Rate Your Screenplay Character, ScreenwritingU!

Written by Hal Croasmun on August 3, 2010.

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In the first five pages of your screenplay, we should see an extremely interesting lead character. Great lead characters make great screenplays.
People are always asking me how you know when a script is ready and it is an important question.  In reality, I have a series of tests that tell me that a script is in the right neighborhood.
Here's one of them -- Characters that are astounding.
Think of the best character you've read in a screenplay.  There was something about them that was so interesting and entertaining that they carried the movie by themselves.
Today's quiz will give you a chance to see if you have a character that performs at that level of quality.  I've listed five essential parts of a screenplay character below.  With each one, rate your lead characters 1 - 10 according to my scale for each topic.

Let's Rate the Lead Character of Your Screenplay

1.  Unique in some substantial way, yet familiar

You need a blend of familiar and unique.  If a character is too unique, no audience will be able to relate to that character. On the other hand, too much familiar and the character becomes boring.  The key is to have characters where the familiar feels right for the story and the unique part adds something really special.
Rate your characters:

(1) My characters either have very little familiar part or no unique part.

(4) My characters have a blend, but don't really stand out.

(10) My characters are the perfect blend and their unique parts give amazing contributions to the story.

2.  Multi-dimensional without being confusing

Characters should feel like real people who have a variety of different things going on in their lives.  At the same time, a screenplay isn't big enough to encompass all of the internal activity a real person might have. So you need to bring each character down to three or four major traits that fully express who they are.

Rate your characters:

(1) Most characters sound the same.

(4) Some of my characters have unique dialogue.

(10) All of my lead characters have a variety of interesting traits and fully express them in dialogue and action.

3.  Flaw that is important to the story

When a character flaw is well chosen, it can add so much to a story.  It gets in the way at just the right moment.  It increases our concern for the character and gives them something to overcome. But it also has significant meaning within the story, not just to the character.
Rate your characters:

(1) The lead characters have no flaws.

(3) My characters have flaws, but they aren't important to the story.

(10) My character's flaws are a vital part of the story.

4.  External goal, internal need

Your protagonist needs to have an external goal that they are going for and an internal need they must resolve in order to become more fully who they want to be in life.  Both motivate the protag to take action.
The external goal gives a reason for the action in the story. The internal need is usually in opposition with the external goal and means the protag will need to find some way to align the two or give up one by the end of the story.

Rate your characters:

(1) My lead characters are missing either an external goal or internal need.

(4) My lead characters have both, but they aren't in conflict.

(10) My lead characters have both and they add so much to the story.

5.  Subtext/hidden world

I don't know a single human being that doesn't have an inner world they aren't fully expressing. Sometimes, that shows up as a secret they are hiding.  Other times, it shows as an emotion they aren't expressing.  But it could also be a covert agenda that is a major part of their daily activity, yet is unknown to most people.
Be careful here.  You don't want to have your characters telling their inner world.  That is for novel writing. In a screenplay, the inner world needs to be delivered through subtext and well selected actions.

Rate your characters:

(1) My lead characters don't have much of an inner world.

(3) My lead characters do have an inner world, but it is either not expressed well or doesn't have much to do with the story.

(10) My lead characters have subtext that brings as much to the script as the surface story.

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WHAT TO DO?

In most screenplays, I can tell where a character fits within a few pages. Either they are showing up with these five components or they aren't. Most of the time, it just points toward the one or two things that need to be expanded or improved.
Reconsidering your characters will take you one step closer to seeing your stories up on the screen.  I encourage you to do your very best to bring amazing character and dialogue to your screenplay.

The Inciting Incident

by, Jacob Krueger

  100 Rules and How To Break Them

 

Rule #4 THE INCITING INCIDENT

Check out 100 Rules And How To Break Them for more tips.
This installment of the 100 Rules series grows directly out of a question from a former student:

I have a question and thought I needed a fresh perspective from someone outside UCLA… I’m sort of getting in a fight with the teacher of my workshop about my inciting event. In my naturally rebellious style, I don’t think there is a rule that the inciting event has to nail us early in the script. I think it can actually be before anything is ever done on screen.  I’m being told that [an event that happens before the movie starts] can’t be my inciting incident... I’m just wondering your opinion.  – Dom C.

 

Opening The Door To Change

The inciting incident is just a fancy name writing teachers like to give to the moment that opens the door for change for a character.  And you’re absolutely right.  It’s often the case in movies that inciting incidents happen before the movie starts.
For example, in Thelma and Louise, the main characters have already decided to go on their road trip before the movie begins (though Thelma still hasn’t told her hubby).  Or, in Little Miss Sunshine, Uncle Frank has already decided to kill himself before the movie starts.

 

Getting Your Movie Moving

Having an inciting incident happen before your movie begins can often be a good thing, because it keeps the “normal world” of your script from becoming a “boring world” by starting the movie moving and your characters changing from page 1.
When this happens though, there’s usually a second inciting incident on page 10 – 12, that shocks us out of the “new normal” world set up by that original inciting incident, and opens the door to change.
For Thelma and Louise, it’s the moment Thelma flirts with the creepy guy at the truck stop who will later try to rape her.  In Little Miss Sunshine it’s the moment Olive hears the voicemail saying that she’s going to get to compete in the beauty pageant.

 

Is This A Rule You Can Break?

You are absolutely right that there are no rules in screenwriting.  God did not come down and proclaim that the inciting incident must happen by page 12 (that was Syd Field).
Many screenplays have pushed the inciting incident pretty deep down into the story and still worked brilliantly.  But if you have commercial aspirations for your script, it’s also worth noting that having a strong inciting incident early in your script will help lock an audience into your story, and help get you past the coverage readers that guard the kingdom.
Besides, if you don’t have an inciting incident where producers are expecting it, almost certainly at some point, some producer is going to create one for you.
You’re not going to like what they create.  So usually you’re better off giving them one yourself.

