Visual Storytelling in depth

Question 1

beat sheet

Answer 1

• Most important part
• An outline of the most important narrative beats to your story
• It’s good to aim for 8 to 15 beats in planning for a narrative short film/video
• Question to ask: what are the key moments that need to occur for the story to make sense and fully resonate

Question 2

Structuring Scenes and Films

Answer 2

• Begin the scene at the latest possible moment;end the scene at the earliest possible moment
• Begin the film at the latest possible moment; end your film at the earliest possible moment

Question 3

Incongruity

Answer 3

We find things funny when we expect one thing and something else is delivered

Question 4

Benign Penetration

Answer 4

• We laugh when people push the lines/envelope
• Not too far, but farther than norms or conventions
• Ex: tweets about hurricane sandy
• Timing of seeing the jokes

Question 5

Mark of Culture and Community

Answer 5

• Humor used as mark of ^
• Social media: something makes you laugh, but outsiders wouldn’t get it
• Exclusion; othering; pushing people away

Question 6

the humor code

Answer 6

• incongruity
• benign penetration
• Social interaction
• mark of culture and community

Question 7

How to tell a joke

Answer 7

Set up
Wait for it
Punchline
Tag it (punchline becomes set up for another set up → )

Question 8

Questions to ask yourself about your comedy and jokes:

Answer 8

• Timing! Can you improve it?
• Pouring glass of water ex.
• Would the joke be funnier if it was more specific?
• Who is the joke on?
• What’s your identity as the joke teller? Are you punching up or punching down?

Question 9

Continuity system:

Answer 9

taking shots that were taken separately and making them appear as one

Question 10

The cut:

Answer 10

hide and edit more easily

Question 11

The dissolve:

Answer 11

“Shift in time”, cross fade

Question 12

Spatial Continuity

Answer 12

• 180 degree rule
• Want to make it look like things are happening in the same directions
• Conversation (Don’t switch sides)

Question 13

Establishing Shot

Answer 13

Not necessary

Question 14

Shot/Reverse Shot

Answer 14

Reaction shots, conversation, 180 line establishment important

Question 15

Coverage

Answer 15

Want more shots than you need

Giving yourself some options

Question 16

Match on action

Answer 16

• Trying to make things look like they are happening at the same time
• Trying to fool the audience
• If you call audience’s attention to what’s going on in the right hand they won’t concentrate on what’s going on in the left

Question 17

Eyeline matches

Answer 17

• Good way to make it seem like the shots pull together

- Making actors seem like they are actually looking into the eyes of the other actors

Question 18

Pre-Production

Answer 18

Location scouting and approvals
Scheduling
Casting
Call sheet and communication
Equipment check-outs and tests
Flag any potential problems or safety issues
Shot lists and storyboards

Question 19

What makes performance

Answer 19

Acting, writing directing, editing
Juxtaposition
Conflict
Kuleshov effect

Question 20

Kuleshov effect

Answer 20

• Influence emotion by choosing next shot specifically
• Accident, assumed emotion shown is concern or shock
• Obama and Gardner example

Question 21

Sound bridge

Answer 21

• Transition

- Percussion sound bridge (apartment) → elevator → typewriting sound effects

Question 22

Using audience’s imagination

Answer 22

typewriter , we know that he’s typing because we can hear it but we don’t see it so we fill in with our imagination

Question 23

Subverting audience’s expectations

Answer 23

Can also make audience think one thing is happening when another is actually happening

Question 24

“Constructive” editing

Answer 24

Can construct a scene using little fragments and use brain to fill in the holes

Question 25

Parallel editing

Answer 25

Makes more suspenseful, cutting between scenes in separate locations

Question 26

Speed of cutting

Answer 26

Rhythm

Question 27

Holding the shot

Answer 27

Subverting audience expectations

“12-yrs a slave” example