We have been talking about screenwriting, character development and a little bit about narrative structure (movie paradigm).
Once this is all figured out, then we are into a new period.
This is called DEVELOPMENT and in many cases, it can take years.
Trivia - the movie Frozen just came out but began life in 1943
movies always take a long time to start and get onscreen
Development
screenwriter
producer
studio or production company
different countries have different development structures
Somebody writes a screenplay - it has the elements we’ve discussed
There needs to be a producer
What the heck is this?
A producer is a person who knows how to use the entertainment business to get things done that can put a movie together - bringing money and artists and companies and corporations together into a combined business venture
Gets a script, pays for it, pays to have it rewritten (often multiple times), hires and brings on staff, casts, hooks up a studio, finds distribution and works on marketing.
The most powerful producers right now are often the most powerful actors and directors.
However, there is one producer you all have heard of Jerry Bruckheimer.
It is a very risky, very stomach churning job.
You pay first and get paid LAST.
Literally, you get paid when the movie’s over. Released. Successful. Or. Not.
The basic thing the producer has to build is called a PACKAGE.
Script + Director + Actors (Talent) = studio and company interest
Directors
What do they do?
They get to decide if they want to do the movie or not. They are sometimes the first people to get.
Rewrite the script. And rewrite the script.
Usually actors decide on movies based on the director + script. When an actor comes in, that means rewrites.
If they get studio, there are always rewrites.
For our screenwriting project, you are going to be without notes, you’ll be your own directors and your own producers.
Design that character.
Come up with a concept for a movie that is interesting and fun (originality is good)
Think about a problem for that character.
Think about a “something” that a movie could be about.
Come up with a First Act - plan out the set up to a movie.
You only need to write a plan, a character design (sheet I handed out) and a step outline of the set up - however you decide to do it.
Who would direct this?
Who would star?
Why them?
Who would the audience be?
Why them?
Why would this movie be successful?
The very last assignment you will do in the class is to shoot a sequence from someone’s script.
Write and shoot a sequence (or a trailer) that takes all of the elements we’ve discussed (and will discuss) into consideration and make it good.
Development and Pre-production
Production
Post-production
Pre-Production Continued:
Once you have your elements (script, director, actor(s), then you have to get serious.
Break the script down into:
locations - every place that you have something happen needs to be planned and scouted and completely figured out
sometimes you already know the cool place and can you put one of your scenes there?
is there power? are all the logistics in place in that place?
is there a place to go the bathroom? get food? keep warm? store stuff? stay dry?
list those locations IN ORDER from the script and then decide on shooting order AFTER
shoot all the locations in smart order, out of story order if that’s how it works
characters - which means actors needed
have your actors loaded up in the right times, places, order, etc
the most people you need for any particular day would be lumped together
plan your days around the actors you can get in whatever pattern
props - what stuff do we need? go through the script and pull out every single thing you will need - put it in a separate list and have someone deal with that
break your script into shots - this is the director’s key pre-pro job
look at the script and turn it into a comic book version of the movie - at first, you will be doing that in your head, especially if you’re the director
some people actually draw the storyboards
What does a director do with Actors?
POWER - actresses and actors alike respond to directors because directors have power over the actor’s sense of self-esteem, their bodies and their words and their emotions!
Actors are naked, disturbed, weak-minded(?), interestingly unconfident people
The director’s job is to be able to make the actor do ANYTHING on command. (based upon the story, the script, the character)
Okay, is there an easier way to look at this?
The director tunes the performance.
“Try it like this.” “Imagine this.” George Lucas: “Faster and more intense.”
What about with cameras? Lighting?
Hire some brilliant Cinematographer and let him/her go to it.
Sound -
When you make a video, your sound WILL be bad.
This is pretty much guaranteed.
Camera Mics are NO GOOD.
When you shoot your “whatever” - close ups you can mic
Wide shots, not so much
Script Pages Breakdown - Doing Tomorrow in Class
shots and storyboards if poss
lighting ideas
stunt descriptions if any
character descriptions (wardrobe, etc too)
casting
props
locations
special effects ideas
anything else that you think will make it clear how you approach those pages
Does this look realistic?
Cool? Awesome? Saleable? Impressive? Big enough? Decisions smart? Is there creativity? Originality? Detailed. Thoughtful. Complete vision.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
December 6, 2013
We have been talking about screenwriting, character development and a little bit about narrative structure (movie paradigm).
Once this is all figured out, then we are into a new period.
This is called DEVELOPMENT and in many cases, it can take years.
Trivia - the movie Frozen just came out but began life in 1943
movies always take a long time to start and get onscreen
Development
screenwriter
producer
studio or production company
different countries have different development structures
Somebody writes a screenplay - it has the elements we’ve discussed
There needs to be a producer
What the heck is this?
A producer is a person who knows how to use the entertainment business to get things done that can put a movie together - bringing money and artists and companies and corporations together into a combined business venture
Gets a script, pays for it, pays to have it rewritten (often multiple times), hires and brings on staff, casts, hooks up a studio, finds distribution and works on marketing.
The most powerful producers right now are often the most powerful actors and directors.
However, there is one producer you all have heard of Jerry Bruckheimer.
It is a very risky, very stomach churning job.
You pay first and get paid LAST.
Literally, you get paid when the movie’s over. Released. Successful. Or. Not.
The basic thing the producer has to build is called a PACKAGE.
Script + Director + Actors (Talent) = studio and company interest
Directors
What do they do?
They get to decide if they want to do the movie or not. They are sometimes the first people to get.
Rewrite the script. And rewrite the script.
Usually actors decide on movies based on the director + script. When an actor comes in, that means rewrites.
If they get studio, there are always rewrites.
For our screenwriting project, you are going to be without notes, you’ll be your own directors and your own producers.
Design that character.
Come up with a concept for a movie that is interesting and fun (originality is good)
Think about a problem for that character.
Think about a “something” that a movie could be about.
Come up with a First Act - plan out the set up to a movie.
You only need to write a plan, a character design (sheet I handed out) and a step outline of the set up - however you decide to do it.
Who would direct this?
Who would star?
Why them?
Who would the audience be?
Why them?
Why would this movie be successful?
The very last assignment you will do in the class is to shoot a sequence from someone’s script.
Write and shoot a sequence (or a trailer) that takes all of the elements we’ve discussed (and will discuss) into consideration and make it good.
Development and Pre-production
Production
Post-production
Pre-Production Continued:
Once you have your elements (script, director, actor(s), then you have to get serious.
Break the script down into:
locations - every place that you have something happen needs to be planned and scouted and completely figured out
sometimes you already know the cool place and can you put one of your scenes there?
is there power? are all the logistics in place in that place?
is there a place to go the bathroom? get food? keep warm? store stuff? stay dry?
list those locations IN ORDER from the script and then decide on shooting order AFTER
shoot all the locations in smart order, out of story order if that’s how it works
characters - which means actors needed
have your actors loaded up in the right times, places, order, etc
the most people you need for any particular day would be lumped together
plan your days around the actors you can get in whatever pattern
props - what stuff do we need? go through the script and pull out every single thing you will need - put it in a separate list and have someone deal with that
break your script into shots - this is the director’s key pre-pro job
look at the script and turn it into a comic book version of the movie - at first, you will be doing that in your head, especially if you’re the director
some people actually draw the storyboards
What does a director do with Actors?
POWER - actresses and actors alike respond to directors because directors have power over the actor’s sense of self-esteem, their bodies and their words and their emotions!
Actors are naked, disturbed, weak-minded(?), interestingly unconfident people
The director’s job is to be able to make the actor do ANYTHING on command. (based upon the story, the script, the character)
Okay, is there an easier way to look at this?
The director tunes the performance.
“Try it like this.” “Imagine this.” George Lucas: “Faster and more intense.”
What about with cameras? Lighting?
Hire some brilliant Cinematographer and let him/her go to it.
Sound -
When you make a video, your sound WILL be bad.
This is pretty much guaranteed.
Camera Mics are NO GOOD.
When you shoot your “whatever” - close ups you can mic
Wide shots, not so much
Script Pages Breakdown - Doing Tomorrow in Class
Once this is all figured out, then we are into a new period.
This is called DEVELOPMENT and in many cases, it can take years.
Trivia - the movie Frozen just came out but began life in 1943
movies always take a long time to start and get onscreen
Development
screenwriter
producer
studio or production company
different countries have different development structures
Somebody writes a screenplay - it has the elements we’ve discussed
There needs to be a producer
What the heck is this?
A producer is a person who knows how to use the entertainment business to get things done that can put a movie together - bringing money and artists and companies and corporations together into a combined business venture
Gets a script, pays for it, pays to have it rewritten (often multiple times), hires and brings on staff, casts, hooks up a studio, finds distribution and works on marketing.
The most powerful producers right now are often the most powerful actors and directors.
However, there is one producer you all have heard of Jerry Bruckheimer.
It is a very risky, very stomach churning job.
You pay first and get paid LAST.
Literally, you get paid when the movie’s over. Released. Successful. Or. Not.
The basic thing the producer has to build is called a PACKAGE.
Script + Director + Actors (Talent) = studio and company interest
Directors
What do they do?
They get to decide if they want to do the movie or not. They are sometimes the first people to get.
Rewrite the script. And rewrite the script.
Usually actors decide on movies based on the director + script. When an actor comes in, that means rewrites.
If they get studio, there are always rewrites.
For our screenwriting project, you are going to be without notes, you’ll be your own directors and your own producers.
Design that character.
Come up with a concept for a movie that is interesting and fun (originality is good)
Think about a problem for that character.
Think about a “something” that a movie could be about.
Come up with a First Act - plan out the set up to a movie.
You only need to write a plan, a character design (sheet I handed out) and a step outline of the set up - however you decide to do it.
Who would direct this?
Who would star?
Why them?
Who would the audience be?
Why them?
Why would this movie be successful?
The very last assignment you will do in the class is to shoot a sequence from someone’s script.
Write and shoot a sequence (or a trailer) that takes all of the elements we’ve discussed (and will discuss) into consideration and make it good.
Development and Pre-production
Production
Post-production
Pre-Production Continued:
Once you have your elements (script, director, actor(s), then you have to get serious.
Break the script down into:
locations - every place that you have something happen needs to be planned and scouted and completely figured out
sometimes you already know the cool place and can you put one of your scenes there?
is there power? are all the logistics in place in that place?
is there a place to go the bathroom? get food? keep warm? store stuff? stay dry?
list those locations IN ORDER from the script and then decide on shooting order AFTER
shoot all the locations in smart order, out of story order if that’s how it works
characters - which means actors needed
have your actors loaded up in the right times, places, order, etc
the most people you need for any particular day would be lumped together
plan your days around the actors you can get in whatever pattern
props - what stuff do we need? go through the script and pull out every single thing you will need - put it in a separate list and have someone deal with that
break your script into shots - this is the director’s key pre-pro job
look at the script and turn it into a comic book version of the movie - at first, you will be doing that in your head, especially if you’re the director
some people actually draw the storyboards
What does a director do with Actors?
POWER - actresses and actors alike respond to directors because directors have power over the actor’s sense of self-esteem, their bodies and their words and their emotions!
Actors are naked, disturbed, weak-minded(?), interestingly unconfident people
The director’s job is to be able to make the actor do ANYTHING on command. (based upon the story, the script, the character)
Okay, is there an easier way to look at this?
The director tunes the performance.
“Try it like this.” “Imagine this.” George Lucas: “Faster and more intense.”
What about with cameras? Lighting?
Hire some brilliant Cinematographer and let him/her go to it.
Sound -
When you make a video, your sound WILL be bad.
This is pretty much guaranteed.
Camera Mics are NO GOOD.
When you shoot your “whatever” - close ups you can mic
Wide shots, not so much
Script Pages Breakdown - Doing Tomorrow in Class
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
November 27, 2013
Character and Story Based Movie Review
- Describe the main character.
(think of all those things that would be pertinent) - problem, attributes, relatable or not, how did he/she win over the audience?, what change has to happen, how does the change occur? (good hero for a movie, why or why not? give reasoning for your answers) etc
- Antagonist - same for the villain (as per our discussion)(same as above)
- Secondary characters (just a few) - what do they do? What purpose do they serve? How does this movie make them interesting or not?
- Story Structure - apply the screenplay paradigm to the movie you watch - note the elements that fit at those specific times
5. Discuss originality in general - of story and character - Were you surprised at any point, what worked, what didn’t, what was enjoyable, etc (from a story perspective)
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
November 20, 2013
Screenplay structure (story structure)
Hero stuff
Villain stuff
Opening pages
Presentation on a movie genre - ie sci-fi, R comedy, fantasy book adaptation, Twilight zone rip off movies,
Check out the first chunk of a movie you wouldn’t watch
Check out a screenplay and report on the first 20 pages
Focusing on creating our own opening 5 pages or so (HOOK)
Reviewing in detail one entire movie like a bawss
Rushmore
Silence of the Lambs
L.A. Confidential
Mean Girls
Saving Private Ryan
Hero stuff
Villain stuff
Opening pages
Presentation on a movie genre - ie sci-fi, R comedy, fantasy book adaptation, Twilight zone rip off movies,
Check out the first chunk of a movie you wouldn’t watch
Check out a screenplay and report on the first 20 pages
Focusing on creating our own opening 5 pages or so (HOOK)
Reviewing in detail one entire movie like a bawss
Rushmore
Silence of the Lambs
L.A. Confidential
Mean Girls
Saving Private Ryan
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
November 19, 2013
The Villain
many movies don’t have a villain, but there always has to be opposing energy
this could be a wolf, a bear, an ocean, a desert, a dessert, almost anything that tested and challenged the main character and STOPPED him/her from moving forward with his/her goals
classic movie structure - a bad character, a competitor, an enemy to hunt, search for, beat, etc.
the idea is that a movie is only as strong as the hero?
sometimes it’s the negative character that makes the movie
good negatives have certain characteristics
Believable
if we can believe in the negative energy or character, it is MUCH more effective
stupid negatives equal stupid responses (ie punch fighting the wolf in The Grey), which makes the challenge ridiculous - ridiculousness is the kiss of death in a movie villain
Loki - Thor movie - ridiculous? The Avengers - he “plans” to get caught
Skyfall - ridiculous bad guy? He plans to get caught
Man of Steel - ridiculous? too strong, too tough, too dangerous - way past believable
The Dark Knight - Joker - WHAT!? he plans to get caught!? *except* The Joker actually fits the plan a little better - he’s completely crazy - the ridiculous fades
Consistent in his/her actions
Inglourious Basterds - the Nazi in that is awesome - consistent and ridiculous, but it fits because he’s always over the top in charming, etc.
Layers of Depth and Interesting Behaviours - the more unusual and interesting and layered the bad character, the better the movie - some actors ALWAYS want to play bad guys
the details of weirdness and strangeness can make a bad character WAY more fun to watch than a hero
most movies will try to create a very interesting villain
The Villain is separated from everything else - every other character, the real world, etc
the bottom line of the villain is usually that he/she is unloved and alone and this is the source of his/her negative energy
The Villain has some core belief that is actually, if you think about, not ridiculous and not a bad idea - that belief makes some kind of sense and it could, if you get into their mindset, explain his/her actions - the Villain’s perspective is TOTALLY LOGICAL, or, on the other hand, BUGNUTS CRAZY (or, better, BOTH)
The actual role of the Villain in a movie is the act as the FORCE to push the Hero towards positive change.
Without the negative, the hero would NEVER change, never grow and never progress to the ending that is awesome and good.
The Villain is actually a force for good (in a way) when it comes to the character.
This whole thing is in our psychology and in our religion and everywhere.
Dialectics - thesis + antithesis = synthesis
many movies don’t have a villain, but there always has to be opposing energy
this could be a wolf, a bear, an ocean, a desert, a dessert, almost anything that tested and challenged the main character and STOPPED him/her from moving forward with his/her goals
classic movie structure - a bad character, a competitor, an enemy to hunt, search for, beat, etc.
the idea is that a movie is only as strong as the hero?
sometimes it’s the negative character that makes the movie
good negatives have certain characteristics
Believable
if we can believe in the negative energy or character, it is MUCH more effective
stupid negatives equal stupid responses (ie punch fighting the wolf in The Grey), which makes the challenge ridiculous - ridiculousness is the kiss of death in a movie villain
Loki - Thor movie - ridiculous? The Avengers - he “plans” to get caught
Skyfall - ridiculous bad guy? He plans to get caught
Man of Steel - ridiculous? too strong, too tough, too dangerous - way past believable
The Dark Knight - Joker - WHAT!? he plans to get caught!? *except* The Joker actually fits the plan a little better - he’s completely crazy - the ridiculous fades
Consistent in his/her actions
Inglourious Basterds - the Nazi in that is awesome - consistent and ridiculous, but it fits because he’s always over the top in charming, etc.