 

No Rigid Formulas

 

If your professor doesn’t believe an inciting incident can happen late in a movie, tell him to watch There Will Be Blood.  PT Anderson starts the movie with about 20 minutes of silent filmmaking before we ever get to the inciting incident.
However, when you read the script for There Will Be Blood, there’s the inciting incident, right where it’s supposed to be.  By page 6, Daniel’s friend has died, and Daniel is already stuck with the boy.  And just in case anyone was concerned that this was too early, there’s another inciting incident right where Syd Field says it should appear: on page 12, when Paul Sunday shows up to tell Daniel about the oil.
Anderson knows he’s not going to shoot it that way.  But he also knows if he doesn’t write it that way, executives are going to get nervous.
Similarly, Michael Clayton moves the end of the movie to the beginning, to create the sense of an exciting inciting incident before one has actually occurred.
Great writers know that that inciting incident is not a rule to which we must conform.  It’s a game we play in later drafts, in order to help us capture the attention of our audiences.

 

Discovering Your Inciting Incident

There are very few things more damaging to a young writer than obsessing over page count.  Great scripts come from stepping into a character, and taking them on a profound journey.  And it’s impossible to do this if you’re looking in on your script from the outside, and editing every word before your story even makes it onto the page.
The page 12 inciting incident is not where you start as a writer.  It’s where you end up.
It might take you 50 pages of writing to discover the amazing moment that ultimately becomes your inciting incident.  And if you’re so worried about hitting some magic number that you don’t allow yourself those 50 pages, you’re never going to discover the good stuff.
In which case, it’s not going to matter where your inciting incident happens, because nobody’s going to want to watch your movie.

 

Almost every scene has an inciting incident.

Though inciting incident is usually used as structural concept to discuss the moment that starts the engine on the entire film, the truth of the matter is that almost every scene in your movie is going to contain an inciting incident.
Another way to think of inciting incident is simply as the moment where things shift for your character:  the event that happens– within the scene, the act, or the entire movie– that interrupts whatever has become the normal world for the character, and changes your character or the world around him so that things can no longer be exactly the same as they were before.
This is why it’s often the little inciting incidents within each scene that are actually most important for you as a writer.  It’s these moments that keep your movie moving, and propel the force of your character’s journey.
If you are driving your story forward and forcing your character to change in little ways in each scene that you write, it’s inevitable that your character is going to go on a profound journey, and you’re going to discover those big turning points that producers are always so worried about.
Once you’ve allowed your character’s journey to play out to the greatest extent of your imagination and discovered those powerful scenes around which your movie turns, you can slice, dice, compress, revise or (if you’re like PT Anderson) downright cheat to make that moment feel producer friendly.
But until then, keep your focus where it belongs.  On your character.

Φωτογραφίες από Νεράιδες!!

 

 

 

A Donation for Oceans by LeoDiCaprio Foundation!

OCEANA ANNOUNCES $3 MILLION GRANT FROM LDF

Grant, from proceeds of 11th Hour Auction at Christie’s, to protect sharks, marine animals, habitat in Pacific and Arctic

Washington, DC – Oceana, the largest international advocacy group to work on behalf of the world’s oceans, announced a $3 million grant today from the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation aimed at protecting threatened ocean habitat and keystone marine species such as sharks. The foundation’s grant will also support Oceana’s work to advocate for responsible fishing measures, including the effort to ban California drift gillnets.

“The foundation and Leo’s support for campaigns like our efforts to ban the drift gillnets in California will help Oceana win more protections for countless sharks and other marine animals and for ocean habitats in the Pacific and Arctic – which include some of the most productive ocean places in the world,” said Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless. “The net impact will be a much more abundant and biodiverse ocean that has many millions more sharks and critical and amazing marine animals, wilder and more pristine ocean habitats and oceans that can feed over a billion people – many of them hungry – a healthy seafood meal each day.”

“Protecting our planet’s oceans and the marine species that call it home is one of the most pressing sustainability crises facing humanity today and a moral imperative that we must acknowledge,” DiCaprio said. “It’s my hope that this grant will help Oceana continue the tremendous work that they do daily on behalf of our oceans.”

Spread over a three-year period, the $3 million from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is the first marine conservation grant made following the foundation’s 11^th Hour Charity Auction hosted at Christie’s last year.  The grant to Oceana will support the organization’s work, from the south of Chile to the north of Alaska, to preserve ecologically important ocean areas and Oceana’s campaigns, including the campaign to ban drift gillnets off California, in order to protect dolphins, whales, turtles and other marine animals from being caught and killed as “bycatch.”

Gillnets targeting swordfish and thresher sharks are set off of Southern California and are typically a mile-long in diameter.  This indiscriminate gear catches and kills large numbers of non-targeted marine animals including sperm whales, gray whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, elephant seals, and sea lions. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oceana recently received hundreds of photos of animals caught and killed by this destructive gear. 

“We are incredibly grateful to our friends at Christie’s who made last year’s 11^th Hour Auction for the foundation such a success, they made this grant to Oceana possible,” said Justin Winters, Executive Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.  “We are excited to support Oceana’s efforts to win real policy change and protection for vital habitats and species throughout the Pacific and Arctic oceans.”

“Christie's is proud to support both the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and Oceana in their fundamental work to make our planet a better place” said Steven Murphy, Chief Executive Office of Christie’s. “It was an honor for Christie’s to host the Foundation’s 11th Hour Charity Auction and, as we were delighted with the result achieved, so we are thrilled that it could facilitate this grant to Oceana, funding such important endeavors to preserve our oceans.”

https://www.odesk.com/jobs/Leaflet-expert-mockups-PSD-fully-responsive-template_~015fcd061a3915dab9?search_result=1

Για τον Ντοστογιέφσκι, Εσωθέατρο!

