research
Introduction
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This project portfolio is a report of my extended project for my first year UAL Extended Diploma in Film and Television Production in the Media Pathway. The Research page of my project portfolio presents the research elements of my project starting with my Final Major Project Research Plan, followed by my Primary Research, Secondary Research, Target Audience Research, and Skills and Technique Research. The Research page concludes with my pre-production and production research plan.
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Research plan
Please find my Research Plan attached below. I will continuously refer to this throughout the process to ensure that I am carrying out the necessary research for my project. I have also attached the direct PDF Link to my Research Plan below.
Final Major Project Research Plan PDF
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Research Questions
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Throughout the Research Process of my Final Major Project, there are several Research Questions that I will focus on to ensure that I am successful in creating my end product. There are two overall aims that I will work towards when working on my FMP. One of which is that I aim to create an enjoyable and intriguing piece of work for the reader/viewer, as I feel that this is an essential part of my project. I think that it is important that I conduct as much research as possible so that my work will include all of the key elements that will make this objective possible. Secondly, throughout the process, I also aim to develop and improve my own skills in script writing and character and story development. By researching as much as I can about how scripts are written, and what makes them successful, I aim to incorporate these skills into my own work. So, whilst it is extremely important that I remain focussed on the storyline and characters of my script, I also feel it important to continuously research and develop my own skills that will help to enhance the overall quality of my work. In order to do this, some of the research questions that I will ask are, What are the fundamental skills that are needed to create a good script? What are they key aspects of Character Development? Who are my Target Audience and do they have common demographics? What skills and techniques will I require for this project? These research questions will help me when it comes to writing and formatting script, however, I will also need to conduct some research based on my project idea. Some of the questions that I will ask for this section of the research are, What are the main aspects needed for a Murder Mystery script? How can I create and write an unexpected outcome? What aspects will I need to keep my audience engaged? By ensuring that I research all of these questions, I feel that, when it comes to the production stages of the project, I will have a stronger understanding on both script writing skills and a clearer vision of my idea.
The requirements of a script writer
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During this project, I will be undertaking the role of a script writer, therefore, it is essential that I research the skills and techniques that are required of script writers to ensure that I incorporate these into my own work. When conducting some initial research on this subject, I found that one of the main attributes needed to be a successful screen writer is the ability to form your own original and interesting story idea. I discovered that it is extremely important that you must have a passion and interest yourself in the subject of which you are writing about. This will help you when writing the script as it allows you to have a greater understanding of the topic, therefore, enhancing and improving the quality of your work. Another piece of information that I found was that it is often beneficial to formulate multiple plot lines around your idea, which would allow the story to take different routes. I found this piece of information particularly useful, as, in the past, I have often found myself fixated on a single idea, however, I now understand the importance of exploring the many possibilities of an idea, as another route may prove to have more depth and interest for both the writer and the viewer. When conducting some further research of the qualities needed to be a successful script writer, I uncovered the importance of structure in a script - it is essential that you, as a writer, have a clear vision of the beginning, middle, and end of the script before attempting to start writing. This will allow you to have a clear understanding of your own story, and the course in which it will take. These are just a few of the initial requirements of a good script writer that I uncovered through my secondary research. A few other skills and techniques that are useful when writing a script are being consistent, yet steady with your writing, have a broad knowledge of your subject, and the ability to identify a specific genre or theme.
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Although for this project I will be working individually, it is important as a script writer to be flexible when it comes to working both independently or collectively with a group of people. Some genres of scripts that commonly have multiple screenwriters include comedy and drama scripts. By having a variety of writers working on one script, it offers a wider range of knowledge, experience, and ideas. It also allows for constructive criticism from others who are working with you to prevent you from making mistakes, and working together to ensure that the script you are creating is successful. However, when working as an individual writer, some of these aspects can be limited to one person, meaning that it is extremely important to regularly review your work and criticize elements of your own work to ensure that you are making relevant changes and improvements. It could also be useful as a script writer to gain outside feedback from people who are not involved with the project to allow for some fresh criticism and a different view on your work. This is something that I will consider doing throughout the process as I feel this will help me when it comes to making improvements to my script.
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The role of a screenwriter is often viewed as solely a Pre-Production role, however, in some cases some script writers go on to direct their own work. This is something that I aspire to do in the future, so I feel that it is also important for me to conduct some research around these roles. When taking on the role of Director in a previous task on the course, I discovered that one of the main attributes a good director must have is strong Leadership skills. It is important as a Director to have good time management skills as most production shoots often run at a precise schedule. Furthermore, it is also important to be decisive when it comes to making decisions that will have an impact on the films production. Whilst all of these personal skills are necessary, it is also important to remain open-minded and willing of suggestions from others around you, such as the actors and crew that you are working with. With this in mind, it is also important as a Director to work closely with each member of your team to ensure that everybody has a clear vision of the project in order to make the end product successful. When it comes to the screenwriter also taking on the role of Director on a project, it is common that changes will be continuously made to the script throughout the production process. This could be due to obstacles that you face when filming, or creative decisions that will change your outlook on how the scene should be portrayed. It is the role of a script supervisor who will ensure that all cast and crew are aware of any changes to the script throughout the process.
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Through conducting some research on the requirements needed to make a successful screenwriter, I feel that I have been able to uncover the attributes, skills, and techniques that are needed and will aim to incorporate these in my own work. I will research some of these points further when I conduct the Skills and Techniques part of my research when asking, 'What aspects are needed to create a successful screenplay?'.
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Subject / Topic Research
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In this part of my Portfolio, I will focus on the Research that I have conducted concerning the topic of my project. I will record my findings and will continuously refer back to my Research Questions to ensure that I am conducting research that is relevant to my project. I aim to gather my research by undertaking Primary, Secondary, Qualitative, and Quantitative tasks.
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What are the main aspects needed to create a Murder Mystery Script? - Secondary Research
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For this part of my research, I aim to uncover the key components that are needed when writing a Murder Mystery script - this will help me to have a clear understanding of how to structure my script and what elements to include. Upon beginning my research on the subject, I understand that writing a Murder Mystery script requires a strong plot, a clear set of suspects, and a continuing theme of suspense that will persist throughout the script. As the writer of my Murder Mystery script, it is important for my to be aware of all the elements of my story, such as the plot, suspects/characters, and the outcome. These are all aspects that I aim to develop and finalise alongside my research findings, before beginning to create several draft scripts. When reading several articles about the steps that need to be taken when writing a script the first point always refers to the initial idea of your project. During the idea formulating process of my FMP, I decided that I would set my Murder Mystery script on a Ghost Train as I felt that this would provide a unique spin on a classic genre and would allow me to explore multiple different avenues around which route the plot could take. When studying an article on the basics of Murder Mystery script writing from IndustricalScripts.com, I have uncovered some further questions that I could ask myself to improve my project idea. Some of these questions include, 'What makes my 'murder' a mystery?', 'Who are the suspects?', and 'Will the viewer see the murder take place?'. The first and third question led me to think about how my murder will take place and at what point in the story it will happen. Similarly to many Murder Mysteries, the murder will take place on the ghost train at the beginning of the the script, and will happen out of sight from the viewer, as the ride is in operation. It is at this point in the plot, when the train is hidden, when the murder will take place, making the murder become a mystery to the other characters and the viewers.
