Random Crap

1.       Why are you doing this?

2.       If you could be doing anything else, what would it be?

3.       Why aren’t you doing something else other than choosing a career in the creative arts?

4.       What kind of stories do you tell?

5.       What are you trying to say with your creative voice?

6.       How do you see yourself?  What do you do?

7.       Who are you?  As a creative artist?  How do you pitch yourself?  How do you pitch your work?

8.       What makes you different?

9.       How do you think your friends and colleagues would describe you, your work and your talent?

10.   What do you think your first impression is?  when someone meets you for the first time, what do they think when they walk away?

11.   Why does someone want to work with you?  Why does someone want to read what you have?  Why do they want to listen to your pitch?

12.   What kind of car are you?

13.   What kind of animal are you?

14.   Write your personal logline.

15.   Write your own personal narrative – what is the story you’re pitching?  How does it relate to you?

FYI this is tough exercise which I am still working on.  You think you know who you are and what you are about, but writing it down almost feels too personal, violating (who are you to ask me what makes me special?!).  But being able to confidently talk about who you are and what you do, the things that matter to you, and why you are the right person to write about something - is a skill worth investing in.

A quick guide to the seven plot points in classic Hollywood-style story. A vast majority of films, both inside and outside Hollywood, can be broken down into these seven plot points. You can apply these to your own films as well!

Hook: Intro to the world and characters. Grabs the audience’s attention.

Inciting Incident: the catalyst that begins the main action/conflict

First Act Turning Point: the protagonist(s) get(s) involved in the conflict

Midpoint: a significant event spins/changes the main conflict (this is not in every film)

Second Act Turning Point: the low point, or a significant development that changes the direction of the story. The “all hope is lost” moment.

Climax: the final face-off between your protagonist and the opposition.

Establishing Shot - a shot that establishes the setting of the scene. Usually a wide shot.

Titanic (1997)

Master Shot - A shot that includes all the actions of a scene. Usually a wide shot.

American Beauty (1999)

Two-Shot - A shot that has two subjects next to each other. Sometimes shows camaraderie.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Over-the-Shoulder (OTS) - a shot of one subject that includes the shoulder of the character opposite the subject. Makes the scene feel more crowded or the characters closer.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Point-of-View (POV) - a shot from the perspective of a character, animal, or sometimes object. Can help convey what a certain character is feeling.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Tracking Shot - a shot that follows the action, usually on a dolly.

The Shining (1980)

Dutch Angle - a shot that is tilted to give the effect that something is not right. Also called: German angle; Dutch tilt; canted angle; oblique angle

Mission Impossible (1996)

High Angle - an angle that is shot from above the subject. Makes the subject appear small or powerless.

Matilda (1996)

Low Angle - an angle that is shot from below the subject. Makes the subject appear large and powerful.