Writer's+Script+Process

 5/27/11 - HB //**Looks great Eric! "It's a Wrap!" as they say. Oh, and I love the title.**//

5/27/11 - ER 9 pm. Heather, kind words from a kind teacher. I made just a few minor tweeks - with the main one I incorporated some of the cross curricular thoughts Karen suggested in her Video Project Detail post. Please look it over & let me know if you want to call it a wrap. I think it's pretty good & I love the political messaged weaved in. Any thoughts on a title for the piece? "World Peace Through Sprinkes" perhaps?

5/27/11 - HB

Eric, you are a life saver. I could not log on last night because we didn't have power due to these horrible storms. Therefore, I didn't have Internet access. I see no one else posted last night either. Some people in our area still are without power. As for the script, we still need Jonathan to give us a description of our setting, namely his kitchen. //**I am attaching a revised script, which I believe is complete with the exception** **of Jonathan's kitchen description. I guess we should remember that this continues to be work in progress and could be edited in by the director, producer etc.** **I think we are in really great shape! Eric, please scan through it one more time as I have put Jonathan's dialogue in bold print. I was not sure in a couple places, if you intended for it to be director's notes or dialogue.**//

5/25/11 - ERHey Heather, love the work so far. I think we're making good progress. I took the beginning of the script & added to it. Feel free to continue to modify. . I'll check back with you tomorrow night. - e

Ok everybody, here is the beginning of a script using the format from Scriptologists. If this is what you want to work with, we need a description of Jonathan's kitchen added. Also, Eric, we need dialogue. I am hoping your vision included some words too! lol. Oh and any ideas for a good title? Let me know if this format is ok with you? 5/25/11 - HB **//Here is a link to check out for formatting our script this is the one I am going to follow.//**Scriptologists

//**5/25/11 _ HB**//
===//**Hey Eric. I have uploaded a possible outline for the video. Hopefully, this can be the beginnings of a script. Notice, I have included approximate times** **for each step. Of course these are just rough estimates and subject to change.** I have added a few camera directions as well. Please, feel free to add to this. I will continue to work on this tonight and hopefully have an actual script to upload tomorrow. Like I said before, as far as Jonathan's actual narration, I will certainly need help on this as well.//=== 5/24/11 - HB
 * //Good idea Sara. We can incorporate music while Jonathan is in transition or when there is a "lull" in the video.//**


 * //Thanks Eric. I guess I don't even know where to begin with a script, so I am going to watch the Food Channel tonight and work on the beginning of a script to post tomorrow.//**
 * //For the beginning of the video, maybe we should have a moving graphic to introduce the "show." Then, we see Jonathan talking directly into the camera describing his objectives for today's show. He probably should offer some background information on the waffles or how and when they would make a good breakfast. Do you have any funny anecdotes when you made and served the waffles?//**
 * //And for the color, I think we should serve this dish on a red plate. Hopefully, this will make the audience hungry!//**

Great thoughts. I like the color. Here are the ingredients: 1/4 cup of mix; 1/4 cup of milk; 1/8 cup of egg (or egg beater); 1 tea spoon of oil; 1 handful of chocolate chips (I always use dark chocolate because I'm a health nut). They don't have to be dark - Johnathan can just say they are. I think we should wait until the end to show the figurines - it's a funny way to wrap up the video. The title has to fit. The more I think about it, I'm liking, "World Peace through Sprinkels." The title kind of

5/23/11 10:38- ShoopJust a thought, we can always incorporate music during transitions or when things are cooking etc.

5/23/11 - 9:15 - HB I guess my first question is: why sad music? If we are making this a humorous video, I would recommend happy, upbeat music. I agree that we probably need to address both scripts, but I thought the directors instructions are to be in one script with what the "actor" will actually be speaking. I am not sure about this, but I think I remember reading this in the text.

Here are some of my opinions here on some of your questions, then we can decide tomorrow?

