Week 1
Tim Burton is an excellent example of an ‘Auteur’ that we didn’t discuss in class. He’s about as accomplished as any film director and has definitely proven his technical abilities throughout the years, and visually, he has always pushed out-of-the-box ideas and popularized gothic culture and aesthetics within the film industry. The gothic influence is also reflected in his characters through the use of ‘outsiders’ refusing to conform to what is expected of them. Those themes are consistent throughout many of his films.
The throughline is the overarching goal or direction a film is going in, and we often view them through the lens of our characters. A throughline is a great thing to reference when making decisions on a film, as we can always think back and consider how it (whatever is being debated) either sticks to that throughline or veers from it.
A beat is a moment that moves the story forward. This can be an action, a shift in emotion, a change of circumstances, etc. Really just about any moment that actively moves the plot forward can be considered a beat.
The spine is the greater goal/need/want that is driving the plot of the story. This is good to refer back to when making decisions about characters’ actions, giving us clear motivations to rationalize what the characters should be doing.
An event is similar to a beat, but with higher stakes. An event requires some sort of change to be taking place, meaning the story is not heading in the exact same direction it was before. These aren’t necessarily focal points of the story, but definitely have to include some sort of consequence or the event isn’t really much of an event.
Subtext is the unspoken (or unwritten) element of a story. Rather than outright saying how a character feels, this might be shown through body language and expressions. Subtext can also be more personal to the creators of a film, as in the underlying message the story is trying to send.
There are two types of events; internal and external. Internal refers to a shift in emotion for a character that will change the way that character makes decisions, i.e; a character has a change of heart about going to college and now wants to go. External refers to events happening in the physical world of the story, i.e; A character wrecks their car while drunk driving.
The first type of director, technical, refers to directors who tend to focus on the visuals and other technical aspects of a film. They are less concerned with the performance of their actors, and more with the process of putting it on a screen, focusing on the cameras, lighting, and efficiency. Opposite of them is the performance/actor’s director. They are most interested in bringing out the best possible performance out of the cast to convey the right emotions to the audience. Finally, there’s the arts and crafts director, who typically blends a focus on visuals and aesthetic aspects of the film with the ability to collaborate and bring people together to create a cohesive, polished project.
It’s important for directors to edit stage directions for many reasons. First, it’s important for the action on screen to make sense, meaning characters should behave consistently with themselves and the world around them. With the director being responsible for the general direction of the film, it’s important for them to be involved in this process so everything is consistent. Also, a lot of stage directions should just be spoken to the actors to make sure the vision is communicated properly. There are also practical concerns with stage directions, as sometimes they won’t be possible because of the budget.
It’s important for a director to analyze a script for many reasons. First, the director needs to understand the story better than anyone in order to properly make it come to life. For example, if the director did not fully analyze the script, they might miss the subtext and cause a character to be misinterpreted. Perception is subjective in most cases, but the director should be able to interpret the script in a way that properly brings it to life. The second reason is for planning/budget purposes. A director should have a good idea of what is required to shoot the film they’re directing, and bad planning can lead to disaster. For example, if the director didn’t analyze the script, they might not realize there’s an unattainable prop used for an integral part of the story. A lack of planning on the director’s part can be especially detrimental in smaller (such as student) productions.
A beautiful shot from Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas, showcasing his gothic expressionist style.
