I'm a bit limited in how many actors I can film with at one time and how many locations I can use. How can I come up with an interesting story with just one actor without resorting to monologues? I realize I can use masks and such. But problems still arise: no fight scenes, little opportunity for conflict, etc. Ideas?
-
Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.
One actor at a time
- Thread starter Masjuer
- Start date
Robert Zemeckis did this once, with Tom Hanks stranded on a desert island...what was it called?
Oh, right. "Bachelor Party."
No, wait...
"Joe vs. The Volcano."
Oh, no, that wasn't it...
"Cast Away."
Plenty of room for conflict there. Think in terms of Man vs. his location. Maybe you've got a man trapped in a cellar, and he doesn't remember why he's there...
Oh, right. "Bachelor Party."
No, wait...
"Joe vs. The Volcano."
Oh, no, that wasn't it...
"Cast Away."
Plenty of room for conflict there. Think in terms of Man vs. his location. Maybe you've got a man trapped in a cellar, and he doesn't remember why he's there...
1) Get creative with V/O's?
2) Man trapped in a locked room, trying to break out?
3) A prisoner in solitary plays chess, and converses, with himself/alter?
4) Man dies and needs to plead his case in front of God (glowing light) to get into heaven?
5) When Stuffed Teddy-Bears Attack!
How many more ideas you like?
2) Man trapped in a locked room, trying to break out?
3) A prisoner in solitary plays chess, and converses, with himself/alter?
4) Man dies and needs to plead his case in front of God (glowing light) to get into heaven?
5) When Stuffed Teddy-Bears Attack!
How many more ideas you like?
Uranium hit it.
Create a character that (reveals themselves through action and reaction to an interesting conflict and in doing so) shows us a story, so very little or no dialogue is needed, or a little dialogue can go a long way. Think Sleeping Man vs Dripping Faucet and expand outward into the world and/or inward into the character until you find a decent dilemma that we can witness a change occur in the character as a result of. Could be something a newspaper each day. Could be bills he or she gets in the mail. Could be the noisy people upstairs. Or could be more internalized like loneliness, boredom, regret, anger etc (Or a combination of the two) as long as we can visually discern that that is what they are up against and it’s a source of growing conflict.
Steve also brings some goods too, try an object. In the past when I was facing the same kind of challenge (But also how to do it silently for 16mm) I wrote "Futon of the damned" = Man vs Demonic Furniture.
-Thanks-
Create a character that (reveals themselves through action and reaction to an interesting conflict and in doing so) shows us a story, so very little or no dialogue is needed, or a little dialogue can go a long way. Think Sleeping Man vs Dripping Faucet and expand outward into the world and/or inward into the character until you find a decent dilemma that we can witness a change occur in the character as a result of. Could be something a newspaper each day. Could be bills he or she gets in the mail. Could be the noisy people upstairs. Or could be more internalized like loneliness, boredom, regret, anger etc (Or a combination of the two) as long as we can visually discern that that is what they are up against and it’s a source of growing conflict.
Steve also brings some goods too, try an object. In the past when I was facing the same kind of challenge (But also how to do it silently for 16mm) I wrote "Futon of the damned" = Man vs Demonic Furniture.
-Thanks-
Last edited:
Somebody better do this before i make this idea all mine!!
I never shot it, but I do have some Tri-X in the freezer, and a futon frame that is undoubtedly the work of Satan, so you never know.
-Thanks-
-Thanks-
I think the show Supernatural did something with a killer teddy bear (That was also an abusive alcoholic I believe lol).
-Thanks-
Lol. I saw maybe 3 episodes of that show when it premiered. Then stopped.
Did it get any better?
Did it get any better?
lol not really. The campy homage they pay to various films and conventions is okay from what I’ve seen of it (Soundtrack and overall production value is decent), but the sensitive male brotherly bonding cry every 3rd episode could go, and they do cut some deep corners of plausibility, but I guess that is part of the fun.
-Thanks-
-Thanks-
Last edited:
1) Get creative with V/O's?
2) Man trapped in a locked room, trying to break out?
3) A prisoner in solitary plays chess, and converses, with himself/alter?
4) Man dies and needs to plead his case in front of God (glowing light) to get into heaven?
5) When Stuffed Teddy-Bears Attack!
How many more ideas you like?
hey those are some awesome ideas. are they free for use or do you have them copyrighted?
Rod Serling and Richard Mathison did this often in
"The Twilight Zone" If you haven't seen them (or
seen them lately) their one actor episodes are amazing.
My third short film used Zensteve's number two idea.
A man in a closet and there's something out there.
It won several awards. When I was just learning I
made a chase film using just one actor. A girl being
chased by a hooded figure. All kinds of odd things
happened to her and it ended with a confrontation
in an alley with the hooded figure revealing it was
actually her.
You're right, Masjuer, you can't really do a tradition
fight scene, but there can be plenty of opportunity
for conflict in a one character story - even without a
monologue. The way you come up with an idea is put
yourself into several situations. Then ask yourself,
"What would I do if...?" Walk around the locations
you have available and create scenarios.
"The Twilight Zone" If you haven't seen them (or
seen them lately) their one actor episodes are amazing.
My third short film used Zensteve's number two idea.
A man in a closet and there's something out there.
It won several awards. When I was just learning I
made a chase film using just one actor. A girl being
chased by a hooded figure. All kinds of odd things
happened to her and it ended with a confrontation
in an alley with the hooded figure revealing it was
actually her.
You're right, Masjuer, you can't really do a tradition
fight scene, but there can be plenty of opportunity
for conflict in a one character story - even without a
monologue. The way you come up with an idea is put
yourself into several situations. Then ask yourself,
"What would I do if...?" Walk around the locations
you have available and create scenarios.
Make a movie where one actor plays all of the characters using fancy video composition. A good example would be the "If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)" video by Weezer. They use four of them, but you could slim it down to one. I would definitely watch "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" as well. The scene with Jack Sparrow on his ship. He plays everyone. Just do that.
A lot of people have listed ideas for you to have a solo actor film, but the advise of about what to write I find is best brought out when you just keep the idea of the movie's story in your head as you go through out your day and eventually you"ll think," Holy Crap that's freaking amazing!" and that one idea leads to ideas about how to support that mental image of yours, thus allowing you to create a well crafted story, but everybody does everything differently.
Check out Buster Keaton movies - many of them had him alone trying to deal with machines or other devices.
Some of my early shorts only had one actor - one was a trip to the laundramat... and all of the things that can go wrong.
But even some of my shorts with lots of folks in the cast often had two people in a conversation who never met each other.
My friends made a short film with one actor called THE LAST STALL that was bought by USA Network:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0VfA30mFjk
The easiest thing to do is find more actors.
- Bill
Some of my early shorts only had one actor - one was a trip to the laundramat... and all of the things that can go wrong.
But even some of my shorts with lots of folks in the cast often had two people in a conversation who never met each other.
My friends made a short film with one actor called THE LAST STALL that was bought by USA Network:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0VfA30mFjk
The easiest thing to do is find more actors.
- Bill
Last edited: