This morning, please take the first 15-20 minutes to complete the graphic organizers for your film choice. You were supposed to have read either Duck Soup, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, or the 39 Steps.
When you have completed this graphic organizer, please turn in your work as participation. Then, please use the next 15-20 minutes to discuss the narratology of the film script with other who have also read that script.
Color in Film
Color tends to be a subconscious element in film. It has an emotional appeal which often suggests mood of the film or characters in it. At its most effective, complimentary characters are dressed in complimentary colors--antagonists are dressed in contrasting colors to their protagonists. Characters can match or contrast their settings and a whole host of other useful symbols can be created with color.
The first Technicolor film was THE GULF BETWEEN (U.S., 1917), a five-reeler made by Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. in Florida mainly for trade showings in eastern cities, to create interest in color movies among producers and exhibitors. It did not receive nationwide distribution. A lost film today, only a few frames survive.
The first two strip Technicolor feature made in Hollywood, and the first to receive nationwide distribution, was the costume drama THE TOLL OF THE SEA (1922).
Another silent movie filmed entirely in two strip Technicolor was the swashbuckler THE BLACK PIRATE (U.S., 1926), produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Cecil B. DeMille's epic, 1923) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) BEN-HUR (1925) and KING OF KINGS (Cecil B. DeMille, 1926) used color as a gimmick or in parts.
The first all-talking Technicolor feature was the Warner Bros. musical ON WITH THE SHOW (1929). Various other musicals followed, such as Lockstep (1929), clip shown here and Gold Diggers (1929).
All of the color films up to this point were two-color processes, which could capture only two of the three primary colors of light.
In 1932, Technicolor perfected a three-color motion picture process (also known as three-strip Technicolor, because three negatives were employed in the camera, one for each primary color of light -- red, green, and blue).
It was introduced with the Walt Disney cartoon FLOWERS AND TREES (1932), which won the first Academy Award for Animation. Walt Disney kept a monopoly on 3-color technicolor from 1932-1935.
The first feature-length movie in three-strip Technicolor was the costume comedy-drama BECKY SHARP (U.S., 1935)
Technicolor used a three color system: red, blue, green (these colors therefore are most vivid)
Early color was used as an expression (expressionism) of the director’s or cinematographer’s story, and so early films with color tend to be ones that are formalistic, artificial, or exotic. Color was often not used for “realistic” movies.
Warm colors: red, yellow, orange (brown)
Cool colors: Blue, green, violet (white)
Technicolor fragments.
During the 1930's, technicolor was still expensive. It was still being used as a movie gimmick as seen here. The Women (1939); here's the trailer
It was therefore technicolor and the 3 strip technicolor process that rocketed the Walt Disney Studios into a formidable film studio. Please refer to the chapter on Walt Disney (see previous handout that you probably discarded) and take notes on him, his studio, and why he's important in the film industry.
What is a Film Pitch and How is it Different from a Film Treatment?
A pitch is used to convince a film company to produce your film. The pitch is usually a one page summary of the main action, characters, and setting of the film. Essentially it deals with the idea.
The film treatment is usually a longer document (some can be up to 50 pages) that tells the whole story presented in your pitch, focusing on the highlights. It is more detailed than a pitch. It can include a scene by scene breakdown of a script. It is used BEFORE writing the real script so the author can plan his/her project.
How To Write a FILM PITCH
What Should Be in the Treatment?
A NOTE About the Three Act Structure
Basic screenplay structure for a full length film usually has three acts.
In The Poetics, Aristotle suggested that all stories should have a beginning, middle, and an end. Well, duh. You know that. But really. You need to remember this advice.
Breaking the plot of a story into three parts, gives us a 3-part or act structure. The word "act" means "the action of carrying something out. For our purposes think act one (beginning), act two (middle), and act three (end) of your short film.
Act 1, called the Set-up, The situation and characters and conflict are introduced. This classically is 30 minutes long. For a short film it can be only a few minutes or 1 minute.
Act 2, called The Conflict, often an hour long, is where the conflict begins and expands until it reaches a crisis.
Act 3, called The Resolution, the conflict rises to one more crisis (the last one called the climax) and then is resolved.
When you have completed this graphic organizer, please turn in your work as participation. Then, please use the next 15-20 minutes to discuss the narratology of the film script with other who have also read that script.
- Discuss how the film uses narratology as a device.
- Examine the genre, the plot structure, the character portrayal, the setting, POV, and intended audience.
- What elements of the film script are formalistic, which are classical or realistic, etc.
- How does the film script adhere to the rules of the genre (what are those rules?) and find examples of the narrative style.
Take a few minutes at the end of your discussion to discuss ideas for a film of your own from the genre or style of the movie you read. If you read a comedy, what ideas for a comic film can you brainstorm with your group? If you read a fantasy or thriller, what stories might you come up with for those genres? Etc. Brainstorm your ideas and discuss them with your group members.
During Period 2, please go next door to discuss Technicolor.
Color in Film
Color tends to be a subconscious element in film. It has an emotional appeal which often suggests mood of the film or characters in it. At its most effective, complimentary characters are dressed in complimentary colors--antagonists are dressed in contrasting colors to their protagonists. Characters can match or contrast their settings and a whole host of other useful symbols can be created with color.