 * 1. I think it should be in color that way we can maybe incorporate some of the color meanings red = hunger etc.**
 * 2. He should narrate his actions and explain why he is doing each action**
 * 3. I would say no background music as this is a narrative piece. It may be distracting.**
 * 4. We should show his face, so the audience can connect with our actor. If he has a trusting face,and the audience can trust his words, they are more likely to try the recipe themselves.**
 * 5. Teaching, but humorous tone**
 * 6. He should be narrating his steps as well as explaining the presence of his breakfast guests. "Breakfast of Champions"**
 * For the camera angles and lighting, I agree that we keep this as simple as possible. Our one camera man should occasionally zoom in on the food and guests. Lighting should reflect the mood and tone, happy and cheerful. Again, a well lit kitchen and actor will create trust with the audience. I feel that a darker stage would leave the audience thinking what is he hiding? Remember, to be ethical, we must consider our audience.**
 * Also, since I do not know this recipe, do you want to begin the writing of the steps of the recipe and some possible things he may say. Then, I can add to them. Thanks Eric!**

5/23/11 - 7:25pm - ER If I read section D correctly it appears we almost need 2 scripts: the script-script & the shooting script (called the screenplay). The screenplay includes a plan for the camera, angles, lights & tone. We prepare it for the director. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">So here are my thoughts on the written script. We prepare a step-by-step narrative for what happens. Then develop a separate screenplay for the camera, angles, lights & tone.. According to instructions in section D, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none;">for the production process to run smoothly every word, tone, emotion and expression should be planned in a script. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">So for the written script – a step-by-step narrative. Here are some ideas/questions we need to consider: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">1) Is the primary shooting in black & white or in color? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">2) Does our preparer speak or do we use sign boards? Or does he speak once in a while? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">3) Background music? Any? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">4) Do we want to show the preparer’s face? Should he use a mask or made up covering? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">5) Is the tone neutral, somber, suspenseful, depressing, or a combo of any of these? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">6) If he speaks, we must plan every word. What exactly would he say? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">For the screenplay here’s what we need to consider. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">1) Plan for camera: I would recommend keeping this simple? Perhaps as simple as his cell phone camera (this doesn’t need to be hi-def stuff). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">2) Angles: If we were in a real video class, we would need multiple filmers & multiple cameras (filming at the same time –from different angles). But since this is a very intro course – I’m thinking keep it simple: one camera w/ one cameraman. He would move basically stay still & record Jonathan preparing his ingredients & putting the mix on the waffle maker. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">3) Angles 2: Do we want any close ups of the ingredients or of the waffle maker? Maybe we should have a close up or two to mix things up? Maybe not? Should we have a cut out & cut in. If we do this, Jonathan’s camera man might want to do 2 full recordings back-2-back (one from John’s left side, one from his a totally different angle (like 60 rotated). Then the editor can switch angles between the 2 films? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">4) Lights & tone: Lights will help set tone – we should decide on this. Just in case you are thinking of a sad theme, here is a good sound track (I spent 25 minutes hunting around YouTube for this – ugg!) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #800080; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">__[]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">So, that’s a couple of my latest ramplings. I’m totally cool with whatever. Throw down a couple of thoughts/comments/ snide remarks. I’ll check out what you have tomorrow night & ping off what wrote.

5/23/11 2:50 pm I'm so glad you like my idea! I haven't given much thought into voice, audio, music. I guess the first thing that comes to my mind is maybe an old school video - like a silent 20's film (but with jewish sounding violins). Of course it would have to be black & white. So I"m thinking Shindler's list type music. Johnathan could speak through poster boards (black writing against white boards). I'm not sure what he would say. The only real audio might be when we weave the political themes in (like to represent the cold war it would be mad cool to have a clip of Regan saying, "Mr. Gobechov - tear down this wall." Stuff like that. Or perhaps Steve Jobs unveiling the iPad. I'll reread the Part D later tonight & get back to you on that.

//5/22/11 - HB//
===//Oh my gosh Eric, I am impressed! You are so very creative and I think these are all great ideas. I am wondering if there is anything for me to do. Haha. Hmm.... I do like your idea of incorporating a political message as well as some humor. I just hope Jonathan doesn't mind. One thing we may want to consider though is: Are we going to have Jonathan actually speaking to his dinner guests? So... Jonathan can be explaining the process of making the waffles while he is telling his audience why he is having breakfast with these world leaders. Yes, I like it! Also, incorporating humor will make our video far more interesting.//===

===//I think keeping it simple is the key here. Let's forget the Italian dish and focus on just the waffles. I know we had discussed creating two options and letting him choose, but one script is time consuming enough. I say let's not create more work for ourselves. Hopefully, the quality will be better with just one. So... I will begin to brainstorm an actual script as well.//===