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What are the key aspects of Character Development? - Secondary Research
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When writing a script, it is extremely important that your characters are well development, have interesting characteristics, and are able to engage the audience. During this part of my research, I want to discover what aspects are needed in order to achieve these aims. I will do this by researching several online websites that explore Character Development. I will specifically research in depth how to create interesting characters for the Murder Mystery genre. Upon beginning my research, an article by StudioBinder.com describes Character Development as "the process of creating a character for a work of fiction such as a feature film, television show, or novel", (Studio Binder, 2022), whilst reinstating the importance that the characters have to the overall plot. It was also whilst studying this article that I uncovered the terms used for a characters journey throughout the story. For example, a 'Flat' Character would be a character who does not undergo any physical or emotion change throughout the story, whereas, on the other hand, a character that does change would be known as a 'Dynamic' Character. This piece of information led me to think about which category some of my characters would fall into. When first thinking about this, I think that the victim and suspect characters in my script would be seen as Dynamic Characters for several different reasons. The victim would obviously undergo a physical change from the beginning of the script, where he is seen boarding the ride, to the end of the ride, where he has been stabbed in the chest. Furthermore, the suspects could also been seen as being dynamic characters as they will go through an emotional journey throughout the script. Some of the suspects who boarded the ride at the beginning of the script would be feeling a sense of enjoyment, before their emotions drastically change as they are caught up in a Murder Mystery case. When thinking about which Flat Characters I could include in my script, I think that the detectives would keep a steady physical and emotion appearance throughout, as they would be trained to deal with the situation they find themselves in, unlike some of the other characters.
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Another point of Character Development that I researched was thinking about the characters beliefs, motives, and inner feelings. Continuing to study the StudioBinder.com article on the topic, they explain, that as humans, "what we believe defines what we do", (Studio Binder, 2022) inspiring me to consider my own characters beliefs. Could the victims own beliefs have aggravated the killer? What was the killers motive behind the crime? What are the suspects inner feelings throughout the script and how can I convey that? How does the characters beliefs influence their actions? These are all questions that I will ask when it comes to developing my own characters, and giving them their own attributes and characteristics. However, when doing this I will need to be aware that each attribute relates to the plot in some way. For each character, I will create a chart which will establish how they feel and how they act, throughout different points in the script.
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It is also important for me to decide whether each character is a lead character, a supporting character, or minor character. For example, in my script, the victim, killer, and detectives could be seen as lead characters, as they are the main focus when trying to uncover the murder. Furthermore, the suspects could be seen as the supporting characters, as they are involved in little action throughout the film, even though they are often mentioned and seen on occasion. Finally, some of the minor characters could be the other guests at the theme park, along with the ride operators. These characters would be minor because they wouldn't have a major impact on the story development, however, may speak a line or two, or cast a facial expression to enhance the tone of the scene. Alongside this, I will also need to identify my protagonists and antagonists. Obviously the killer would initially appear as the antagonist, however, since I aim to include twists and turns throughout my script, I could explore the possibility of my antagonist becoming the overall protagonist by the end of the story, enhancing their dynamic elements.
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Knives Out - Film Analysis - Secondary Research/ Existing Media Product
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As part of my research, I have decided to watch the Murder Mystery film, Knives Out, as it was suggested to me by some of my peers and my lecturers, as well as this, I will also study the films screenplay during the Skills and Techniques part of my research to allow me to analyse how the script compares to the end product. Upon starting to watch Knives Out, I was immediately intrigued by the creative choice which was to open the film with the viewer finding the victim dead; something that I hadn't even considered for my own script. The film begins with a continuous tracking shot of, at this point, an unknown character, who is seen carrying a tray of tea through a large mansion, until eventually finding 'Mr Thrombey', the owner of the house, dead in his study. The dramatic opening of Knives Out led me to think about how I aimed to approach my own opening. Similarly to this film, I liked the idea of having the the victim dead for the first time that the viewer sees them, and then having flashbacks throughout the scene, explaining the lead up to the murder. An idea that I thought of was to have a medium-close up shot of the back of the victims head, whilst on the ride, and then a sudden opening of brightness as the Ghost Train comes to an end and returns to the outside. In order to quickly establish the element of comedy in my script, I would then have several shots of all minor and supporting characters, excluding the other riders, to show their facial expressions of the reveal, followed by a loud scream which would then allow for a Title Card. It would be at this point that the film will begin with a series of events leading shortly up to the murder taking place. This is where the audience would be able to identify little moments between the suspects and the victim, and begin to form an idea of their possible motives.
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Furthermore, as the film continues, I was found the 'Interviews' section particularly interesting to watch due to the absurdist way that each shot was cut together. Whilst each suspect was individually interviewed and interrogated by the police and detectives, each alternative shot would be cut together to show a different suspect being interviewed - an efficient way of portraying each interview in a short space of time. For example, in one shot the daughter of the victim is seen being interviewed, and ending her piece of dialogue with a question for the detective. In the next shot, the detective is seen to answer her question, whilst also asking another question back, to which another suspect would be revealed to answer that question. In terms of the topic, this method would clearly show that the detective is asking all of the suspects the same, or similar questions in order to figure out whether all of their stories match up. This is made clear to the viewer through the clever use of editing. If I were to use this technique when writing my own script, I would need to make sure that the dialogue is smooth and flows from line to line between each character, to provide a smooth and clear edit. Throughout the film, several characters are also revealed to have unusual qualities to their personalities - perhaps the most notable being Martha, Harlan's nurse, where she vomits every time that she lies. The detective obviously saw this to be a useful quality and used Martha to help him with the investigation along the way. The idea of giving the characters unusual qualities and attributes that could also relate to the plot in some way is something that I will explore further.
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As the film develops, it is revealed that Martha caused Harlan's death when accidentally giving him an overdose of Morphine, however, it was clear that Harlan actually committed suicide after finding out that he had minutes to live. However, for the majority of the film, the audience are aware of Martha's involvement in the death, whereas, it was made to seem that Blanc, the detective, was none the wiser. This aspect was revealed quite early on in the film and so it was apparent that there would be more twists and turns yet to come; something that would keep the viewer engaged. Toward the end of the film, we see the cumulation of the detective sharing his overall findings of the case. It is at this point that he shares what he has uncovered throughout the investigation and reveals a different outcome in comparison to what the viewers had been led to believe throughout the entire film, when revealing that Ransom was actually responsible for Harlan's death. Due to the slight complexity of the plot, this part of the film was structured so that Ransoms actions were being played out as Blanc explained his findings. This reveal at the end is the big twist that the audience were anticipating throughout the film, leaving them satisfied, and pleased that Martha, who was technically seen as the 'antagonist', got her happy ending and was able to live guilt-free, whilst also inheriting Harlan's mansion. Personally, I liked the fact that there was a big twist at the end, and even though I felt that it was inevitable when watching the film, I was at no point aware of what the twist could be. When it comes to studying my Target Audience, I will make sure to include a question about the popularity of twists and turns, to understand whether that is a factor that my own audience would be interested in seeing.
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Overall, I found the film 'Knives Out' to be an intriguing and captivating story, which followed the plot of a classic Murder Mystery. There were several elements of the film that I found to be particularly interesting, some of which I will aim to incorporate into my own work to ensure that I am following the Murder Mystery theme.
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In this part of my Portfolio, I will focus on the Research that I have conducted concerning the Target Audience for my project. I will record my findings and will continuously refer back to my Research Questions to ensure that I am conducting research that is relevant to my project. I aim to gather my research by undertaking Primary, Qualitative, and Quantitative tasks.
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Who are my Target Audience and what are their common demographics? - Primary Research
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For this part of my research, I have decided that in order to gather the most realistic results to finding out more about my Target Audience and their common demographics, would be by collecting first-hand, primary information. I have conducted this research by creating a Questionnaire on Microsoft Forms, including a variety of multiple choice and written answered questions. I have attached the link to my Questionnaire below, alongside including some screen grabs of the questions.