Ο Φιοντόρ Μιχαήλοβιτς Ντοστογιέφσκι, μία από τις σπουδαιότερες μορφές της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας γεννήθηκε στις 11 Νοεμβρίου 1821 στη Μόσχα. Ήταν το δεύτερο από τα επτά παιδιά μιας μεσοαστικής οικογένειας. Αμέσως μετά από τον θάνατο της μητέρας του το 1937, ξεκινά μαζί με τον αδερφό του, σπουδές στη Στρατιωτική Ακαδημία Μηχανικών στην αγία Πετρούπολη, σύμφωνα με τις επιταγές του πατέρα του, συνταξιούχου στρατιωτικού χειρουργού. Παρότι σπουδάζει μηχανικός δεν επιδεικνύει κανένα ενδιαφέρον για τα μαθηματικά αλλά αντίθετα, μεγάλο ζήλο για τη λογοτεχνία. Μετά το θάνατο του πατέρα του, εγκαταλείπει τη στρατιωτική ακαδημία και ξεκινά το συγγραφικό του έργο, αρχικά μεταφράζοντας. Το λογοτεχνικό του είδωλο ήταν ο Honore de Balzac, τον οποίο μεταφράζει στη ρωσική. Το 1846, εκδίδεται το πρώτο του λογοτέχνημα «Ο φτωχόκοσμος» αποσπώντας θετικές κριτικές, ιδιαίτερα από τον φιλελεύθερο κριτικό Βησσαρίωνα Μπελίνσκι που δηλώνει πως «ένας νέος Γκόγκολ εφανερώθη!»

Το 1847 εμπλέκεται στον επαναστατικό σοσιαλιστικό-ουτοπικό  κύκλο Πετρασέφσκι ενώ στις 23 Απριλίου του 1849, συλλαμβάνεται για δράση κατά της πολιτικής του Τσάρου Νικολάου Α, με την κατηγορία της συνωμοσίας. Η ποινή του θανάτου μετατρέπεται σε 4ετή εγκλεισμό, στα κάτεργα του Όμσκ στη Σιβηρία. Οι συνθήκες είναι άθλιες και το 1850 συμβαίνει εκεί η πρώτη καταγεγραμμένη επιληπτική του κρίση. Μετά την αποφυλάκισή του παραμένει για πέντε χρόνια ως στρατιώτης στο 7ο τάγμα στο Σεμιπαλατίνσκ όπου και παντρεύεται το 1857 την Μαρία Ντιμιτρίεβα Ισάεβα.

Η περίοδος που διανύει στη φυλακή είναι καταλυτική για την μεταστροφή των πολιτικών και θρησκευτικών του πεποιθήσεων. Στρέφεται προς την χριστιανική, ορθόδοξη παράδοση και αρχίζει να ασκεί κριτική στους μηδενιστές και στους σοσιαλιστές. Το 1859 επιστρέφει στην αγία Πετρούπολη όπου αρχίζει να εκδίδει μια σειρά εφημερίδων μαζί με τον αδερφό του Μιχαήλ, χωρίς επιτυχία. Ο θάνατος του αδερφού του πρώτα, και της γυναίκας του το 1864, τον συντρίβουν.  Καταστρέφεται και οικονομικά, παίζοντας  τζόγο και πέφτει σε βαθιά κατάθλιψη. Για να ξεφύγει από τους πιστωτές, ο Ντοστογιέφσκι αρχίζει να ταξιδεύει στη Δυτική Ευρώπη και να επισκέπτεται τα διάφορα καζίνο.  Εκεί συνάπτει ερωτικό δεσμό με την Πωλίνα Σούσλοβα, αλλά τελικά παντρεύεται τη νεαρή στενογράφο Άννα Γκριγκόρεβνα το 1867, με την οποία αποκτά δύο κόρες και ένα γιο που πεθαίνει σε παιδική ηλικία.

Στην  περίοδο που ακολουθεί γράφει τα σημαντικότερα έργα του. Επιπλέον μια νέα εκδοτική προσπάθεια της μηνιαίας εφημερίδας «Το ημερολόγιο ενός συγγραφέα» στέφεται αυτή τη φορά με μεγάλη επιτυχία. Διατηρεί φιλικούς δεσμούς με το γνωστό φιλόσοφο Σολόγιοφ. Το 1880 εκφωνεί τον επικήδειο του Πούσκιν. Τα τελευταία χρόνια της ζωής του αποσύρεται  σε ένα θέρετρο λίγο  έξω από την Αγ. Πετρούπολη. Πεθαίνει από αιμορραγία στον πνεύμονα εξαιτίας εμφυσήματος στις 28 Ιανουαρίου 1881, σε ηλικία 60 ετών.

Η ζωή του Ντοστογιέφσκι αποτυπωμένη στο «Έγκλημα και Τιμωρία»

«Σπάνια μπορεί κανείς να βρει άλλη περίπτωση συγγραφέα που τα γεγονότα και οι περιπέτειες της ζωής του, να είχαν τόσο άμεση επίδραση στη δημιουργία του, όπως συμβαίνει με τη ζωή και το έργο του Ντοστογιέφσκι» έγραφε ο Δ. Σπάθης στο «Θέατρο» το 1966.

Η σύλληψη της ιδέας για το «Έγκλημα και Τιμωρία» είχε γίνει ήδη από το 1864, όταν ο Ντοστογιέφσκι ήθελε να γράψει ένα μυθιστόρημα με τίτλο «Οι μεθυσμένοι» αλλά δεν βρήκε ανταπόκριση από τους εκδότες, στους οποίους το πρότεινε. Αργότερα, σε ένα γράμμα που γράφει από το Βισμπάντεν στον Κάτκοφ, εκδότη περιοδικού, η ιδέα για το μυθιστόρημα έχει πλέον ωριμάσει και ο τελευταίος πείθεται και του στέλνει τριακόσια ρούβλια. Το έργο αρχικά δημοσιεύεται σε συνέχειες σε μια εφημερίδα που ονομαζόταν Ρωσικός Αγγελιοφόρος (Ruskii vestnik) από τον Ιανουάριο μέχρι τον Δεκέμβριο του 1866.

