An Introduction to Screenwriting - Part 2 - Film as a Visual Medium

"A novel is utterly your own creation, a very private process. I think of a novel as a noun and a screenplay as a verb. In a novel, very little needs to happen; you can explore a person's memories and thoughts and fantasies. In a screenplay, it's all action; you must push the story on."

Deborah Moggach

Writing for the theater and writing for film are two different styles of writing in itself.  In theater, a playwright has to write a character driven piece in which a character's motives, actions, and goals propel the performance from start to finish.  In contrast in film, a screenwriter has to create powerful images on screen to establish setting, plot, character, and dialogue.  He can never write a long list of vague character descriptions on screen on what the character is thinking or feeling. A screenwriter's only job is to write what he sees, because in a movie, it's not what the character says but what the character does that gives the story more weight.

In film, actions speak louder than words and it's a screenwriter's job to describe each action cinematically for continuity and flow.  So to get into the thought of visual storytelling, close your eyes and when you think of your favorite movie(s) what images come to your mind.

The unsuspecting babysitter get's a surprise attack from behind by her friend's true killer

Halloween (1978)

A group of wiseguys get together to make joke  of their favorite scores, heists, murders, and crimes like one big happy mafia family

Goodfellas (1990)

  Tony Montana defending Casa De Montana from a Columbia Drug Cartel Faction whose boss he double crossed.

Scarface (1983)

Three rebels with gold rush fever in their eyes face off in a gun duel in their quest to find the dead soldier's fortune

The Good , The Bad, And The Ugly (1966)

Michael unveils the real traitor behind the attempt on his life who was none other than his own brother Fredo

The Godfather Part 2 (1974)

A three day tournament featuring the world's most decorated fighters in a test of wills and strength to become the Superior Warrior,  The Champion.  

Bloodsport (1988)

A lifeguard fantasy becomes reality 

The Sandlot (1993)

So now you have thought of movie images that  came to your mind and why they have had a long lasting effect on you.  Now what.  What's the significance of this brainstorm?

These images are imprinted into our psyche as a remembrance of our favorite movie due to the timing and care the Director  put in interpreting the screenplay into dazzling images that connect us with a certain scene in a movie.  A personal example.  On a Saturday evening, when  I was 14 yrs old and in junior I had wanted to watch a horror movie, Halloween .  I remember one scene  in the movie whose haunting dark image I will never shake even to this day.

http://youtu.be/xWGrVPTiNOY?t=1h18m39s

(I apologize the Spanish version but it was the only one available on Youtube)

 After Laurie Strode reassures the kids she's protecting with her life, Lindsay and Brian, out pops Michael Myers right from behind.  The kids vanish into the night and she's left with no where else to run to but the closet.  All I could remember was the animalistic, grunts, and sounds as The Shape tugged, shaked, and tore into the closet like a motorized machine powered on pure evil.  The icing on the cake that sealed that scene was the audience experiencing Laurie's POV as Michael slowly moves in for the kill while she is searching for something, anything to fend herself from.  Now, most young movie viewers will not consider Halloween to be a classic thriller, but boy did it leave a lasting effect on me.  I couldn't stop picturing that image of Laurie stuck in that closet with nowhere else to escape . That film ended up giving me nightmares from three to four days on which I spent those days bunking in with mom and dad. 

Experiencing a movie versus  experiencing reading your non-fiction novel are two different things. When we read a book,we all share a internal experience by  slipping into the minds of the characters, and envision our own experience if we were that individual.  In viewing cinema, we experience movie by riding along with the visuals where we experience our own thoughts, emotions, and sensations based on what we've seen. 

All successful screenwriters from John Millius to Francis Ford Cappola  live by one common goal and that is to show, don't tell.  Even all of your college film professors will recommend you one solution to fine your screenwriting craft and that is to watch movies.  It's ok if you don't know a establishing shot from a wide to medium angle shot, the goal in the end is to be able to tell stories visually. 

Here a couple of tricks filmmakers use to tell stories cinematically:

1. Cutting through time and space: Movies offer a astonishing way to tell time through a succession of images. 

Example in Scarface (1983) script in how time is conveyed  in images to show Tony's rise in the criminal world to Miami Drug Kingpin .