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In order to gain a wide variety of responses, I decided to share my questionnaire with Family members, friends, classmates, and on several social media platforms. I thought that by sharing the survey around on different platforms, it would attract different audiences, giving me a wide range of answers.
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After leaving the survey open for a suitable period of time, I decided to analyse and evaluate the responses that I had received. I first looked at the final question, asking the person to state their age - this allowed me to have an understanding of the variety of people that had completed the questionnaire. I was pleased to uncover that over 15 people had taken part in my survey, with their ages varying from 15 year olds to those in their 70s. This would prove beneficial to my studies as I would be able to look for any similarities in answers depending on the age group, and ultimately, determine my own Target Audience.
When reviewing the first question, which asked, 'Do you like Murder Mystery films?', I was pleased to see that the overall answer was 'Yes' with 13 people voting for yes, and the other 3 voting for no. This gave me a clear insight into whether Murder Mystery films are currently popular, and my findings prove that they are.
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Upon reviewing the answers to the second question, which asked, 'How many Murder Mystery films have you watched?', there was a fairly varied response throughout the answers with one person stating that they hadn't watched any, whilst 5 people had watched between 5-10 films, with 6 people watching 10 or more. This further highlighted to me the popularity of the genre and the space in the industry for my own piece of work.
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For the third question, I asked the person to choose their favourite from a choice of 5. The answers to this question would help me to identify if I aiming for the correct genre, and what other genres I could include based on my Target Audiences preferences. The majority of people voted for comedy with 12 people voting, making it the most popular genre out of the 5. Two people voted for Murder Mystery with one person each voting for Thriller and Horror. The two genres that I aim to use in my script, being comedy and murder mystery, were the most popular options, therefore, this gives me confidence that I am on the right track to meeting my Target Audiences expectations. Whilst I intend to include little elements of Romance and Horror in my script, I was pleased to see that they were the least voted for options. When it comes to producing my script, it is essential that I refer back to these findings to ensure that my work revolves around the genres I have chosen to incorporate.
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Whilst I had established that my two intended genres were the most popular, I now needed to find out whether my Target Audience would be interested in seeing the two genres combined in one script. I did this by using the fourth question to ask, 'Would you be interested in watching a film where both comedy and thriller genres were incorporated?' Thankfully, all 16 people voted for 'Yes', with zero people voting for 'No'. Once again, this gives my idea confidence, and an opportunity to create something unique that my Target Audience would be interested in seeing.
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I wanted to use the fifth question to find out more about what the audience likes to see from a Murder Mystery film, or indeed, any film. One of the common elements in Murder Mystery films is the inclusion of Twists and Turns throughout, leading to a shocking reveal at the end of the film. Using this question, I wanted to find out whether the audience preferred films that had twist and turns or films that have a predictable ending. Like question four, all 16 people voted for the 'Twists and Turns' option, which has now encouraged me to use this element in my own script writing.
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For the final multiple choice question of my questionnaire, I asked the question, 'Do you prefer watching films that are Entertaining, Informative, or Educational?'. Once again, all 16 people voted for 'Entertaining' with zero people voting for Informative or Educational. Therefore, it is essential that I aim to make my script entertaining, so that I am able to create a piece of work that my Target Audience will find enjoyable.
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At the end of the Questionnaire, I asked the person completing the survey to state their all-time favourite film and why they like it. I felt that this question would allow me to gather an overall feel of what the person likes to see in films and what types of genres their chosen films were. Most answers were varied, with some people choosing a Murder Mystery based film as their all-time favourite movie. Some of these included Murder On The Orient Express and Knives Out. Should I need to carry out further research throughout the process, I could watch some of these suggested films to gain an insight to how they were written and portrayed on screen.
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Overall, I found this primary research task extremely helpful as I was able to gain some first hand feedback based on questions that were relevant to my own project. In the past, I had been sceptical about sharing my questionnaires on social media platforms, however, this research task has proven that it is one of the best ways to gather feedback and I will definitely do this again in the future when looking for feedback and opinions from my peers.
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Target Audience Research - Character Development
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Now that I have determined my overall Target Audience, I wanted to discover more about what types of characters that they are interested in seeing in a Murder Mystery film. In order to do this, I created another Questionnaire that could be sent to various people from my Target Audience which would include questions about the Murder Mystery genre as a whole, and films in general. I found this task very useful as it has allowed me to learn more about my Target Audiences interests, as well as how I could structure my own characters for the script. I have analysed my findings from the questionnaire below.
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For a Murder Mystery, the characters are often seen as groups of collectives, those mainly being the suspects and detectives. However, I wanted to understand whether my Target Audience would prefer there to be groups of protagonists and antagonists in my film, or for there to be two specific 'Hero' and 'Enemy' type characters. It is clear to see from the questionnaire results that the majority of people would prefer to see several or groups of each. When writing the script, I will need to think about what category each character falls into, and whether there will be a clear divide between the protagonists and antagonists, or whether that will add to the mystery theme. This idea could prove useful when giving characters a split personality.
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For Question 2, I asked my Target Audience, 'When watching a film, what attributes do you enjoy seeing in a Protagonists personality?'. I was pleased to receive several pieces of feedback with some people even suggesting some similar characteristics. I deliberately left the question open by not stating whether I intended to make the Protagonist the killer or the victim as I wanted to understand how my Target Audience viewed the characters in films that they had previously watched. For example, one person explained that they enjoyed seeing the protagonist having a 'cunning' personality, indicating that they prefer the protagonist to be the 'villain' and the character that the audience can get behind and support throughout the film. However, some other people answered that they like to see the protagonist take on the 'detective' role, with a calm and decisive personality, whilst also displaying signs of compassion and real human interaction with the other characters.
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For Question 3, I asked my Target Audience, 'When watching a film, what attributes do you enjoy seeing in an Antagonists personality?'. Similarly to Question 2, I received a mixture of answers as to whether the audience views the antagonist as the killer of the victim. However, it was clear that most people recognised the Antagonist to be the murder, explaining that they enjoy seeing manipulative, cold, and cunning characteristics in the characters personality. Furthermore, one person explained that the attribute of greed is something that they would be interested in seeing. This is a common theme that is used as a motive in murder mystery films and definitely something that I could explore further during the production stages.
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For Question 4, I asked my Target Audience what age groups they prefer their characters to have. This is a vital point when it comes to character development as it is important to create characters that your target audience find appealing in order for them to remain engaged throughout the film. Most people completing the survey said that they prefer watching characters that are around the age of 20, therefore, it is essential to ensure that I create some characters of this age. Whilst nobody voted for the latter options of 50+ - 70+, I am still considering including some characters of this age. I think that by doing this, I will further open up my target audience by attracting those of an older age, making my script more inclusive for a variety of people.
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For Question 5, when asking my Target Audience, 'When watching a film, do you enjoy watching conflict between characters?', there was a clear answer of 'Yes'. Similarly to many Murder Mystery films, the conflict element often comes during the end reveal when the murderer is caught and confesses their motives. It is at this point in my own script that I will have the victims family and the murderer share a brief moment of conflict and anger.
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For the final question, I asked the general question of 'What would be your overall, ideal character that you would like to see in a Murder Mystery Film?' and was pleased to gain some interesting feedback about the types of characters that my Target Audience would be interested in seeing. I will use some of this feedback when it comes to developing my own characters and deciding on their personalities and characteristics. Personally, I like the idea of having the detectives interview each of the suspects as I feel that this moment could allow for some information to be given and will keep the audience engaged in what each character is saying.
