Question 1

In this course I would like to be able to build on my screenwriting abilities. Learn how to properly write strong and meaningful screenplays, following the write rules and formatting it takes in professional screenwriting. It would also be interesting to see how a screenplay would change in the hands of a different director, how the creative vision can change based on perspective and interpretation. It would also be nice to dip my finger in a variety of roles in pre-,  principle, and post-production. My main goal is to write a full script, from first draft to final (with help from the rest of the group of course).

Question 2

One of the main points that I took an interest in concerning Jasmine’s screenwriting lecture  is her point about plotting and constantly upping the stakes. Jasmine seemed to suggest that the stakes are constantly upped, and the audience is constantly pushed and inched closer, until the final climax at the end of the film. Whilst I agree that plotting is a consistent push of the audience, and raising the stakes is a major part of that, I don’t believe that it should all be pushed throughout the entire film and only be resolved in the climax. Continuing with the roller coaster metaphor from the lecture, I think a film should not be a constant climb until the climax, then a drop, but a constant fluctuation of highs and lows, with some necessary plateaus of short, non-intense pauses of action and intensity. Whilst this may be harder in a short film, it would make longer films and TV shows more dynamic and entertaining.

Question 3

 I found the reading “Writings in Short Film” to be really exciting. As I mentioned above, I would love to be able to write screenplays, and this reading helped establish some of the rules that I might need in order to correctly format and produce scripts and screenplays and others. It was also nice to see one of the scripts of short films so I can get a rough idea on how it all plays out, set the wheels in motion for ideas and inspirations, get an idea of what to expect in the future of this course.