Prepared for Canadore College Demo Class 26 June 2013

Blocking and Staging Action

for Story, Performance and Production
Year Two Digital Cinematograph ! students
Lesson Plan: Session 1
Lesson goal
"s a group# through $olla%oration and $olle$ti&e authorship# we will %egin to %uild a
fundamental understanding of what moti&ates the %lo$'ing and staging of a$tion in a
filmed dramati$ s$ene( some aestheti$ and pra$ti$al $on$epts and $ompeten$ies will
%e introdu$ed and we will %e $hallenged to appl these in $lass % %lo$'ing and
staging a s$ene for a single $hara$ter)
Lesson objectives and learning process
In bold below: class activities and core concepts, terms and tools introduced, demonstrated and
experienced in the class.
Where we are going: *e will de&ise the blocking and staging for a non-
dialogue scene featuring a single character) +,ee ne-t page. The Scene)/
What we will do to get there: To get to %lo$'ing and staging a$tion# we will
loosel follow industr $reati&e and produ$tion %est pra$ti$es) That means we
will use a highly condensed version of the rehearsal process# whi$h is where
the design of %lo$'ing and staging %egins) 0efore we $an legitimatel %lo$' and
stage a s$ene we need to 'now what the s$ene is a%out) This is the dis$o&er
phase of rehearsals where# in collaboration with our actor, we will develop
the answers to four questions.
What are the given circumstances? The who# what# when# and where of the
s$ene
What is the scene objective? *hat spe$ifi$all does the $hara$ter need#
want# desire1 *hat2s at sta'e1
What is the conflict in the scene? *hat o%sta$le internal or e-ternal
stands in the wa of our $hara$ter getting what he or she wants1
What will our character physically do to achieve his or her objective and
to make thought and feelings clear? 3ow we ha&e a s$ene to %lo$')
1) 4 3
Demo
56,,73 P5"3. 0lo$'ing and ,taging "$tion for ,tor# Performan$e and Produ$tion 4 John Clement
Concepts, terms and tools we will work with in our blocking and staging:
a line of action will %e esta%lished
the 18-degree rule will %e o%ser&ed
a circle of action will %e esta%lished
internal and e!ternal set-ups will %e %lo$'ed
angle of view will %e dis$ussed and %lo$'ed
angle on will %e dis$ussed and %lo$'ed
a!is cross at least one %lo$'ed into the s$ene
beats will %e dis$ussed and %lo$'ed
clearing the frame will %e dis$ussed
cutting on action will %e dis$ussed
entrance"e!it will %e %lo$'ed
eye-line#s$ will %e determined
point of view will %e determined
pro!imity to action will %e %lo$'ed
screen direction#s$ will %e %lo$'ed
sympathetic movement will %e dis$ussed and4or %lo$'ed
The scene
INT. ROOM DAY
CHARACTER opens a door into a large, windowless room and
enters; apart rom a TA!"E AND #O$R CHAIR%, t&e room is
empt'. C&ara(ter (arries a CD)D*D +E,E" CA%E in &is-&er
∧ &e-s&e wal.s to t&e ta/le, pla(es t&e (ase on t&e
ta/le, t&en retra(es &is-&er steps and e0its t&ro1g& t&e
door, (losing it /e&ind &im-&er
2) 4 3
56,,73 P5"3. 0lo$'ing and ,taging "$tion for ,tor# Performan$e and Produ$tion 4 John Clement
Instructional plan
Lesson format wal'8and8tal' group wor'4$ooperati&e learning
Activity guided in9uir and pra$ti$e
Instructor approach partnering# side8$oa$hing# 9uestioning
!andouts +1/ :nside out47utside in( +2/ 0lo$'ing and staging moment8%8
moment. solo $hara$ter
"#uipment white%oard
"valuation self8assessment
Independent practice $individual and group% ;ollowing this $lass# and ha&ing
&iewed the Temple Grandin $lip whi$h will %e made a&aila%le +see handout <2/#
indi&idual students will ha&e the opportunit to amend the in8$lass %lo$'ing and
staging of the s$ene and present it to the group) The group ma then de$ide to
$hoose the %est of the fi&e %lo$'ing and staging plans or $om%ine the %est
ideas from the fi&e amended plans and shoot it in the following $lass)
&lass timeline $variable%
.0! 0ridge# set the stage# lesson o%=e$ti&es and pro$ess e-plained
.0! Cold run8through of s$ene as written
.30 "nswer >;our ?uestions@ 0lo$' and ,tage +s$hemati$ on white%oard/
.0! Two8minute $lass assessment
.0! *rap and assignment
.!0

*hile s$hemati$s A%lo$'ing diagramsB des$ri%e $amera pla$ement e-a$tl# the gi&e
little indi$ation of ACB the emotional ACB 9ualit of a shot)
,te&en D DatE# Film Directing Shot by Shot
*hat audien$es feel a%out $hara$ters on the s$reen is pro%a%l affe$ted more than
most of us realiEe % the wa the spa$e surrounding the people is $ar&ed up and re8
$om%ined) The %est use of spa$e is not =ust an effe$ti&e disposition of a$ti&it on the
s$reen# it is the emotional meaning of a$ti&it on the s$reen)
Da&id Den%# Has Hollywood urdered the o!ies"
3ew Fepu%li$ 7$to%er G# 2012
=ohn)$lement)storlineHgmail)$om
3) 4 3
DEMO LESSON PLAN: Blocking and Staging Action for Story, Performance and Production / John Clement
john@partizanfilms.com