Layers of Depth and Interesting Behaviours - the more unusual and interesting and layered the bad character, the better the movie - some actors ALWAYS want to play bad guys
the details of weirdness and strangeness can make a bad character WAY more fun to watch than a hero
most movies will try to create a very interesting villain
The Villain is separated from everything else - every other character, the real world, etc
the bottom line of the villain is usually that he/she is unloved and alone and this is the source of his/her negative energy
The Villain has some core belief that is actually, if you think about, not ridiculous and not a bad idea - that belief makes some kind of sense and it could, if you get into their mindset, explain his/her actions - the Villain’s perspective is TOTALLY LOGICAL, or, on the other hand, BUGNUTS CRAZY (or, better, BOTH)
The actual role of the Villain in a movie is the act as the FORCE to push the Hero towards positive change.
Without the negative, the hero would NEVER change, never grow and never progress to the ending that is awesome and good.
The Villain is actually a force for good (in a way) when it comes to the character.
This whole thing is in our psychology and in our religion and everywhere.
Dialectics - thesis + antithesis = synthesis
November 18, 2013
The lead character - the hero
The best movie heroes have a few different characteristics:
they have powers that separate them from the average people
Billy Madison - super rich
Happy Gilmour - crazy rage slapshot
Seth (Jonah Hill in Superbad) - his love for his best friend
etc...
The idea to this is that the hero can’t be normal, or why would we watch?
they have to be relatable - HUGE in Hollywood movies
the hero has to be someone that the audience KNOWS, understands and can feel like they could be, or be with - the hero has to have problems and issues that make sense to viewers
even SpiderMan starts by being bullied -
we need to be able to associate with their problems and their fears and their hopes
they need to have problems and issues that cripple their lives
every hero has to be in trouble - we automatically want to watch when that character is up against the odds
often, they are facing things that are common phobias (Indiana Jones and snakes)
they have to be involved in something that is exciting and OUTSIDE of the norm
we want heroes who are ASPIRATIONAL - doing things we wish we could do
Save the Cat moment - the hero usually does something in the first few pages that makes him/her look “nice” a moment that shows heart -
Skyfall - Bond wanted to save the other agent rather than chase the bad guy
The hero is also in a bad place mentally and needs change - this change is the change that will make the hero fit in where they live (or change where they live)
this problem is a problem of CHARACTER - it’s internal
Mulan is a girl in a male-dominated culture and she refuses to “act properly”
The best movie heroes have a few different characteristics:
they have powers that separate them from the average people
Billy Madison - super rich
Happy Gilmour - crazy rage slapshot
Seth (Jonah Hill in Superbad) - his love for his best friend
etc...
The idea to this is that the hero can’t be normal, or why would we watch?
they have to be relatable - HUGE in Hollywood movies
the hero has to be someone that the audience KNOWS, understands and can feel like they could be, or be with - the hero has to have problems and issues that make sense to viewers
even SpiderMan starts by being bullied -
we need to be able to associate with their problems and their fears and their hopes
they need to have problems and issues that cripple their lives
every hero has to be in trouble - we automatically want to watch when that character is up against the odds
often, they are facing things that are common phobias (Indiana Jones and snakes)
they have to be involved in something that is exciting and OUTSIDE of the norm
we want heroes who are ASPIRATIONAL - doing things we wish we could do
Save the Cat moment - the hero usually does something in the first few pages that makes him/her look “nice” a moment that shows heart -
Skyfall - Bond wanted to save the other agent rather than chase the bad guy
The hero is also in a bad place mentally and needs change - this change is the change that will make the hero fit in where they live (or change where they live)
this problem is a problem of CHARACTER - it’s internal
Mulan is a girl in a male-dominated culture and she refuses to “act properly”
Friday, November 15, 2013
November 15, 2013
Screenplay Reading Ass.
- Read the first 20 pages. (feel free to read more if you like)
- Google the writer - anything on him/her? Brief info paragraph
- Summarize briefly the section you read.
- Brief description of the main character. Is he/she likable? Does he/she have any special abilities/awesome characteristics, etc? Does he/she have an obvious problem?
- Brief description of the setting. Where, when? Why do you think the writer chose this particular time and place?
- Fill in some of those paradigm elements as you see them: hook, set up of character, etc - show how that script fulfills its job
- Do you want to see this movie? Why/why not?
Thursday, November 14, 2013
November 14, 2013
Your Movie Setup
- Who is the main character? Give me a little bio.
- .What is the setting? Brief description.
- What is his/her problem? Describe the main character’s “issues” that will get solved in the course of the movie.
- Who is the main character’s enemy? (if any) What is this person like?
- Then, describe the first 10 minutes of your movie.
what is the hook? what questions we will be asked? what is the problem’s manifestation? etc
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
November 13, 2013
Second Half of Act 1 - (p. 11 - p. 23-27)
The real plot of the movie begins in this chunk.
I bet this is when Tom Hanks finds out he has to go get Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan.
I bet this is when the other guy is hooked up with a new partner and she’s an Asian girl who wasn’t allowed to fight... in Pacific Rim.
I bet it’s when every character hits a problem that forces a physical, mental and emotional change.
This change is the start of the plot of the movie - the crime, the disaster, the investigation, the build up of troops, the quest, etc.
It begins a whole new Act - Act II (goes from p 30 or so to p 75 or so)
Complications/Problems/Big Changes/Scary Moments
The first half of the second act is about the hero making some kind of progress.
Usually, getting into a new world, a new concept, a new situation, finding things out, making some kind of friends, gathering information, items of use/power.
There may also be some kind of testing or obstacle course or a maze of some sort.
This is usually a very exciting part of any movie - because we’re learning so much as an audience.
At the half point, there is a Moment of No Return, a Confrontation, a Mini-Ending, a Dramatic Intensity higher than any before in the movie.
At this point, there is usually some kind of pre-confrontation between hero and villain
In Planet of the Apes, this is when Taylor speaks and changes the whole idea of humans in the ape world.
In the second half of the second act, everything goes downhill.
The villains gain momentum, the energy is much darker, the hero is in much more trouble, and it gets progressively worse until p.80 or so.
At page 80 or so, we enter Act III
Usually, at the end of Act II, there is a moment called The Low, or the Darkness, or The Touch of Death - it happens ALL the time in average movies.
The partner dies, the couple separates, the dog is killed, the daughter is kidnapped, the revelations come out that threaten whatever is important, etc.
The hero is driven into a terrible low and it looks like “all hope is lost”.
HOWEVER - there is next a moment where the hero digs deep, finds strength and often, some symbol to help him/her decide to deal with the low, with the problem AND with the inner problem he/she had at the start.
This part is KEY to all movies (pretty much) and it’s the crazy, American, moralizing that makes some people dislike pop movies.
The point is a character point = Hero, you need to embrace change. You need to be the person who ISN’T like he/she was at the start.
This whole inner layer of the character changing (character arc) is really what the movie is about.
It’s a journey from Point A to Point Z - from before to after - from broken to fixed
Act III
Resolution/Roller Coaster Ride/Big Chase/Big Fight/Big Moment of Confrontation/Big Realization/Finding the Thing the Hero Needed
Usually only about 20-30 minutes.
Has to wrap up the hero’s character problem - the hero needs to get what he/she needed to be whole, to be a real person.
Often takes place in front of witnesses or a crowd (very American)
The real plot of the movie begins in this chunk.
I bet this is when Tom Hanks finds out he has to go get Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan.
I bet this is when the other guy is hooked up with a new partner and she’s an Asian girl who wasn’t allowed to fight... in Pacific Rim.
I bet it’s when every character hits a problem that forces a physical, mental and emotional change.
This change is the start of the plot of the movie - the crime, the disaster, the investigation, the build up of troops, the quest, etc.
It begins a whole new Act - Act II (goes from p 30 or so to p 75 or so)
Complications/Problems/Big Changes/Scary Moments
The first half of the second act is about the hero making some kind of progress.
Usually, getting into a new world, a new concept, a new situation, finding things out, making some kind of friends, gathering information, items of use/power.
There may also be some kind of testing or obstacle course or a maze of some sort.
This is usually a very exciting part of any movie - because we’re learning so much as an audience.
At the half point, there is a Moment of No Return, a Confrontation, a Mini-Ending, a Dramatic Intensity higher than any before in the movie.
