FILMMAKING AND ANIMATION IN THE CLASSROOM. Plan Toolkit

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Erik Allen
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1 FILMMAKING AND ANIMATION IN THE CLASSROOM Plan Toolkit Contents: 5,4,3,2,1 Planning sheet Create your own 5,4,3,2,1 brief Filmmaking mind map template Plan worksheet (Introductory) Plan worksheet (Intermediate) Screenwriter s script template Script exemplar Story mountain Storyboard template Write your script intofilm.org Into Film 2016 Into Film 2016

2 5,4,3,2,1 Planning sheet SHOT 1 SHOT 2 SHOT 3 SHOT 4 SHOT 5 intofilm.org Into Film 2016

3 Create your own 5,4,3,2,1 brief intofilm.org Into Film 2016

4 Filmmaking mind map template Examining the 3Cs and 3Ss can an effective tool to organise your thoughts when developing ideas for your film. Use the filmmaking mind map below to make notes on each area of film to develop your ideas. CHARACTER STORY COLOUR Filmmaking mind map Write notes or draw images for each of area of focus when thinking about how you will make your film. SETTING CAMERA SOUND intofilm.org Into Film 2016

5 Plan worksheet Introductory Your name: What problem/project have you been given? What steps do you need to take (discuss, research, storyboard e.t.c)? What research do you need to do? Do you think you ll find anything difficult? How can you overcome this? Additional planning activites may include: Problem solving, number to narrative, research, scriptwriting, storyboarding, project management etc. intofilm.org Into Film 2016

6 Plan worksheet Intermediate Your name: What problem/project have you been given? How will you get to your answer? In what order will you complete each step? What comes next? In what way can you use your creativity to think of different approaches to planning? How could you write or draw what you plan to do? What are the potential obstacles? How can you creatively overcome these obstacles? What will you do if you get stuck? What is your back up plan? Additional planning activites may include: Problem solving, number to narrative, research, scriptwriting, storyboarding, project management etc. intofilm.org Into Film 2016

7 Screenwriter s script template FILM TITLE: SCENE # INTERIOR/EXTERIOR. SETTING DAY/NIGHT (delete as appropriate) In Courier font, write your dialogue, with character names in capitals, and narrative description (e.g. describing what the characters are doing) in brackets on a separate line. Use with the Script Exemplar to help you plan your script layout. intofilm.org Into Film 2016

8 Script exemplar Use the exemplar script below and the Screenwriter s script template to develop your own script. Film script example SCENE 1. INTERIOR. CLASSROOM. DAY MR GRANGER (middle-aged and balding, enters and approaches the whiteboard. He writes the words Tae on the Long Take on the whiteboard. He turns to face the class of 30 Year 6 pupils). Good morning class. I have some exciting news. We are going to take part in Into Film s Take on the Long Take challenge. OSCAR What s a long take, sir? MR GRANGER Good question Oscar. When making a film, a long take is a continuous film shot without any cuts. (Oscar considers this response briefly before raising his hand again to ask another question). OSCAR When we made the zombie film, we had to use editing software. Will we use this again? intofilm.org Into Film 2016

9 Story mountain Problem Build up Resolution Opening Ending intofilm.org Into Film 2016

10 Storyboard template NOTES: NOTES: NOTES: NOTES: NOTES: NOTES: intofilm.org Into Film 2016

11 WRITE YOUR SCRIPT Filmmaking and animation in the classroom intofilm.org Into Film 2016

12 DEVELOPMENT WRITE YOUR SCRIPT Your film script is the tool that shows how your story will be told on the screen through a series of scenes. Scene A section of film that shows part of a story taking place in real time in one location. Script format There is a specific set of conventions used when writing a script. As a general rule, one page of a script should equal one minute of your film. When typing your script, use Courier font in size 12. The description and action needs to be clearly distinguishable from the dialogue. There are a number of good scriptwriting software packages available, which will automatically format a script for you. Alternatively, you can use the guidelines below to ensure you set your script out correctly. Each scene begins with the scene title, which should be written in capital letters. Include INT if your scene takes place inside and EXT if it takes place outside. Write the name of your setting and the time of day your scene takes place. The action describes the setting and what happens there. It also describes the characters: their age, what they look like and what they are wearing (only if it is relevant to the story). It describes what the characters are doing: their movements, actions and expressions. These details help the actors to portray the characters as you have imagined them; they also tell the audience a great deal about who the characters are and what they are feeling. Character names are written in capital letters throughout a script. When a character is going to speak, write their name in capital letters in the centre of a new line. Centre the dialogue underneath. INTOFILM.ORG 95

DEVELOPMENT WRITE YOUR SCRIPT INT. LOUNGE. LATE AFTERNOON. DEREK (16) is dressed casually in jeans, t-shirt and mismatched socks. He hasn t washed for a few days.

13 DEVELOPMENT WRITE YOUR SCRIPT INT. LOUNGE. LATE AFTERNOON. DEREK (16) is dressed casually in jeans, t-shirt and mismatched socks. He hasn t washed for a few days. He is lying on a battered sofa in the lounge of a suburban family home. DEREK tries to read a magazine but throws it aside after a few seconds. He checks his mobile phone: no messages. DEREK flicks the TV on using a remote. An alien-abduction film fills the screen, bright colours, shouts and screams explode into the room. DEREK immediately sits up and to watch it: he is transfixed. DEREK Woooow! I wish...! Suddenly, a loud crash and huge bang! Smoke fills the room. DEREK Aaarh! What s happening? LET ME GO! ROBOT Engage the laser beam! Capture the human specimen! A green laser beam cuts through the smoke, DEREK levitates off the sofa... INTOFILM.ORG 96

14 DEVELOPMENT WRITE YOUR SCRIPT There are three areas you should pay particular attention to when writing your script: structure, characters and dialogue. Structure Your film script needs to convey the mood and atmosphere of your setting, the personality of your characters and how they are feeling. How will you convey each of these things in the film? By using direct dialogue or by describing action? Characters Character development is an important part of understanding the characters and how they would speak and act in a given situation. Consider what each character s personality and qualities are and how this can be presented in the script. Will they insult other characters to show a mean spirit? Will they run from danger to show they are a coward? How can you show strong friendships between characters? Use a combination of action and dialogue to tell your character s story. Dialogue What are the characters going to say and how are they going to say it? Write the dialogue as you would say it rather than using formal language. This will make it more realistic. Remember to think about your audience and use appropriate language. INTOFILM.ORG 97

15 DEVELOPMENT WRITE YOUR SCRIPT Activity: Show, don t tell Visual storytelling is where you tell your story through action rather than dialogue. For example, instead of having your character shout, I am so ANGRY! you could show them slamming a door, frowning and kicking a chair. To move your story on, instead of having your character saying, I m going to steal the robot s gun and escape! you could show him looking from the robot to the gun and then to the door of the spaceship. 1. How has the scriptwriter conveyed Derek s boredom in the example script above? 2. Write some action that could replace the following pieces of dialogue in a script: I m hungry! I ve lost the cat! I m so tired! I m late for school! When you write your script, remember to use a combination of dialogue and action to tell your story. INTOFILM.ORG 98

A digital story is a short digital video that combines your voiceover, photos, video clips, and music to tell a true story from your own life.

What is a digital story? A digital story is a short digital video that combines your voiceover, photos, video clips, and music to tell a true story from your own life. How are they different? * The stories