Mmm Laser Flair…

I usually have a lot of things to say but I never manage to go around doing it because I procrastinate, I forget, or I don’t feel that it is compelling enough to be posted. I shall write about my discovery during my quick trip to Bedok Central last Sunday to pick up some items. I stay nearby so it’s the most convenient place for me. Of course there isn’t a fancy mall and whatnot there but it’s fairly decent.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I stopped by Laser Flair to look at the titles they offered. I noticed quite a number of titles that we probably would not have been able to find a few years ago. A number of foreign films, Code 1 DVDs, plenty of boxsets and more. Heartlanders are pretty spoiled for choice today! Sure it’s not as massive as HMV but it does provide good competition since the prices are much lower and it’s located in a more accessible location (For me at least). They even stocked music DVDs! Now the only thing left for them to win me over completely is to have Radiohead DVDs…

I only purchased a copy of the Glastonbury DVD though, because I was short of cash and the only DVD I wanted wasn’t available anyway. If there is anybody here that can get me a copy of Open Hearts without having to resort to Amazon and the likes, I will love you forever.

On a side note, there is so much construction taking place all over Singapore. I don’t think I can travel 1km or more without witnessing at least a bloody crane, “work in progress” signs, that tacky orange plastic netting that separates the work site and everything else related. Someday we might just sink beneath the water due to so much underground piling and whatnot.

Something fun to watch when you’re bored. Now if only I had Photoshop skills like these…

Week 7 Notes

Character Analysis

Storytelling Techniques

Week 7

-    Characters

➢    A story starts with character. (Plot arrangement of incidents)
➢    The character is…

Tin Man/ Scarecrow/ Cowardly Lion

The heart, the soul and the nervous system of your story.

➢    It is through your characters that the viewers experience emotions.
(Dorothy image)

Without CHARACTER, you have no ACTION (you need characters to do something to create action)
Without ACTION, you have to CONFLICT
Without CONFLICT, you have no STORY
Without STORY, you have no SCREENPLAY

When developing a character, ask yourself:

-    Who is my character?
-    What does he/she want?
-    What is her quest?
-    What drives him to the resolution of the story?

3 Dimensional Characters

Review

➢    3 storytelling tools
-    Observation
-    Memory
-    Experience

➢    Aristotle’s storytelling theories
➢    3 act structure
➢    Developing 3 dimensional characters
➢    Writing for an audience

ZzzZzzZzzZzz

I’m sort of sleepy right now therefore the only thought clouding my brain now is glorious sleep and everything else related to it. And then something else makes me wonder. What’s everybody’s sleeping style?

I know everyone has his or her own unique and quirky way of sleeping. Mine personally is, I don’t like having a pillow on my head. Really! I’m not kidding. I prefer hugging the pillow instead. I’m quite particular about having pillows on my left and right, especially my bolster. No it is not a stinky bolster. I also like having a pillow at my feet. I enjoy the snuggly feeling whenever my legs happen to flail about unconsciously as I sleep. It provides plenty of cushion and protection against nasty bumps on the bedpost too. I only use about 3 pillows and 1 bolster. That’s not too much is it? My bed feels like a den sometimes.

This next factor is extremely important. I must expose my feet whenever I’m using a blanket. It doesn’t matter how cold it is, (is Singapore ever that cold anyway?) I still insist on leaving my feet dangling outside whilst the rest of my body is curled up beneath my striped comforter. There are some parts that need to breathe too you know. I don’t like to lie on my back when I’m asleep. Rolling over to my sides is the most comfortable. That combined together makes for a lovely night’s sleep.

I’ve heard of some from different people I know. My brother sleeps with only one pillow, the one his head is resting on. I could never understand how boring that is. Then there’s a friend who likes to sleep on reverse position. How do I phrase this? Oh, her head is resting on the foot of the bed instead and her toes are facing the headboard. Something about “running her feet up and down” the headboard that she finds therapeutic.

There, I’ve shared my weird habits, now it’s your turn. Feel free to share your own funny ways. I’m craving for some eye shut now.

Week 6 Notes

Cinema

Storytelling Techniques

Week 6 “Writing For An Audience”

- Observation

Memory

Storytelling Tool 2: Memory

Your memory is a wonderful cabinet of past incidents which you have experienced or been told.

These memories are points of reference to your own past experiences.

- Screenwriter = Storyteller

➢ The cinematic experience is not just made up of words you might put on paper, but the audiences’ emotional reaction to that information.

- Director to People
- Writer to People
- Camera to People

IT’S PEOPLE TO PEOPLE!

What is the writer’s purpose?

