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Watching Film, Writing Film

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This document provides an overview of key concepts in screenwriting including genre, plot points, characters, and story structure. It discusses genre conventions, the inciting incident, progressive complications, crisis, climax, and resolution as important plot points. It also covers protagonists, antagonists, character arcs, dimensions, and the difference between characterization and character. Finally, it discusses beats, scenes, sequences, acts, and story as elements of story structure.

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Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft with Greg Nielsen

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Genre • Genre refers to various film types • A motion pictures such as a thriller, romance, musical, drama or comedy that plays on the expectations of the audience regarding familiar plot structure, characters, and setting.

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Genre  Genre Conventions are specific settings, roles, events and values that define individual genres and their sub-genres.

4

Genre Conventions  Crime Drama must have a crime.  A Love Story must have romance.  A Comedy must be funny.  A Social Drama must identify problems in society.

5

Mastery of Genre  Study Your Genre  Watch Your Genre  Read Scripts from Your Genre  Ask: What are the conventions of time, place, character and action?

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Watching Film, Writing Film

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Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft

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Plot Points  The Inciting Incident  Progressive Complications  Crisis  Climax  Resolution Robert Towne, Screenwriter of Chinatown

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Inciting Incident  Turns the Protagonist’s Life Upside Down  Happens to or Caused by the Protagonist  It Must Take Place on Screen

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Progressive Complications  Easy at First  Raise the Stakes  Seems Impossible  Tests the Hero  Forces of Antagonism

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Crisis  All Seems Lost  The Hero May Not Get What He Wants  It Must Be on Screen  The Hero Must Make a Decision (Dilemma)  It’s the End of the Line  Face to Face with the Forces of Antagonism

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Climax  Major Reversal Full of Meaning  It Moves the Audience  The Ending Is Unexpected and Satisfying

13

Resolution  A Slow Curtain  Resolve Subplots  Satisfies Curiosity  Courtesy  Leave with Dignity

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Watching Film, Writing Film

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Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft

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Characters  Protagonist  Antagonist  Character Arc  Character Dimension  Character vs Characterization

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Protagonist  Must Empathize  A Conscious Desire  An Unconscious Desire  Able to Pursue Desire

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Antagonist  Embodies the Forces of Antagonism  Appears Invincible  Powerful & Complex  Opposes the Will and Desire of Protagonist

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Character Arc Story by Stephen King  Transformation  Negative to Positive  Positive to Negative Written and  Change thru Choice Directed by Frank Darabont

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Character Dimension  At Least Four Dimensions  Dimensions Mean Contradictions  Protagonist Is the Most Dimensional

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Character vs Characterization  Characterization = traits: sex, dress, age, education, occupation, etc.  Character = Revealed by Choices Under Pressure.

22

Watching Film, Writing Film

23

Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft

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Story Structure Alfred Hitchcock,  Beat Director of North by  Scene (Story Event) Northwest  Sequence  Act The Alfred Hitchcock  Story Collection

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Beat Action Reaction Reaction to the Reaction

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Scene (story event)  A Value Change  + to -, - to +  - to more -  + to more +  Meaningful Change  Achieved thru Conflict

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Sequence A Series of Scenes Usually Two to Five Scenes A Major Change

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Act  A Major Reversal  Climactic Scene  More Powerful  Hero’s Life Changed For Better or Worse

29

Story “A story is a series of acts that build to a last act climax or story climax which brings about absolute and irreversible change.” Robert McKee

30

Watching Film, Writing Film

31

Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft

32

Story Endings  Value  Theme  Final Action  Point / Counterpoint  Up / Down / Ironic Endings

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Story Value  Look at the final action of the story.  Then look at the beginning of the story.  Ask: What has changed?

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Story Theme  Value Plus Action Equals Theme  Example: Crime Pays or Crime Doesn’t Pay  Theme Arises Organically Out the Last Act Climax

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Final Action  Must Excite the Audience  Must Move the Audience  Must Feel Complete  Must Be Satisfying Run ForrestRun Run Forrest Run

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Point / Counterpoint  Resonate with Theme  Contradict Theme  Play Point Against Counterpoint  Builds Intensity to Final Act Climax

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Up / Down / Ironic Endings  Up: Optimistic, Hopeful, Dreams Come True  Down: Pessimistic, Cynical, Misfortune  Ironic: Optimism/Idealism and Pessimism/ Cynicism Merge

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Life is like a box of chocolate TheEnd

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Acknowledgements  Robert McKee, author of Story. http://www.mckeestory.com/  Richard Krevolin, author of Screenwriting from the Soul & professor USC. http://www.profk.com/bio.html  Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Journey. www.netflix.com streaming 1 hour introduction

