Test Directions

Mr. Oliver
Sports Mgmt.
Final Screenplay Test

Directions: Your test today is to create an additional one and a half pages of your screenplay, based on your treatments. It should be properly formatted and have in it all the things we’ve been studying, great dialogue, conflict, a theme, and a well described setting. You can choose to write any scenes that you choose: the beginning, the middle, or the end. You can go back and forth if you choose. The minimum requirement is to be as creative as possible and to write one and a half pages.

To get the BEST GRADES, simply follow this checklist

• Is the screenplay PROPERLY FORMATTED, slug lines that tell the viewer where and if the scene is day or night?

• Does it contain great dialogue that moves the story along and is realistic?

• Is the dialogue in the right place on the page?

• Does it contain conflict and tension?

• Does it have a theme?

• Are the descriptions of the setting vivid?

Aim: How is setting important in our screenplays?

Do Now: We are having a quiz, please do the best that you can. It is on what we have been studying this week. You have 15 minutes…

1.) Administer quiz. Okay pens down and pass these up to the front.(15 min.)
2.) Mini Lesson: Today we will be talking about the setting to your screenplays. I remember some of you expressed that you were having difficulties with this.

The setting for your screenplay is just as important as anything else, but you have to be descriptive. Remember, this is your world that you are creating…

3.) MODEL:
CLICK on the LINK to see three insanely great descriptions of settings. Read them for two minutes then turn and talk to your partner to guess what each one is describing…
http://screenwritingfromiowa.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/descriptive-writing-pt-5-setting-tip-26/

(2 min.)

Please CLICK on the next link for a refresher in describing the setting…
4.)
http://www.scriptologist.com/Magazine/Formatting/Scene/scene.html (1 min.)

5.) PAIRS: Okay, now I want you to practice describing, first describe your partners appearance, dress, and physicality to the smallest detail, you have 3 minutes then I’m calling on three random people… ( 3 min.)
6.) Share out: Okay, who haven’t I called on this week…

Independent Practice: Okay, now I want you to describe the outside of your home, your living room, and then your bedroom in as descriptive a manner as you can… You have 10 minutes, and I want you to use proper screenplay format, I.E.: INT.DANIELLE’S HOUSE-DAY, etc.
(10 min.)

YOUR HOMEWORK: Is to finally write TWO PAGES of SCREENPLAY FROM YOUR TREATMENT

Aim: What is your theme in your screenplay and how do you communicate it?

Do Now: List in your notebooks the three things that are important when using conflict in your screenplays? These may be collected… (3 min.)

2.) Mini-lesson: Today, I want to talk about what the themes are of your scripts.
First of all, what is a theme? Turn and talk to your partner for 30 seconds I’ll pick someone at random in 30 seconds

Great, please click on the first link and read the first five paragraphs on the page, be prepared to discuss what the author says about theme in screenplays… You have two minutes.

http://sonofdoublefeature.blogspot.com/2008/03/screenwriting-101-theme-is-thing.html

Now Turn and talk to your partner and tell him or her what the author says about theme, be prepared to discuss it. I will pick on three random people in 1 minute.
(1 min.)

Share Out: So, who can tell the class what this author says is important about theme?

Click on the next link: Spend 1 minute reading the page…
http://www.screenwritingbasics.com/2010/02/screenwriting-tutorial-top-5-tips-when-writing-your-first-screenplay/
(1 min.)

Pairs:
Brainstorm 6 of your favorites, 3 from each partner, they can be from any genre of entertainment…
Work with your partner to see if you can write what the theme is for these popular shows, movies, etc. See if you can take a guess…
(3-5 min.)

Independent Practice: Remember, the theme is your main idea, and another thing you must be conscious of, along with good dialogue, and conflict.
Let’s practice this…

I’m going to give you a theme and I want you to create a dialogue that shows the theme clearly in the scene. I’m picking one that is pretty easy and pretty universal. I’m sure you’ve seen it before, but maybe didn’t realize it…

Create a dialogue between two characters, preferably two characters from your treatments. Create a scene with good dialogue, conflict, and the theme of “Love conquers all…” I want it in proper screenplay format and it should have at least 15 lines of dialogue…
Please write your scene on paper, so they’ll be usable for tomorrow, and you can finish them for homework if need be. You have 15 minutes…

Share out: Okay pens down, if you didn’t finish your scene, you can do so for homework, I’m going to call on three people at random to read theirs…

Summary: If you are finished I’ll collect it, if not finish it for homework. Tomorrow we will be having a quiz on what we’ve done this week…


I’m going to pick someone at random to tell me what this author says about theme…

Aim: How can we use conflict to heighten our screenplays?

Do Now: What is your favorite movie, YouTube video, video game, TV show, book, sports team, comic, etc.? What is the conflict in these different forms of entertainment that makes them interesting? Please be as detailed as possible…
Or: What is conflict, (look it up if you don’t know the definition) and describe what a conflict would be in a screenplay.(5 min.)

Materials:
• Class blog, Macs
• Paper, pens
• http://screenplay.lifetips.com/tip/132544/story-craft/screenplay-tips/story-is-conflict.html

Procedures:
1.) Elicit Do Now responses

AR: Answers will vary

Can you imagine these favorites of yours minus the conflicts? What would be left? TURN and TALK to your partner and discuss what we would be watching without conflict in all the entertainments we like
I will call on someone randomly in 30 seconds…
(30 sec.)

2.) Mini Lesson: Please CLICK on the LINK on the BLOG: http://screenplay.lifetips.com/tip/132544/story-craft/screenplay-tips/story-is-conflict.html
Take 3 minutes to read the page…
(3 min.)
a.) Now turn and talk to your partner, be prepared to tell the class what your characters must do in order for us to care about them…
(1 min.)

Aim: How can we write a scene between our two characters that incorporates good dialogue?

Do Now: Based on your character bio, please write a short dialogue exchange between your character and his or her mother or father who is on their case to do something. How would your character react to this based on what you know about them… 3 people will be picked at random to read theirs to the class. (5 min.)

2.) Continuing from yesterday’s independent Practice:
Please take five more minutes to finish the dialogue between your characters that placed him or her in one of the situations that we brainstormed yesterday. I will be picking three people to read theirs in five minutes… (5 min.)

3.) Share out:
Let’s hear from a few people.

4.) Mini-Lesson
http://overstreet-filmmaking.blogspot.com/2009/08/writing-good-dialogue-for-screenplays.html
Please click on the link, on the blog, and please read the page, be prepared to tell the class what Chiarella boils good dialogue down to. You have three minutes to read it.
(3 min.)
NOW TURN AND TALK to your partner, what does he say?
5.) Share out: What does Chiarella say good dialogue boils down to?

Aim: What is good dialogue for your main characters?

• Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people.
• Dialogue is essential to fiction writing.
• Dialogue brings characters to life and adds interest.
• Dialogue must do more than just duplicate real speech.
• Writing dialogue consists of the most exciting, most interesting, most emotional, and most dramatic words.

I want you to create a ten line dialogue, working with a partner:


The situations, or you can use one of yours…
• Parent - Teacher: How much money might it take for my son/daughter to get a '90'?
• Friend - Friend: Who's dating whom?
• Teacher Upholding the Integrity of School Rules - Student cheating on a Test: How much is a zero going to hurt?
• Girlfriend Catching Boyfriend with another Girl - Boyfriend Claiming It Was His Sister: Why boy was making out with his alleged sister?
• Teenager - Parent: What possibly Jose could have been doing out until 3:00 A.M.?

• Your 10 line dialogue should:
o Provide Information
o Describe a Place or Character
o Create a Sense of Time
o Create Suspense or Conflict
o Move the Story Forward
o Reveal a Character's Thoughts
o Summarize What Has Happened
o Create a Sense of Place (10 min.)

Aim: How can we write great dialogue for our characters?

http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/10663/writing/writing_good_dialogue.htmlCLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK.

Read the tutorial on writing GOOD, realistic dialogue...

TURN and TALK to your partner, what do you need to do to have good dialogue?

(1 min.)

SHARE OUT: What is GOOD DIALOGUE in SCREENPLAYS?

GUIDED PRACTICE:

USE YOUR TREATMENT to write a CHARACTER BIO FOR YOUR MAIN CHARACTER:

CLICK ON THE LINK FOR INFORMATION: http://writing-novels.suite101.com/article.cfm/building_a_character_biography

HOME WORK: FINISH YOUR CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY, IT SHOULD BE WELL DETAILED AND CONTAIN A LOT OF DETAILS ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER.

REMINDER: We will be having a lot more home work, failure to do these assignments will result in parent notification and the lowering of your grade!

Aim: How can we begin turning our treatments into a screenplay?

• http://www.wildsound-filmmaking-feedback-events.com/how-to-write-a-screenplay.html

Mr. Oliver's Screenplay!

INT. QUEENS COLLEGE- DAY

TITLE COMES UP: June, 2007

HELICOPTER SHOT- We see THOUSANDS of QUEENS COLLEGE GRADUATES assembled in the quad of the school. There is a literal sea of people, all with BLUE GRADUATION GOWNS and BLACK GRADUATION CAPS on. PROUD PARENTS and RELATIVES are seated in plastic chairs on every side. There is a STAGE set up toward the front of the quad. We can HEAR the ROAR of JOY from all everyone assembled.

