“Life’s A Pitch”
Today, Bournemouth University official opened their on-campus HD TV Studio to the world and “Life’s A Pitch” was part of it. All week we’ve been designing a pitch for a brief given to us by the university and some industry professionals.
Though it was an interesting week and it was nice to work with the Interactive Media and TV Production students, there is a certain anti-climax to the week. We spent hours developing these pitches knowing that only a few of them were going to be shown in the final presentation but it does feel that there was a lack of effort going on when we learnt that it was non-assessed. We all have other project to be getting on with and an intensive non-assessed project just feels a bit…of a waste. It was still a valuable experience but I feel maybe it should have been tied into the assessed project we are doing for the next 6 weeks.
The actual opening was amazing because I would like to work in the industry as something more then a writer and scriptwriters at the university don’t get enough practice with using equipment or involvement with TV production-like projects. So, it was interesting to watch the TV production students basically being professionals.
Altogether it was a great week.
1 hour Drama Script: Writing It #3
Okay…
The first draft was completed at 23:47 on April 4th, 2008, which was the self-imposed deadline I had given myself for the first draft. At first I was really worried that the script felt rushed since Todd’s (now named Danny) arrival wasn’t until 47 pages in and therefore right at the end but when I read it back, it seemed to fit well with the pace of the script.
Obviously, there is not a clear resolution to the Danny/Caitlyn custody issue but I felt this would add to the charm because although the custody issue isn’t resolved, Caitlyn does make the choice to fight him. Which is a resolution in itself. The main resolutions come from Jack’s arrest for multiple rapes and Caitlyn’s issue with the family. Her mom accepts her as a lesbian, although Caitlyn doesn’t know this yet.
I’m currently doing the “fourth” draft since the way I draft my scripts is slightly different from everyone else. My first draft is the writer’s draft which involves me just writing with only a step outline to work from. I then print it out and it becomes my second draft when I’ve edited it and deleted scenes, added scenes ect. I then do a scene breakdown taking in all the information from my first and second drafts which ultimately becomes my third draft since again, things change, new things are added, things are removed ect. My fourth draft is then typed up in script format like the first.
I find this a much easier way of writing and planning and gives me time to reflect on parts of the script as well as the whole of the script.
Diversity Essay
I’m really starting to wonder why I chose diversity as my 2nd media theory options. This week I really struggled to write the essay because for some reason, I really haven’t understood half the words used in the questions. Eventually I chose ‘Discuss the idea of cultural otherness and the use of stereotypes in the depiction of minority identity in the media focusing on one particular media text’.
At first glance, this question seemed fairly easily but half way through talking about the stereotypes in “Weeds” I learnt that I didn’t actually know anything about cultural otherness which is a minor problems when thats what the essay is about.
Eventually, I worked through this problem, looked up a few books and kind of grasped the idea of cultural otherness but reading my essay back, I know that it shows I don’t have a real understanding of it. So, I’ve completed the first draft of the essay (although I started talking about “Weeds” and ended up talking about “Skins”) but I will go back over it both during the week and next weekend in an attempt to increase my understanding of cultural otherness and put that knowledge into my essay.
1 hour Drama Script: Writing It #2
This script is seriously doing my head in. I’ve taken to working from 10am until the early hours of the morning, battling against my own brain in order to get the first draft of the script written by tomorrow. Though it isn’t due in till May 22nd, I want to get this first draft written so I can space out the redrafts and have a good think about the plot and characters instead of just rushing it.
I’m up to 46 pages and I’ve just revealed that Caitlyn is a lesbian to her entire family and her Mum has just told her she is no longer welcome at the house. The next step is to reveal the real reason she stopped speaking to her family, which will create conflict for Anthony.
I hope to end the script with the wedding of Jaime and Caitlyn intercut with Todd filing for joint custody of his son.
1 hour Drama Script: Writing It #1
Okay…I’m kind of procrastinating atm because I have an idea but I’m not yet sure where it is going. It’s based around a 25-year-old MA student, Caitlyn,who gradually cut off all ties with her upper class family from the age of 19 – because she couldn’t tell them she was gay. Now she is engaged to Anna (a teacher) and they have a 1 year old son, Kit (named after Christopher Marlowe) and is having trouble with Kit’s biological father, their old friend Luke. He wants joint custody of his son which wasn’t part of the orginal agreement.
Despite the fact she hasn’t seen her family in almost 7 years, she decides that they (a family of lawyers) would be her best chance of making sure that Luke does not have custody and that Anna can legally adopt their son.
Most of this is gonna take place around a wedding (the marriage of Caitlyn’s twin brother, Will) where I plan on having one of Caitlyn’s brother’s out her during the wedding speeches. I have a few other scenes broken down but I’m not entirely sure how I want to end it so I’m just drawing diagrams and drafting out breakdowns of possible endings.
