Exercises in writing and imagination.

Teaching materials.

Here is the outline for a nice writing exercise that accustoms (kids, but not only) to the exercise of imagination and textual organization.

On the basis of the information and statements written below, compose a journalistic report in which you pretend to be the special correspondent to a fake Milan Film Festival (XXIV edition) which would have concluded yesterday with the awarding of prizes to the winners. Let's pretend that, during this awards ceremony, some rather particular and very funny events happened. Some are listed below; Invent the others by taking inspiration from these.
Please pay close attention to the clothes, the behavior of the guests (who are often drunk and in skimpy poses), the environments (we are in the Castello Sforzesco and in a part of the Sempione Park), the gossip, the relationships that can be intuited from the behaviors , to the reactions to the announcement of the winners, to the dissatisfied, to those who love to be photographed, to those who show up half naked to show off their rich tattoos and to show off, etc. etc. etc. You have total freedom of imagination. Just pay attention to the coherence of the facts narrated and to conclude the story.

Use language that is as easy and brilliant as possible; Don't be boring or moralistic. Before the actual reportage, have a good summary of a few lines in which you express, with absolute impartiality and objectivity, the relevant facts (i.e. the awards ceremony and the sensational episodes). This summary, together with the title, subtitle and title line, will constitute a summary of the relevant facts.

We are in the Sforza Castle – February 4, 2014 – for the final day of the XXIV edition of Milan Film Festival, an important international event which sees the participation of many international stars including directors, actors, screenwriters, critics, ... All the ceremonies and events take place between some rooms of the Castle and the Sempione park with elegantly dressed men and women, glasses of champagne, chatter, gossip, photographers, journalists, famous people of all kinds, distinguished guests. In the afternoon, the awards ceremony is held in the Tapestry Room. The jurors sit behind a very decorated table and present their selection and their winners, also providing reasons. The winning film and the second and third place are left to your imagination.
At a certain point, an actress (whose name and the film in which she stars are of your invention) visibly drunk, furious because her film was not awarded an award, gets up screaming and starts moving towards the table while continuing to hurl insults. to the jurors. As she waddles along, red with anger, everyone looks at her in astonishment and silence. The cameras turn towards her, the flashes begin to fire furiously; she continues continues until – boom! – stumbles, slips and falls to the ground, rolling and wriggling like a cockroach among the wires in which it is tangled. General laughter breaks out. Security intervenes to pick her up and take her away. The ceremony resumes. Directors and actors say thank you and talk about their film.

Later, during the interviews and the celebrations in the park, there are other important revelations (invent them as you like): actors (heterosexual and homosexual) declare that they are engaged and have left their husbands/wives/lovers, others that they want to abandon cinema , still others of having converted to Buddhism, etc. etc. etc.

The day will continue with other events of your own invention.