C.S Lewis – “Most important thing for the writer is to connect to the audience”

- To connect:
- Themselves
- Audience
- Their unique vision
- The material
- The drama/emotion
- Others

*Audiences want to be transported by a screenplay.
That doesn’t mean you should make your audience cry though.
There are good movies that don’t have a sob ending.

➢ Must send readers to an emotional rollercoaster to effect them

Where do you look for in a story?

- Inside yourself

Everything you learn about other people is already in you.

- If you haven’t felt an emotion, it’s hard to relate on an emotional level

Now you need to figure out how to connect to it.

Of Boys & Smut

I’d like to thank Mister Ryan for his most recent entry as it provided me a kickstart for this week’s reflection. This entry might seem a little uncomfortable for some of you who are “sane”. It’s quite a challenge for me to write this out as it might appall some individuals but I can assure you it’s quite rampant now. I’m not sure I’d call it a guilty pleasure because I do share with people whom I feel can accept my interest in the matter.

One of the things that can keep me entertained for hours and hours (apart from Radiohead) is reading slash fiction. Now if you’re one of those people who are still clueless or are just sheltered, I’ll explain what slash is. With the help of Wikipedia since I’m plain lazy.

“Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction. It focuses on the depiction of sexual or romantic relationships between two or more male characters, who are not necessarily engaged in relationships in the canon universe.”

There you go. I really hope you’re not squirming in discomfort reading this. Where do I begin on this? Well I’m not too sure about the roots of slash but according to Wikipedia (yet again), it originated from “the Star Trek: The Original Series fan fiction fandom, with “Kirk/Spock” stories first appearing in the late 1970s generally authored by female fans of the series.”

If you head to Fanfiction.net and Livejournal especially, you can find an array of slash fiction. What I like and find amusing about slash fiction is that the source of content for the stories come from all over. The more common ones are from TV shows, movies, sports people and music. Seriously, I’m sure there is a lot of Batman, Little Mermaid, Backstreet Boys *insert character here* stories somewhere in the world wide web.

No prizes for those who can guess what my favourite is. Even a band like Radiohead is not spared from this different and controversial branch of fandom. I’m proud to say that there is a website devoted entirely to Radiohead slash fiction. I’ll admit that before I got hooked onto slash, I thought it was bizarre and trying to mentally register a gay relationship (to put it crudely) between Thom Yorke & Ed O’Brien (refresh: hot rhythm guitarist guy) was ridiculous. After I read my first Radiohead slash fic, I was reduced to a confused but blushing mess. But I enjoyed it.

I was also surprised though, at how well-written some of the stories were. I’m sure you’d stereotype these stories as seedy, with a dumb and lusty plot. It’s not always the case, there is a variety of plot and I’m positive if you look hard enough, you might even find Aristotle’s Theory of Tragedy incorporated into the story. It’s refreshing because you get a different perspective. People like us get bored of the offerings in reality sometimes. Blame it on our over-active imagination. If some of the best stories I’ve read were to be published, I’d gladly pay for a copy.

I’m curious though, as to why some of us straight females find gay fiction so appealing. Why is it such a major turn on? Is it abnormal? I don’t think so, since there are thousands out there who share the same interest as I do. My theory is that, most females are highly likely fans of the characters that are involved in the fic pairing, and since we cannot have them for own sleazy purposes or let them be paired up with another random chick due to jealousy, then we are left with this alternative: another guy!

Yeaaaaaaah it’s not very intellectual but I hope it makes sense. Boy that was hard to phrase. Maybe they’ll conduct a research of some sort to quell this burning question.

I know some people find it unfavourable, disturbing, dirty, etc. but you can’t deny how popular it is now. I can imagine though, how awkward it must feel for the real character to find out that their fangirls are making them smooch another bloke or more. Yes there is sex involved in a lot of stories but not all, and it is subjective. I won’t go there. Don’t worry.

Some of you must think I am weird and a perv. Well I can assure you I’m not the only one out there. I’ll end this off here I suppose, I can see some people convulsing violently in response to this entry. Hey it took me a lot of guts to write this out alright? Sorry.

“Immerse Your Soul In Love”

I just finished emailing my question to Observer Music Monthly since they’re asking fans to contribute questions for the upcoming Radiohead interview. The chances of mine being asked are slim but I guess it doesn’t hurt to try and as a side note to the band that fans do exist here, though in measly numbers!

I feel like such a nerd sometimes but it’s a very rewarding fandom. I can proudly proclaim to anyone that Radiohead is my favourite band. Radiohead have consumed my interest, passion and time in a manner like nothing else has. Gosh, I like many other different things (and I don’t mean just music) but they don’t do anything to me like how Radiohead does.

Is it possible for one band to be able to make someone feel such a myriad of emotions at one time? This entry isn’t about writing about their achievements and credit whoring but just simply how much I love this band.

