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Andres Angel-Portilla
English 1A
Professor Rivas Gomez
16 April 2014
Living the Script
Growing up I have always been fascinated with the idea of storytelling. The first fantasy I
can remember being told is Little Red Riding Hood. My grandmother would always get me to
eat by reciting it every time my appetite wasnt emphatic enough. She would tell me the wolf
would come and eat me too if I wasnt strong enough to defend myself; that he only preyed on
the weak and that if I didnt eat I wouldnt have the strength to fight back. Every time I would
expand a step further than my grandmother expected me to and flip the story around with
alterations of what would happen instead like that Id set up booby traps or feed him the food I
did not want to eat. This was the first time I think my true thirst for creating stories of my own
manifested.
During my last few years in elementary school my cousin, Federico, got a job at a movie
theatre and worked his way up to managerial position. With his new title he was given the
privilege of admitting guests of his choice into the theaters movies for free. Since my dad was
practically a second father to him growing up, he felt a close bond to my family and we were
often the guests he handed his privilege down to. Every weekend my family and I would go to
the theater and watch the latest film. We would discuss the movie afterward and analyze which
elements in the movie we enjoyed and which we felt should have been different. My
commentary usually concerned the ending or the dialogue within the movie. I would often create
an alternate finality of my own and try to impress my parents. This continued for about roughly 3

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years, and with it grew my ability to analyze and mentally modify films according to my
personal desire, until my cousin decided to dedicate more time to school pursuing a college
degree as a full time student.
In school I was taught to write about the adventures my mind created. One time in eighth
grade my english teacher assigned us to write an adventure story that used personification in one
way or another. Mine was about a breed of tigers who had special abilities and how they could
actually sometimes be attributes that would threaten their lives. A trait carried in one of the tigers
was rare beauty. I wrote about how its fur reflected a shine that would attract others, even
hunters who wanted to profit from their coats. I think at the time I was subtly trying to convey
the idea that it is wrong to hunt rare species for their fur and thats what I loved about storytelling;
I could send a message to my audience. My teacher told the class he would read over our stories
and reward the author of his favorite story. He chose three students the following week to stand
up in front of the class and to my surprise I was one of them. He read all three stories,
maintaining our anonymities to each pertaining story. I remember the excited and apprehensive
expressions on my classmates faces. I gained elation in my work watching what it was I could
give them through the medium of writing. The majority of the class voted for my story and this
was when I realized the potential nature of my storytelling.
My love for creating stories took a brief toll of silence, but in my junior year of high
school my craving ignited once more. I enrolled in an after school ROP film class, which is a
professional career based course that incorporates a hands on approach to familiarize students
with the production of film. I gradually began learning the various different roles vital to
successful film-making. Every weekly short film was an opportunity to test out different roles as
director, scriptwriter, film editor, producer, audio manager, and cinematographer. A few stood

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out to me prominently. I enjoyed all tasks, but I felt most powerful when scriptwriting. I was
commended by my team members every time I wrote a script and they would most often choose
my stories to film. It was as if my experiences and practiced ability growing up foreshadowed
this fate. I had finally found my calling.
After high school I decided what I wanted to pursue was screenwriting. My friend
Andrew Reyes is a true fan of reading and writing scripts and his passion also reinforced my love
for the dialogue in film. He and I would meet up every so often, and still to this day do, to talk
about film ideas we both had or discuss how much we admired the dialogue in movies we both
had a great love for like one of our favorites, Pulp Fiction. I honestly feel that the movies each of
us favor individually says a lot about the way we are and the manner in which we speak or think.
Whether this is a cause of the movies we find interest in or a reflection of them is not certain to
me; Id like to think maybe its a bit of both. One thing is certain though: film definitely impacts
the viewer by opening the door to dimensions from anothers imagination.
There is so much power in the ability to influence others towards realizations of how
their own lives can learn from film. Film lives in a realm of captivating imaginative story and
serves as a medium to shift the perspective of others as well as ones own as a screenwriter.
Scriptwriting is a form of literature that has the ability to change the viewers, thus the
populations perspective as a whole. Mary Pipher writes in her book Writing to Change The
World, Writing to connect is change writing, which, like good therapy, creates the conditions
that allow people to be transformed (8). Writing has the capability to change the conscious
mental perspectives of the pertaining audience, however writing screenplays are generally a
masked part of the process because essentially the audiences are not necessarily readers, rather
they are movie or T.V. viewers. This makes screenwriting so much more powerful as it develops

