Week One: Two-column Review

Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, the student will become reacquainted with the two-column format for
script writing.
A Refresher

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Thinkstock
You learned a bit about documentary script format last year, so today's lesson will offer
a refresher and an opportunity to test your knowledge. At its heart, the standard
documentary script format involves a two-column setup, with video elements on the left
and audio elements on the right. You should always operate by a simple rule of thumb:
write everything the audience is meant to see and hear.
Typically, audio elements go on the right, with a heading labeled "Audio" at the top.
Video elements go on the left, with a "Video" heading. Items of different types get a new
paragraph, with a space in between. The trick with the two-column format is to get the
audio and video elements to roughlysync up, in terms of timing. Imagine a line running
across the page and then moving from top to bottom at a steady rate. What should
happen is when we see the bit in the left column, we hear the corresponding bit in the
right column. Review how this looks in two-column format.

The format is not as strict as the format for narrative/feature scripts. The goals are
simple: clarity, conciseness, and timing. Make what we see and hear as clear as
possible. Keep your descriptions to what is essential to get a clear picture in mind. Make
sure that what happens on the left is supposed to go along with what is heard on the
right: clarity, conciseness, timing.
Software Tips
You can attempt to set up a two-column document in your standard word processor, but
this approach tends to have some severe disadvantages. A word processor treats the
two columns as if they wrap from the bottom of the column on the left to the top of the
column on the right. However, in the case of the documentary script, the two columns
are meant to run concurrently. The wrapping should happen from one left-hand column
to the next left-hand column. This can be set up in a word processor, but it is trickier to
do, and you have to keep in mind the left and right side have to be roughly synced.
Inserting new material or moving blocks of text around can become a nightmare.
Spare yourself the agony. There is a great piece of freeware available to you, CeltX.
You have heard about the software before, so this is just a reminder. If you write your
documentary script within CeltX, you can use the built-in setup for documentary scripts.
You do not need to hassle with setting up complicated macros in your word processor.
Try it out. Once you do, you will not want to go back. Of course, if you have access to
screenwriting software, such as Final Draft, by all means, use it. If you do not have a
screenwriting software, CeltX will be your go-to solution.
Beyond Syncing
You should not think simply in terms of syncing up audio and video elements, but also in
terms of the old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Sometimes, a wellchosen image or film clip can do the work of a long passage of narration. There can
also be fun interplay between audio and video elements. There does not always need to
be a literal match up between the two. For example, perhaps you are making a point
about a certain science fiction film as a commentary about the loss of privacy in the
modern world. Maybe you decide to have the audio clip from that film playing in the
background, but your video element is a photo montage of the ever-present film
cameras in our society.

 2012 Comstock Images / Thinkstock

Irony can also be a potent weapon in your documentary arsenal. Just as the Soviet
montage filmmakers discovered they could can get an additional layer of meaning out of
the juxtaposition of two different shots, you can achieve a similar effect with a
juxtaposition of audio and video. If the narration is serious in tone, but the image is lighthearted, the result can be ironic, and can lead to an additional layer of meaning that is
present in neither element on its own.
Try to consider that famous lines from the films you are investigating can be a wonderful
way to wrap up a section of your analysis. The narration can supply the lead-up and the
audio clip can add the punch line.
Long blocks of text that feature listssuch as a list of typical conventions for a certain
film genrecould be broken up by a rapid-fire succession of very short film clips that
illustrate those conventions. Make sure as you describe the video elements you are
concise, yet precise. What exactly do we see that illustrates the point? Remember, your
audience will not be seeing, but reading, so do not slow their eye down too much with
bloated text, but do make sure they get a clear picture in their mind of what they would
see, if this documentary were actually to be made.

A Brief Exercise
The best way to get the idea of how this all works is to practice it, with a professional
example. Pick any documentary film you know well. Find a good one-minute section
that has plenty going on. Find one that has narration, film clips, background music,
sound effects, graphic animations, and more. Now transcribe it.

First, transcribe the narration. Get it down word for word. Type it and put in the column
on the right, with a Narration: speech tag. If it happens early in the one-minute extract,
put it closer to the top; if later, then at the bottom.

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Images / Thinkstock
Now, transcribe the dialogue in the clip(s). Put that in place, either before, after, or
overlapped with the narration as appropriate. This should be Sound from Clip: or
something like that.
Then, really listen. What else is going on sound wise? Background music? What does it
feel like emotionally? Describe in words what we would hear in sound. Sound effects?
Of what? Be specific, but brief, just enough description to get the feeling.
Now, go back and put in the video elements on the left-hand side. When the narration
begins, what do we see? Space it as close as possible, so we finish reading the
description of what we see on the same horizontal line as the description of what we
hear. There is an art to this. Do not be afraid to leave some blank spots to
accommodate a really long section of narration. It is all about the timing. Make sure you
describe every visual element: every animation, clip, image, title, and special effect.
Give it a go. If you feel like you want some feedback on how you did, submit your
exercise in the Discussion area to your classmates and/or your instructor. If you have
the time and inclination, do this exercise a few more times with other documentary
scripts in different styles. Once you have it down, you will be ready to start transferring
your new skill to your own documentary script. That is when the fun really begins.