I still remember the first time I paid proper attention to the band. My eldest brother heard me listening to Karma Police and afterwards, he told me to watch this video:

I’m not going to say something cliché like “I was totally blown away by the video!” but it did stir something inside me, something that told me their material was worth checking out. That video though, still remains as one of my favourites as I like how the director manipulates time in it. There’s just something about the music flowing seamlessly with the video. This video was done in 1995 and it was an eye-opener because I don’t think I could recall anything similar from that period of time. Or maybe I was just too young to notice. -_-”

When I listen to a Radiohead song, I can almost feel the passion and commitment dripping from it. Their music is so lush, multi-layered and detailed that it warrants many listens. With each listen, you are bound to find something new in the song. Yet again, I feel like such a geek because I enjoy “breaking down” their songs and be aware of all the elements involved that make them such an audio orgasm.

Now I’m not the type of person who focuses too much on the lyrics and it’s also rather hard as Thom Yorke (the frontman), slurs a lot when he sings, making the words rather intelligible. He writes cryptic and obtuse lyrics and I like it that way, because then everyone gets a chance to interpret the song in their own manner. I find it rather dull when bands write lyrics that pretty much explain what the song is about. Doesn’t leave you much room to fantasize, but that’s just me.

Radiohead have been around since the early 90’s but I’ve never felt sickened by them because they rarely make songs that sound alike. It’s refreshing because they are always challenging themselves to push the creative limits and making new changes. Waiting for a new Radiohead album is such a thrilling experience, because you never know what to expect from them. I remembered thinking to myself when I listened to OK Computer & Kid A, “Is this really the same band?”

Come to think of it, I find it hard to categorize Radiohead under any music genre. They have songs that touch on many diverse genres. You want jazz? Try Life In A Glasshouse. Pop? High & Dry. Electronic/IDM? Idioteque. EMO?! Creep. Duh.

Looking back, I feel that my life would have been so much emptier if I had not liking Radiohead. Nothing pleases me more than being able to lie down in a dark room listening to Radiohead on headphones. It’s crazy but sometimes I feel as though I’m taking a rollercoaster ride when I listen to their album. One moment my stomach lurches from Thom’s yearning falsetto and then later I feel euphoric and liberated.

Can I also say that their rhythm guitarist is the most droolworthy man I find on earth?

I’m sorry this post is rather self-indulgent but it would be utter blasphemy if I did not devote at least one entry to my beloved boys.

And The 2nd Lesson Follows…

The second storytelling lesson started off with us having to write another 20 minute story using one of the 12 openers written by fellow classmates. I wrote mine during the long bus trips home after football matches from Republic Poly. It was a 50 minute journey in the often packed (noisy!) and chilly SBS service 168. I was worried my openers weren’t passable since I came up with them whilst distracted by Radiohead and overcome with drowsiness. Good thing Fat managed to work something out and much to my surprise, Mister Ryan commented that they were fine, albeit too long. I thought they were short!

The lecture that day unveiled something that I never knew or realized, and that is the role of conflict. It did not make sense initially but upon further explanation and examples, I began to see the idea. If you really think hard about it, a movie, show or whatever doesn’t work without a conflict in the plot. Maybe that’s probably why some shows are so awful. Another thing that was brought up was, death being the worst possible end to a conflict. I can’t really say I agree entirely, as there are some things I’ve watched and felt contented with deaths involved in the ending.

Oh wait. The last “death” ending that irked me for days was after I finished reading the last Harry Potter book. That was a terrible disappointment. I was of course hoping for Harry to die but that never happened and the entire series has gone to the dogs for me. That’s just my opinion so don’t start flaming me if you belong to the legion of die-hard fans.

We watched 2 local movies by ex-NP students. The 2nd story is much more gripping. It’s something that I’m sure us Singaporeans can relate to and I thought the casting was good. One thing’s for sure, I definitely will not subject my kids to that kind of treatment. Can’t they enjoy their freedom a little bit longer? It scares me sometimes the way things are progressing. My cousin’s daughter is only in primary 3 and yet she’s enrolled in tuition classes, creative writing, montessori, malay dance bla bla bla. I don’t know what’s the difference anyways. It just sounds like torture. Anyway, the lesson ended with… More assignments!

I seem to have a lot to write down but I’m having trouble with organizing my thoughts and keeping on task. Which is why my blog is aptly named.

Tutorial 2

The Role of Conflict

> Conflict is the central feature of the screenplay

- Man against man

- Man against environment

- Man against self

> It’s a common technique in movies, television etc.

“Someone wants something really bad, but it’s hard for them to get.”

“Yi Chee pees.” (No conflict) (MAS)
“Pee but MR won’t let” (MAM)
“Locks door to room” (MAE)

Idiot plot – Pee in pants.