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from paper to action and eventually to recorded visuals for a whole population to watch.
Developing a good screenplay takes much practice and editing. There are many different
ways of evolving ones writing ability through practice. It is not rare to hear from various
screenplay authors that they are also involved in another form of writing. Screenplay writers are
not only screenplay writers; they often gain inspiration from their practice in other forms of
work. Screenwriters can reap the benefits from their involvement in other forms of literature
such as writing poetry, graphic novels, or even song lyrics to get out of ones own head and into
an unfamiliar dimension in comparison to other screenplay writers (Beeber 2014). Any form of
freewriting in which thoughts have more leeway to escape their subconscious prison into the
conscious mind for accessible elaboration will provide tools for ones writing. Engagement in
various forms of literature can help develop one's individual voice as an author of film (McBride,
90). Ones strength in screenwriting can dramatically benefit if practiced by other literary
activities over a period of time.
I have learned that exploring outside of ones own current box of knowledge is extremely
important in writing for film; it keeps material fresh. With new appreciation and understanding
of new subject matter, one has more options for writing material. Personal research is required to
effectively familiarize ones perception of a genre or understand the subject ones writing
pertains to (Meloccaro). Strenuous saturation of texts is also a demand this profession calls for ().
If a screenwriter wants to write a fantasy script like the one for Game Of Thrones, they must
research and read books or even graphic novels that will provide insight about the behaviors
suitable to specific mythical characters; these also reflect how each element would influence
their personality traits, reactions and external battles which reflect their internal issues (Frank,
89). Often the research for this is not only reading online articles, books, or magazines, but it is

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also the self application of new activities. For example a technique used to condition a
screenwriters ability to come up with new material is altering anothers script (Bedard). Just as
you would put yourself in your characters shoes, you must also apply yourself to their culture
and attend events like expos or yoga classes to learn to contribute to their character development
and your understanding of their personality as a writer. This will help catalyze new perspectives
and drive the desire to open a screenwriters eyes to unfamiliar territories.
Film scripts should follow the screenplay format. Although they may differ due to
slight variations of preference such as the chosen font, the general layout of screenplays must
similarly follow the popular template. If a screenplay does not follow this format it may be
difficult to read, especially for the actors manifesting the script; this may reduce the quality of
their performance and as a result deteriorate the condition of the production (Meloccaro).
Without a clear organized script format, readers may find the text difficult to imagine or even
follow. It is a relatively fair template to follow and most screenwriter actually find this beneficial
to the production of their work as it maintains a clear organization of chronological sequences.
In the field or screenwriting there are various different formats one may take into account
when developing a story. One commonly used template for the development of a script is the
sequence method. "Professional writers understand that all scenes count. And there is no room
for filler or bridges when true excellence across the board is the standard. Each scene should
have its own magic, raison d'tre, veracity and power" (Pitts, 63). Even the smallest detail
matters because it reflects an underlying message about the storyline or character (Frank, 89).
The sequence method is considerate of this idea that everything should have an underlying
meaning behind it and breaks down the analysis of ones character development so that one can
fully understand the core motive the character is driven by. When writing a screenplay, one has

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to analyze in depth what the characters reaction would be to a given situation; one has to put
themselves in his or her shoes and pretend to be the character to effectively capture their essence
(Beeber 2014) . Using the sequence method format can most accurately help develop the
character as well as their reactions to their surrounding stimulus.
Collaboration is essential. emphasizes Danielle Beeber, a former screenplay editor.
Collaboration provides the vital critique of others to better ones screenplay. A suggested
mentality to approach collaboration with is to declare most of your work as garbage and ask
others what the nugget of your piece is (Beeber 2014). This way you can extensively use the
most valuable information in your screenplay to develop a more interesting storyline and keep a
persistent flow of captivating ideas within your script. In collaborating with others an effective
screenwriter can benefit from multiple perspectives and analyze how their material may be
perceived by others involved in the production and essentially the possibly outcome of the work
(Pitts, 64). This is a prominent and perpetual notion I have witnessed myself in the short span I
was creating short films in high school. You simply cannot succeed merely on your own. Others
input and suggestions are just as important (if not more) as your own, because you need to
broaden the possible perceptions the audience will approach your writing with (Meloccaro).
Throughout the past year I have received affirmations tying me back to my dream
profession as a scriptwriter. I have gotten much more involved in poetry and storytelling,
especially with my freewriting journal as a medium, which has helped me develop my own voice
as an author; With this developing voice I have and will continue to evolve as a scriptwriter. This
semester and the one prior have begun to prepare me for this profession as I have exercised team
work and the ability to research various subjects using different databases,a skill vital to writing
effective screenplays.

