-
Drawing on your audiovisual storytelling explorations so far, discuss this quote from cinema scholar Chris Dzialo: “screenplays should be experienced […] as a form of cinema itself” whereby “both, although via opposite polarities, are audio-visual (the screenplay cueing the images and sounds in our mind)” (2009, p. 109).
‘Screenplays should be experienced […] as a form of cinema itself’ whereby ‘both, although via opposite polarities, are audio-visual (the screenplay cueing the images and sounds in our mind’ (Dzialo, p109). Simply put, the act of reading a screenplay is similar in experience to watching cinema. This is can be understood and elaborated on by using Robert McKee’s (1999) understanding of ‘vividness’. Amalgamating Dzialo’s image and sound experience with screen’s internalized ontology and ‘absolute present tense in [the] constant vivid movement’ (Mckee, p395). Therefore, extending further the experience of audio-visual story telling. Thus, deconstructing the physical (sight and sound) and the internal (vividness) in efforts to understand how a screenplay creates the singular image of a readers’ internalized ‘big screen’. Demonstrating why ‘screenplays should be experienced […] as a form of cinema itself’ as they utilize on both aspects of its media: screen and text, in a perfect equilibrium.
Complimentary nature is a strong theme throughout audiovisual story telling. Ranging from the beginning stages of the literary process, which according to Claudia Sternberg can be categorized into three classifications; development by property reader (buyer or investor of screenplay), blue print reader (interacts with screen play), and reading stage reader (audience interaction with screen play) (Sternberg, 1997), to the team-work mentality of a set. This uncommon industry centered commonality is due to the unique process in which audio-visual story telling is developed. Symbolized in the literal execution of a screenplay, its technicalities, terminologies, and received experience present us with four worlds: the internal-internal, internal-external, external-internal world, and external-external. Or, as Dzialo puts it – ‘opposite polarities’. Achieved via screenplays’ impersonal fiction (Ingelstrom, p38) the internal-internal world and external-internal worlds are realities presented within the screenplay and audience member themselves. Whereas, the internal-external world and external-external world are realms presented to us by extra-fictional’s implication of shots, camera angles and audiences’ physical reality. These distinctions work simultaneously and are demonstrated by Sternberg’s example of Spike Lee’s screenplay Do The Right Thing (1989). Where a screenplay’s discourse refers to its internal-external, and external-external actors by ‘double meaning; [as] it ‘comments’ on both the fictional and the real world’ (Sternberg, p85).
Radio Raheem, like many Black youth, is the victim of materialism
And a misplaced sense of values.
Thus, as ‘the film novella, as we understand it, is essentially a future audience’s anticipated story of the film that has captivated it. This is the presentation of the material in the stages and rhythms of the captivation and excitement with which it is to ‘capture’ the audience. We do not recognize the limitations of the visual exposition of the facts’ (Eisenstein, p134). Credentialing Dzialo’s understanding of audio-visual story telling as the act of reading a screenplay presents you with its own ‘captivating’ experience. As screenplays communicate both image and sound (narration), in their ambition ‘to communicate the potential of a film’ (Ingelstrom, p31) they also communicate both internal and external worlds. By assimilating Dzialo’s notions with McKee’s ‘vividness’, we are able to begin to deconstruct these realms. Exploring further that screenplay’s are not only experienced like a film, but are their own enunciating subject (Branigan, p87).
Bibliography
Branigan, E (1992) ‘Narrative Comprehension and Film’ Routledge, London p.87
Dzialo, C (2009) ‘Frustrated Time’ Narration: The Screenplays of Charlie Kaufman’, in W Buckland (ed.), Puzzle Films: Complex Story Telling in Contemporary Cinema, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, p109
Eisenstein, Sergei M. (1929). ‘The Form of the Script’ In: Sergei M. Eisenstein. 1988. Selected Works. Vol. 1: Writings, 1922-34. Transl. and ed. by Richard Taylor. London: British Film Institute; Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press p 134
Ingelstrom, A (2014) ‘Screenwriters and Screenwriting: Putting Practice into Context’, Craig Batty (ed.), Palgrave Macmillan, New York pp. 31 & 38
McKee, R (1997) ‘Story: Substance, Structure, Style’ Chapter 18 – The Text. Harper Collins Publishers, New York p. 395
Sternberg, C (1997), ‘Written for the Screen: The American Motion-Picture Screenplay as Text’ Tübingen: Stauffenburg Verlag p.47
Upload a piece of writing you completed during a studio task/activity/workshop. Write a post reflecting upon a) what you think works with the piece and b) how you think the piece could be improved. You will receive feedback on both the reflection and the creative work..
