tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11181145042736133872024-02-19T19:36:50.688-05:00Jared's InkwellScreenwriting. Film. Industry. Playing the orchestra.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-2975997785151513212017-06-20T14:01:00.002-04:002017-06-22T22:22:36.165-04:00Let's Visit a Film Festival!I've attended and/or had films in festivals such as Tribeca, Austin, Silicon Valley, Atlanta Underground, Boston Underground, The Hamptons, Garden State, and MystiCon. In partnership with the folks at <a href="http://vegas.com/">Vegas.com</a>, I've written up a few tips about working a festival, especially if it's your first time. And if you <i>are</i> off to Las Vegas, definitely hit up the <a href="http://www.lvff.com">Las Vegas Film Festival</a>, the <a href="http://www.viff.net">Vegas Indie Film Festival</a>, the <a href="http://www.nevadafilmfestival.com">Nevada Film Festival</a>, and the <a href="http://www.nwffest.com">Nevada Women's Film Festival</a>.<br />
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<b>1. Bring business cards.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPgKr1bXw3yC-ZIT2ad5HaPcqlfsPLErJG3wlxLgaLnY6ihmEfDlpeBAeeUq3Rbufv5yvk5lmXPGFArLFhUI62BwW6Mn0uqGhgf70kMQJHWRGnr2vnKUd8H6VMQbht0i79gJ2WOT0sXlg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-20+at+1.28.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1079" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPgKr1bXw3yC-ZIT2ad5HaPcqlfsPLErJG3wlxLgaLnY6ihmEfDlpeBAeeUq3Rbufv5yvk5lmXPGFArLFhUI62BwW6Mn0uqGhgf70kMQJHWRGnr2vnKUd8H6VMQbht0i79gJ2WOT0sXlg/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-20+at+1.28.01+PM.png" width="320" /></a>Have cards printed up and bring at least 200. Collect other people's like baseball cards. If you're a creative, you might be tempted to put "Writer" or "Director" on your card. You should! But you need to do something a little extra, as <i>everyone's</i> card will say the same thing. What will make yours stand out? What will make you memorable? Will it be a spiffy production company logo? A neat design? Include a fun fact? Whatever it is, stand out from the crowd. <br />
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<b>2. Have an idea? Have your brief pitch ready.</b><br />
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When I'm at Austin and the name of my film is on my badge, I'm typically asked, "What's your film about?" It's a great conversation starter. If you have a film in the festival and you're asked this question, have your answer down to three or less sentences. Seriously. When people are asking you what your screenplay/film is all about, it's expected that you'll give them sparing yet effective information. If they want more info, they'll ask you for it or else it'll come out in conversation.<br />
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<b>3. Horizontal networking.</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-HRru1xxEze5Y-1uQn7bR7mTxvYGeGWimZIAFK71NqX9H_mqcjmvU_VLuC2lOHJeOl1wvRMS7P2DAI_IKcaOxrYk87n7I5AP5tkArmSZbkyvjSOf00Cw9q3OcPFhyRg_5t5waP6SeE-D/s1600/2849009361_2958548533_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="640" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-HRru1xxEze5Y-1uQn7bR7mTxvYGeGWimZIAFK71NqX9H_mqcjmvU_VLuC2lOHJeOl1wvRMS7P2DAI_IKcaOxrYk87n7I5AP5tkArmSZbkyvjSOf00Cw9q3OcPFhyRg_5t5waP6SeE-D/s320/2849009361_2958548533_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It's tempting to go to a festival thinking that you'll be in the right place at the right time and that an Academy Award-winning panelist will take a sudden interest in you and mentor you and help to make you a star. Does it happen? Not that I know of, at least not at film festivals I've attended. Definitely meet and greet everyone you can, but far more valuable to your creative career is <i>horizontal networking</i> - that is, networking with people who are at the same professional level as you. You can help out on each other's projects, offer to read each other's scripts, and if one of you makes it big, you won't forget your friends who were there in times before. As an example, when I went to Austin in 2014, I sat next to a fellow in a panel audience who had written a western feature script. Mine was sci-fi. We chatted, exchanged cards, and went on our way. The next day he wrote me an email to say that he was attending another panel, met a producer from SyFy, and referred me to him, as I had that sci-fi script. <i>That </i>is how things happen. Meet everyone, be cordial to everyone, and share your project with everyone you can. This can only help you and your career.<br />
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<b>4. Don't be shy.</b><br />
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Don't be obnoxious, either. At panel discussions, don't be the one who hogs the microphone, desperate to be noticed. Be assertive, yes. Be thoughtful, absolutely. The best way to sound smart is to ask an intelligent question that will benefit more than just yourself. A big difference between amateurs and professionals is that amateurs see fellow attendees as competition while professionals visit a festival to meet an army of potential future allies. You're there to make friends and connections, so it's okay to be a little outspoken and to go for the brass ring. You're all there to network, learn, and connect together. Be the person who other people want to be around!<br />
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<b>5. Attend as many panels as possible.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDry5opBK7EcjU3kGKbV8ihh7GaEND2UX33fwD3MHI-eCCglh7ySmNmuAOVW3MDL_tL1z149rAv8pgh5ZTW3hJj2cL6zvsCZqdbZCZlt_HsUoouTFprZwgKit9cEkwr8iedXTg6LBF1gz/s1600/14077898855_7136e8aa8f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDry5opBK7EcjU3kGKbV8ihh7GaEND2UX33fwD3MHI-eCCglh7ySmNmuAOVW3MDL_tL1z149rAv8pgh5ZTW3hJj2cL6zvsCZqdbZCZlt_HsUoouTFprZwgKit9cEkwr8iedXTg6LBF1gz/s320/14077898855_7136e8aa8f_z.jpg" width="320" /></a>This is where the learning happens. How one film is green-lit and made is very different from how any other film was put together. Sometimes, such as at festivals like Austin, they'll schedule two (or three or seven) amazing panels all at the same time. While it's up to you to decide which to attend, this is also where allies come in handy - you and your friends can attend different panels and then share notes afterward. Take plenty of notes at the panels, but be sure to listen carefully to each panelist and come up with questions for the Q&A. A good question is a great way to stand out, and at an after-party or meet-and-greet later on, the panelist will recognize you and you might be able to continue the conversation. It's practically a guarantee that if you attend a panel, you'll learn something valuable that you didn't know prior.<br />
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<b>6. Have fun!</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hV4GxV8qWGD28tiqe5xY_sZq7cvson6F0a6n77sqTzcNAr4FU9vbeI7ivfHiwEt1TyW3kPXBtJ1_HyyOfUntC3rI2wxBy70sPzlQ5CLHH_xweTnKrulf-arZ7JBQP-rGf0MaL_i8iZG2/s1600/253353242_df7786e130_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hV4GxV8qWGD28tiqe5xY_sZq7cvson6F0a6n77sqTzcNAr4FU9vbeI7ivfHiwEt1TyW3kPXBtJ1_HyyOfUntC3rI2wxBy70sPzlQ5CLHH_xweTnKrulf-arZ7JBQP-rGf0MaL_i8iZG2/s320/253353242_df7786e130_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If you go to a festival with a stratospheric goal such as "be discovered," then you might wind up disappointed. If you set your sights at a more reasonable, "make lots of contacts, network, and eat," then you'll have a blast. And quite likely, your chances of "being discovered" are much higher if you exude friendliness and a genuine interest in the projects of others. Filmmaking is a collaborative pursuit, and the chances that you'll wind up working on something successful will absolutely depend on how successful you are at forging strong connections with people who believe in each other and each other's work. Have a wonderful time!<br />
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Jared has taught screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley, at Emerson College, and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru/" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-73283329894008541052017-02-20T08:16:00.001-05:002017-02-20T08:16:22.617-05:00My Favorite Films of 2016Awards season is upon us. As such, I've assembled my annual list of top films of the past year. These are films that represent a perfect storm of exquisite writing, nuanced acting, strong directing, thoughtful cinematography, and purposeful editing. Have you seen them? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let me know!<br />
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In no particular order:<br />
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<b><i>CAPTAIN FANTASTIC</i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ7MzFXELk3Ll30ldxdYiYqG1LBYiiRgkI_jsDoqYsdf3i1e0oQsUXSwyueAYSx0wd5uJIGRAGiRu_KKryJLyb7AqrgNYGLTx-BYrtJ6fp7osx3JY9KxxWa1LepRLg3qddS8TIIwnDOoI/s1600/captain-fantastic-review-spicypulp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ7MzFXELk3Ll30ldxdYiYqG1LBYiiRgkI_jsDoqYsdf3i1e0oQsUXSwyueAYSx0wd5uJIGRAGiRu_KKryJLyb7AqrgNYGLTx-BYrtJ6fp7osx3JY9KxxWa1LepRLg3qddS8TIIwnDOoI/s640/captain-fantastic-review-spicypulp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Written and Directed by Matt Ross<br />
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Viggo Mortensen's turn as Ben, a bereaved father of six with the unorthodox plot goal of interfering with a funeral, shines as an imaginative take on how to be a better parent. Every child is a unique personality (of special note is the conflicted eldest - George MacKay as Bo) and the viewer spends enough time with each to fall in love with the entire family. Just the right amount of silly, heartfelt, and believable, <i>Fantastic</i> is the year's strongest meditation on parenthood, its responsibilities, its joys, and its ability to bring out the best - and worst - in parents, grandparents, and children. Every scene not only reveals more about character but simultaneously lays bare the glue that holds the family together as well as the inevitable cracks that grow into schisms. While being a better father might be the biggest challenge of Ben's life, the viewer roots for him the entire ride. <br />
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<b><i>HELL OR HIGH WATER</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-oVI4Tqop_g45vZCfp3ZZVWnS7i1E31mKL8Pj8BjmcA-SQW7UmkTcPtwW-YnhRlcXc2F9Uw-8_FvZgJdGu2-OMNLhFyTvxAIz28qnIjfelbzi5H8-bVxoB9AlcWFVI_r1GCb1GNdRKsz/s1600/hell-or-high-water-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-oVI4Tqop_g45vZCfp3ZZVWnS7i1E31mKL8Pj8BjmcA-SQW7UmkTcPtwW-YnhRlcXc2F9Uw-8_FvZgJdGu2-OMNLhFyTvxAIz28qnIjfelbzi5H8-bVxoB9AlcWFVI_r1GCb1GNdRKsz/s640/hell-or-high-water-image.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Directed by David Mackenzie<br />
Written by Taylor Sheridan<br />
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Terrifying in its portrayal of utter desperation yet chock full of enough courage to sink a rusty pickup under the rapids of the Colorado River, <i>High Water</i> is about brotherhood - both between Tanner and Toby Howard (Ben Foster and Chris Pine) as well as their relentless pursuers, Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Deputy Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham). When hard financial truths force the Howards to rob the very banks that mean to foreclose on the family farm, we're all too glad to cheer for the outlaws. But the beauty of the film lies in its shades of grey: we're rooting for <i>both</i> sides because they're <i>both</i> on the losing end of a larger war. But while one side is ultimately content to accept their place in the machinery of the state, the other is an upstart that can claim, at best, a pyrrhic victory. No spoils come for free, and every player in this film has to pay up.<br />
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<b><i>MOONLIGHT</i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mqkeyQ17MTaKUMb8FbFumu1vwWBL-0sYvti9QjZxY5OsMEvz2h87-7O7k3hJgufApyzMJD9085BxnHRGHitZNgkHnbTGLIeO40fFpR3tlcP5LF4Gn1gXC3vIS-U-9pClc_xWNQxS_F8e/s1600/moonlight1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mqkeyQ17MTaKUMb8FbFumu1vwWBL-0sYvti9QjZxY5OsMEvz2h87-7O7k3hJgufApyzMJD9085BxnHRGHitZNgkHnbTGLIeO40fFpR3tlcP5LF4Gn1gXC3vIS-U-9pClc_xWNQxS_F8e/s640/moonlight1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Written and Directed by Barry Jenkins<br />
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Heartbreaking, horrifying, and ultimately redemptive, <i>Moonlight</i> is a tense, introspective, and thoughtful meditation on growing up impoverished, Black, and gay. Every performance shines bright to the point of blinding the viewer to the fact that they're watching a film at all. A film in three parts, we seamlessly follow Chiron from boyhood (Alex Hibbert), adolescence (Ashton Sanders), and adulthood (Trevante Rhodes) as he navigates an external world including a warm but self-contradictory mentor (a charismatic Mahershala Ali), a tormented and tormenting mother (an astonishing Naomie Harris) a bevy of school bullies, and an internal struggle between "being the man," "looking tough," and love itself. What does it mean to be a man? Are we defined by how the world sees us or who we secretly are within? The film captures well the loneliness of being a child - and indeed the fundamental aloneness of existing in the first place.<br />
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<b><i>ZOOTOPIA</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9xpLLqA9Wf96R0p_1hmnWneaQnrUH49dXU82tiLCUKEnrXVkNCg_mvWAF1Tpo6nCQcEik0wLvibmvcx5G2AD4N9JgnOwZHG7wqCR3mWQvfdFLxS_Vz1ao7V6HOguYxbnibYoY2G_Ikwp/s1600/zootopia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9xpLLqA9Wf96R0p_1hmnWneaQnrUH49dXU82tiLCUKEnrXVkNCg_mvWAF1Tpo6nCQcEik0wLvibmvcx5G2AD4N9JgnOwZHG7wqCR3mWQvfdFLxS_Vz1ao7V6HOguYxbnibYoY2G_Ikwp/s640/zootopia.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush<br />
Written by Jared Bush and Phil Johnston<br />
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The filmmakers behind <i>Zootopia</i> didn't just create an engaging, lovable protagonist in Officer Judy Hopps - they created an entire <i>world</i>. The first 10 minutes alone are a master class in establishing character, story, and stakes. Engrossing from start to finish, <i>Zootopia</i> is about tolerance, the dangers of ignorance, and the nuances of law and order, but at its heart it remains true to the hopes and desires of its clever main character. Judy wants to make the world a better place but must learn that she herself - as well as those around her - can only be at their best when they rise above their animal instincts and listen to each other. For in doing so, the world truly becomes better.<br />
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<b><i>ARRIVAL</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwafeFnfUDA1u4HyPHb2HVyTwFf3uw8hoLeNbstZK0IVupz2O8uU3umOo8Q-H-a_8ek2O-7-FmQ2rSeYlS0YYYSRu_jcKKVy-S3eNzYtH0pMRyLkZw1DJFRvAJYD4GISIGH8hpPSPR4ot/s1600/Screen-Shot-2016-11-29-at-12.22.45-PM-1480440591-2391x1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwafeFnfUDA1u4HyPHb2HVyTwFf3uw8hoLeNbstZK0IVupz2O8uU3umOo8Q-H-a_8ek2O-7-FmQ2rSeYlS0YYYSRu_jcKKVy-S3eNzYtH0pMRyLkZw1DJFRvAJYD4GISIGH8hpPSPR4ot/s640/Screen-Shot-2016-11-29-at-12.22.45-PM-1480440591-2391x1000.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Directed by Denis Villeneuve<br />
Written by Eric Heisserer<br />
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Based on a short story by Ted Chiang, the story of how the film was adapted and made is almost worthy of a film in and of itself. At first glance it'a a story about visiting aliens but at its core it remains a tale about an impossible choice and the cyclical nature of existence. A stunning Amy Adams (in the best role of her career) as linguist Dr. Louise Banks is the key to deciphering the intents of our enigmatic otherworldly visitors... but is there something more at stake? Do we need their help or do they need ours? And what will it take to make the international community cooperate on anything? Does every opportunity come again? And if you know what's coming, would you do anything differently? Questions for the philosophers, yes, but somehow cobbled into a film with a strong story and stronger characters. Just the right amounts of mystery are dripped to the audience and we're left with a strong sense of accomplishment by the journey's end.<br />
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<b><i>KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiko3qMUPpT22jQAIGmj_G3PA4JFULKFklP1n_rOK2ytEDSxHHnRyFacqfnfsylDSiCGD_CrKZYzSCJ-ilB5WTg-snTw0sCq36LXk3MxzJ2ZaGQqqLQRd9iHsPT71u5WKbECiXhFng9K1/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiko3qMUPpT22jQAIGmj_G3PA4JFULKFklP1n_rOK2ytEDSxHHnRyFacqfnfsylDSiCGD_CrKZYzSCJ-ilB5WTg-snTw0sCq36LXk3MxzJ2ZaGQqqLQRd9iHsPT71u5WKbECiXhFng9K1/s640/maxresdefault.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Directed by Travis Knight<br />
Written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler<br />
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Exhaustively and meticulously conceptualized, written, and stop-motion animated over a period of five years, <i>Kubo</i> is that rarest of animals: an original fantasy story with global appeal. While Matthew McConaughey as a samurai might be cringeworthy, the clear writing, integrated storytelling, and astonishing visuals (in service to the story) more than make up for it. <i>Kubo</i> is a yarn (pun intended) about a young man's journey to be the good man his parents wanted him to be while avoiding the temptations of an inhuman immortality. Effectively funny and honest in its emotional portrayals, <i>Kubo</i> is a dark tale that enraptures the viewer among its simple, cleverly-written plot threads and unique, memorable characters. If we are who we've been, <i>Kubo</i> is a story that proves that we can be who we want to be.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mentions:</b><br />
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<i>Fences</i><br />
Directed by Denzel Washington off of a screenplay by playwright August Wilson (based on his play by the same name), this film contains, on a whole, the best acting performances of the year. Viola Davis especially, as Rose Maxson, exceeds every high bar in her turn as a mother to a frustrated son and wife to a frustrating husband. This was clearly a labor of love for Denzel Washington, who turns in yet another career-defining performance as Troy Maxson, a middle-aged garbageman who missed integration in the major leagues (and a likely turn as a baseball great) by only that much. Every personality shines through and the subtext is thick. Every character is clearly defined and has an opportunity to be a viewer's favorite. However, like <i>Doubt</i> before it, this film reminds the viewer that it began as a stage play, and its scenes are dialogue heavy and can drag. Regardless, every actor turns in their A-game and the film unspools as an organic, character driven story.<br />
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<i>Manchester by the Sea</i><br />
Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, <i>Manchester</i> is possibly the year's biggest gut punch. Devastating in its portrayal of a young father with nothing left to lose, Casey Affleck turns in a wrenching performance as Lee Chandler, who is tasked with raising his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges) after the unexpected death of Lee's brother Joe (played by Kyle Chandler). A formidable and relatable meditation on loss, <i>Manchester</i> is perhaps the year's most stirring reminder that when there's life, there's hope. The film's ending, while abrupt, gives just the right amount of light at the end of a very dark tunnel. <br />
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<i>Hidden Figures</i><br />
As topical today as it was when it actually happened, <i>Hidden Figures</i> reminds us of progress made and work still to be done. Directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi off of a book by Margot Lee Shetterly, <i>Figures</i> is both comic and thoughtful in its treatment of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson (respectively and expertly played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe), three African-American mathematicians who were integral members of the team that launched John Glen into space. Their frustrations and mistreatment is tangible at every turn - not just without - but within as well.<br />
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Awards season is arguably the most wonderful time of the year for film buffs. How many of these have you seen? Thoughts?<br />
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Jared teaches screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley. He has also taught at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-2799616849752006772016-12-27T11:04:00.004-05:002016-12-27T11:05:04.491-05:00Well Met By Moonlight<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGi8OLGUwKaYiXlvDxSWeotQL_HaDdBjWbG-FIRmL2qm0Pw3vwdrPf17PEOy9PJ0CpRWAnKQxfvG716GlNZm7zawpfxHsQXgTW9ZWwfhkz31Y2MaqXUrc4XXwuANwd_K_C8EECdBvvVnR/s1600/moonlight1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGi8OLGUwKaYiXlvDxSWeotQL_HaDdBjWbG-FIRmL2qm0Pw3vwdrPf17PEOy9PJ0CpRWAnKQxfvG716GlNZm7zawpfxHsQXgTW9ZWwfhkz31Y2MaqXUrc4XXwuANwd_K_C8EECdBvvVnR/s400/moonlight1.jpg" width="275" /></a>Barry Jenkins's <i>Moonlight</i> is a stunner. Presented in three parts, the film follows the coming-of-age of Chiron (played respectively at age nine, adolescence, and adulthood by Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes - frictionless performances by all three) as he navigates a broken home, school bullying, and the stigma against his homosexuality. The story presents a simple, clear transition as he emerges as a leader with a single true desire that keeps the viewer mesmerized from start to finish. The final third of the film slows down a bit and could present us with more information about the man Chiron has become. However, as the first two parts of the film are kinetic masterpieces, it's a welcome break in the pacing and it reflects Chiron becoming someone who can finally live life not at the mercy of others but on his own measured terms. It feels <i>earned</i>.<br />
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When we first meet young Chiron (nicknamed "Little"), it's evident that there's something special about him. He's precocious, understands that there's something wrong with his living situation (his mother, Paula, is a neglectful, emotionally abusive addict - a terrific performance by Naomie Harris), and that he's well aware of his attraction to other boys. He forges a compelling relationship with local drug dealer Juan (a warm and charismatic Mahershala Ali) who connects to Chiron's awful home life in an organic and unexpected way. We see in Juan the man that indirectly perpetuates Chiron's living situation but also, ironically, the free man Chiron wants to become - free from his greedy mother, his ferocious classmates, and ultimately from shame.<br />
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Shame is a pervasive theme in <i>Moonlight</i>. Whether it's Juan the dealer, Paula the negligent mother, Kevin the best friend with a secret, or even Chiron himself, redemption is the film's rallying cry. Everyone has a secret, everyone builds walls, and everyone eventually lets someone in - for good or ill. When adolescent Chiron comes out to Kevin (thoughtfully and introspectively played at different ages by Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome, and André Holland), it's a beautiful moment of liberation. James Laxton's cinematography shines in such a way as to make the moment as magical to us as if we had lived it, ourselves. <br />
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Each of the film's three parts is named after an aspect of Chiron, a name. Color imagery is pervasive. Juan's nickname is "Blue" and Chiron's later given the nickname "Black." Juan teaches Chiron that being honest with who you are is a full-time job but is also the surest path to achieving your desire even if your desire seems well out of reach. It's an honest lesson and organically shown, especially in a film that could (but never does) call upon stereotypes to carry the story.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLlsc29bF-EfgNBvBzDXVP6yl32A_NSo9eAZ8SSnwSTq7M7KhTm2I7-BsV3FDmlo4CqfoMMlM1oYzBp3s8HFxkhhAcnil22bHDHcrQGNq7fO6zDZe2dYjWqc6LQ-Oi07A1gV0iicnZWuV/s1600/moonlight2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLlsc29bF-EfgNBvBzDXVP6yl32A_NSo9eAZ8SSnwSTq7M7KhTm2I7-BsV3FDmlo4CqfoMMlM1oYzBp3s8HFxkhhAcnil22bHDHcrQGNq7fO6zDZe2dYjWqc6LQ-Oi07A1gV0iicnZWuV/s400/moonlight2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colors of light, colors of love.</td></tr>
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Chiron's transition into adulthood is turbulent but clear. As an adult, he barely resembles the tiny, frightened child he used to be. As such, he could have been shown to be a more active character. When a certain figure from his past contacts him and initiates the film's final sequence, it might have been more effective if Chiron himself had been the one to reach out and connect, even as a tentative step. After all, this is the story of a young man changing from passive to active, and his chief motivating desire has never left him. Further, as nearly every story thread in the film had a coda, it might have been a strong choice to have seen a final story beat involving Terrel (Patrick Decile), adolescent Chiron's chief antagonist. Their final scene together was one of the most satisfying and horrifying moments in film over the past year, and as it set the stage for the remainder of the story, the story might have done well to include a final reckoning between the two as adults.<br />
