Aug 23: GENRE & SHORT FILMS! (Homework for Monday Below!)

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Don Hertzfeldt: Genre
A Mary Poppins Trailer!?

There are tons of stories to be told! Those stories come in many forms, some of which you may have never considered! Today: We talk genre!

Goal of this class! Think about the flexibility and possibilities of short-format storytelling, and develop the ability to tell EXACTLY the story you want with the right amount of detail and simplicity! (i.e. just the right amount of fluff, and the right amount of stuff!)

Keep the story you currently have. You may think about it a little differently once our exercise is complete! We will share at different points in class today!

Our Storytelling Exercise (Cause and Effect):

Step 1:  Write a sentence on the back of the card.  As an example:  A kid drops an ice cream cone on the floor by accident.  An adult is scared of a spider sitting in his/her/their chair.  

• Keep the sentences ACTIVE! Write something that uses ACTION VERBS so the action is in the present! It helps you stay focused!
• Avoid the phrase "wants to." This is a really passive phrase that allows for a lot of middle-of-the-road storytelling. Yes, your character has desires, but we need to see the actions that come as a result of them.  Instead of "a character wants to eat,"  a character is starving for a slice of cake. The words you use inform your storytelling!

Step 2: Draw on the other side, a single drawing that represents that action!

Step3:  Think about the five questions:  Who am I? Where am I? What do I want? What do I do when I get what I want? What do I do when I don't get what I want?   

• Answering these questions, draw a potential effect of the previous action! (Think:  What happens next? Don't think ending or beginning yet.)  
• After that, draw what could have happened before? (Think: What creates the original situation? Where did we come from, and how do we get there?)
• Write sentences for these actions on the back of each card.

Step 4: Now we have a story. These three scenes can happen in any order!  Next:  On an index card: make a list of 3 different genres: Genre examples can be found here.

• Picking 3 genres. create a cause and effect between the initial 3 sequences for each genre!  Genres are used as a way to channel different relatable experiences from people!  
• Changing the way events occur in a movie changes the reactions of the audience. That experience shapes genre!

Be aware, every genre can share elements of another! What is important for you is to understand how cause and affect generate audience reaction in a short time, and how you can use that relationship with the audience to build a larger theme for your movie!

Storytelling Exercise part 2:

Repeat this exercise, but start with something in your life that happened that you would like to share!

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Your homework for MONDAY is this:

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1. Get more 4x6 blank index cards! You can find these at any store!
2. Using 12 of those index cards, draw 2 or 3 very simple stories that you would like to animate this semester as your big project! (Treat it like storyboarding!) Having three options helps us decide on the one you want to use on Monday!
• keep your drawings simple! We will throw them away very soon!
• for now, your story can only have one or two characters!
3. Bring your idea and index cards to class! I will use them to teach you writing and story development!
4. Bring the rest of your unused blank index cards to class! We will revise in-class that day! 

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BELOW ARE NOTES FROM THE CLASS:
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Purpose of class = Efficient and Creative animation production.

Goal of class: Produce a FULLY COMPLETE 45 second film.

• Give yourself MORE TIME THAN NEEDED!
• I have given you plenty of time in the class schedule!

When writing your story, focus on character performance!

• you want character-driven stories more than plot-driven stories! This helps the audience connect with what you are trying to say!
• If you're stuck, use the same in-class exercise we made for writing stories!

QUESTIONS ABOUT CLASS:

• Are we going to be doing mini-exercises
• yes!
• How would you start thinking about a story?
• METHODS:
• Method 1:  The single sentence approach.
• You use a simple sentence with a single action or goal as your focus.
• My example:  “A kid drops an ice cream cone on the floor by accident.”
• Start super simple, and ask a single question:
• What can I add to it to make it ______ (more funny? make it more sad? add drama? etc.)
• Method 2: A character acting sequence that you can use in your portfolio. (Use contrasting actions!)
• Example: A character likes to hug people… and hugs someone who does not like hugs.