Cockatoo Island Film Festival

8/3/2019 Cockatoo Island Film Festival

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COCKATOO ISLANDFILM FESTIVAL

24 - 28 OCTObEr 2012


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IntroductIon and concEPt

T vision fo t Cockatoo Isan Fim Fstivas Oovi

Scoos Fim Pojct (SFP) is to invov, in a v pactica

way, high school students with lmmaing and the screen

inst commnit. Stnts tog t gianc of

inst pofssionas a ncoag to tink cativ abot

stoting an tn xpss tmsvs tog a visa

mim. Tis pogam was initiat v sccssf in Nw

Sot Was in 2011. Now, in its scon a, it as xpan

to aso inc scoos in Victoia.

Scoos acoss Nw Sot Was an Victoia a invit

to submit an idea for a short lm the Pitch. Three schools

a tn sct fom t ias sbmitt fo paticipation

in t f pogam. T stnts tn wok coaboativ

to produce a short lm that is derived from their initial pitch.

The program provides the lmmaing tools plus professional

mentors to guide the students through the lmmaing process

and broaden their understanding of screen arts. The nal lmsa pmi at t Cockatoo Isan Fim Fstiva. Aitiona

socs a aso povi to t scoos to ft mpow

their students for future lmmaing endeavours.

SuBMIttInG tHE PItcH

WhAT IS A PITCh? Before a screenwriter or lmmaer can

mae a lm, they need to be able to convince a whole bunch of

pop tat ti ia is AMAZING. Ts pop a pocs,

investors, actors and funding bodies. So always, the rst step is


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to wit a pitc tat otins ti biiant ia.

The pitch is a brief summary of an idea for a lm, and it is

intended to intrigue and captivate you want people to help youmae your lm! It is usually no longer than a page in length, and

is oftn iv as a 3-mint spc. A pitc is not a bow-

by-blow account of a lms plot it should include a couple of

k concpts, imags an caacts tat a fnamnta to

the lm, and leave the audience of hardened studio heads or

pocs wanting to know mo

WhAT TO INClude IN yOur PITCh?

1. A smma of t pot ... wats t bginning, mi an

end? Remember its only 3 minutes!

2. A sciption of t tm incopoating t Isan into t

sto.

3. Where is your lm set and when?

4. A summary of the characters in the lm.

5. If your lm has a special meaning for audiences that gives it

a spcia g pas povi an ovviw.

6. A description of the lms audience.

7. yo can aso inc an imag tat o tink scibs t

style or feel of the lm.


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Onc ov compt tis a o av to o is sn off t

Entry Form and the Pitch to [email protected] by 29th

Fba 2012.

WHat IS a SHort FILM?

Short lms operate under many of the same rules as narrative

features the importance of character, structure, composition

bt pa ot in a mc sot amont of tim. T k to sot-

form lmmaing is the ability to capture an audiences attention,

clearly establish the lms characters and context, convince an

ainc to f invst an bcom invov in tis wo o

have created on celluloid and do it all in ve minutes. Not an

easy tas!

The lms that students will be pitching for the Schools Film

Pojct a to b appoximat t mints in ngt. Tis

doesnt leave much room for fat everything in every short

lm (and therefore every pitch) should be specic and relevant.

Anything that helps streamline a story is a good thing

everything that can be discarded should be! One of the most

important tools in ensuring a short lm is as taut as it can be is

a goo woking nstaning of scipt stct.

WhAT IS SCrIPT STruCTure?

A good structure is essential for every screenplay and every lm.

A strong structure provides a lm with forward momentum, and

maks caacts an sto ca to an ainc. Tink of goostructure as lie scaffolding if its not solidly built, everything

staning on top of it wi cmb. T cassic t-act scipt


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stct is an to know, an is invaab wn witing an

ind of lm: short or feature length.

h is a bif smma of t t-act stct fo

screenplays:

ACT ONe

Tis sts p t sto, ointats t ainc to t caacts

an ti wo an (opf) capts t aincs intst.

The rst minutes of any lm are vital often the lmmaer uses

imags an msic, witot iaog, to as t ainc

into the lm. A dialogue heavy-scene rst off might confuse

an audience instead of intriguing them! The rst act of a lm is

when the CATALYST occurs and the lms CENTRAL QUESTION

is stabis.

CATAlyST

The big event that gets the lm off and running, and which

effectively starts the lms story (ie William Wallaces wife is

m)

CENTRAL QUESTION

T k qstion, sa connct to t cnta caact,

that will be answered at the lms climax (e.g. Will Harry and

Sally end up together? Will the man nd his wifes murderer?)

INITIAl IMAGeS + OrIeNTING The AudIeNCe +

CATALYST + CENTRAL QUESTION

ACT TWOThis is the meat of any lm it is the section in which the lm

an its caacts a xpo an xpan (backsto,

motivation tc). Tog t is no a an fast gaing


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w ac act ns an anot bgins, a gna inicato

is t k TurNING POINT tat occ in o sto. eac

turning point in a lm raises the staes and adds a sense of

gnc to a sto as it ts towa its concsion. Oftn a

lms SECOND TURNING POINT is accompanied by a LOW

POINT sot foow b reNeWAl. Tis is spcia t of

omantic comis, w t g oss t gi on momnts

before triumphantly reclaiming her affections in the lms

ClIMAX (ACT Three).

