One
of my goals this semester was to begin weaving together my undergraduate degree
in cinema and my master’s in journalism.
Indeed,
Cinematic Storytelling has proven a
step in that direction: It’s a solid resource on how to incorporate cinematic
techniques into a screenplay. Its depth and explanations also serve as a spur
to creative thinking.
Reviewer
Marie D. Jones had this to say about author Jennifer Van Sijll’s easy-to-read
book:
Making
films is all about telling a story and that is not done just with words on a
page, or even pictures on a screen. There are so many elements involved in the
creation of a film, and understanding how to use those elements can truly make
the difference between a movie and a masterpiece. For anyone interested in a
career in film, [this] is a priceless guide to creating memories on screen that
will last a lifetime and beyond (2005).
It
would be easy to describe Cinematic
Storytelling as a dictionary. But that one word alone does not do justice
for this book, which comes highly recommended by people in the film industry.
Disco Pigs director Kirsten Sheridan writes:
“Jennifer Van Sijll’s book makes a direct hit in terms of concise information
and perfectly chosen visuals, but it also searches out an emotional core that
many books of this nature either miss or are afraid of ... this book finds it”
(2005).
Sheridan’s
is among a dozen reviews published on Van Sijll’s website that praise Cinematic Storytelling as a useful book
for both the budding filmmaker as well as the seasoned professional.
Van
Sijll works in the film industry and also serves as an instructor at several
California-based universities. Quite likely, the students in her film classes
have appreciated Cinematic Storytelling’s
definition and analysis of 100 key film elements, along with the script
excerpts and illustrative still shots provided for each.
Unfortunately
for me, she didn’t write her book until 2005, more than a decade after I
completed my degree at SMU. Still, I am glad I have this book now although,
admittedly, it would have been nice to have it back then.
In
writing we are taught to maximize our words through their quality, not their
number. Cinematic Storytelling incorporates the same principle of
“writing tight” by teaching that film elements such as camera placement,
lighting, composition, motion and editing all can be used to advance a
storyline, leaving only those scripted words truly necessary (Van Sijll, 2005,
p. x).
Van
Sijll writes in her book’s preface, “There are hundreds of ways of conveying
ideas in movies; dialog is but one. [The] hope is that the examples are
sufficiently representative to help writers and directors better understand the
storytelling potential of the film medium” (p. x).
One
of the examples she cites is Steven Spielberg’s movie, E.T.:
Think
of the first ten minutes of E.T. The setup is completely cinematic. Not a word
of dialog. Yet any eight-year-old can tell you who the bad guys are and why. As
cinematic storytelling often operates on our subconscious, it is difficult to
catch and rarely obvious. But this doesn’t diminish the need for screenwriters
and directors to become more fluent in its use. Instead, it underscores its
importance (p. x).
Another
recommendation comes from screenwriter and author Jeffrey M. Freedman, who says
the book “conveys, in visual images, the most essential, most effective
cinematic techniques directors and cinematographers use to tell stories. [The]
book is an instructive visual feast for everyone who aspires to effectively
tell great stories with compelling images” (2005).
It
might seem a rare occurrence in the world of cinema to find only good reviews,
but that is exactly what I found with Cinematic
Storytelling. In his 2008 review, Dominic von Riedemann notes Van Sijll’s
use of examples from classic movies, especially those of Orson Welles, to
“demonstrate the various techniques available to the director or editor, and
how a writer can use those elements to make a good story even better.”
Von
Reidemann adds, “What makes this book even stronger is that [Van Sijll]
juxtaposes the script suggestions with stills from the movie in question: Not
only does the reader see how concepts like smash cut, chiaroscuro, or sound
effects can be used to heighten a film’s impact, but also how a top
screenwriter would add those details into his or her scripts” (2008).
As
my master’s degree and career move forward, I look forward to seeing how I can
apply some of the techniques presented in Cinematic
Storytelling. I have no doubt it will assist me well on several fronts,
whether working on someone else’s project or helming my own.
References
(APA)
Freedman, J. M. (2010). Reviews.
Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://www.cinematicstorytelling.com/reviews.html
Jones, M. D. (2005). Inside the cover
book review. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/cinematic_storytelling.htm
Segers, K. (2005). Cinematic storytelling
(1). Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://thestorydepartment.com/screenwriting-cinematic-storytelling-1/
Sheridan, K. (2005). Reviews. Retrieved
November 13, 2012, from http://www.cinematicstorytelling.com/reviews.html
Van Sijll, J. (2005). Cinematic
storytelling: The 100 most powerful film conventions every filmmaker must know.
Studio City, California: Michael Wiese Productions.
von Riedermann, D. (2008).
Book review: Cinematic storytelling. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://suite101.com/article/book-review-cinematic-storytelling-a81080
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