At this point, there is usually some kind of pre-confrontation between hero and villain
In Planet of the Apes, this is when Taylor speaks and changes the whole idea of humans in the ape world.
In the second half of the second act, everything goes downhill.
The villains gain momentum, the energy is much darker, the hero is in much more trouble, and it gets progressively worse until p.80 or so.
At page 80 or so, we enter Act III
Usually, at the end of Act II, there is a moment called The Low, or the Darkness, or The Touch of Death - it happens ALL the time in average movies.
The partner dies, the couple separates, the dog is killed, the daughter is kidnapped, the revelations come out that threaten whatever is important, etc.
The hero is driven into a terrible low and it looks like “all hope is lost”.
HOWEVER - there is next a moment where the hero digs deep, finds strength and often, some symbol to help him/her decide to deal with the low, with the problem AND with the inner problem he/she had at the start.
This part is KEY to all movies (pretty much) and it’s the crazy, American, moralizing that makes some people dislike pop movies.
The point is a character point = Hero, you need to embrace change. You need to be the person who ISN’T like he/she was at the start.
This whole inner layer of the character changing (character arc) is really what the movie is about.
It’s a journey from Point A to Point Z - from before to after - from broken to fixed
Act III
Resolution/Roller Coaster Ride/Big Chase/Big Fight/Big Moment of Confrontation/Big Realization/Finding the Thing the Hero Needed
Usually only about 20-30 minutes.
Has to wrap up the hero’s character problem - the hero needs to get what he/she needed to be whole, to be a real person.
Often takes place in front of witnesses or a crowd (very American)
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Novermber 12, 2013
One minute of screen time is, on average, one page of script
Average movie - 110 minutes is therefore 110 pages (roughly)
Pages 1-10 - Setting Up
for Mr. Lobb, the first part of a movie is almost ALWAYS the best - Why?
this is when the “world” of the movie is created - it’s ALL new (unless you’ve spoiled)
there are so many questions and so many new, exciting things happening on-screen!
Recipe!
Here is a place
Here is a character who lives in that place
The character has a problem.
See? THAT’S a real problem.
Sometimes, there are other characters who work against that character. Here they are.
Sometimes, there are other characters who HELP that character. Here they are.
Our character has to change. What is going to force that change?
most movies open with some really exciting “something” that pulls the audience in immediately
it could be a character moment that sets up a question or concern
it could be an action scene that makes us know the stakes are high
it could be a very emotional moment that hits us and we have to rebound and find some meaning
it could be a crime that we need to see solved
it’s almost always a way of saying - don’t you need to see what happens?
Some less obvious things to be set up: (no less crucial)
genre
tone (lighting, camera work, acting style, costume, etc)
time period (era influences action)
the rules - there are rules in every movie and they are important to set up early
eg Man of Steel - aliens, flying, super powers, etc
Dark Knight - not so much super, just powers
The Avengers - climactic fight - Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye are standing on cars, watching GIANT GODS fight and they can’t do anything
stupid romantic comedy - oh! coincidences, right? ridiculous chances that work
murder mysteries - that detective noticed EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO NOTICE in five seconds
time travel, etc - Back to the Future
It’s call The Hook.
There is something that just makes you watch the movie.
It has to be in the first 5 pages.
It is one thing that all movie producers are looking for.
It is some variation of all the stuff above and it has to be original and super cool.
You are tasked with watching the opening 15 minutes of a movie.
THEN, you should write down 10-15 things that are set up.
Facts, situations, informational, character-based, etc.
Make it a movie that you would never watch.
Average movie - 110 minutes is therefore 110 pages (roughly)
Pages 1-10 - Setting Up
for Mr. Lobb, the first part of a movie is almost ALWAYS the best - Why?
this is when the “world” of the movie is created - it’s ALL new (unless you’ve spoiled)
there are so many questions and so many new, exciting things happening on-screen!
Recipe!
Here is a place
Here is a character who lives in that place
The character has a problem.
See? THAT’S a real problem.
Sometimes, there are other characters who work against that character. Here they are.
Sometimes, there are other characters who HELP that character. Here they are.
Our character has to change. What is going to force that change?
most movies open with some really exciting “something” that pulls the audience in immediately
it could be a character moment that sets up a question or concern
it could be an action scene that makes us know the stakes are high
it could be a very emotional moment that hits us and we have to rebound and find some meaning
it could be a crime that we need to see solved
it’s almost always a way of saying - don’t you need to see what happens?
Some less obvious things to be set up: (no less crucial)
genre
tone (lighting, camera work, acting style, costume, etc)
time period (era influences action)
the rules - there are rules in every movie and they are important to set up early
eg Man of Steel - aliens, flying, super powers, etc
Dark Knight - not so much super, just powers
The Avengers - climactic fight - Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye are standing on cars, watching GIANT GODS fight and they can’t do anything
stupid romantic comedy - oh! coincidences, right? ridiculous chances that work
murder mysteries - that detective noticed EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO NOTICE in five seconds
time travel, etc - Back to the Future
It’s call The Hook.
There is something that just makes you watch the movie.
It has to be in the first 5 pages.
It is one thing that all movie producers are looking for.
It is some variation of all the stuff above and it has to be original and super cool.
You are tasked with watching the opening 15 minutes of a movie.
THEN, you should write down 10-15 things that are set up.
Facts, situations, informational, character-based, etc.
Make it a movie that you would never watch.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
November 6, 2013
So, here is the list of genres from which to start
And then, here is the core expectation for the project:
- Horror
- Action
- Super-hero
- Sci-fi
- Musical
- Crime-drama
- War
- Comedy (multiple kinds)
- Animation (kids)
- Drama
- Kids
- Disney
- Monster
- Melodrama (romance)
- Comantic Romedy
What is the actual project?
- Participants (director, writer, cast, producer, etc) - who is the key player(s)? How does that person define that area of the genre?
- what does he/she add? what separates him/her from the competition? etc
- review their “in” - evaulating that area of moviemaking (this requires knowledge)
- Googling is crucial
- The actual movie(s) that epitomize the genre
- THIS is the movie that best shows that genre in action as a successful genre
- or THESE
- why is this movie the one?
- does the trend change? (movie from old days, middle and modern and compare)
- what aspects make this genre/movie work?
- What are the elements of the movie in general? evaluate and review
- Marketing and audience
- how did they sell it?
- who watched it?
- what was the result?
- what tools were used? evaluate (ie posters, trailers, giveaways, tie-ins, etc)
- Any kind of “special” element
- X Factor - what happened with this movie that might make it stand out?
- first time actor something
- a weird backstory
- legendary element
- famous behind the scenes (Jaws, etc)
- Patterns and interesting elements of theme or production
- James Cameron - always has strong females in his movies
- Steven Spielberg - always has orphans in his movies
- Ridley Scott - a certain focus of “look”
- Meryl Streep - accents
- Daniel Day Lewis - Method
- what do you think about that? How does it help/hurt/add to the movie?
- what is the effect?
Blog - having one with an intro to you - S
News reports - 2 articles - S
Music reviews/artist profiles - F
Music Genre Presentation - S
Music Review in Depth (in class) - S
Music Slideshow - S (marking music)
Photo Slideshow - S (marking photos)
Movie Genre Presentation - S
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
October 22, 2013
The Visual Qualities of Good Photography
- remember Arthur Klass?
- Focus
- if you are trying to show the subject, make sure it’s in focus
- a typical start for marking
- bad focus comes from low lighting and distance from subject
- smart phone has autofocus - choose carefully
- Lighting
- where the highlights are is where the lights are - opposing area is shadow
- there are two styles of lighting we will think about
- a) naturalistic - sunlight, typical, we see it everyday and it’s “normal”
- b) expressionistic - more emotional, designed and chosen or built by lighting kits
- Angles and Focal Length
- angle is the horizontal orientation
- angle is also on the subject
- the orientation of the subject IN the frame
- long, medium, close
- Balance
- the layout of “things” within the frame
- subject, BG, FG, etc
- Dynamic Line
- angles and diagonal action, lines and energy in a frame
Monday, October 21, 2013
October 21, 2013
The Poetry Analyses Are Revealing!
- Show the references
- when you are writing that “something” happened, you need to actually make reference from the poem - by line, in quotation, etc.
- ie making reference to the Third World line - you need to give me the quotation and then:
- Explain the things that you’re saying
- if you are going to say that you noticed X in the poem, and then you make reference to the line or whatever, you then need to explain in some detail WHY and HOW
- SHOW THE CHAIN OF LOGIC
- what is the thinking by which you arrived at that conclusion?
