Final Papers

The story that I am having you base your final assignment on is "Survivor's Ball, or, The Donner Party." It's actually available online but I'd rather have you read the version that I will xerox from her book, Stranger Things Happen, which I highly recommend since I've greatly enjoyed reading it the past couple of days.

Some things you should consider in terms of research:

• look up what the "Donner Party" was
• look up some things about New Zealand geography
• after having read the book, try seeing a movie or two that it reminds you of, or at review the movie in your head and figure out what the two major plot points were
• keep notecards or a notebook of ideas you have for your movie in the next couple of weeks so that when you write your scene and summary, you can do it quickly

Kelly Link has a page on her website of reviews of her work which gives you an idea of her style:
http://www.kellylink.net/reviews/index.htm

This assignment is like the first assignment, but you don't have to do a movie pitch or a tagline. What I'd like is:

• a one page data sheet that tells me 1) who the protagonist is, 2) what his/her "dramatic need" is, 3) what the "plot" is, 4) what genre you think the movie is, 5) what transformation the main character experiences, and 6) the tone of the movie (use examples from other films to illustrate if you want, or even from music or painting).
• a detailed, but not too long, synopsis (make it 3-4 pages, spaced at 1.5 -- DO NOT SINGLE SPACE). The synopsis should be broken down into three acts, with the middle one being the longest. The middle act should list AT LEAST 3 SPECIFIC CONFLICTS the protagonist encounters. The final act is not just the resolution to the story, but the resolution to the hero's dramatic need.
• a short scene from the movie, roughly 5-7 pages in the format that we have discussed many times. Be clear when you write the scene how it moves the story forward and/or what it tells us about the characters.
• finally, for extra credit (some of you need this), map your story out as best you can according to the outline we have of the "The Story of the Hero," which is on the blog. To fit this, remember that you don't have to be literal (for instance, I think a combination of the pesky preacher and Wendy driving by in The Ice Storm was kind of like the visionary soothsayer Obi-Wan incident telling her her mission)

I want this to be a STRONG ADAPTATION, not a freewheeling one like we did with "The Nose." You should use the setting and as many of the incidents from the story as you can, but most importantly, convey the tone of the story.

Think about how information is revealed in the story, how the characters talk, etc. If you want to add material -- and you are going to have to, especially since the story kind of ends in a strange, unresolved way -- make sure it fits the mood and mechanics of the rest of the story.

By "mechanics" I mean the pace, how information is revealed, what is possible in this imaginary world, etc. If you put a car chase at the end, for example, make sure it's really integral to everything that has happened prior to that, and that it is "special" in the way the events prior to it are.

I think of this story as being set up fairly conventionally, and being not too unusual in structure for the early parts. But after that, it really turns in many different directions. Most likely, you will have to make the ending a bit more conventional to make it work, but then again, it's up to you.

Remember, this is due FRIDAY, THE 27th. (Seniors, please try to get it in a little earlier, but it's ok if you just get it in the 27th).

We don' thave class on the 23rd or the 30th, and will be watching a movie on the 25th and 27th and doing a little review of the semester. Maybe we'll do a food day on the 27th and have a little party.