Welcome Everyone!
This page will be an ongoing resource for our upcoming GoPro Mountain Games School. If we’ve forgotten anything, let us know!
Feel free to use instructors@adventurefilmschool.com or call us at 425.224.6449 for any questions. If you want to email the entire group, you can use students@adventurefilmschool.com.
Contents
- Google Hangout – Welcome & Treatments
- Google Hangout – Story Development & Cinematography Basics
- Google Hangout – Visualization
- Google Hangout – Pre-production Wrap Up
Google Hangout 5/5/15 – Welcome
Agenda
- Welcome & Introductions
- Gear for the course
- Story Ideas. Before getting into things, we discussed the initial ideas everyone has for their films. Interesting to see how these rough ideas evolve over the course.
- Film Genres. Discussed the different types of genres.
- What makes a good story? What makes a film memorable or your favorite?
- The Hook. What makes you want to keep watching in the first 1-2 mins? The playlist.
- Important Places – Discussion
- Curiosity UTMB – Discussion
- The Coast – Discussion
- The Ridge – Discussion
- Developing Treatments
- Title
- Logline – 1-2 sentences, includes main objective/concept with a big hook, unique/compelling circumstances/content with payoff and entertainment
- The typical treatment = write your story as an audience would experience it. Who, What, When, Where, Why. If you get stuck, just write. Don’t worry about format or what it is/isn’t doing. You can always clean it up later.
- What’s Next
- Next pre-production mtg 5/12 @ 5PM PST
- Hook & Story Arc
- Visualization
Other Resources
- Treatment Examples
- Other student films
- Commercial Proposal Example. An example of a commercial proposal for one of our productions. We use treatments to develop initial concepts and depending on the scale of the project, will build them to larger proposals such as this. You can make smaller versions for a “1 -pager” or short pitch document.
- Recommended Books
- Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and Principles of Screenwriting, Robert McKee
- The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Christopher Vogler
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell
Google Hangout 5/12/15 – Visualization & Cinematography Basics
Before we started the class, we each watched the animated short below regarding the Hero’s journey. This cycle exists in almost every journey. Not unlike the journey you are on right now. 😉
Smaller class in our last session, but after chatting with you at various points, everyone is in a similar place. GOOD NEWS! Whether or not it feels like it, you’re on the right track.
Writing & story development can be difficult – especially when learning a new technique or skill. If you have felt unsure, bogged down, or not sure how this is going to come together, you’re in the right place. That is part of the process. Like all great ideas, most don’t come with instant clarity. They are crafted and honed over time. It’s a clay block needing to be shaped. This is why we continually ask you what your story is.
The process of writing it and saying it will continue to sharpen and refine your idea. So tell your friends, your family, or a random stranger who asks about your day. Practice. Remember – The art of creating, is a muscle that must be developed and exercised. Only then does it become easier. The KEY and most important thing is to continue pushing. What you’re writing now, even if it will be thrown out or is a muddled mess — it is the way forward. So keep going. You’re doing the exact-right-thing. To add more food for thought, take a look at the talk by Austin Kleon below.
Today we discussed visualization & cinematography basics. This is the foundation for where we are heading, and how you will evolve your story into a film. Don’t be too overwhelmed with all that’s said here. We will continue to review these concepts. Right now, familiarize yourself with the terms and start studying films. Steal like an artist.
AGENDA
- Checkpoint on story development.
- The Story Arc
- The Exposure Triangle
- Depth of field & DOFSimulator.net
- Visualizing the Story:
- Types of shots.
- Getting Coverage (Every Moment Counts @ Scene Referenced 1:56)
- 5 Shot Sequence. Shooting for the Edit
- CU hands – WHAT is happening
- CU face – WHO is doing it (show both eyes)
- Wide – WHERE it’s happening
- OTS – link the three previous
- Unusual, side/low – story-specific context
- 5 Shot Sequence. Shooting for the Edit
- Sequence formulas.
- Establisher: W, M, CU
- Establisher: M, CU, W
- Reveal: CU, W or Medium
- Match on Action
- Action.Reaction
- Same Frame
- Perspective Shift
- Watch the first 1 minute of the film 35, and discuss shot sequences.
- Rules of Thumb
- 30-45 degree shots
- 180 degree rule
- Rule of thirds
- 10 second rule
RESOURCES
- Slides used in the google hangout
- Films Referenced:
- Sun Dog, Ben Sturgulewski
- Every Moment Counts, Preston Kanak
- 35, Nasa Koski
- A Moment of Silence, Preston Kanak
- Story, Scheduling, & Scouting, Preston Kanak <<< highly recommend watching this
BOOKS
- Cinematography: Theory & Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers & Directors, by Blain Brown
- The Five C’s of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques, Joseph Mascelli
- In the Blink of An Eye, Walter Murch
- 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, Matt Madden
We will check-in this week for updated progress. Send us drafts as you have them.
Google Hangout – Visualization
AGENDA
- Checkpoint on Story Development
- Using Quadrants – extension of rule or thirds & how basic rules and lead to advanced techniques
- Using your script or treatment to visualize your story
- Shot Sequences / Shot List
- Key shots for the arc
- Priority shots vs wish list
- Things to think about:
- Getting scene to scene.
- Day vs. Night.
- Inside vs. Outside.
- Continuity.
- Screen Direction.
- Shot Sequences / Shot List
- Examples of Shot Lists
- The point of the shot list isn’t the format. It’s about tracking your ideas during production and communicating with your crew. Certain productions may require more or less detail.
- For this course: Focus on identifying key shots that make/define your story. Plan your days loosely. When will it be best to do interviews? Do you need sunrise/sunset? Do you need timelapses? Do you need props? People? Can you group use of props/people/location to make shooting more efficient?
- A range of shot list styles provided below:
- Blackroot – Narrative Film
- Vimeo (example)
- National Geographic Manifesto – The Short
- Examples of Storyboards – Discussion
- Student Example
- Commercial
- Narrative
- Hollywood
- Scouting
- Using Google Earth
- Recommend apps: Sunseeker, Moonseeker
Google Hangout – Pre-production Wrap Up