Thursday, April 19, 2012

Blog #7 -Hollywood Formula

1. Opening Scene:
(The show opens in a bedroom light by the rising sun as an alarm goes off. Camera cuts to a lumped body under a sheet as the alarm blares. Camera close up on arm coming out of covers searching for the alarm, slamming down on it once it finds it. Cut to the face of the girl, Tara, head on as she splashes cold water over her face. She looks tired and her eyes are puffy from lack of sleep. Her voice narrates her thoughts)
TARA (V.O.): I couldn’t sleep last night.

2. Setting Up the Story:
The monologue narration in the beginning will reveal the strong characteristics of the main character. Within the first few minutes she will answer a phone call from a friend and we will also learn more about this minor character from their conversation. The narration will begin to set the scene from the very beginning; Tara will be describing camp and how she got to be where she is now in terms of her new job there. A tangible conflict will not be introduced right away, other than the apparent nervousness of the main character over starting her new job. As the day goes on, more and more people will be introduced by the narrator.

3. The Big Decision
This may actually happen more towards the end of the pilot episode, as a way to not only conclude the first snipet of the series, but also leave room for explorations in the next episodes. Also its a little less of a "big decision" and more of a realization. Tara will exit a busy scene from an active game of dodgeball with many screaming children, and enter the counselor bathrooms within the girls lockeroom. She had the intentions of just going to the bathroom quickly, but she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror and is shocked by how drained her face looks. Her monologue narration begins to question her purpose at camp - whether or not she is doing a good job and whether or not it is all worth it. She reflects on the failed expectations and is embodied with negative thoughts when her narration is interrupted by a thud from in the camper portion of the locker room. She forgets her thoughts and runs out to check. She finds a small camper sitting in the center of the empty room, struggling to tie her shoelaces. The girl looks up as if to ask for help, so Tara bends over to help. The girl makes adorable small talk, and then points to Tara's homemade bead bracelet on her left wrist. She compliments it and asks where she got it. Tara explains that she made it as a camper, probably when she was about her age. The girl says something that inflects the admiration she has for Tara, and Tara looks up from teh shoes at the girls face. Tara smiles, showing that this small incident has restored her confidence in herself and her reasons for wanting to be there.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Logline - Final

A girl working at summer camp narrates her journey as she comes to realize that many of the adults she works for are just bigger versions of the children she works with.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Logline

A girl working at summer camp narrates her journey as she comes to realize that many of the adults she works for are just bigger versions of the children she works with.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Writing Goals

One goal I have continually been working on in not only my writing, but also in my life as a whole, is Maintenance. I have always had trouble staying organized and keeping my things as well as my thoughts in line. Throughout the span of this course I would like to be able to hand things in on time and keep them somewhere where they won't get lost easily. This will involve a lot of effort on my part in keeping both my folder and my notebook neat and organized. In addition to cleaning out my schoolbag and folders every Sunday like I already do, I can increase my organization for this course and my writing by doing so to my Creative Writing folder twice a week.
Another goal I have for my writing this semester is thoughtfulness. I want to increase the thoroughness of my work for school, as well as the creativity of my own personal writings. While writing creatively, I want to be able to implement the many literary techniques I have learned throughout high school, and thus incorporate classic literary elements into my stories and poems. This would include increasing the thoughtfulness of my themes and motifs, symbols and tone. If I play around with new techniques and ideas in my class writing exercises, I will be able to see what I enjoy doing, and what I can have success at. I can then use what I have practiced in my notebook during smaller exercises in bigger works like short stories or screenplays.
I hope that this course and my ensuing hard work will help me advance not only as a writer, but also as a creative thinker and intuitive student.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Welcome Entry

Welcome.

My name is Trina and I'm using this blog primarily for a Creative Writing class. I'm a senior at Penfield High School, and next year I will be attending Ohio State University to major in Art Education. I love animals and I've been a vegan for about four years, and a vegetarian for ten. I also enjoy drawing, painting, photography and, of course, writing.

My favorite writers are those who write for television and movies, such as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kay Cannon, Kristin Wiig, Jonathan Lutz, Maya Rudolf, Jason Sudekis, Eben Russel, Chelsea Handler, Ellen Degenneres, Mindy Kaling and more. A distant dream of mine is to write for SNL or produce my own television show. Since this dream is a long shot, I have art education as a fall back, and I do plan on teaching elementary school.

I also enjoy reading a lot, primarily autobiographies and Stephen King novels.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my blog and I hope Ms. Basko gives me a good grade for this entry.

Bye!