Ep403 Script Notes Podcast
Scriptnotes 403 - How to Write a Movie - Recap & Analysis
Listen to the Podcast Episode here: https://johnaugust.com/2019/how-to-write-a-movie
https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/bwz5lt/scriptnotes_403_how_to_write_a_movie_recap/
THIS IS A REDDIT POST OUTLINING THE PODCAST EPISODE ABOVE. IT IS NOT MS. KRAMER'S REVIEW OR COMMENTARY.
Another great episode. In fact this one is so monumental that I had to really go through it in order to properly do it justice. I took the time to analyze it and re-structure how the information is presented and filled in the few gaps I encountered (Note: The irony is not lost on me on how I'm re-structuring a podcast on structure). But I think it works best this way for my purposes. I hope it helps you guys, too.
By the way, in my opinion this episode will probably go down as one of the most important ones they have done. It speaks to the power of what happens when Craig Mazin is left unsupervised with a mic.
STRUCTURE
The prevailing structure theories floating out there (Field, Vogler, Mr. Cat, etc) fail to address the why.
All these 'theories' floating out there are approached from the wrong end. It’s like going to a coroner taking apart a body to see what's inside. But writing is more like creating a baby. In other words...
Writing is a Constructive Process. Not deconstructive process.
Structure is a symptom of a character’s relationship with a central dramatic argument (that is meaningful to other human beings).
It is not a tool. It’s a result.
THE PURPOSE OF STORYTELLING
The purpose of Storytelling is to argue out the implications of a human truth.
We the writers do this by having a dramatic debate of sorts with our central character.
The Character has the opposite view, which is set in stone, and they do not want to change.
Our mission as writers is to either change their mind or at the very least make them aware of the truth.
Theme is what we call the central dramatic argument of the story.
EXAMPLE OF A THEME
You can’t judge a book by it’s cover
Men and Women can’t just be friends
Better to be dead than a slave
Life is beautiful even in the midst of Horrors
If you believe you’re great you will be great
If you love someone set them free
NOT AN EXAMPLE
“Brotherhood” - This is not a Theme.
CENTRAL DRAMATIC ARGUMENT
'Brotherhood' is a vague concept. There is nothing to argue about.
Theme therefore is an opinion on what is a 'human truth'. It is us as writers making an argument.
'Voice' is just a writer's specific ability in constructing and expressing their specific dramatic argument .
The quality of a story has nothing to do with the specific opinion chosen. It has to do with the execution around it.
Screenplays without a central argument (theme) feel empty and pointless.
HOW TO CONSTRUCT IT
Never start a script by superimposing a central dramatic conflict on the blank page. Rather, you discover it or see which one emerges or fits with the plot idea you have. But you use irony.
IDEA
'A fish has to find another fish in the immense ocean.'
THEME POSSIBILITIES
3 possible Dramatic Arguments superimposed on top of it:
Non Ironic - If you try hard enough, you can do anything.
A Bit Ironic - Sometimes the things we search for are the things we need to be free from.
Very Ironic – No matter how much you love someone, you sometimes have to set them free. (We use this one)
RESULT
'A fish has to find another fish in the immense ocean, only to have to let them go anyway.'
IRONY
We process the world by creating a narrative out of it.
But if events are viewed through a narrative, we will many times encounter contradictions, coincidences and parallelisms.
Therefore we surmise that the Universe has a strange order to it. And Humans employ Irony to make sense of it.
EXAMPLE: The real-life story of José Fernández. When he was a kid he was on a boat when people fell overboard and started drowning. He jumped into the water and tried saving anyone he could. Without knowing, from all the people in the water, he ended up saving his own mother. He ended up living a very fulfilling life as a MLB pitcher until one day he himself had a boating accident... and died in the water. Dramatic Irony.
FISHY IRONY
You have a fish afraid of the deep dark ocean and who’s too weak to defend his own family.
Dramatic Irony Level 1 – You Kill off his wife. (Not enough)
Dramatic Irony Level 2 – You Kill off his wife and all his children except one. (Not enough)
Dramatic Irony Level 3 – You Kill off his wife and all his children except for the disabled one (Now it’s enough)
PROGRESSION FROM ANTI-THEME TO THEME
As stated, at the outset the main character believes the wrong side of the argument.
The middle part of the story is about creating a torture chamber for your character.
They want to go backwards. You force them forwards.
You reinforce their desire to go back to return to Stasis. While on his journey to find Nemo, Marlin encounters sharks. And they are dangerous.
But you also introduce doubt. Marlin encounters Dory.
In other words, the character runs into someone or something that believes in the right side of the argument.
The protagonist has to have the ability to at least recognize the validity of the right side of the argument. But fear keeps them from it.
Then you have a moment where they experience the right side of the argument so they can get a taste of it. They experience momentary harmony with it.
But an event returns them to their fear. Dory almost dies because of Marlin.
LEARNING MOMENT
There is a moment where the main character finally realizes the dramatic argument.
I will never let anything bad happen to him...
But then nothing will ever happen to him...
So if you love them…
DEFINING MOMENT
The character needs to go through a situation that proves they accepted the dramatic argument (theme).
It is the character's worst fear.
Marlin lets Nemo take on the danger to save the day.
DENOUEMENT
At the end of the story you show the character again in their normal life. But this time the protagonist acts in accordance with the theme.
RECAP OF MAIN POINTS
The purpose of the story is to take the main character from Ignorance of the truth of the theme, to embodiment through action of the theme.
Stories typically begin with characters in Stasis. They believe the opposite of the theme.
If left alone (no intervention from the writer), their lives could go on forever like that.
If fish son (Nemo) resents me (Marlin), then that’s okay as long as he’s safe.
Then you (the writer) intervenes with an incident (Inciting Incident) to specifically disrupt a character’s Stasis. And you do it in an ironic way.
The writer is like a parent who has a life lesson to teach their child (the character). But you have to break their soul in an old testament kind of way, because how else will they learn?
Every protagonist fears something. We as an audience empathize with them because of that fear.
We connect with characters the most when they are lost.
COMMON EXEC NOTES ON SCRIPTS WITHOUT A THEME
What is this about?
Why should this movie exist?
What is the point of all this?
MY PAST RECAPS
EP 402 - How Do You Like Your Stakes?