The climax to any lm is usually followed by a RESOLUTION

that ties up all the loose ends. Sometimes, of course, a lms

reSOluTION woks in a v iffnt wa, opning p as

man nw qstions as it answs (Mmnto) o focing s

to compt -vaat vting w av jst sn (T

Sixth Sense). Conventionally, however, a lms CLIMAX and

reSOluTION is w t cnta qstion is answ an

the tension nally eases, thereby allowing the audience to

xpinc if o CAThArSIS.

For EducatorS

POTENTIAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Many students have never seen, let alone made, a short lm.

dngog Fim Fstivas tai (s to pomot t 2007, 2008

and 2009 festivals) could be shown to the class as an example

of a short lm (three minutes long).

ACTIVITy 1

Nominate an Australian lm that all the students would now,

for example AUSTRALIA. Students are to spend ve minutes


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writing a pitch for this lm. Going around the class, each

student will then stand up and deliver their pitch in two

mints on.

ACTIVITy 2

T cass is psnt wit nin ag coo potogaps. In

gops of 4-5, stnts com p wit a sto awn fom ts

nin imags. eac gop tn as to t ti stois to t

cass, sing ts nin potogaps in an o tat t wis.

DISCUSSION POINTS:

Wic sto wok bst? W?

Wic gop incopoat t potogaps into ti pitc in

t most nttaining an cativ wa?

Wat istingiss an ffctiv pitc fom an inffctiv

on?

ACTIVITy 3

In gops of 4-5, stnts av to com p wit an ia fo

a short lm that incorporates the theme Island. Each group

then has to present their idea to the class in no more than vemints. Stnts so mmb to tak abot t imags

t want to psnt to an ainc, not jst t iaog o

plot. Film is a visual medium!

ACTIVITy 4

Tn o ia fom an ia into a Stoboa o Visa

Sqnc, bak it own into 5-7 stoboas. T sqnc

of imags so conv a sitation tat vops a sto anconcs in an nxpct bt pasib wa. T maning

so b sf-vint an in no n of wittn xpanation so

on t visas to sow t sto.


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Discussion Points:

Wat w t tais stngts? Waknsss?

Wat wok an wat int in t stnts pitcs?

Was the theme The Island used in an original manner?

Was it a central part of the lm or an afterthought, taced

on?

Wic pitc t aincs attntion most sccssf?

W?

hOMeWOrK TASK 1

Write a pitch for a short lm and a feature lm. The feature

so inc t sam caacts as t sot bt b an

xpansion of t sam sto, t sam wo.

hOMeWOrK TASK 2

Wit a sto (appox. 600 wos) an tn xpain ow o

eac stnt so now av t toos to go off an wit ti

pitc. GOOD LUCk!


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VaLuE oF tHESE ExErcISES

For StudEntS

OUTCOMES: (Drama)

manipats t mnts of ama to cat bif, cait antnsion in caact, o, sitation an action

contibts, scts, vops an stcts ias in

impovisation an pabiing

viss, intpts an nacts ama sing scipt an

nscipt matia o txt

explores, structures and renes ideas using dramatic forms,

pfomanc sts, amatic tcniqs, tatica convntions

an tcnoogis

appis acting an pfomanc tcniqs xpssiv an

coaboativ to commnicat amatic maning

scts an ss pfomanc spacs, tat convntions an

poction mnts appopiat to ppos an ainc

responds to, reects on and evaluates elements of drama,

amatic foms, pfomanc sts, amatic tcniqs an

tatica convntions

anass an vaats t contibtion of inivias an gops

to pocsss an pfomancs in ama sing vant ama

concpts an tminoog

OUTCOMES: (Media Arts)

vops ang an atonom in scting an apping

potogapic an igita convntions an pocs to mak

potogapic an igita woks

maks potogapic an igita woks infom b ti

nstaning of t fnction of an ationsips btwn atist-

atwok-wo-ainc

maks potogapic an igita woks infom b an

nstaning of ow t fams affct maning


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invstigats t wo as a soc of ias, concpts an sbjct

matt fo potogapic an igita woks

maks infom coics to vop an xtn concpts an

iffnt manings in ti potogapic an igita woks

selects appropriate procedures and techniques to mae and rene

potogapic an igita woks

OUTCOMES: (English)

spons an composs txts fo nstaning, intptation,

citica anasis an pas

ss an scibs angag foms an fats, an stcts

of txts appopiat to iffnt pposs, aincs an contxts

maks infom angag coics to sap maning wit

accac, cait an conc uses, reects on and assesses individual and collaborative sills

fo aning

xpimnts wit iffnt was of imaginativ an intptiv

tansfoming xpinc, infomation an ias into txts

demonstrates understanding of the ways texts reect personal

an pbic wos

uses, reects on, assesses and adapts their individual and

coaboativ skis fo aning wit incasing inpnnc anffctivnss

CONTACT:

Clare Sawyer, Screen Development and Education Manager

Telephone 02 9810 1455 or email [email protected]

Documents

Cockatoo Island Film Festival