So the much anticipated Campus Film Symposium started yesterday with a bomb. Though a big number of students was expected from other Universities, everything was fine with the few that showed up. Those who missed really need to beat themselves because yeah, they missed quite a lot. You know! We were looking at the back borne of a film: SCRIPT!
You know in most things, in most countries the government has to be involved. So Liz Chongoti, from Kenya Films commission opened the floor with an amazing speech to the audience. After her address, we were introduced to this wild girl Beliza! You know! That girl who prides in everything wrong. So her mum was struggling with her life in a hospital bed and here she was celebrating the freedom. Yes! Freedom from her mum's watchful eyes.
She was the celebrity in school. She bend all the school rules with her very short school uniform and make up and she had a way of making the school prefects look bad. So the day she got expelled after consuming liquor in school, is the same day her mum breathed her last. Her world came tumbling down. After the burial, she moved to her aunts place since she had no father and it's from here that it dawned on her that she was pregnant. She attempted suicide after her boyfriend denied the pregnancy but instead had a miscarriage! She got admission to a different school where she became the Christian Union head after being saved, and eventually, the school captain. Are you following? I know you think I am talking about a guest in the Symposium yesterday, but this is the main character in a Kenyan film titled, "No Behavior!"
Being that the film won at the Kenya drama festivals and the Kalasha awards, one could say it met all the requirements of a good film. I also looked at it as the most beautiful high school film I had ever watched until Midred Achoch, a script writer changed my perception. She said, when writing a script for film, one has to have a log line in mind. A log line entails a main character, who needs to have a clear goal and obstacles to achieving the goal. No Behavior had a main character; Beliza but it had no clear goal and obstacles. In fact, it seemed to have three story lines in one. She also said that, a script writer has to ensure that the main character has the four Fs: Friends, Flaws, Foes and Fear. Beliza had two friends which according to Achoch was outrageous because one friend would have played the roles of both. She said this putting the budget in mind for starters especially. She had flaws. She was gullible, arrogant, canning and mischievous. She did not have clear foes. The school prefects were just playing their obvious roles. On the fear side, we could say the school head and her mum were her greatest fears but also according to the script writer, that did not come out strongly.
Cajetan Boy a script writer and producer come director also had these to say. "When writing your script, keep dialogue minimal and your scenes short. Now as a director: during the pre - production phase, go through your script and break it down. Think about your locations/recce. They have to be compact. Follow the script to the latter. You don't want a situation where, your cast has something missing when they are already on set. Your crew members have to do their job 100%. Don't choose cast based on friendship because they may end up not delivering. Have characters that can handle pressure. A good assistant director might also come in handy! "
Alice Kombani a script writer awaiting to graduate also had these to say." A script writer has to ensure that they write a story they can relate to. You cannot for instance write about albinism when you don't know how being an albino feels. Gayism is also another crucial area that those in gay prone area can comfortably write about being that they have experienced it either directly or indirectly. "
Jackline Emali Asava, also a script writer talked about fund sourcing where by she stated that producing a film is not easy and it can take years. On this, she brought in the crowd funding aspect where by you present your idea to people and those who like it will fund it and you might end up working on a zero budget. John Kiriamiti a former criminal and writer of the book My Life in Crime was also in the house and he talked about writing at length and how he got his book published the first time he took it to the publishers. Most of us know how many times manuscripts can be rejected and how disheartening it can feel.
So today is another day and we are anticipating for an engaging session of legal issues in film. Come one! Come all!
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