Final Blog Post/Reflection (6)

I used this project as a way to explore a possible career path. I had a difficult time finding research and piecing it together in my research paper. I felt that neither one of my final products turned out the way I expected them to. At the end of this project I can't really find anything that I am happy about, besides the fact that I learned that I do not want to be a screenwriter.

If I were to redo this project, I would change my topic completely. I would have done a topic related to sports, such as basketball or wrestling. I would have liked to learn about the origins and history of both sports, the greats, and how it evolved. Another idea would be a philosophy paper about my thoughts of how the world came to be, and my thoughts about the world around me.

I liked the way that the project was structured. It gave students the opportunity to do something that they were genuinely interested in, opposed to everyone writing a philosophy paper, which might not be that interesting to every student. You should keep the clear deadlines for next year. It allowed me to stay organized, and avoid procrastinating and doing all of my work the week before the final product was due. I can't think of any ways that the project could improve.

I learned that a career as a screenwriter would not fit me; I will simply remain a fan of television shows and not a writer. I also learned that being a screenwriter is a very stressful and time consuming job, and that a lot of effort goes into writing a television show. This project allowed me to learn about a possible career and decide that I am no longer interested. But I also learned to appreciate television shows and movies with great writing because I now know how much effort goes into the process of writing them.

Blog Post #5

I just turned in my creation. Due to time constrictions,  I was only able to write out a page long plot about the show. It consisted of the description of the main character and his conflictions. It also set up the plot for the first season of the show. Earlier I turned in an outline for my research paper, which I will begin working on now. So far I have learned a lot about screenwriting, and the career as a screenwriter. It involves a lot of time and imagination. Before I started this project I didn't know much about screenwriting. All I knew was that it involved television and movies. The reason why I was interested was because I am constantly captivated by an intriguing story that is told through television or movies. I thought that being a screenwriter was a possible career for me. After I completed all of my research I have changed my mind. I truly cannot see myself with a career as a screenwriter. I still love a great movie or television show, but I have decided to only remain a fan.

Blog Post #4

So far I still need to write my research paper and write a draft for the pilot of a television show I think want to write about. They only thing that has recently changed about my project is that I decided to only write a pilot for one episode rather than an entire season. Writing an entire season would be too time consuming and difficult. I will write the basic plot for the pilot by developing the characters and describing what will happen in the pilot episode. A script will take too long and I won’t have enough time before the due date, to complete that, as well as my research paper.

So far this project is not what I expected it to be. After learning more about the career of a writer and the process it takes to write for a television show, I have lost interest. I feel that this type of a career is not the best fit for me. I will finish out the project, and I will see this experience as a way to rule out a possible career choice, and a way of trying something new.

Blog Post 3

I will be producing a rough outline for the pilot of a television show. After speaking to my contact from Dexter I learned that writing an overall plot line is inefficient and it takes way too long. Instead I am going to develop characters a lay out the idea for a plot in the pilot.

So far I have not started working on the pilot but I will begin working on that this weekend. I still need to come up with an idea and I will brainstorm throughout my day for possible ideas. I am using what I have learned from my contact and from the book while I do this. I have notes from each that will be very helpful throughout the process. I still need to write the entire plot to finish my creation.

Blog #2, Learning Activity, Reading a Book

I chose to read a book called Screenwriting for Teens: The 100 Principles of Screenwriting Every Budding Writer Must Know. This book explains the basic elements of a film or television show. It teaches the reader how to create complex situations and characters.

This book helped lay a foundational knowledge for me. I learned the three basic situations that can create a plot, which are escape, reward and revenge. A plot that involves escape is about a protagonist that is seeking escape from some sort of physical, mental, or emotional bondage. Reward is a situation where a character is seeking a sort of reward that would better themselves, those around them, or society. Revenge is a situation that involves the main character seeking some sort of retribution for a deed that was done to them.

I also learned how to incorporate my vision or beliefs of the world around me, into my television show. I can use my plot to display a certain perception of the world around us. This makes the more relatable because viewers can connect the events in the show to real world issues.

Along with learning many things, this book was not a difficult read, and it was easy to understand. Each lesson provided an example of a movie to refer to that demonstrated this lesson in an understandable manner. Each lesson also supplied a few brainstorming techniques to use while I was in the process of writing my plotline. I enjoyed reading this book because it focused on a topic that I was truly interested in, and I learned a lot from it.

Blog Post 1, Update on my project

I have just started researching for my project. I found all of my sources for the FAQ, and I have finished it as well, but I need to make some revisions. I have scheduled an interview with the writer from Dexter. I will be interviewing her on Tuesday next week.

I am currently in the very early stages of my project. I have not learned much outside of the FAQ.
No changes to my project have occurred other than rescheduling the interview. Depending on how well the rest of my research goes, I may change my final creation. As of now I plan on creating my own detailed plot-line explaining the characters and their conflicts with the world and those around them.

As of now I have an interview scheduled with the writer from Dexter. I am finishing up reading my book, "Screenwriting for Teens, The 100 Principles of Screenwriting Every Budding Writer Must Know" and I plan on having a book talk in the WERC's tomorrow morning. After my interview I plan on beginning to write my research paper.

Introduction to My Senior Project

This blog will be used to post updates on the progress of my senior project, and to share the information that I learned from interviews, books, and experiential learning. My senior project is focusing on screenwriting. I will be studying television dramas, and after my research, I will create my own plot line for a television series using the knowledge that I gained from my research.

I want to learn about successful screenwriting. What are the key elements that come into play when writing a dramatic series? What makes a series outstanding?

I chose this topic because I have always been captivated by complex stories with dramatic twists. My favorite television shows like Dexter, The Walking Dead, Lost, and Breaking Bad all have plots with multiple layers, and the viewer’s cannot predict what will happen next. I want to learn what steps go into the process of writing a television show as successful as these.

I will continue to update my blog as my project progresses. I will watch several shows such as The Wire, Dexter, and Lost and I will take notes that compare and contrast the three of them. I will also interview one of the writers from Dexter. I will read a book titled Screenwriting for teens: the 100 principles of scriptwriting every budding writer must know by Chirstian Hamlett. After I finish all of the research I will write a paper describing what I have learned from it. Then I will write a plotline for a television show by applying what I have learned to the process writing the plot.

As of now I do not need any more resources, but I will update the blog frequently and let you know if I need further help.