A young woman I know wants to create a movie about her battle with a mood disorder during her teen years. She called me, knowing I have written and produced several video and feature projects.
As a home-schooled teen who has now graduated and completed two years in a community college, she is used to accessing information using nontraditional means. I agreed to mentor her in developing the script and creating her production plan.
In discussions, she explained her concept, which involved using existing photos, video and a few dramatized scenes, as well as some imagery that could be recorded from natural scenery. I suggested she first jot down each scene segment on small sticky notes — just a two- or three-word phrase that would jog her memory. The notes can be arranged in a timeline on poster board, creating a basic storyboard.
She wants to structure the story in chronological order with a few flashbacks, so the storyboard she created shows that.
The next step is to develop each scene idea on an index card. Using the same two- or three-word phrases from the sticky notes as scene titles, I showed her how to flesh out the cards.
“On the card, list the elements you’ll use in that scene. It might say ’photo of diving’ or ’video clip, tape 5, from 4 minutes, 53 seconds to 5 minutes, 17 seconds’ or ’dramatized video clip with underwater camera.’”
After the scene cards are fully outlined for each scene, the cards can be arranged in a box with the various photos, tapes or drawings attached to them. This organizes the illustration materials for the next step, creating the written script.
“Each card represents a scene that you write out,” I told her. “You will actually write down on the page ’Dissolve to picture of me on boat,’ or ’Insert video footage, tape 5, with audio. Audio fades and voice-over begins.’ Everything that the audience will see or hear must be on the script page.
“The script will have everything that you want in the movie,” I explained to her. “It becomes the bible for everything else that happens.”
Simple scriptwriting software is available to help format the pages according to professional standards. Also, the script can be written in segments, writing the individual scenes and later combining them to create the full script. There can be several versions of the script, because certain things may need to be added or deleted after the first draft is written. Once the script is final, the production aspects can begin.
My daughter, who is already an experienced filmmaker, gave some suggestions.
“Keep your vision in mind when you choose how to shoot or how to edit. You can often ask your college if you can use the school’s equipment and programs if you don’t have your own software. Keep it simple — a simple editing program can often do what you want.”
Knowing the process of writing often can be daunting, I shared with her the steps one scriptwriter recommended: Day 1, write a one-sentence description of your story. Day 2, write a one-paragraph description of your story. Day 3, write a two-page treatment of your story. Day 4, start writing your script.
I advise writers to write in a distraction-free area. Block out even short periods of uninterrupted time, rather than settle for long periods of time with lots of activity in the background.
Creating any project often follows a simple step-by-step process. As home-schoolers, we learn to break down a challenge into its discrete tasks. As your young learners develop a certain passion, you can show them how to accomplish their goals by setting short-term goals and accomplishing them, building skills along the way.
In this way, parent educators can work with their child’s real desires, and guide them in the planning, implementation and attainment of those dreams.
• Kate Tsubata, a home-schooling mother of three, is a freelance writer who lives in Maryland.
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