Abstract

Directing a movie is a task that entails dedication, imagination, tolerance, and level headedness. This is so practically because directing a movie involves supervising, and a high level of coordination, collaboration and dedication to bring all the aesthetic and technical elements of the film together.

It entails working with individuals with diverse knowledge, talents, mindset, temperament and motivation. It also comes with the pressure of the need to meet up with expectations, set deadlines, and working within budget. In the production of the film Barbeque Night I was the writer and director.

Bringing together and coordinating the artistic and technical aspects of the production as well as checking the emotional and mental state of all involved. The production process was challenging as expected but the success registered was ensured by the team’s resilient spirit.

General Introduction

To be eligible for the award of a B.A in performing and visual arts at the University of Buea,  it is required of every student to be involved in the production of a 26 minutes film, or a play as their  final year end of course project. This makes up 70% of the project requirement.

A written report on the film or theater production makes up the other 30% of the project requirement. The expectation is for the students to exhibit the knowledge, skills, and training they have received.  The end of course film project is to assess the artistic and technical capacity of the students at this level and to measure the understanding, knowledge and skills they have developed over the years. To achieve this objective, students are divided into groups and each group is expected to create a story and screenplay, then produce a movie from the story and screenplay they have developed.

In the making of films for projects, students are expected to follow and respect professional processes, assume professional roles and abide by professional rules. The expectation is that the process of pre-production, production and post- production be respected; the role of the director, crew and cast be fully assumed, and that all work together according to their roles and functions in the production.

Barbecue night was the story chosen for the film project which I played the role of the story and screenplay writer and director. It is for this reason therefore, that I engage in this end of course project report write up which requires the presentation of the film production process along with the difficulties encountered during the production and the  solutions to these challenges production and my knowledge of my areas of specialization, explain the process of producing the project from my capacity as writer and director, outline difficulties which we encountered during the project, and the solutions used to solve these problems, give recommendations to researchers, scholars, critics, analysts, reporters and anybody who may find this report of any intellectual or academic value.

                                                 CHAPTER ONE

Knowledge in the areas of specialization

I Script writing

I.1 Screen play, structure, and plot

A screenplay or a script is the written version of the film. It is like a roadmap or a blueprint which guides actors and crew. Typically, a screenplay consist of slug lines, action lines, dialogues of the characters, parenthesis and scene change.

I 1.1 Slug lines

Slug line are used to describe where and when the action is taking place and is written in a particular way e.g. INT. HOTEL ROOM- DAY. This indicates that the scene is taking place indoors, in a hotel room at day. Or EXT. PARK-NIGHT, meaning the scene is taking place in a park at night.

I 1.2 Action lines

Action lines show who is in the scene and what they are doing. It is used to introduce characters, their environment and their actions .They are written in italics.

I 1.3 Dialogue lines

Dialogue lines are the things said by the characters in the script and are written under the names of the character: they can be dialogues, monologues, or soliloquies.

I 1.4 Parenthesis

These are actions of the characters performed while they are speaking and are written in parenthesis and in italics and is written along with the dialogue of the character.

I 1.5 Scene change

Scene changes indicate that the present scene has ended and is changing to another e.g. cut to, fade in and fade out.

I.1.6 The screenplay writer

The screen play writer is the person who transforms a story into a screen play which can then be transformed into a movie. The play writer may be the original creator of the story or may be adapting the story by another person into a screenplay.

I .1.7 The Synopsis

The first aspect of the script to be written was the synopsis. A synopsis is a summarized version of the story. Complete with beginning middle and end. Again the Synopsis was delivered for scrutiny and suggestions. With the approval and accord of the supervisor, the next stage of the script writing process was fully initiated.

I.1.8 Inspiration

The inspiration for the story was born of observation and the need to raise awareness on some of the dangers young people knowingly or unknowingly expose themselves to.

I.1.9 The process of writing the story and screenplay of barbecue night

In making the movie Barbeque night, I was the story and screenplay writer. This functions came with their own demands, duties, challenges, expectations, and responsibilities. Writing the movie Barbecue night, was an immense opportunity to explore story telling. Delving into themes and genre not frequently explored.

The process of writing Barbecue night began with pitching and submission of synopsis. In this case six stories and their synopsis were pitched to the supervisor and after intense scrutiny and justifications Barbecue night was selected as the story for the project.  Proposals and suggestions for adjustments were made by the supervisor. Script writing proper began with the suggestions in mind.

First the story was written with a linear structure for easy understanding of the story. This linear structure was divided into act one, two and three comprising the beginning middle and end. This phase developed the characters, their traits, their actions, their goals, obstacles, motivations, allies and antagonists, their actions and their dialogue. It also developed and established setting, and brought out themes.

A screenplay or script is the writing version of the film. The script writing process saw the development and merging of the story, plot, setting, themes, characters, actions and dialogue. At this stage, slug lines, action lines, dialogue, and scene change were developed to give hints to the director, actor and crew on what is expected to be done for the story to unfold

I.1.10 Re-configuring the plot of the story

The plot of the story was then re-configured from a 3 part linear structure to “en media res” this means events of the screenplay and subsequent film begin in the middle of action. In this case, in the middle of act II in the linear structure then wrapping up through twists leading to a logical end in act III of the linear structure.

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