(Notice how I am telling the audience EXACTLY what they will be seeing! First time we see a CHARACTER it is in CAPS! SOUNDS are always in CAPS)

CLOSER- We see a MONTAGE of some GRADUATES near VARIOUS BUILDINGS, the SCIENCE BUILDING, the ENGLISH BUILDING, the EDUCATION BUILDING. They take pictures, laugh, goof around, sign yearbooks. PROUD PARENTS are nearby.

(notice how I make a break from the HELICOPTER SHOT to a CLOSER CAMERA ANGLE here. Notice how scripts are ALWAYS THIRD PERSON, WE are always the observers of the scenes!!!!)

LONG SHOT- We see RICH, age 34, beaming with pride, he has a kind, freckled face, blue eyes, and brown hair. He wears the graduation cap and gown too. His sister, JACKIE, age 25, blue eyes, reddish brown hair, pretty, takes a picture of him with his back to the CAMERA.

(This is the first time you see me, notice how I describe EVERYTHING about me the FIRST TIME you see me)
RICH
Jackie! Don’t take it yet!
(notice how the dialogue is in the middle of the page)

JACKIE
I’m trying to get some natural shots!

REVERSE ANGLE- We see RICH’S MOM, 58, she is very well dressed and has the same blue eyes as her children. She looks very nervous but still beams with joy. Next to her is TARA, 30, Italian, pretty, brown hair. She wears a pretty but simple white dress.

MOM
Rich, you better get back with your fellow grads.

RICH
We have time, mom. Let’s take a few more.

A SERIES OF ANGLES- We see several SHOTS of pictures being taken, RICH and MOM, TARA takes the CAMERA and shoots ALL THREE. Then one of RICH and TARA. RICH smiles throughout.

RICH
(V.O.)
It was one of the happiest days of my life! Next stop, becoming a teacher!

(notice this method called voice over, this is when the CHARACTER SPEAKS OVER the IMAGE)

Q: So, turn and talk to your partner, what is this scene in my screenplay about? (30 sec.)

Aim: How do we take our treatments and turn them into screenplays?

http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/staff/doherty/screenplays.htm

Aim: How can we take our TV show ideas and take them to the next level, a treatment?

Tuesday, SWBAT: continue to evaluate their TV show presentations and begin to learn how to write teleplays for their ideas
SWBAT differentiate the difference between their raw ideas, a treatment, and a finished screenplay

Aim: How can we take our TV show ideas and take them to the next level, a treatment?
Do Now: Let’s quickly finish any remaining presentations that we have left…
(7-10 min.)

Materials:
• Macs, class blog
• TV show presentation worksheets
• What is a treatment? http://www.writingtreatments.com/html/home.html
• Treatment model, http://e-luttrell0.tripod.com/scripttreatment-2.html (fictional) and reality based program.
• Treatment template

Procedures:
1.) Elicit: Finish presentations and have students evaluate and give feedback for their ideas
AR: I like this idea because… (7-10 min.)

2.) Whole Class: Well I hope everybody enjoyed their time off and did well on your Regents exams. Today we are going to begin the process of turning our basic ideas into what they call in the TV and film industry, a treatment.

Ultimately, after that, we will be creating a few pages of a screenplay, based on our ideas.

What is a treatment? Well, its name is deceptive, but it is basically your TV or movie idea as a short story.

Writing these will do one of two things, it will force us to more fully flesh out an episode of our TV show ideas, and it will give us a blueprint of how to write the screenplay.

Think of a treatment as the short story form of your TV show idea.

They can be as little as a page or two, or as many as 20 pages. I will require you to produce at least two to three pages. (2-3 min.)

a.) Please click on the link and let’s read what a treatment is. http://www.writingtreatments.com/html/home.html Take two minutes to read the web page.
(2 min.)
3.) Pairs: Now Exchange what you’ve learned with the person sitting next to you. (1 min.)
4.) Whole Class: So let’s see what you learned…
Q: Who can tell the class what is a treatment?

5.) Independent Read: Okay, let’s look at an actual treatment, this is one for a fictional show, called, “Bustin In” http://e-luttrell0.tripod.com/scripttreatment-2.html

7.) Whole Class: Q: So what kind of a show does this seem to be?
AR: a pretty crazy sit-com
Q: What did you notice about it?
AR: It tells the story simply and clearly, it was vivid and simple.
(1 min.)
a.) Okay now let’s read together this treatment, this is for a reality show.
(3 min.)
Q: What is different about this treatment?

8.) Whole Class Write: Now I’m going to distribute a template for a treatment that we can all write together as a class, so we can get used to the format…
(10 min.)

9.) Independent Practice: Okay, now I want you to break off and start independently finishing this treatment. Just continue it as you think the story should go.
(7 min.)

10.) Share out: Let’s hear how some of you continued it… (remainder of period)