What makes a good story?

- character
- motive
- conflict (drama)
- 3 act

• How do I get my story going?

- premise (statement)

thru a statement you can start the story going?

- what if
- why not?
- character

> motive
> conflict (Drama)


Where do i look for stories?

- News
- Magazine
- Experiences
- Other people's experience
- Research

Name: Muhammad Zulqarnain Bin Zulkifle

What’s the story about?

The story is about an assistant university lecturer trying to free his pet, a lion cub but instead it is kidnapped by poachers and brought it to Thailand.

Executive summary:

* Title: Serengeti

* Genre: Adventure and action

* Story angle:

1   (1)   Key character: running through all the obstacles in Thailand trying to track his pet and bring it back to his home land.

2   (2)   The cub: is kidnapped when he just about to taste the freedom.

3   (3)   The poachers: A notorious criminal who trades animal at Thailand black market.

* Target audience:

1   (1)   20 – 30 years old.

2   (2)   Nature or animal lovers.

* Character list:

1   (1)   Key character: Paul Rodriguez – Assistant Veterinary Physician

2   (2)   Supporting character: Professor Samuel

3   (3)   Supporting character: The cub

* Character Bio:

-       Assistant University Lecturer.

-       Assistant to Veterinary Physician

-       28 years old

-       Nerdy/Normal teenager

-       Very attached to his pet; the cub.

-       Studios, and attached with his work.

-       Not sportsman ship.

-       Likes/dislikes:  a) likes his work and animal.  B) Dislikes being bombarded with too many questions.

3 ACT STRUCTURES

ACT 1	ACT 2	ACT 3
Set up: Key character: Paul Motive: sending his cub back to Africa; his birth place. Situation: The pet is growing up and he needs to be free.	Confrontation: The cub is just about to taste freedom but suddenly was kidnapped by poachers.	Climax: Received help from locals and heads to the poachers place. Outcome: Saved his pet, and the poachers got caught by authorities. Send back to Africa
Turning point 1: Too attached with his pet.	Turning point 2: He reach a dead end and nearly gives up

Case Study: Frasier

Day : Monday
Date: 13-08-2012


Case Study: Frasier, season 1; Ep1: The Good Son

- 1 sentence story idea

The episode was about Frasier trying to be a good son, and do the right thing for his father.

- 1 Sentence Plot Summary

It's about a divorced psychiatrist named Frasier who is working at a radio station. His job is listen to other people's problem and help them. One day Frasier took in his father to his place and try to make things right between him and his father.

- Synopsis

Its about a divorced psychiatrist named Frasier who is working at a radio station. He lives his life by listening to their problems or assisting them to overcome the obstacles. even though he is divorced, but he lead a wonderful life.

That is until he took in his father to his place' his life starts to go haywire and seems that his life is crumbling down.

Even with all the problems and obstacle before him, he tried very hard to make things right between his father and him.


- Character Bio

Frasier Crane:

Who is he?

- Name: Frasier Crane.

- Appearance: he leads a high status life.

- Profile:-
- Age: 40+
- Job: A Psychiatrist working as a radio presenter.
- likes: high status life, in everything. eg: designer stuff, etc etc..



3 Act Structures:-

Act 1:

1- Key character: Frasier Crane.
2- Motive: He is taking in his father.
3- Situation: Not in good relationship with his father

Turning point: he decided to take in his father after his brother showed him the "home" brochure.

Act 2:

1- Obstacle: the dog, the house maid, his father furniture

Turning point: he started to change heart.

Act 3:

1- Climax: He had a fight with his father. His mind was going haywire, where he is nearly to give up.

2- motive: in a way he does

Story & Script Writing #3

Wk#3



1- Sentence summary synopsis.

2- Act structure case studies


The 1-sentence summary:

What is your story about?....

** 1-sentence pitch: THE SELLING POINT!! ( is how you get your client/producers attention)
** 1-sentence idea

** Your story angle is focusing on the key character, who he is, what he is going to do, etc etc


Storytelling technique:

1- Journey
2- Problem - Solution
3- Question - Answer
4- Goal -Achievement

-- you can either have all or some technique.



Quick tips:

*focus on the story angle
*believable

*Write for your target audience
- who are they? age?
- is there a specific group?
- important to know your target audience
- hard if your target audience is general
- what do they want?

*about people, for people

*conflicts, obstacles, drama, action
- Something the key character struggle with.
- Something the audience can relate, or believable.
- conflict+obstacle = drama

*keep it simple!!
*practice makes perfect!



Creating Character:


- Name
- Know your character (draw your character)
- What does he want/need (motive)
- How he behave and react in a situation
- What is the role of your character??



reasons a movie different from books because of:
- less drama
- but main angle story will not change



Story -- Script -- Production ( producer, stunt, character design, dubbing, etc etc)



** You need the 3 Act Structure to help your story




Storytelling


Interesting notes:

1- Location' sometimes location is not important in the story.

2- Key character can be in group

3- Simple motive = Simple story ( one main motive)

4- Location and items help to tell your story.



Location:

can help evoke and add on to human emotion.

eg: park.
sunny, crowded park with families:happy park

the description of your location, if needed, must be crucial in your story


Exercise:

Character BIO/3 ACT Structures/Terminology

DEVELOPMENT HELL:


From Story to Script

1. 1-sentence story idea
2. synopsis and story angle
3. character bio
   1. character motives
   2. situations, outcome, key message
   3. dramatic sequence (the chain reaction from 1 event to another)
4. 3 Act Structure
   1. identify setup, plots and sub plots
   2. create a hook/teaser
   3. turning points
   4. climax
5. storyline
   1. follow 3 act structure
   2. use beats
   3. use scene breakdown
6. script - draft
   1. use standard format
7. story and script eitting

Story-telling:


- Character (with motives)

- Situations (to reach an outcome)

- Key idea/message (moral of the story..)