- you need to show A (the thing I read) + B (this idea I have) + C (this thing out in the world) + D (this way of connecting these things together) = E (this conclusion)
- this is how essays are written
- this is how good paragraphs are written
- this is how arguments are won
- Don’t ever refer to yourself - no me, no I, no you
- simply state your point without saying “I think” or whatever else is like that
- You need to figure out the meaning of things at a deeper level.
- when you’re looking at a symbol or an idea, you need to go a) this is the obvious and then b) this is the meaning
- you don’t have to do this on paper, but you need to think this way
- this will then fit into that mode where you explain that deeper meaning (point 2 above)
“one fine day a Third World struck back”
- what is the Third World? - answer
- that group was responsible for 9/11
- and then you could move on
We need to dig in - struck back? - the history of American war on poor nations
Third World - First World - the relationship between America and poor nations
reasoning behind their actions - Al Aqaeda is doing something that they think is right
Thursday, October 17, 2013
October 17, 2013
How do we use music in accordance with images?
The project we’re doing - making a soundtrack and linking it to imagery
Garageband, real-life, Fruityloops, etc
Make a song that fulfills the role that music does when we “see” it
What does the music do in accordance with images?
- the music acts as a cue to the emotion that the Creator intends for the photos to evoke in the viewer
- the music also acts as a counterpoint to the action - sometimes the music acts in opposition to the emotion that seems obvious - the music is “in on the joke”
- the music in a scene could be almost subliminal and affect us in a more psychological way - “the bass tone” “ch ch ch” “Psycho strings” “heartbeat emulation”
- a most common and kind of simplistic use of music (but awesome) is called NEEDLE DROPS - we saw one in that Rushmore clip (You Are Forgiven)
- a song comes in with meaningful lyrics at just the right time
- the other idea here is that the lyrics somehow correspond to the pix - this is SO OBVIOUS and it isn’t layered enough to be interesting
choose something INTERESTING to feature visually
create mood
create some counterpoint
PLAN the cohesion of images and music
try to make something that CHANGES and has multiple sounds and feels
build the music yourself
you can use images from anywhere - CHOOSE ONLY HIGH QUALITY IMAGES
if you take your own shots, you will get higher mark
EVENTUALLY, we will do this with ONLY your own shots
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
October 9, 2013
What am I actually marking in your music project/songs?
- Originality - don’t copy something else
- Dynamics - changes in the structure of the song - volume, part of song, instrumentation, flow, speed, etc
- Tracks - multiple tracks with changes in the tracks
- Length - over 1 minute, aiming for 2
- Interest - hold the listener’s attention
- Clever use of musical elements - different “things” - sounds, loops, parts, mixing genres or bits of this and that (remixing)
- Evokes a certain feeling or mood
- Visualize something - emotion that translates to an imagined “scene”
- Some people actually put some visuals to their song - slide show - this will REALLY help if you’re doing it in a soundtrack style
- Fits into a genre or recognizable form
Monday, September 30, 2013
September 30, 2013
Three Big Changes in Music Since the 80s
- MTV
- created the necessity for a “look” and allowed artists who cashed in on “look” to become more successful
- Madonna uses this and it uses her - perfect combo - exactly what the industry would want
- LOOKS become a serious must in the industry
- black artists were not accepted on MTV for a few years
- black artists were NOT a big part of the video music industry at first
- why? because they are black and America is racist.
- Napster
- this was a program that allowed P2P file transfers
- you could share your mp3 collections over the internet with other people via this software (the first of the BT kind of things)
- first, songs had to be compressed - mp3s are compressed songs
- Napster allowed collectors to share difficult to find songs
- started with bootlegs - concert recordings, alt takes, etc
- off the board mixes - pre-release
- eventually, people realized, oh, I can get every song I want!
- collection stripping
Other programs come out and do the same thing
Music stops being a commodity and becomes a giveaway for artists
Artists make their money now through live shows, selling to movies and ads, merch, etc
Argument!
Downloading is bad - yes - artists don’t get paid
Downloading is good - exposure to tons of new bands for no investment
- Apple
- the industry is never going to be what it was, and Apple saw that and jumped in with both feet and changed everything
- a) iPod - this was a genius invention that now owns the space -
- took the idea of an mp3 player and locked it into a program that they controlled
- broke the record companies
- broke the model for business
- forced the bands to adapt
- now, bands give music away and sell their shows and other elements of themselves
Friday, September 27, 2013
September 27, 2013
How to Review Music
- Pick out the instruments and look at them separately
- guitar
- bass
- drums
- vocal
- keyboards (synths)
- odd additions - or subtractions ie Black Keys - no bass
Special note - vocal is the sell for most bands
- Lyrics - this is a HUGE part of the song from a listener’s perspective (for many)
- some bands really focus on brilliant lyrics - some have ridiculous lyrics
- the lyrics can work with the music to create something new and powerful
- think about what lyrics are really saying and meaning
- there are all kinds of meanings that we may not realize until we dig in
- for your review, pick something that HAS meaning
- the parts of a song - the music itself
- intro - verse - bridge - chorus - middle 8 (solo) - chorus - bridge - chorus - refrain
- some parts of a song are better than others - some parts are more exciting
- how do these parts help? change? make better? worse? etc
- breaking the song down
- What else? The context
- where does this song come from?
- influences
- what does it remind you of?
- what does it do musically - genre?
- the artist’s experience, life, style, look, etc
- Your experience
- your response
- your emotions
- your actions
- remember things from elsewhere?
- Level 4
- symbolic elements
- time, tempo, deeper musical structures
- comparison with other, similar artists and styles (contrasts)
- include a comparison with other songs by that artist
- trends and patterns across an album
BLog - in general - intro to you through media - summative
news sourcing - formative
News articles a summative
profiling music artists (Jazz-Blues)
profiling music artists (50s-60s)
same for 70s
Music Project - a presentation about the genre of your choice - summative
prezi? keynote? blog? tumblr? something else?
at least 2 artists from that genre
songs, styles, history, changes over time, connections (to other artists, styles, genres, time periods, etc)
reviews go here
Thursday, September 26, 2013
September 26, 2013
Funk
James Brown - The One - counting the beat a particular way
black pride, black focus, black audience - it crossed over on its own
whites got into it for its own sake - there was no white translator
Other black performers get into it
Sly and the Family Stone - drug influenced - San Francisco
integrated - white and black
Stax Records - Aretha Franklin
integrated black and white band and black singers
reverse of Motown
try to sound blacker, whereas Motown tried to clean up that black sound
Soul
soul music was a religious based music
right out of the black church
intense and powerful and considered nasty -
the singers who sang about god switched over to singing about love or romance
There was a reaction to all the dark, nasty, drug-fueled weird music and it was a really strange thing.
Country - Rock - reaction to what’s going
Gram Parsons
The Flying Burrito Bros
Neil Young
The Band
CCR
THE 1970s!
this is one of the most disturbing decades of all time
why?
The music industry has become HUGE business.
Records are ENORMOUS business
How does a band compete in this growing, bursting crazy market?
Everything gets more extreme
Glam Rock - British
sexy
weird
trippy
all kinds of homoerotic stuff - gay culture bursting through
David Bowie
he announced that he was gay - PS he was married PPS he wasn’t gay
Another band went into the same area and took to the bank
Kiss cashed in on the glam scene
Alice Cooper - horror + glam
everybody got in on the act
Blame the 60s Alternative
Velvet Underground
The Doors
The Stooges
Acid Rock
- heavy rock with a glam touch and a druggy vibe
Do you think everybody like grim, dark, creepy, sexually ambiguous music?
Grandma says no. (in reality, grandma gave me Kiss Alive II)
Pop
NICE!
calculated to make money
AOR - (yacht rock)
The Eagles? Yeah
Steely Dan
The Doobie Brothers
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Air Supply
Funk - is Disco’s Dad - crazy truth - Disco is a white, black money making attempt to isolate ONE aspect of funk -
that dancing rhythm
funk had THE ONE
disco took that beat and ground it into a business model
Philly Sound - a black-owned company that figured out white people liked funk if it was reduced in complexity
disco was a weird hybrid of sounds and all boiled into one beat - became a HUGE money making success and was hated by many
Rock and Roll is Dead
Progressive Rock -
Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Rush, etc
Punk - perfect reaction - against all the ornate, soft, weak, big business crap that was being fed to everybody,
- British - Sex Pistols, The Viles, The Clash, The Slits, Bow Wow Wow, Siouxsie and the Banshees
At the end of the 70s and into 1981, it feels like ANYTHING can happen in music.
