IMPORTANT: In the past decade or so TV programs and feature films that used to literally shoot single-cam i.e. with one camera, now use two CamerasSingle-cam- now means two cameras are involvedThree methods of shooting with two cameras:Having one camera on each of two acts, shoot “singles” (one person-close up)Ex: “heat” with Pacino and DeniroOr have both cameras on one action (close up and medium close up)Or have both cameras with one providing a master shot and the other a close up of one of the actorsSingle camera film: Feature films and TV hour dramaShoot out of sequence, usually don’t reshoot, no audienceEX: Modern Family, The Middle, 30 rock, community, The Office, Parks and RecMulti-camera live: WORST form of TV productionA LIVE editEx: Newscasts, sports, SNL, award showsSuper Bowl/Oscars: can range from 2-24 camerasAmerican Idol, The Voice, dancing with the stars: 10-12 camerasSeven-Second Delay: now digital, no “censor,” Super Bowl Joe Flacko “fleeting obscenity”EDITSThree Camera Film: used for sitcoms, “I love Lucy,”“Video tap” was added so people could see each camera shotCandy Scene: shot once “live”Editing is in post productionONCELIVEMulti-camera live to tape: Pre recorded, but can be liveKimmel, Leno: loops words that weren’t clearEx: “All in the Family”Barney Miller: they isolate or slave the camerasMulti camera film and tape have now mergedEditors/directors have access to all the camera angles all the timeLecture 4Inciting Incident: It gets the story goingEx: normal day gets mistaken for a terroristSeven-billion people minute question: 7 billion people on earthWhy are we watching these characters now? Inciting Incident is why****** “Drama is life with the boring parts removed”- Alfred HitchcockDrama vs. real life:Drama is logicalDrama is efficientKey concepts for writers, directors, and actors: “At each moment in the script, what does my character want?”If characters are getting what they want, why watch them? 7 billion questionProtagonist- hero, lead characterAntagonist- blocks the protagonists from getting what they wantThis leads to conflict between:Two charactersMan and natureMan and himselfMan and the supernatural (horror movies)Act Structure: “Classical Three Act Structure”Turning point- twists the storyClimax- high pointDenouement- crisis is resolvedCommercial Act Structure: you need to have acts that are broken up by commercial breaks3 breaks per half an hourHour show: 5-6 breaksTwo hour made for TV movie: 8-12 breaksMust have a lot of rising actionSubplots/ A, B, C, D stories:Story A- dominant plotStory B/Story C- are the subplotsShorter than Story A“Service the characters”- Friends = 6 charactersLength of the script:Act one: 25%Act two: 50%Act three: 25%120 pagesRule of Thumb for multi cam formats- one page = 30 seconds of screen timeDouble spaced44 pages = 22 minutes of new content2 pages = a minute etcRule of Thumb for single-cam format: One page = one minute of screen time120 pages = 2 hours**The second act is usually the toughest to write** Writers guild always gives writing credit to the original writerCoincidences: ONLY okay to:Get the story goingTo complicate the protagonist’s story/lifeInciting incident is a coincidenceDeus Ex Machine- “God from the machine”Greek tragedy- crane lowered a god onto stage to resolve the storyFamily Ties/SNL sketch- Justine BatemanThe writer controls:Information, the audience and the characters at each momentSituation Comedy in Sitcoms: the comedy arises from the situationCharacters usually aren’t telling jokesException: Chandler from FriendsRunner: joke about JenniferSeinfeld changed “limited sets”“The Jefferson’s”- flashback of a flashback“Bottle shows”- family ties (wallpaper episode)Breaking Bad “Fly” episodeFrasier- “The Matchmaker”Rule of threes: a joke pattern for sitcomsNeed 3 points to define a planeSay two things to create a line to the 3rd point but never veer offApples, oranges, elephantsFrasier:Protecting the character- Rox’s behaviorMotivating the character- when Frasier holds up the signShowing vs. Saying- usually better to show than say“Kitchen scene”“Playing the moment”- audience has the info, “runs through their minds,”Niles- “could you repeat the question?”Lecture 5Pilot orders for Fall 13:ABC: 24 total, 12 dramas, 12 comediesCBS: 15 total, 12 dramas, 12 comediesFOX: 16 total, 8 dramas, 8 comediesNBC: 26 total, 11 dramas, 15 comediesCW: 8 total, 8 dramas, 0 comediesTotal pilots 98, 51 dramas, 47 comediesSeinfeld: 78th episode of series, season 15, episode 14Maximized COINCIDENCESOriginal concept: The Seinfeld Chronicles“The Marine Biologist”Coincidences? Kramer and Jerry have bank gifts, Jerry is at the same ATM as Diane, talking about whalesUnlikeable characters: sharing a jail cell, Jerry “War what is it good for?”Unlikable characters: more common in British than US sitcomsEx: Danny Devito and It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy, and the ShieldBritish vs. US sitcoms:30 minutes- UK vs. 20 minutes-US“The Breath”“Coupling” was hoping to replace “friends”2003- 10 episodes shot (only 4 aired)“The Office”- started in 2005 on NBCCoupling: Sex, death and nudityDifference in scriptThe difference “casting” makesCoupling vs. FriendsWhich did you like more?Lecture 1• GROW- “The Golden Rule of Work”• GROWL- “The Golden Rule of Work and sometimes life”• Personal Adage: A manager spends 90% of their time managing problems with 10% of their staff• IF GOD HAS SPOKEN TO YOU RULE: If work is perfect, do not show anyoneo Collect your Emmy or Oscar• Databases: Studios and producers use this to comment about an actors performance, writing or acting• “Taking the money out”- moving locations and claiming that it is the original location because of tax credits• “The pages of the script”- what’s used to attract stars, directors, studios and money• When you see “&” in-between two names- this means they worked together.o Lowell Ganz & Babaloo• When you see “and”- means they worked separatelyo Lowell and Babaloo (Babaloo came after)• Theatrical film: A director’s medium• TV: The writers medium• “Buying the pages”- used in filmo “Buying the pages that are already written”• “Buying the writer”- used in TVo Prospectiveo They need to write each episodeo Not written yet• JJ Abrams- started in TBV Star Trek
View Full Document
Unlocking...