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Overall, I found this task very useful as I was able to gain some information about what characters my target audience would be interested in seeing in my script, and what attributes they would like them to maintain. I will refer back to this information during the production stage when I start my Character Development. I have included the link to my Questionnaire below.
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Target Audience Research
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Skills and Techniques Research
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In this part of my Portfolio, I will focus on the Skills and Techniques that I require for my project. I will research the attributes and characteristics of a good screenwriter, whilst researching several methods of published screenplays. I will record all of my findings to ensure that I am including the skills and techniques that I learn when it comes to producing my final script.
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What Skills and Techniques will I require for this project?
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For this part of my research, I aim to uncover the skills and techniques that I will need in order for my project to be successful. In this section, I will use online resources and books to find out what makes a successful screenwriter. When researching my Target Audience in the previous section of my Research, several people have suggested that I study the 2019 Murder Mystery film, 'Knives Out'. Instead of just watching the film itself, I figured that I would also find it beneficial to read the original screenplay to help me understand how the film was written.
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When studying the first page of the Knives Out screenplay, I immediately recognise the layout of the first line from our Writing for Television unit. It is essential to include whether the scene is set inside (INT.) or outside (EXT.), the location, and the time of day in the first line for several reasons. Firstly, it clearly sets up the scene for which is written below it, and secondly, it helps the Director when blocking the scene to be filmed. Furthermore, the second line adds some additional information about the scene when stating the exact location where the scene is set, and what the weather is like. It is important to include these few lines at the beginning of each new scene to clearly separate the scene from the previous one.
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Also, it is important to remember that the name of the character should be in all bold Capitals in the middle of the page, with the line of dialogue starting from the left hand side of the page. The second line of dialogue is a good example of how to structure the line of dialogue when the same character continues speaking in between a moment of action. The character name can be written as, 'CHARACTER (Cont'd). It depends on the writing software whether the '(Cont'd)' is written in all Caps, however, typically, it is written in the lowercase as it is designed to appear less intrusive than the name itself.
When studying the script further, I came across this section of dialogue that I found particularly interesting. It includes a split line of dialogue between two people. These lines of dialogue are written like this to highlight that both of the characters are speaking the lines at the exact same time, in unison with each other. This technique could have been used to amplify the emotion of frustration that can be felt in this scene. It also helps the Director and the actors to have a deeper understanding of the story and how the script should be portrayed. I find this technique very interesting and will attempt to include this in my own script to make it more unique and add a different dynamic between the characters.
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Furthermore, when looking at the lines of dialogue on page 14, I noticed that there was a '(V.O)' next to the character name. After some further investigation, I discovered that this stands for Voice Over - another interesting technique that I could use when writing my script. Perhaps I could have one of the characters narrating a voice over at the beginning of the film to introduce the setting and the characters. Alternatively, another way of doing this would be by using on-screen text.
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Another term that I discovered when reading through the script was '(O.S)' which was positioned next to the characters names. After researching this further, I uncovered that this meant that the action or dialogue is taking place 'off-screen'. This is another technique that I could try to incorporate into my script, especially in the moment where the murder is taking place, on the ride, out of view from the rest of the characters and the viewer.
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Towards the end of the script, it is apparent that the action happening in the film is amplified and, therefore, structured slightly differently. Most scenes often use a single, short paragraph to explain the action happening at the time of the dialogue that is being spoken. However, during this scene, each moment of action is represented by a new, single line. This could have been done to exaggerate the importance of the moment. It clearly sets out the precise actions that are taking place, encouraging the director to consider how each moment will be portrayed on screen. This is a technique that I will attempt to use in my own screenplay.
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Wanting to discover more about the writer of Knives Out, I did some further online research and uncovered that Rian Johnson has also written other successful screenplays, such as, 'Star Wars - The Rise Of Jedi' and 'Brick'. When looking on his IMBd page, I found a section which revealed his common techniques that he incorporates in most of his pieces of work. Some of these included the Millimetre of film that he often shoots in, common themes and locations, and his frequent use of foreshadowing. This led me to think about what other techniques I could include in my own film to enhance the story structure. As previously discovered when reading through the Knives Out script, the Voice Over technique is definitely something that I will aim to use in my own writing as I think this will add an interesting element to the plot. Furthermore, I am also considering using a cyclical structure for my script which will allow me to start the script with the ending of the story. However, I will need to be careful in how I structure this to ensure that I do not immediately reveal the murderer at the beginning of the script. Finally, another technique that I think is vital when it comes to writing mystery dramas is the 'Show Don't Tell' technique.
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I found this task very useful as it allowed me to read through an original screenplay and identify some key aspects of script, whilst also discovering some techniques that I wasn't aware of beforehand. I will attempt to use these techniques in my own work when it comes to the production stages of the project.
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How can I ensure that my finalised script is to a high standard and what techniques will help me achieve this? - Primary Research
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When reading a section from the book, 'The TV Studio Production Handbook', titled, 'The Big Idea', I discovered some key techniques that could be useful in forming and developing an idea. Some of these techniques included Lateral Thinking, Reverse Thinking, Mind Maps, and Blue Sky Thinking. Below, I will research each idea in more depth to help me gain a greater understanding of the techniques to ensure that my final script is to a professional standard.
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Mind Maps
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In this section of the book, the author, Lucy Brown, highlights the usefulness of using Mind Maps to create and build on ideas. She states that the visualisation that the technique offers allows you to clearly map out your story and identify connections and links within your plot, leading you to ensure that no questions are left unanswered regarding your overall story. She also discusses the importance of having a 'central' word that would allow you to build and broaden your ideas from. Perhaps these words could be focussing on an emotion that you are trying to convey, a characters personality, or the main idea of the story plot. Another method that could prove useful when creating mind maps is to include pictures, textures, and colours to help stimulate and provoke your imagination and creativity. In order to gain some first-hand experience, I will create several mind-maps during the production stages of my project, when it comes to developing and building on my characters personalities, appearances, and inner emotions. This will allow me to clearly map out each character, making it easier for me to identify and highlight their different attributes and the relevance that they will have to the plot.
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Lateral Thinking
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Furthermore, in this part of the book, Brown describes the Lateral Thinking technique as a 'a method used to develop creativity in a wide range of institutions' (Duthie, 2022) which was first created by Edward de Bono is 1933. Lateral Thinking is the overall technique of thinking 'outside the box'. This technique allows you to stretch your imagination and build on your creative methods. It often includes looking at the problem from a different perspective or view point - something that could prove useful in the Murder Mystery genre. As previously identified in my Target Audience questionnaire, many people are kept engaged in a film if it include twists and turns throughout, therefore, to ensure that my film does not have a predictable atmosphere, I will need to think about Lateral Thinking when it comes to writing my final script.
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Reverse Thinking
Reverse Thinking often includes having the problem as the starting point, and trying to work backwards from this point. At this point in the process, I am still planning and formulating my finalised plot, therefore this technique could prove very useful for my own project as it could encourage me to think about my final outcome, and then create the plot line around it. For example, was the victim killed in love or in spite? What was the overall reasoning behind the murder? When answering these questions, I will then be able to work backwards and form a story around it. By doing this, I hope that this technique will allow me to stretch my creativity and think about the real reasoning behind the characters motives and decide whether they are realistic to the story. I will also need to think about how the end outcome will have influenced all of the events that led up to this moment. Both Lateral and Reverse Thinking techniques will prove useful to my project if I decide to use a cyclical structure.