===//Oh one more thing... Can you go back and reread Topic D about scripting and let me know your interpretation. It almost sounds like we do need to include camera angles etc. in addition to the words he will speak. I don't know what do you think?//===

Heather, I think the group's idea re: making a dish is an excellent idea - it's simple, fund, (& tasty). We can get creative with this without making it too complex. So here's a few preliminary thoughts: we could come up with a traditional dish, (time-elapsed of course), Johnathan would have to prepare each ingredient & have everything ready to go. My first thought (if we we going Italian) would be pasta: easy & everyone appreciates it. My first instinct is boiling water, using a collendar to strain pasta, & applying sauce. We could do that (pretty simple). I have just a tinge of reservation (just a tinge) because I'm wondering - does it too closely resemble preparing Mac & Cheese (boil water, use a collendar, & apply sauce) which our professor told us not to do. It might be funny to throw steamed clams in Alredo Sauce at Johnathan - but that's a little crazy. I'm wracking my brain for anything else Italian - & nothing is coming to mind (if you're gut says Pasta dish - I can go with that).

Let me through another possibility at you: what about preparring homemade waffles. (It's simple for Johnathan & it has multiple steps). I make these every Sat & Sun for my boys, (3-4 min) but I make "special waffles" - these are works of art - super healthy (kind of funny when you think about it - because no one makes waffles "healthy". Number 1 - I use whole grain mix (we could somehow tie in a healthy theme with whatever dish we go with). Then I use egg beaters, skim milk, olive oil. Mix it up. Put a handful of dark chocolate chips inside the batter (Hershey's dark chocolate chips - loaded with antioxidants). Then the batter gets poured into the waffle maker & bakes for 2 min & 40 seconds. While that is baking I gather 5 extra toppings (yes 5). Johnathan could gather these while the waffles are cooking. They are: unfrozen blueberries, cherry pie filling (made w/ splenda), sliced banans, sugar free whip cream, & sprinkles. The dish is amazing to look at - especially topped with whip cheam & rainbow colored sprinkles. Let me know your thoughts on this.

I also have a crazy idea - crazy that might be fun & deep & bizarre all at the same time. What would you think about weaving in a subliminal message into the waffles? I'm thinking about the bizarre videos our professor had us watch the last 2 weeks. One was on the creapy grim reaper woman with the violin music & the other was on Paik's Global Groove where he tied in a corrupt Nixon into a dance theme. What if we had Jonathan put the waffles onto a plate & served it to a host of paper cut outs of prominent world figures. They would be small, maybe 4-5" colored cut-outs Johnathan could print off the web. He could put make them stand up somehow, like with a paper base. I'm thinking we could have Barak Obama, George Bush, Napolean, Osama Bin Laden, & Ronald McDonald. The 5 would all be arrannged in a semi-circle & John could put the plate of waffles in front of them at the end. We could call the piece - Waffles of Peace or 3-minutes till Peace, or something goofy. The professor would get a kick out of seeing that in the end. Why those 5? Well, Obama & Bush to represent the 2 great American political powers always at war, then Napolean because he plunged Europe into a continental war, then Bin Laden because he represents the rest of the world hating on us. But what about Ronald - well, he represents a bit of comic relief - he's innocent, fun, & nostalgic. He also wages a silent war on the health of mankind in the form of unhealthy food. That's the real meaning of Ronald, but the audience might have to think & ponder why McDonald is represented - maybe they'll get it maybe not. It's still fun.

If you're liking it so far, how about another layer of the weave. Besides the men of war in the end, we could have each topping represent a massive war/escalation of modern times. This is how we could get creative with the editing: the editor could flash an image or video (real brief) of each major escalation in modern times people could relate to as Johnathan applies each topping. I'm thinking: blueberries - WW1 - so trench warfare, WW1 planes. Cherries - WWII, Nazi's marching/Hiroshima mushroom cloud; Banannas - Cold War - Cruschev/Kennedy/Berlin Wall, sickle & hammers; Whip Cream - Technology wars/Globilazation - maybe cyber hacking, IPods, downed stealth helicopter, stealth bomber; then the sprinkles could represent Global Warming so we could flash in some images of Global Warming - maybe Al Gore & Polar Bears, rain forests, so forth.

When it's all done, the audience then sees the waffles go before the 5 Knights of the Roundtable (the 5 figurines). It's serious, goofy, & fun all at the same time. World peace through Sprinkles.