2. Moving the field of vision.   The camera can portray the  mood, feel, and energy of a scene by the timing and pacing of it's shots. 

Beginning scene from John Carpenters 1978 Horror classic, Halloween. 

 EXT./INT. MYERS HOUSE -- NIGHT -- SUBJECTIVE POV 
               (PANAGLIDE)

               It is night. We move toward the rear of a house through 
               Someone's POV. CAMERA MOVES UP to a Jack-o'-lantern glowing 
               brightly on a windowsill. It is a windy night and the 
               curtains around the Jack-o'-lantern ruffle back and forth.

               Suddenly we hear voices from inside the house.

                                     SISTER (V.O.)
                         My parents won't be back till ten.

                                     BOYFRIEND (V.O.)
                         Are you sure?

               Then LAUGHTER.

               The POV moves from the Jack-o'-lantern down to another 
               window and peers inside. We see the sister's bedroom through 
               the blowing curtains.

               Into the bedroom comes the SISTER, 18, very pretty. She 
               GIGGLES as the BOYFRIEND jumps into the room. Also 18, he 
               wears a Halloween mask and costume.

                                     BOYFRIEND
                              (continuing)
                         We're all alone, aren't we?

                                     SISTER
                         Michael's around someplace....

               The boyfriend grabs the sister and kisses her.

                                     SISTER
                              (continuing)
                         Take off that thing.

               The boyfriend rips off his mask. He is a handsome young 
               man underneath. They kiss again, this time with more 
               passion. The boyfriend begins to unbutton the sister's 
               blouse. She responds to him.

               The POV swings away from the window and begins to restlessly 
               pace back and forth, agitated, disturbed. We HEAR THE SOUNDS 
               of the sister and boyfriend inside the bedroom growing 
               more and more passionate.

               Finally the POV moves back up to the window. Inside through 
               the moving curtains, we see the sister and the boyfriend 
               on the bed, naked, making love.

               The POV springs back from the window and stalks quickly 
               down the side of the house, past the Jack-o'-lantern, around 
               to a door. Quietly the door is opened and the POV moves 
               inside.

               The POV glides silently through the house into the kitchen, 
               up to a drawer. The drawer is opened. A large butcher knife 
               is withdrawn.

               Then the POV swings around and moves to the kitchen door. 
               We look down a hallway to the front door. The boyfriend 
               steps out of the bedroom door, buttoning his shirt. The 
               sister stands in the doorway, a sheet wrapped around her.

                                     BOYFRIEND
                         I gotta go.

                                     SISTER
                         Will you call me tomorrow?

                                     BOYFRIEND
                         Yeah, sure.

                                     SISTER
                         Promise?

                                     BOYFRIEND
                         Yeah.

               They kiss again and the boyfriend walks to the front door.  
               The sister watches as he leaves and shuts the door behind 
               him. Then she turns and steps back into the bedroom.

               The POV moves slowly down the hall to the bedroom door and 
               peers around inside. The sister sits at her night-table 
               brushing her hair. She is still completely nude.

               Slowly the POV moves into the room. Suddenly we move down 
               to the discarded Halloween mask on the floor. The POV bends 
               down and picks it up. Then suddenly the POV is covered by 
               the mask and we see through the eye-holes.

               The POV moves up behind the sister. Sensing a presence, 
               she spins around and stares at the POV, covering her breasts 
               quickly.

                                     SISTER
                         Michael...?

               Suddenly the POV lunges forward. The sister continues to 
               stare incredulously. There is a rapid blur as the POV drives 
               the butcher knife into the sister's chest and out again 
               almost before we've seen it.

               The sister looks down at the blood forming at her hands, 
               then

               back up at the POV with an astonished disbelief.

               Then in a wild paroxysm the butcher knife blurs continuously 
               in and out of frame, slashing the sister mercilessly. She 
               begins to SCREAM, trying to fend off the blows with her 
               hands, then suddenly falls out of frame to the floor.

               The POV moves back away from the sister's lifeless body, 
               spins around and careens out of the bedroom.