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The film's music by Nicholas Britell is soft, subtle, and effective. I like to think of music as the language in which the characters think - a way to externalize the internal for the benefit of the audience. The music reinforces suspense and the soundtrack (including tunes by Mozart and Aretha Franklin) clearly exhibits a thoughtful selection on Jenkins's part.<br />
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<i>Moonlight</i> is one of the best films of the year. It is hard to watch, heartbreaking, and ultimately liberating. Chiron will earn your love and respect at the same time that he earns his own. <i>Moonlight </i>challenges Chiron - and the viewer - to shine compassion into our darkest places. When we let others in, even moonlight itself can blaze bright.<br />
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*<br />
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Jared teaches screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley. He has also taught at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru/" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-53263526823271312102016-12-26T13:02:00.001-05:002016-12-26T18:52:27.652-05:00The Lay of the La La Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxQmfPr95aV8eiTFHWGZR8U5al4aXw2ERHA-UYxUpfSk1f7bjJZnvm_rEIkO0Gaw7fECLMmo6F9dH1-tFZIsTQJWkVMn-_KW2pkGh9ugUcuFp1TlZ-arCBfPgD2t8bIpbezX_ryLC4lvt/s1600/lalaland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxQmfPr95aV8eiTFHWGZR8U5al4aXw2ERHA-UYxUpfSk1f7bjJZnvm_rEIkO0Gaw7fECLMmo6F9dH1-tFZIsTQJWkVMn-_KW2pkGh9ugUcuFp1TlZ-arCBfPgD2t8bIpbezX_ryLC4lvt/s320/lalaland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Damien Chazelle's <i>La La Land</i> is two different films. Its first half is a pure, safe homage to the grand Hollywood musicals of yesteryear (<i>Singin' in the Rain, Hello, Dolly!</i>). It' s a film you've seen before and if you liked that film, you won't be disappointed. Mia (the as-usual pitch-perfect Emma Stone - someone give her an Oscar already) moves to Hollywood with a dream to be an actress. A few (rather contrived) coincidences later, she connects to charming jazz musician Sebastian (a Ryan Gosling with solid comic timing), who hopes to open his own music club. They dance (in a literal and prolonged sense) into each other's hearts as they power forward to realize their aspirations. As mentioned, you've seen the first half of this film already and as such it plods. Its long takes are breathtaking at first but tend to wear on one's patience (how many wide shots of people dancing until it ceases to be a novelty? Not many).<br />
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</div><div>Its second half is a different film entirely and likely worth the wait. The evolution of Mia and Sebastian's relationship waltzes from a string of song-and-dance numbers (it occasionally sticks a noncommittal toe into fanciful <i>Moulin Rouge</i> territory without <i>Moulin Rouge's </i>imagination) into an honest assessment of weighing one's dreams against love. The film's true pivot point (and likely its strongest scene) is a dinner at their apartment that presents in painful detail the fault lines in their romantic trajectory. For the first time in over an hour, these two stop being hopeful-actress and dreamy-jazz-musician stereotypes and become actual flesh-and-blood characters. And thankfully, the remainder of the film reinforces the two as complex people with deep psychologies. But an hour's a long time to wait to establish the characters as such in the narrative.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The emotional simmer erupts in a heartbreaking, effective (if long) final montage of what-ifs reminiscent of the parallel life storyline of Peter Howitt's <i>Sliding Doors</i>. Oddly enough, it also calls back to Ang Lee's <i>Life of Pi</i> in so much that it delves into the nature of not just the story we just experienced but the nature of storytelling in and of itself. <i>Life of Pi </i>asked us, "What story do you prefer?" but both narratives in <i>La La Land </i>strengthen the truth that both chasing a dream - and giving up on one - comes with costs.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2a0hLFn9HdzLgx_NoPvYIR5HXMzGkQAFYBUrFZWa5Odi4WaqpgLFe4l31G_Ih6C_0zmal-blqHsW_2mMsJ9HZKUbOqRNOtahyphenhyphenZ6xYnVJAO6_aS2kx0aoeVONJo03QtnzaWBkQvBrcGRH/s1600/lalaland2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2a0hLFn9HdzLgx_NoPvYIR5HXMzGkQAFYBUrFZWa5Odi4WaqpgLFe4l31G_Ih6C_0zmal-blqHsW_2mMsJ9HZKUbOqRNOtahyphenhyphenZ6xYnVJAO6_aS2kx0aoeVONJo03QtnzaWBkQvBrcGRH/s320/lalaland2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jazz and blues.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>The film's songs (composed by Justin Hurwitz) are cleverly conceived, but <i>City of Stars</i> is its true breakout. A melancholy love letter to dreams and their dreamers, it'll play in your head long after the end credits roll. John Legend's <i>Start a Fire</i> is a show-stopping electronica take on jazz (written into the narrative to introduce a younger generation to the "dying" genre) that might make purists cringe but guaranteed it'll otherwise make your foot tap along with it. Gosling and Stone have genuine (if untrained) voices that indicate the actors' deep connection to why they sing what they sing.</div><div><br />
</div><div>There are some contrivances that challenge an audience's suspension of disbelief too much (Sebastian has an unexpected obligation and has to skip seeing Mia - so he can't text/call her ahead of time to let her know?) and a lot of the dialogue is devoid of subtext (i.e., lines are on-the-nose without any dimensionality to what is said versus what is meant). However, the film shines brightest in its moments of melancholy of which there are many. There's a thread of sadness and endings that runs throughout the piece and <i>La La Land </i>is at its best when said thread blossoms into character action.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Perhaps the film's first half may have done better to exhibit more internal conflict - how the entire lives of Mia and Sebastian might have been tugs-of-war between love and dreams and how their decisions on that front landed them squarely in each other's paths. In any event, there's probably something for everyone to like in <i>La La Land</i> although it may not be everything for everyone at every moment. Rather like dreams, themselves.</div><br />
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Jared teaches screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley. He has also taught at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-75765225332263096682016-12-19T10:58:00.004-05:002016-12-20T09:43:56.255-05:00The Rogue Side of History<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlH_a9VR24zCIbIwreOu50EqHCKjuY-x1vU3PaAEm4ulWJkXakNEbKfnn4OjxnMmEA-UknY2lVZRUH3J8m1CWk9pkBzFyQr27UY2b5rZee5AUwLWJO33ElbJydMGegeW34T4PBz79c-xp/s1600/rogueone_onesheetA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlH_a9VR24zCIbIwreOu50EqHCKjuY-x1vU3PaAEm4ulWJkXakNEbKfnn4OjxnMmEA-UknY2lVZRUH3J8m1CWk9pkBzFyQr27UY2b5rZee5AUwLWJO33ElbJydMGegeW34T4PBz79c-xp/s400/rogueone_onesheetA.jpg" width="270" /></a><i>Rogue One</i> is the tale of how the first Death Star’s plans were stolen and delivered to Princess Leia. Have you been hoping to finally find out how many bothans died to secure this precious information? Hope on, as bothan spies were used to steal the plans for the <i>second</i> Death Star, space ace.<br />
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The film has an impressive cast in top form. Of particular note are Felicity Jones’s conflicted Jyn Erso (our protagonist), Forest Whitaker's grizzled warrior Saw Gerrera, Donnie Yen's spiritual badass Chirrut Imwee, Jiang Wen’s guns-blazing badass Baze Malbus, Ben Mendelsohn's villainous Orson Krennic, and Alan Tudyk’s voice-over work for the film’s exquisite comic relief, the droid K-2SO. It’s an ensemble piece and while each character is interesting from the moment we first see them, the sheer number of them prevents any real connection to their individual plights, much less learn why they join the rebellion in the first place. At one point, pilot Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) presses Jyn, “You think you’re the only one who’s lost something?” but the film never delivers on this clear set-up. But this is not a parallel case to the trip-ups of the prequel trilogy. Overall, <i>Rogue One’s</i> acting and dialogue fit the bill for its story of the beleaguered rebellion.<br />
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And it is indeed a desperate rebellion. The film’s underlying strength is its establishment of a world with a real sense for how eleventh-hour the situation is for the alliance. Throughout, a series of decisions at the individual level often mean the difference between a slim rebellion victory or utter annihilation. Suspense increases in every scene and we’re constantly reminded of the stakes as well as the ever-thinning thread on which the alliance hangs.<br />
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The real standout performance belongs to an actor deceased for over 20 years. The CGI return of Peter Cushing’s Governor Tarkin (created with the permission of his estate and with actor Guy Henry as a stand-in) marks a standard in cinema visual effects on the level of <i>Jurassic Park’s</i> dinosaurs (incidentally both made by Industrial Light and Magic). This is an astonishing and nearly seamless leap forward in the capabilities of computer-assisted storytelling. While the technology’s promise is tremendous (have a wish list of deceased actors to cast in your film and a huge pile of money? Poof! Cinematic resurrection!), the danger exists to overuse it to the point of it becoming showy for its own sake - the very sarlacc pit that befouled the prequels.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Who used red Sharpie? My board clearly says 'Dry erase only!'"</td></tr>
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Thankfully, Darth Vader wears a mask and anyone of appropriate height and a tolerance for black latex can play him (but James Earl Jones? I hope you’re with us forever). When it comes to how and when the film presents the Sith lord, you’ll be thrilled. In finite screen time, he’s that very merciless, one-man legion of unstoppable fury that haunted your space opera nightmares - perhaps even more so. In <i>Rogue One</i> he’s more than just some dude in scary armor with a red lightsaber - he is the Dark Side incarnate.<br />
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The nods to diehard fans did not go unnoticed and were just the right amount of classy. Bring your <i>Star Wars</i> trivia friend along to live-annotate, otherwise the occasional gasps from those around you will indicate that certain characters’ brief appearances mean more than mere faces in the crowd. It was also a delight to see Jimmy Smits’s Bail Organa (don’t go back to Alderaan!) in what’s likely to be his sign-off appearance for the series. It was a smart tie-in to one of the prequels' stronger elements.<br />
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Ultimately the film falters is in its connection to a genuine human element - the characters are terrific at first glance but we never learn enough about them to understand them personally. Similar to <i>Argo</i>, this is more a film about the procedure and less about those who undertake it. More about the <i>how</i>, less about the <i>who</i>. The scales of laser battles, death, and destruction are off the charts, even by <i>Star Wars</i> standards. That alone isn’t damning, but we simply don’t learn enough about our ragtag band to care very much (much less be able to name all of them) by the conclusion. It’s a satisfying film, but we have a bit longer to wait for the next <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-79830949874226029742016-12-05T10:06:00.000-05:002016-12-05T10:06:41.675-05:00Deus Ex Moana<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very wet adventure that's well worth your time.</td></tr>
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Disney's <i>Moana</i> is a beautiful watch and a terrific listen. This is Disney doing what Disney does best, and you're in for a treat. However, despite the explosively expressive songs by Opetaia Foa'i and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the mythic story by screenwriter Jared Bush and story gurus Ron Clements, John Musker, Chris Williams, Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron Kandell, and Jordan Kandell, and one of the best antihero characters of the current century (a glib, smooth-talking, pitch-perfect Dwayne Johnson as Maui), all is not sunshine and palm trees on the sparkling blue horizon.<br />
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The main story beats are paint-by-numbers and easy to follow. Moana's a young woman who dreams of more than her simple village life. A dark force from outside threatens all she holds dear, and soon she's in way over her head, having to return a sacred artifact to the goddess from whom it was stolen. The songs are well-placed and occasionally possess the rare distinction of advancing the plot in addition to externalizing the characters' inner voices and self-doubts. Voiced by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, Moana's believable, strong, and lovable. We've also seen her exasperation with her hometown (home-island?) before in films such as <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> and <i>The Little Mermaid</i>. UCLA's Hal Ackerman says, "A character who has to get something is more effective than a character who needs to give something." Moana herself is definitely in the latter category, and take from that what you will. Overall, she's relatable even though it would've been an unusual and perhaps more rewarding choice to see a character who was cut from a different cloth.<br />
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Where <i>Moana</i> really shines is with its secondary characters. Hei Hei is a dimwitted (and that's being extraordinarily kind) chicken who owns the lion's share of the film's laughs. Its stupidity is stark and hilarious, although it becomes a bit one-note after the first dozen times he smashes his face against something.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ful10eAX0pwpoi3ATBuzM6MPrVxAVQriPL9xvP00zKguP8IMQNIE9nJCMJJ9b39Lcs5a1KjhzLGMXSSnIcGL4f54Bv544FS-tCJtZQf5cWZ0UneM_X4UXMT_nF8Zs3kuHkVji-6APUbV/s1600/636049777231930638-puaCharRollOut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ful10eAX0pwpoi3ATBuzM6MPrVxAVQriPL9xvP00zKguP8IMQNIE9nJCMJJ9b39Lcs5a1KjhzLGMXSSnIcGL4f54Bv544FS-tCJtZQf5cWZ0UneM_X4UXMT_nF8Zs3kuHkVji-6APUbV/s320/636049777231930638-puaCharRollOut2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We needed way more of this guy.</td></tr>
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Pua is an adorable pig who features in plenty of marketing materials even though he's barely in the film. When it comes to adorable pigs, I'm on the side of the fence that believes that films need more of them.<br />
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Finally, we're brought to Dwayne Johnson's Maui - the film's Han Solo. A scoundrel, a trickster, and an ultimately redeemable rapscallion. I'd sit through a film just about him. He's shockingly vulnerable and sensitive, making him a solid axis around which the film can rotate - to a point at which he overshadows Moana, herself. Maui alone is worth the price of admission and his transition might be the most sharply defined in the film as a whole.<br />
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My biggest gripe is with another secondary character who we're introduced to early on. The ocean is a character in the film. It moves, acts, and reacts - as in a bona fide character. It explicitly (if wordlessly) communicates with Moana while looking like the liquid spear visions from <i>Donnie Darko</i> or the water creature from <i>The Abyss</i>. While a clever motif at first, the ocean saves her life so often and points the way every several minutes and becomes such a huge help to Moana's quest that one must wonder why the ocean itself doesn't take the quest into its own hands and complete it on its own. It's a story that takes place on an ocean, yes. But perhaps more of the time dedicated to the ocean as a character would've been better spent focusing on the characters traversing it.<br />
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Further, at the point at which Moana doubts herself, her place in the world, and her quest, another supernatural helping of deus ex machina comes in to save the day and give her self-esteem a boost. She's a strong character - she'd have to be to sail out alone over open ocean - but when you have a character alone on a sailboat, there are only so many options for conflict and character development if you don't have <i>Life of Pi's</i> Richard Parker at the ready. And that's clear in this film.<br />
<br />
Overall, <i>Moana</i> is a jewel, though not a flawless one. It's worth your time, and the songs will be in your head (and you'll like that a lot) long after you leave the theater.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-1520291616768007872016-11-23T13:01:00.002-05:002016-11-29T17:29:29.806-05:002016 Austin Film Festival Notes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DUJDISxP3SuImoWzuukbwPAlvQSztdKAtQ-hzSYIHaEPFaHXkm4iZ1BFB4VVwDaB-6u2FUWpVW4c2DOnHnVhwF2a0JKVQFf_GBdzzGCDl9nB6xUJa8r2RFDKX16PscdEM1FNkkelTnnu/s1600/IMG_0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DUJDISxP3SuImoWzuukbwPAlvQSztdKAtQ-hzSYIHaEPFaHXkm4iZ1BFB4VVwDaB-6u2FUWpVW4c2DOnHnVhwF2a0JKVQFf_GBdzzGCDl9nB6xUJa8r2RFDKX16PscdEM1FNkkelTnnu/s320/IMG_0970.JPG" width="320" /></a>Greetings! I had two scripts in the second round of this year's Austin Film Festival (including <i><a href="http://jaredsinkwell.blogspot.com/2013/12/rough-draft-to-final-draft.html" target="_blank">Are You With Me</a></i>) and so I traveled to the sunny Lone Star State to meet and greet as many fellow writing geeks as I could. I encountered some great folks and attended bucketfuls of panels. Here's the lowdown:<br />
<br />
The first panel I attended was with the talented folks behind Internet series behemoth Rooster Teeth. Panelists included Burnie Burns (Chief Creative Officer/Co-Founder), Doreen Copeland (Supervising Producer), Chris Demarais (Head Writer Live Action), Andrew Disney (writer/director <i>Crunch Time</i>), and Matt Hullum (CEO/Co-Founder).<br />
<br />
Some of the best tenets they shared regarded the value of engaging with your audience as a content creator. "Learn a lot from what the community has to say. Have it inform the process. Not dictate it." Further, "Lots of online content is personality driven. vs. brand driven. Audiences respond to personality over brand."<br />
<br />
Regarding the "release the entire season at once" model of Netflix, Rooster Teeth said, "There are more opportunities to engage your audience when all the episodes are <i>not</i> released at once."<br />
<br />
Then I attended a panel on how to take a meeting. The panelists included the insightful Morgan Long (International Consultant for The Gersh Agency), Amanda Verdon (Manager of Scripted Programming AMC, SundanceTV), and Perrin Chiles (CEO/co-founder Adaptive Studios; executive producer <i>Project Greenlight, The Runner, Coin Heist</i>).<br />
<br />
Perrin advised, "During a meeting, I'm asking myself, 'Can we work together?' It's less about the ideas and more about if we like the person pitching." <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIenYWxmto0i5xRu6ZKah0MTqX6GFn-H_8lUxYEXKhaizCai-li96xJVjxCKH8fX4crXBloWG2GeOdHZYNP-8sZOXV8jqD8llKMsTv8lj6yUEYPzVxjA_cvZZIuJT5A8FXPy9ciw9IwUNE/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIenYWxmto0i5xRu6ZKah0MTqX6GFn-H_8lUxYEXKhaizCai-li96xJVjxCKH8fX4crXBloWG2GeOdHZYNP-8sZOXV8jqD8llKMsTv8lj6yUEYPzVxjA_cvZZIuJT5A8FXPy9ciw9IwUNE/s320/IMG_0965.JPG" width="240" /></a>Morgan suggested, "Know who you're pitching to: what they've done, what they're looking for, what they're developing."<br />
<br />
Amanda said, "When pitching a series, how do you see the show sustaining itself? How sustainable will the series be?" She went on to advise, "You'd live ideally in NY or LA but be flexible in ability to move should a job become available."<br />
<br />
I then attended a panel on showrunners that included Carter Bays (co-creator/executive producer <i>How I Met Your Mother</i>; writer <i>American Dad!, Late Show with David Letterman</i>), Stephen Falk (creator/executive producer/showrunner <i>You're The Worst</i> co-executive producer <i>Orange is the New Black</i>, co-executive producer <i>Weeds</i>), Phil Rosenthal (creator/executive producer/host <i>I'll Have What Phil's Having, Everybody Loves Raymond</i>; writer/director <i>Exporting Raymond</i>), and James Wong (writer/executive producer <i>American Horror Story, The Others, Rosemary's Baby</i> (2014); writer/director/co-executive producer <i>The X-Files</i>; writer/director <i>Final Destination</i>).<br />
<br />
Phil recommended, "Get a writing partner. That's like two for one. It's a good way in. You don't feel so stupid and alone. Plus, if something's bad it's his fault!"<br />
<br />
Stephen mentioned, "No one will read you unless there's evidence that others like you. Competitions are important."<br />
<br />
Carter said, "Get over the preciousness of your work. Be ruthless about whether or not a joke works. <i>How I Met Your Mother</i> became a sustainable series because we had to hold ourselves to the standard: can we write 100 of these? What's episode three? 50? Do you have a long page of story ideas?" He went on to say, "Approach every decision like you're just making something you'll be happy with three years from now. Don't make the show you think they want to see. Make something you'd be excited to show people even if the rest of America doesn't get to see it."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvG_H7YgH8UJLZgbamF8ecRfcAbu6bg9EJaNssSLX__SExjwao7HxFdDhUxcVp6qJoMPilAz7OxYOzqqLrY-_zti1Dx-F5bMMw4i0bYgTyOIm4F6lw2oi9TOwRixDRvi8bjMNpgK-Kk9f/s1600/hart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvG_H7YgH8UJLZgbamF8ecRfcAbu6bg9EJaNssSLX__SExjwao7HxFdDhUxcVp6qJoMPilAz7OxYOzqqLrY-_zti1Dx-F5bMMw4i0bYgTyOIm4F6lw2oi9TOwRixDRvi8bjMNpgK-Kk9f/s320/hart.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Hart! Writer of Hook, <br />
Contact, and Bram Stoker's Dracula.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>During a roundtable with writers, producers, agents, and managers, the wise Adam Kolbrenner at Madhouse Entertainment said, "The industry has a filtration system. The great material finds its way to the top. The includes competitions like the Blacklist and the Austin Film Festival. Develop your network of people you know. Put your material out there. If it makes it to us we'll read the idea and tell you if it's something we can work with. We're looking for super-unique voices."<br />
<br />
Rick Dugdale from Enderby Entertainment said, "I want to hear images. Tease. Visual. Compare your premise to two other films (i.e., <i>Memento</i> meets <i>Mrs. Doubtfire</i>). If it works that way."<br />
<br />
I then visited a panel about research and development at Disney and Pixar. The panelists were Erika Schmidt (Creative Development Associate Pixar Animation Studios) and Bryan Davidson (Creative Executive for Walt Disney Animation Studios). Some clever tidbits include:<br />
<br />
"Plot out character development with eight key scenes. Where does the scene start and where does it end? Trace the character's inner journey in every key scene."<br />
<br />
"A world is a dynamic environment that puts your character into conflict."<br />
<br />
"Do you have the right main character? Whose arc is the most compelling?"<br />
<br />
"Establish a complex world with rules. 1. Set up the rules of the world. 2. Introduce a character. 3. Where are the cracks in that world? Dominant values of the world? These need to be stated. Pressure and antagonism presses the character into conflict."<br />
<br />
With regards to stakes, "There are the internal: feelings, emotions, the intangible. A character's emotional journey. All about healing. Then there are the external - something tangible that the character wants, something achievable. The plot stakes/goal. Then there are the philosophical - a worldview in a universe that is dominant vs an underdog value. A character changes their own world and the world around them."<br />
<br />
As a background performer in <i>Ghostbusters</i> (2016), I was thrilled to attend a <i>Ghostbusters</i> panel with Katie Dippold (writer <i>The Heat, Ghostbusters</i> (2016), <i>Parks and Recreation</i>) and director Paul Feig (<i>Ghostbusters, Spy, Bridesmaids, Freaks and Geeks</i>). Insights included:<br />
<br />
"What's the emotional core of the story for these characters?"<br />
<br />
"We shoot as many jokes as we can, try them all out. Put together the funniest script, get alternate jokes when necessary. You never know what an audience will like."<br />
<br />
"Casting is so important. If the actor brings a personality to it, we'd rather change the script to fit that person. Improv sessions help. We want them completely comfortable to slip into who they are."<br />
<br />
The next panel included Lindsay Doran (producer <i>Stranger Than Fiction, Sense and Sensibility, Nanny McPhee, Dead Again</i>; executive producer <i>The Firm, Sabrina</i>; former president/COO of United Artists), Jennifer Howell (Head of Feature Development at Dreamworks Animation), Mark Johnson (Gran Via Productions; executive producer <i>Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Halt & Catch Fire, Rectify</i>; producer <i>Downsizing, Rain Man, A Little Princess, Galaxy Quest, The Notebook, The Chronicles of Narnia</i> franchise).<br />
<br />
Jennifer said, "Writers must be persistent: write and write and write some more. That same persistence has to go into finding representation. Be willing to give it to people who will give you honest feedback until it's really great. Rewrite rewrite rewrite. Take the criticism."<br />
<br />