The first Technicolor film was THE GULF BETWEEN (U.S., 1917), a five-reeler made by Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. in Florida mainly for trade showings in eastern cities, to create interest in color movies among producers and exhibitors. It did not receive nationwide distribution. A lost film today, only a few frames survive.
The first two strip Technicolor feature made in Hollywood, and the first to receive nationwide distribution, was the costume drama THE TOLL OF THE SEA (1922).
Another silent movie filmed entirely in two strip Technicolor was the swashbuckler THE BLACK PIRATE (U.S., 1926), produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Cecil B. DeMille's epic, 1923) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) BEN-HUR (1925) and KING OF KINGS (Cecil B. DeMille, 1926) used color as a gimmick or in parts.
The first all-talking Technicolor feature was the Warner Bros. musical ON WITH THE SHOW (1929). Various other musicals followed, such as Lockstep (1929), clip shown here and Gold Diggers (1929).
All of the color films up to this point were two-color processes, which could capture only two of the three primary colors of light.
In 1932, Technicolor perfected a three-color motion picture process (also known as three-strip Technicolor, because three negatives were employed in the camera, one for each primary color of light -- red, green, and blue).
It was introduced with the Walt Disney cartoon FLOWERS AND TREES (1932), which won the first Academy Award for Animation. Walt Disney kept a monopoly on 3-color technicolor from 1932-1935.
The first feature-length movie in three-strip Technicolor was the costume comedy-drama BECKY SHARP (U.S., 1935)
Technicolor used a three color system: red, blue, green (these colors therefore are most vivid)
Early color was used as an expression (expressionism) of the director’s or cinematographer’s story, and so early films with color tend to be ones that are formalistic, artificial, or exotic. Color was often not used for “realistic” movies.
Warm colors: red, yellow, orange (brown)
Cool colors: Blue, green, violet (white)
Technicolor fragments.
During the 1930's, technicolor was still expensive. It was still being used as a movie gimmick as seen here. The Women (1939); here's the trailer
It was therefore technicolor and the 3 strip technicolor process that rocketed the Walt Disney Studios into a formidable film studio. Please refer to the chapter on Walt Disney (see previous handout that you probably discarded) and take notes on him, his studio, and why he's important in the film industry.
- Mickey Mouse in 1928's short animated film: Steamboat Willie (1928)
- Silly Symphony, Walt Disney: Cannibal Capers (1930)
- Silly Symphony, Walt Disney: Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Pluto in Beach Party (1931)
- Flowers and Trees (1932) Walt Disney, but starring no one important
- Disney's The Three Little Pigs (1933)
- Little Hiawatha (1937)
- Clock Cleaners, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy (1937)
- Scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Ferdinand, the Bull (1938, Oscar Winner)
- Scene from Pinocchio (1940)
What is a Film Pitch and How is it Different from a Film Treatment?
A pitch is used to convince a film company to produce your film. The pitch is usually a one page summary of the main action, characters, and setting of the film. Essentially it deals with the idea.
The film treatment is usually a longer document (some can be up to 50 pages) that tells the whole story presented in your pitch, focusing on the highlights. It is more detailed than a pitch. It can include a scene by scene breakdown of a script. It is used BEFORE writing the real script so the author can plan his/her project.
How To Write a FILM PITCH
What Should Be in the Treatment?
1. A Working title
2. The writer's name
3. What is the genre of the film? Who is the target AUDIENCE for this film?
4. How much will the film cost to make (approx.)?
5. Introduction to key characters (Who is the story going to be about?) What actors/actresses do you see playing the roles of these characters in the film? Go ahead and suggest famous actors if you like to help your producers "see" what talent your film will attract in Hollywood.
6. Who, what, when, why and where. (What settings, important plot events, characters, and other key features will your film show us?) Mention what kinds of special effects, or special aspects of your film idea. Why will people pay to see "your" movie?Tell us more about your film idea/story. Assume we haven't chucked you out of our office.
7. Act 1 in one paragraph. Set the scene, dramatize the main conflicts. Use narratology as a guide!
8. Act 2 in one paragraph. Act 2 should dramatize how the conflicts introduced in Act 1 lead to a crisis.
9. Act 3 in one paragraph. Dramatize the final conflict and resolution. Make sure you tell us the ending of your story!
10. Tell us why this story should be made into a film. Why make this film? Help your producers "see" why they should give you money to back your film idea.TYPE or handwrite your treatment. It should be about 1-full page. If it's 2 pages, the world will probably not end.
A NOTE About the Three Act Structure
Basic screenplay structure for a full length film usually has three acts.
In The Poetics, Aristotle suggested that all stories should have a beginning, middle, and an end. Well, duh. You know that. But really. You need to remember this advice.
Breaking the plot of a story into three parts, gives us a 3-part or act structure. The word "act" means "the action of carrying something out. For our purposes think act one (beginning), act two (middle), and act three (end) of your short film.
Act 1, called the Set-up, The situation and characters and conflict are introduced. This classically is 30 minutes long. For a short film it can be only a few minutes or 1 minute.
Act 2, called The Conflict, often an hour long, is where the conflict begins and expands until it reaches a crisis.
Act 3, called The Resolution, the conflict rises to one more crisis (the last one called the climax) and then is resolved.
