Assignment #3: The Elephant in the Room

Introduction

In screenwriting, the most compelling drama often lies in internal struggles and what remains unsaid. This assignment challenges you to explore the power of subtext by crafting a scene where ordinary actions contrast sharply with underlying tensions.

You'll create a story of a character facing a significant personal challenge, set against the backdrop of everyday life. Your task is to reveal their inner conflict not through explicit dialogue, but through subtle imagery, interactions, and unspoken emotions.

Assignment Details

Objective

Write a short screenplay (3-5 pages) that explores tension and subtext between two characters.

Focus on a main character chosen from the provided role and situation options, engaged in an ordinary activity.

Your scene should reveal the character's inner conflict and desires through subtext, contrasting their outward behavior with their internal struggle.

The Character Challenge

Choose one option from Column A and one from Column B to create your main character:

Examples of Story Combinations

To help you understand what stories we're looking for, here are three sample pitches that fit these guidelines:

1. A teenager hiding something important:
   While raking leaves in the backyard with their father, Alex tries to maintain casual conversation, all while concealing their acceptance letter to a far-away college burning a hole in their pocket.
2. A boss at a crossroads in life:
   During a routine budget meeting, CEO Sarah reviews profit margins with her team, all while stealing glances at the resignation letter hidden in her desk drawer. As her employees eagerly discuss expansion plans, Sarah's responses become increasingly noncommittal, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of the small bookstore she dreams of opening.
3. A spouse caught between loyalty and personal desire:
   Mark sits by the fireplace with his wife, roasting marshmallows and discussing her potential job relocation. As he tends to the fire, he struggles to hide his ambivalence, knowing his own dream job offer is waiting for his response.

Remember, your scene should focus on ordinary activities while exploring the underlying tensions and subtext of your characters' situations.

Showing without Showing in Your Screenplay

Use these techniques to convey inner wants, obstacles, and subtext:

1. Actions and Responses: Describe small, specific actions and responses that hint at a character's inner turmoil.
2. Dialogue: Write dialogue that doesn't directly address the main issue. Use mundane conversations to mask deeper concerns.
3. Physical Environment and objects: Use the setting to reflect or contrast a character's inner state.
4. Other Characters: Consider using secondary characters to highlight or represent the main character's inner wants or obstacles.
5. Juxtaposition: Create contrast between what a character says or does and what they truly want or fear.
6. Shifting External Wants: Use changes in a character's external pursuits to hint at deeper, consistent internal wants.

Remember, in screenwriting, it's about showing, not telling. Your goal is to provide enough information for actors and directors to interpret the subtext, inner wants, and obstacles, without explicitly stating them.

Writing Guidelines

• Create a situation where tension from secrets or broken promises lies beneath the surface
• Characters must engage in an activity separate from this tension
• Dialogue should avoid directly addressing the real issue at hand
• Focus on building and negotiating tension through subtext and action

Formatting and Submission Guidelines

• Length: 3-5 pages of script, plus a properly formatted title page
• Format: Adhere to basic screenplay format as taught in class
• File Type: Submit as a PDF file
• Submission Method: Upload your PDF directly to me on Discord
• Due Date: Nov 5, 2024

Grading Criteria (10% of final grade)

We're looking for:

1. Formatting (30%)
   • Correct application of taught formatting elements
   • Appropriate use of white space for readability
   • Proper scene headings, character introductions, and dialogue layout
   • Vivid, concise action descriptions
   • Emphasis on showing rather than telling (use active, visual descriptions)
2. Spelling and Grammar (30%)
   • Error-free writing
   • Proper use of punctuation in both action lines and dialogue
   • Correct grammar and syntax
3. Story Structure (20%)
   • Does the story work as a coherent narrative?
   • Effective application of the WOARO structure
   • If your story reads as if AI wrote it or maybe confused as being written by AI, a mark will be deducted.
4. Page Count (10%)
   • Meeting the required 3-5 pages, plus title page
5. Subtext (10%)
   • Effective use of subtext in dialogue and action
   • Clear and subtle portrayal of character emotions and motivations

The goal of this assignment is to create a compelling scene with depth and subtext, focusing on the nuances of character interaction and the power of what's left unsaid.

However, don't overlook the importance of proper formatting and technical writing skills—errors in these areas will cost you marks. Strive to excel in both the creative and technical aspects of your screenplay.

Good luck on your scripts!