Lindsey advised, "The advice in <i>What Color Is Your Parachute?</i> is resonant: your vocation should be the place where your gladness meets the world's deep hunger. The something you love should have something to do with something people tell you you're good at and something you can make money from."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9C_Ur6hl83EdFp0cMi1nR9KoUEFtE6FE4ZwFhYBKLmtDtg4_ASecUxjXT1D0BfsMDgqnYfGJFobjWym3_0PccDR6zYMed71GVJMPU1xbVCbE2fvOXqEBSn3oW7Z-RBK8u8GqvhAY3IxG/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9C_Ur6hl83EdFp0cMi1nR9KoUEFtE6FE4ZwFhYBKLmtDtg4_ASecUxjXT1D0BfsMDgqnYfGJFobjWym3_0PccDR6zYMed71GVJMPU1xbVCbE2fvOXqEBSn3oW7Z-RBK8u8GqvhAY3IxG/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" width="320" /></a>Mark said, "Producing has everything to do with writers. Read everything you can, as a producer. Find the good writers, befriend them, help them develop their script, help their work be seen, become indispensable to that writer. If you find a really good script that someone wants to make then you are already the producer of that. You can learn producing as you go. Experience doesn't count for much. Every film is different. Actors, equipment, crew, all different - be resourceful and imaginative. Be able to identify good scripts, work with good writers, be indispensable. Read read read."<br />
<br />
I then attended a panel about using social media as a screenwriter. Panelists included Stephen Falk, Tess Morris (writer <i>Man Up</i>), and Marianne Wibberley (writer <i>National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle</i>).<br />
<br />
Stephen said, "When you reach out to us, be original or funny. Say something specific. A specific line or something like that. We just want to be loved. We're easy to flatter. Quote what we've written. We definitely look at social media profiles before we hire."<br />
<br />
"Be sane and normal," Tess advised, "It's a relationship."<br />
<br />
Marianne (from whom I won a bottle of Proseco for correctly answering a trivia question) said, "Take acting and improv classes. Learn to roll with things and don't overthink. Read every script you can."<br />
<br />
My friend (and fellow second-rounder) Nick took notes at the panel on turning failure into success. The panelists included Malcolm Spellman (writer/producer <i>Empire</i>; writer <i>Our Family Wedding</i>), John Turman (Writer <i>Hulk, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Ben 10: Alien Swarm, Crow; Stairway to Heaven</i> (TV) <i>Macgyver </i>(TV)), Cormac Wibberley (writer <i>National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle</i>), and Marianne Wibberley. Insights shared included:<br />
<br />
"The career does not carry you: you must carry it."<br />
<br />
"It will be nothing but failure/success/failure/success. The only way out is to keep writing."<br />
<br />
"At some point, let the old story go. Start working on the next."<br />
<br />
Jeff Nichols (<i>Shotgun Stories, Mud, Loving</i>) said, "Have an emotionally palpable base. What can you keep referring to that the audience can relate to? Further, know what your emotional, gut-wrenching moment is going to be before you start writing. That's what the movie will ultimately be about. Build everything up to that moment."<br />
<br />
In the panel on writing the script that producers want, it was advised, "There are four key things producers look for: character, theme, tone, and voice."<br />
<br />
And finally, in the panel on contracts and options, it was said that, "If you're getting paid, your work will be changing. Nobody changes a poet's work but the poet gets paid nothing. No matter the collaboration, get the agreement in writing."<br />
<br />
I hope this gives you even a small fraction of the creative recharge that Austin gave me. Keep up the great work. Write on!<br />
<br />
*<br />
<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley. He has also taught at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-56880638027940305682016-08-03T10:34:00.004-04:002016-11-29T17:29:41.094-05:00Five Ways to Make Your Characters Pop<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCM472Kbq_mAWE3q3wvzTLoz-fR7NTkk4tGhyphenhyphenKIEzYLvPTFdb5UgQ1lDLiLPfGb7adVydj3ScLMkMGheiapH1gzXYonff_8tDPRY0ybAz6vHJP0ltFQNt_Y8378q6P9rOIphU_L_soz5N/s1600/bb5d26c9b9ed3b6569729752132b6068e1f207c6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCM472Kbq_mAWE3q3wvzTLoz-fR7NTkk4tGhyphenhyphenKIEzYLvPTFdb5UgQ1lDLiLPfGb7adVydj3ScLMkMGheiapH1gzXYonff_8tDPRY0ybAz6vHJP0ltFQNt_Y8378q6P9rOIphU_L_soz5N/s400/bb5d26c9b9ed3b6569729752132b6068e1f207c6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Seriously, guys: feet are the next big thing."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've seen a decent number of films this year. Some have characters that are instantly forgettable (as in I've forgotten the protagonist's name by the time the end credits roll) and some have astonishingly witty, clever, and fascinating characters. Whether you're writing a script, short story, or a novel, despite a stunningly original plot concept, you are not guaranteed exciting, relatable, and inspiring characters. In fact, they're hard to write!<br />
<br />
Pixar's Andrew Stanton mentions that a prime storytelling commandment is to make the audience care. The best visual effects, sound design, and cinematography in the world won't matter unless your audience feels as though they have a stake in the outcome of the protagonist's journey. We're happy when your protagonist succeeds. We cry when your protagonist fails. We <i>feel</i> alongside the best-written characters. And what a tall order that is! In a feature screenplay, within two hours, you need to introduce your character, throw them into hot water, and make your audience <i>feel</i> so strongly about the outcome that they simply must rush out and tell their friends and family to also go experience your work.<br />
<br />
How do you do that?<br />
<br />
<b>1. Stakes</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_y7JDj7FsOHSJis83A8bnbJsgcQ_4ef92s7w6DvnfJEmoccKtFxxOhBGoYR0k87onlYPd7XN0rkgHrcFkyJRQDCafm1KKhj1_fSrW0Qcaqlq9LzKQspCaIBbAYyLEiJFTnMtA4a3crIq/s1600/stb-05563rlc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_y7JDj7FsOHSJis83A8bnbJsgcQ_4ef92s7w6DvnfJEmoccKtFxxOhBGoYR0k87onlYPd7XN0rkgHrcFkyJRQDCafm1KKhj1_fSrW0Qcaqlq9LzKQspCaIBbAYyLEiJFTnMtA4a3crIq/s400/stb-05563rlc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Where is the plot to this film? Tell me!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Care for the outcome won't amount to a hill of beans unless your protagonist is racing to protect that which she loves at every moment of your story. The first few pages of your screenplay or the first chapter or two of your novel must show us what your character loves and why. In <i>The Social Network</i>, the stakes are established in the very first shot and the very first scene. Erica is the only person who wants to spend time with Mark in a romantic sense. When we see how his status-seeking personality drives people away, that makes her even <i>more</i> precious and rare. So when he loses her, it gives the story the jet fuel that powers the rest of the film. In <i>Star Trek: Beyond</i>, Captain Kirk is faced with the loss of his ship, his crew, and a space station population of millions. Everything and everyone for whom he cares is in direct and immediate danger throughout the film (as it should be in your story - that which the protagonist loves must be under constant threat). And despite it all, when he's tempted with a cushy, sedentary promotion, he turns it down. He realizes that pushing against the frontier is not only what he's good at, but also what the galaxy needs him to do.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2. Uniqueness</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglc0xoIkWUMz3TJK7GzDLezbWmxiT9fai8l8pv7ywQdoklUnytnTcJJo8ANZAkw-8pQIVJe1mrHPcvc0MHL7qrWPb_wcW5wSnrnW0UKCp6y-5GDW4Qa2GmxTjtkVQGmudNZYdNomX84mXS/s1600/NEAMlMtFgwb8DH_1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglc0xoIkWUMz3TJK7GzDLezbWmxiT9fai8l8pv7ywQdoklUnytnTcJJo8ANZAkw-8pQIVJe1mrHPcvc0MHL7qrWPb_wcW5wSnrnW0UKCp6y-5GDW4Qa2GmxTjtkVQGmudNZYdNomX84mXS/s400/NEAMlMtFgwb8DH_1_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What? The unicorn t-shirt store is closed!?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Tim Albaugh at UCLA and Hollins University calls this "larger than life." But what does it mean to be larger than life? Your character needs to be the best at something, the worst at something, or both. But he can't be neither. Your character needs a skill that only he can do, by virtue of being who he is. In <i>Central Intelligence</i>, Dwayne Johnson plays Bob Stone, an incredible fighter and CIA agent - arguably the best. But he's also extremely sensitive and his feelings are easily hurt. What a terrific irony! A big tough CIA agent with the soul of a kitten (he wears a unicorn shirt that says "Always be you." Aww). He's one of the most fun characters of the year and it has everything to do with what makes him himself.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3. Desires/Dreams</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDmNJskPqV9XeRxoC-evY0uAKTH-BrHpCSCKVo9x4GJaUeoptfDfoRWAMUMsvm7tlaZv4LvVD2oGXm8aKw0B_MYfaqv1C5OtO0TgdNwFfk0dMD8UwLSKjr2N-nMnCEZpY1h5glFVLnhqa/s1600/K0014657465--409435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDmNJskPqV9XeRxoC-evY0uAKTH-BrHpCSCKVo9x4GJaUeoptfDfoRWAMUMsvm7tlaZv4LvVD2oGXm8aKw0B_MYfaqv1C5OtO0TgdNwFfk0dMD8UwLSKjr2N-nMnCEZpY1h5glFVLnhqa/s400/K0014657465--409435.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We love each other even if this metal step really digs into our butts."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>, Belle sings, "There must be more than this provincial life!" In <i>Willow</i>, Willow Ufgood dreams of being a great sorcerer. In <i>The Shawshank Redemption</i>, Andy the wrongly imprisoned inmate dreams of freedom. In <i>The Secret Life of Pets</i>, Max the dog dreams of a happy life in which his owner Katie never leaves and especially never brings home a new dog. What are your character's hopes and dreams? There's a reason why this is one of the first questions we ask of anyone we consider for a significant other. We want to relate to them and to learn what drives them. What's a relatable goal for your protagonist? The first part of your story is about placing us squarely in her mindset. Let us see the world the way that she does. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4. Fear</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0TcKwpq-0x4H-uBNcNI3PLG2dtvFRtNmEl5_6bo2trUlAwZ5Sd-juPe_URhOw9d6CL9DRjQlciht9r6z2HH954MpjDe7RLi6z9VV4x25_3pPqC5UI8jWSL4g4zMt_MbgFiQ5qzhI9ayy/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0TcKwpq-0x4H-uBNcNI3PLG2dtvFRtNmEl5_6bo2trUlAwZ5Sd-juPe_URhOw9d6CL9DRjQlciht9r6z2HH954MpjDe7RLi6z9VV4x25_3pPqC5UI8jWSL4g4zMt_MbgFiQ5qzhI9ayy/s400/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We hit pay dirt at the unicorn t-shirt store."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fear is mythic. Ingrained. Ancient. The prime antagonist, the one we all have in common. It even transcends species. Remember the boggart in <i>Harry Potter</i>? It was a creature that takes the form of whatever terrifies the observer the most. The question is simple: what does your protagonist fear? The answer is not always as easy. But here's a hint: your answer must be a tangible element. Indiana Jones fears snakes, but he actually braves snake pits because there's something he fears more: Nazi dominance. Fear is tied to stakes, as the protagonist will quite likely experience what he fears the most if he fails in his task. In Matt Ross's amazing <i>Captain Fantastic</i>, Viggo Mortensen's character Ben has six children that he educates and raises in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. He fears to lose them to such a degree that he has rehearsed actual scenarios with them to trick and manipulate their way out of almost any situation that could threaten their family unit. What's in common to all fears is the idea of loss. Loss of a loved one, a way of life, health, or a prized object. What does your character describe as freedom? Or as home? It is the fear of loss of whatever or whomever that may be that forces him on his journey.<br />
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<b>5. Flaw</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aCG2GfBaoGtznTxNyMNxFS4XhuDxSQ-NVq4LTJZ6UFZGYvjMq2pC2FdAKnVijwWZVkFPvKhRy8QME7MXJw6PNmYWD2Y3uGy-LPn7Af7Yx-smp1prnV4m7mNXxk58ESuJMtI3REmzt7X8/s1600/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aCG2GfBaoGtznTxNyMNxFS4XhuDxSQ-NVq4LTJZ6UFZGYvjMq2pC2FdAKnVijwWZVkFPvKhRy8QME7MXJw6PNmYWD2Y3uGy-LPn7Af7Yx-smp1prnV4m7mNXxk58ESuJMtI3REmzt7X8/s400/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What do you mean, 'No returns on hoodies'?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Flaws are inborn. We are who we are because of them and because of our struggle to overcome them (or our struggle not to). Flaws lead to misunderstandings and all conflict comes from misunderstandings. Conflict tells us more about character and shoves us deeper into the story. So when I say that flaws are the fundamental drivers of a character-driven story, it's really to ask (as any audience should about your story), "How will <i>this</i> character, out of all others, be the one to accomplish the task laid out before her?" Here's another big clue: ideally, your protagonist should face a challenge that will <i>require</i> her to overcome her flaw in order to win. The best protagonists fall into trouble of their own making as a direct result of their flaw. And the only way to extricate themselves is to overcome said flaw by whatever means necessary. The trick is to not allow your protagonist to realize that all at once. After all, if they become acutely aware of their problem too early, then your story might be over before it ever has a chance to begin. In Taika Waititi's charming <i>Hunt for the Wilderpeople</i>, we have a pair of flawed characters: young Ricky (Julian Dennison) is a rebellious hooligan, used to being unwanted, who bounces from foster home to foster home. Hector (Sam Neill) is a misanthropic ex-con who's given up on the world. These are two flawed characters who want nothing to do with each other. But pack them up and ship them into the New Zealand wilderness? It's a veritable flaw-fest! They're at each other's throats throughout the ordeal. But you know something? They just might save each other. Ricky's devil-may-care attitude might be just what Hec needs to loosen up, and Hec's serious nature might help Ricky grow into a better man. They need each other, their flaws compliment each other, and their arcs shine bright, even (and especially) in the film's darkest moments.<br />
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Ideally, you'll have an idea as to what (or who) your character loves, what makes him unique, what he desires and dreams of, what he fears, and what his flaw is before you begin page one. The more complex your character, the more we'll want to know all about him. And the more we want to know about him, the more of your work we'll want to read, watch, and buy. Write on.<br />
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*<br />
<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting in the Lehigh Valley. He has also taught at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru/" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.<br />
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<br />
Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-44073515641780901532016-04-29T12:49:00.001-04:002016-04-29T12:56:46.204-04:00Charles Randolph at Emerson College<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Uxyru6l2HleFC6nMshahWRHxG8lLwVyOhfvRxo9D7TedOmVw_UfkxJp727Mj7Iz5-8X5pKvWA6xLgJsseJIioJ5P5pM2TgBKEwQ-S1rQsvFvAN6VMCxq81zHEgT1T-fGBbZZ3RU6a4Xd/s1600/IMG_4824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Uxyru6l2HleFC6nMshahWRHxG8lLwVyOhfvRxo9D7TedOmVw_UfkxJp727Mj7Iz5-8X5pKvWA6xLgJsseJIioJ5P5pM2TgBKEwQ-S1rQsvFvAN6VMCxq81zHEgT1T-fGBbZZ3RU6a4Xd/s400/IMG_4824.JPG" width="400" /></a>One of my favorite films of 2015 was <i>The Big Short</i>, based on the Michael Lewis book <i>The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine</i>. So when half of the Academy Award-winning co-writing team visited Emerson for a screening and a Q&A, I simply had to be there.<br />
<br />
A guest of Emerson's SPEC student screenwriting group, Charles Randolph was open, personable, and forthcoming about the writing process and working with co-writer/director Adam McKay.<br />
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I asked the first question, which was how much of the film is based on the actual people and how much is dramatized?<br />
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He replied, "It varies from character to character. There are some that are closer to the real people and others that are further away. All the actors met the real people and Adam is very collaborative, so we tried to incorporate the notes of the real people. In the character of Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), you have an unreliable narrator who happens to be telling the truth. It’s a mix. The actors brought a lot to it. Christian Bale’s performance isn’t something you can really write. When it works well, writers can claim a certain amount of credit. But if you don’t start the journey in the right place, the actor will never make it there."<br />
<br />
When he was asked what had drawn him to the project, he said, "Two things: Michael Lewis’s book is very good and I’m a huge fan. I marveled at his ability to explain the world and the concepts to us. Also, as a white male of a certain age, I didn’t fully appreciate how much our system is biased towards the wealthy. What was revelatory about 2008 is how many of us now realize that. It’s anger-making and part of it was that I was really pissed off about what happened. Michael Lewis took us through this world and he showed us the most interesting people in it."<br />
<br />
Late in the film, when the collapse of Lehman Brothers is dramatized, the two characters Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) gain access to the Lehman Brothers building and find it in a state of complete disarray, complete with retreating employees carrying out boxes of belongings. One of them turns to the other and says, "I thought there would be grown ups here.” What was the significance of that?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlJ9E4X3CBtQ4To3x9uc8KsKg90cZiN9VeqoxXKfcASavDUtRpR7rlkNzlsykO1BmzLpCxK-CKWgawteT89eyGprjg5LJihdevvRXtqPwXJ2qrRyEvzOge6xQCyKhR16DTPyv90AkdLmf/s1600/tbs_1-sht_teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlJ9E4X3CBtQ4To3x9uc8KsKg90cZiN9VeqoxXKfcASavDUtRpR7rlkNzlsykO1BmzLpCxK-CKWgawteT89eyGprjg5LJihdevvRXtqPwXJ2qrRyEvzOge6xQCyKhR16DTPyv90AkdLmf/s400/tbs_1-sht_teaser.jpg" width="270" /></a>Charles responded, "What does each character want? What drives them? Those two guys were outside. They didn’t get to go to New York. They weren't allowed a place at the table. And so they felt it was a function of their youth, a completion of their journey, to enter. They go inside thinking that they were going to find gravitas and dignity, which we expect from banks. Banks have historically a very precise social meaning for us - we trust banks to tell us what proper behavior is in terms of economic management. That’s why banks, if you’re not paying attention, can run up the fees so dramatically. You’re relying on your bank to tell you what you can do with your money. We trusted them to be the great arbiters of best practices in terms of economic management and the fact they were utterly playing us was really interesting. They thought the banks were the grown ups. They thought someone was minding the store. And nobody was. Everyone was pursuing their own self interest and was incapable of transcending that. When bankers can no longer transcend their immediate self interest, you are screwed."<br />
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And what of Charles's adaptation of the source material and his professional relationships with the actual people on whom the book was based? Charles said, "I don’t like to meet the real people on whom the story is based. If I have a personal relationship with them then they’re in my head and I worry about what I write about them - am I trying to make them happy?" <br />
<br />
The film was also known for being self-referential and breaking the narrative in jarring yet effective moments in which characters would speak directly to the audience. Charles said, "That was Adam's idea. My sense of humor is satirical and smart-alecky. His moments are bigger and more directly farcical. It really works. What’s important is that the device or the trope serves a necessary function in the film and you cannot do it without them. It wouldn’t have gotten made without the ability to stop and tell you what’s going on. It gives you a breather and reminds you of what you’ve learned and reminds you what is true."<br />
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Speaking to the creative process at large, Charles explained, "The page does not get any less blank when there’s an Oscar on the mantle. The process of writing is still lonely and painful and implementing strategies of procrastination. The process hasn’t changed much. You get a little more efficient, a little less panicked, and a bit more about getting yourself into it. Doris Lessing said that all writers have two parts: the part that throws things down on the page and an editor on their shoulder, the watcher at the gate - a necessity to cut down on what you do. The biggest thing as you get better is that you learn when you can ignore the editorial consciousness and then come back and use it a bit later. My process has not changed a great deal. You get a little more open and you realize that the key is to get something down. You cannot write in your head. Get something down even if it’s utterly horrible. At least you have a place to start the next day. You become better at living in the mediocrity of the middle for as long as possible. The end result will be better."<br />
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How about what the actors themselves brought to the table? "So much about what’s great in this film is not in the script. Our actors all brought their A game. When directors bring such a collaborative, improv experience to the process, everyone wants to play. It ups everybody’s game. Everyone contributes. It only makes the director’s work better."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uumqXW9zyf5WitdTLoMSOnkwTrY5Q1omclTowsYLZX5GSfQqMXXlvgyUjJQd-o4QTXCMNe1VtY63F5ZdSsp055SlJTd8xho-s9Mq76DXJ5p3_6UnchzdiyBL8ZWOGBKmBulPHtE7CLhw/s1600/IMG_4820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uumqXW9zyf5WitdTLoMSOnkwTrY5Q1omclTowsYLZX5GSfQqMXXlvgyUjJQd-o4QTXCMNe1VtY63F5ZdSsp055SlJTd8xho-s9Mq76DXJ5p3_6UnchzdiyBL8ZWOGBKmBulPHtE7CLhw/s400/IMG_4820.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Did Charles and Adam sit down together to write? "Adam and I never write together. What Adam added to it that launched it over the commercial hump was that the voice of the film becomes a character in the film itself and it’s the voice you start to trust the most. Who do we like in this movie? You like the movie itself. He did his thing, I gave him notes, I did my thing, he gave me notes. Adam and I have different humor sensibilities. You needed both comedy styles for the film to work. One comedy style attached you to the characters and their emotional journey and the other attached you to the information. Adam didn’t care where an idea came from: if it was good, he’d put it in there."<br />
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Charles studied philosophy and was a philosophy professor. Had this background affected his writing? "I got really good at bullshit. I’m naturally hostile to jargon. What are you hiding from me, why are you trying to keep me out?"<br />
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As for a final bit of trivia, Charles noted, "Many of the actors wore wigs. It was about giving them an off look, making them outsiders. Like they weren’t polished, not natural to their world."<br />
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Plenty to think about from a true professional. If you haven't already, go check out <i>The Big Short</i>! Better yet, go write!<br />
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*<br />
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Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-82766912988928784282016-03-07T12:45:00.001-05:002016-03-07T12:45:42.964-05:00Fade Into Character<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNGlh5hO223NbUp3OxVmaO_8DrN9qjQFqC74xS5GIxKN5zU_v34GeHR1ffj27vqzXX_MU1tR0-jJNvXXGpfYRXnlqzOKjYVR7HN8C4zxyaHriI5U9gCfVIzqWKVPtDjifCNvrfi_RRhYW/s1600/fadein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNGlh5hO223NbUp3OxVmaO_8DrN9qjQFqC74xS5GIxKN5zU_v34GeHR1ffj27vqzXX_MU1tR0-jJNvXXGpfYRXnlqzOKjYVR7HN8C4zxyaHriI5U9gCfVIzqWKVPtDjifCNvrfi_RRhYW/s400/fadein.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy meta.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In undergrad, I used Microsoft Word for all of my screenwriting needs. Having committed each screenplay element's formatting rules and margins to memory, I could simply hit return, go up to paragraph settings, change the margin for a character name, return to the document, type in the character's name, then hit return, go back to paragraph settings, change the margins for dialogue, then return to the document to write the dialogue that I had completely forgotten by that point due to the cumbersome process. Oh, well. At least it was a workflow. <br />
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Fast-forward to grad school. I had heard of Final Draft (FD) but wondered if it was really that much better. It was. I was astounded to find software that worked as fast as I thought. It seemed to know the element I wanted before I did, myself. Creepily fantastic, I threw myself into script after script with trusty Final Draft by my side. Together, we could tackle anything.<br />
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Anything, save for Final Draft 8's own propensity for crashes in El Capitan.<br />