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Blue-Sky Thinking
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Even though the Blue-Sky Thinking technique is often used within groups of creatives, it can also be a technique that an individual writer could use too. It could be that you could pair with your peers and share your ideas with one another and gain feedback. It often proves useful to speak with others about your idea to gain a fresh opinion as it often challenges how well you know your own idea and forces you to think about aspects that you perhaps hadn't even considered. This is a technique that I could use when wanting to gain feedback on my character creation and draft scripts throughout the process.
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References:
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For my research, I used the real book, however, for referencing purposes, I have included a PDF version of the book in the Research References section below.
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Screenwriting: A Beginners Guide - Primary Research
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As part of my primary Skills and Techniques Research, I decided to read through parts of the book, 'Screenwriting: A Beginners Guide' (Fernando, 2022) to ensure I am familiar with the common aspects of script writing. I began my research on this book by looking at the Concept and Research section, where I discovered an interesting technique that the author, Stanley Fernando, uses to formulate his own ideas and concepts. He explained that he often creates his overall idea from a single scene that has interested him or that he has thought of. For example, he could have created a scene in his mind, which would then encourage him to study the scene in more depth and build a greater narrative around that scene. Perhaps the scene that he thought of could have been the final scene of the film, forcing him to work his way backwards to uncover the origins of his story. Encouraging his readers, Fernando explained, 'Always keep a little notebook with a pen wherever you travel; because you never know when a concept’s going to hit you.' (Fernando, 2022). Of course, this idea about formulating concepts lead me to think about how I might set out and structure my own scenes for my script. At this current moment, I am still in two minds over the end outcome of my film, therefore, it might prove helpful to me to look at my beginning and middle scenes and think about how they could influence an ending.
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Continuing with his suggestion of carrying a notepad with you every where you go, Fernando talks about the importance of bullet pointing all of your ideas, whether they seem relevant or not. Fernando explains that by doing this, it allows you to clearly set out your thoughts, and re-order your ideas later. This is another way in which ideas can be formed, and also allows for more ideas to stem off of these original concepts. This part of formulating ideas will allow you to clearly set out your plot outline. Furthermore, as Fernando explains, 'you never know when a concept’s going to hit you', (Fernando, 2022) he reiterates the importance of making a record of every idea - something that I have not done previously. However, after reading a section from this book, I will make sure to record any little idea that I have in this process, and in the future, as it will hopefully allow me to add more depth and detail to my final idea.
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Furthermore, there is an interesting section in this book where Fernando states several key elements of script writing - some I had discovered earlier on in the Research process, and some I still wasn't aware of. Using the online PDF version to maintain screen grabs, I have included a copy of these below.
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I am already aware of some of these screenplay elements, such as the Exterior and Interior abbreviations, from the Writing for Television Unit, and also, the Voice Over, Off Screen and Continued points from the Knives Out script analysis task. However, I wasn't previously aware of some of the other markers. I will ensure that I will try to include as many of these points in my final script to ensure that it is kept to a professional standard.
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As the book develops, there is also an interesting section about 'Developing Scenes'. This part of the book explains how different scenes should be structured and how to keep the action flowing. The idea that scenes flow is extremely important as it 'allows the action to continue moving forward' (Fernando, 2022). Also in the section of the book, Fernando talks about the importance of 'rewarding patience' (Fernando, 2022). For my project, it is essential that I reward patience as the viewers must be kept engaged throughout, therefore, they have high expectations of twist and turns in the plot, along with one final, big twist at the end, which will leave them feeling satisfied with the result.
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References:
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For my research, I used the real book, however, for referencing purposes, I have included a PDF version of the book in the Research References section below.
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Production Research
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In this part of my Portfolio, I will focus on the Pre-Production and Production Research that I require for my project. I will include my Pre-Production Documents in this section which will detail the finalised ideas for my script, with a synopsis, treatment, and several draft scripts. I will also use this section to continue my character development.
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Pre-Production Documents
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Introduction
For my Final Major Project, I will write a Murder Mystery script which will infuse elements of the Thriller and Comedy genres. My screenplay will be set in a theme park, specifically around the Ghost Train ride, which is where the murder will take place.
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I have chosen to write a Murder Mystery script as I think that is a genre that offers a broad range of exploration and experimentation, allowing me to practise and showcase my skills as a script writer. The aim of my project is to create an entertaining and enjoyable script for my Target Audience, whilst also taking the opportunity to learn more about how ideas are formulated, presented, and ultimately, brought to life.
Throughout the process of the project, I will write several draft copies of my screenplay, before writing my final script. Due to the timescale of the project, I will aim to make my script around 30 minutes in length, resulting in a 35-40 page document. This will allow me to experiment with different skills and techniques that I wish to include in the project, whilst also ensuring that the plot remains simple and easy to follow.
When conducting my Target Audience research, I discovered that my audience is not mainly determined solely by their age or gender, but mostly by their interests. I will use my research to refer back to when it comes to the production stage of the project as it will allow me to ensure that I am creating something that is relevant to my Target Audiences interests.
Throughout this Pre-Production Document, I will examine factors such as my idea as a whole, the Production Schedule, Health and Safety, and Contingence Plan.
Log Line
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When three friends embark on an exciting day at the theme park, they are unaware of the disturbing events which lie ahead of them. After one of the friends is mysteriously killed whilst on the Ghost Train ride, it is left up to Detective Jones and Junior Detective Evans to solve the murder mystery.
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Synopsis
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After completing the Research part of the project, I now have a clearer idea of the route I want to take when it comes to my script idea. Initially, my idea was to just have a Murder Mystery script which would take place on a Ghost Train, however, I now have a greater understanding of the types of characters I would like to create, how I would like my plot to be structured, and different techniques that I would like to incorporate into my writing.
The screenplay will begin with a medium-close up shot of the back of the victim’s head on the Ghost Train itself. A sudden flood of brightness will then be seen, representing the fact that the Ghost Train has now returned to daylight. It will be at this point that several other shots of the other characters, excluding the other riders, will be presented to make their facial expressions apparent. I am keen to keep the rest of the riders hidden at this point as they will become the main suspects throughout the screenplay and so it is important that I do not give anything away too soon.
As the script develops, I would like to replicate parts of the Interview scene from the 2019 Murder Mystery film, Knives Out. I will intertwine each suspects response along with the questions being asked by the detectives. In order to use comedy throughout the script, I have decided to structure one of the detectives’ personalities to appear clearly unqualified for the role, allowing for a classic ‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ scenario.
Finally, at the end of the script, the truth will be revealed with the murder being solved. At this point, I would like to include some scenes that will replay the murder taking place, along with the lead up to it, which will explain the motive behind it. It will also be at the very last moment of the script that I intend to include one final twist that will be unexpected for the audience.
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Treatment
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Even though my plot line as a whole follows multiple twists and turns throughout, my script has a clear beginning, middle and end structure. The script will begin in a cyclical type of way when, like most Murder Mystery films, the murder will take place, leaving the rest of the film the chance to work backwards, and uncover the murder. In the opening scene of the film, the supposed static camera would follow the back of the victim’s head, who at this point is riding the Ghost Train, to which it will then reveal the knife that has been planted in his chest, then showing the theme park guests reactions. This dramatic opening will immediately capture the audience’s attention and keep them engaged. Furthermore, this scene will allow me to build the plot up around this very moment. After the title card plays, the script will then shift in focus to 3 hours before the crime, which will be marked with a piece of text on screen. This part of the script will follow the three friends, James, Max, and Bob, arriving at the theme park, excited for the day ahead. Their normal, innocent, and friendly personas will immediately raise questions for the viewer as to how any of them could become the victim of a murder crime. Through the use of dialogue, I will be able to establish each character’s personalities, feelings and thoughts about the situation they’re in – Max is full of excitement and energy, James is more timid and nervous, and Bob is totally care-free and laid back about the whole thing. It is also at this moment where I will include a key ‘plot point’, which will prove important later on in the script, where the three friends will take a photograph of themselves at the theme park and upload it to social media. This part of the script will allow both the plot, and the lead up to the murder, to develop.