We want to focus on Pre-MTV music and bands
Choose a Genre.
Pick 2-3 artists from that genre.
Review a song by each.
Create a presentation on the genre - what is it, how do you know it, what are the elements of style, scene, place, etc.
Who is the target audience?
Find clips, pix, info to add to your presentation.
Do some thinking - what led to it?
What did it lead to?
Find the connections.
Why it worked or didn’t.
Why it lasted or not.
Your personal opinion.
Create a survey for people you know, and show them some clips, play some songs and get their reactions. (parents, brother, sister, etc)
What do we have today that compares? And how?
A profile on each performer and how he/she fits the genre would also be good.
If the artist changes over time, discuss that too.
How Do I Review Songs?
Listen to the instrumentation - what is playing? how does it work together?
riffs - guitar patterns that are repeated and the way they interact with each other and other instruments
groove - bass guitar - the bass has a pattern too - usually simple and locked into the drums
beat - how complex? how layered? catchy? intense?
vocals - this is all about the power and skill of the singer - holding notes, using vibrato, open air in the tune, staying strong, long holds, etc.
James Brown - The One - counting the beat a particular way
black pride, black focus, black audience - it crossed over on its own
whites got into it for its own sake - there was no white translator
Other black performers get into it
Sly and the Family Stone - drug influenced - San Francisco
integrated - white and black
Stax Records - Aretha Franklin
integrated black and white band and black singers
reverse of Motown
try to sound blacker, whereas Motown tried to clean up that black sound
Soul
soul music was a religious based music
right out of the black church
intense and powerful and considered nasty -
the singers who sang about god switched over to singing about love or romance
There was a reaction to all the dark, nasty, drug-fueled weird music and it was a really strange thing.
Country - Rock - reaction to what’s going
Gram Parsons
The Flying Burrito Bros
Neil Young
The Band
CCR
THE 1970s!
this is one of the most disturbing decades of all time
why?
The music industry has become HUGE business.
Records are ENORMOUS business
How does a band compete in this growing, bursting crazy market?
Everything gets more extreme
Glam Rock - British
sexy
weird
trippy
all kinds of homoerotic stuff - gay culture bursting through
David Bowie
he announced that he was gay - PS he was married PPS he wasn’t gay
Another band went into the same area and took to the bank
Kiss cashed in on the glam scene
Alice Cooper - horror + glam
everybody got in on the act
Blame the 60s Alternative
Velvet Underground
The Doors
The Stooges
Acid Rock
- heavy rock with a glam touch and a druggy vibe
Do you think everybody like grim, dark, creepy, sexually ambiguous music?
Grandma says no. (in reality, grandma gave me Kiss Alive II)
Pop
NICE!
calculated to make money
AOR - (yacht rock)
The Eagles? Yeah
Steely Dan
The Doobie Brothers
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Air Supply
Funk - is Disco’s Dad - crazy truth - Disco is a white, black money making attempt to isolate ONE aspect of funk -
that dancing rhythm
funk had THE ONE
disco took that beat and ground it into a business model
Philly Sound - a black-owned company that figured out white people liked funk if it was reduced in complexity
disco was a weird hybrid of sounds and all boiled into one beat - became a HUGE money making success and was hated by many
Rock and Roll is Dead
Progressive Rock -
Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Rush, etc
Punk - perfect reaction - against all the ornate, soft, weak, big business crap that was being fed to everybody,
- British - Sex Pistols, The Viles, The Clash, The Slits, Bow Wow Wow, Siouxsie and the Banshees
At the end of the 70s and into 1981, it feels like ANYTHING can happen in music.
We want to focus on Pre-MTV music and bands
Choose a Genre.
Pick 2-3 artists from that genre.
Review a song by each.
Create a presentation on the genre - what is it, how do you know it, what are the elements of style, scene, place, etc.
Who is the target audience?
Find clips, pix, info to add to your presentation.
Do some thinking - what led to it?
What did it lead to?
Find the connections.
Why it worked or didn’t.
Why it lasted or not.
Your personal opinion.
Create a survey for people you know, and show them some clips, play some songs and get their reactions. (parents, brother, sister, etc)
What do we have today that compares? And how?
A profile on each performer and how he/she fits the genre would also be good.
If the artist changes over time, discuss that too.
How Do I Review Songs?
Listen to the instrumentation - what is playing? how does it work together?
riffs - guitar patterns that are repeated and the way they interact with each other and other instruments
groove - bass guitar - the bass has a pattern too - usually simple and locked into the drums
beat - how complex? how layered? catchy? intense?
vocals - this is all about the power and skill of the singer - holding notes, using vibrato, open air in the tune, staying strong, long holds, etc.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
September 25, 2013
Funk
James Brown - The One - counting the beat a particular way
black pride, black focus, black audience - it crossed over on its own
whites got into it for its own sake - there was no white translator
Other black performers get into it
Sly and the Family Stone - drug influenced - San Francisco
integrated - white and black
Stax Records - Aretha Franklin
integrated black and white band and black singers
reverse of Motown
try to sound blacker, whereas Motown tried to clean up that black sound
Soul
soul music was a religious based music
right out of the black church
intense and powerful and considered nasty -
the singers who sang about god switched over to singing about love or romance
There was a reaction to all the dark, nasty, drug-fueled weird music and it was a really strange thing.
Country - Rock - reaction to what’s going
Gram Parsons
The Flying Burrito Bros
Neil Young
The Band
CCR
THE 1970s!
this is one of the most disturbing decades of all time
why?
The music industry has become HUGE business.
Records are ENORMOUS business
How does a band compete in this growing, bursting crazy market?
Everything gets more extreme
Glam Rock - British
sexy
weird
trippy
all kinds of homoerotic stuff - gay culture bursting through
David Bowie
he announced that he was gay - PS he was married PPS he wasn’t gay
Another band went into the same area and took to the bank
Kiss cashed in on the glam scene
Alice Cooper - horror + glam
everybody got in on the act
Blame the 60s Alternative
Velvet Underground
The Doors
The Stooges
Acid Rock
- heavy rock with a glam touch and a druggy vibe
Do you think everybody like grim, dark, creepy, sexually ambiguous music?
Grandma says no. (in reality, grandma gave me Kiss Alive II)
Pop
NICE!
calculated to make money
AOR - (yacht rock)
The Eagles? Yeah
Disco -
Funk -
Progressive Rock -
Reggae -
Punk -
Electronic -
James Brown - The One - counting the beat a particular way
black pride, black focus, black audience - it crossed over on its own
whites got into it for its own sake - there was no white translator
Other black performers get into it
Sly and the Family Stone - drug influenced - San Francisco
integrated - white and black
Stax Records - Aretha Franklin
integrated black and white band and black singers
reverse of Motown
try to sound blacker, whereas Motown tried to clean up that black sound
Soul
soul music was a religious based music
right out of the black church
intense and powerful and considered nasty -
the singers who sang about god switched over to singing about love or romance
There was a reaction to all the dark, nasty, drug-fueled weird music and it was a really strange thing.
Country - Rock - reaction to what’s going
Gram Parsons
The Flying Burrito Bros
Neil Young
The Band
CCR
THE 1970s!
this is one of the most disturbing decades of all time
why?
The music industry has become HUGE business.
Records are ENORMOUS business
How does a band compete in this growing, bursting crazy market?
Everything gets more extreme
Glam Rock - British
sexy
weird
trippy
all kinds of homoerotic stuff - gay culture bursting through
David Bowie
he announced that he was gay - PS he was married PPS he wasn’t gay
Another band went into the same area and took to the bank
Kiss cashed in on the glam scene
Alice Cooper - horror + glam
everybody got in on the act
Blame the 60s Alternative
Velvet Underground
The Doors
The Stooges
Acid Rock
- heavy rock with a glam touch and a druggy vibe
Do you think everybody like grim, dark, creepy, sexually ambiguous music?
