Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
different and was clearly at odds. Every fi lm, play, or animated short uses scenes just like
this to tell a story and thereby builds the confl ict to reach a dynamic conclusion—the
resolution.
Developing Intentions and Objectives in the Dialogue
and Action
The dialogue of the characters must be imbued with the character's objectives and intentions
.
As the great acting teacher Sonia Moore said, “The words are like toy boats on the water.”
Think of every important moment in your life. Did the words ever convey the depth of your
feelings? Think of the fi nal goodbye you said to a friend or your fi rst break-up. Underneath
the words are the emotional currents—the intentions, needs, goals, and desires, as expressed
through the silent actions of the characters. One of the delights of the animated short is the
minimal use of language. Yet, while the dialogue of a scene is usually simple, it is important
to remember that the words only become powerful when they are forged with authentic
emotions.
The goals and intentions/tactics give the language its meaning and context
. To learn about
how an intention clarifi es the language, let's look at this sample scene with the assigned
characters of A and B. You can view this work on the companion DVD titled
Acting: Explor-
ing the Human Condition
, but fi rst read the scene without any infl ection.
A. Hi.
B. Hi.
A. How are you?
B. Ok.
A. Really?
B. Yeah.
A. Well, I'll call you later.
B. Bye.
A. Bye.
At fi rst glance, this is a “nonsense” scene. It doesn't really make sense, yet it feels slightly
familiar because of the usage of common conversational words such as “Hi” and “Bye.”
However, we don't have any context for the scene so we don't really know what the char-
acters are talking about.
Impose an objective/goal on the scene to create meaning. Let's say that Partner A's objec-
tive is to make up with Partner B. Partner A is in love with Partner B. They had a fi ght.
Partner A wants to make up and Partner B does too. Now, using what you learned about
emotional recall or empathy, read the scene out loud or with a partner.
