got the chance to write it based on my favorite time in history, the Old West. Spaghetti Westerns have becomes one of my greatest interests in the past few months, with movies like “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” completely taking over my mind. I loved researching what went into all those movies, how they were written, and all the cool aspects of the movie on a more technical level, though I wouldn’t have done any of that without this class. Sounds weird or pompous to say this, but I feel like my life has been kinda changed because of this project. I am first and foremost a writer, interested in ways to tell visual stories through words, and I think a screenplay perfectly bridges two mediums together. I’ve learned a lot about how to tell people a story in a way that can truly show them what it looks like in descriptive form, and how to write respectful and truthful characters.
This semester has taught me a lot about the craft of a screenplay and given me the opportunity to hone in on a craft I began learning during my freshman year through CMM 410. While CMM 410 focused on what makes other “great” films great and how to try and achieve that with our own original story, this class helped define the structure at a fundamental level and was incredibly applicable to other types of writing. This class also made me think a lot about the other aspects of a film— cinematogrophy, sound design, music, acting, etc. In learning more about this, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the screenwriting and pitch process, while also figuring out how to better pace my stories, which is something I’ve struggled with in the hopes to create something that hooks readers who may not want to go through pages of exposition in a fantasy story. This class has also taught me a lot about how other media I’ve consumed impacts my own writing and shapes the way I picture my film. Overall, this class has been a lot of fun, and I hope to finish this screenplay on my own time to see how it comes out.