Today was an eventful day for students! This morning in their arts and Ideas class, faculty member Dr. Jan Guffin took students on a field trip to a local store in Spoleto. After learning about the history of the store, students had time to look around and purchase souvenirs such as custom-made journals, leather belts, and wax stamps.
Then, students walked across the street to a local cafe for coffee and class. Yesterday students did several writing exercises where they focused on writing fluency. They discussed the difference between looking and existing. Today at the cafe, students each shared one of their pieces of writing from yesterday's class. Students loved the opportunity to explore and have class in a new location.
Students sharing their writing
After dinner tonight, faculty and students gathered in the performance space for performance class. During this time students have an opportunity to share what they have been focusing on in class as well as their work in progress. All of the students are incredibly talented! It was clear how dedicated they are and how hard they have been working.
Spotlight: Screen Writing
FADE IN
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
The room is average size, stocked with chalk, crayons, charts, the materials you would find in a third grade classroom. It seems like the kind of classroom that would have internet access, but maybe not.
WARREN, the teacher, looks somewhat capable. But maybe not.
The students - MIRANDA, KYLIE, BEA and GABE - appear wildly capable. We’ll see.
WARREN
I have to do this blog-thingy. You know, about stuff you’ve learned in class.
Students groan.
WARREN
They want to know if you’ve learned anything.
Another groan, deeper and longer.
WARREN
What do you think? Have you learned anything?
BEA
Ah...
KYLIE
Sort of.
MEREDITH
Guess so.
GABE
Have you seen Arrested Development?
WARREN
No.
MIRANDA
Every film must have a protagonist, a hero, someone the audience follows.
GABE
It’s his, the protagonist’s, story.
KYLIE
Or her’s.
GABE
Right. That’s what I meant. His or hers. Have you seen Whiplash?
WARREN
No.
BEA
Every protagonist must have an objective. Really important, the objective.
MEREDITH
Something he or she wants. That’s the objective. Like in Up, Carl, the old man, wants to go to Paradise Falls.
KYLIE
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wants to go home, Kansas.
GABE
Some films don’t have a protagonist with an objective.
WARREN
Name one.
Gabe gives Warren a dirty look. Gabe’s thinking.
BEA
The protagonist must be passionate about the objective. Going after it makes her active.
KYLIE
And the protagonist must be active, which is why the writer gives her an objective - something to chase.
GABE
An inactive protagonist is boring. Have you seen Pulp Fiction?
WARREN
No.
MEREDITH
I like the Inciting Incident. I didn’t know about that before.
GABE
(bored)
The inciting incident happens near the end of act one. It sets the story in motion.
BEA
It changes the protagonist’s life forever, nothing will ever be the same.
MEREDITH
Romeo sees and falls in love with Juliette.
KYLIE
Shark eats girl. The sheriff’s life will never be the same.
GABE
Have you seen Jaws?
WARREN
No.
BEA
Legally Blond, her boyfriend breaks up with her. He’s going to Harvard Law School. So, she goes after him.
MEREDITH
Girl wants boy. Boy’s the objective.
KYLIE
Inciting incident and objective all wrapped up in one. Cool.
WARREN
So, act one - meet protagonist, set up objective, nail down inciting incident.
KYLIE
Act two is just obstacles, a bunch of stuff that keeps the protagonist from reaching the objective.
GABE
Weird, the writer gives the protagonist an objective. Then, makes it nearly impossible to get.
WARREN
All drama is conflict.
BEA
The antagonist tries to stop the protagonist from reaching the objective. More conflict.
GABE
Also, the protagonist should have a flaw, which he or she corrects in the second act.
MEREDITH
Carl is, like, a mean old man at the end of the first act.
WARREN
And by the end of Up?
KYLIE
He’s like a father to Russell.
GABE
What’s the objective in Jaws?
WARREN
The shark. What else could it be?
GABE
Thought you said you hadn’t seen it.
Warren glares at Gabe.
Meredith snickers.
Gabe looks like he just scored a goal.
WARREN
Want to watch Spider-Man?
MEREDITH, KYLIE, BEA
Yeah, cool.
GABE
Have you seen Spider-Man II?
WARREN
No. Hey, think the other classes wish they got to watch movies during class?
KYLIE
Are you kidding?
BEA
Of course. They’re, like, dying.
GABE
Can we watch Spider-Man II next?
WARREN
No.
Warren puts DVD in.
WARREN
So, you did learn something?
KYLIE
Maybe.
MEREDITH
Guess so.
BEA
Sort of.
GABE
Can you go to wide screen?
FADE OUT
THE END
Spotlight: Creative Writing
Since last week, the creative writing students have dived deeper into the elements of fiction writing: namely characters, place, and the construction of scenes. The town proved to be a great resource as students pulled characters and settings directly from Spoletino daily life.
Equipped with this new perspective on the art of writing fiction, students turned a critical eye on their own previous work in Monday’s workshop. They’re now preparing to revise and re-imagine their own stories – starting from scratch, with the goal being to elevate and amplify the core tensions, characters and themes beating at the story’s heart.
Today in class we talked about layering, about the stories that appear within stories, and how those layers interact with and better one another. Finally we completed an exercise on beginnings, focusing specifically on the first two sentences.
Students shared their story beginnings at tonight’s Performance Class, and are preparing to share a longer work with the SSA community by the end of the week.