Η ζωή του Ντοστογιέφσκι έχει συνεχή σκαμπανεβάσματα κι αυτό αποτυπώνεται στα έργα του. Άνθρωπος ο ίδιος των παθών –υπήρξε δεινός χαρτοπαίκτης- περιγράφει πολύ εύγλωττα τους ανθρώπους που ενδίδουν στα πάθη τους.  Η πορεία του Ρασκόλνικωφ είναι παράλληλη με αυτήν του Ντοστογιέφσκι. Ο Ρασκόλνικωφ είναι ένας αντάρτης αλλά στο τέλος, μέσω της Σόνιας, παρότι δεν συμβιβάζεται με τον κόσμο ενάντια στον οποίο εξεγέρθηκε, γεφυρώνει ωστόσο το χάσμα που είχε πρωτύτερα ανοίξει. Ο Ντοστογιέφσκι στα νεανικά του χρόνια συμμετέχει σε επαναστατικούς κύκλους, αλλά σε μια ωριμότερη ηλικία αναθεωρεί τις ιδέες του και μεταστρέφεται σε βαθιά θρησκευόμενο άτομο.

Το 1865, με τη βοήθεια ενός φίλου αστυνομικού που είχε κάποιες νομικές γνώσεις, γλυτώνει  από κάποιο τοκογλύφο. Οι συζητήσεις λοιπόν με τον πρώτο, τον βοηθούν ώστε να περιγράψει την ανάκριση του Ρασκόλνικωφ από τον Πορφύρη,  και να αποδώσει την ένταση της αστυνομικής ατμόσφαιρας. Άλλωστε, την ατμόσφαιρα αυτή, την είχε βιώσει και ο ίδιος, όταν είχε συλληφθεί για την δραστηριότητά του ως μέλος της παράνομης ομάδας του Πετρασέφσκι. Γνώριζε ακόμα από πρώτο χέρι την εξορία στη Σιβηρία, καθώς έμεινε τέσσερα χρόνια στο κάτεργο του Όμσκ. Από την εποχή που βίωσε το μαρτύριο του κάτεργου, ο Ντοστογιέφσκι διατήρησε ανεξίτηλα στη μνήμη του πρόσωπα και χαρακτήρες που κατοικούσαν μαζί του στην κόλαση της φυλακής.

Για να πλάσει τον χαρακτήρα της Σόνιας χρησιμοποίησε ως πρωτότυπο τη Λίζα, από «τις σημειώσεις από το Υπόγειο». Ο Ντοστογιέφσκι  χρησιμοποιεί επανειλημμένα την ιδέα της αγίας πόρνης στα έργα του, έχοντα πιθανώς ως αρχέτυπο τη Μαγδαληνή.

Η μητέρα του πεθαίνει από φθίση, όπως κι η μητριά της Σόνιας στην παράσταση, ενώ η φιγούρα του μπεκρή Μαρμελάντωφ, επαναλαμβάνεται παραλλαγμένη και σ’ άλλα έργα του. Ενδεχομένως, ως πρότυπο να χρησιμοποιήθηκε ο πατέρας του, που φέρεται ότι ήταν αλκοολικός. Σίγουρα, λοιπόν, τα αυτοβιογραφικά στοιχεία βρίθουν στο έργο του Ντοστογιέφσκι και ειδικά στο «Έγκλημα και Τιμωρία».

Ο Αλχημιστής, Εσωθέατρο

Το σημείωμα του σκηνοθέτη

Ο Ενωδών αναφέρει -και μας βρίσκει απόλυτα σύμφωνους- πως το θέατρο, στην αγνή του βέβαια μορφή, είναι «Θέα Τριών Κόσμων». Ο θεατής δηλαδή, επικοινωνεί, δια της σκηνικής δράσεως, α) με τον φυσικό-υλικό κόσμο β) με τον συναισθηματικό-ψυχικό και γ) με τους ανωτέρους κόσμους.

Αυτό το θέατρο αγαπάμε, υπηρετούμε και πιστεύουμε κι αυτό το θέατρο είναι ούτως ή άλλως αλχημικό. Θέατρο και Aλχημεία ταυτίζονται ως φύσεις, κατά τον μεγάλο θεωρητικό Αντωνίν Αρτώ, διότι τόσο η αλχημεία όσο και το θέατρο επιδιώκουν στον πυρήνα τους, την μετουσίωση. Η μεν αλχημεία προσπαθεί να μετατρέψει την χονδροειδή, αδρότερη ύλη σε «χρυσό», σε κάτι δηλαδή ευγενές και πολύτιμο, το δε θέατρο επιδιώκει μέσα από την σύγκρουση, την κορύφωση και την κάθαρση να μετατρέψει, τρόπον τινά, τον ίδιο τον άνθρωπο, ώστε δια της διακρίσεως, να μπορέσει να επιλέξει τον δρόμο που οδηγεί απ' το Κατώτερο στο Ανώτερο, είτε εκείνος κατέχει την θέση του θεατή είτε αυτήν του ηθοποιού.

Το ΕσωΘέατρο ανεβάζοντας στην κεντρική του σκηνή τον «Αλχημιστή» του Paulo Coelho, επιτυγχάνει κατά την γνώμη μου, δύο πράγματα. Αφ΄ ενός παραμένει πιστό στον στόχο του για ένα καλό θέατρο κι αφ' ετέρου προσφέρει στους θεατές που το τιμούν με την παρουσία τους, ένα έργο εγνωσμένης αξίας, που πέραν του συγγραφικού και φιλοσοφικού του μεγέθους, διακρίνεται για το πνευματικό βάθος, την απλότητα του ύφους, την καθαρότητα και την ευγένεια του λόγου του.

Δουλεύοντας τεχνικά πάνω στην θεατρική διασκευή και απόδοση του «Αλχημιστή», επιλέξαμε να μείνουμε πιστοί όχι στο «γράμμα» αλλά στην Αλήθεια του έργου, επιδιώκοντας την όσο το δυνατόν αποτελεσματικότερη σκηνική κατανόηση αυτού του πυκνού σε νοήματα, λογοτεχνικού και έμμεσα μυητικού κειμένου. Όσον αφορά στην σκηνοθεσία, φροντίσαμε να είναι αφαιρετική και χωρίς φτιασίδια, ούτως ώστε να αναδειχτεί απρόσκοπτα η ποίηση, η εσωτερικότητα και η δύναμή του.