Conny’s on his way to his leaving party at work. He has mixed feelings about it – the work is boring but he likes his colleagues. He’s not sure if he’s made the right decision.
The screen is black accompanied by the sound of a car travelling.
Open to a left hand side view a suburban main road. Lit only just by remnants of the sun.
Passing rows of similar looking terrace houses all have their rubbish bins placed out the front waiting for collection tomorrow morning. Every third or forth bin has an inconsistency from the last, some being over filled, tipped over or not present.
A buzzing suddenly cuts through the silence.
Conny, 35, nice eyes looks over our line of vision. The vibrating sound continues before we see him blink back into awareness.
Reaching inside his blue corduroy pockets he pulls out a Samsung phones and opens a message sent to a group chat titled Ryan smells like farts.
Opening the message a photo appears of an old 50-something year old man, passed out next to an office table that has cakes and drinks placed on top of it. Both of which still remain in their packaging. The old man wears a party hat on top of his head. His belly stuck and legs stick out.
Accompanying the photo is a message saying ‘Joe couldn’t wait for you to arrive to your good bye party, so he proceeded to tell everyone about his kids college debts before becoming intoxicated on his self imposed boredom’.
Conny smiles and locks the phone. Raising the phone up to his face to cover his grin as he looks out the window
A) The objective of this task was to construct as much ‘world’ as possible without the use of dialogue. Objectively, this piece achieves that, as it does not use verbal dialogue whilst simultaneously introducing a world that houses multiple characters and their relating arcs. Corey’s physically isolated position of being ‘on his way to his leaving party’ was capitalized on as an opportunity to submerse the reader into the complexities of the character’s life and surrounding world. Sitting alone in a car whilst on route to a farewell, the script attempted to demonstrate the contemporary zeitgeist of feeling alone, despite the continuous technological perpetration of privacy. Thus, redefining Corey’s classically somber situation by adding a modern scene that challenges traditionally ‘trope-full’ conventions. Symbolized through the character of Joe, who in attempt to show and relate to his coworkers, ends up becoming physically and socially isolated due to his generation difference,
Further, whilst completing the writing task I kept aware of Claudia Sternberg’s discussion regarding ‘the stylistic license of the screen writer’ (Sternberg, p87). Confining directive language to that of informal fiction; ‘describing scenes, actions and objects in specific ways to achieve visuals (Ingelstrom, p38), and consciously excluding extra-fictional; implies shot by stating clearly what has to be in the frame (Ingelston, p38) tendencies
Bibliography
Ingelstrom, A (2014) ‘Screenwriters and Screenwriting: Putting Practice into Context’, Craig Batty (ed.), Palgrave Macmillan, New York p 38
Sternberg, C (1997) ‘Written for the Screen: The American Motion-Picture Screenplay as Text’, Tübingen: Stauffenburg-Vel p. 87
B) One really interesting problem was made apparent whilst reading over my initial description of Corey. Demonstrating a symptomatic mannerism that needs improving not only in my writing but also within all aspects of my creative. A characteristic I sadly adopted, and was navigated into and therefore navigates throughout my own conscious.
After having just listened to an episode of Phoebe Robinson and Jessica William’s comedy podcast Two Dope Queens, which prioritizes Women of Colour voices, issues surrounding individual rhetoric were at the forefront of my mind. The episode interviewed Zoe Kravitz on being an actress, women of colour in Hollywood, and white complacently. Serendipitously, Kravitz spent a segment of the episode discussing screenplays and her experiences with them. Raising injustices created by character descriptions, particularly regarding characters of colour, stating how when a person of colour is included in a script (we’re using the italic ‘included’ as people of colour hardly ever get lead roles) their ethnicity or aesthetic will be mentioned. Therefore, exposing Western society’s preconceived notions that the characters read on script are of white descent. This action of compliancy reminded me of an interview I read by James Robinson (an Australian-Asian film maker from Melbourne) in Liminal Mag – https://www.liminalmag.com/blog/james-robinson, about the faux security of ‘the changing film industry’. Describing previous experiences at Swinburne University, where student and teachers rebutted to his suggestion of a lead Person Of Colour by claiming ‘it doesn’t really, you know, suit our story’.