Grandma says no. (in reality, grandma gave me Kiss Alive II)
Pop
NICE!
calculated to make money
AOR - (yacht rock)
The Eagles? Yeah
Disco -
Funk -
Progressive Rock -
Reggae -
Punk -
Electronic -
Monday, September 23, 2013
September 23, 2013
thelabcoatguy@gmail.com
The Time Between World War II and Those Smelly Hippies
World War II
this was a big war
the soundtrack to this era was Big Band Swing
This was the Pop music
it was dance-oriented - dance music focuses on the DANCER - on YOU
the bands were, in some ways, interchangeable
the bandleader was the star
Some artists (musicians) in the band wanted to do something else
they formed small groups and played Be Bop - impossible to dance to
they were one of the groups that pioneered drugs and music in modern times
they were losing themselves in the music
Charlie Parker
Dizzy Gillespie
Miles Davis
Lester Davis
However a group of cool people got into this music - alt music
The Beats - Beatniks
Educated, white, many Jewish kids, urban, cool, group that was into this crazy jazz - they were also into weed - they brought pot into their culture
This became a part on an alt culture
Black music -> black audiences -> white coolios and people in alt scenes -> become tastemakers -> influence straight culture -> the original black vibe gets whitened (safened) and gets into mainstream
AND THEN - black folks start doing the reverse - whitening their own sound and interests for white audiences and green dollars
Post War Boom
while the jazz thing was spreading into white, mainstream culture, there was something unusual happening in North America
the most babies ever born in history (even still) were born between 1947 and 1961
this group is called the Baby Boomers
they created a new audience for ALL kinds of stuff (not just music)
They were THE force in creating pop music like we know today.
There’s a HOLE in the music industry.
There’s all music for adults, black and white, but all adults, it seems
The difference between black and white music was huge
There was a new kind of music that took the swing from big band dance, and was tighter, smaller and even faster.
Cool, little black bands.
Louis Jordan was a huge star
Rhythm and Blues
on that circuit of juke joints - illegal clubs
loud, fun, fast, great for dancing
cheaper than a big band
jokey and goofy
There were radio stations designed for black audiences and as they got bigger, their area went WAY out - all over America
This happened EXACTLY when those kids in the Boom were hitting early teens.
This crazy, fun, goofy, silly, catchy, dance-y music is all over the black world, and just sneaking little bits into the white culture
Some artists and producers are making money in the black world and they say “If only we could get a white person to do this black R&B!”
We could make MILLIONS.
Enter the wonderful brain of Sam Phillips
Sun Records - they record black artists
Sam said - hey, why don’t I let this kid Elvis Presley sing some songs?
Elvis randomly sang That’s Alright Mama - a huge hit
Country Music + Black folk = something new (Rockabilly)
This is the first Rock and Roll (black slang for sex, as always)
Elvis channels a lot of black power into his beautiful white, nice southern boy religious respectful shape.
Weird thing - sells millions and EVERYBODY tries to copy
Even black guys started to copy the white guy copying black guys
Chuck Berry
Little Richard
Fats Domino
BUT this pattern goes another level.
White guys copy black guys copying white guys copying black guys
This results in a whole new reaction.
SO, some black guys start playing blacker music.
They take the blues and they electrify it and make it harder and more powerful.
Electric blues - Chicago Blues -
America voted NO THANKS to the black music that came from this
However, another country voted COOL!
ENGLAND
There was a crazy trend in England - SKIFFLE music - bizarre folk
Those Fabulous Fifties (or not)
The Swinging Sixties (or not)
Thursday, September 19, 2013
September 19, 2013
Ragtime
Scott Joplin
Jellyroll Morton
dance-oriented - the point was the crazy rhythm
trend was pushed by people who played the songs from sheet music
Jazz
Louis Armstrong - the first true jazz musician
the trend of dancing and black music being the soundtrack was a growing and expanding trend
there was a famous couple who danced all over America - white - their band was black
this was a big deal
people loved the music, loved the dance and the music caught on
1920s - the Jazz Age -
radio
phonograph
a whole boom in recording black artists
HOWEVER, black men are scary
SO, what do you predict as a 20s-30s trend in listening to black music?
There was a boom in female black singers - the kind of music they sang was a bluesy, jazzy mix - sometimes called TORCH
These women were almost all big, hard-living, sad, exciting, sexual, highly costumed performers - it was a real show
What was the kind of music upon which they were drawing?
BLUES
deep in the south there is a place where the people are completely “country”
the music from down there was a really weird, haunting, creepy, dark music that was influenced by religious music and white country music -
it was called DELTA BLUES
a traveling performer heard this and said “I heard a dangerous Negro male singing a haunting melody”
he started recording these singers - they were TOO black
Son House
Robert Johnston - most interesting story
blues holler - high pitched yodel
talking guitar
whining tone, pulling strings, etc
lyrics were super dark
played hard, rhythmically
Charley Patton - he taught them all
Juke Joints - boozecans - illegal bars with homemade liquor, no rules, all black audience - hard core party spots, no electricity in the middle of nowhere
BLues singers would travel from place to place hitting these bars - too black!
The women, however, could do a version of this music.
Piano based.
These women were PACKAGING black music for mixed audiences -
Guitar was a dirtier, grubbier instrument, but PIANO sounds upper class, and rich people have them and it’s nice
This kind of music spreads and changes
Boogie Woogie - Stride -
piano jazz + blues without the girl singer
dancing again!
Fats Waller is kind of the king of this
AND he crosses over - when the white folks can dance, they spend money on the record
weird thing - white people seem to better accept a fatter black male - less sexually threatening? jollier looking? weird
HUGE
WHITE PEOPLE PICK IT UP!
Why don’t we make whole bands that play this kind of jazzy, striding, dance music!
this becomes the worldwide soundtrack to the late 30s and 1940s
HUGE bands, HUGE SOUNDS, HUGE CROWDS!
A group of black performers burst of those big bands and say, HEY! I want a small combo, and I WANT TO BE THE STAR!
I don’t want anybody to dance! Just. Listen. To. ME!
GENIUS MUSICIANS BURST OUT
Dizzy Gillespie
Charley Parker
Lester Young
This is first pop music that got an open influence from, and was associated with, drugs.
Tea meant pot.
Cool mean high. (heroin high)
Jazz/Blues Survey
2 musicians from Jazz
2 musicians from Blues
listen to at least 1 song by each
two is best
pick one from each
write a paragraph about it - negative or positive
what’s going on in the song?
what’s good, what’s bad?
what instruments?
what qualities?
how do you think the audience reacted in the time period?
Scott Joplin
Jellyroll Morton
dance-oriented - the point was the crazy rhythm
trend was pushed by people who played the songs from sheet music
Jazz
Louis Armstrong - the first true jazz musician
the trend of dancing and black music being the soundtrack was a growing and expanding trend
there was a famous couple who danced all over America - white - their band was black
this was a big deal
people loved the music, loved the dance and the music caught on
1920s - the Jazz Age -
radio
phonograph
a whole boom in recording black artists
HOWEVER, black men are scary
SO, what do you predict as a 20s-30s trend in listening to black music?
There was a boom in female black singers - the kind of music they sang was a bluesy, jazzy mix - sometimes called TORCH
These women were almost all big, hard-living, sad, exciting, sexual, highly costumed performers - it was a real show
What was the kind of music upon which they were drawing?
BLUES
deep in the south there is a place where the people are completely “country”
the music from down there was a really weird, haunting, creepy, dark music that was influenced by religious music and white country music -
it was called DELTA BLUES
a traveling performer heard this and said “I heard a dangerous Negro male singing a haunting melody”
he started recording these singers - they were TOO black
Son House
Robert Johnston - most interesting story
blues holler - high pitched yodel
talking guitar
whining tone, pulling strings, etc
lyrics were super dark
played hard, rhythmically
Charley Patton - he taught them all
Juke Joints - boozecans - illegal bars with homemade liquor, no rules, all black audience - hard core party spots, no electricity in the middle of nowhere
BLues singers would travel from place to place hitting these bars - too black!
The women, however, could do a version of this music.
Piano based.
These women were PACKAGING black music for mixed audiences -
Guitar was a dirtier, grubbier instrument, but PIANO sounds upper class, and rich people have them and it’s nice
This kind of music spreads and changes
Boogie Woogie - Stride -
piano jazz + blues without the girl singer
dancing again!
Fats Waller is kind of the king of this
AND he crosses over - when the white folks can dance, they spend money on the record
weird thing - white people seem to better accept a fatter black male - less sexually threatening? jollier looking? weird
HUGE
WHITE PEOPLE PICK IT UP!
Why don’t we make whole bands that play this kind of jazzy, striding, dance music!
this becomes the worldwide soundtrack to the late 30s and 1940s
HUGE bands, HUGE SOUNDS, HUGE CROWDS!