Η χαρά είναι μεγάλη, καθώς ο «Αλχημιστής» παρουσιάζεται στην χώρα μας για πρώτη φορά, μέσα από τις παραστάσεις αυτές του ΕσωΘεάτρου, σε μια φιλόδοξη –για τα μέτρα ενός μικρού θεάτρου- παραγωγή. Γι αυτό που θα δείτε, εργάστηκαν με πολύ κόπο, αφοσίωση και επιμέλεια, τόσο οι παλαιότεροι όσο και οι νεότεροι ταλαντούχοι ηθοποιοί μας καθώς και οι υπόλοιποι συνεργάτες του ΕσωΘεάτρου. Είμεθα ευγνώμονες.

Τέλος, ευελπιστούμε το αποτέλεσμα να είναι ισάξιο των προηγουμένων, επ' ωφελεία όλων, «υμών και ημών», γιατί όλοι εμείς εδώ στο ΕσωΘέατρο, κάνουμε θέατρο -όπως έλεγε ο δάσκαλος Κάρολος Κουν- …για την ψυχή μας …και την δική σας, συμπληρώνουμε οπωσδήποτε.

Τάσος Προύσαλης

Η υπόθεση του έργου

Ο Αλχημιστής είναι η ιστορία του Σαντιάγο, ενός νεαρού Ισπανού που επιθυμώντας να είναι ελεύθερος να ταξιδεύει, επιλέγει να γίνει βοσκός. «Αγόρασε ένα κοπάδι και γύρισε τον κόσμο, μέχρι να μάθεις ότι το κάστρο μας είναι το πιο σπουδαίο και οι γυναίκες μας οι πιο όμορφες» είναι τα λόγια του πατέρα του. Σύντομα όμως, δεν του φτάνει η ανέμελη ζωή στα βοσκοτόπια της Ανδαλουσίας κι έτσι αποφασίζει να αφήσει πίσω του όσα τον δένουν μ' αυτήν και να επιδοθεί στην αναζήτηση της τύχης του, στην Πραγμάτωση του Προσωπικού του Μύθου. Το έναυσμα γι αυτήν την αναζήτηση δεν είναι παρά ένα όνειρο που τον προτρέπει να ανακαλύψει έναν θησαυρό στις πυραμίδες της Αιγύπτου. Μόλις ο Σαντιάγο παίρνει την οριστική απόφαση να πραγματοποιήσει ένα τέτοιο ταξίδι, ευθύς συναντά κι έναν περίεργο άντρα που αυτοαποκαλείται «βασιλιάς της Σαλίμ», ο οποίος τον ενθαρρύνει περαιτέρω και τον προτρέπει να ακολουθεί πάντα τα σημάδια. Η περιπλάνηση ξεκινά: ο Σαντιάγο μέσω του Γιβραλτάρ, περνά απέναντι στην Ταγγέρη με σκοπό να διασχίσει την Σαχάρα και να βρεθεί στον προορισμό του, στις Πυραμίδες. Ο δρόμος του δεν θα 'ναι δίχως περιπέτειες, ούτε χωρίς κινδύνους. Όμως και πόσες ωραίες στιγμές θα του χαρίσει… πόσους σημαντικούς ανθρώπους θα γνωρίσει: τον έμπορο στο μαγαζί των κρυστάλλων, τον Άγγλο συνοδοιπόρο του, την αγαπημένη του Φατιμά και πάνω απ' όλα, τον άνθρωπο που θα τον διδάξει, τον γέρο- Αλχημιστή… Μετά από μια τέτοια πορεία, ο Σαντιάγο φτάνει τελικά στις πυραμίδες και μετά από μία τελική, σχεδόν θανατηφόρα περιπέτεια-δοκιμασία, ανακαλύπτει πως ο θησαυρός…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Λόγια του ποιητή φιλόσοφου Αουρομπίντο για τον Σαίξπηρ

…ο Σαίξπηρ που εφηύρε τον τρόπο να κρατά έναν καθρέφτη απέναντι στην Φύση, ήταν ο ποιητής που δεν καταδέχτηκε ποτέ να σκαρώσει μια απλή κόπια, μια φωτογραφία, μια σκιά. Ο αναγνώστης και ο θεατής που βλέπει στον Φάλσταφ, στον Μάκμπεθ,  στον Λήρ ή στον Άμλετ απλά και μόνο μιμήσεις της φύσης ή δεν έχει εσωτερικό μάτι της ψυχής ή έχει υπνωτιστεί από κάποιο μαγικό ξόρκι.
(Από την ιστοσελίδα του Εσωθεάτρου)

What's the point of structure? By J Krueger!

Every screenwriter is obsessed with structure.  And if you’re a writer, then you’ve probably had the frustrating experience of trying to make sense of at least a dozen conflicting terms and approaches, from Aristotle to Syd Field:
Three Act Structure, Hero’s Journey, Plot, Multiplot, Sequences, Formulas, Archetypes, Turns, Twists, Pinches, Plot Points, Act Breaks, Inciting Incidents, Crisis, Climax, Peripeteia, Denoument , Trick Endings, and so on…
Amidst the onslaught of information, young writers find themselves flailing wildly, trying to understand, mimic and reproduce the “proper” elements of structure, without ever asking the most important question:  what is all this structure supposed to be doing for you anyway? 

The Audience Doesn’t Care About Your Structure

 

Nobody who isn’t a screenwriter has ever left a movie raving about the effectiveness of the Inciting Incident or the proper placement of Plot Point Two.
And no producer has ever bought a movie because of its perfect compliance with the principles of The Contour System’s screenwriting paradigm.
If you want to know what people really care about in movies, just go to your local Blockbuster, and watch the couples fight:  one lover clutching The Godfather and the other insisting on the dramatic merits of Tank Girl.
They’re not fighting over the structure.  They’re fighting over the feeling they want to get from the movie.  That feeling is what we call Genre.

