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Lecture 10: Keeping the Audience in the Story

Lecture 10: Keeping the Audience in the Story. Professor Christopher Bradley. Psycho (1971) Screenplay by Joseph Stefano, based on the novel by Robert Bloch. Previous Lesson. Complications Complexity on Three Levels: Inner Conflict Personal Conflict Extra-Personal Conflict.

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Lecture 10: Keeping the Audience in the Story

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  1. Lecture 10:Keeping the Audience in the Story Professor Christopher Bradley Psycho (1971) Screenplay by Joseph Stefano, based on the novel by Robert Bloch

  2. Previous Lesson Complications Complexity on Three Levels: Inner Conflict Personal Conflict Extra-Personal Conflict The Insider (1999) Screenplay by Erik Roth & Michael Mann Based on an Article by Marie Brenner

  3. Previous Lesson (Continued) Reversals In Scenes In Sequences In Acts Assignments Fargo (1999) Screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

  4. This Lesson Maintaining Interest The “Center of Good” Curiosity and Concern Strategies Mystery Suspense Dramatic Irony Wait Until Dark (1976) Screenplay by Robert Carrington and Jane Howard Carrington, based on the play by Frederick Knott

  5. This Lesson (Continued) Storytelling Challenges Surprise Strict Rules for Using Coincidence Comedic Design Point of View Avoiding Melodrama Logic Holes Assignments Wait Until Dark (1976) Screenplay by Robert Carrington and Jane Howard Carrington, based on the play by Frederick Knott

  6. Maintaining Interest Central Station (1998) Screenplay by Marcos Bernstein and Jaoa Emanuel Carneiro, based on a story by Walter Salles Lesson 10: Part I

  7. The Center of Good The “Center of Good” is not necessarily a good person. This character can be deeply flawed, even criminal, but the audience must identify with him or her. Central Station (1998) Screenplay by Marcos Bernstein and Jaoa Emanuel Carneiro, based on a story by Walter Salles

  8. Curiosity and Concern Raising questions in the minds of your audience Give your audience characters to care about! Goals A Moral Center The Godfather (1972) Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola

  9. Strategies Mystery The audience knows less than the characters Closed Mystery Open Mystery Donnie Darko (2001) Screenplay by Richard Kelly

  10. Strategies (2) Suspense The audience and characters know the same information Rear Window (1954) Screenplay by John Michael Hayes, based on a short story by Cornell Woolrich

  11. Strategies (3) • Dramatic Irony • The audience knows more than the characters Fatal Attraction (1987) Screenplay by James Dearden

  12. Strategies (4) • Pause the lecture now and watch the clip from The Thing, keeping in mind McKee’s description of Suspense, where the audience and characters share the same information. The Thing (1982) Screenplay by Bill Lancaster, based on a story by John W. Campbell

  13. Storytelling Challenges Gorillas in the Mist (1988) Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan Based on a story by Anna Hamilton Phelan and Ted Murphy Lesson 10: Part II 13

  14. Surprise The Color Purple (1985) Screenplay by Menno Meyjes Based on the novel by Alice Walker • Not what the audience expected to happen. • The Color Purple • Arthur • Not how the audience expected it to happen. • The Graduate • What’s Up, Doc? 14

  15. Surprise (2) The Shining (1980) Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson Based on the novel by Stephen King • Cheap Surprise • Not integrated into story • Detracts • TRUE Surprise • Integrated • Deepens involvement 15

  16. Surprise (3) Carrie (1980) Screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen Based on the novel by Stephen King • Pause the lecture and watch the clip from the film Carrie. Keep in mind what constitutes true surprise and cheap surprise. 16

  17. Coincidence Carrie (1976) Screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen Based on the novel by Stephen King Remember the principle of Aesthetic Emotion. Coincidence is real, but inherently meaningless. It can be given transformative meaning in narrative. 17

  18. Coincidence (Continued) What’s Up, Doc? (1972) Screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen Based on the novel by Stephen King Bring in coincidence early No Deus ex Machina One major coincidence per screenplay (with some exceptions) 18

  19. Comedic Design There’s Something About Mary (1998) Screenplay by Ed Dector & John J. Strauss and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly • The best comedies come, strangely, from anger. • Comedy is mentally “slipping on a banana peel”. 19

  20. Point of View • Think of the story through the eyes of your protagonist. • A child protagonist will see the world differently than a superhero protagonist. • Switching points of view can lead to unintentional comedy. This is one of the problems with films such as Plan 9 From Outer Space and Mommie Dearest.

  21. Adaptation • Remember, screenwriting is its own art and craft. It’s narrative, but it’s different from playwriting, novel-writing, documentary or biography. What works in one will not likely work in a screenplay.

  22. Adaptation (2) • Novels are the champion of inner conflict. In a screen adaptation, there must be a character with whom your protagonist externalizes that inner conflict. • Theatre pieces are almost pure dialog. The omniscience of the camera means that most things don’t need to be said, they are seen. Film is visual. • Biographies are real. Narrative takes the real and creates meaning with it.

  23. Adaptation (3) • To do an effective adaptation, you need: • Research • To re-think the story events to be visual and cinematic, rather than internal or language-based Wise Blood (1979) Screenplay by Benedict Fitzgerald & Michael Fitzgerald Based on the novel by Flannery O’Connor

  24. Avoiding Melodrama • Make sure the actions of your characters are thoroughly, believably motivated. You want huge conflict, huge drama, but it must be about something. HIGH STAKES. Mommie Dearest (1975) Screenplay by Robert Getchel and Tracy Hotchner and Frank Perry and Frank Yablans Based on the book by Christina Crawford

  25. Logic Holes • Forging Links • Moving Quickly • Admit the Illogic The Wizard of Oz (1939) Screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf

  26. Assignments The Shining (1980) Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson Based on the novel by Stephen King Lesson 10: Part III

  27. Reading • Read Chapter 6 in Story, “Problems and Solutions”. • Do the Reading Review to be sure you’re clear on what you’ve read!

  28. E-Board Post Post one example each of both Surprise and Suspense in a film you know well. 28

  29. Your First 10 Pages • Remember! You should be working on this now! 29

  30. End of Lecture 10 Next Lecture: It’s What They Don’t Know! True Lies (1994) Screenplay by Claude Zidi and Simon Michael and Didier Kaminka

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