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Presented At:  Truckee Meadows Community College  Pepperdine University  University of Nevada, Reno  University of Costa Rica

More Related Content

Watching Film, Writing Film

  • 1. Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft with Greg Nielsen
  • 2. Genre • Genre refers to various film types • A motion pictures such as a thriller, romance, musical, drama or comedy that plays on the expectations of the audience regarding familiar plot structure, characters, and setting.
  • 3. Genre  Genre Conventions are specific settings, roles, events and values that define individual genres and their sub-genres.
  • 4. Genre Conventions  Crime Drama must have a crime.  A Love Story must have romance.  A Comedy must be funny.  A Social Drama must identify problems in society.
  • 5. Mastery of Genre  Study Your Genre  Watch Your Genre  Read Scripts from Your Genre  Ask: What are the conventions of time, place, character and action?
  • 7. Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft
  • 8. Plot Points  The Inciting Incident  Progressive Complications  Crisis  Climax  Resolution Robert Towne, Screenwriter of Chinatown
  • 9. Inciting Incident  Turns the Protagonist’s Life Upside Down  Happens to or Caused by the Protagonist  It Must Take Place on Screen
  • 10. Progressive Complications  Easy at First  Raise the Stakes  Seems Impossible  Tests the Hero  Forces of Antagonism
  • 11. Crisis  All Seems Lost  The Hero May Not Get What He Wants  It Must Be on Screen  The Hero Must Make a Decision (Dilemma)  It’s the End of the Line  Face to Face with the Forces of Antagonism
  • 12. Climax  Major Reversal Full of Meaning  It Moves the Audience  The Ending Is Unexpected and Satisfying
  • 13. Resolution  A Slow Curtain  Resolve Subplots  Satisfies Curiosity  Courtesy  Leave with Dignity
  • 15. Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft
  • 16. Characters  Protagonist  Antagonist  Character Arc  Character Dimension  Character vs Characterization
  • 17. Protagonist  Must Empathize  A Conscious Desire  An Unconscious Desire  Able to Pursue Desire
  • 18. Antagonist  Embodies the Forces of Antagonism  Appears Invincible  Powerful & Complex  Opposes the Will and Desire of Protagonist
  • 19. Character Arc Story by Stephen King  Transformation  Negative to Positive  Positive to Negative Written and  Change thru Choice Directed by Frank Darabont
  • 20. Character Dimension  At Least Four Dimensions  Dimensions Mean Contradictions  Protagonist Is the Most Dimensional
  • 21. Character vs Characterization  Characterization = traits: sex, dress, age, education, occupation, etc.  Character = Revealed by Choices Under Pressure.
  • 23. Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft
  • 24. Story Structure Alfred Hitchcock,  Beat Director of North by  Scene (Story Event) Northwest  Sequence  Act The Alfred Hitchcock  Story Collection
  • 26. Scene (story event)  A Value Change  + to -, - to +  - to more -  + to more +  Meaningful Change  Achieved thru Conflict
  • 27. Sequence A Series of Scenes Usually Two to Five Scenes A Major Change
  • 28. Act  A Major Reversal  Climactic Scene  More Powerful  Hero’s Life Changed For Better or Worse
  • 29. Story “A story is a series of acts that build to a last act climax or story climax which brings about absolute and irreversible change.” Robert McKee
  • 31. Watching Film, Writing Film Introducing the Screenwriting Craft
  • 32. Story Endings  Value  Theme  Final Action  Point / Counterpoint  Up / Down / Ironic Endings
  • 33. Story Value  Look at the final action of the story.  Then look at the beginning of the story.  Ask: What has changed?
  • 34. Story Theme  Value Plus Action Equals Theme  Example: Crime Pays or Crime Doesn’t Pay  Theme Arises Organically Out the Last Act Climax
  • 35. Final Action  Must Excite the Audience  Must Move the Audience  Must Feel Complete  Must Be Satisfying Run ForrestRun Run Forrest Run
  • 36. Point / Counterpoint  Resonate with Theme  Contradict Theme  Play Point Against Counterpoint  Builds Intensity to Final Act Climax
  • 37. Up / Down / Ironic Endings  Up: Optimistic, Hopeful, Dreams Come True  Down: Pessimistic, Cynical, Misfortune  Ironic: Optimism/Idealism and Pessimism/ Cynicism Merge
  • 38. Life is like a box of chocolate TheEnd
  • 39. Acknowledgements  Robert McKee, author of Story. http://www.mckeestory.com/  Richard Krevolin, author of Screenwriting from the Soul & professor USC. http://www.profk.com/bio.html  Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Journey. www.netflix.com streaming 1 hour introduction
  • 40. Presented At:  Truckee Meadows Community College  Pepperdine University  University of Nevada, Reno  University of Costa Rica