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I ran FD8 on a Mac with El Capitan, which Final Draft's own website <a href="http://kb.finaldraft.com/article/1001/1177/what-are-the-system-requirements-for-final-draft-8" target="_blank">states is just fine</a> (Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later). I'm an obsessive document saver, frequently saving my document at least three times a minute. This issue began shortly after upgrading to OS X 10.11. It would happen like this: I'd write some dialogue or an action/description block, then hit save. No problem. I'd repeat the process, hit save, and Final Draft would crash. I'd head back into the document, and nothing had been saved from my last successful, non-crashy save. This is a problem, as I prefer it when my work is saved. This occurred every dozen or so saves. <br />
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Like the very protagonists about whom I wrote, Final Draft was doomed by a flaw from within.<br />
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I contacted Final Draft tech support with the full Apple-generated crash report. Final Draft's advice was to upgrade to FD9 for $99. I didn't think it was fair to pay for new software when the older software is marketed to play well with my current operating system. So I went on the hunt for alternatives.<br />
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And that brought me to Fade In.<br />
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Programmed by Kent Tessman, Fade In is spectacular. It imports from Final Draft, Fountain, Scrivener, Adobe Story, and Celtx. By default, it exports in its own proprietary format but it can be exported as a PDF, EPUB, or as a Final Draft file. If you're familiar with Final Draft's interface, then there's little to no learning curve to Fade In. It's minimalist, intuitive, and easy to use.<br />
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Best of all? I just completed a feature script with it and it crashed precisely zero times. It's cheaper than Final Draft ($49.95), more reliable, and packs in some amazing features that even Final Draft lacks, such as the amazing Dialogue Tuner, which isolates a character's full dialogue from your script, enabling you to edit that character's dialogue all at once - a great feature for ensuring a consistent character voice and point of view.<br />
<br />
Check out the Fade In <a href="http://www.fadeinpro.com/page.pl?content=features" target="_blank">feature list</a> and <a href="http://www.fadeinpro.com/page.pl?content=comparison" target="_blank">feature comparisons</a> against Final Draft. Writing is challenging enough and any software that can make it easier to climb over roadblocks deserves a place on your machine. Download a trial and give Fade In a spin. It'll make you feel like even more of a pro than you already are.<br />
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That said, there are hundreds of screenplay contests out there, and Final Draft runs a <a href="http://store.finaldraft.com/big-break-contest.html" target="_blank">spectacular screenwriting competition</a> that's among the <a href="http://jaredsinkwell.blogspot.com/2015/05/six-steps-to-next-step.html" target="_blank">nine or 10</a> I strongly endorse. Check it out!<br />
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I have not been paid or otherwise gifted to endorse Fade In. I'm just a fan and I think that everyone ought to know about it.<br />
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In one of my recent Emerson screenwriting classes, we had a discussion about writing a relatable protagonist. How do you hook an audience with your character within the first five to 10 minutes of a feature? Or the first <i>page</i>, if you're writing a short?<br />
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While this is a question with multiple insightful answers (none of which are bite-sized), I'd posit that a question (among many) you ought to ask is: how has my character <i>suffered</i>? What has <i>wounded</i> them? Better yet, <i>show</i> us the wound as it occurs! Like an injured baby bird, we'll be drawn to your character and cheer for them to rise. By virtue of being who he or she is, what causes him or her to be the recipient of gross injustice? We want to see wrongs righted. Give us what we want!<br />
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Write on.<br />
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*<br />
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Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-42493017427190625552016-01-12T11:23:00.002-05:002016-01-12T11:35:23.586-05:00My Favorite Films of 2015Perhaps it's just me, but 2015 seemed to have double the usual crop of worthy awards-season hopefuls. From tightly-written dramas to compelling comedic fare, 2015 is the sort of year about which a cinephile can truly dream. From the astonishingly brutal bear attack of <i>The Revenant</i> to the gutsy portrayal of NWA's origins in <i>Straight Outta Compton</i> to <i>Inside Out</i>'s voyage into the mind, the very best films teach us as much about ourselves as the characters they portray. They are archetypal and they take us on fantastic journeys that are well worth the price of admission.<br />
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Each of these films explores power and its consequences. Does foreknowledge of a tragedy change how you act? Or do you act at all? Do you serve those who rely on you or are they subject to your whims? Are you responsible with the power you have been given? The very best films of the year universally examined how those on top could be brought low by their own actions or the actions of others. In no particular order, my top picks:<br />
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<b><i>THE BIG SHORT</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kIZc-fDBV8uHbRMOChMmeD5cfBkoEEOfJCi9TLl6fpgQbVvXUoRZ3PvZ8xoXgJco2FsFTPXDJ5GPtNK5BVxFpEgoJfY-GBqn3EqV1mqWxWC2-hC7gU9MVVkfjqWtAxxxcG8nYTtLvmk7/s1600/bigshort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kIZc-fDBV8uHbRMOChMmeD5cfBkoEEOfJCi9TLl6fpgQbVvXUoRZ3PvZ8xoXgJco2FsFTPXDJ5GPtNK5BVxFpEgoJfY-GBqn3EqV1mqWxWC2-hC7gU9MVVkfjqWtAxxxcG8nYTtLvmk7/s1600/bigshort.jpg" /></a>Directed by Adam McKay<br />
Written by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay<br />
Based on the book by Michael Lewis<br />
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It's an accomplishment to make the financial world a place of high-stakes drama and nail-biting storytelling. Still more so if the characters are engaging, clever, funny, and damn interesting. And that's what we have in <i>The Big Short</i>. Set in the lead-up to the subprime mortgage crisis, the film pokes fun at greed while taking a sobering look at its darkest consequences. Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, and the rest of the ensemble cast turns in spectacular, nuanced performances that are both exciting and tragic to watch, much like the events the film itself chronicles. It pays to be right, but at what cost? When you see what's coming, is it your responsibility to warn people or to take advantage of their ignorance? The biggest accomplishment of <i>The Big Short</i> is that it humanizes an often demonized world and holds up a mirror when asked to define greed. For every winner there is a loser - but so many lost who weren't even on the playing field. How far does complicity go? From deft humor to a shattering ending, <i>The Big Short</i> jumps into these quandaries with both feet.<br />
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<b><i>INSIDE OUT</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvykEU_MrgQUp5vIJOleJG2jQLiZT4dNh3WD_5HNWcHbmR40VBLYdJWDHtZgpItZfffNijO-iR78SCNwjtXYJj6w1Fm2At-27B-1zsmgQwfaajUcFJUjJZnPOdoL_u5nc7gfClr3rLe82/s1600/inside-out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvykEU_MrgQUp5vIJOleJG2jQLiZT4dNh3WD_5HNWcHbmR40VBLYdJWDHtZgpItZfffNijO-iR78SCNwjtXYJj6w1Fm2At-27B-1zsmgQwfaajUcFJUjJZnPOdoL_u5nc7gfClr3rLe82/s640/inside-out.jpg" width="640" /></a>Directed by Pete Docter <br />
Co-directed by Ronnie Del Carmen<br />
Original story by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen<br />
Written by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley<br />
<br />
Exhaustively imagined and flawlessly executed, Pixar adds another top-shelf entry to its impressive roster. A tale about growing up for growing-ups and grown-ups alike, <i>Inside Out</i> explores how in the pursuit of joy, we only become adults through experiencing, processing, and surviving sadness. While we don't seek it out, its experience is necessary. As the command console in Riley's brain expands and her memories become complexities and combinations of emotion, we grow to understand how the simple wants and needs of a younger mind can grow into the complicated psychologies of adulthood. Saying goodbye to one thing might mean saying hello to another, but the memory of that which has faded into the past will assuredly make us into who we are in the present. Joy might consider herself the leader of Riley's mind, but it's only in sharing power that Riley will grow up to be the woman she needs to be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>MAD MAX: FURY ROAD</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7ToyunTTlKmxxP-j25sVcdDRS8T1usAtEN_LSPiZqyuVTWXWgozJIG3ecchZsSgs-e8pS_QTatrdFGmvkkHAZtJaCjMpDxSHX_Kx0OfSL7BTrHk1uS0LW8eJbmvHCcUcQ5AghHziK_GT/s1600/madmax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7ToyunTTlKmxxP-j25sVcdDRS8T1usAtEN_LSPiZqyuVTWXWgozJIG3ecchZsSgs-e8pS_QTatrdFGmvkkHAZtJaCjMpDxSHX_Kx0OfSL7BTrHk1uS0LW8eJbmvHCcUcQ5AghHziK_GT/s640/madmax.jpg" width="640" /></a>Directed by George Miller<br />
Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nico Lathouris<br />
<br />
Like <i>Inside Out</i> but with flamethrowers, <i>Mad Max</i> is a feat of storytelling and action that is rarely seen in today's cinema fare. A dirt-simple story with a refreshingly girl-power core, <i>Mad Max</i> is a stunt-heavy explosion that never loses its humanity. When a tyrant turns his subjects into property, his underestimation of them proves his undoing. The courageous Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) rescues the capable wives of the despotic Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne)... but Max (Tom Hardy) forces her to confront the question of whether this is enough. When you escape, is it your responsibility to keep running or to turn back to fight for those you left behind? In a world gone mad, does he/she with the maddest plan win? And what is the difference between surviving and living? On the surface, <i>Mad Max</i> is stunts, explosions, and action. But all of it serves character desire. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? See this film and find out.<br />
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<br />
<b><i>ANOMALISA</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4-xpNm_PuZltSwGIsRdgAtYCKaGmuLblsKCzhJE_ptt9HJbRiZLWHdhvVqriqpXjFhwk0nRkgtIVAKQIVJkPwPCyRyN7FYxti60fKR8i_ARFzB-EUXDkwFV-qGJN4pJRpoQx3iqPuzSE/s1600/anomalisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4-xpNm_PuZltSwGIsRdgAtYCKaGmuLblsKCzhJE_ptt9HJbRiZLWHdhvVqriqpXjFhwk0nRkgtIVAKQIVJkPwPCyRyN7FYxti60fKR8i_ARFzB-EUXDkwFV-qGJN4pJRpoQx3iqPuzSE/s640/anomalisa.jpg" width="640" /></a>Directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman<br />
Written by Charlie Kaufman (based on his play)<br />
<br />
The top can be a lonely place. Just ask Michael Stone (David Thewlis), customer service guru and bestselling author with a house, a wife, a son... and a profoundly empty life. In many ways a spiritual successor to Kaufman's <i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i>, <i>Anomalisa</i> further explores the concept of what love turns into after it has sat in the sun a little too long. Kaufman has created quite likely the most complicated characters of the year, all painstakingly stop-motion animated and tear-jerkingly believable. While the slow collision of Stone and Lisa Hesselman (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in a Cincinnati hotel is simultaneously awkward, painful, and sad, it possesses the clearest explanation of any film in recent memory of why we fall in love in the first place. A masterwork.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>STEVE JOBS</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IBiuZvnrP6AuZ5VbRjQ-58IsfrM373T0HdSxpp_cQYzZ0fw76NbKY0cD7h_Dzx9HS2ActDxYRFY2EMNVpG_MzPwo_cslrAKnU9lNVpbxFo61Ejxp037lto4s18PQuMgHjc2MlNnDpps6/s1600/stevejobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IBiuZvnrP6AuZ5VbRjQ-58IsfrM373T0HdSxpp_cQYzZ0fw76NbKY0cD7h_Dzx9HS2ActDxYRFY2EMNVpG_MzPwo_cslrAKnU9lNVpbxFo61Ejxp037lto4s18PQuMgHjc2MlNnDpps6/s640/stevejobs.jpg" width="640" /></a>Directed by Danny Boyle<br />
Written by Aaron Sorkin<br />
Based on the book by Walter Isaacson<br />
<br />
As mentioned, the top can be a lonely place. <i>Steve Jobs</i> asks the same question as Sorkin's <i>The Social Network</i>: is it possible to be simultaneously decent and gifted? While <i>Jobs</i> has a more definitive (and hopeful) answer, the film is about the journey there - as shown by the career-best performances of Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Katherine Waterston. How can a man driven to create the perfect machine be such a lackluster father? What happens when a child who was never part of the plan becomes the only plan that matters? <i>Steve Jobs</i> is like a father quest in reverse. We see the titular character at three major product launches ("The two most significant events of the twentieth century: the Allies win the war, and this.") as each time, he inches closer and closer to being accessible to the one who matters the most. Jobs might have a master plan for his technological vision, but what is the act of creation and how does what we create in turn define the best part of ourselves? Bold questions. <i>Steve Jobs</i> delivers.<br />
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<br />
<b><i>ROOM</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnOPWCXPs8AiQNHPqu5PU0s7Gh-xkwFEY5AQsXYlGoDfNmIDcKBOHQ5t6vT7OgTH0Jzv3D3Ppuf_2_nBzexCKr_uDLzFxTD_q1bUeTDKl9HW_mFZZuUqH6MNbMXXLXlRvF8Tug_DJJ28W/s1600/room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnOPWCXPs8AiQNHPqu5PU0s7Gh-xkwFEY5AQsXYlGoDfNmIDcKBOHQ5t6vT7OgTH0Jzv3D3Ppuf_2_nBzexCKr_uDLzFxTD_q1bUeTDKl9HW_mFZZuUqH6MNbMXXLXlRvF8Tug_DJJ28W/s640/room.jpg" width="640" /></a>Directed by Lenny Abrahamson<br />
Written by Emma Donoghue (based on her novel)<br />
<br />
Ambitious and impressively acted by Brie Larson and newcomer Jacob Tremblay (he was eight at the time of filming), <i>Room</i> explores safety, motherly love, and confinement in a method that is at once terrifying and liberating. How is one person's freedom another's prison? Confined to a room with her son for years, Ma tells her child that the room in which they're kept is the entire world. But when the opportunity comes to escape, young Jack must leave behind the only place he's ever felt safe - which is ironically a place of dread for his mother - and suddenly bear the weight of the outside world that he never knew existed. Freedom for Ma, but fear for Jack. How deep does their bond go? How fragile is the trust of a child? Is safety - and home - a place? Or a person? <i>Room</i> is full of compassion but is never overly sentimental. Despite the tight space in which Jack grows up, the space in his mother's heart is truly limitless. Beautifully done.<br />
<br />
<br />
Honorable Mentions:<br />
<br />
<i>Macbeth</i><br />
Amazing performances by Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Terrific cinematography (Adam Arkapaw) and a clever interpretation of Shakespeare's text by director Justin Kurzel and writers Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, and Todd Louiso. It's a familiar story told in an unfamiliar way, and its true strength lies in grasping at Macbeth's own guilt and compassion. The tears he cries are real, and they are those of a man who both hates and loves himself and what he has done.<br />
<br />
<i>Trumbo</i><br />
Solid ensemble cast led by the pitch-perfect Bryan Cranston. A film that definitely picks a side, it'll make you smile even as it dramatizes a dark period of American history. When you are a Communist and the country is against Communists, do you give up who you are and capitulate for peace and comfort? Or do you fight, even if it means losing who you hold most dear? When you're told that you can't do the one act that defines who you are, what does that make you? What does that mean for a role model? A husband? A father? Of special note is a compelling performance by Louis C. K. as Arlen Hird, a fictional amalgamation of several of Dalton Trumbo's real-life compatriots.<br />
<br />
<i>Brooklyn</i><br />
Great soundtrack and quite likely the best female performance of the year, by Saoirse Ronan as Eilis. That said, the film took its time (sometimes too much) as it artfully delved into homesickness, family, and love. Is home where you're from? Wherever you are? Or wherever love lives? A young woman, thousands of miles from her family, must draw strength from those around her and choose between the past and moving forward. Convincingly and effectively acted and directed, even if it took a little too long to arrive there.<br />
<br />
<i>Bridge of Spies</i><br />
American lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) travels into the core of Cold War political intrigue to facilitate a spy exchange between a twitchy America and a labyrinthine, bureaucratic Soviet Russia. The stakes couldn't be higher. But is he nervous? "Would it help?" deadpans Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (a magnificent Mark Rylance). <i>Spies</i> is a man's quest to do the right thing while both sides hope to play him to their advantage. By keeping his eyes on the bigger picture and remaining a stedfast pillar of decency while the world around him collapses, Donovan guides the story through to its final, nail-chomping conclusion. Another feather in Spielberg's cap. He's going to need a bigger cap.<br />
<br />
<i>Straight Outta Compton</i><br />
The origin story of NWA, <i>Compton</i> delivers a layer cake of amazing editing and thick irony through its three leads, Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.). Tracing the group from first beats to phenomenon, it plays an impressive ping-pong game, keeping multiple balls in the air in the form of the evolving relationships of the core group. Pressure from without from law enforcement and the media are but shadows on the wall compared to the demons that tear the group apart from within. When you're on top, do you remember where you came from? Does the oppressed become the oppressor? Does money and power make you into who you really are? Director F. Gary Gray does a deft job of tracing each character's arc and making each journey unique even if each character's ending forces a bend or a breaking of their dreams. <br />
<br />
<i>Creed</i><br />
A worthy entry to the Rocky mythos, and one of its strongest efforts. <i>Creed</i> follows Adonis Johnson (an impressive Michael B. Jordan) as he trains under Rocky's (Sylvester Stallone) tutelage at first to escape and then ultimately to embrace his father's legacy. The power of a name - its inheritance and apotheosis - are strong themes that the film explores far more often outside the boxing ring than within. The nature of strength - we see Rocky at his most frail - and fatherhood are combined in a theme that posits that true strength doesn't come from weightlifting of the physical sort.<br />
<br />
<i>The Revenant</i><br />
Unexpectedly spiritual and the most gorgeous cinematography of the year (Emmanuel Lubezki). Lots of Oscar buzz around DiCaprio - and he was good - but just because he was cold (see <i>Titanic</i>) and ate raw bison shouldn't automatically qualify him for the top acting award. Far more compelling from this viewer's perspective was the journey of John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and Bridger (Will Poulter) as they struggled back to civilization. A true battle for Bridger's soul is fought in the far west wilds, and the conflict between him and the pitiless Fitzgerald made for some of the most memorable scenes of the film. I would likely qualify <i>The Revenant</i> as the most brutal film that I've ever seen. When the grizzly bear attacks, every moment of a horrific, longest-five-minutes-ever bear mauling is shown on screen and nothing is left to the imagination. But of true special note is the brutality inherent in two men who want to survive by any means necessary - one of whom is driven by self-interest, the other, revenge. <br />
<br />
<i>The Danish Girl</i><br />
The acting contest between Fassbender's Steve Jobs and Eddie Redmayne's transgendered Lili Elbe is truly a toss-up. How do you make a call between two near-flawless performances? While the film was too long, the chemistry between Redmayne and Alicia Vikander's Gerda Wegener was a pleasure to watch. A convincing love story set amidst early 20th-century cultural and medical misunderstandings of what it meant to be transgendered, <i>The Danish Girl</i> is at once heartbreaking and uplifting. What are the limits of love? If it's love, by definition, does it have limits?<br />
<br />
<i>99 Homes</i><br />
In many ways a companion piece to <i>The Big Short</i>, <i>Homes</i> opens on a victimized homeowner who loses everything in the financial collapse. He turns to his victimizer for a hand up - and ultimately becomes a victimizer, himself. Andrew Garfield and Laura Dern turn in their expected solid performances, but the film's true focus belongs to a sinister Michael Shannon, who plays Rick Carver, a shady real estate broker who has his own reasons for taking advantage of the disadvantaged. Swimming through legal loopholes like Shamu jumps through rings, Carver might very well be the most well-developed, relatable antagonist among this year's releases. Painful to watch with a downer ending, <i>Homes</i> is nonetheless a strong, archetypal tale of the millions who we hear about but never see in a film like <i>The Big Short.</i> When a victim is given power, is it used or abused? Is it right to game the system that gamed you? By the film's end, more than a mortgage is in risk of default.<br />
<br />
<br />
It's a great time to be a film fan. It's an even greater time to be a filmmaker or a writer. There are so many terrific, current examples to show how it's done right. You have no excuse to delay making something. So make something!<br />
<br />
Write on.<br />
<br />
*<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://jaredmgordon.net/screenwriting" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-36589991222128013802015-11-18T17:18:00.002-05:002015-11-20T08:44:07.703-05:00Untitled?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK1jUc7sdOLy1MoJNNv38csKb_vpuPMfrd3stMPpfNdjprXyziYR9iPQc6rSyxIEQ2JIZOvlGa7ax4GwHxFznsQ_A_-nYj0xiQX9r69ue0V9eLvyREL-P6s8VBFXPEdQiD5qdUnuhBLFT/s1600/labyrinth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicK1jUc7sdOLy1MoJNNv38csKb_vpuPMfrd3stMPpfNdjprXyziYR9iPQc6rSyxIEQ2JIZOvlGa7ax4GwHxFznsQ_A_-nYj0xiQX9r69ue0V9eLvyREL-P6s8VBFXPEdQiD5qdUnuhBLFT/s400/labyrinth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It's yours if you tell me what a Shawshank Redemption is."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of all the devilry that bedevils the writer, perhaps none is so great a beast to tame than that of the title. It's one word - or short phrase - that must accomplish a lot.<br />
<br />
It's the cover letter to a creative portfolio. The flagship of the fleet. The apex of the pyramid. Quite often it's the very first indication that a certain piece of art might be worth our attention. It's blasted across posters, billboards, subway ads, TV commercials, clothes, action figures, bedsheets, shoelaces, and ancillary merchandise. It's synonymous with your story. It <i>is</i> your story.<br />
<br />
But not all titles are created equal. Some capture the theme and tone of the film in short order and make you want to know more. Others... not so much.<br />
<br />
Some I'd call great would include <i>American Beauty, Up, Inside Out, 12 Years a Slave, Jurassic Park, The Phantom of the Opera, Groundhog Day,</i> and <i>The Last Emperor</i>.<br />
<br />
Some that could use some work would include <i>The Shawshank Redemption, Arlington Road, Crazy Stupid Love, Octopussy,</i> and <i>Life as a House</i>. If you knew nothing else about them (and perhaps you don't, if it's release weekend and you're deciding whether or not to buy a ticket), then would you be able to accurately tell any meaningful information about them?<br />
<br />
Screenwriter Blake Snyder pointed to <i>For Love or Money</i> as an example of an unworthy title. To paraphrase Snyder, nearly any film's title can be <i>For Love or Money</i>. <i>Ocean's Eleven</i> could've had that title. So could <i>The Social Network</i>. So could <i>American Beauty</i>. For that matter, the ancient tale of <i>King Midas</i> could've had that title. Heck, your own life might well bear it. The themes of love and money are so pervasive that a title naming such themes isn't likely to excite an audience. An audience pays money to see something that <i>isn't</i> everywhere. That's what your title must promise them. The unique.<br />
<br />
Here's a method I use: your story begins with a theme - a personal point of view to be explored. Examples:<br />
<br />
1. Hope conquers all. (<i>The Shawshank Redemption</i>)<br />
2. Sometimes, love means letting go. (<i>Finding Nemo, Up</i>)<br />
3. Compassion conquers hate. (<i>Les Miserables</i>)<br />
4. One life of compassion over isolated, inhuman immortality. (<i>Harry Potter</i>)<br />
5. We must feel sadness to feel human. (<i>Inside Out</i>)<br />
6. Selflessness above all. (<i>Jurassic Park</i>)<br />
7. There are thousands more.<br />
<br />
Write out your theme. Then use fewer words. Then fewer. Then use a visual metaphor specific to your story for the word or words you have left. That can land you your title.<br />
<br />
Other viable methods can involve answering the following questions:<br />
<br />
What’s the film about? (<i>Finding Nemo, Jurassic Park</i>)<br />
Where does the protagonist want to be? (<i>Up</i>)<br />
What does the protagonist (want to) do? (<i>Saving Private Ryan, Kissing Jessica Stein</i>)<br />
What’s the goal? (<i>Everest, The Walk</i>)<br />
Who's it about? (<i>Forrest Gump, Barry Lyndon, Steve Jobs</i>)<br />
What’s a metaphor for protagonist desire? (<i>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</i>)<br />
What is the state of things? (<i>As Good as it Gets</i>, <i>Cast Away</i>)<br />
What are we fighting against? (<i>The Matrix</i>, <i>Labyrinth</i>)<br />
What are we fighting for? (<i>The Dark Crystal</i>, <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i>)<br />
Where does it take place? (<i>Jurassic Park</i>, <i>The Rock</i>)<br />
What’s the question with which the protagonist struggles? (<i>Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i>)<br />
What's a visual metaphor for the story? (<i>American Beauty</i> - itself an actual <a href="http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/what-color-is-an-american-beauty-rose/" target="_blank">type of rose</a>)<br />
How is your protagonist confined? How do they attempt to free themselves? <br />
<br />
Titles are the first experience an audience has with your story. Picking a good one is an art. Take the time. Embrace the challenge. It's worth it.<br />
<br />
Write on.<br />
<br />
*<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://jaredmgordon.net/screenwriting" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-12467612152228038382015-10-07T18:11:00.000-04:002015-10-11T06:40:44.159-04:00Aaron Sorkin in New York<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8yfZtpmMaROtZ8fcf5he2gUGe7su-d3zz-VdHirrYL9NPEX0d1JTR801gliNzO9IrMZLupxxG0eU3vQpgTIut6D74ktPiH4IQbwT8pl95Q-JPygh0YlVO_AqeuGGqYI0SHF0cQ4vTWwd/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8yfZtpmMaROtZ8fcf5he2gUGe7su-d3zz-VdHirrYL9NPEX0d1JTR801gliNzO9IrMZLupxxG0eU3vQpgTIut6D74ktPiH4IQbwT8pl95Q-JPygh0YlVO_AqeuGGqYI0SHF0cQ4vTWwd/s400/IMG_1984.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniels, Winslet, Fassbender, Boyle, and the moderator</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the past week, I attended a screening of <i>Steve Jobs</i> in Manhattan. After the film, there was a Q&A with director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and actors Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Katherine Waterston and Michael Stuhlbarg. <br />
<br />
The film was terrific. In many ways, it completes the story of <i>The Social Network</i> in its exploration of drive and genius and if/how compassion fits into the equation. "It's not binary," Seth Rogan's Steve Wozniak says, "You can be decent and gifted at the same time." Does one preclude the other? How can a character so brilliant but narrow-minded ever hope to demonstrate empathy? Who is selected? Who is rejected? <i>Steve Jobs</i> gives us an answer that's both more complete and more complicated than that of <i>The Social Network</i>. It's less about the iMan and iMyth and more about a mortal who needs to become a better father. A solid arc, and well-traced.<br />
<br />
Each panelist had a chance to speak at length about the process of bringing the story of a household name into the movie theater. Sorkin himself had several wise words to share. "Don't judge your characters," he said. The motivation of every character - protagonist, antagonist, and everyone in between - should be relatable. We should understand why a character feels they have to do what they do. Even if desperate circumstances shove them into tragic action, they must feel as though their every action is justified - as eloquently and passionately as possible. "I write them as if they're defending themselves to God," Sorkin said.<br />
<br />
Jeff Daniels had an insightful take on Sorkin's script: "Even the supporting characters have a beginning, middle, and end."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIz9Co0oPPfx8uPwjKV4GfRYjJVbOmGwSelT3XqLiAITyLspfTZIsKBhoPOrjH01ZoUhWVyHQBI-1WcxUy4dlOJHF4IhLy1uT770O69BxZZ7-_kQekx4fIku2_iQB5tnpXHn843QN6lbC/s1600/IMG_1928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIz9Co0oPPfx8uPwjKV4GfRYjJVbOmGwSelT3XqLiAITyLspfTZIsKBhoPOrjH01ZoUhWVyHQBI-1WcxUy4dlOJHF4IhLy1uT770O69BxZZ7-_kQekx4fIku2_iQB5tnpXHn843QN6lbC/s320/IMG_1928.JPG" /></a>Sorkin agreed with Daniels's take, saying, "I always considered it an ensemble movie." Subplots carry the emotional threads of the story, and subplots are relationships. As such, as subplots evolve, so too does the emotional journey of the protagonist.<br />
<br />
Sorkin also discussed the importance of creating flawed, relatable characters. "To me, Hercules, Zeus, any godlike figure doesn't interest me. Humans are much more inspiring. To know that someone is just like us - all of these flaws in Steve aside, to know that these people are capable of frankly much more than I'm capable of, I find very inspiring. I often if not always write about people who are smarter than I am, and it's my way of spending time in a world of great accomplishment."<br />
<br />
A quick note to aspiring directors: The day before I went to NY, I was in a theater to see <i>The Martian</i>. I overheard a family discussing <i>Steve Jobs</i> and a child piped up, "Is that the one with the guy who looks nothing like Steve Jobs?"<br />
<br />
It's a common first-time director's mistake to cast an actor based on how they match your vision's physical expectations. However, when it comes to casting and directing, you want an actor who <i>emotionally embodies</i> the character more than one who looks like your ideal. For reference, I point to the example of Louise Fletcher in <i>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</i>. In the Ken Kesey novel, Nurse Ratched was elderly, obese, and unattractive. Louise Fletcher was none of those things, but she still embodied a monstrous character so chilling that the emotional temperature dropped 50 degrees every time she strolled into the room. And she won an Academy Award! Looks are important, but your primary casting consideration is emotional intelligence - not physical attributes. At the Q&A, Fassbender himself said, "Danny told me he didn't want to go down the avenue of physical resemblance: he wanted to find the essence." Danny Boyle did it right. See this film.<br />
<br />
Write on.<br />
<br />
*<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://jaredmgordon.net/screenwriting">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-53348501895141652422015-09-11T11:43:00.002-04:002015-09-11T12:01:06.807-04:00Structure's Dirty Secret<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS_JAd8Os2_qA4d94tWb3_TfIMsxsaYNnj3EamHnLPfMinFN3KoYULqfWJOVYRMP7HcToRsmad-lb8ZiCHVJt8eeodsfOEthi2UjcWdyoYRsyieShsi1qO6rLg0ncVXSoU2kwF88BUgC7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-11+at+11.36.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS_JAd8Os2_qA4d94tWb3_TfIMsxsaYNnj3EamHnLPfMinFN3KoYULqfWJOVYRMP7HcToRsmad-lb8ZiCHVJt8eeodsfOEthi2UjcWdyoYRsyieShsi1qO6rLg0ncVXSoU2kwF88BUgC7/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-09-11+at+11.36.22+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I recently read Corey Mandell's Indiewire article, <a href="http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-story-structure-formulas-dont-work-20150826" target="_blank"><i>Why Story Structure Formulas Don't Work</i></a>. It made some good points. For as liberated as we writers like to think we are (our playground is the imagination, after all), many of us adhere to structure as if it's a life preserver in a tempest. At the other end are those filmmakers who actively seek to jettison structure completely and tell their story their way with their rules.<br />
<br />
So who's right?<br />
<br />
First off, structure isn't anything new. It's thousands of years old. We can go back to Aristotle's beginning-middle-end thesis but why stop there? Structure was formally recorded in myth, but it started with the birth of humanity. In a nutshell, structure is meant to remind us of the challenges we face while being human. As such, good structure will be the framework of a story about learning to be better humans. Enter Joseph Campbell, Christopher Vogler, Laura Shamas, and other such modern mythologists who prove time and time again that every story is a coming of age story. We all start in an ordinary world and seek to perform the extraordinary in the special world, someplace else.<br />
<br />
Structure adherents (and I am among them) like Blake Snyder and the schools of thought at <a href="https://www.hollins.edu/academics/graduate-degrees/mfa-screenwriting-film-studies" target="_blank">Hollins</a> and <a href="http://www.tft.ucla.edu" target="_blank">UCLA</a> point to the importance of inciting incidents, act breaks, midpoints, high points, low points, and resolutions. If you look at a history of commercially and critically successful films based on the Hollywood model, you'll note that they all share these in common.<br />
<br />
But what about that page 10 inciting incident? It's on page 13. Is that okay? What if my act break is on page 28? Or 31? Or 25? I even know an agent who, when you send in your one-sheet, requires you to also include a Blake Snyder beat sheet, filled out to show how your film fits into Blake Snyder's mold.<br />
<br />
Ugh.<br />
<br />
There's a reason why your script may not fit into Blake Snyder's mold or anyone else's. It's because it's your specific script with your specific characters. While Snyder (and any other structure fan) might have some solid ideas on script construction, I'm here to tell you to stop fretting about structure the way you have been. Don't lose it completely, of course. All humans have skeletons and all cars have wheels and an engine, after all. What I'm saying is that you need to stop thinking about structure as a mold for you to fill: <i>structure is a series of actions that your character creates by virtue of being themselves.</i><br />
<br />
In a graduate school class, I was told that the inciting incident is on page 10. Blake Snyder puts it at page 12. Mandell's article mentions a writer who insists it be on page 17. But if we redefine "structure" into the phrase, "plot-advancing character action," then it'll fall into place much easier.<br />
<br />
Too much time is spent building up events or circumstances ("they have to experience an inciting incident by such-and-such page") and not enough on <i>who</i> the character is and not only what but <i>why</i> they do what they do. The inciting incident must happen. A page number is far less relevant to determining the <i>when</i> as what the character wants to do at that specific moment. For some characters, a page 10 such moment is appropriate. For others, perhaps a page 17. The structure should not dictate when a character does something: the character is in charge, and it's up to him/her to <i>show</i> you when he/she is ready. It's therefore the character's actions that <i>create</i> the structure. Never the other way around.<br />
<br />
If you're telling a story and you seek commercial and critical attention, you need an inciting incident. You need a midpoint. You need a low point. That's myth. That's struggle. That's conflict. That's humanity. But when do these events occur? Some people face their sorest trial when they're in their teens. Some in their 20s. Some in their 30s. Some in their 80s. The point is that sometime in your life, it's inevitable that you will face your greatest battle. Structure doesn't exist to tell you when these events happen. In your script, your inciting incident might happen on page nine. Or 10. Or 12. Or 17. Or 20. The point is that it must happen at the moment that your character demands for it to happen. Structure exists to tell you that these events <i>do</i> happen and that it's up to your character to <i>create</i> the structure based on their own actions.<br />
<br />
Hate structure? Want to break it? Go for it. But learn it first. Know thy enemy so that your victory will be all the more effective, satisfying, and complete.<br />
<br />
Write on.<br />
<br />
*<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-82138428609033245602015-07-21T10:08:00.001-04:002015-07-21T10:08:59.581-04:00A Writer's One Job<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhray31sIJRte1dzD-_JndXsSrK-tqYrh_yjnNyTiU0vYIF22vxDTxNjzwfvjSUbP-5gijiavkt4cCx93ZWy3tkM78r7hIbQClDlWivXzwn4BaUm6J7UpZNARKNLtjxU98YDlP-iqqftSIa/s1600/insideout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhray31sIJRte1dzD-_JndXsSrK-tqYrh_yjnNyTiU0vYIF22vxDTxNjzwfvjSUbP-5gijiavkt4cCx93ZWy3tkM78r7hIbQClDlWivXzwn4BaUm6J7UpZNARKNLtjxU98YDlP-iqqftSIa/s320/insideout.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Write something? Us?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Libraries are packed with books on how to write. I've even listed a few in a prior post. You should absolutely read and read and read some more if you want to write. After all, if you want to build a house or a car it's helpful to see a final version of one so you know what yours should resemble. At the very least they should both have doors and windows.<br />
<br />
There are plenty of great teachers out there, many of whom even disagree on certain tenets. I once attended a lecture with two UCLA professors in which one of them encouraged those aspiring writers in attendance to write from character <i>desire</i> while the other implored his students to write from <i>theme</i>. Both professors had successful students. Who's right?<br />
<br />
I encourage my students to read as much as possible and fixate on the points of agreement. Every writing teacher will tell you to include conflict, a protagonist, an antagonist (or antagonistic force), and an ending. Can't argue with that.<br />
<br />
I have over 40 single-spaced, typed pages of notes with writing wisdom and advice I've collected from storytelling heavyweights like Hal Ackerman, Richard Walter, Tim Albaugh, Mari Kornhauser, Michael Arndt, Pete Docter, Joe Gilford, Kelly Fullerton, Barbara Chapman, and Blake Snyder, among others. However, what if I were to sum up all of the best advice I've ever received with a single statement? Impossible? Hardly.<br />
<br />
In true writer-ly form, a writer's single job can be summed up in a sentence:<br />
<br />
Create an amazing character.<br />
<br />
That's it. Create an evocative, astonishing, surprising, relatable protagonist. If you do that, the character him/herself, by virtue of who they are, will <i>create</i> the story. Pixar's Andrew Stanton says, "Stories are inevitable if they're good, but they're not predictable." What makes stories inevitable? The character. What makes it unpredictable? How the character changes.<br />
<br />
Walking into any Indiana Jones film, we know that Indiana will inevitably recover the artifact. In <i>Star Wars</i>, we know that Luke will rescue the princess. In <i>Inside Out</i>, we know that Joy will assuredly save Riley.<br />
<br />
But we don't know <i>how</i> they'll do it. That comes down to character. How Luke would do it is very different from how Indiana would do it, which is very different from how Joy would do it.<br />
<br />
Could <i>The Big Lebowski</i> have been as memorable without The Dude? Could <i>There Will Be Blood</i> have been as kinetic and catastrophic if Daniel Plainview was someone else? Would <i>Clueless</i> have become the cultural touchstone it did without Alicia Silverstone's Cher? As if! Character is everything.<br />
<br />
Of course, this is easier said than done. An amazing character is many things: flawed, wounded, fearful, courageous, powerful, weak, wise, silly, jealous, lazy, bright, slow, talented, and far more. An amazing character is <i>us</i>, in other words.<br />
<br />
The character creates the story. To put it even better, the character <i>is</i> the story. Who is yours?<br />
<br />
Write on.<br />
<br />
*<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.jaredmgordon.net/screenwriting" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>. Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-58966506985370031132015-05-17T20:05:00.003-04:002015-05-17T20:11:05.017-04:00Six Steps to the Next Step<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyr8p4Gp60WCkabTskKsJG0u9_Gg7Qn6-20WwDN2eVnGPGlXFzalME4HCtjReD3ILlfSJjLAJo04SnnrUF6fxHH9UhcXFzNAZuHp6w-kGrZqqstbqHLfFyCkzRUKVfS8zIMW4jqyeqjJ1/s1600/jw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyr8p4Gp60WCkabTskKsJG0u9_Gg7Qn6-20WwDN2eVnGPGlXFzalME4HCtjReD3ILlfSJjLAJo04SnnrUF6fxHH9UhcXFzNAZuHp6w-kGrZqqstbqHLfFyCkzRUKVfS8zIMW4jqyeqjJ1/s400/jw.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Relax, guys. It's just my first draft."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was recently asked a really good question by a member of my writing group: "Will my script be ready after a rewrite?"<br />
<br />
That depends on your definitions of "ready" and "rewrite." David Koepp, writer of <i>Jurassic Park</i> and <i>Spider-Man</i> said that he's successful because he can tolerate 17 drafts. Scott Kosar, writer of <i>The Machinist</i> and <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i>, claims that he only wrote one and a half drafts of the former before it was green-lit. So what's the answer?<br />
<br />
First off, a first draft is your plot draft. Your barf draft. Whatever colorful name you have for it, it's the draft that delivers the wood, cement, plaster, and bricks to the building site. But it is in no way a completed house. For all intents and purposes, a first draft is never, ever the final draft. Accepting this is a major hurdle in drawing the distinction between amateur and professional writers.<br />
<br />
Assuming you're done after a first draft is assuming you can build a Frank Lloyd Wright house on the first try, and not even Frank Lloyd Wright himself did it right the first time. But whereas you can look at a house and discover reasonably quickly the parts that need more attention, a script's weaknesses can be more subtle.<br />
<br />
There are several methods at your disposal to find out which rooms to improve and which to knock down:<br />
<br />
<b>1. Let it Sit</b><br />
<br />
Take a week. Two weeks. A month. As much time as you can stand away from your baby. The more time, the better. Then return to it with a fresh eye. Does that dialogue still work? Is that scene still necessary? Is that character still required? Is that plot line a dead end?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2. Print it Out</b><br />
<br />
I'm not really sure what the scientific explanation is for this but follow me, here. Back in college, despite the magic of spelling and grammar check, I discovered nearly twice as many mistakes upon proofreading a paper copy of an essay than I did rereading it on my computer screen. Print out your script. Keep a pen in your hand. Make lots of notes. Having a physical copy (as opposed to a virtual one) of your thought processes can be a major help in identifying the parts that work and the pieces that don't.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3. Join a Writers' Group</b><br />
<br />
In graduate school at <a href="http://www.hollins.edu/academics/graduate-degrees/mfa-screenwriting-film-studies/" target="_blank">Hollins University</a>, I took a course in which about a dozen fellow screenwriters would sit around a table to read and workshop each other's scripts. Led by an experienced professor, the sessions were invaluable in teaching me what worked and what didn't. When I brought in 10 pages to workshop that I thought were great, only to hear the group unanimously agree that they could be far stronger... well, those were the moments of my greatest education. Everyone's goal is the same, and that's to see you as the best writer you can be.<br />
<br />
Since finishing at Hollins, I started Cambridge Screenwriters in Boston, which is now the largest established screenwriting group in New England. The modus operandi of Cambridge Screenwriters is precisely like the workshopping elements of my grad school: bring in your work for us to read and critique. However you do it, finding (or creating) a community of like-minded writers can be a tremendous asset to your development. Even Academy Award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis has brought his work to such groups for constructive feedback. Their value can't be understated, and can give you that much-needed second look.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strike><b>4. Let Mom Read It</b></strike><br />
<br />
Kidding!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4. Coverage</b><br />
<br />
Full discosure: I offer coverage. Coverage is the act of a professional reader looking over your script and giving you a comprehensive breakdown of its strong points and weak elements. There are a lot of coverage services out there. Check their testimonials and their records. Never a bad idea to even try more than one. If a few professional readers all agree on a specific point, then that's likely well worth discovering. Coverage comes with a price, but in my experience, it has been a huge help to have an experienced set of eyes reading and rereading my work. I want it to be great, and I believe it worth the investment.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>5. Competitions</b><br />
<br />
A great way to spread the word about your work is by entering it into screenplay contests and festivals. There are hundreds of them, all of which have entry fees. Should you just pick some at random and hope for the best? No! Despite the number of opportunities, there are roughly 10 competitions that are absolutely worth the price, and these are the contests on which you should focus like a protagonist on a goal. Rather than mere cash prizes, these contests have proven track records of exposing their winners to <i>representation</i>, which is far and away more valuable. These are:<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/index.html" target="_blank">Nicholl Fellowship</a>, <a href="http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/" target="_blank">Bluecat</a>, <a href="http://pageawards.com/" target="_blank">PAGE</a>, <a href="http://www.trackingb.com/?page_id=861" target="_blank">TrackingB</a>, <a href="https://scriptpipeline.com/shop/screenwriting-contest" target="_blank">Script Pipeline</a>, <a href="http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/submit/screenplayandteleplay/" target="_blank">Austin</a>, <a href="http://www.sundance.org/programs/feature-film" target="_blank">Sundance Screenwriters Lab</a>, <a href="http://www.cinestory.org/" target="_blank">CineStory</a>, and <a href="http://www.zoetrope.com/contests/" target="_blank">Zoetrope</a>. I might write a future post about the virtues of each of these in particular. Some of these competitions, including Bluecat, offer coverage as part of the evaluation process.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>6. Read</b><br />
<br />
Good readers make good writers. Reading expands your vocabulary and exposes you to characters and conflicts that can help you through your own creative roadblocks. With your script in hand, grab a screenwriting book by a writer you respect and determine if your own work fits the bill.<br />
<br />
I recommend the following:<br />
<br />
<i>The Complete Screenwriters Manual</i><br />
Stephen Bowles, Ronald Mangravite, Peter Zorn<br />
<br />
<i>Essentials of Screenwriting </i><br />
Richard Walter<br />
<br />
<i>Writing Screenplays that Sell</i><br />
Hal Ackerman<br />
<br />
<i>The Writer's Journey</i><br />
Christopher Vogler<br />
<br />
<i>The Power of Film</i><br />
Howard Suber<br />
<br />
<i>The Hero with a Thousand Faces</i><br />
Joseph Campbell<br />
<br />
<i>The War of Art</i><br />
Steven Pressfield<br />
(at least the first two thirds)<br />
<br />
<i>The Screenwriter Within</i><br />
D. B. Gilles<br />
<br />
<i>Rewrite</i><br />
Paul Chitlik<br />
<br />
<i>Save the Cat </i>(weird title, great book)<br />
Blake Snyder<br />
<br />
<i>The Art of Dramatic Writing</i><br />
Lajos Egri<br />
<br />
<i>Why Does the Screenwriter Cross the Road?</i><br />
Joe Gilford<br />
<br />
<br />
David Magee, screenwriter of <i>Finding Neverland</i> and <i>Life of Pi</i> said, "If you ask 100 writers how they made it, you'll receive 100 different answers." I absolutely agree, and any one of these methods (or perhaps none of them) will ease you closer to your goals. But I'm positive that none of them can hurt, and that's an encouraging thought.<br />
<br />
Write on.<br />
<br />
<br />
*<br />
Jared teaches screenwriting at Emerson College and Salem State University. His creative work has appeared on MTV Networks, in the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival. He offers screenplay coverage at <a href="http://www.screenplay.guru/" target="_blank">www.screenplay.guru</a>.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-318395057538505152015-03-24T10:11:00.001-04:002015-03-24T10:37:32.847-04:00Better Call Lajos Egri<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs_2tlqByr87AcpJSCP-8sbctEI1fxo8Q9e8_6zFN_xWcZTW-kOJUlbk2cAy2Z22wMQDoZwvhyphenhyphenYvI-Amfnbmi0DlKP9dWLn4dv_mZNAnewfZg5XrvJQ2XIF5OTvC5bsYjq2T0fWkKEtBf/s1600/premise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs_2tlqByr87AcpJSCP-8sbctEI1fxo8Q9e8_6zFN_xWcZTW-kOJUlbk2cAy2Z22wMQDoZwvhyphenhyphenYvI-Amfnbmi0DlKP9dWLn4dv_mZNAnewfZg5XrvJQ2XIF5OTvC5bsYjq2T0fWkKEtBf/s1600/premise.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Premise time!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love to read, and I'm convinced that the best writers are avid readers. After all, if media excites you, you can learn how to make it excite others.<br />
<br />
I'm often asked to recommend screenwriting books. While different screenwriting teachers have different points of view, I think it's worth paying most attention to the elements on which they all agree (i.e., conflict, character development, strong premise). The most recent one I've read far and away belongs in a prime space on your bookshelf.<br />
<br />
I refer to <i>The Art of Dramatic Writing</i> by Lajos Egri. Originally published in the 1940s, it was first recommended to me by Tim Albaugh of Hollins University and UCLA. Upon reading it, I've discovered how much a debt screenwriting classics such as Blake Snyder's <i>Save the Cat, </i>Richard Walter's <i>Essentials of Screenwriting</i>, and Hal Ackerman's <i>Writing Screenplays that Sell </i>owe to Egri's work.<br />
<br />
<i>Save the Cat</i> discusses the need for a strong logline to precede the writing process. Snyder alludes to the logline as the story's central pillar, the touchstone to which a writer must adhere through thick and thin.<br />
<br />
Egri boils this down to an even more elementary principle: the <i>premise</i>. A premise consists of multiple elements, expressed as simply as possible:<br />
<br />
1. A point of view. Pick a side. What are you trying to say? What's your <i>voice?</i><br />
2. A defining character element. Blind belief? Unchecked ambition? Excessive pride? Overprotection? Status obsession?<br />
3. A logical end result of said character element. Tragedy? Death? Loss? The conquering of death?<br />
4. Irony. How does the premise deliver an unexpected turn?<br />
<br />
<i>Romeo & Juliet</i> = Love conquers death.<br />
<i>Finding Nemo</i> = Overprotection leads to loss.<br />
<i>Macbeth</i> = Ruthless ambition leads to destruction.<br />
<i>The Social Network</i> = Obsession with status leads to isolation.<br />
<i>Casablanca</i> = Compassion conquers hopelessness.<br />
<i>Birdman</i> = Self-delusion leads to loss.<br />
<br />
How do I imagine a premise? I take a page out of Hal Ackerman's book and imagine my character's low point. In his treatise, Ackerman mentions that the most important element you need to know in a screenplay is what happens on page 90. Page 90 is traditionally the act break from II to III. It's the protagonist's emotional low point. It's what the protagonist least desires. The character is as far as possible from what they need. It's also the logical result of their defining characteristic.<br />
<br />
Therefore, if you're stuck with regards to formulating a premise, start here:<br />
<br />
[Flaw] leads to [low point].<br />
<br />
The premise is the DNA of your protagonist. And as character = story, it's the DNA of your plot as well. Every scene and character act must be rooted in the premise. It defines your character, it defines your story. Every piece of your story is a microcosm of the premise. And if you populate your story with complex characters who <i>prove the premise</i>, then most of the heavy lifting you must perform as a writer is done.<br />
<br />
Egri also discusses his differences with Aristotle, namely regarding the relationship between character and story (Egri takes the position that character creates story - one with which I agree). And that a truly three-dimensional character must be plotted via the three dimensions of physiology, sociology, and psychology. How a character looks, the circumstances of their environment, and who they are within will each play paramount roles in the actions the character performs to attain his/her desire.<br />
<br />
The idea of a <i>unity of opposites</i> also appears in Egri's work. How do circumstances force a character to act? How is compromise impossible, both within and without? Every script, indeed, every scene, must have a winner and a loser. Egri writes, "If we are given the opportunity of seeing how a murderer is forced by necessity, environment, and inner and outer contradictions to commit a crime, we are witnessing the unity of opposites in action."<br />
<br />
This is the bedrock upon which shows like <i>Breaking Bad</i> and <i>Better Call Saul </i> are built. How have circumstances <i>forced</i> Walter White into becoming a meth kingpin? What circumstances <i>forced</i> naive young Jimmy McGill to become jaded, cynical Saul Goodman? This is unity of opposites. This is Egri.<br />
<br />
As mentioned, the more you read, the better a writer you'll be. If you read Egri, case in point.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-84185279861391634982015-02-03T15:15:00.000-05:002015-02-03T16:04:15.165-05:00Larger than Life<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRc7RyouXMVgWmUS8nS3oRCVpj3C7UD1nFzD6mBC_iImizoEBJS36BhQbTf-ui70i1YzeNEIZfKX6GPAyTDtsDPmLD1PSe7IN-mYnmzb6r7yb02IUrEly8R0IzrE1FT2-89AhRy1DWftf/s1600/wl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRc7RyouXMVgWmUS8nS3oRCVpj3C7UD1nFzD6mBC_iImizoEBJS36BhQbTf-ui70i1YzeNEIZfKX6GPAyTDtsDPmLD1PSe7IN-mYnmzb6r7yb02IUrEly8R0IzrE1FT2-89AhRy1DWftf/s1600/wl.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mess up again and I'll hit you in the face with a T-Rex.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"You can go for years saying, 'I'm gonna get this thing real,' because they really haven't seen it real, do you know? They just keep seeing one fashion of unreal after the other that passes as real and you go mad with realism and then you come up against someone like Stanley [Kubrick] who says, 'Yeah it's real, but it's not interesting.'" - Jack Nicholson<br />
<br />
I can recall a surprise guest in one of my undergraduate classes: Richard Dreyfuss. He screened <i>Captain Blood. </i>It was every bit a swashbuckling Errol Flynn pirate flick as you can imagine. Once the film was over, Dreyfuss noted the fair number of "real world" films that were packing the box office.<br />
<br />
He said, to paraphrase, "When I go to a film, I want to be taken away. Give me <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>. Give me pirates. Anything that doesn't hold up a mirror to the everyday."<br />
<br />
I wondered for years if that meant that he didn't like films about suburban angst, yuppie love lost, and low-budget indies about middle-class people doing middle-class things. When Richard Dreyfuss went to the multiplex, did he automatically filter out <i>American Beauty</i> in favor of the latest <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i>?<br />
<br />
More to the point, which was <i>better</i> to write? Should I focus on writing stories that ship audiences to Narnia, Middle-Earth, Hogwarts, or Jurassic Park? But why would I do that when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences seems to favor lower-budget, suburban-set fare such as <i>Juno</i> or <i>Little Miss Sunshine</i>?<br />
<br />
It took me a while, but I figured out the answer.<br />
<br />
Was Richard Dreyfuss right?<br />
<br />
Yes. Sorta.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing: Dreyfuss likes stories that are larger than life. But <i>so do we all</i>. <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> takes place in a faraway, munchkin-filled kingdom with an ornery witch. <i>Harry Potter</i> takes place at Hogwarts. <i>Captain Blood</i> commits romantic, sword-swinging piracy on the high seas. These take us away just as Dreyfuss said.<br />
<br />
But is an unusual setting the only element of storytelling that has that power? Of course not. So what's the key element?<br />
<br />
Once you apply the idea of "larger than life" to everything in your story, it all falls into place.<br />
<br />
<i>American Beauty</i> takes place in a suburban setting, liberally peppered with angst, insecurity, lust, and powerlessness. But its characters are awesome. We cheer for Lester with every scrap of respect he recovers.<br />
<br />
<i>Little Miss Sunshine</i> presents us with a dysfunctional family on an even more dysfunctional road trip. But every family member is nuanced, complex, and fascinating.<br />
<br />
<i>Juno</i>, also set in a quiet suburb, asks if a pregnant teen with a mistake-riddled history can make the ultimate right decision.<br />
<br />
You don't need to send us to Saturn and beyond, such as in Christopher Nolan's <i>Interstellar</i>, to take your audience away. You can do it in an office building. You can do it in the suburbs. You can do it at a Starbucks. The point is, as a writer, you must ask yourself:<br />
<br />
What in my story is larger than life? Is it the characters? The setting? The central conflict?<br />
<br />
Ideally, it should be everything. You'll turn every audience member into a wide-eyed five-year-old as they experience your story. Bring them from wonderment to wonderment. And that doesn't necessarily mean that you must bring them from Munchkin-Land to the Emerald City. It means that your characters had better damn well be titanic, compromise-proof forces of nature. Larger than life. Bake it into everything you write.<br />
<br />
Take Damien Chazelle's <i>Whiplash</i>. We're taken to an exclusive music academy in the heart of Manhattan. But this isn't a story of witches, dinosaurs, dragons, or multidimensional travel. It's about a boy who wants to be the best drummer in the world and a teacher who would probably sneer at the Sistine Chapel as a pedestrian artistic effort. This is a story about an unstoppable force smashing into an immovable object. It's about real people with real dreams doing real things, sure. There are no ruby slippers or rings of power. But it's really freakin' interesting.<br />
<br />
A music school likely wouldn't be at the top of anyone's list of exotic locales. But Andrew and Fletcher are gigantic, fantastic personalities. They are larger than life in their motivations, actions, goals, and desires. They are complex and richly layered. So what if Andrew's goal isn't to save the world or if Fletcher's dream isn't to be the first man to walk on Mars? The film convinces us that to these characters, saving the world and walking on Mars amount to mere molehills when compared to what they really want. They're both convinced that there's nothing more important, and they will move heaven and earth to pursue their goals.<br />
<br />
Best of all? We're on board. We don't want to see Andrew save the world. We want to see him become the best drummer the world has ever seen. Any art form that can invest us in the story of an awkward, hapless music student, a good-hearted pregnant teen, a family driving their smallest member to a youth beauty pageant, or a creepy father pursuing a high school cheerleader is doing its job. Their stakes become our stakes. <br />
<br />
Does this hold up a mirror, like Dreyfuss cautioned us against? Sure, but it's not a mirror to the everyday. The best characters take us away and show us a place far more interesting than Oz, Middle-Earth, Hogwarts, Jurassic Park, or Narnia.<br />
<br />
They show us themselves, or more accurately, they show us versions of ourselves pushed to extremes. Best of all, they're really, really amazing characters. Write your characters as the most intriguing folks your audience has ever met. Larger than life. Let them take us away!Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-33655581879365516092014-12-22T17:41:00.004-05:002014-12-27T17:16:56.987-05:00My Favorite Films of 2014<div>It's awards season. That's good news for audiences and writers, alike. The former because it's important to remember how important good storytelling is. The latter because the storyteller must be in a constant state of self-education. How can we, as writers, become better? Foremost by writing, but also by reading and watching successful stories. What makes for a commercial and critical success, such as awards-season fare?</div><div><br />
</div><div>As a trained (and continually aspiring) writer, I like to be reminded of why I went into writing in the first place. So I'd like to offer a different sort of top list. This is targeted primarily toward those with an interest in storytelling and character development. What makes certain stories work? Which employ the tenets of good storytelling effectively? What makes them my favorites of the year?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Each of these has something in common. Namely, they're about the process of becoming leaders, both willing and not. What does it take to lead? What mistakes must be avoided? Can just anyone call the shots? This year's best films ask these questions.</div><div><br />
</div><div>In no particular order:</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>The Lego Movie</i></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQNpu7DusYKRhr4lqp0Bmgj4yb-YV0Koq623pyozxh_9jWQo7IduRN527Ew4U8RK9YN8OgwzdwRLS_g_5ia6z2grkAgZ3VsNSz9O1s772XjUvPMdTsdeaX3Y1Id1x4EQqH_0IPbig7mb5/s1600/o-THE-LEGO-MOVIE-SCENE-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQNpu7DusYKRhr4lqp0Bmgj4yb-YV0Koq623pyozxh_9jWQo7IduRN527Ew4U8RK9YN8OgwzdwRLS_g_5ia6z2grkAgZ3VsNSz9O1s772XjUvPMdTsdeaX3Y1Id1x4EQqH_0IPbig7mb5/s1600/o-THE-LEGO-MOVIE-SCENE-facebook.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a>Written and Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller</div><div>Protagonist: Emmet</div><div>Tangible goal: Emmet must prove himself "The Special" by using the piece of resistance to destroy the "kragel" super-weapon.</div><div>Character flaw: Emmet tries too hard to fit in.</div><div>Theme: Prove yourself special by being yourself.</div><div><br />
</div><div>With a cast of dynamite characters and enough cultural references to even make <i>Shrek</i> blush, <i>The Lego Movie</i> is an exercise in balancing fan service with phenomenal storytelling. Emmet's goal is simple and clear-cut. In a world where so many things are the same, what can stand out? Not just Emmet, of course, but everyone. The critical element about the concept of "special" is that it always changes. Unlike the permanent-glue state in which Lord Business wants to preserve his world, to be truly special isn't about being unique: it's about <i>becoming</i> unique. Everything is awesome, indeed.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><div><i>The Imitation Game</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XMJTe5dHLdTIMnMQFS0iHolzPhC4sHYquUW1U68OzUhyphenhyphenGnqAvUPKLV8JIzMA7s_Pb4HPihUiNUvbupDX8t05psICDNJPjxBkE2gpcwpszrDOtu5oeeuCU_c8dc1QBzJnVgsG8yZrDHRM/s1600/IG_02611.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XMJTe5dHLdTIMnMQFS0iHolzPhC4sHYquUW1U68OzUhyphenhyphenGnqAvUPKLV8JIzMA7s_Pb4HPihUiNUvbupDX8t05psICDNJPjxBkE2gpcwpszrDOtu5oeeuCU_c8dc1QBzJnVgsG8yZrDHRM/s1600/IG_02611.jpeg" height="357" width="640" /></a></div><div>Directed by Morten Tyldum</div><div>Adapted by Graham Moore</div><div>Protagonist: Alan Turing</div><div>Tangible goal: Alan Turing must crack the Nazis' Enigma code.</div><div>Character flaw: Alan Turing's refusal to trust others jeopardizes the very existence of the machine that may be the allies' only hope.</div><div>Theme: Trust others and they will come to trust you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>What makes a hero? Is it one who puts their passions aside for others? Is it one who makes the tough call that the needs of the many outweigh the lives of the few? Perhaps more importantly, how do we treat those we brand as heroes? No less than the entire allied effort of World War II is at stake in <i>The Imitation Game</i>, the once-secret true story of the allied effort to break "unbreakable" Nazi codes. A film about secrets and those who keep them, mathematician Alan Turing's extreme introversion, mistaken as vanity by his peers, threatens to derail the one good lead the British forces have at cracking Enigma. But who is Alan Turing? Is he all that he appears to be? How is a man who is possibly the world's foremost expert in code-breaking quite possibly himself the world's greatest cypher? Excellent performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley turn a film about a room full of eggheads into an ever-engaging, heartbreaking tale about how the human heart is possibly the most unbreakable code of all.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Birdman</i></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64TyDCSFLczS8KwmRzWFdZiESTrTtYEYJd9_6nNP0QmlMFXR4rcjFIDJJJthPSitY1UzNw8oa7CVcSkPr7K4czLet73zsYd-_H_CkScrCl-BdbtiTejR5o8zP4_WXGZyCUUZCWKaz9gv/s1600/birdman_3124544k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64TyDCSFLczS8KwmRzWFdZiESTrTtYEYJd9_6nNP0QmlMFXR4rcjFIDJJJthPSitY1UzNw8oa7CVcSkPr7K4czLet73zsYd-_H_CkScrCl-BdbtiTejR5o8zP4_WXGZyCUUZCWKaz9gv/s1600/birdman_3124544k.jpg" height="399" width="640" /></a>Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu</div><div>Written by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo</div><div>Protagonist: Riggan Thomson</div><div>Tangible goal: Riggan Thomson must successfully run his Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story.</div><div>Character flaw: Riggan wants to matter to everyone for the wrong reasons.</div><div>Theme: Far better to matter to just one person than to be a spectacle to everyone.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Be somebody. Easier said than done? Emma Stone's Sam shrieks to her father, Riggan, "You’re doing this because you’re scared to death, like the rest of us, that you don’t matter. And you know what? You’re right. You don’t." <i>Birdman</i> is a lot of things, but it never lies to its audience. As much a critique of itself as it is of the very industry it lampoons, it treads the fine line between those who stand on pedestals and those who <i>are</i> the pedestals. What is a celebrity worth but the value his/her audience ascribes to them? Do performers perform for performance's sake? Is it the performance itself or the <i>results or rewards of the performance</i> that drives them? At once silly, surreal, dark, uncomfortable, and ultimately incisive, <i>Birdman</i> gives us a cast of characters who are each desperate for adoration while asking what any of them have done that's remotely worthy of it. If Riggan only ever mattered because he was once Birdman, then this film is about how Riggan can matter by being himself.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>How to Train Your Dragon 2</i><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrojo4sajJT7V6UZ87aMFGlFd8Tk0lEOOV3AmPe5bZIbf4wVR9-5UXdcmdl-LZLWOcHEFtMAPZGtAHKclQvuzhTEBK91iksA6UxrDFmd9-bSxINwFs_guHjocQyZk_5TVC5wgtlhhjq69O/s1600/How-To-Train-Your-Dragon-2-HD-Review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrojo4sajJT7V6UZ87aMFGlFd8Tk0lEOOV3AmPe5bZIbf4wVR9-5UXdcmdl-LZLWOcHEFtMAPZGtAHKclQvuzhTEBK91iksA6UxrDFmd9-bSxINwFs_guHjocQyZk_5TVC5wgtlhhjq69O/s1600/How-To-Train-Your-Dragon-2-HD-Review.jpg" height="340" width="640" /></a><br />
Written and Adapted by Dean DeBlois<br />
<div>Protagonist: Hiccup</div><div>Tangible goal: Hiccup and friends must stop Drago's conquest of the known world.</div><div>Character flaw: Hiccup's too reluctant to lead.</div><div><div>Theme: Leadership – indeed, heroism – means putting yourself on the line for the good of others.</div><div><br />
</div><div>An unusual sequel that builds and expands upon the considerable strength of its predecessor, <i>How to Train Your Dragon 2</i> gives us more dragons, more action, and most importantly, more Hiccup. The second block of a trilogy, another (albeit more boring) title for the franchise could be, <i>How to Be a Kick-Ass Leader</i>. We're sitting front row to Hiccup's education in how to become a brave, forthright chief. Like <i>Lego</i>, we're treated to another simple story (with a far less humorous and arguably more dangerous antagonist) with an ever-complex protagonist who finds clever, unexpected ways to outwit his nemeses and bring honor to himself and his kin. Hiccup (and his dragon, Toothless) is presented with a number of different leaders and leadership styles over the course of the film, ultimately shaping him into a capable commander who trusts, relies upon, and values his lieutenants. After all, as Reverend Charles Bayard Miliken of Methodist Episcopal in Chicago (and <i>Harry Potter's</i> Sirius Black) said, "It is the way one treats his inferiors more than the way he treats his equals which reveals one’s real character." </div></div></div><i><br />
</i> <i><br />
</i> <i>Calvary</i></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5LOnh6Qvof6TqiPK0AANL0UY6tKKdcDmfH_nHZ0VaSbQWmUbrwfVSCyjv-pkMnDXqRTu26WtY27j7Sowubt_c3Awm_4uXzdg_K4RfyU7muB21l6u7Kq2LxIb0a1_FrRpdpRAIXn1_TQ5/s1600/c7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5LOnh6Qvof6TqiPK0AANL0UY6tKKdcDmfH_nHZ0VaSbQWmUbrwfVSCyjv-pkMnDXqRTu26WtY27j7Sowubt_c3Awm_4uXzdg_K4RfyU7muB21l6u7Kq2LxIb0a1_FrRpdpRAIXn1_TQ5/s1600/c7.jpg" /></a>Written and Directed by John Michael McDonagh</div><div>Protagonist: Father James</div><div><div>Tangible goal: Father James must find a way to survive after an anonymous parishioner threatens to kill him in a week.</div><div>Character flaw: Father James sees the townsfolk as a collection of problems to be fixed.</div><div>Theme: Compassion is the best way to prove yourself as a true example to others.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>John Michael McDonagh clearly shares his brother Martin's (<i>In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths</i>) considerable talent and pulls off an explosive story of sin, redemption, and sacrifice. When a vengeful victim of a pedophile priest targets good Father James for assassination, Father James must not only contemplate fleeing rather than be crucified for the sins of others, but also what would be best for his flock, all of whom are quite obviously sinful, themselves. As an unappreciated (perhaps the most unappreciated) member of his community, how can those who sin without a care in the world come to care for a priest whose mere presence reminds them of how much better they could have been? What can Father James do in a week to save his life and change - <i>truly</i> change - a town who seems to have passed him by? What will it take to save them? Are they worth saving? Is Father James?</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Honorable mentions:</div><div><br />
</div><div><div><i>The Theory of Everything</i></div><div>Directed by James Marsh</div><div>Adapted by Anthony McCarten</div><div>The marriage of physicist Stephen Hawking is our protagonist. While I found the film of average quality, it was Eddie Redmayne's breakout performance as Hawking that far and away stole the show. He is the one to beat for Best Actor.</div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>Boyhood</i></div><div>Written and Directed by Richard Linklater</div><div>Childhood and growing up never really end. What kind of a man is Mason going to be? Like <i>Dragon's</i> Hiccup, he's presented with a series of potential role models, all of whom shape him into the man he will be for the rest of his life. And while the story takes a long time to bring us there, we ultimately like him.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Whiplash</i></div><div>Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle</div><div>Like a negative-space <i>Dead Poets Society</i>, we're treated to a music professor who encourages greatness in his protégé, an aspiring drummer, by tearing him to microscopic shreds. Every scene is a powder keg. It will make you shake as you ask what you're willing to pay for greatness.</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Wild</i></div><div>Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée</div><div>Adapted by Nick Hornby</div><div>Love and loss are two of my favorite archetypal themes (indeed, once you're past a certain age, they're unavoidable) and <i>Wild </i>treats us to Reese Witherspoon's career-best performance in an exploration thereof. After the death of her beloved mother (a masterful Laura Dern), a spiraling young woman hikes the 1,000-mile Pacific Crest Trail in search of a home she doesn't have. As an avid hiker and road-tripper, I found the cinematography and moments of solitude amidst nature particularly resonant.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Not sure which of these to see? See them all. Support storytelling. And remember:</div><div><br />
</div><div>"If your destination is the journey, you are the map." - Me</div><div><br />
</div><div>Happy holidays!</div></div>Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-64251090020756494522014-11-10T17:10:00.002-05:002016-11-23T13:06:14.711-05:002014 Austin Film Festival Notes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98bWUIdGAF8NY3U3IEHRywpdNBjRhR_haxT_5UJ-ER81Y2Irw9mvUliUh0syBsHCPR9h5GHIj9iZEXQd0dPDzjvF8kiWvI_CkiyFlk2Q3Z7FwH6w1h6AtN4uXx29q_5kikBW63pVja-WJ/s1600/IMG_6168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98bWUIdGAF8NY3U3IEHRywpdNBjRhR_haxT_5UJ-ER81Y2Irw9mvUliUh0syBsHCPR9h5GHIj9iZEXQd0dPDzjvF8kiWvI_CkiyFlk2Q3Z7FwH6w1h6AtN4uXx29q_5kikBW63pVja-WJ/s1600/IMG_6168.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not actual size.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Austin Film Festival and Conference was held this past month in sunny, hip Austin, Texas. It was my first time at the festival, and it was a thrill.<br />
<br />
My action drama sci-fi script, <i>Seize the Sky</i>, was a second-round selection in the screenplay competition. I had heard a terrific podcast on <a href="http://handsometimmydexpress.com/2014/10/07/santagate-an-interview-with-mike-sundy/" target="_blank">The Handsome Timmy D Express with screenwriter (and Austin alum) Mike Sundy</a>. He had great advice for Austin attendees, but what stuck with me the most was his emphasis on <i>horizontal networking</i>, as opposed to <i>vertical networking</i>. This is the idea that you'll gain more creative and professional traction from connecting with people at the same professional level at which you are (i.e., other filmmakers with official selections, other second-rounders, other semi-finalists) than with people at professional levels above you (i.e., the writer of <i>Groundhog Day, </i>the writer of <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>). I took this to heart while attending the festival, and it was the right way to go.<br />
<br />
First off, the festival had booked a phenomenal set of panelists. Quite often, there'd be up to a dozen panels running concurrently and my biggest problem was deciding whether to attend the panel with Tom Schulman (<i>Dead Poets Society</i>), Linda Woolverton (<i>Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Maleficent</i>), Craig Borten (<i>Dallas Buyers Club</i>), or Matthew Weiner (<i>Mad Men</i>). Inevitably, I missed some great speakers but the panels I attended were still creative juggernauts for the mind.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1fxEm1AkLdGe1LbY1iFuSdAt8i1n82fqT9gnA7bZEyqrqvpAkDERTcS_ziY1CCzwYD7uUE4Q12hpMM4a5zgt81sVbvAwp0zUZY6CEobRRBEPNWEI5ieGrvtH_EWw9PUTvhWI9NywvSZb/s1600/IMG_6152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1fxEm1AkLdGe1LbY1iFuSdAt8i1n82fqT9gnA7bZEyqrqvpAkDERTcS_ziY1CCzwYD7uUE4Q12hpMM4a5zgt81sVbvAwp0zUZY6CEobRRBEPNWEI5ieGrvtH_EWw9PUTvhWI9NywvSZb/s1600/IMG_6152.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dig BBQ? REALLY dig BBQ? You need to be here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The festival organizers asked that attendees refrain from taking photographs of the panelists. However, I took a lot of notes at the panels, and I'm pleased to share some with you.<br />
<br />
For the most part, the panelists discussed a broad array of topics, relating to the craft and business of screenwriting. I'm reminded of a talk David Magee (<i>Finding Neverland, Life of Pi</i>) gave at Emerson College once, in which he said that if you asked 100 writers how they broke in, you'd receive 100 different answers. While that's true, the AFF helped me discover some commonalities to every writer's experience, which I take as encouraging.<br />
<br />
The first panel I attended was with Richard LaGravenese (<i>The Fisher King, Behind the Candelabra, The Bridges of Madison County</i>), Michael H. Weber (<i>(500) Days of Summer</i>), and Vanessa Taylor (<i>Hope Springs, Divergent, Game of Thrones</i>). The theme of the panel was Romancing the Screenplay, including a discussion about writing the process of romantic love into a script.<br />
<br />
Among the tips were:<br />
<br />
1. Romance means knowing thyself. What truths have you personally learned that will translate into an on-screen construction (or deconstruction) of two people coming together?<br />
<br />
2. "Normal is just a disguise word - there is no normal."<br />
<br />
3. A good jumping-off point when you're stuck is to ask, "What would really happen?" and then take it from there. Veer from that, if necessary. Defy how other films have done it.<br />
<br />
4. Have a strong obstacle.<br />
<br />
I then attended a roundtable discussion in which I was able to speak with Danny Rubin (<i>Groundhog Day</i>), Jason Headley (<i>It's Not About the Nail</i>), and Vanessa Taylor. Headley mentioned how Michael Arndt's (<i>Little Miss. Sunshine, Toy Story 3</i>) work had influenced him, especially with regards to character stakes. It was the first time I had heard mention of philosophical stakes in addition to external stakes (plot) and internal stakes (theme). If external is the pursuit of the tangible goal and internal is the emotional goal, then philosophical refers to the values of the wider community versus the individual. How are these reconciled? Or are they?<br />
<br />
The next panel I attended was held with John August (<i>Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i>), Franklin Leonard (creator of The Blacklist), and Ilyse McKimmie (Feature Film Program Director, Sundance Labs). They went over the first three pages of a few competition scripts and discussed what made them want to read the remaining 90-100 pages.<br />
<br />
While a lot of good tips were thrown at the audience, my biggest takeaway was the idea of <i>energy</i>. Namely, scripts need to have it. Sounds obvious, right? But even in my own classes back in cozy New England, it astounds me how often my students will write in a scene in which a character sits and thinks or sits and studies or naps or sleeps. Keep us moving! It's lights, camera, <i>action!</i> Not lights, camera, <i>sit!</i> Film is a visual medium and should be written as such. Other takeaways:<br />
<br />
1. Good enough is <i>never</i> good enough. Be beyond exceptional.<br />
<br />
2. Activate the passive.<br />
<br />
3. Exude full confidence in your story.<br />
<br />
My next panel was with the venerable Tom Schulman, who wrote <i>Dead Poets Society</i>. He spoke of working with director Peter Weir and how they encouraged improv among the cast of the film. On writing, Schulman encouraged us to "trust your instincts amidst the pressure" and to ask ourselves "what does it mean to rebel?" I think you can expand that even further and ask yourself, "what does it mean to ____?" where the blank represents the theme of your film. In <i>Dead Poets</i>, since it refers to rebelling, how do characters <i>show</i> their resistance to change?<br />
<br />
The following panel was about development hell and featured Craig Borten, co-writer of my favorite film of 2013, <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i>. Did you know that from concept to finished film, it took <i>20 years</i> for <i>Dallas Buyers</i> to be made? Holy crap. Borten's persistence and patience paid off, but it was a sobering reminder of how difficult it could be to achieve any measure of success.<br />
<br />
Borten discussed writing characters who were outliers and yet how important it was to show them going about their everyday tasks. Of course, how you and I perform everyday tasks would be quite different from how <i>Dallas Buyers's</i> Ron Woodroof would do it. Borten also cautioned against excessive sentimentality and discussed how characters are often defined by their fates: how it took a death sentence for Woodroof to really begin to live. "A decent character," Borten said, "will never run out of plot. Make the mundane interesting."<br />
<br />
The following morning, I attended a panel on comedy writing. The panelists included Steve Faber (<i>We're the Millers, Wedding Crashers</i>), Phil Rosenthal (<i>Everybody Loves Raymond</i>), and Ed Solomon (<i>Men in Black, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure</i>). It was a lively (and hysterical) discussion. Notes of note include:<br />
<br />
1. If you're writing a comedy, line it up like a drama all the same. The stakes still need to be important to the character and the audience. There still must be an element of dramatic truth inherent. What would carry the story if it <i>wasn't</i> a comedy?<br />
<br />
2. Humor = tragedy + time.<br />
<br />
3. Start with an actual situation and push it into different directions. Then keep pushing.<br />
<br />
4. Jokes come last. Story comes first. If need be, go to the darkest place and then bring it back from there.<br />
<br />
5. When it comes to developing your own voice, in what are you the <i>only expert</i>?<br />
<br />
The next panel included Tom Schulman, Craig Borten, and Jim Uhls (<i>Fight Club</i>). The panel's theme was Status Quo and how characters attempt to fit into and/or subvert it. Takeaways:<br />
<br />
1. All films ought to be somehow subversive, embracing the idea of rejecting the status quo. And make the audience agree with a character's reasons for wanting to upend it. After all, hope for the character in many ways means hope for ourselves.<br />
<br />
2. The character who changes the most is usually the most interesting character.<br />
<br />
3. A character typically starts out with a desire to change things for themselves and ultimately changes things for everyone.<br />
<br />
4. Steps in rebelling against the status quo are your main plot points.<br />
<br />
5. There must be consequences for the rebellion. What is sacrificed?<br />
<br />
6. Characters want to <i>live. </i>How do they define that for themselves?<br />
<br />
The following discussion I attended was with Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter behind <i>Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, </i>and <i>Maleficient.</i> The panel topic was Heroes, Villains, and Happily Ever After. Ideas from this panel included:<br />
<br />
1. Very often, the captive changes the captor.<br />
<br />
2. What are the <i>constant, direct</i> threats?<br />
<br />
3. Why is every character the way they are?<br />
<br />
4. Sidekicks reflect the tone, but they also must possess their own stakes and agendas.<br />
<br />
5. What's the element of tragedy around each character?<br />
<br />
6. What is the story's emotional center? This is why you're writing the story in the first place.<br />
<br />
I then attended a talk entitled "Writing Relatable Space Raccoons" with Nicole Perlman (<i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>). She mentioned how important it was to write down as many ideas as possible, to pay attention to how characters grow together, and ultimately how vulnerability leads to compassion for not only heroes but also for villains.<br />
<br />
My final panel was with Mary Coleman, Senior Development Executive at Pixar. It was a hands-on panel, by which I mean that the attendees actually moved about to define signature gestures for ourselves as well as for our characters. A signature gesture is an integrated element, a repeated action a character performs that helps to define a core characteristic. Examples:<br />
<br />
1. "Cross your heart!" in <i>Up</i>.<br />
<br />
2. WALL-E's desire to hold EVE's hand in <i>WALL-E.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> 3. Maximus's grasping of the soil beneath his feet in <i>Gladiator</i>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnuAOLkOYZdO78wdZha0W-JfARnh3AeZbEO3B6aTF7EgObRWusVbsYICkRMvMH1oAwVEOzJvHz26rxUuF5QVwsAlgqFKaiHbjftRtR_XOVSLHJGhwyhkSgx2BtmfQKKxjLjMo-RvDbQCr/s1600/IMG_6171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnuAOLkOYZdO78wdZha0W-JfARnh3AeZbEO3B6aTF7EgObRWusVbsYICkRMvMH1oAwVEOzJvHz26rxUuF5QVwsAlgqFKaiHbjftRtR_XOVSLHJGhwyhkSgx2BtmfQKKxjLjMo-RvDbQCr/s1600/IMG_6171.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a>Signature gestures reinforce that films are visual, and that it's important to write for the eye rather than the ear. This was an enjoyable workshop, and it was nice to stand up and perform after so many seated discussions.<br />
<br />
Overall, I was extremely impressed with the AFF. If the hard part is choosing a panel out of so many awesome ones, then they must be doing something right. Quite often, some panelists would appear at the hotel bar, available to talk to any attendees. Even better, everyone in attendance was united by the desire to tell the best damn stories we possibly could. I met some terrific fellow writers and I look forward to keeping up with their endeavors as well as hopefully working with them on future projects.<br />
<br />
While at Austin, I came up with an idea for a feature script as well as a pilot. It goes to show, I suppose, that in spending time with the inspirational, you can't help but take a little inspiration for yourself. If the lessons of the AFF are to write, collaborate, and cheer each other on, then I aspire to continue.<br />
<br />
I hope this was helpful. In the continuing spirit of AFF, let me know if I could be of any help on your project(s)!Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-51029449119511713072014-09-22T15:00:00.002-04:002014-09-22T15:03:27.061-04:00Wound Up<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH78J_33ELGBBszRK83WSRnVXWrsbjRLKpyOLARn56Aa20rM2rtRzI37atE1nLum87vo9PwXHS0yrVxYfMdu_iIrv94MiYugmhgkM0St-C67Tg6gbn1EmW7nlmRH0WilCLtalUmxSSwiX/s1600/dbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH78J_33ELGBBszRK83WSRnVXWrsbjRLKpyOLARn56Aa20rM2rtRzI37atE1nLum87vo9PwXHS0yrVxYfMdu_iIrv94MiYugmhgkM0St-C67Tg6gbn1EmW7nlmRH0WilCLtalUmxSSwiX/s1600/dbc.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's a little bit rock 'n roll, he's a lot country. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why is your story about one character as opposed to another? If your tale takes place in a city of 7,000,000 people, there are at least 7,000,000 stories there. How do you know which is the most compelling to explore? Which will keep your audience riveted for an entire novel? Or film?<br />
<br />
Ideally, your focus will be on the character who has the furthest to grow. The one who has the greatest odds stacked against him. The one with the most to lose. The one with the most relatable wound.<br />
<br />
How do wounds happen to characters? Well, how do they happen to <i>us</i>? In one of two ways: passive and active. Passive would be if a forest fire burned your house to the ground through no fault of your own. Active would be if you were the one playing with matches in the woods. Either way, you'll wind up a changed person. However in only one of those examples does the situation paint a more complex, detailed picture of a character.<br />
<br />
Either way, if your house burns down, we can learn a lot about you. What do you prioritize? Who/what do you save first? Do you shake a fist at the skies? Do you start rebuilding immediately? But a character who inadvertently burns down her own house instantly has us asking questions. She immediately <i>invests</i> us. Something's wrong. She's troubled. And the best stories are about troubled people becoming people in trouble.<br />
<br />
To boil it down simply, the flaw creates the wound. A character's defining characteristic <i>directly causes </i>the inciting incident. In the beginning of your story, your protagonist digs themselves into a mighty hole with a backhoe, and the bulk of your tale is you handing them an olive fork to dig themselves out.<br />
<br />
In <i>The Social Network</i>, Mark's flaw is that he's status-obsessed. He creates the wound by demeaning Erica at dinner. She leaves. He spends the rest of the film trying to recover her.<br />
<br />
In <i>Finding Nemo</i>, Marlin's flaw is that he's overprotective. He creates the wound by demeaning his son at school. Nemo's abducted. Marlin spends the rest of the film trying to save him.<br />
<br />
In <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i>, Ron Woodroof is a homophobe who believes himself invincible. His fast and loose 1980s lifestyle leads to his contraction of HIV, and he spends the rest of the film trying to save his own life as well as the lives of all those infected.<br />
<br />
In <i>Casablanca</i>, Rick's broken heart threatens to put Ilsa and Laszlo into unspeakable danger. He spends the film working his way through his bitterness to ultimately make the right decision at the key moment.<br />
<br />
In <i>Jurassic Park</i>, Alan Grant doesn't like kids (to an extreme). Then he's thrown into a situation wherein he must save two of them from becoming dinosaur chow. At least one of the children ends up saving his life in the process, and by the end of the film he has a child under each arm, sleeping up against him. Who'd have thought?<br />
<br />
Bottom line, your character, by virtue of who they are, must land themselves into huge trouble. By virtue of who they <i>can be</i> and <i>should be</i>, they pull themselves out. When who they are turns into who they can be, their <i>potential</i>, there's your story.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-116108077378076462014-08-15T08:41:00.000-04:002014-08-15T08:58:52.524-04:00What's on Page 12?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFaTQSydKFinl75gRrZgqRtgHw-OWlmeYxnnh-tuJNcHKV0VgLerfsFwQBPxNicULJ7wvTD6Vb-HE1vCurCCmKsk5A0hAfvRjTw-l9kTrwHcD0mQPKNQCuq9-EZUANmHTjU-bEpjW9jso/s1600/gd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFaTQSydKFinl75gRrZgqRtgHw-OWlmeYxnnh-tuJNcHKV0VgLerfsFwQBPxNicULJ7wvTD6Vb-HE1vCurCCmKsk5A0hAfvRjTw-l9kTrwHcD0mQPKNQCuq9-EZUANmHTjU-bEpjW9jso/s1600/gd.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone will believe you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Writing isn't something you just do for fun. You do it because you love the act of creation. The act of making something exist that previously didn't. Of making someone else <i>feel</i> because of something you made. If you sit down every day and write, whether your work sits on your hard drive or the bestseller list on Amazon, you're a writer.<br />
<br />
But no one's good at it on the first try. That's why not everyone is a writer. They try it, think they've written something not too shabby, pass it around, and receive a generally lukewarm reception. "I guess I'm not a writer," they say, and continue on with their lives, not-writing. It's like sitting at a piano for the first time and expecting to be Mozart or Marvin Hamlisch. But Mozart and Hamlisch sat down at the piano every day for years and very likely sucked the first time they did it. Maybe even the second time. Maybe even the first dozen times. And beyond that. But we don't hear about those early days. We hear their music as it sounded at the peak of their form.<br />
<br />
That can be you. Of course it can. But you need to realize that most of your writing will suck. With courage, you'll realize that if you do it every day, each day it will suck just a bit less. But it's painfully incremental. It takes a patience on the order of years, which again is why so many people spend their lives not-writing. "A thankless, no-paying job that I park myself down to do day after day, year after year? No thanks." As writers, we can understand that. Not everyone is cut out for the job, just as not everyone is cut out to be an astronaut. But being an astronaut is really cool. So is being a writer. If not more so. After all, more people read books or watch films than watch astronauts.<br />
<br />
UCLA's Hal Ackerman says, "The reason most of us write is corny, it's sentimental, it's tragically unhip, but it's the truth. We do it because it's what we want to do."<br />
<br />
Gospel.<br />
<br />
David Koepp, screenwriter of <i>Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible,</i> and <i>Spider-Man</i>, has mentioned that he's successful because he can tolerate 17 drafts. Often, a writer presents me with a first draft script, I mark it up considerably, pass it back to them, and they scratch their head, thinking that what they had given me was the next Writers Guild award-winner. The issue is that they presented me with a first draft script. Or even a second draft. Or a 10th. Or even a shooting script. <br />
<br />
Point being: writers have a lot of obstacles to overcome. I'd posit that nearly half (if not more) of those obstacles exist solely in the mind of the writer. You have to accept that your work won't be very good on the first try, just as your first time playing Beethoven's Für Elise won't be up to Beethoven's standards. But do yourself a favor and do more than <i>accept</i> it: <i>expect</i> it. If you expect magnificent writing to flow from you the first time you put pen to paper, you're setting yourself up for an impossible standard. But if you expect that you'll have more work to do after the first, second, and third drafts, then that's a large part of what separates the professionals from the amateurs. The writers from the not-writers. The fruits of any creative labor can almost certainly be made even better. That applies to writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, and anyone working in the arts.<br />
<br />
There's an apocryphal story about an older gentleman strolling into an art gallery, setting up a stool in front of a displayed artwork, and painting over a part of the canvas with his own addition. Horrified, a security guard barreled over and the painter revealed that the work on the original canvas was his own. He was merely "fixing" his own painting to his own specifications.<br />
<br />
When I was stuck on page 11 of my 2010 science fiction comedy short, <i>Timothy Feathergrass</i>, I sought the advice of local screenwriter (and scribe of <i>Groundhog Day</i>) Danny Rubin. "All of my ideas suck," I told him, "It's all too complicated and I'm bogged in the minutiae. I'm stuck on page 11."<br />
<br />
He asked, "What's on page 12?"<br />
<br />
"Nothing. I'm stuck, remember?"<br />
<br />
He said, "Any writing is better than nothing. Just plow forward. Even if you think your idea is terrible. You can always turn a bad idea into a better one. But if your page 12 is blank, then what are you going to do with it?"<br />
<br />
Sage wisdom. I indeed plowed ahead. Page 12 indeed sucked. But with time and effort and rewrites and coffee, it turned from a chunk of marble into something resembling a sculpture.<br />
<br />
In your own writing, don't mistake the chunk of marble for the statue. Take your time. Take the effort. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. You're a writer, after all. That's your job, isn't it?Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-64592874061110348942014-07-06T23:15:00.001-04:002015-07-21T10:13:36.709-04:00Eight Story Fixes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YiA5hJBPLnLZJQiQ41xOCuQbM5cGjlxnPf1oKNfR-RMQJuYnkdP26ByqxPpT3Ra-Ja5JoY4uS0uIhgMSOwQ3HPkmOUqmaHHDRKw_tqstOOMI-JMkn4hHrL24nTML6XeFK7o2M-NUHGmW/s1600/theend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YiA5hJBPLnLZJQiQ41xOCuQbM5cGjlxnPf1oKNfR-RMQJuYnkdP26ByqxPpT3Ra-Ja5JoY4uS0uIhgMSOwQ3HPkmOUqmaHHDRKw_tqstOOMI-JMkn4hHrL24nTML6XeFK7o2M-NUHGmW/s1600/theend.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congratulations! The easy part's over.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Something's wrong. You can't put your finger on it, but that brand new manuscript you've been working on for years lacks that something that Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, and R. A. Salvatore have in spades. Or maybe it's your screenplay that for some reason lacks the snappy dialogue you'd expect from a Quentin Tarantino or Aaron Sorkin script. Or your play that's missing the emotional gravitas of an Edward Albee, Martin McDonagh, or Tom Stoppard work. Maybe a short story that aspires to be regarded like the works of James Joyce or John Updike.<br />
<br />
Whatever it is, it's yours. You wrote something. You're a writer. And that's awesome. Period.<br />
<br />
But could it be better? How?<br />
<br />
1. <u>Setting Fatigue</u><br />
<u><br />
</u>In J. K. Rowling's <i>Harry Potter</i> series, most of the series's action takes place in a single location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But the location is <i>really interesting</i>. There are even chapter and book titles named after the various rooms and places on the castle grounds (i.e., The Unknowable Room, The Chamber of Secrets, The Forbidden Forest). The point is, a film audience will grow tired of a single setting after about three minutes. Unless it's the site of a major action set piece (i.e., a race track, a boxing ring, a shootout), if it's in a screenplay, you have about three pages per setting before the scene becomes more of a stage play.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjT95SB7J25yWLvaDumpI8ZnipnXTwDuI1aon021HzMTEEd8lhd7PUlpfCJlXUDx-IjwYTnT88kcYY6gdokO157i1yN-cBDhROp3WvBE06YZF_XB_u_bGLzT-_pIqRlYL-gPzHi9X9-t5c/s1600/hogwarts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjT95SB7J25yWLvaDumpI8ZnipnXTwDuI1aon021HzMTEEd8lhd7PUlpfCJlXUDx-IjwYTnT88kcYY6gdokO157i1yN-cBDhROp3WvBE06YZF_XB_u_bGLzT-_pIqRlYL-gPzHi9X9-t5c/s1600/hogwarts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One setting. A zillion possibilities.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But <i>what about</i> a stage play? In so many, most (if not all) of the action takes place in the same place. Neil Simon's <i>Plaza Suite</i>? Martin McDonagh's <i>The Pillowman</i>? How is it that a play can do it but a screenplay usually can't?<br />
<br />
In a play, oftentimes a single setting is used (at first) as a blank slate - be it a hotel room in <i>Plaza Suite </i>or a backyard in Arthur Miller's <i>All My Sons. </i>In examples such as these, it's the characters who use the setting (itself arguably a character) to its maximum potential, and no such setting is ever chosen arbitrarily.<br />
<br />
In a film, however, you have a bit over 100 pages to move us from place to place to place. Keep it moving, and take us to locations that we don't expect. As much thought should be given to your settings as to your characters.<br />
<br />
<br />
2. <u>Flat Protagonist</u><br />
<u><br />
</u> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-bhFMYtBcEpctTOXJXI1HN7PxIFpU1RPm43B221yDAy5h_DTnBePnziN6b-IoD06p9iLL_wRIpwYoRMpC356AGVUaEj2bZ36hJPdGAOudsgObCXt-Xm_6ualtmvukKbPoi7QafqSR3gG/s1600/braveheart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-bhFMYtBcEpctTOXJXI1HN7PxIFpU1RPm43B221yDAy5h_DTnBePnziN6b-IoD06p9iLL_wRIpwYoRMpC356AGVUaEj2bZ36hJPdGAOudsgObCXt-Xm_6ualtmvukKbPoi7QafqSR3gG/s1600/braveheart2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Write or I'll jump out of your closet, tonight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Stories must move us. The characters who move the stories must be moving, themselves. There's a physical journey (find the grail, rescue the prince/princess, find my father, stop the bad guy, move my house to Paradise Falls, etc.) but too often neglected (and far more important) is the <i>internal</i> journey that the character takes in becoming a <i>new character</i> by story's end. In <i>Braveheart</i>, how does young William Wallace turn into an ideal? A legend? How does Luke Skywalker turn from bumpkin farm boy to savior of the rebellion? How does Red go from hopeless to brimming with hope, in <i>The Shawshank Redemption</i>?<br />
<br />
The best protagonists are imperfect. They're flawed. Their flaw is oftentimes their defining characteristic. Why a flaw? Because <i>we </i>are flawed in various ways, and we like projecting ourselves onto screens and imagining ourselves as the hero of the rebellion, as being full of hope, and as leading a charge of disgruntled Scotsmen across a field. It's so much easier when those who do it remind us of ourselves. Ditch the perfect character. They have to learn something the hard way.<br />
<u><br />
</u> <u><br />
</u> 3. <u>Flat Antagonist</u><br />
<u><br />
</u> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_L1G9wsAkXxXKB4jU5QLNlQomuceCYl6vvyF-CPIFJYQ-ZaFzrJTuQ0GsM3lIiCW85LbpQTlA5UVxRi8EAolpsOaSzrfnKo-f7gBZ-ztRwcPzF99fI3PXxhjRRoVl4OS7OAgn8yJ2F17/s1600/social.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_L1G9wsAkXxXKB4jU5QLNlQomuceCYl6vvyF-CPIFJYQ-ZaFzrJTuQ0GsM3lIiCW85LbpQTlA5UVxRi8EAolpsOaSzrfnKo-f7gBZ-ztRwcPzF99fI3PXxhjRRoVl4OS7OAgn8yJ2F17/s1600/social.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Trust me."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's often easier to name the attributes of an antagonist than those of a main character. "Evil," "mean," "cruel," "sadistic," "British accent," and such. But "antagonist" doesn't mean "bad guy" so much as it means, "person or force who stands in the way of the protagonist." That doesn't always mean evil. In fact, it <i>shouldn't</i>. Why? Because like your protagonist, your antagonist should also be sympathetic. <i>Tragic</i>, even. Your audience should be shaking their heads, saying to themselves, "If only the antagonist had made the right decision at the right moment, he/she'd be a good person." While a protagonist rises to the challenge of overcoming their flaw, an antagonist often falls victim to and is <i>dominated by</i> their issue.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, this is turned on its head. In <i>The Social Network</i>, for example, the antagonists are really more sympathetic than the protagonist. The Mark Zuckerberg character comes across as opportunistic and treacherous. Those he tricked sue him and become his antagonists, but they're certainly not awful people. What makes this such a strong script is that each character is worthy of sympathy. Only we're shaking our heads at Mark rather than the Winklevoss twins.<br />
<br />
In most cases, however, antagonists are characters we'd like to see put in their place. If only Anakin Skywalker had realized that death was the natural way of things, he never would've turned into a homicidal maniac... if only the Joker had used his incredible intellect to help and believe in society rather than give up on it and subvert it... if only Warden Samuel Norton wasn't corrupt and had a strong sense of justice, he'd have been a champion of Andy's cause in <i>Shawshank</i>... if only Senator Paul Thurman had more faith in humanity and didn't initiate an apocalyptic plot in Hugh Howey's Silo Trilogy...<br />
<br />
The road to a good antagonist is paved with <i>if onlys</i>.<br />
<u><br />
</u> <u><br />
</u> 4. <u>No Subplots</u><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jujLjC5NWW2s0JTD_RmjlF1BuOem5ovFACLloagRT6WQjMzjl3hDK-Bw53uSfhHgvxRK_c_jFgOcxQShKCI9xHsWaYxKJ4drndTvsZE0XGHsmlORnD49vodYtjuWxdCoeirRWt5v5W8o/s1600/upstamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jujLjC5NWW2s0JTD_RmjlF1BuOem5ovFACLloagRT6WQjMzjl3hDK-Bw53uSfhHgvxRK_c_jFgOcxQShKCI9xHsWaYxKJ4drndTvsZE0XGHsmlORnD49vodYtjuWxdCoeirRWt5v5W8o/s1600/upstamp.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subplot on a U.S. postage stamp!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The main plot is your alpha story. It's what you pitch. It's what your audience will relay when someone asks them, "What's it about?" Subplots carry the emotional thread of the story. If the main plot is the story of the physical journey, then subplots carry the emotional thread of that all-important inner character journey. As such, subplots are character <i>relationships</i>.<br />
<br />
In <i>Up,</i> it's Dug the dog's relationship with Carl that ultimately changes Dug from lowest-on-the-totem-pole to pack leader. In <i>In Bruges</i>, it's Ray's relationship with Ken that ultimately ejects him from his suicidal funk. In <i>The Social Network</i>, it's Mark's growing relationship with Sean Parker that undermines and ultimately obliterates his relationship with Eduardo Saverin, completing his journey to full-fledged asshole.<br />
<br />
Subplots are relationships that support your main story, and your main story is your story's main relationship. Your subplots demand your attention and care, so don't be stingy.<br />
<br />
<br />
5. <u>No Conflict</u><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gbPRomM20PDbKJVbL-wlaHrBtDLmVc-NUm_vBVOFxXu3MzrYahY1U3W-Dbja6SFNWw8xgFjcx_fqU2nEVkgbFHn3LsluYz13H7TuoZitiZLKhLgT71aMFB3s-EMNceTH93jz8gvZMfqh/s1600/indy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gbPRomM20PDbKJVbL-wlaHrBtDLmVc-NUm_vBVOFxXu3MzrYahY1U3W-Dbja6SFNWw8xgFjcx_fqU2nEVkgbFHn3LsluYz13H7TuoZitiZLKhLgT71aMFB3s-EMNceTH93jz8gvZMfqh/s1600/indy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Why aren't WE on a postage stamp?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I ran a writers' meeting recently in which I stated that every scene, without exception, must have conflict. A writer laughed at that and asked me why. Simply stated, nothing is more interesting, more <i>arresting</i>, than conflict. Want proof? Glance at the news. Glance at your Facebook feed. Which posts have the most comments? Those that report an injustice, or are otherwise polarizing.<br />
<br />
Remember that old saying about how you never really know a person until you see how they perform under pressure? Well, we really want to know your characters, so you had best put them under boatloads of pressure. How best to accomplish that? Conflict! Characters <i>grow</i> through conflict. Characters <i>accomplish</i> through conflict. Characters <i>act</i> through conflict. In <i>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</i>, Indy grows closer to his father but only after fighting through a phalanx of Nazis. We learn more about characters through conflict, and the story charges forward because of it. It's absolutely necessary. Embrace the conflict.<br />
<u><br />
</u> <u><br />
</u> 6. <u>Tired Concept</u><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR-_yLgXWfWLDwmwincGGkTMINkV5mZCnc1B39fbUUh901V4v2eiB0V42xYBYJ7UXreiuFNPvuWyqkY1TvkQ-SXlkl_fs59TKCTVzjtsGFe0_ldgVy-xdNqrgU2fwq4MVp_LeF6qvCQsj/s1600/agaig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR-_yLgXWfWLDwmwincGGkTMINkV5mZCnc1B39fbUUh901V4v2eiB0V42xYBYJ7UXreiuFNPvuWyqkY1TvkQ-SXlkl_fs59TKCTVzjtsGFe0_ldgVy-xdNqrgU2fwq4MVp_LeF6qvCQsj/s1600/agaig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I like you, too. Why are you holding a lamp?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>"It's similar to Nicholas Sparks" or "It's similar to <i>Jaws</i>" or "It's similar to Alfred Hitchcock." If you begin a description of your story with one of these phrases, then you may want to reconsider. Let me ask you: do you think that Nicholas Sparks, Peter Benchley and Steven Spielberg, or Alfred Hitchcock described the works they set out to make as, "Well, it's similar to such-and-such"?<br />
<br />
Of course they didn't.<br />
<br />
That's because they came up with new ways to tell stories and they had absolute faith that their particular takes had not been done before. There were romantic tales for over a thousand years before Nicholas Sparks penned <i>The Notebook</i>. Stories of horror long before <i>Jaws</i>. Yarns of the uncanny ages before Hitchcock. Write what only you can write. That doesn't mean tell your life story, but it does mean that if horror interests you, then what's your specific take on the respected old genre? What's your take on the romantic comedy? On drama? What can you bring to it to make it fresh? New? <i>Something we've never, ever seen before?</i> If it's too similar to something that's already been done, then that doesn't make an audience say, "Awesome! <i>Another</i> vampire book!" They'll ask, "Why should I spend my time reading <i>another</i> vampire book? What makes this one different from the flood of vampire books we've already read this summer?"<br />
<br />
The trick is to focus less on the story, when you're starting out, and more on the characters. When you're asked, "What's your story about?" you don't want to say, "It's a romantic comedy." You'd be much better off describing it as, "A cynical, obsessive-compulsive romance novelist attempts to woo a struggling single mother who thinks he's creepy. But once he generously pays for her son's medication, they begin a relationship." That's far more specific, far more image-based, and far more intriguing (the film is Oscar winner <i>As Good as it Gets</i>).<br />
<br />
<i>I Love You, Man</i> is an example of a romantic comedy... with two guys coming together (platonically) as opposed to a guy chasing a woman. It takes the standard rom-com engine and spins it in a new direction. It's fresh and funny, even if it goes overboard on iPhone product placement. <i>Bridget Jones's Diary</i> is another example, this time of a woman chasing a guy. It's funny and different, and was a success. Maybe every story has already been done... but every character sure as heck hasn't, and that gives you a colossal advantage.<br />
<br />
You want people to hear your logline and say, "Why didn't <i>I</i> think of that?"<br />
<br />
Don't write the familiar. Write the uniquely familiar<br />
<br />
<br />
7. <u>Passive Plot</u><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIq5n5iH2peCagFCYH6tKy4c0_bFEDlmPlIj2m0aNMapgQedVpsYVDT6k1KG_wm2RlRBGaQZTH8xsuQXmLYFbfia1nlFVTPt9_Ptyhg2g8CbIGHL6QAlh-SRlZyRU4UG7BfmBChUe_oc9C/s1600/twister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIq5n5iH2peCagFCYH6tKy4c0_bFEDlmPlIj2m0aNMapgQedVpsYVDT6k1KG_wm2RlRBGaQZTH8xsuQXmLYFbfia1nlFVTPt9_Ptyhg2g8CbIGHL6QAlh-SRlZyRU4UG7BfmBChUe_oc9C/s1600/twister.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least it's not a Sharknado.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I call this <i>Twister Syndrome.</i> In a film in which the natural disasters cause the plot, the natural disasters become the most interesting characters in the film. And that shouldn't be. Your protagonist must <i>cause</i> the plot and be the source of every action that pushes it forward.<br />
<br />
I read a colleague's script recently about a likable, powerful politician who orders his underlings to stop his rival politician from seizing control of the government. High intrigue, sure, but if all your protagonist does is sit in his armchair and dole out orders, he stops being altogether interesting. He should be the one out there, boots on the ground, stopping his adversary at every turn. After all, that's what makes a hero a hero. They're willing to stick their neck out.<br />
<br />
In <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, Sauron is content to hang out atop his tower and send out everyone and everything to stop his foes... but he never leads the charge himself. He's a static antagonist who literally remains in the same place for the entire trilogy. He's willing to sacrifice legions for his cause, but he never once sets foot on the battlefield (at least during the time period exhibited in the story). He's powerful, but in many ways he remains impotent.<br />
<br />
Don't let an impotent protagonist happen to you. Your protagonist must lead the charge into every plot event. Events shouldn't <i>happen to</i> your protagonist so much as your protagonist <i>causes events</i>. The antagonist should take interest in your protagonist because your protagonist is already off somewhere, driving the plot. <i>That's</i> when the antagonist strikes, forcing your active protagonist to <i>strike back</i>, and so on.<br />
<br />
In <i>Braveheart</i>, William Wallace tempts fate (and the ire of the aristocracy) by secretly marrying his childhood sweetheart in order to save her from rape. The king's men then execute Wallace's sweetheart, Wallace strikes back, and the conflict spirals out of control from there. All because Wallace <i>acts</i> to help someone he loves. But in doing so, he makes things worse for himself. That's a terrific irony, and all because he's an active fellow.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bang bang, she shot me down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>8. <u>Low Stakes</u><br />
<br />
What if Darth Vader shot Luke out of the sky in <i>Star Wars</i>? What if Dr. Alan Grant didn't save Lex and Tim in <i>Jurassic Park</i>? What if the Nazis caught up with Victor Laszlo in <i>Casablanca</i>? What happens if your protagonist fails at their quest? Writer/producer Jim Cirile says that if at any point your protagonist can just throw his hands up during the quest and say, "The hell with this," then you shouldn't be writing that story. <br />
<br />
The cost of failure on the part of your protagonist must be absolutely dire.<br />
<br />
How do you ratchet up the stakes? A great place to start is death. If your protagonist doesn't win, he/she will die. That's a pretty big deal. But it's not necessarily even the biggest of the stakes you can write. For many people, there exist situations that are a fate <i>worse than</i> death. In <i>Finding Nemo</i>, Marlin would rather die than have a life without his beloved son. In <i>Casablanca</i>, Rick would rather die than lose the love of his life a second time ("Go ahead and shoot," he tells Ilsa, "You'll be doing me a favor."). In <i>The Shawshank Redemption</i>, Andy fears a loss of hope more than death.<br />
<br />
Whatever represents death or a fate worse than death for your protagonist must be that which hangs over your story. Screenwriter Blake Snyder made this point succinctly when he wrote that the prime motivators were sex, hunger, fear of death, protection of loved ones, and survival. These are primal motivators, and everyone can relate to them. Any one of these must be threatened over the course of your story in order for the audience to genuinely care about and fear for your protagonist. Keep the stakes high!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Throw an active character into an intriguing setting with a deep antagonist, rich subplot relationships, and plenty of life-or-death conflict. Your readers will thank you for it!Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-8184429061853512462014-05-19T11:42:00.001-04:002014-05-19T11:42:41.125-04:00The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCc_8QA3n39gyolaiom4z7JIjnxQSg6a5AqVnp6h_HuPFacnAujlp-sjjdsxtEcmQDSYaAzpPURZUsij-4GTZqAe4piyKBK91ATLM7dAz3DTwwRTMy-cUrkcrY1XRJI3BUO9b7r71NpsI/s1600/jj_the_dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCc_8QA3n39gyolaiom4z7JIjnxQSg6a5AqVnp6h_HuPFacnAujlp-sjjdsxtEcmQDSYaAzpPURZUsij-4GTZqAe4piyKBK91ATLM7dAz3DTwwRTMy-cUrkcrY1XRJI3BUO9b7r71NpsI/s1600/jj_the_dead.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You're wearing my nightgown."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why do we see films? Character transition. It’s fun to watch a character connect the dots from flawed to complete. From wounded to healed. From partial to whole. From fool to master. Whether you’re writing a short story, a novel, a stage play or screenplay, this is a fundamental (among many) that must be internalized and demonstrated for your audience to care about your characters. In a word, it’s fun to watch a character struggle to acquire wisdom.<br />
<br />
A final scene that demonstrates this mastery hammers this point home. This happens in real life. It will remind audiences of themselves, reassuring them that despite our individual idiosyncrasies, we’re all human. We’re in this together. And what’s more, this truth is played out every day. In grade school, if a bully shoves you into a locker, you might catch up with him after school and plant a fist between his eyes. After growing up, you learn that there are more mature (and lasting) ways to handle such a situation. Your character learns that he/she can’t continue with the emotional status quo if he/she is to save him/herself and save the day. <br />
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Showing your character’s flaw, as you know, is far more evocative than telling it. How does your character land him/herself in trouble in the story’s beginning, as a result of his/her personal problem? Whether greedy, airheaded, overprotective, status-obsessed, or prone to fits of rage, how are they a good person except for that one thing? And how is that one thing their defining characteristic? <br />
<br />
Situation A + character with flaw = character fails critical test. The beginning of your story.<br />
Situation A + character with flaw overcome = character passes critical test. The end of your story.<br />
<br />
In <i>Finding Nemo</i>, Nemo jumps on his father Marlin at the beginning of the story: “Time for school!” but Marlin is hesitant. It’s the first day that he’ll be separated from Nemo, and he doesn’t like that idea. At the end of the film, Marlin jumps on Nemo and says the same thing: “Time for school!” He can’t wait for Nemo to go out and have an adventure. This same scene, played over twice, has the same characters at first glance, but as storytellers we know that the Marlin at the film’s end is a very different character from the one at the beginning. Same situation. Very different characteristics in play. The beginning is the promise of the end.<br />
<br />
This is why sequels often don’t hold up to their predecessors. Once a character has become a master, where else is there for him/her to go? Once they’ve overcome their flaw, how else can they evolve? Of course, it can happen. In <i>Star Wars</i>, Luke learns that there’s more to the Force than being able to blow up the Death Star. Can he slay the enemy within? That becomes the franchise’s central question, and it takes two more films to answer it. It’s a tough strategy to pull off, but not impossible. Of course, just like people, as your characters’ circumstances change, so too will their personalities in reaction. For example, your character starts out as a flawed pauper, overcomes his flaw, and becomes the king at the story’s end. How about in part two, your character, as king, realizes that with his first taste of power comes the high potential that it can/will be abused? A new situation, a new flaw, and a new chance for growth.<br />
<br />
In what ways must your character grow? In James Joyce’s <i>The Dead</i>, one of my favorite short stories, the confident, set-in-his-ways Gabriel Conroy’s life view is shaken when he realizes that passion and a release of control perhaps lead to a more fulfilling, albeit unpredictable, way of living. And perhaps the life he’s been living is not truly a full life at all. In the beginning of the story, he quips about housemaid Lily’s love life (“I suppose we'll be going to your wedding one of these fine days with your young man, eh?”) and in the end is left to reflect on his own love life with his wife, Gretta. Is there love? Is there passion? When he asks similar questions to his wife about her former paramour (“the dull fires of his lust began to glow angrily in his veins”), it’s clear that ultimately, his feelings on it have evolved, and the Gabriel at the end, when presented with a similar situation, is very different.<br />
<br />
In Gail E. Haley’s <i>The Green Man</i>, a haughty lord learns that humility and generosity make him into a better person than arrogance. In the beginning, he scoffs at villagers who leave offerings for a legendary forest spirit. In the last scene, he leaves an offering, himself.<br />
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In the Arthurian myth, <i>Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</i>, Sir Gawain brashly volunteers himself to undertake a for-all-appearances simple challenge (decapitate a mysterious green knight) before the entire royal court. But when Gawain realizes that his brashness carries with it a deadly price (the supernatural green knight puts his head back on his shoulders and tells mortal Gawain that Gawain must undergo the same beheading a year hence), he must learn that courage is more than great deeds. At the story’s end, when it’s Gawain who faces a deadly axe, will his courage ultimately save him?<br />
<br />
In <i>Breaking Bad</i>, Walter and Jesse cook meth for the first time in a deserted New Mexico canyon. Four seasons later, he buries his money (and ultimately engages in a fateful firefight) in the same exact canyon. On one hand is the Walter who does for his family and on the other is the Walter who does for himself. How does he carry himself differently the second time?<br />
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Think of a story’s beginning and end like bookends. They look the same but face opposite directions. Whether it’s two first days of school, two queries about love, two offerings for a forest spirit, or two axes, showing how your character has changed from one to the other can best be accomplished by showing us how the character has changed between the two similar situations – and how, when presented with it the second time, they change beyond where they – or better yet your audience – ever thought they could.Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1118114504273613387.post-31303789467959369992014-04-04T10:18:00.001-04:002014-04-04T10:22:36.822-04:00Vince Gilligan at Harvard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMzTeG4vYM5kxF6fKvodqH9x1WzsH5IbEvRWlpRuMMNXlq-6W3pYxerWeKn29ZjSaB4QRdG8k7g-ublA_5kY7eKP0lXg9P71xW9gdtrNgHp3eyFiSCzX1ai92AzRXr7w8_H_fi0KhIaJk/s1600/vince1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMzTeG4vYM5kxF6fKvodqH9x1WzsH5IbEvRWlpRuMMNXlq-6W3pYxerWeKn29ZjSaB4QRdG8k7g-ublA_5kY7eKP0lXg9P71xW9gdtrNgHp3eyFiSCzX1ai92AzRXr7w8_H_fi0KhIaJk/s1600/vince1.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a>This past week, <i>Breaking Bad</i> creator (and <i>The X-Files</i> writer) Vince Gilligan visited Harvard University as part of the Learning from Performers Speaker Series. As someone who's currently making his way through <i>Breaking Bad</i>, this struck me as a terrific opportunity to learn more about the craft from one of its modern masters.<br />
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University President Drew Faust queried him on the show for the first 45 minutes of the program, and the latter 45 was opened up to the packed crowd for a Q&A.<br />
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Of particular note was Gilligan's emphasis on collaboration between the writers themselves as well as the cast when it came to developing and exploring character. He discussed a particular example of a scene in which characters (and meth cooks) Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are pursued to a dead end situation in which a police officer has them cornered in a junkyard, seconds away from forcing open the door to their RV/rolling meth lab. How could they possibly escape from such a situation? Gilligan himself admits, "At first we said that there was no way out of this."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmD-mBO26vA99kiWWP3VUcI-SNP6ZcQmOFX68pj-cfoIgcn25e-U53GQHIxl6ppIP2lMJPoq4jA33EzhBBOMXKmXbZ-B8Fdk1LHNzAflsayXEVeYSmiqEpJlfUUi9afFjJA0bbFT2vRaaq/s1600/vince3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmD-mBO26vA99kiWWP3VUcI-SNP6ZcQmOFX68pj-cfoIgcn25e-U53GQHIxl6ppIP2lMJPoq4jA33EzhBBOMXKmXbZ-B8Fdk1LHNzAflsayXEVeYSmiqEpJlfUUi9afFjJA0bbFT2vRaaq/s1600/vince3.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
Gilligan noted that it took his team a week to figure it out. Collaborating with other writers is a useful tool not only to help you explore the potential within your own script, but also to give you the freedom to paint your characters into such a corner that you yourself don't know how they'll ever make it out. If you write the scene and you don't know, your audience won't either. This makes it all the more entertaining (for your audience) and rewarding (for you) when ultimately, you (and/or those with whom you consult on story) do come up with the answer. Gilligan said, "What makes Walter White so brilliant is that he can come up in minutes with an answer that it took us probably hundreds of man-hours to figure out."<br />
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Gilligan also stressed the importance of visual storytelling. This is a lesson I drill into my own students. Something needs to happen in a scene. What is an <i>action</i> or series of actions that can take the place of dialogue? Is dialogue even necessary for the scene? Dialogue might be a few to a few dozen words, but an image is truly worth a thousand. Keep dialogue sparse, and use it only when necessary. How is showing a far more effective storytelling tool than telling?<br />
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As a further example from <i>Breaking Bad</i>, Gilligan noted the characters of the Cousins (Leonel and Marco), cartel hitmen. Between the two of them, over the course of several episodes, they speak barely a dozen lines. However, they cut a bloody swath of rampaging death from Mexico to Albuquerque. There's no doubt that these characters are serious and deadly. But they never issue a verbal threat. Not once. And they're terrifying. Moral of the story? Dialogue should be in your bag of tricks, but shouldn't always be a first line of attack. It's a film/TV show, after all. Not a radio play.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCexB4F_CCdUOqtVv-h_OV3vsLY1lH8nO7_4h3bdSzEe2aoc9ub7EHfLVzJ0dlONBhpsGaMCFu99hjhk0arm2rp8lvik7yW1d0zUQQvNv87z0kFmSV4IHdG94WBqgCj_c_kokFi7PcTnAQ/s1600/vince2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCexB4F_CCdUOqtVv-h_OV3vsLY1lH8nO7_4h3bdSzEe2aoc9ub7EHfLVzJ0dlONBhpsGaMCFu99hjhk0arm2rp8lvik7yW1d0zUQQvNv87z0kFmSV4IHdG94WBqgCj_c_kokFi7PcTnAQ/s1600/vince2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a>Perhaps most importantly, Gilligan stressed the significance of character transition. He alluded to shows that had no set end date and how charting a character's emotional arc would be considerably complicated if there was no ending point for their internal journey. On the character of Walter White, the question was raised as to whether Walter underwent a <i>metamorphosis</i> from good to bad, or if he was <i>always</i> bad and his actions simply unveiled who he really was. Gilligan seemed to like keeping that question open-ended, as in life, it can also be. </div>
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By the same token, "you don't want to change your characters too fast," Gilligan warned, "but your only job is to get people excited about the story you're telling. But there's no one right way to do it. Grab the reader." </div>
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I had the great luck to be able to ask him, "How do you construct a character who an actor will want to play?"</div>
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He replied, "Actors are looking for the same thing that the reader of the script is looking for. Think of all the ways you've seen that particular archetype, and then go the opposite way or change things up as much as possible. If you can make something feel fresh, that's a good starting point. Actors respond to that like viewers do. What haven't they seen before? You have to really grab them quick and know the story you're telling. Be really interested in the character, yourself."</div>
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A great talk from a true class act. Now back to my <i>Breaking Bad </i>binge-watching.</div>
Jared M. Gordonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15571228040615202167noreply@blogger.com0