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THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR
Free Monthly Ezine for Independent Filmmakers
May 6, 2014 Scene 15 – Take 5
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Published once a month.
Publisher: Peter D. Marshall
Email: mailto:pdm@actioncutprint.com
Website: https://actioncutprint.com
Blog: http://filmdirectingtips.com
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Dear Filmmaker,
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Ezine Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Bonuses for Subscribing to The Director’s Chair
3. FEATURE ARTICLE: Connecting with Your Audience’s Emotions
4. Film Directing Coach Services
5. Subscriber Shameless Self-Promotion
6. Filmmaking Links of Interest
7. Product Promotion and Film Workshops
8. Subscribe and Unsubscribe Information
9. Copyright Information
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1. Introduction
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Welcome to Issue #153 of The Director’s Chair, May 6, 2014
1. The Feature Article this month is called: Connecting with
your Audience’s Emotions by Jeffrey Michael Bays. “We live in the
midst of a “gold rush” of filmmaking. It’s a time when equipment
is cheaper than ever, and an influx of directors out there making
films hoping to find gold. But, instead of a precious metal they
are looking for a different kind of gold – a golden emotional
connection with their audience. Without it, their efforts will
be for nothing. What’s the best way to find this emotional
connection?” (Read full article below.)
2. Please send any comments, suggestions, questions or advice to:
mailto:pdm@actioncutprint.com
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2. Two Bonuses For Subscribing To The Director’s Chair
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Thank you very much for subscribing to this ezine.
BONUS #1 – Here is the link to download Day One (41 pages) of
“The Art and Craft of the Director Audio Seminar.”
https://actioncutprint.com/xxx
BONUS #2 – Here is the link to download the first 30 pages of the
“Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course.”
https://actioncutprint.com/xxx
IMPORTANT: Once the pdf file has opened on your browser, go to
File, “Save Page As” and save the file to your desktop. All links
will now work in the pdf file.
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3. Feature Article: Connecting with your Audience’s Emotions
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“Connecting with your Audience’s Emotions” by Jeffrey Michael Bays.
We live in the midst of a “gold rush” of filmmaking. It’s a time
when equipment is cheaper than ever, and an influx of directors
out there making films hoping to find gold. But, instead of a
precious metal they are looking for a different kind of gold – a
golden emotional connection with their audience. Without it,
their efforts will be for nothing. What’s the best way to find
this emotional connection?
This is the undercurrent question of my new book “Between the
Scenes” as I explore how directors can use scene changes as smart
tools for provoking their audiences’ empathies. The easiest and
most important tool you have as a director is to follow your hero
in motion from one scene to the other. Travelling through
geographic space is one thing film does best, over all the other
performing arts.
When we think of travel in real life, we tend to think of
boredom. Waiting in traffic during rush hour, sitting through a
long flight – these are all moments we’d rather forget. But for
some reason, these moments of travel can be intently captivating
in a movie narrative if they are expressing a character’s
emotion.
It is when a character reacts to a plot revelation at the end of
one scene and travels to the next scene that we get the most
emotion. When you allow your audience to share in this hero’s
reaction, follow them out to the car, on the bus, on horseback,
in a spaceship to a different planet, this is when that audience
feels the most “at one” with the story.
Of course you can’t show where your characters go between every
scene in your movie, so you’ll have to be selective, choosing
maybe three important moments for your hero to react to. All
between-scene travelling that doesn’t express some sort of
character emotion should be kept off the screen, otherwise you
risk creating boredom.
Let’s walk through a typical scene transition in which a hero
goes on a journey, both emotionally and geographically.
1. Something Big Just Happened
At the end of every scene, something big happens and we
anticipate the effect it will have on the characters. It might
be a line of dialogue that sparks a reaction or a new discovery –
a piece of plot news that changes everything.
It’s not enough that this “something big” has happened, it also
comes with an emotional charge. It tugs at our empathy. Film
is, at its core, an emotional release of plot information. The
only reason your characters exist is to dramatically express that
information so your audience can internalize it. Your character
must react to the plot twist.
2. The Character Reacts
Your character is in shock, in the midst of making a profound
decision, or taking an action prompted by what has just happened.
When a character reacts to plot information they tend to move.
Cinematically, it’s common to show your hero walking at this
moment, or to put them in vehicles. You can put them in cars,
trains bicycles, motorcycles, buses, airplanes, spaceships… or
on horseback. These means of transport allow the hero to act
with or against the emotional forces – either to escape or
pursue.
If you choose to keep your character motionless, you can instead
move your camera around them in order to generate a similar swell
of emotion in the audience. Either way, your intent should be to
make your audience feel what your hero feels. Motion is the
easiest way to do this. In cinema, motion equals emotion.