If All Movies Were Good, Genre Would Be The Only Thing That Mattered

 
But most movies are not good.  And most screenplays are not good.
Hollywood has no credibility with its audience.  And screenwriters have no credibility with producers.
You know when you go to a movie that there’s a good chance it’s going to suck.  Which means that if Hollywood wants you to plunk down your 12 bucks, they’ve got to give you some sense of what makes this one special.
Similarly, if you’re going to get a producer to start reading your script, instead of some other from their pile, you’ve got to make them believe, from page 1, that this one might stand out from the pack.
This is what we call Hook: the promise your screenplay makes to its audience, that leads them to take the leap of faith that your movie can deliver the feeling they are so desperately seeking.

So Why Do Most Screenplays Still Suck?

 
Writing is a lot like dating. You see a beautiful girl or guy of the genre you like, get hooked by some aspect of their super-hot appearance, and start to project all kinds of character qualities on them.  You imagine all the exciting experiences you’re going to have together, the feelings you’re going to have in their presence, the ways they’re going to change your life.  You start to build a story in your mind, a plot full of white picket fences, 2 and ½ kids, and a floppy eared dog.  Everything is going just perfectly in your mind… until the object of your affection decides to open their mouth…
Suddenly they’re not so hot anymore.
This is the same mistake many writers make with their screenplays: searching frantically for the “perfect” hook, building a formulaic structure around it, drafting outlines, treatments, beat sheets and pitches… only to find that once their characters start opening their mouths, the whole thing falls apart.
Producers hear a hundred great ideas a day—a hundred potential lovers each with some quality to make them special.  But once they open the pages, if all that’s there is a hot red dress or some rock hard biceps, they’re not going to make your movie.
Hook is the reason that your audience takes a chance on your script.  But it’s not the reason they fall in love with it.  If you want to make your audience fall in love with your screenplay, you’ve got to make them fall in love with your character.  You’ve got to take them on a journey that surprises their expectations, touches something in them, and gives them the feelings their searching for, in ways that they didn’t even see coming.
And that’s why you need structure.

Structure Is Just a Delivery Mechanism For Your Character’s Journey

 
Imagining that you can create a great structure by using a mechanical formula is like expecting to buy a Flowbee and get a real haircut.
That’s why my screenwriting classes focus not on loglines, outlines, beat sheets or other formulaic models to be imposed on the outside, but instead on an organic process by which you can naturally discover the structure of your character’s journey.
A great structure evolves organically, just like a great relationship.  And just like a great relationship, it grows out of character, the choices they make, and the experiences they go through.
It starts when a character opens his or her mouth, and says or does something that you connect to.  And it ends when that character has gone through the most profound journey imaginable in relation to where he or she started the story.
If you learn to listen to your character closely, and how to craft scenes that drive the action of their story, your character will begin to reveal themselves to you in ways that surprise and exceed your expectations.
If you test them with the greatest challenges you can create for them, and with scenes that resonate for you emotionally, the shape of that journey will start to evolve organically, even if you never discover what Peripeteia means.
Along the way, you’ll learn that the real hook doesn’t come from an external idea, but from within your character.  Just like the things that truly make you fall in love have nothing to do with the dress or the biceps, and everything to do with the things you could never have seen in your partner until you really got to know each other.

Goodman από το Στούντιο του Εσωθεάτρου!

Ο Κέννεθ Σώγερ Γκούντμαν (1883-1918) παρά το σύντομο βίο του, κατάφερε να μείνει στην ιστορία του θεάτρου: όχι μόνο μέσα από το έργο του αλλά κυρίως επειδή το παλαιότερο θέατρο του Σικάγο, φέρει σχεδόν έναν αιώνα τώρα, το όνομά του.
Ο Γκούντμαν έγραψε ένα μεγάλο αριθμό μονόπρακτων, αλλά επίσης και κάποια μεγάλα θεατρικά έργα μαζί με τον Μπέν Χέχτ και τον Τόμας Γούντ Στήβενς. Η «Σκόνη του δρόμου» (Dust of the road) είναι ένα από τα λίγα έργα του, που άντεξε στο χρόνο, ίσως γιατί  τα διλήμματα που θέτει δεν έχουν πάψει να απασχολούν τον άνθρωπο.
Η συγγραφική του δραστηριότητα τελειώνει με τον θάνατο του, το 1918, εξαιτίας μιας πνευμονίας, απότοκου γρίππης, στη διάρκεια του πρώτου παγκοσμίου πολέμου. Οι γονείς του Γουίλιαμ και Μαλβίνα, δωρίζουν στο Ινστιτούτο Τεχνών του Σικάγο το ποσό των 350.000 δολαρίων, εις μνήμη του γιου τους, προκειμένου να δημιουργηθεί εκεί, επαγγελματικό θέατρο και να λειτουργήσει δραματική σχολή ενώ παράλληλα αναθέτουν στον αρχιτέκτονα Χάουαρντ Βαν Ντόρεν Σω την υλοποίηση του έργου.
Στις 5 Ιανουαρίου του 1925 αρχίζει να λειτουργεί η σχολή ενώ στην εναρκτήρια τελετή για το θέατρο, στις 20 Οκτωβρίου 1925, θα παρουσιαστούν τρία έργα του Γκούνμταν : «Στην πίσω αυλή» (Back of the yards), «το πράσινο τραπεζομάντηλο» (The Green Scarf), και «η παρτίδα σκάκι» (The Game of Chess). Ο Τόμας Γουντ Στήβενς, σκηνοθέτης, στενός συνεργάτης και προσωπικός φίλος του Κέννεθ Γκούντμαν θα ηγηθεί τόσο του θεάτρου όσο και της δραματικής σχολής. Η σχολή και το θέατρο ανέδειξε, καθόλη τη διάρκεια του 20ου αιώνα, ορισμένους από τους πλέον σημαντικούς αμερικανούς ηθοποιούς. Με το θέατρο αυτό λοιπόν, συνεργάζονται καταξιωμένοι συγγραφείς και σκηνοθέτες όπως για παράδειγμα ο Ντέϊβιντ Μάμμετ, ο «Αμερικάνικος Βούβαλος» του οποίου, κάνει παγκόσμια πρεμιέρα στο Goodman theatre, στη δεκαετία του 70. Πάνω από την είσοδο του θεάτρου Γκούντμαν, ο επισκέπτης μπορεί να διαβάσει: «Για να διατηρηθεί η παλιά πείρα και να αποκτηθεί νέα», μια φράση-έμπνευση για όλους τους ανθρώπους του θεάτρου και της τέχνης γενικότερα.

