Cheyenne Joseph // UCA Television blog

The art of Screenwriting   In order to understand what makes good screenwriting, we must first understand the essentials within 'screenwriting', that of which being a script! but what is a script? and what is needed in order for a script to be a script? "Story is key to screenwriting, and the industry agrees that the story is everything. However, getting the industry to agree on exactly  what  is a good story is a different matter." - Freddie Gaffney, On Screenwriting, 2008) After reading   'On Screenwriting' by Freddie Gaffney, I gained greater knowledge into the depths of screenwriting and story writing. He made a point that sometimes it isn't the script that is a problem, its the timing and what you choose to show at that time can hinder how far your script is accepted. For example, a script about the truth of war and killing would probably not get that far with a Republican who would want to show war in good light. I honestly found his sta...

  Camera Workshop 3 With Fergus Sound experimentation The aim of our 3rd camera workshop with Fergus was to get a better outlook on how to maximise the quality of sound for our projects.  we had a look at the differences between the directional microphones and their attachments. First we had a look at the Rode directional Microphone. Fergus showed us how to correctly set up the mic to the right channel so you wouldn't end up selecting the 'internal' mic. External mic should always be selected once using the Rode mics. After experimenting with the 'Dead cat' we then went onto using the "dead wombat' on a boom pole. The boom pole was very fiddly at first and I still believe I need more practice with it because when I first set it up, It was unsturdy and kept sliding down. Ferg later illustrated the correct way of securing it and it turned out I hadn't been tightening the right part. After this, I then went onto practicing with m...

Other reasesrch. In the beginning, I was instantly drawn to the idea of emotional abuse. But I wanted to get a greater understanding about the true depths of it and what it takes to be emotionally abusive. I ended up finding an article on a well being  website where they listed 30 character traits an abuser might have. (http://liveboldandbloom.com/11/relationships/signs-of-emotional-abuse) This more or less gave me 30 different angles I could approach the situation. 30 different traits I could throw in for one of my characters and it was really eye opening. Not just for my project but this topic itself showed me ways to possibly spot something like that in another person. I was mainly looking at number 29, invalidating their behaviour once confronted, as they are usually in denial, it fit my Lillian character well so I incorporated that into my ending. 

Scripwriting with Final Draft In yesterday's lesson with Simon, after learning about the 'rules' of scriptwriting, we were given the task of working in pairs to create a 3 page screenplay with Final Draft using the journey to the studios as inspiration.  This task was an interesting one for me because working in pairs meant that you both had to have an input on how the script went, as well as learning how to use the programme as you go along. I was able to gain a greater insight into what it's gonna be like writing my own screenplay and it actually made me feel more confident about it.  Not only was the programme simple and easy to use, I was surprised at how easy the ideas can just flow once you're writing. The task was fun and it was interesting to see what we could come up with in such a short space of time, however there was a lot of things to remember and consider whilst writing the script, things such as using relevant and appropriate active words to de...

"Fred et Marie" - ( Fred and Marie ) Concept & Creation: Marine Vincent, Pierre Jadot Directors: TheDeck & Lenitch 'Fred et Marie' is a French Short film that was created by  Marine Vincent and Pierre Jadot.   In this short but gripping story, We are introduced to a very innocent looking young lady, and a very robust male character (Fred) both of which have been married for 5 years and have chosen to host a dinner party to celebrate their anniversary. However this is no ordinary relationship as we later learn the true depths of the abuse that occurs on a daily basis for Marie.  This short film was a real eye opener for me for many reasons. It was very realistic to say the least because unlike lots of these westernised movies where they have a happy ending, this one did not. Hence showing that people in abusive relationships don't always get a happy ending. That is the reality of it and its something that I will incorporate in my short screenplay....

First editing workshop The first editing workshop with Fergus went alright for me. Even though I do have some experience with Adobe Premiere Pro since this is what I used for editing my previous videos, I learnt so much more new things about the programme that will definitely help me with my future projects.  One of the things that I found really helpful was the shortcuts. I had no idea that these shortcuts (J , K , L, etc) even existed but it helped speed up the editing process so much. I wish I knew about them before! It was weird trying to get used to the keys at first but after a while it became almost like second nature, although I still need more practice. I was proud of the little progress I had made whilst using it.  I really look forward to learning about this programme. The edit itself After being shown the correct shortcuts for the programme,  we were then given the task of editing the given clips in our own way, and to create a sequence th...

Final Ideas and profiles After receiving good feedback from my classmates and teachers, I have decided to stick to the idea I pitched. One of the most important things I have to focus on is portraying the contrast between the two characters throughout the screenplay. I have to find subtle yet effective ways of showing the character's personality traits through their dialogue and body language etc. Final story and notes on the moments of significance Character profiles Basic Statistics   Name : Lillian Ivy James "Lillian" because I wanted her first name to be light and elegant, just as she is at first and then I chose "ivy", just like the poison ivy, Lillian will become toxic as that is who she really is inside. James because it is a common name, a name which would not stand out as much in comparison to others, also, since she is of White British decent her name must be simple enough to fit that demographic Age :19 Nationality :White British...

Camera Workshop at Jools Holland set Yesterday we had the privilege of conducting a camera workshop within the 'Later with Jools Holland" set. For me, this was an eye opening experience because I got a real sense of what it would be like to work within a television studio. Theres no better way of learning than actually being within the environment. It was a very inspirational experience for me, even though the live production wasn't taking place,it was still very exciting to be in. We were taught a little more about the cameras and we were also given a short activity to complete. What I learnt Fergus elaborated on the camera functions that we were taught in the previous lesson. I learnt so many new little tricks that definitely helped in the little sequence I had to make. In my previous post I mentioned how it was hard for me to differentiate the focus points on a subject if they were a little far away and on a black background bu...

Doing a camera workshop with Fergus allowed me to gain a greater insight into the Sony EX cameras and even directing. All of which I will talk about in greater depth. After doing self taught photography during my gap years, I was familiar with the terms of "aperture, f- stop and ISO" however I later realised that it was a slightly different ball game when it came to the cameras in terms of finding and changing the F- stop itself. I struggled with finding the right buttons sometimes but after a little play around I was able to comfortably select the correct F-number /exposure for the shot. As we were working in a slightly dimly lit room with not s lot of controlled light, it was important to have a slightly lower F number which meant that more light would be let through. But I had to make sure that it wasn't over exposed and that the subject wouldn't look 'washed out'. One feature that really helped me do this was the " shutter off " button...

The Pitch (25 words) The toxicity of a once blissful relationship is explored in this contemporary drama after two teens get together without fully knowing themselves or each other. Idea in brief   This idea is all about contrast. A teenage boy and girl are getting ready to meet each other for the first time. The differences in routine highlight subtle traits in their personality, Ray is more laid back, Lillian is more precise. Ray's scars are shown, indicating a troubled past. There is awkwardness at first when they meet at the park for a picnic, but as their date develops, their will be flash forwards of their deteriorating relationship, Lillian becomes controlling and manipulative, contrasting the present and the past. In the flash forward,We then see Lillian having a psychotic episode after Ray leaves her, she results to harming herself in order to frame him. We then end it with both of them  bursting with happiness on their date as he asks her, " so, shall we meet ...