3. The Viewer Becomes Gold
When the “something big” happens and the hero gets on his
surfboard to ride the plot wave, the viewer is fully involved.
At this moment, the viewer is swept away into the story, fully
connected with the events and the hero. This is the moment when
you, as director, have struck gold.
For an easy-to-use guidebook on exploring that golden connection
to your audience, see “Between the Scenes” now available on
Kindle and bookstores worldwide.
Amazon and Kindle:
Barnes & Nobel and Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-the-scenes-jeffrey-michael-bays/1115602192?ean=9781615931699
Book Depository (free shipping):
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Between-Scenes-Jeffrey-Michael-Bays/9781615931699
—–
Jeffrey Michael Bays is author of ‘How to Turn Your Boring Movie
into a Hitchcock Thriller’ as well as ‘Between the Scenes: What
Every Film Director, Writer and Editor Should Know about Scene
Transitions.’ He is both a director and film scholar with an MA
in Cinema Studies from La Trobe University, Australia. He is
also writer and producer of XM Satellite Radio’s award-winning
drama ‘Not From Space’ (2003), recently listed by Time Out
magazine as among the top five most essential radio plays of all
time.
http://www.borgus.com
Email: info@borgus.com
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4. Film Directing Coach – Peter D. Marshall
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Actors, Singers and Athletes Have Private Coaches. So Why Not
Film and TV Directors? https://actioncutprint.com/filmdirectingcoach/
Hilary Swank used an acting coach to prepare for her role in Boys
Don’t Cry. She won her first Academy Award.
Singer Renee Fleming has always used a vocal coach. She has won
several Grammy Awards.
Rafael Nadal’s coach urged him on from the sidelines during his
Wimbledon tennis tournament win in 2010.
Arnold Palmer improved his game with the help of a coach. Even
Tiger Woods has had several coaches.
As a matter of fact, winners in nearly every profession
(athletes, actors, singers, business executives) know that
without the right coach, they won’t perform at their peak.
They know that without the support of an experienced and
qualified coach, they would constantly struggle to achieve
success.
So if these top professionals in their respective fields use
coaches, why not film directors?
So why hire me as your film directing coach?
Along with my international teaching experiences and my 39 years
of professional filmmaking experience (as a TV Director and
Feature 1st AD), I feel I have the necessary qualifications to
help you achieve your dreams of being a creative and successful
independent film director.
With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to my Film
Directing Coaching services via Skype:
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5. Subscriber Shameless Self-Promotion (Free Advertising)
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The Director’s Chair gives you an incredible opportunity to get
Free Advertising for your services and your films.
Each month, I give two subscribers an opportunity to promote
themselves, their company or their productions in this section.
So if you want over 6000 filmmakers around the world to know
about you and your films, please send me your “shameless
self-promotion” to: mailto:pdm@actioncutprint.com.
Please limit your promotion to 300 words. I reserve the right to
edit the promotion for length, spelling and formatting.
—————
1. Trevor Spence: I recently completed a second draft of
screenplay called Operation Nemesis: The Armenian Avengers. The
film is about the Armenian Genocide revenge against the principal
masterminds of the genocide. In the next few weeks I will start
business plan, distribution, and be seeking financing. I will
possibly submit it to some screenplay contests.
trevor2302@yahoo.com
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6. Filmmaking Links of Interest
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1. Great Filmmakers and their take On Filmmaking and Style
http://bit.ly/1n8NuM5
2. Launch Your Own Film Production Company: Advice From Those in
the Industry http://bit.ly/R3dw5m
3. 10 Films That Can Teach You Everything You Need To Know About
Cinematography http://bit.ly/S1Qs8q
4. 18 Scripts Wannabe Screenwriters Should Read Right Now Read
http://bit.ly/1kj1oWF
5. 10 surprising ways famous film special effects were made
http://bit.ly/1jBaywf
6. 10 things we learned from James Cameron’s Reddit AMA
http://bit.ly/1mhaIN3
7. 6 Filmmaking Tips From Darren Aronofsky
http://bit.ly/1p0lFHn
8. 10 Filmmaking Myths: Busted
http://bit.ly/1hJt6ZB
9. How Feature Filmmaking Without A Crew Is Possible
http://bit.ly/1lhKb1A
10. 6 Filmmaking Tips from Lars von Trier
http://bit.ly/1dHwedk
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7. Product Promotion And Film Workshops
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From time to time, I will contact you to inform you of film
workshops, filmmaking products or Online courses that I feel are
beneficial to filmmakers like yourself. Of course, you are under
no obligation to purchase anything – I only offer this
information as a service to subscribers of this free ezine.
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9. Copyright Information
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Copyright (c) 2000-2014
ActionCutPrint.com Peter D. Marshall
All Rights Reserved
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