Know Your Character:

- Name, nicknames

- Appearance

- Profile- age, race, background, sex

- Nature/Personality

- thoughts, attitudes, values, beliefs

- Behaviour/reaction

- likes/dislikes, interest/pet peeves

- Strengths/talents, weaknesses

- Experiences/backstories

- Relationships

- Motives, objectives



Character motives:



- What he wants and needs to do..

Situations:

** act and react on certain situation; pleasant, angry,  mock, etc..

- to allow viewers to know/understand your character better.

- allow you to hook your audience ( to have feelings with the character...)

- situations allow characters to reach a resolution for their motives.

- situations help stories move forward from act1 to act3.

- situations allow chain reactions, making your story more interesting.

one storyline  can have many plots & subplots.

*** Keep your story simple!!

set-up (opening) -- confrontation (body) -- resolution (closure)..

STANDARD TERMS FOR SCRIPTWRITERS

List and learn the following terms:

A Scriptwriter’s Terminology:

1 SENTENCE PITCH

LOGLINE

SYNOPSIS

CHARACTER BIO

CHARACTER BIBLE

3 ACT STRUCTURE

STORYLINE

TREATMENT

PLOTS / SUBPLOTS

SCENE BREAKDOWN

BEATS

SCRIPT

All situations/plots need:

HOOK / TEASER

MOTIVE

CONFLICT / OBSTACLES

DRAMA / ACTION

DRAMATIC SEQUENCE

UP THE STAKES

CHAIN REACTION

RESOLUTION

OUTCOME

CLOSURE

Terms and the 3 Act Structure:

- PARADIGM = diagram of a screenplay (story map)

- ACTS - Act1, Act2, Act3

- SET UP

- CONFRONTATION

- RESOLUTION

- PLOT POINTS
- TURNING POINTS

- MOTIVE

- CONFLICT
- DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT
- UP THE STAKES
- CLIMAX

Warghh!!!!!! found it!!!

- Storytelling and Scriptwriting

Storytelling..

How to write good storytelling:

* Lots of researches.

What makes a good Story?

** 

eg: BBC my blackberry is not working [with situation..]

      your name sir?

Important in Storytelling ( What makes a story..)

1) Character

* Main character

*needing something/ something is happening/ something to do/ motive/ etc etc

** its all about the main character doing something and the end for your main character

representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerism, physical makeup, etc

2) Situations and Outcomes

3) Key Idea/ Key Message

*Value?

*Fun

Keywords

*Genre...

a class or category of artistic endeavour having a particular form, content

-Knowing your Genre is important

-It helps you to tell your story

*Cliche..

eg:...and they live happily ever after..

- Its good to tell your story quickly

- feed information so people can consume fast and easily.

- predictable (may not what people want to watch)

- Its good to break from Cliche

*Stereotype...

- Usually refers to your character.

- Typecast

*Antagonist

- a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another

- "rivals"..sometimes

*Protagonist

- The leading character, hero or heroine.

*Supporting Character

*Comic relief

*Characterization

- To create/ portray a character

- Good character who is strong enough whenever or however you disguise the person, he will be him. eg: Mr Bean. (even things that he own become part of him).

- 

** IMPORTANT THING IS WELL TOLD STORY...

What does it mean well told stories?

- Who are you telling stories to?

- Who is going to watch your story?

- Universally understood

- Can relate to many people

** You need somebody to watch it and enjoy it.

* Character/ case study:

"the twits by Roald dahl"

How will you make your character strong?

- certain behavior 

- act in situation

- certain habits, personality, likings, eating, etc etc..

- amongst people

FINALLY!! The ROCK has a.....

Finally!!... After long years of wanting to have a blog,  only now... I am manage to have one. I know... I know.... I am making a fuss over a BLOG.. It's already been years passed behind and people already started playing with  the blog, but where in the blue hell are you!? bla bla..


okay, okay .... I took a wrong train back to 14th century, but finally!! now I am back to the 21st century!!


Let me clarify something for myself; even though it is not necessary, but I still wanna go for it.


"I AM NOT A WRITER" not even an avid reader (of anything or everything); just few minutes of reading will snooze me away. even if I read something, I definitely will jump into the bullet train only JUST to finish up the reading. how awful am I!?


But same goes to all any starters or beginners, something MADE me to write a blog! hahaha! sounds like I've been forced into it. ahem! ok..(lol! ) what I'm trying to say is  that there are always something or someone that actually enforced you to do something or enlighten you into doing it. jeng jeng jeng.....


like EMINEM; the electrifying rapper, a record producer, and an actor. who's the igniter? Dr Dre!


     




haha! getting emotional  am I?  cool...Bo, cool... take a deep breath and...go!




It takes few unfortunate incidents for actually to teach me how important reading is, and when you read something, make sure you're finish it, or you're end up buying something different from what you actually wants and cost you dearly... ( one of many incidents that taught me a lesson).


back to the question" HOW DID I  START A BLOG"?


hmmm....I guess its for the next entry.


IF YOU SMELLLLLLLLL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING!?


p/s: For all wrestling feak, the ROCK has return to smack down!