Week Two: IS Update

Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, the student will submit a progress report and draft sample pages of the IS
research assignment
The Main Tasks
This week, as far as your practical tasks are concerned, you will provide your instructor
with an update and sample pages of your Independent Study (IS) project
Progress on Your Independent Study
Whenever you have some free moments to devote to your Independent Study script,
you should continue to make forward progress. This week, your instructor would like to
get a sense of where you are, and verify you are headed in the right direction. To do so,
you will submit a brief statement of your current progress and also, submit two to three
pages of the script itself. Keep in mind this is an independent task, and as such, your
instructor is prevented from providing you with extensive feedback. This is your creation
and should be a reflection of an exploration into your topic that you have made entirely
on your own. Your instructor will, of course, let you know if you are headed for disaster,
especially in terms of format or formal requirements. Otherwise, consider the
assignment this week as a friendly, but firm, reminder that you must continue to work on
your IS, as you continue your other work in the course.
The two to three pages you submit do not need to be what you would consider a final
draft. One would actually hope you continue to refine your script as the weeks go on
and your knowledge increases. Just submit the pages in their current state, so your
instructor can see how you are doing.
It would be best to submit your pages in.pdf format to avoid the entanglements of
incompatible word processors. All contemporary word processors have the ability to
convert to Adobe's Public Document Format (.pdf), which allows anyone with the Adobe
Reader installed (free) to be able to read the document. This also ensures the
formatting will be kept intact, exactly as you see it on your computer at home. You
should be typing your script in the standard side-by-side format. If you need to, go
ahead and review the lesson that discusses documentary script format (remember, it is
not the same as narrative script format).
Head over the the Production Office to when you are ready to submit your IS update.

Week Nine: IS Check-in

IS Check-in

Your instructor would like to, once again, get a look at how your Independent Study is
progressing. You will submit another two pages that are in fairly decent shape, in your
opinion. This week, you should also submit a brief statement about where you are in the
process and ask questions about any difficulties you are encountering. Keep it brief, no
more than 200 words. Also, if you feel like any part of your sample pages need
explanation or a description of the context, feel free to include that in your progress
statement as well. Save the samples pages in .pdf format prior to submission.

Assignment Week Nine: IS Check-in

1.

Select three new sample pages.

2.

Write a brief statement regarding your progress.

3.

Submit your .pdf as assignment Week Nine: IS Check-in.

Week 12: IS Check-In

Lesson Objectives

In this lesson, the student will discuss his or her progress on the Independent Study
assessment.
Independent Study Check-In

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This will be your last official check-in on the Independent Study. Where you take it after
this is all in your hands. Be sure not to put off the final polishing of this assessment task,
since next week, you will be given the prescribed list of films for your Presentation, and
you will still be putting the finishing touches on your Production Portfolio. This is a busy
time of year for the IB Film course, so an effective strategy would be to take care of your
Independent Study now and then, focus on the other two remaining assessments.
Whether or not you choose to follow this advice is, as always, up to you.
The Cover Page
You should have the script itself well in hand, and you began your annotated list of
sources two weeks ago. Finishing those two items should prove no significant obstacle.
There are two other pieces to the Independent Study we will cover in this lessonthe
cover page and the rationale.
The cover page should be treated similarly to how you would treat any other cover page
for a significant written assignment for the IB, such as your Paper for Language A, or
your Extended Essay. The cover page should have all of the following information,
arranged sensibly and neatly:

the title of your Independent Study

your name

your candidate number

your school site

the assessment task

the course title and level

the date of completion

For the title, students will sometimes choose something a bit more inventive and
creative, and then follow it with a more explanatory sub-title, just to make the intentions
of the project clear. Your name should be your first and last name, as it appears when
you registered your candidacy. Your candidate number should be your follow number,
that has the school site number built in. Your school site is basically the name of your
school. The assessment task in this case is the Independent Study. The course title and
level should be, "IB Film, Standard Level." The date should be the date you completed
your IS. Below is how those items may look, once arranged on the page.

Women and War:

How Female Directors Subvert and Evolve the Typical Genre Conventions of War Films

Martha Thompson
1234-321
Singleton Secondary School
Independent Study
IB Film, Standard Level
20 December 2011

If your school site uses a particular cover page standard, then simply follow that
standard, and you will be sure to meet all the requirements.

The Rationale
The cover page is fairly straightforward, but the rationale can prove slightly tricky,
especially since you are limited to a maximum of 100 words. The rationale states the
aims of the project, what you intend to demonstrate to your audience, and what your
specific question of film theory or history actually is. That list can be quite a bit to
squeeze into 100 words, but it can be done. Make sure you do not go over this limit, as
this will be a violation of formal requirements, which carries a heavy penalty in your final
mark.

2012 Brand X Pictures / Thinkstock

A good, working method would be to write your rationale the way you would naturally
want to express it, regardless of length, and then trim it to the requisite word limit.
Eliminate the fluff and filler. Stay away from the poetic. Clear, concise academic prose
carries the day for the rationale. This is your way to communicate clearly to an examiner
what she or she should be looking for in your script. Without the rationale, an examiner
might get the wrong impression about where you intended this project to go, and then
will assess you harshly when you do not actually go there. Mark the territory clearly, and
you will help prepare the examiner for the journey ahead.

You drafted a rationale way back when you started this project. Does it still hold up? If
so, you might not need to do anything to it at all. If your project has evolved
considerably since then, rework the rationale.
Treat the rationale objectively without any references to yourself. A description of how
you stumbled upon the original idea is also unnecessary, as it spends precious words to
little effect. Stick with aims, objectives, and intentions.
A hypothetical rationale might read something like this:
War films have always been a genre dominated by men, particularly by men in the
director's chair. However, there have been a handful of female directors in
Germany, the United States, and Iran, who have put an indelible mark on war
films, by emphasizing the human cost of war rather than hollow abstractions like
honor and glory. This Independent Study aims to explore the humanistic impact
that these female directors have had on the war film genre.
Word total in this rationale is 77. It can be done. Be precise and clear. Save the details
for the Independent Study itself. Now, it is your turn.
Final Check-In Upload
Head over to the Production Office to view and submit your assignment for this lesson.