The Given Circumstances

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THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES Adapted from SCRIPT, ANALYSIS FOR ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND DESIGNERS BY James Thomas. Time: In what year and the season does the action occur? Can the passage of time during the screenplay be determined? The time between the scenes and acts? The hour of the day for each scene? Each act? What is the urgency? Place: In what country, region, or city does the action take place? Are any geographical features described? And what specific locale does the action occur? What is the specific location for each scene, including the ground plan and other architectural features if possible? What is the meaning of the place? Society: What are the family relationships? What are the relationships and love relationships? What occupational groups are depicted? What social classes are represented? What are the social standards, the behavior expectations? Are they spoken about or implied? Are they enforced openly or indirectly? What social group controls the social standards? What are the rewards for conformity? What are the penalties for violating the social standards? Politics and Law: What is the system of government that serves as the background for the story? Any specific examples of political or legal activities, actions, or ceremonies? Do politics or law exercise any control over the characters? Who controls the political and legal circumstances in the screenplay? How do they exert control? What are the rewards for political and legal compliance? What penalties for violating the political and legal standards? What is right what is wrong? Intellect and Culture: what is the general level of culture and artistic taste of the characters? Any examples of intellectual or creative activities? Any characters more or less educated or creative than others? Does intellect or culture exercise any control over the characters? Who controls the intellectual and artistic circumstances in the screenplay? How do they exert their control? What are the rewards for intellectual and creative

conformity? What are the penalties for violating intellectual and artistic standards? Spirituality: What is the excepted code of religious or spiritual beliefs? What is good what is bad? Any examples of religious or spiritual activities or ceremonies? Does spirituality exercise any control over the characters? Who controls the spiritual circumstances in the screenplay? How do they exert control? What are the rewards for spiritual conformity? What are the penalties for violating the spiritual standards? The Three Great Influences: Religion (Good/Bad), Science (True/False), Philosophy (The Nature of things.) The world of the screenplay: describe the world of the screenplay the distinctive social universe the social situation, created by the given circumstances and social standards? How does the world of the screenplay influence the conduct and attitude of the characters in the screenplay? What other different points of view expressed by the characters towards their world? Professor Jos Angel Santana, PhD.

Moons Death

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Time

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8/16/2011 10:46:00 PM