- It’s variations of sex, age, religion and culture that provide variety to the conflict. eg. RE: Extinction & Ratatouille.

Benefit of a conflict

- Brings about tension
- Brings about climax

Conflict = Change

* Watch movie and notice character go through a change
- Character evolves/ audience evolve
- Change is universal! Everyone goes through it

➢ Bodies change (e.g. Hulk)
➢ Seasons change (e.g. Day After Tomorrow)
➢ Lives change (e.g. Batman
➢ Relationships change (e.g. Brokeback Mountain, Romantic Comedies)
➢ Feelings change (e.g. Ratatouille)
➢ Locations change (e.g. James Bond)
➢ Technologies change (e.g. Transformers Sci Fi movies)

Remember: DEATH IS THE WORST ENDING TO A CONFLICT.

Why? We’re not receptive to changes, fear of death, comfort zone, fear of the unknown

- As universal as change may be, people often resist it for fear of the unknown

> Some changes are inevitable

- People must learn to cope with change if they want to survive

What causes us to change? Society, Circumstance, Emotional Growth, Things in Life

- The action in drama depends on conflict

“The act of writing is actually the creation of conflict”

CONFLICT

➢ Definition

- Opposition of persons or forces.
- It is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests, or wills, and creates the plot.
- Plot cannot be constructed without conflict.
- As your characters attempt to reach their goals, they come into conflict with each other.
- The end of the story nears when the protagonist and antagonist approach their goals and the conflict rises to generate maximum suspense and excitement.

Problems displaying conflict?

NOT VISUAL. Nobody wants to see what’s inside your brain!

No contact, no conflict.

Do’s & Don’t’s In Storytelling

Assignments to be written in:

- present
- 3rd person
- 2nd person (you)
- visual voice

The 3rd Person / Present Tense

Example:
“Mark picks up the gun and holds it in his hand. It begins to tremble, as if alive.”

Screenplays use this format.

Why?

- So that the story/actions can “materialise” if to be used as a real script

Written vs. Visual Voice

Written voice
- uses weak verbs
- tells what’s happening in the characters head
- distances the reader from the story

“The sky is blue with a lot of white clouds” (So? This is dull!)
“Mark is angry at Jane for tricking him into helping her” (No action!)

e.g. “Mark is fuming at Jane and slaps her across the cheek for tricking him into helping her.”

Visual voice

- uses strong action verbs
- shows the action
- uses an immediate sentence structure
- conveys the story in a lively manner

Give the verb/sentence something to do, ACTIONS! Not redundant adjectives.

Tips for writing:

- If you have a work in progress, never stop for the night if you’re struck.
- Always solve the problem and keep going until you are in safer water. A good night’s sleep is important. Sleeping on problems is a myth.
- If you can’t get started on a project, start writing anyway. To do this you have to have some words to type.
- It doesn’t matter what you write. You’ll soon begin to think and move in your own rhythm/pace.

The First Lesson

This is way past due and I’m perpetually guilty of procrastination. T1-B2 had our first storytelling lecture/tutorial last friday. The ice-breaking session turned out well. I’ve always found them to be awkward and silly but I suppose it helped a little that our class is rather small and we were familiar with each other.

My brain now is now segregated into different writing styles:
(a)The normal (Less confusing) style that was taught in pri/sec school. (The entire thing seems to be a load of rubbish now.)
(b)My personal writing style.
(c)The extremely pedantic WritComm style.
(d)And now, the Storytelling style.

Mr Ryan explained to us what storytelling is about and the requirements. I must say that it is a relief storytelling is devoid of citations and referencing! But. It is proving to be quite a challenge as I’m not used to writing in the present tense and I have to learn to control my visual voice. Back in secondary school, I think my teacher would bitchslap me for not writing in the past tense. I found a few tips extremely helpful especially the bit about starting to write even though you don’t know how to begin. I think a lot of people encounter this problem but it’s proven to be effective since I tried it out for this entry!

We were given a little task to complete during the latter half of the lesson. Mr Ryan gave us an opening line that went like this; “Salihin puts on his hula girl outfit and enters the temple.” He told us to continue the story. I was stumped to be honest, my brain juices were not flowing so I ended up beating around the bush and writing an overly elaborate paragraph without really having a proper conclusion. Thereafter I was chosen to be the first to share my story with the class. It was utter embarrassment. It was followed by a critic session of some sort. Quite intimidating but I think it is good way to learn not to repeat your mistakes. And no, I am not going to paste my story out in the open like this.

WordPress confuses me. I hope everything turns out fine.

Trent Reznor is contemplating on “doing a Radiohead.” Gee why didn’t he think of that earlier? Pssh.