As the screenplay progresses, the script will continue to follow the three friends around the theme park, allowing for a few moments where I can incorporate elements of comedy and then use a ‘time-lapse’ type scene which will speed up the action, leaving more time for the murder to take place, and the interviews to begin. It will be after this scene that the build up to the murder will now begin. We will see the three friends, with Dorothy and Diane visible in the scene, even though they blend into the background. During these scenes, there is no obvious interaction between the three friends, and the mother and daughter that are standing in the queue behind them. The ride will then begin, with the five characters on board, where we now see similar shots as to what we saw at the beginning of the film. However, whilst on the ride, and notably before the murder, the ride will break down, and Richard, the ride engineer will be introduced. By adding this plot point, this adds Richard as another suspect/witness to the murder, since he was around and near the victim at the time the murder took place. The first scenes that we saw at the beginning of the script, where the victim was revealed with a knife in his chest, are then replayed, bringing the viewer and the action up to speed and into correct time.
Following on from this dramatic ‘peak’ of the story, comes the classic part of any Murder Mystery which involves the detectives working out the crimes. As previously mentioned in my FMP concept idea, I intend to introduce two detectives on this clearly unusual case – one of which being a highly qualified detective who has dedicated his life and service to his role, and the other being a junior detective who is practically learning on the job. It would be through the use of the latter character that I can continue to infiltrate elements of comedy; perhaps he could make the suggestion that a ‘ghost’ could have committed the crime, much to the experienced detective’s frustration on the ludicrous suggestion. This will help to keep the plot light and include a mixture of light-heartedness that is the comedy theme, and, in contrast, the darkness, that is the topic of murder. Throughout the detective scenes, it will be ‘revealed’ that the person who committed the crime was in fact, Dorothy, the 85-year-old lady, who seemingly had no connection to the victim. However, the lead up of events will all add up, linking back to the scene at the very beginning of the script, when the friends posted a photo on social media, followed by a scene of Diane suggesting to her mum that they go to the theme park and planting a knife in her handbag. At the very end of the script, the final twist will involve the reveal that it was in fact Diane who had killed James, framing her mother and implying that she killed him for supposedly food poisoning her husband at James’ restaurant, resulting in his death. However, at the end of the script it becomes apparent that James did not poison her husband after all, it was in fact Diane who had caused his death, all in a great scheme to erase her parents from the picture and steal away their possessions and fortunes.
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The Requirements of a Script Writer
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During this project, I will be undertaking the role of a script writer, therefore, it is essential that I research the skills and techniques that are required of script writers to ensure that I incorporate these into my own work. When conducting some initial research on this subject, I found that one of the main attributes needed to be a successful screen writer is the ability to form your own original and interesting story idea. I discovered that it is extremely important that you must have a passion and interest yourself in the subject of which you are writing about. This will help you when writing the script as it allows you to have a greater understanding of the topic, therefore, enhancing and improving the quality of your work. Another piece of information that I found was that it is often beneficial to formulate multiple plot lines around your idea, which would allow the story to take different routes. I found this piece of information particularly useful, as, in the past, I have often found myself fixated on a single idea, however, I now understand the importance of exploring the many possibilities of an idea, as another route may prove to have more depth and interest for both the writer and the viewer. When conducting some further research of the qualities needed to be a successful script writer, I uncovered the importance of structure in a script - it is essential that you, as a writer, have a clear vision of the beginning, middle, and end of the script before attempting to start writing. This will allow you to have a clear understanding of your own story, and the course in which it will take. These are just a few of the initial requirements of a good script writer that I uncovered through my secondary research. A few other skills and techniques that are useful when writing a script are being consistent, yet steady with your writing, have a broad knowledge of your subject, and the ability to identify a specific genre or theme.
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Although for this project I will be working individually, it is important as a script writer to be flexible when it comes to working both independently or collectively with a group of people. Some genres of scripts that commonly have multiple screenwriters include comedy and drama scripts. By having a variety of writers working on one script, it offers a wider range of knowledge, experience, and ideas. It also allows for constructive criticism from others who are working with you to prevent you from making mistakes and working together to ensure that the script you are creating is successful. However, when working as an individual writer, some of these aspects can be limited to one person, meaning that it is extremely important to regularly review your work and criticize elements of your own work to ensure that you are making relevant changes and improvements. It could also be useful as a script writer to gain outside feedback from people who are not involved with the project to allow for some fresh criticism and a different view on your work. This is something that I will consider doing throughout the process as I feel this will help me when it comes to making improvements to my script.
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The role of a screenwriter is often viewed as solely a Pre-Production role, however, in some cases some script writers go on to direct their own work. This is something that I aspire to do in the future, so I feel that it is also important for me to conduct some research around these roles. When taking on the role of Director in a previous task on the course, I discovered that one of the main attributes a good director must have is strong Leadership skills. It is important as a Director to have good time management skills as most production shoots often run at a precise schedule. Furthermore, it is also important to be decisive when it comes to making decisions that will have an impact on the films production. Whilst all of these personal skills are necessary, it is also important to remain open-minded and willing of suggestions from others around you, such as the actors and crew that you are working with. With this in mind, it is also important as a Director to work closely with each member of your team to ensure that everybody has a clear vision of the project in order to make the end product successful. When it comes to the screenwriter also taking on the role of Director on a project, it is common that changes will be continuously made to the script throughout the production process. This could be due to obstacles that you face when filming, or creative decisions that will change your outlook on how the scene should be portrayed. It is the role of a script supervisor who will ensure that all cast and crew are aware of any changes to the script throughout the process.
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Through conducting some research on the requirements needed to make a successful screenwriter, I feel that I have been able to uncover the attributes, skills, and techniques that are needed and will aim to incorporate these in my own work. I will research some of these points further when I conduct the Skills and Techniques part of my research when asking, 'What aspects are needed to create a successful screenplay?'.
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Production Timetable
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Production Schedule
Production for my Final Major Project will begin on the 2nd May 2022 and will finish on the 25th May 2022. Below, I have structured my Production Schedule, which will clearly set out what I aim to complete within that time frame.
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Health and Safety
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Even though I am the only person working on my project, it is still essential that I consider all Health and Safety risks that could possibly occur throughout the process. I have detailed these below and stated how I will prevent them from happening.
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Contingence Plan
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FMP Character Development and Biographies
After conducting some primary research on Character Development in my Questionnaire, I now feel ready to begin forming some possible character biographies that could make up the personalities of the characters that I will include in my script. I have included my brief character biographies below - I have been careful not to overcomplicate my characters biographies, firstly, to be aware of the short timescale that my script will need to be, and secondly, to allow for more growth and development for the characters when it comes to writing the script.
