Our life is full of stories. In addition to the art field, there are stories in advertising, interviews, papers, news, brands and so on. Days are the records of stories. They become life and a collection of stories one after another.
01
How can I become a good storyteller
Step 1: 《Script Analysis》 & 《appreciation of British and American dramas》
Analyze the natural mechanism of the story - what the public understands as watching movies and brushing dramas is only passive acceptance of information. The film and television drama analysis I set up is to first understand and learn how the creator organizes information, ideas and concepts into vivid stories through narrative techniques and specific skills, and then learn how to achieve deeper emotional connection and resonance with the majority of the audience. The process of analyzing one film and television drama case is a process of gradually cultivating and forming personal taste.
Step 2: Narration and expression
Create our own stories - we apply the story skills and narrative techniques learned in the first step to our own stories for creative writing. The process of creating stories and excavating characters is also the process of finding the voice of the author.
In the five issues of narration and expression I cooperated with you, I met the following two kinds of ideas:
Category one: I don't seem to have any creativity.
The second category:small household affairs is too boring and tacky. Only hard science fiction can be dazzling and creative! Only Nolan and David Lynch deserve me.
RE type I ideas:
What is the difference between creativity and originality?
As for the definitions of these two terms, we can think about Mark Twain's words: basically all ideas are second-hand. Consciously and unconsciously, they draw inspiration from millions of external sources and are used by collectors every day, resulting in a myth of pride and satisfaction, that is, those things are original. [1] In short, there is no absolute originality in the world, and creativity is how to recombine existing ideas in novel ways.
One of the representatives of the development of sharing economy in recent years, airbnb, founded in 2008, is a good example of recombining existing ideas in novel ways, that is, a brand born by adding space asset reuse and home rental.
RE second type of ideas:
Have you passively accepted the chain of contempt accepted by most people?
Brain burning tablets must be the most advanced? The underlying causes of such ideas can be cited as in group favoritism and out group discrimination in social psychology.
For example: in previous Oscars, the probability of winning the best picture of a drama is much higher than that of a comedy. This can be said to be the chain of contempt that the Oscar judges themselves are unwilling to admit, that is, some genres are better, more advanced, more serious and more important than others. Craig Mazin, a screenwriter who won an Emmy Award for Chernobyl, has previously made representative works such as 《Jingsheng Jianxiao 3》, 《Jingsheng Jianxiao 4》, 《hangover 2》 and 《hangover 3》. He also said that these seemingly popcorn films are not only more difficult to write than Chernobyl, but also may not be bought by the audience and film critics. But anyone with creative experience will tell you that comedy is the most difficult to write. Because good comedy needs extremely careful logic, delivery and timing to package the imperceptible truth in life into laughter to resolve the pain and suffering in life. That's why we have the insight that the core of good comedy is tragedy - such as the king of Comedy (Martin Scorsese in 1982 and Stephen Chow in 1999).
The courses of 《script analysis》, 《appreciation of British and American dramas》 and 《narration and expression》 I have offered hope to practice one work, one story after another:
1. Understand how the unique audio-visual language of film and television drama appropriately shows the complex human nature;
2. Understand the different ways to treat life by taking advantage of the crisis, humanistic landscape and personality situation presented by film and television dramas;
3. Reexamine, even challenge, break the thinking stereotypes and stereotypes (aka. Labeling) about yourself and others, and establish a unique voice and perspective as a creator.
I don't think the beauty of the story lies in how brain burning the plot is, how gorgeous the words are, and how shocking the special effects are, but when the lights are on, we move heart and emotion for the characters of the story. This is the power of the story. Only when you go first can the audience care.
Laughter cures the table, and story cures the book. [2]
——Hannah Gatsby
02
The screenwriter tiantuan of the fifth issue of 《narration and expression》 said something
01 Ding Rusong, School of Life Science and Technology
It takes courage to face criticism, but the difficulty of creation is not limited to this - you need to face the depletion of inspiration, chaotic scenes, unknown motives and heinous embarrassing dialogue. But at least, you are writing, so the world that is not very self appropriate was born out of thin air. Yijun and the six friends said that they like to listen to stories. In fact, they travel in those worlds. Now that the journey is over, I am very grateful that they have come to my world and left their unique traces.
story Zombie King on Friday night
Outline Due to the popularity of cremation, zombies gradually withdrew from this era, which made Taoist Lu Dayou almost unemployed. On a Friday night, the lovelorn girl Margaret came to Lu Dayou's Taoist temple. Then they witnessed the long lost vibration of the subdued compass, which means that the Zombie King has been resurrected.