Baby Angel

Transcendental Mickey Mouse

The Magic Kingdom Of Disney's

Magic Kingdom is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. In 2010, the park hosted approximately 17 million visitors, making it the most visited theme park in the world.
Dedication
“ Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place ... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together. ”
—Roy Oliver Disney, 25th October 1971
History
Construction
See also: utilidor
Although Walt Disney himself had been highly involved in planning The Florida Project, The Walt Disney Company began construction on Magic Kingdom and the entire resort in 1967 after his death. The park was built similarly to the existing Disneyland in California but was built in a larger area and improved upon the design of Disneyland in several ways.
There are several anecdotes relating to reasons for some of the features of Walt Disney World, and Magic Kingdom specifically. According to one story, Walt Disney once saw a Frontierland cowboy walking through Tomorrowland at Disneyland. He disliked that the cowboy intruded on the futuristic setting of Tomorrowland and wanted to avoid situations like this in the new park.Therefore, Magic Kingdom was built over a series of tunnels called utilidors, a portmanteau of utility and corridor. These tunnels allow employees (aka cast members) to move through the park out of sight from guests, maintaining the show's cast.
Because of Florida's high water table, the tunnels could not be put underground, so they were built at the existing grade. This means that the park is actually built on the second story, giving Magic Kingdom an elevation of 107 feet (33 m). The area around the utilidors was filled in with dirt removed from the Seven Seas Lagoon, which was being constructed at the same time.
The utilidors were built in the initial construction and were not extended as the park expanded. The tunnels were intended to be designed into in all subsequent Walt Disney World parks, but these plans were mostly set aside because of financial constraints. Future World at Epcot and Pleasure Island each have a smaller network of utilidors.
Opening
Magic Kingdom opened as the first part of Walt Disney's planned Florida Project on Oct. 1, 1971. It was the only theme park on the resort at the time and opened concurrently with two hotels on the property: Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Resort. The park opened with 23 attractions, three unique to the park and 20 copies of attractions at Disneyland. The Walt Disney Company promised to increase this number with more attractions like those in Disneyland as well as more unique ones. The attractions were split into six themed lands, five copies of those at Disneyland and the unique Liberty Square.
While there is no individual dedication to Magic Kingdom Park, the dedication by Roy O. Disney for the entire Walt Disney World Resort was placed within its gates.
Since opening day, Magic Kingdom has only been closed for five incidents: Hurricane Floyd, the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Charley, and Hurricane Wilma.
Naming confusions
Magic Kingdom had often been used as an unofficial nickname for Disneyland Park before the Walt Disney World Resort was built. The official tagline for Disneyland is The Happiest Place On Earth, while the tagline for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is, The Most Magical Place On Earth. Despite the similarities, the Florida park's tickets have always borne the official name of Magic Kingdom. In 1994, in order to differentiate it from Disneyland, the park was officially renamed to Magic Kingdom Park but is most often simply called Magic Kingdom. Like all of Disney's theme parks it does not take an article ("the"), however it is a common mistake to see it described as such. The sign on the railroad station at the front of the park erroneously states "The Magic Kingdom."
Transportation and Ticket Center
See also: Walt Disney World Monorail System
The layout of the resort places Magic Kingdom more than a mile away from its parking lot, on the opposite side of the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon. Upon arrival, guests are taken by the parking lot trams to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), which sells tickets to the parks and provides transportation connections throughout the resort complex. It also has a small gift shop and the central lost-and-found facility for all four theme parks.
To reach Magic Kingdom, guests either use the Walt Disney World Monorail System, the Staten Island-style ferryboats, or Buses depending on the location of their hotel. The three hotels closest to Magic Kingdom, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa use either the ferry or monorail system to travel to Magic Kingdom. Guests staying at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground can also ride a dedicated ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom docks. The other hotels take the buses to travel to this specific park. The three ferries are clad in different trim colors and are named for past Disney executives: the General Joe Potter (blue), the Richard F. Irvine (red) and the Admiral Joe Fowler (green).
The main monorail loop has two lanes. The outer lane is a direct nonstop loop between the TTC and Magic Kingdom. The inner loop has additional stops at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Epcot is accessible by a spur monorail line that was added upon that park's opening in 1982.
Lands of the Magic Kingdom
Main article: Magic Kingdom attraction and entertainment history
Further information: List of attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort
The park map lists 46 attractions in six themed "lands." Designed like a wheel with the hub in front of Cinderella Castle, pathways spoke out across the 142 acres (0.57 km2) of the park and lead to these six lands. The Walt Disney World Railroad runs along the perimeter of the park and makes stops at Main Street, U.S.A. and Frontierland.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Main article: Main Street, U.S.A.
Instead of being a replica of a small Midwestern American town, Main Street at Magic Kingdom features some stylistic influences from around the country. Taking its inspiration from New England to Missouri, this design is most noticeable in the four corners area in the middle of Main Street, where each of the four corner buildings represents a different architectural style. There is also no opera house on Magic Kingdom's Main Street as there is at Disneyland; instead, there is the Town Square Theater. Also, this is where Christopher George Weaver, the "mayor" of Main Street U.S.A., and one of the park's most important figures, resides.
Main Street is lined with shops selling merchandise and food. The decor is early-20th century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's childhood and the film Lady and the Tramp. City Hall contains the Guest Relations lobby, where cast members provide information and assistance. A working barber shop gives haircuts for a fee. The Emporium carries a wide variety of Disney souvenirs such as plush toys, collectible pins and Mickey-ear hats. Tony’s Town Square Restaurant and The Plaza Restaurant are table-service locations. Casey's Corner is at the end of Main Street and sells traditional American ballpark fare including hot dogs and fries. The Main Street Confectionary sells sweets priced by their weight, such as candied apples, crisped rice treats, chocolates, cookies and fudge.
