Movie Response

1. What are some of the ways that the writer (Charlie Kaufman) created character in the movie? In other words how does the audience get to know who Joel and Clementine are? Give examples of direct characterization (things that are actually stated about the characters) and indirect characterization (clues given to the audience about what type of people they are.)
He pretty much starts off with following their paths. Just by seeing their lives, you begin to understand how they live. Clementine is very atrtsy-fartsy and doesn't seem to care what anyone else thinks. He attitude towards everyone and her constantly changing hair gives clues to her character as a person. Joel, however, is a sort-of closed-up person; he wears dark clothing, and seems dull. His voice-overs on his journal in the begining of the movie reveal the constant regualrity of his life. We can see that they both have some internal conflict, but it's not shown to each other much.

2. In your short screenplay (10 minutes max), which of these techniques can you use, and which won't work?
I can use the visual aspect of character development, and a little dialouge, but I can't go into minute detail with everyone.

3. What are some of the ways that the writer (Charlie Kaufman) handled the plot? Especially focus on exposition. How does he let us know who the characters are and what is happening? How does he handle conflict? How does he handle climax?
The exposition use in the film was masterful. Just by letting the characters go about their daily lives, with little side shots of another moment that matters, Charlie Kaufman developed his plot well.

4. What, in a short film, are the limitations that you have to deal with with plot? Consider what you read in the "Dramatic Exercise" assignment.
The main limitation is, obviously, time. Other limitations include improper development of the theme, and ultimately, the actul storyline. I don't really know; I'm just puling this out of the air.

Dramatic Exercise

Writing the Short Film
What is the rule of thumb for the length of a movie/number of pages of the script?
Most movies are about 120 pages long, each page equaling one minute of the movie, to equal 2 hours (approx).
What are the major ways that short films differ from feature films?
Other than the length differences, short films tend to not have the time to develop an elaborate plaot, so it mostly sticks to telling a situation as opposed to a long story.

Conceiving Our Story
What is the "Dramatic Moment" in the film?
When Papa says he drinks "because of Mama."
What are the major conflicts/questions in "Because of Mama?"
Parents vs. Child, Husband vs. Wife. Why does Papa drink?

Determining the Structure
The writer claims that for a short screenplay "a good story needs to have an archetypal storyline and a big idea." Why does he state this, and do you agree?
Because the story needs some form to follow. I agree to a point, but only because every type of achetype has been done and re done and re-redone so many times that it's hard to put a new spin or twist on it.
Read the Step Outline.
So read.

Discovering/Crafting Images
What is exposition, and how did the writers decide to handle it in the example they give?
Exposition is the way of telling the audience certain characteristics that can't be told through dialouge. They told it through the scene of the him playing the cello dressed in his hockey gear.

Writing Scenes. Beginnings, Middles, Ends/Tips for Writing Engaging Scenes
Read carefully - you will be writing scenes.

What are the three things you read in these sections that you found the most interesting/helpful and that you will implement?
1) A good scene reveals something new, 2) Having a resolved scene at the end even after the climax, and 3) keeping the begining scenes short and to the point.