02 Gao Ziqi, School of Information Science and Technology
This course includes deconstructing personal experience and telling fictional stories. Deconstructing personal experience pushed me on my way to understand myself; telling fictional stories made me start to think about the emotional logic and value orientation behind the characters' behavior, and empathy with the characters, which is very valuable and interesting. My own feelings are not loud, and they are often dominated by reason This makes this type of writing very difficult for me. However, some moments of Epiphany during dystocia made me feel very happy. The good ideas I came up with when communicating my script with others even made me feel moved. Getting along with myself and the world is a lifelong topic. I'm glad I can figure out some of them now.
story Xiao Liu's long house
Outline In the face of control and deception in the name of love and future, can model student Xiao Liu break away from cognitive prejudice and reveal his true self?
03 Lu Guanyu, School of Physical Science and Technology
It's a great way for everyone to chat together, understand everyone's different life experiences, and slowly express what they don't dare to face. The final script is constantly revised and improved from writing, changing to arranging. Although the process is very painful, it is also the happiest time to know so many people, receive so many help and work together for the same thing!
story Blademaster
Outline After the defeat of the southern kingdom, the swordsman wanted to go to yobijian's hometown to cut land, but Duke Lin threatened his girlfriend in an attempt to stop it. The storm must choose between his hometown and his girlfriend.
04 Wang Runhua, School of Information Science and Technology
Through this class, we had a screenwriter addiction. Although the process was very painful, we were really happy when we saw the results
story Lie to Love
Outline Zhang Xiaoxing, 18, lives in a remote mountain village with his father. When he finally has the opportunity to fly to the outside world, he is faced with leaving his disabled father alone. The father dedicated himself to his son's success, but the son felt guilty and couldn't bear to leave. Facing the choice of family affection and dream, the son decided to weave a love lie.
05 Wu Wenjin,School of Physical Science and Technology
Before writing the final script, narration and expression are the courses I most expect every week. I am super happy to share, discuss and chat with you and spend this semester together! Then, thank you very much for your encouragement and comfort. I have completely unilaterally thought that I and you are good friends. Ha ha! Mr. Yijun is the coolest teacher I have ever seen in class It's very helpful for me to study or chat with the teacher after class. Thank you very much!
story Fuck the exam
Outline Xie Ting, a junior high school student who has been studying hard and eager to get parents' attention and recognition, gradually gave up his hobbies under academic pressure. Xie Ting's 14th birthday is coming. Xiao Pang at the same table gave Xie Ting a ticket to the exhibition that opened on his birthday, but then they were told that an important class examination was also on the same day. But when Xie Ting found that his efforts were meaningless, he decided to skip the exam and participate in the painting exhibition.
06 Yang Shuyi, School of Life Science and Technology
I joked with my classmates that this class is like a healing Mutual Aid Association. I create stories to know myself better. It's painful but also great! And I'm very, very happy to meet a group of sincere people!!
story Touch gently
Outline Can a person who always obeys his family and ignores his feelings choose the path that is not optimistic when he finally meets the person he likes?
Liang hongsong (Teaching Assistant)
The reason why I choose to be a teaching assistant in this course is that I want to make more good friends. In this class, I can deeply understand each student and Yijun, including their personal experience and personality, so that we can establish a deeper friendship with each other. At the same time, I'm really happy to see the students change slowly!
QQ: 1370910035
Email: lianghs@shanghaitech.edu.cn
Instructor
Zhu Yijun
Screenwriter, writer, assistant professor
Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and obtained a master's degree in artistic creation in film and television screenwriting. He once served as script consultant for Sino US cooperation projects for the production company of Hollywood gold producer Joe Ross (extreme agent series, sleeping spell and Alice in Wonderland). At present, the courses offered by the school of creativity and art of Shanghai University of science and technology include narration and expression, script analysis and appreciation of British and American dramas.
Everybody, these months
[1] Substantially all ideas are second-hand, consciously and unconsciously drawn from a million outside sources, and daily use by the garnerer with a pride and satisfaction born of the superstition that he originated them. — Mark Twain
[2] Laughter is not our medicine. Stories hold our cure. — Hannah Gadsby