               At top speed the POV races through the darkened house, to 
               the front door, out the door, down the steps and rapidly 
               up the street. The CAMERA careens along in frenzied flight, 
               up the sidewalk, up a small side alley, down someone's 
               backyard, then to a sudden, abrupt halt in front of MOTHER 
               and FATHER just coming out of a neighbor's house.

               Mother and Father stare at the POV, at first in puzzlement, 
               then slow, growing horror.

                                     MOTHER
                         Michael?

In 1978, Director John Carpenter took advantage of the Steadicam camera to create the POV from the killer's perspective.  In this beginning shot we get this sense of this unfriendly, unknown presence that is approaching the house.  We later find out that the POV is from the Sister's young brother's point of view judging by the low positioning of the camera.  However, at this moment we cannot suspend our disbelief that the young brother is the murderer.  A lot of first time viewers probably assume that he's probably out, playing around and making it much harder for the sister to find him.  How could a young child possibly be capable of premeditated murder?

However, when  he turns on the kitchen light, and you see the POV image of his hand reaching for the butcher knife, a whole new level of suspense was born .  Now with the boyfriend gone for the night it's just her trapped with the killer in the house   Suddenly the ambient sound fades out and  slowly suspenseful music picks up as the killer creeps slowly up the stairs like a lion preying through the  thick bushes setting its eyes on its kill. Only this is no antelope, it's a young teenager enjoy her night of lustful bliss.  The music finally reaches its crescendo when she spots the young voyeur peering in only we know what she does not know that impending doom is near .  When she finally figures  it out the music roars like a lion and the timing of the shots pick up on the hands of the young child driving the knife deep into the body of the young teenager who lays helplessly on the floor.   Now without viewing the script but seeing this film for the first time you still probably had your assumptions on who Michael was? Is it really her brother or someone she has been paid to watch?    When the two parents arrive home and the unmasking of the true killer as the brother is revealed it certainly left audiences in shake and amazement.   WHICH LEAVES AN EVEN BIGGER QUESTION at the end of this scene is.................Why?   Well that's up to the director to reveal the  answers to your undying questions as you dive deeper and deeper into the film for you to find out. 

When you can create a certain high level of fear in your audience in your opening scene you will have theater audiences hooked to watch the rest.  That's how screenwriters make their mark in this industry. 

3. Special Effects.  Computer Generated Imagery or CGI as it's commonly known to all film buffs is a way filmmakers use to design new worlds, fictional characters, and futuristic space vehicles  through blue and green screen processes that would otherwise cost costume and production set design billions of dollars to produce in such a short time.

Scene from Lord of The Rings: Return of The King (2003)

COMING UP NEXT

Where Screenplay ideas come from 

Until next time , this is Joe Krueger, Director of the Filmmakers Studio, and we'll see you at the movies.


CELEBRATING THE SOUNDTRACKS OF MY LIFE: TERMINATOR 2 

A Introduction to Screenwriting

In his heyday, Peter Sellers was known as "the man of a thousand faces".  

Hrundi V Bakshi 

Dr. Fu Manchu

Inspector Clouseau

The inspiration from his iconic character Inspector Clouseau was modeled after a box of matches depicting Captain Matthew Webb , who became the first person to ever swim the English Channel in 1875. 

 Eighty-Eight years later,  captivated movie audiences were introduced to The Pink Panther, a sophisticated comedy about a charming, sweet-talking,  daring jewel thief Sir Charles Litton (David Nevin) who has eye's set on the location of Princess Dahla's jewel, "The Pink Panther".  However, hot on Sir Charles Lytton's  tail is the bumbling French Detective Inspector Clouseau.  

Peters Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in The 1976 film "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" 

Never has a Hollywood comedic actor tried so hard at working with weak material to be violently funny.  In the end , we were introduced to an iconic character who bumps into things, stumbling blindly over door steps and edges of rugs. He walks into his own bedroom clueless to the fact that the thief is right under his feet. (It so happens to be his wife's lover, Sir Charles Litton, who is calmly waiting there with a couple of glasses of champagne waiting for his cue to exit). 

Movie reviewer, Irv Slifkin, said one of the most ever changing comedic talents in the 1960s was Peter Sellers who could" change like a chameleon throughout the era, dazzling audiences".  

Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Ahmed El Kabir

Dr. Fritz Fassbender

Actor David Schwimmer is another whose comedic approach was influenced by Sellers stated, "he could do anything from Dr. Strangelove, Inspector Clouseau, Hrundi V Bakshi, to Fu Man Chu".  Even Peter Seller's role on the BBC hit show The Goon Show inspired a whole new generation of comedians playing multiple characters from Monty Python, to Spinal Tap, to Sacha Baron Cohen.  

Monty Python

Spinal Tap 

Sacha Baron's Cohen's various movie characters inspired by the comedic stylings of Peter Sellers 

The examples above  shows that the  power of film is indisputable, captivating audiences when you have a hilarious comedy matched with a brilliant comedic actor working hand in hand.  Anything less than that is un-entertaining to the eyes and ears.  Once the build up of big media marketing campaigns go into effect,  we all want so badly to watch.  


The Original Star Wars 1977- One of the big media blockbusters alongside Jaws that started it all. 

As Pauline Kael, author of For Keeps: 30 Years at the movies quotes:

“A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a good movie can make you feel alive again, in contact, not just lost in another city. Good movies make you care, make you believe in possibilities again. If somewhere in the Hollywood-entertainment world someone has managed to break through with something that speaks to you, then it isn't all corruption. The movie doesn't have to be great; it can be stupid and empty and you can still have the joy of a good performance, or the joy in just a good line. An actor’s scowl, a small subversive gesture, a dirty remark that someone tosses off with a mock-innocent face, and the world makes a little bit of sense. Sitting there alone or painfully alone because those with you do not react as you do, you know there must be others perhaps in this very theatre or in this city, surely in other theatres in other cities, now, in the past or future, who react as you do. And because movies are the most total and encompassing art form we have, these reactions can seem the most personal and, maybe the most important, imaginable. The romance of movies is not just in those stories and those people on the screen but in the adolescent dream of meeting others who feel as you do about what you’ve seen. You do meet them, of course, and you know each other at once because you talk less about good movies than about what you love in bad movies.” 

Movies are watched by all from your lower to middle class all the way up to your local politicians and  The President.  No wonder films have their firm grasp on us all.  When Howard The Duck debuted in theater's August 1st, 1986 due to it's poor performance at the box office stateside the film's title was changed from "Howard The Duck" to "Howard: A New Breed of Hero" for it's release in non-US territories in the UK and Austria. 

Howard: A New Breed of Hero (1986)

Top Gun (1986)

In contrast,  riding the wave of   Top Gun's skyrocketing box office numbers that very same year, the US Navy set up recruiting booths outside theaters to catch fans of the film leaving the building.  As a result, they had the highest number of  applications of men and women joining the United States Naval Service service in years.  

US Navy 1987 Recruitment video made right after the box office success of Top Gun

If you're reading this, chances are you among the chosen few who wish to join the ranks of the cinema storytellers and write a movie.  If you hope to break into the movie business you will need imagination, talent, skill, determination, and persistence. In order to be seen you should produce at least one or more screenplays of outstanding quality.  These must be complete screenplays and not just simple story concepts and five page pitches.  

Shooting Script for the 1980 film The Blues Brothers

The focus of these screenplay blogs is on writing feature films from 90 to 120 minutes. Now if you're focus is on writing for television , then I suggest consulting other research material. The same holds true f or writing animated films for those particular films are produced in house by a film studio.  This particular guide is for those wishing to write a spec screenplay , which is a screenplay that you are writing out of your own creative free will in the hopes that some movie studio or production company will pick it up.  Spec is short for "speculation" which is a informal noun to describe an action one does in the hopes of success. 


Coming up next
FILM: A VISUAL MEDIUM

"Until next time this is Joe Krueger, of the Filmmakers Studio, and we'll see you at the movies" 

- Joe Krueger, Director of the Filmmakers Studio

www.filmmakersstudio.com

CELEBRATING THE SOUNDTRACKS OF MY LIFE:  TERMINATOR (1984) - INTRO

ROSEANNE BARR VS GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S PARENTS

It appears TV's most bitchiest Mom in Sitcom History, Roseanne, had some things to share on Twitter  that have George Zimmerna's parents fleeing for cover like Dorothy running from the tornado in Wizard Of OZ.