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James (The Victim): A Chef at an Italian Restaurant that has recently opened. Terrified of Theme Parks, however, is easily persuaded by his friends to go on the rides. A quiet, timid, and nervous person who keeps themselves to themselves. James is seen as the protagonist of the narrative as he has been innocently murdered, leaving the audience to feel sympathetic for him, and desire to uncover the truth. James’s nervousness is portrayed through his ‘frightened’ facial expressions, and a habit of biting his fingernails. This is a key attribute that will be used to show moments where he feels particularly afraid of the situation he is in.
Max: Late 20s, lazy when it comes to work, and unemployed. Cannot be bothered to work or even try to find a job. Relies on his parents and friends for money. Energetic and fun when in daring scenarios; lives life on the edge. Max enjoys the wild side of life and often shuts away the fact that he has no job or money. Can sometimes be unpredictable in dangerous situations, but means well at heart. Doesn’t take life too seriously, and encourages those around him to do the same. Throughout the script, we see small hints of Max's jealousy toward James for him having such a 'perfect' job and life- could he have killed him out of jealous spite?
Bob: Mid-20s, very few friends, and has a sense of innocence. Enjoys just going with the flow and following wherever his friends take him. Feels no fear and will always give things a go. Bob clearly has some difficulties in understanding common sense, and can often participate in activities that are not necessarily sensible – seen as a sheep in the sheep and goat analogy. Bob is often fascinated by the smallest of things and will usually get distracted or side-tracked, commonly leading him to get lost from the group - surely not capable of committing a murder, however, could have a similar motive to Max.
Dorothy (The Suspected ‘Murderer’): An 85-year-old woman, recently widowed and relies on her daughter. Regular guest to Dreamland Theme Park and used to visit with her husband. A seemingly sweet and innocent old lady, who is surely uncapable of committing any crimes. Practically brushed aside during the investigation due to the fact that, give her age, she is unlikely to be a suspect. Even though she has an endearing personality, she occasionally talks about her determination to discover what really caused her husbands death. She learns of James’s job as a chef in a restaurant that her and her husband visited shortly before his death, but says nothing, just before boarding the ride, giving her, her own motive.
Diane (The Real Murderer): A 50-year-old woman, Dorothy’s daughter, who is currently living with her mum as she works through a tough divorce with her wealthy ex-husband. Dresses well and is always keen to impress, much to Dorothy’s humour. Shows little signs of grief over her father’s recent death and is of little comfort to her mother as she is caught up in her own struggles. Money and Power hungry. Fearful of ending up with no money after living such a lavish lifestyle with her husband – keen to frame her mother for the two deaths in order to receive her parents fortunes.
Richard: A lifelong ride operator/engineer. His main role is to attend to the Ghost Train ride, which continuously breaks down, and fix it as soon as possible. Has been working at the theme park for 60 years and loves his job and interacting with the guests. Wears bright and colourful clothing and flat cap, leaving him with a friendly face to new and returning guests to the theme park. Lives a quiet life with his wife and is imminently about to retire. On the day of the murder, and of Richards retirement, he is caught up in the mess and finds himself as a suspect. Could this be some sick stunt that he has pulled as a way of marking his retirement?
Detective Jones: A mid-50s police detective who has dedicated his life to his job. Takes his work very seriously and can become frustrated when a case baffles him. He is even more frustrated with the fact that he has been paired with a junior detective who is clearly new to the role and unqualified. Jones hates time-wasters and always wants to understand the truth as quickly as he can. Compares himself to other detectives of his rank and often feels competition against them. He is fearful that his training with the new detective will set him back. A trustworthy figure for the audience who walks with a confident stride to portray his authority. Wears lightly tinted sunglasses at all times and often chews on a cocktail stick.
Junior ‘Detective’ Evans: A young man, in his 30s, who is in training to become a police detective. He has been paired with Detective Jones on this case, and always refers to himself as a Junior ‘Detective’, much to Jones frustration, given he is not yet a certified detective. Fun, bouncy, and likes to feel in control of the situation, but fails miserably. Always walks slightly behind Jones, with small, but quick, pigeon steps. Evans currently has no legal connections or obligations to the case, but becomes fully invested in the situation and enjoys the thrill of it being a murder mystery. Ultimately, Evans ends up being the one of works out that Diane is in fact the murderer, after Jones had already declared Dorothy as the murder. This of course, tips Jones annoyance over the edge, as he hates it when he is wrong.
Through completing this activity, I now feel much more confident, not only in having a clear set of character, but also moving forward in creating an interesting and plausible plot. Moving on from this, I will now attempt to write an experimental script, including some of the characters, so that I can get a feel for how they speak and act. This will allow me to build upon their personalities and attributes, whilst understanding them better as characters.
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Findings
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In this part of my Portfolio, I will reflect on all of my Research Findings that I have gathered over the course of the project. I will discuss which research activities I felt helped me in forming my final piece, and why. I will also talk about the new skills that I have learnt through conducting my research, and how they will prove beneficial to my work, going forward.
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When it came to conducting my research, it was extremely important to me that I continuously referred back to my Research Questions, which I detailed at the beginning of the project, to ensure that I was collecting research that would prove relevant to my project. When creating my Research Questions, I wanted to include a variety of research options, such as using primary and secondary techniques, which would allow me to gain both qualitative and quantitative data. I found it helpful to break down my research questions into several different categories, being, Subject and Topic research, Target Audience research, Skills and Techniques research, and Production research, so that I had a clear idea on what I needed to research, and what part of the project I would benefit from the research.
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Subject and Topic Research Findings
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When thinking about what I needed to research for the Subject and Topic Research section, I knew that I needed to broaden my knowledge on the Murder Mystery genre. Going into this project, I had little idea about how to attempt writing a Murder Mystery script, and wanted to find out more about the genre itself, and the attributes that came with it. Therefore, the first question that I asked for this part of my research was, 'What are the main aspects needed to create a Murder Mystery script?'. When conducting some secondary research by reading several articles on this topic, I discovered how essential it was to have a clear plot, clear characters, and a clear outcome, when writing a script of this genre. I also uncovered the importance of suspense - it is extremely important to ensure that the theme of suspense is carried throughout your script, until the very last moment, to keep the audience feeling engaged and involved in the action. This part of my research was crucial as it opened up some further questions that I asked myself, which helped me to think about how my story could be developed. Some of these questions included, 'What makes my 'murder' a mystery?' and 'Will the viewer see the murder take place?'. These were previously points that I hadn't considered, and so I found this task very beneficial in allowing my plot to move forward, whilst challenging my own creative skills.
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Furthermore, as discovered during my previous research, I now realised the importance of having engaging and interesting characters in a murder mystery. As much as the plot is essential to a mystery film, it is the characters that ultimately carry the plot, evolving and adapting along the way, which will eventually reveal their motives. Given this information, I knew that I would need to conduct some more research which focussed solely on Character Development. For this part of my research, I wanted to understand how different characters, of different importance could be used when writing a script. When reading an online article by 'StudioBinder', I uncovered the terms, 'Flat' characters and 'Dynamic' characters. The article explained the two types of characters when talking about how 'flat' characters remain fairly consistent throughout, not undergoing and physical or emotional changes, whereas, 'dynamic' characters represent the opposite and do undergo several changes. This part of my research allowed me to think in more depth about how my characters will change and evolve throughout the script, whether that be physically or emotionally. For example, my victim would be seen as a 'dynamic' character as they will undergo a physical change after being stabbed in the chest. Furthermore, my suspect characters would also feel a range of emotions throughout, from the uplifting beginning, to when the mood shifts, and the murder takes place. Also during this part of my research, I was able to understand how to form motives for my characters, which would help me later on when creating my character biographies.
