Introduction to screenwriting 1: The 5 elements ... - Cracking Yarns
Introduction to screenwriting 1: The 5 elements ... - Cracking Yarns
Introduction to screenwriting 1: The 5 elements ... - Cracking Yarns
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<strong>Introduction</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>screenwriting</strong> 1:<br />
<strong>The</strong> 5 <strong>elements</strong><br />
by Allen Palmer<br />
Session 1<br />
<strong>Introduction</strong><br />
www.crackingyarns.com.au<br />
allen@crackingyarns.com.au<br />
1<br />
Can we find a movie<br />
we all love<br />
2<br />
Australian movies<br />
•Who loves typical Aussie film<br />
•Who goes out of obligation<br />
•Who won’t go<br />
•Who feels misled by reviews<br />
•Are Australian films meeting the<br />
needs of Australian audiences<br />
•No, but nor are the meeting the<br />
needs of Australian film makers<br />
3
Australian Film<br />
Economics 101<br />
•Basic cost $3 million<br />
•Film makers only get $1 out of $6<br />
•Need <strong>to</strong> take $18+ million at BO<br />
4<br />
Oz Films All time> $18m<br />
1. Crocodile Dundee – $48m<br />
2. Australia – $38m<br />
3. Babe – $36.7m<br />
4. Happy Feet – $31.8m<br />
5. Moulin Rouge $27m<br />
6. Croc Dundee 2 $24m<br />
7. Strictly Ballroom – $21.7m<br />
8. <strong>The</strong> Dish $18m<br />
5<br />
Oz Box Office 2009<br />
1. Mao’s Last Dancer $14m<br />
2. Australia $10.6m (W $208m)<br />
3. Knowing $5.8m (W $181m)<br />
4. Charlie & Boots $3.4m<br />
5. Samson & Delilah $2.4m<br />
• 5% of Total Australian Box Office<br />
• Most films take
Why box office matters<br />
•Who thinks it doesn’t matter<br />
•Why it matters<br />
•S<strong>to</strong>ry isn’t 1-way interaction<br />
•Joy in shared emotion<br />
•More people. More joy.<br />
•Get <strong>to</strong> make another film<br />
7<br />
Q. Do Australians want <strong>to</strong><br />
see Australian films<br />
A. Australians are gagging<br />
<strong>to</strong> see Australian films.<br />
8<br />
Q. Why aren’t Australians<br />
going <strong>to</strong> Australian films<br />
a. Poor concepts<br />
b. Poor structure<br />
c. Australian film-makers<br />
aren’t addressing the<br />
fundamental question ...<br />
9
What do audiences want<br />
•Entertained<br />
•Escape<br />
•Educated<br />
•Provoked<br />
•Affirmed<br />
•Transported<br />
•Inspired<br />
•Moved - laugh, cry<br />
10<br />
What do audiences want<br />
11<br />
What do audiences want<br />
“I think that what we’re seeking is<br />
an experience of being alive ...<br />
... so that we can actually feel the<br />
rapture being alive.”<br />
Joseph Campbell<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Power of Myth”<br />
12
What do audiences want<br />
• Expand emotional bandwidth<br />
• Reminder of higher self<br />
• Universal connection<br />
13<br />
What did Aris<strong>to</strong>tle think<br />
audiences wanted<br />
•Catharsis<br />
•Emotional cleansing or<br />
purging<br />
14<br />
What delivers catharsis<br />
•Triumph of good over evil<br />
•Why<br />
•Seeing hero transformed<br />
•Preferable<br />
•Why<br />
15
What delivers catharsis<br />
•<strong>Cracking</strong> yarn<br />
•Definition:<br />
•A cracking yarn sends hero on a<br />
difficult journey that forces the hero<br />
the hero <strong>to</strong> transform and delivers<br />
catharsis <strong>to</strong> the audience at its<br />
climax.<br />
16<br />
17<br />
Me<br />
18
You (in 1 min or less)<br />
•Name<br />
•Day job<br />
•Done any courses Read any books<br />
Written any screenplays<br />
•Have a concept<br />
•Which film would you like <strong>to</strong> have<br />
written<br />
19<br />
Course - expectations<br />
•<strong>Introduction</strong><br />
•Not exhaustive exploration<br />
•Knowledge not practice<br />
•How <strong>to</strong> write, not much writing<br />
•2 days won’t be enough<br />
•Content vs discussion<br />
•Presentation PDFs can be<br />
downloaded<br />
20<br />
Lesson Downloads<br />
•www.crackingyarns.com.au<br />
•Under “Resources”<br />
•“Course downloads”<br />
21
What will we cover<br />
22<br />
What’s the hardest part of<br />
writing a cracking screenplay<br />
•Concept<br />
•Characters<br />
•S<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•Scenes<br />
•Dialogue<br />
23<br />
Typical script report<br />
Excellent Good Fair Poor<br />
Concept<br />
X<br />
Character<br />
X<br />
Dialogue<br />
X<br />
Structure<br />
Emotional<br />
Engagement<br />
X<br />
X<br />
24
What will we cover<br />
•Day 1<br />
•Structure<br />
•Day 2<br />
•Concept & premise<br />
•Character<br />
•Scene & Dialogue<br />
•From concept <strong>to</strong> screenplay<br />
25<br />
What you’ll get<br />
•Day 1<br />
•That movies must take the audience<br />
on an emotional journey<br />
•That transformation is the key<br />
•4 fundamental s<strong>to</strong>rytelling <strong>elements</strong><br />
•3 Act structure fundamentals<br />
•A 12-step timeless s<strong>to</strong>ry structure<br />
that delivers an emotional journey<br />
26<br />
•Day 2<br />
What you’ll get<br />
•Why concept is important and how<br />
<strong>to</strong> test your concept<br />
•<strong>The</strong> key <strong>to</strong> great charactisation for<br />
both heroes and antagonists<br />
•Elements and tips of scene writing<br />
•Secret <strong>to</strong> great dialogue<br />
•What <strong>to</strong> do next<br />
•Inspiration!<br />
27
Structure<br />
•What is it<br />
•<strong>The</strong> craft of s<strong>to</strong>rytelling<br />
•Separates pro from amateur<br />
•How we engage emotions<br />
•How we escalate tension<br />
•How we deliver catharsis<br />
28<br />
Is structure bad<br />
•Australian resistance<br />
•“Hollywood” formula<br />
29<br />
A Few Good Men<br />
African Queen<br />
After Midnight<br />
American Graffiti<br />
Apollo 13<br />
An Officer & a Gentleman<br />
Arthur<br />
Back <strong>to</strong> the Future<br />
Being <strong>The</strong>re<br />
Beverly Hills Cop<br />
Big<br />
Blood Simple<br />
Blues Brothers<br />
Body Heat<br />
Brokeback Mountain<br />
Bull Durham<br />
Casablanca<br />
China<strong>to</strong>wn<br />
Dead Poets Society<br />
Dirty Harry<br />
Fargo<br />
Fast Times at Ridgemont High<br />
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off<br />
Five Easy Pieces<br />
Godfather<br />
Godfather 2<br />
Goodfellas<br />
Groundhog Day<br />
It happened one night<br />
It’s a wonderful life<br />
Jagged Edge<br />
Jaws<br />
“Hollywood” Films<br />
JFK<br />
Juno<br />
Kramer vs Kramer<br />
Lars and the Real Girl<br />
LA Confidential<br />
Little Miss Sunshine<br />
Lost in Translation<br />
M*A*S*H<br />
Meet the Parents<br />
Men in Black<br />
Midnight Run<br />
Midnight Cowboy<br />
Mississippi Burning<br />
Moonstruck<br />
My Fair Lady<br />
No Country for Old Men<br />
North by Northwest<br />
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest<br />
Parenthood<br />
Psycho<br />
Pulp Fiction<br />
Quiz Show<br />
Raiders of the Lost Ark<br />
Remains of the Day<br />
Reservoir Dogs<br />
Risky Business<br />
Rocky<br />
Saturday Night Fever<br />
Schindler’s List<br />
Sea of Love<br />
Serpico<br />
Shortcuts<br />
Shrek<br />
Sideways<br />
Star Wars<br />
Starman<br />
Stripes<br />
Taxi Driver<br />
10 Things I hate about you<br />
<strong>The</strong> Apartment<br />
<strong>The</strong> Big Chill<br />
<strong>The</strong> Empire Strikes Back<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fugitive<br />
<strong>The</strong> Goodbye Girl<br />
<strong>The</strong> Graduate<br />
<strong>The</strong> Incredibles<br />
<strong>The</strong> Maltese Falcon<br />
<strong>The</strong> Shining<br />
<strong>The</strong> Verdict<br />
<strong>The</strong>lma & Louise<br />
<strong>The</strong>re's something about Mary<br />
39 Steps<br />
Tootsie<br />
Toy S<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
Trading Places<br />
Twelve Angry Men<br />
When Harry Met Sally<br />
Virgin Suicides<br />
Vertigo<br />
Witness<br />
30
Is structure bad<br />
•Australian resistance<br />
•“Hollywood” formula<br />
•Hero phobic<br />
•Limit <strong>to</strong> creativity<br />
31<br />
Why we need structure<br />
•Screenplay is <strong>to</strong>ugher than novel<br />
•Length: 90 - 110 pages<br />
•Told in one, uninterrupted session<br />
•Cost<br />
•Expectation<br />
32<br />
Structure is good<br />
•But where, as screenwriters, do<br />
start<br />
33
Difference btw writing<br />
film and writing novel<br />
•Novel is prose<br />
•Screenplay is what ... <br />
•Drama<br />
34<br />
What is drama<br />
•Want <strong>to</strong> deliver catharsis<br />
•Transformation delivers catharsis<br />
•Will hero transform easily<br />
•No<br />
•Forced <strong>to</strong> transform<br />
•What will force them <strong>to</strong> transform<br />
•Conflict<br />
35<br />
What is drama<br />
•Drama is conflict<br />
•Drama is conflict<br />
•Comedy is drama is conflict<br />
•Drama is conflict<br />
•How do we create conflict<br />
36
4 fundamentals of s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•“Someone wants something very<br />
badly and they’re having a lot of<br />
trouble getting it”<br />
• 1. Hero (aka protagonist)<br />
• 2. Goal<br />
• 3. Conflict (aka antagonist)<br />
• 4. Stakes<br />
37<br />
4 fundamentals of s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•1. Hero<br />
•Whose film is it<br />
•Whose s<strong>to</strong>ry are we telling<br />
•Who most needs <strong>to</strong> change<br />
•Who acts <strong>to</strong> resolve at climax<br />
38<br />
4 fundamentals of s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•2. Goal or want<br />
•Get<br />
•S<strong>to</strong>p<br />
•Retrieve<br />
•Escape<br />
•Clear finish line<br />
•External (not “inner peace”)<br />
39
4 fundamentals of s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•3. Conflict<br />
•Why is it going <strong>to</strong> be hard<br />
•Why should we be interested<br />
•What are the forces of antagonism<br />
40<br />
4 fundamentals of s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•4. Stakes<br />
•What happens if the hero doesn’t go<br />
on this journey<br />
•If they don’t get their goal<br />
•Why MUST they do this<br />
•Why should we care<br />
41<br />
4 fundamentals of s<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
•1. Hero<br />
•2. Goal<br />
•3. Conflict<br />
•4. Stakes<br />
•90% scripts don’t have these basics<br />
•Your concept, your scenes, your<br />
screenplay MUST have these 4<br />
fundamentals<br />
•<br />
42
<strong>The</strong> 5th s<strong>to</strong>rytelling<br />
fundamental<br />
•4 fundamentals sufficient sometimes<br />
•Good vs evil<br />
•Raiders, Die Hard<br />
•If you want <strong>to</strong> deliver catharsis<br />
•Need hero <strong>to</strong> transform<br />
•For hero <strong>to</strong> transform by s<strong>to</strong>ry’s end,<br />
what must they be at start<br />
•Flawed<br />
43<br />
3 Act Structure basics<br />
•Have our 5 s<strong>to</strong>rytelling<br />
fundamentals<br />
•Now need <strong>to</strong> shape the s<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>to</strong><br />
deliver what<br />
•Catharsis<br />
•3 Act Structure is the convention<br />
•Now introduce you ...<br />
44<br />
3 act structure basics<br />
•Act 1<br />
•<strong>The</strong> beginning<br />
•Act 2<br />
•<strong>The</strong> middle<br />
•Act 3<br />
•<strong>The</strong> end<br />
45
3 act structure basics<br />
•Act 1<br />
•Engage the audience<br />
•Act 2<br />
•Escalate the dramatic tension<br />
•Act 3<br />
•Resolve and deliver catharsis<br />
46<br />
Is 3 Act Structure<br />
enough<br />
•90-110 pages<br />
•3 acts<br />
•Enough guidance<br />
•If it is, you don’t me<br />
•Mere mortals need help<br />
47<br />
S<strong>to</strong>ry Paradigms<br />
48
Syd Field’s Paradigm<br />
49<br />
S<strong>to</strong>ry Paradigms<br />
50<br />
McKee’s S<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
“A scene is an action through conflict in<br />
more or less continuous time and space<br />
that turns the value-charged condition<br />
of a character’s life on at least one<br />
value with a degree of perceptible<br />
significance.”<br />
51
McKee’s S<strong>to</strong>ry<br />
52<br />
53<br />
Campbell’s Monomyth<br />
“A hero ventures forth from the<br />
world of the common day in<strong>to</strong> a<br />
region of supernatural wonder:<br />
fabulous forces are there<br />
encountered and a decisive<br />
vic<strong>to</strong>ry is won: the hero comes<br />
back from this mysterious<br />
adventure with the power <strong>to</strong><br />
bes<strong>to</strong>w boons on his fellow man.”<br />
54
55<br />
<strong>The</strong> Writer’s Journey<br />
56<br />
Vogler’s Hero’s Journey<br />
1. Ordinary World<br />
2. Call <strong>to</strong> adventure<br />
3. Refusal of the call<br />
4. Meet with the men<strong>to</strong>r<br />
5. Crossing the<br />
first threshold<br />
Ordinary World<br />
12. Return with<br />
the elixir<br />
11. Resurrection<br />
10. Road back<br />
6. Tests, Allies &<br />
Enemies<br />
Special World<br />
7. Approach the<br />
inmost cave<br />
8. <strong>The</strong> Ordeal<br />
9. Reward<br />
57
S<strong>to</strong>ry is transformation<br />
•Hero goes in pursuit of a goal<br />
•“Wants something very bad and is<br />
having a lot of trouble getting it”<br />
•External journey triggers a more<br />
important internal journey<br />
•To complete journey, must<br />
transform - catharsis<br />
58<br />
Hero’s inner journey<br />
1. Incomplete<br />
12. Complete<br />
2. Excited<br />
3. Scared<br />
Ordinary World<br />
11. Decisive<br />
4. Torn<br />
5. Committed<br />
10. Desperate/<br />
conflicted<br />
6. Disoriented<br />
Special World<br />
7. Evasive<br />
9. Exultant<br />
8. Confronted<br />
59<br />
Why Hero’s Journey<br />
•Only a guide. Not a straitjacket.<br />
•Need an external journey<br />
•Hero’s journey delivers<br />
•Audience wants emotional journey<br />
•Hero’s journey delivers<br />
•Not invented. Only identified.<br />
•It works.<br />
60
Course Plan - Saturday<br />
1. 9:30-11.00 <strong>Introduction</strong><br />
2. 11.15-12.45 Hero’s Journey Steps 1-5<br />
3. 1.45 - 3.15 Hero’s Journey Steps 6-9<br />
4. 3.30 - 5.00 Hero’s Jrny Steps 10-12<br />
61<br />
Course Plan - Sunday<br />
1. 9:30-11.00 Concept<br />
2. 11.15-1.00 Character<br />
3. 1.45 - 3.15 Scene writing & Dialogue<br />
4. 3.30- 5.00 Concept <strong>to</strong> outline<br />
62<br />
Next Session<br />
•Hero’s Journey Steps 1 - 5<br />
•Starts at 11.15am sharp<br />
63
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