Until I know where the tale will end, its hard to actually start scripting it.
Episode Project: Script Handed In
Today I handed in the final copy of my script. I’m not entirely happy with it because (as with all scripts) there is always something you could do to improve it and looking back in my mind there are places I could probably improve it but at some point you’ve just got to say enough is enough and hand it in.
I spent 3 hours round my cousin’s last night trying to print it out. The page kept reformating so a 58 page script suddenly became 62 pages which is a pain in the ass. I finally managed to format it so it became 58 pages but the margins look a bit dodgy. I’m glad I’ve handed it in. Now I can relax and enjoy Easter.
The Palace (2008)
Created by: Tom Grieves
I really enjoyed this series. It was nice to see into the lives of a fictional royal family and I believe that the upper class is a minority in the media and it was really nice to see something other then council estates and villages on the TV.
I think the actors did a great job. I hated the Princess Eleanor character but I think Sophie Winkleman did a good job of portraying her. I would have liked a bit more about Princess Isabelle’s character but by her last scene in the final episode it seems that if the show goes to a second season that she will be more involved.
The dynamic between King Rich and Abi was great – although I found it a bit annoying and unbelievable that he was professing his love for Miranda Hill at the beginning of the season and was willing to risk everything for her but by the end of the season he was doing the same for Abi. That was one aspect I has not entirely sold on.
The episodic stories were not particulary original (paternity suits, affairs, backstabbing, hit and run ect) but because of the new settings i.e. an upper class family, it became more innovative. I would happily watch a second season of this.
Episode Project: Writing The Script #2
So, I’ve finished the fourth (and final) draft of ‘Maiden Over’ the 11th episode in our drama series ‘Losing Ground’ and I can safely say there is not much more I can add to it. Due to the fact I have torture, an exposion/fire and a funeral, the episode is fast passed. Literally every scene is needed and the full 60 pages matter.
I like the fact that it is so fast paced and the rhythm of the script has to change several times. For example, in the explosion scene it is all frantic. People are running around, Devin is trapped inside, Alex is missing ect and the during the scene where Casey gets full control over Paula (tho not for long) the pace is alot slower, more calculated, darker. The contrast is nice.
I have also included another subplot; Paula’s bribing of Detective Constable Kurt Locke, who has a gambling debt of £11 grand and no way of paying it off. In the original draft this was absent but it helped to develop the plot and also gave Mark something to do -he tells Casey about Kurt and Paula’s deal. Something Mark keeps doing is either helping Casey out of problems (so she needs him) or creating them (so she can’t ignore him) - he needs to stay part of his son’s life.
Though I will be looking over the script again for typos and other changes that need to be made but structurally and plotwise (the major things) the script is complete.
St. Trinian’s (2007)
Director: Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson
Writer: Piers Ashworth
This film is amazing. I went to the cinema to see it before Christmas and I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD.
I have never seen any of the other St. Trinian’s films and was surprised to see older people there in the cinema but it ended up to be a good film (even my best friend Ciddo said so and she doesn’t normally like the genre). The producers did well in their casting of new star Gemma Arterton and I can’t wait to see more of her work in the future.
I am a big supporter of British stars (except Keira Knightley) and British films especially if the two of them appear together and one of my long term goals is to make the British film industry a more international market. Though St. Trinian’s is a great film, it wouldn’t do very well in international markets because it relies on the audiences knowledge of the public school attitude. I’m not saying that international audiences wouldn’t understand it but it would not have the same effect which is a shame.
St. Trinian’s is definately on my ‘favourite film’ list.
9/10
Episode Project: Writing The Script #1
I’ve just finished writing the first draft of episode 11 (Maiden Over) in which Eric (the grandfather) is buried and Casey beats up Tom to get Andy back on the team – a very emotionally charged episode.
There is something strangly liberating in writing a script in which the content is given to you by someone else. Even though I wrote the B storylines for every episode, Jordan wrote the A storylines and therefore I am writing what he designed since the A storyline is the main one.
I am very pleased with my first draft since it is the first time I have ever wrote anything for TV (it is very different from writing for film). I have gotten use to having dialogue as the driving force in the plot instead of images though the dialogue is the main thing which will have to be rewritten during the next for drafts. It was quite easy to fall into the heavy use of dialogue since I cannot image the episode being written in any other way. Dialogue is needed to keep it moving along fast.
My episode only covers a day which may be an issue for the marking lecturer though I intend on arguing that if Casey had stopped and thought about her next plan of action over night she would not have crushed Tom’s fingers with a cricket bat. I needed to have her emotionally charged in order to explain that action. Hence why it is all done in a day.
