Pre Production Unit Research (The Script and Storytelling) Making Sort Films by Clifford Thurlow

Book:
Making Sort Films (The complete Guide From Script to Screen) by Clifford Thurlow

This book gives the step by step process into how to make a short film by sections of the preproduction, to the crew, straight to the screen. Even within the contents page it is labeled into what aspects of  the pre production you are wishing to learned or perfect such as:

1 The Script

2 The Producer

3 The Director

4 The Editor

5 Finance and Distribution

6 Noise Control



Fig. 1 My Final Year Blog Media Production Year 3 (2012).


Starting the script, the whole film on paper describing as well as showing what the film is going to do and how it is going to be presented. What is most important in my experience when it comes to the script is that it has to be presented in a way that everyone can understand. As one of our professional lecturers, Steve Combs, said to us was that a script is showing rather then telling. So how do you start writing a script? Is there a secret? Well as the author of this book, Clifford Thurow writes...


'the secret is there is no secret. It's plain hard work. Scriptwriting is rewriting. Whatever goes   down on paper, however well it looks, and with the abundance of scriptwriting programs, it's probably going to look super, that first gush of words is unlikely to produce anything of greta value.' Thurlow,  C (2005) Making Sort Films The complete Guide From Script to Screen. New York Berg: 5.


But in order to produce a positive script is to know your story. Beginning middle and end. Plan the story out and make sense of your characters and their structures and how they act in the world you are about to invest them in.


'Character drives the plot, but the underlying theme, the message, is what holds the narrative together. Once you give birth to your characters, they are responsible for their own actions, and effects caused by those actions.' Thurlow,  C (2005) Making Sort Films The complete Guide From Script to Screen. New York Berg: 5.


Wheres a good place to start when it comes to a script? Most people would suggest going from the beginning as you can work your way down towards the ending. Unfortunately that would normally cause a long tiring process that normally cause you have have writers block by means of characters not being developed properly, the story loosing the plot, and slowly wondering what is going to happen next.

Now to start a script you must focus on your ending. First know what your story is about, you must determine what is story and what is a plot as they are completely different things all together. For example what is the story for Romeo and Juliet? I asked my parents this very question and as expected their response was... "Oh it's about this guy Romeo and he meets this girl Juliet and they are from separate families who are at war." Wrong! That is describing the plot of the film, the story is about Love and Tragedy, when two star crossed lovers fight for their right to love one another while both of their families are at war. That, (to the best of my ability) is the story, aiming to what it represents and a quick synopsis to construct the audience an imagine to show what they are about to see.

So aiming to pitch the story in your head is always a good start as you would want to make your audience think about what they have just seen. Do you want the plot to have a marble lesson at the end? Do you want your film to reflect on a life experience of yours and have it told in a way you want your audience to feel the same way you felt? The resolution as a whole is, will it make your audience want to go and see your film? Are your characters going to take control of your script and alternatively bring your audience into their world?


'Are we the reader or viewer, interested in these people? Do we want to follow their story? Do the characters start at point A and shift subtly, cleverly, gradually and convincingly to point B?' Thurlow,  C (2005) Making Sort Films The complete Guide From Script to Screen. New York Berg: 5.


All of these questions are asked while you are writing. I have learned that sometimes at the end is where you find your beginning. Of course now we get to the horrifying point of scriptwriting, will your audience understand your story to the point where they will not get board or get too confused. If you want your audience to feel something, with and show the story on how you can make them feel that way. If you want them to hate the villain of the story, then write the villain as a person no one wants to meet, greet and complement. Like king Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones, he is portrayed as a spoiled brat who has the habit of degrading and torturing women.  Furthermore he is moody and makes fun of everyone and whoever even look down on him either by hight or verbally he uses the excuse that he is the king and intently get anyone to be executed to show how powerful he is. He had became one of the most hated characters in media history and the writing truly showed, the audience truly loved to hate him as he was developed well and his image stayed with audiences as a very bad character.


'The audience wants to be surprised, not disappointed by the obvious. Each scene should have its own beginning, middle, and end, a minor conflict leading to resolution and on to the next scene, the characters growing from each development.' Thurlow,  C (2005) Making Sort Films The complete Guide From Script to Screen. New York Berg: 7.


This is just some of things to consider while writing the script, these are just some of the thing we covered in this post:

• What is it about? Not the plot
• What do you want your resolution to be?
• How do you want to impact your audience?
• How will characters effect the story as well as your audience?

Imagelist:

Fig.1 My Final Year Blog Media Production Year 3 (2012) [Online] At: https://omotayodaramolayr3.wordpress.com/page/8/ (Accessed on 2510/2016). 

Bibliography:

Thurlow,  C (2005) Making Sort Films The complete Guide From Script to Screen. New York.