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Finally, to conclude my Subject and Topic research, I decided that it would be beneficial to research an existing media product. When discussing my idea with others throughout the process, many people suggested that I watched the murder mystery film, Knives Out. I decided to take this advice and watch the film, which led me to think about how I could structure my own story, and particularly influenced me to think about how I could include twists and turns in my script. A key plot point that stood out to me when watching Knives Out, was the fact that the murder was revealed in the opening few moments of the film. This was an interesting element that I previously hadn't considered. The cyclical way that the film was structured allowed it to have a unique spin in comparison to other murder mystery films. This plot point encouraged me to structure my own script in a similar way - I liked the idea of having the murder take place at the beginning of the film, and then working backwards to uncover the truth. Another part of the film that I found intriguing was the 'interviews' section. I was especially drawn in by the absurdist way in which the scenes were cut together, allowing for all of the suspects to be interviewed individually, yet at the same time. This was another point that I wanted to experiment in my own work and feel that I successfully achieved this when working on my draft scripts.
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Target Audience Research Findings
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When conducting research for the Target Audience section, I knew that I firstly needed to determine who my Target Audience were, as well as understanding their views and opinions on Murder Mystery films. For this part of the research, I decided to complete a primary task by creating questionnaire that asked the respondent general questions based around the Murder Mystery film. This would allow me to understand whether the people that were answering my questionnaire enjoy Murder Mystery films, and what aspects that they are interested in seeing. Although I had previously researched the common aspects of a Murder Mystery film, it was important for me to understand whether my Target Audience actually enjoy watching films with these attributes to ensure that I was creating something that would appeal to them. After gathering a broad range of responses from a variety of people, I decided to close the questionnaire so that I could review the feedback I had received. Overall, I found the feedback very helpful as it gave me an informative insight into what content my Target Audience are interested in. The vast majority of people answered that they enjoy watching Murder Mystery films, proving the point that it is an increasingly popular genre. As previously mentioned, I wanted to incorporate elements of the comedy genre in my script, to provide a unique take on the classic Murder Mystery theme. I was pleased to discover that 75% of my responses stated that the comedy genre was their favourite of the genres listed. In addition to this, I was also pleased to realise that the Murder Mystery genre was the second favourite theme. This evidence secured my original idea, giving me confidence to go ahead with combining the two genres. I also asked several other questions such as, 'Do you prefer films that have twists and turns throughout, or those which have predictable endings?' and was able to gain a wide amount of knowledge, whilst also gaining a better insight on my Target Audience.
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After conducting a successful questionnaire which allowed me to identify my Target Audience and understand their views on the Murder Mystery genre, I decided that I would find it beneficial to create another survey which would enable me to ask questions on the topic of Character Development. After discovering the importance of Character Development in my Subject and Topic research, I knew that I needed to create characters that were both relevant to my plot and were engaging for my audience. I specifically tailored my second questionnaire so that it asked questions such as, 'Do you prefer when a film has a single protagonist and antagonist, or when there are groups of each?', 'When watching a film, what attributes do you enjoy seeing in a Protagonists/Antagonists personality?' and 'When watching a film, do you enjoy watching conflict between characters?'. These are just a few of the questions that I asked within my survey. When reviewing the responses that I had received, I felt that I was able to understand my Target Audiences views and opinions, enabling me to have a greater understanding of what type of characters I needed to think about forming, moving forward.
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Skills and Techniques Research Findings
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When conducting research for the Skills and Techniques section, I wanted to specifically focus on the skills required to be a good script writer, and what aspects I might need to include. After previously watching the Murder Mystery film, Knives Out, I thought that I might also benefit from reading the screenplay version of the film, which would allow me to view it in a different light. When reading a copy of the original script, by Rian Johnson, I was able to identify several techniques that I recognised, such as the 'INT' and 'EXT' abbreviations to give information about whether the scene takes place inside or outside, however, there were also some techniques that I had not yet discovered, which I was keen to learn more about. One of which being the Dual Dialogue technique. There was a moment in the script which showed two characters talking over each other at the exact same time. Whilst this is a common technique that we see on many films, I had not yet thought about how that might have been presented on a script. I was interested to see the way in which this technique was layed out, which encouraged me to use the technique in my own writing. Furthermore, some other techniques that I identified was the Voice Over technique, and the Off Screen technique which were presented using the abbreviations, (V.O), and (O.S), which was placed next to the characters name, above the line of dialogue. This was another technique that I had not yet thought about using, however, by seeing it in context in the Knives Out screenplay, this encouraged me to attempt to incorporate it into my own script, allowing it to become a prominent technique which would not be used only once, but be carried throughout the entire script as a way of keeping the viewer engaged and intrigued.
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Furthermore, I conducted some further primary research when reading the book, 'The TV Studio Production Handbook'. A section of this book that I particularly focussed on was the formulating ideas section. Whilst I had already composed my overall idea, there were still details that I needed to identify and figure out. This book went into detail about different techniques which could help in the formulation and development of ideas. These techniques included, Mind Mapping, Lateral Thinking, Reverse Thinking, and Blue Sky Thinking. I discussed each technique, talking about what they involve, and how they might help me in my project. Some techniques, such as, Blue Sky Thinking, are often used in groups of creatives, therefore, this may have not been the best technique to use in terms of my project. However, several of the other options could prove helpful and would allow me to think about my ideas in different ways, and from different points of views.
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Alongside this, I continued with my primary research by also reading several sections from the book, 'Scriptwriting: A Beginners Guide'. I found this part of my research very beneficial, as the author, Stanley Fernando, explains how he often forms a wider plot from a single scene. He explained that when thinking of a scene, he is often able to stem from that single idea and build other ideas around it. He also explained how he sometimes likes to start with the ending scene, and then work backwards. He also talks about how beginning with the end allows you as a writer to ensure that you aware of the plot as a whole and understand the process of how you eventually get to the ending. These different techniques as to how to formulate your ideas are very interesting and something that I will attempt when writing my own script.
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Production Research
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The Production Research section of my research would allow me to compile and finalise all of my ideas before beginning the practical stages of the product. It was in this part of my research where I was able to include all of my Pre-Production documents. I started this section by writing a 2-3 Logline which would outline the main premise of my project idea. This allows the person reading my script to have a brief understanding of the idea before they begin. I then continued this section when writing a one paragraph synopsis, which allowed me to break my idea down further, and discuss how the plot would develop from beginning, middle and end. I then went on to write my Treatment which allowed me to detail any other ideas that I had for my project and what techniques I planned on using to showcase my skills. I then included some further Pre-Production documents, such as, a production timetable, schedule, health and safety issues, and a contingence plan. I then finished the Production Research section by creating my Character Biographies and exploring the personalities, attributes, and characteristics of my characters.
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Conclusion
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Upon reflection, I am satisfied with the research that I have conducted and feel that I have been able to further my knowledge from it. I now feel more confident in several aspects of script writing and feel that I have a greater understanding on the medium as a whole. I have found every piece of research that I have conducted to be useful and informative in its own way. I feel that I have conducted the correct forms of research and have made sure that each piece of research has related to my project throughout the process. I have tried to conduct a broad range of research, using different techniques, allowing me to gain information from primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative sources. I have been able to successfully research existing media products when watching and reading Knives Out and have been able to implement elements of those products into my own work. It would be true to say that other sources have influenced me and encouraged me to shape my work in a particular way to ensure that it is kept to the highest standard possible. Overall, I am pleased with the research that I have conducted and now feel ready to begin my draft scripts, in preparation for my final major product.
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Research References
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Johnson, R. (2019). Knives Out. [online] IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8946378/.
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