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Lecture 3: It’s the Same Thing

Lecture 3: It’s the Same Thing. Professor Christopher Bradley. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. Previous Lesson. Why good writing matters! Conflict and Goals Action and Dialogue Building to the Climax Writing Exercise #2.

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Lecture 3: It’s the Same Thing

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  1. Lecture 3:It’s the Same Thing Professor Christopher Bradley Singin’ in the Rain (1952) Written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden

  2. Previous Lesson Why good writing matters! Conflict and Goals Action and Dialogue Building to the Climax Writing Exercise #2 Back to the Future (1985) Written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale

  3. In this Lesson Creating Character Aspects of Character Dimension = Contradiction in Character Character creates Story Story creates Character Frankenstein (1931) Screenplay by Edward Faragoh & Garret Fort

  4. In this Lesson (Continued) Story Structure The basics of how to put a screen story together Every scene brings the character closer or further away from their goal Frankenstein (1931) Screenplay by Edward Faragoh & Garret Fort • Writing Exercise #3: • – Write a “journal entry” for both your protagonist and antagonist. Why do they want what they want?

  5. Creating Character Lesson 3: Part I The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Screenplay by Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman

  6. Character • Characterization • Character is revealed by goals • Character is revealed by choices under pressure • What’s Up, Doc? • Citizen Kane • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Screenplay by Lukas Heller

  7. Character Revelation • Characters should never be what they seem, or not only what they seem. • A character changes significantly over the course of a story. • Characterization • True nature • True nature at odds with seeming truth • Increasingly difficult choices • Character significantly changed 7

  8. Story Creates Character • When you have a story you want to tell, you need characters that would believably live that story by who they are and by the principles by which they live their lives.

  9. Character Creates Story - 1 • If you change an aspect of your character, the story can’t remain the same. A change in the character moves the story in a new direction. • Characters do what they do because of who they are.

  10. Character Creates Story - 2 • Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Singin’ in the Rain. Notice as you’re watching that Lena LaMont’s actions come out of character.

  11. Character Creates Story - 3 • Lena’s actions forward the plot. If she were a different person (if she had compassion or if she were perhaps more intelligent) completely different things would have happened. • Now pause the lecture and watch the clip from Tootsie. Michael Dorsey’s confrontational character finally finds a place where it pays off.

  12. Character Creates Story - 4 • If Michael Dorsey were intimidated by people in authority, if he were less arrogant, the scene would have turned out very differently. • Now pause the lecture and watch the clip from Raging Bull, in which Jake surrenders his soul, his integrity, throwing a fight for a chance at a meaningless outward symbol of victory.

  13. Character Creates Story - 5 • Jake doesn’t understand his own values. He actually values his integrity more than the outward symbol of victory, but he doesn’t know it. • Socrates wisely said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. If Jake had lived an examined life, the story could not have been written this way.

  14. Function of Character • There needs to be believable characterization. • Characters should have the qualities that a person who does the things in the story would have. Carrie (1977) Screenplay by Laurence D. Cohen Based on the novel by Stephen King

  15. Goals and Character • For compelling storytelling, the goal of your protagonist and the goal of your antagonist must be in direct conflict. Carrie (1977) Screenplay by Laurence D. Cohen Based on the novel by Stephen King

  16. Conflict • You want to join the conflict already in progress. The seeds should have been germinating for a long time, even if they’re just now reaching the surface.

  17. Multidimensional Characters • Multidimensional characters aren’t created by giving your characters a lot of various characteristics. They are created by giving your characters conflicting characteristics. • Hannibal Lechter is insane, yet highly intelligent • Stanley Kowalski seems to be a heartless sadist, but he weeps in the street when his wife leaves him

  18. Story Structure Lesson 3: Part II Pulp Fiction (1994) Screenplay by Quinton Terantino & Roger Avary

  19. Function of Structure • The function of structure is to layer ever-increasing pressure on the characters, asking more and more of them in terms of risk and difficulty of choice. Harold and Maude (1972) Screenplay by Colin Higgins

  20. Your Protagonist • A protagonist has a strong, clear GOAL. • The protagonist is actively pursuing that goal. • The protagonist may have a contradictory goal of which he or she isn’t even aware. • The protagonist has the ability to convincingly pursue his or her goal. • The protagonist may be good or bad, but the audience must empathize. • The story builds to a climax where the protagonist does or does not get their goal.

  21. Your Antagonist • Your Antagonist is not necessarily “the bad guy.” He or she simply has a goal in direct conflict with your Protagonist. • It might be a perfectly rational, ethical goal. Remember the principle of “Good Answer /Better Answer. No one is wrong. One character is just more right.

  22. Your Antagonist (continued) • Make sure the goal of your Antagonist is just as clearly stated as that of your Protagonist, and that they are also aggressively pursuing that goal. • A weak antagonist will make for a weak story! Put your Protagonist up against a real opponent, so that it’s not clear how or even if the Protagonist can win.

  23. Assignments Raging Bull (1980) Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin Lesson 3: Part III

  24. Reading Read Chapter 5 in Robert McKee’s Story, “Structure and Character.” Take the Reading Review to be sure you’ve gotten the concepts! 24

  25. E-Board Post • Write a “journal entry” for both your Protagonist and Antagonist where they discuss their goals and how they plan to accomplish those goals (about a paragraph for each). • Write in the first person. • Make sure your Protagonist and Antagonist are both right. 25

  26. End of Lecture 3 Next Lecture: Compelling First Acts Alien (1979) Screenplay by Ted Tally

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