A group of black performers burst of those big bands and say, HEY! I want a small combo, and I WANT TO BE THE STAR!
I don’t want anybody to dance! Just. Listen. To. ME!
GENIUS MUSICIANS BURST OUT
Dizzy Gillespie
Charley Parker
Lester Young
This is first pop music that got an open influence from, and was associated with, drugs.
Tea meant pot.
Cool mean high. (heroin high)
Jazz/Blues Survey
2 musicians from Jazz
2 musicians from Blues
listen to at least 1 song by each
two is best
pick one from each
write a paragraph about it - negative or positive
what’s going on in the song?
what’s good, what’s bad?
what instruments?
what qualities?
how do you think the audience reacted in the time period?
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
September 18, 2013
Music Deliverables -
Review at least ONE song.
Make a presentation on a GENRE of music.
Review at least ONE artist.
Make THREE songs with any tool you like (hint: I would use Garageband!) (for specific things - ie a soundtrack song, a genre song (metal, EDM, etc), a “use” song
One actual test - yes - a test. A live review in class test.
The History of Modern Music
How did we get here?
There is one thing to which we can trace back that Number 1 song in September of 2013.
The Slave Trade
many years ago, New Orleans was a very unusual and culture-rich city
black (African heritage), white (European heritage), native (Creole, First Nations), Caribbean, “country” and more
port city - sailors from everywhere
head of the biggest river in America - The Mississippi
it’s a gathering place
an entire group of people was dropped into another culture - straight up
these people were African - they were not treated well - duh
they were not allowed to use their culture
Sunday in Congo Square - there was a moment of peace
in that moment of allowing their own music and culture, white people gathered and watched and were amazed
one thing they loved was the “polyrhythm” - layers of drums and percussion, among other stuff
the black African music tradition is just WAY cooler and more powerful and the white folks back in the old days couldn’t believe what they were seeing
The Cakewalk
this was a dance that the black folks did where they made fun of white people (people who were rich enough to eat cake)
they did this dance for white people to watch, and the whites didn’t seem to get that it was a joke on them
they even copied it and did it and loved it and it became huge
the music that went along with it was also very popular
There was another popular form of entertainment that came up with this that was called
Minstrel Show
a ton of weird “black” stereotypes that were performed in blackface (ie all the performers painted their faces black - even black people)
there were songs and stories and jokes and it was insane and brutally racist and white people went bug nuts for it
Ragtime
cakewalk music
a very strange kind of piano music
it caught on immediately and was a world wide hit
Scott Joplin - black guy who wrote ragtime songs
became a huge force in the industry
made a fortune - selling the sheet music to his songs
of course, more and more people are learning this odd style of music and using it and spreading it around
it was good for dancing and was very much influenced by black culture
Black performers start spreading that ragtime music.
Some adopt it and change it and make it their own.
One guy did it on the piano and became famous - Jellyroll Morton
Another did it on the trumpet and became a GIANT - Louis Armstrong
These guys are two of the first real JAZZ musicians.
Jazz was a black slang for sex.
Here’s the weird thing - white people thought black people were more sexual, more primitive, more frightening, less controlled, more dangerous and more prone to emotion - they thought their music was the same
they thought black dancing was obscene and not suitable for white folks
it was the first true ALT music -
WOW!
People become influenced and the sound spreads.
It becomes a trend in the exact same time as THREE other things
the invention of the phonograph
the invention of the radio
the Jazz Boom of the 20s where people got rich
Out of this explosion
Review at least ONE song.
Make a presentation on a GENRE of music.
Review at least ONE artist.
Make THREE songs with any tool you like (hint: I would use Garageband!) (for specific things - ie a soundtrack song, a genre song (metal, EDM, etc), a “use” song
One actual test - yes - a test. A live review in class test.
The History of Modern Music
How did we get here?
There is one thing to which we can trace back that Number 1 song in September of 2013.
The Slave Trade
many years ago, New Orleans was a very unusual and culture-rich city
black (African heritage), white (European heritage), native (Creole, First Nations), Caribbean, “country” and more
port city - sailors from everywhere
head of the biggest river in America - The Mississippi
it’s a gathering place
an entire group of people was dropped into another culture - straight up
these people were African - they were not treated well - duh
they were not allowed to use their culture
Sunday in Congo Square - there was a moment of peace
in that moment of allowing their own music and culture, white people gathered and watched and were amazed
one thing they loved was the “polyrhythm” - layers of drums and percussion, among other stuff
the black African music tradition is just WAY cooler and more powerful and the white folks back in the old days couldn’t believe what they were seeing
The Cakewalk
this was a dance that the black folks did where they made fun of white people (people who were rich enough to eat cake)
they did this dance for white people to watch, and the whites didn’t seem to get that it was a joke on them
they even copied it and did it and loved it and it became huge
the music that went along with it was also very popular
There was another popular form of entertainment that came up with this that was called
Minstrel Show
a ton of weird “black” stereotypes that were performed in blackface (ie all the performers painted their faces black - even black people)
there were songs and stories and jokes and it was insane and brutally racist and white people went bug nuts for it
Ragtime
cakewalk music
a very strange kind of piano music
it caught on immediately and was a world wide hit
Scott Joplin - black guy who wrote ragtime songs
became a huge force in the industry
made a fortune - selling the sheet music to his songs
of course, more and more people are learning this odd style of music and using it and spreading it around
it was good for dancing and was very much influenced by black culture
Black performers start spreading that ragtime music.
Some adopt it and change it and make it their own.
One guy did it on the piano and became famous - Jellyroll Morton
Another did it on the trumpet and became a GIANT - Louis Armstrong
These guys are two of the first real JAZZ musicians.
Jazz was a black slang for sex.
Here’s the weird thing - white people thought black people were more sexual, more primitive, more frightening, less controlled, more dangerous and more prone to emotion - they thought their music was the same
they thought black dancing was obscene and not suitable for white folks
it was the first true ALT music -
WOW!
People become influenced and the sound spreads.
It becomes a trend in the exact same time as THREE other things
the invention of the phonograph
the invention of the radio
the Jazz Boom of the 20s where people got rich
Out of this explosion
Monday, September 16, 2013
September 16, 2013
Today you should be in the writing articles phase.
Wednesday you should be working on the overall piece (news site or paper).
Thursday you should be really feeling the progress in the layout.
Friday you should be checking for awesome and errors and sending me an email.
Tabloids are trashy papers.
The focus is on entertainment.
Celebrities are the key to most of them.
Tabloids are between magazines and newspapers.
It’s a cheaper way to make a paper.
The most famous tabloid is, historically, the National Enquirer.
The most tabloid-rich place in the world is England.
One of the richest men in the world got his money from tabloids - Rupert Murdoch. He now owns Fox.
Fox MAKES celebrities and then Murdoch’s other companies tear them down.
A PERFECT ecosystem!
Tabloids build the same system. Build them up, tear them down.
This pattern is designed to self-sustain and to generate ONE THING - AD MONEY.
People buy these because people LOVE to see the rich and famous fall.
There are a couple of tricks to writing one of these articles:
- Sources Say -
- if the reporter uses sources to say that something happened, then the reporter isn’t guilty of lying
- example - “Mexican guy kidnapped and raped by alien women” - this appeared in the Weekly World News - tell me how the reporter got around this obviously ridiculous story - the reporter just asked the Mexican guy (a liar) what happened - then, the reporter talked to a UFO expert (an idiot) and he backed it all up - THEN they sold the story to a bunch of people (morons)
- Mr. Lobb was a bodyguard for martial arts actor Steven Seagal at a Tibetan cultural festival at U of T in Toronto
- Then, I almost sold the story to the Enquirer for 5k, but then, my wife said NO! (because she has morals)
- the Enquirer didn’t and I was greedy, and slightly evil...
- the people who serve celebrities are the perfect people to sell stories about them
- hair dressers, waiters, clothes stores employees, etc...
- IF the celeb is a nasty person, the employee is more likely to want payback + money!
- the sexier and nastier the story or pic, the better the chance it will play
- you get sued for lying if you’re a reporter - the source will not
- the source MAKES the story
- this class of people who serve celebrities will OFTEN have an axe to grind - you might find that celebrities want to be left alone - if the waiter is a pain in the ass, the celeb might be rude - NOW we have a story -
The second way that these stories work is by BUYING stories.
Money is a great motivator for some people - particularly liars
Remember, mixing in a photo and then using the headline and the photo in a trick way is smart - Brad Pitt mid-blink = Brad Pitt is high.
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