Here’s some general notes that I took for me from the latest class.
– Beat:
– building blocks of theater/play/script
– each beat moves the story forward
– can be seen when different tactics or strategies are used to develop the protagonist’s Action (want)
– If you have a block, look at the play’s Action, Conflict, and Event
– Event: the moment when a character either gets what he or she wants,
or definitively does not get it; there are normally many smaller
events in a play, but the main event is the result of action and
conflict; an event may take many different forms, but is always some
sort of change. (from Sam’s notes)
– Reading/Listening tips:
– write down beats
– what sounded good
– what doesn’t make sense
– what information is revealed by the dialogue/action
– Stakes:
– goals should be high to make the protagonist NEED to get their want
– explore what would happen if the character DOESN’T get what they want
– EACH character should have an action!
– All characters need a sense of history.
– Characters:
– General Qualities: ie. how would you/others describe them
– State of mind: ie. if they are lonely, how does this drive their action
– Speech and Act: what do they say and do to define themselves and their drive towards their action.