Phantom Moose Films » » creating a scene http://phantommoose.com The filmmaking adventures of three teens and their families Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:43:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 en A Scene Game http://phantommoose.com/2008/04/30/a-scene-game/ http://phantommoose.com/2008/04/30/a-scene-game/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:29:29 +0000 Rebekah http://phantommoose.com/?p=293 Creative mind game, anyone? Movie-making related, of course. An exercise in creating a scene. Grab a piece of paper and a pencil (unless you have great memory) and jot down a piece of dialogue between two people. Only three dialogue lines allowed and the first one has to be a question. Then figure out who is talking and picture the scene. Here’s mine.

EXT Front flower garden by the gate MORNING
Alice (an older lady) is weeding her flowers. Mary is walking past.

ALICE
(Smiling)
Hello, Mary. It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?

MARY
(Happily)
Yes, it is.

ALICE
What are you doing today?

Okay, got yours? Now visualize the camera angles and the overall “feel” of the piece. Mine has sort of a “sunny-happy” feel. Blue sky, pretty flowers. Good friends. That sort of thing. Figured yours out?

Alright. Now flip the mood to the opposite. If it’s sunny-happy, add some tension. If it’s tense, make it sunny-happy. Let your creativeness rearrange the characters or setting as needed. Mine switched to a gray, overcast day. A little rain on the horizon. Alice is pulling weeds and we hear footsteps. The wind picks up. A shadow falls on the creaking gate. Alice looks up to see Mary staring down at her.

ALICE
(Warily)
Hello, Mary. (Awkward pause.) It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?

MARY
(Stiffly)
Yes, it is.

Dead leaves skitter down the garden path.

ALICE
(Attempting to make conversation)
What are you doing today?

What did yours change to?

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