Aye Caraumba, she is so uncomfortable to watch.  Maybe Roseanne and George Zimmerman ought to have a sumo match to settle their differences.

Now George Zimmerman's parents are on the move with a lawsuit claiming that Barr single handedly tweeted his address to 110,000 to incite lynch mob to descend on the family's home. 

Mob Outside the Zimmerman's home

Wow, our first ever multi-racially incited mob lynching.  Aww, America, what will we come up with next.

Roseanne wasn't the first to think of this.  In fact, Director Spike Lee tweeted the Zimmerman's address only to get it wrong and ended up tweeting the address of David and Elaine McClain. Well, just like his movie he directed he Did The Right Thing and paid the couple $10,000 in a settlement. 

and this is who you want as your mob Lynch Leader? The very same fellow who does racist portrayals of other races in his films.  .....OKIE DOKE!

The Zimmerman's are out for blood asking for a settlement of $15,000 from fleeing for their life from every News Station in Alphabetical Order  from

TO 

KZRO

AWWW GOD NO!! It's  Night of the Living Networks

Roseanne however doesn't feel apologetic and as matter of fact if George Zimmerman is still walking she'd do it again, " If Zimmerman isn't arrested I’ll rt his address again - maybe go 2 his house myself."

Roseanne Commands a Militant Faction knee deep in Floridian territory. Wielding Heavy Machine Guns & Explosives, She Either Fights on the Front Line, or Conducts High Risk Commando Sabotage Missions Deep in Enemy Territory. I think Roseanne has been sent in by the government to discredit those who question authority by appearing as a stoned, paranoid old women.

David Heil, a personal injury lawyer, who is representing the Zimmerman's claim Barr had violated Twitter's terms of service that state users "may not publish or post other people's private and confidential information," 

including street addresses".

The lawsuit also states the Zimmerman's , "suffered emotional pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life, incurred additional living expenses due to the inability to live in their home and have suffered a loss in value of their home," according to the complaint. "These losses are permanent and continuing in nature."

Honestly, how the hell does Roseanne compute sustainability when she's nuttier  than squirrel shit? 

ZACK GALIFIANAKIS VS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Zack Galifianakis, co-star of The Hangover and Host of Funny or Die's newest show Between Two Ferns, decided to have President Barack Obama on the program to promote his Affordable Care Act plan.

Yes that makes us all feel so much better. 

When Galifianakis asked Obama "What's it feel like to be the last black president?" Obama replied "Seriously, what's it like to be the last one who ever talks to a president?" 

Whatever. Like their isn't another one of you ready to be stamped out of the political factory. 

Galifianakis then came back with another question wondering if it must stink not to be able to run three times.Obama replied with, It's a good idea, if I ran a third time it would sort of be like the Third Hangover movie". 

If there was another Presidency the movie title of that would be called: 

When Galifianakis asked him why  he planned on building his Presidential Library in Kenya , Obama replied with "Zack, that is a ridiculous question.

SO...an Obama Presidential Library in Kenya.

Hmm, odd I don't remember voting in a tiki hut while all the while evading gun fire to get there because of a lack of a police force.


Although Galifianakis nailed Obama to the wall  arguing how he never produced his birth certificate Obama's only response was , "Where is your birth certificate?"

Dude you are a enigma.

Galifianaki went deeper wanting to know why Obama would want his son to play basketball out of fear of growing up to being a big dork like him.  Obama's quick response was , "ask my wife if you think I am a dork"

Do we think you are a dork?

When Galifianikis asked if he was here to plug something, Obama quickly fired back with , "Yeah have you heard of the Affordable Health Care Act?" .  Galifianakis chuckled and said , "Yeah I heard , that's the thing that doesn't work"

If the healthcare system is already broke, break it in some more and be sure to spread a little on the side for the rest of you and your crooked friends.

However, Obama is quite adamant on how the Affordable Care Act is so cool that young kids can be able to afford a health care plan for the same price as paying a cell phone bill

NAW....I still don't get you.  But....OK!