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At Pasadena City College I can honestly say I have practiced working in groups in more
than one class. It is a highlighted concept in college that one needs to collaborate with others to
effectively establish other individuals perceptions towards your work. Through projects
primarily in my English and Speech courses, I have garnered the benefits of collaborative work
and continue to as a college student. I have learned to play devils advocate, contributor, and
collaborator.
College experiences have also taught me how to effectively research and collect material
needed to produce project, similar to what I will have to do as a screenwriter. Throughout my
experience, my research papers have helped mold me towards a brighter future. I truly feel like I
can adequately research the information necessary to write about a specific culture be it my task
one day. Although I have yet to apply myself physically in activities that captivate my interest so
I can write a script about the subject matter, my journey still has a far voyage ahead and the
application of my accumulated knowledge has merely begun.
The storytelling child I was has allowed for the expansion of my great interest to create a
world unknown to other. My high school experience in an ROP film class has only expanded my
passion to touch the hearts of a population. My college experiences have provided me with the
skills and practiced writing to developing my voice and develop an elaborate script. Not only
does the knowledge about my dream profession expand with every year, but with it my thirst to
express the stories my mind creates through the medium of film grows with every year.
Works Cited
Bedard, Carol, and Charles Fuhrken. "Everybody Wants Somebody to Hear Their Story: High
School Students Writing Screenplays." English Journal. 100.1 (2010): 47-52. Web. 21
Apr. 2014. <http://www.ncte.org/journals/ej/issues/v100-1>.

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Beeber, Danielle. Personal Interview. 28 April 20014
Frank, Sandy, and Joseph McBride. "Inner Game of Screenwriting." Journal Of Film and Video.
65.1-2 (2013): 88-90. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/125421415/Inner-
Game-of-Screenwriting-REVIEW>.
Meloccaro, Marcello. Personal Interview. 26 April. 2014
Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Pitts, Virginia. "Writing from the body: Kinesthetics and entrainment in collaborative screenplay
development.." Journal of Media Practice. 14.1 (2013): 61-78. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
<http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/ehost/detail?vid=5&sid=0843f02a-ca7a-
4755-8788-
305268745ee0@sessionmgr113&hid=103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ=>

Appendix

Document 1:Script Example from
http://www.scriptologist.com/Magazine/Formatting/formatting.html

INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT
A crowded hospital emergency waiting room. Clean but cheerless.
Sick and injured people sit in plastic chairs lined up in rows. A TV mounted near the
ceiling BLARES a sitcom. No one is watching.
A man moans softly as he presses a bloody gauze pad against his forehead. A woman
cradles a listless infant in her arms.
CATHY sits at the end of the first row of plastic chairs. Her head is bent over, and she stares
intently at the floor.
She raises her head slowly, brushes her long, silky hair away from her face.
We see fear in her eyes as they focus on a clock that hangs above the front desk. She twists a
tissue between her fingers and is unaware that bits of it are falling on the floor.
The door to the emergency treatment room opens, and a middle-aged DOCTOR dressed
in hospital green walks through the door toward Cathy, who bolts out of the chair and hurries
toward him.
DOCTOR
(apologetically)
We did everything possible.
CATHY
(gasps)

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What are you saying?
DOCTOR
I'm sorry
CATHY
(screaming)
No!
All eyes in the waiting room are riveted on Cathy and the Doctor.Cathy lunges at the Doctor,
beating her fists against his chest.
CATHY (CONT'D)
(shouting)
You killed him!

Document 2: Excerpt from Heathers Screenplay
FADE IN: EXT. SAWYER'S BACKYARD--DAWN

Elegiac music murmurs as three female and barefoot PAIRS OF
LEGS in skirts break from tableau to gently engage in Croquet.
A blue mallet hits a blue ball through a wicket, a green
mallet knocks a green ball, and a yellow mallet pushes forward
a yellow ball, all in enticing syncopation.

Suddenly a red ball rockets through the dew covered grass and
hits the green ball. The LEGS all stop moving as a FOURTH PAIR
OF LEGS, this one in stylish shoes and stockings, marches to
the red ball and steps on it. A red mallet is brought down
hard on the red ball causing the adjacent green ball to
thunder out of view. The Pair of Legs manuevering the green
ball departs. This process of elimination is grimly
repeated with the yellow ball and yet again with the blue
ball.

However, when the BLUE MALLETED PLAYER makes her sad exit,
the viewer's viewpoint glides along with this particular Pair
of Legs. A red ball whizzes by. The Legs stop. Another red
ball malevolently sails past the Legs. Then yet another red
ball. A fourth red ball makes brutal contact with the Legs
causing the Player to fall to her knees and into the frame. The
Player is VERONICA SAWYER.

INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--DAY

VERONICA SAWYER, a sullen seventeen year old beauty, lies atop
her bed dressed in a chic but understated ensemble, her eyes
glazed open in a morning reverie. She blows up at her bangs
then slides off her bed, launching into voice-over narration
over the empty bed.

VERONICA (V.O.)
Heather told me she teaches people
Real Life.


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INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY--DAY

Continuing her narration, VERONICA glides through a bustling
high school hallway with a frozen smile.


Document 3: Article on film elements
Fall into Evil
In some stories, a character begins as a "good guy" and gradually becomes a "bad guy", until at the end,
s/he has completely transformed into a villain. These stories are usually tragedies.
Consider The Godfather. In this novel (and film), Michael begins as a war hero who wants nothing to do
with the family business. Gradually, we watch him lose his morals. He mistreats Kay, becomes involved in
the family wars, and by the end has become more ruthless than his father. The Godfather is about the
moral fall of Michael.
There are many other examples, from MacBeth to the Star Wars prequels.

Redemption
An opposite case is when a character begins as a "bad guy" and becomes "good". The original Star Wars
movies follow this format; Darth Vader goes from being pure evil to finding his lost goodness.
Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is another example. We don't like Amir very much at first. He does
some horrible things, is haunted by them, and eventually must redeem himself.
In other cases, the character doesn't begin as being a true villain, but is flawed in some way, and in the
course of the story, learns to overcome those flaws. You can even see this in the first Ninja Turtles movie;
the turtles learn to overcome their anger and work as a team.
(Don't you love it when a writing guide brings you examples from both Shakespeare and the Ninja
Turtles?)

Coming of Age
"Coming of Age" stories are often about finding inner strength. Examples abound, from Karate Kid to
Judith Guest'sOrdinary People. At the end of such a story, the character is stronger, wiser, and more ready
to deal with the world.
There are, of course, many other types of character development. They all have one thing in common. The
plot causes the change. The character changes as a direct result of the story's conflict, and the story
becomes about the change.

Document 4: Research Article About Vampire Culture
One of the lessons Laycock has learned is that peoples preoccupation with vampires is both widespread
and enduring. It would seem that on some level humans need vampires as much as vampires need blood.
Representations of vampires cross many cultures and are evident from the Bronze Age to today, with TV
shows like True Blood and books and movies like the Twilight series, he says.
In fact, Laycock sees Twilight as just the latest example of how vampires shape shift. Not only do they
transform themselves into bats and other creatures, but they alter their dress, demeanor and ethics to
reflect each new culture they encounter over the centuries. Vampires change because we change, he
says.
Vampires original role in folklore was that of the scapegoat. The vampire was outside society, says
Laycock. In Eastern European folk tales featuring vampires, villagers shared a common identity, wrapped
up in their work and religion, and the vampire functioned as an exemplar of all that was forbidden, the
source of troubles.
In the 21st century, by contrast, we can see the vampire as a romantic hero. Whats interesting is that the
current Twilight series is the most positive portrayal of vampires there has ever been, says Laycock. It
was only beginning in the 1960s that we had this figure of the reluctant vampire, who feels very guilty.

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But with Edward Cullen, the lead vampire in the Twilight series, we dont really even have that, because
Edward has never killed anyone. He is a total innocenthes just different.
One reason for the vampires new appeal is that the stark contrast between the outsider and the
mainstream doesnt hold as much power now. Medieval villagers would never have had to worry about
questions like, Why does no one understand me? which are raised in Twilight, Laycock says. Now we
see the vampire very sympathetically. Its no longer an outsider figure. We relate to it, since we are all
outsiders of a kind.
Under such conditions, it may not seem so strange that some people, like those participating in the Atlanta
Vampire Alliance research, would actually describe themselves as vampires. This is for them an identity,
not a religion, Laycock says. I applied the same ethnological methods I would have used with any
group. Self-identified vampires are surprisingly normal people. The most common age is late teens and
early 20s, but I met grandmothers and people of all ages.
Yet even when we think of vampires as regular folks, they retain a special aura. They tap into some of
our large, universal issues: the mystery of death, the instinctual power of our libido and the life force
symbolized by blood.
And by the same token, vampires have long played a role in everyday life, even during times in history
when they were universally hated and feared. Laycock explains that in medieval villages, widows would
occasionally become pregnanta potential scandal given that they were expected to remain celibate after
the death of their husbands. But as long as everyone believed in vampires, these women had an out: they
could tell the town fathers, Oh, that was my husband who came back from the dead. Hes a vampire.