Most windows on Main Street bear the name of people who were influential at Walt Disney World or other Disney parks. An example of a classic Main Street, U.S.A. attraction is the Walt Disney World Railroad, which transports guest throughout the park, making stops at Main Street, U.S.A. Fantasyland, and Frontierland. The railroad's previous stop at Mickey's Toon Town Fair was replaced by the Fantasyland stop in 2012.
In the distance beyond the end of Main Street stands Cinderella Castle. Though only 189 feet (55m) tall, it benefits from a technique known as forced perspective. The second stories of all the buildings along Main Street are shorter than the first stories, and the third stories are even shorter than the second, and the top windows of the castle are much smaller than they appear. The resulting visual effect is that the buildings appear to be larger and taller than they really are.
Symbolically, Main Street, U.S.A. represents the park's "opening credits". Guests pass under the train station (the opening curtain), then view the names of key personnel along the windows of the buildings' upper floors. Many windows bear the name of a fictional business, such as "Seven Summits Expeditions, Frank G. Wells President", with each representing a tribute to significant people connected to the Disney company and the development of the Walt Disney World Resort.
The park contains two additional tributes: the Partners statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle and the Sharing the Magic statue of Roy O. Disney sitting with Minnie Mouse in the Town Square section of Main Street, U.S.A. Both were sculpted by veteran Imagineer Blaine Gibson.
Adventureland
Main article: Adventureland (Disney)
Adventureland represents the mystery of exploring foreign lands. It is themed to resemble the remote jungles in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the South Pacific, with an extension resembling a Caribbean town square. It contains classic rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise.
Frontierland
Main article: Frontierland
Frontierland is where guests can relive the American Old West – from cowboys and Indians, to exploring the mysteries of the Rivers of America. Frontierland contains classic attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, and the Country Bear Jamboree.
Liberty Square
Main article: Liberty Square (Magic Kingdom)
This area of the park is based on an American Revolutionary colonial town. The Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America hosts the Liberty Belle riverboat. Liberty Square is home to The Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents.
Fantasyland
Main article: Fantasyland
In the words of Walt Disney: "Fantasyland is dedicated to the young at heart and to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true." Fantasyland is themed in a medieval-faire/carnival style.
Attractions include "it's a small world", Peter Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, and Mad Tea Party.
Expansion
The land is currently undergoing a large expansion and renovation. "The New Fantasyland will be constructed in phases with most new experiences open by late 2012."
Recent conceptual artwork for the expansion shows several new additions and changes. Included is a new dark ride themed to Disney's 1989 film The Little Mermaid (also opened at Disney California Adventure). The ride is going through testing, and will be released after the Storybook Circus. There will also be an area themed to Disney's 1991 film Beauty and the Beast featuring The Beast's Castle with a new dining experience, Gaston's tavern, and Belle's cottage.
Snow White's Scary Adventures will be removed and an area themed to Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be built. It will feature Snow White's cottage and The Seven Dwarfs mine train roller coaster ride, the first rollercoaster to move in a wobbling motion on track. Princess Fairytale Hall, a new Disney Princess meet and greet will be established where Snow White's Scary Adventures currently exists.
Mickey's Toontown Fair closed permanently in February 2011 in order to make way for the expansion. Some elements of Mickey's Toontown Fair will be demolished and others will be re-themed to a new Storybook Circus area. An expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride will be built with an interactive queue. A second Dumbo the Flying Elephant will be built next to it in order to increase capacity. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm was re-themed to The Great Goofini."A Casey Jr. mini-water park will be released soon. A big top area will be built for meet-and-greets.
Storybook Circus
Storybook Circus, part of the aforementioned Fantasyland expansion is currently in progress. It is located at the former site of Mickey's Toontown Fair. Attractions include The Great Goofini and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which was removed from its current location in Fantasyland on January 8, 2012 and an expanded duplication is being built here. Storybook Circus began soft openings on March 12, 2012. The rest of the area was opened on March 31, 2012. On the map, this is part of Fantasyland.
Tomorrowland
Main article: Tomorrowland
In the words of Walt Disney: "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."
Tomorrowland is themed to be an intergalactic city; a concept of the future as seen from around the 1950s: rockets, UFOs and robots, etc. Classic attractions include Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress, Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Transit Authority and the Tomorrowland Speedway. Other current attractions include Stitch's Great Escape, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
Former lands
Mickey's Toontown Fair
Main article: Mickey's Toontown Fair
An expansion of the land created as Mickey's Birthdayland, and later Mickey's Starland, this area was home to attractions such as Mickey's Country House, Minnie's Country House, The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm, and Donald's Boat.
This land closed permanently on February 12, 2011 to make way for the expansion of Fantasyland. The Walt Disney World Railroad station in Mickey's Toontown Fair was closed for the duration of the construction.
Planned film
Director Jon Favreau and Walt Disney Pictures plan to produce and release a film concerning a family at Disneyland which finds the theme park characters and attractions coming to life.
Favreau, who said "the Disney iconography was probably the first set of archetypes that I was exposed to" and that Disney movies and attractions "made a deep impression on me as a child", noted that, "When I first heard about the ['Magic Kingdom' film] project, I was on my way to visit Disneyland with my family. I took notes and had no problem filling a book with all the ideas that this concept offered, even on first blush."
Marc Abraham and Eric Newman of Strike Entertainment are scheduled to produce the film. Writer-producer Ronald D. Moore had previously written an original script for the project, which the studio eventually declined to use, stating that Favreau and a new screenwriter will develop a new script. On June 20, 2011, Spider-Man 2 story contributor, Michael Chabon signed on to write the film's script.