You can view the rest of this travesty here

CHARLIE SHEEN VS ANGER MANAGEMENT CAST

Apparently Charlie Seen has gone MIA for the last several days on the set of Anger Management


Hmm gee, I wonder why.  Possible reasons include:

#1. BOOBS

#2 - COKE

#3 - SNIFFING COKE ON BOOBS

Honestly, is there anyone in the Porn Animal Kingdom he hasn't bedded yet? 

Well while Charlie Sheen is busy perfecting the world's best orgasm his absence has forced Lionsgate Production to push back production of Anger Management farther than expected

Possible stand-ins for Charlie Sheen could include:

Mercer Morrision

and Balthazar Getty

Charlie Sheen's publicist, Jeff Ballard, denies that the show had even had to shoot around the actor , "We did not shoot last week because another member of the cast was sick. Charlie is always ready , willing, and able to shoot Anger Management and looks forward to returning".

However, let's not forget that Charlie Sheen has dealt with substance abuse problems and was famously fired from Two and Half Men .  The absence has left many study executive if we can even perform up to 100 episodes of television.

Performing up to par on set these days....probably no.  However, achieving the highest score in sexual pole position that's a DEFINITE YES!

Many of the cast members complain of his erratic behavior which could be due to recent health issues involving a vocal cord problem.

Possible reasons for the vocal cord could include

SHOUTING OUT AT THE DEVIL ONCE TOO MANY TIMES also known as a SORE-GASM

However, this isn't the first time Charlie has had a scrap or two with the Anger Management cast. Actress Selma Blair, who played Charlie Sheen's love interest was dismissed from the show in which Sheen called her a "c**t".  The two believe to have had a failing out due to Blair questioning Sheen's work ethic.

A work ethic that includes banging on the drum all day

COME ON EVERYONE YOU KNOW THE WORDS....SING ALONG!

There is a lot RIDING and I mean RIDING on Sheen's involvement and once Charlie Sheen is done riding the mechanical bull  he should realize the show is expected to earn close $350 million to $500 million in generate revenue.  That is not including the extra $800 million dollars it will  generate from licensing fees, international sales, and syndication.

NOT BAD for someone whom after being fired by  CBS still roams the streets of Hollywood with a suitcase full of porn and cocaine; believing he is "winning". 

BECAUSE AFTER ALL....

HE"S WILD THING! 

GAWKER.COM VS QUENTIN TARANTINO

Apparently Gawker.com has been sniffing in Mr. Pink's private sock drawer way too many times and secretly got a hold of Tarantino's unfinished script titled Hateful Eight

The Gawker.com spokesperson had this to say

"Aww....well I wasn't going to do nothing wrong"

http://youtu.be/UOO8TjKyGr4?t=2m59s

Tarantino is now loaded up and his guns are a blazing as he prepares to sue Gawker for Copyright Infringement in claiming the website blog obtained the unauthorized 146 page titled "Here is the leaked script to Quentin Tarantino's Hateful Eight Script"

INSERT COIN for Free Kick Me shot. 

Apparently being the first website to publicly loot all filmmaker's innermost treasures means more to Gawker.com that they would publicly risk finanical suicide in the process

Tarantino's Response 

http://youtu.be/u7ER_q0B1-I?t=3m14s

The Fate of Gawker.com (OOOH, NO!)

http://youtu.be/z2jPCQbl0Lc?t=2s

That's like slitting your own wrist the Godfather way

"AYE!" 

However in Gawker's defense they claim that merely reading a screenplay is by no means a direct copyright infringing act

Awww....you guys sniffing old news print or something.  

Let's not forget who the real cat burglars are

Wait...that's not all.  In a effort to make Gawker.com look like computer literate fools , Tarantino's lawyers claimed not only did they post the script but encourage online viewers to download it with direct links. 

Gawker.com's defense:

"You have no proof ...they are incapable of saving anything online"

"RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT"

IF ANYTHING...

They either CTRL C'D

Adobed

or CUT, COPY, and PASTED that ass 

AWWW..Gawker.com.  Not playing with a full computer literate deck are we.