Reflectively, I read my previous creatives works. Finding that within this task I had assigned Corey, whom in the given description had no character requirements except a name, with ‘blue eyes’. This dumbfounded me, as I a) didn’t remember even giving him that description, which meant b) its creative unimportance. Ultimately, exposing my own lack of awareness and inherited compliancy.
Reflect upon an influential text (e.g. a reading, or a screening) you encountered during the studio, and discuss it in terms of your own developing practice. This might be (but not limited to), how it introduced you to new ideas. Or, how it changed or reinforced your previous ways of working. Or, how it inspired you to begin thinking about your ideas for the final project.
Philippe Orreindy’s short film J’Attendrai Le Suivant (2002) was one of the most influential pieces of work I have been exposed to in the studio thus far. Provoking three ideals I have been grappling with in regards to my final project: authenticity, the potential of simplicity, and the euphoria of entertainment. Stationed (quite literally) on an underground metro train in Paris, Orreindy’s text seduces its audience through its appellation to the heightened convention of love. Capitalising on Western society’s cinematically explored convention and disrupting it by leaving empty armed in its conclusion. Ultimately, shattering screens’ illusions and exposing our reliance ‘loves’ false hug of hope. Seemingly metaphoric in emptiness to that screenwriter’s profound blank page, the text reminded me that a ‘screenplay imagery generally [and most successfully] assumes the form of simple, easily decodable constructions’ (Sternberg, p87).
Consequently, my final project’s objective is similar to that of Orreindy’s, in its ambition to disrupt our reliance on learnt truths. Recently, there has been a growth in popularity of microcosm scripts, as they are able to encapsulate miniature characteristics of our ever growingly ‘grey area’ society. Effectively portraying personal insights and allowing exposure to worlds outside of the possibilities of culturally divided audiences. Allowing for an inclusionary space as screenwriters incorporate ‘their own [contextual] vernacular’ (Sternberg, p83) onto the multichannel possibility of screens. Thus, Orreindy’s appeal to the united theme of ‘love’ served to us on the symbolically contemporary and mundane realism of the Paris metro. Exemplifying further, the magnitude of what can be said with very little at all.
A theme investigated in class through ‘seeing sound’ discussions demonstrated the power of visuals by interpreting segments without narration. We explored how when processing visuals audiences resort to fragmental perceptions of reality and memories to guide their understanding of an unguided situation. Thus, when exposed to moments where narration isn’t guiding plot, audiences are able to comprehend the sequences intended meaning due to their received knowledge of what elements in a shot represent and mean. This is demonstrated by montage editing now being coined as transformational scenes. An editing technique pioneered by Sergei Eisenstein, who’s statement about film novellas (an “emotional screenplay” (Sternberg, p86)) encapsulates my final projects ambition to ‘not recognize any limitations of the visual exposition of the facts’ (Eisenstein, p134).
In conclusion, as a screenplay allows the reader to experience ‘vivid action in the now’ (McKee, p395), I want to capitalise on a screenplay’s activeness to fool intended its audiences. Hopefully, using humour’s timing and strength to inspire and activate a conversation between the viewer’s between subconscious and consciousness. Similar in theory to Jennifer Moon’s The Process of Writing Reflectively (2004) where she states ‘you will learn not only from the ‘in the head’ reflection but also from the process of representing the reflection itself’ (Moon, p187). Exposing through a microcosm script relying satirically on the tropes of a genre or narrative, our submersion within our own conventionally applied contextualised narrative.
Bibliography
Eisenstein, Sergei M. (1929). ‘The Form of the Script’ In: Sergei M. Eisenstein. 1988. Selected Works. Vol. 1: Writings, 1922-34. Transl. and ed. by Richard Taylor. London: British Film Institute; Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press p 134
McKee, R (1997) ‘Story: Substance, Structure, Style’ Chapter 18 – The Text. Harper Collins Publishers, New York p. 395
Moon, J (2004) ‘A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice’ New York: Routledge Falmer p 187
Sternberg, C (1997), ‘Written for the Screen: The American Motion-Picture Screenplay as Text’ Tübingen: Stauffenburg Verlag p.47
