The power of image is demonstrated over and over again in film as we use our minds to scroll back over movies that have affected us deeply. Whether it is the famous dying words of Citizen Kane - ‘Rosebud’ that sets the story in motion. Or the loop-de-loops of the flying bug at the beginning of ‘Men in Black’ or the shelf of toys at the opening of Monsters Inc. Each image starts us on our journey with the hero/heroine -leading us into their world.
In the case of Monsters Inc, the shelf loaded with toys is a red herring. It’s put there to lull you into believing you’re inhabiting a human world. A safe world, a world where nothing scary can happen; AND then, POW. In minutes you’ve been up-ended into a world that isn’t human at all - a MONSTER world that actually preys on our most vulnerable element - our children.
So, if you’re engaged in the act of creating a screenplay, I ask you; what IS the first image that flashes onto the screen at fade up? Will it land us exactly in the middle of the world in which the story takes place? Or, will it simply be used to lure us in and have the rug pulled out from under our feet moments later.
The act of writing is all about making choices and that first image is only one in a long series of story choices that will shape your audiences reaction to the film you’re crafting. So give it some serious thought as to how you will use that first image. Is it bait? Or is it a straight forward spring board into your story. Does it set the tone, the mood or the era for us? What does that first image accomplish?
The same is true of how we (as the audience) encounter your hero/heroine for the first time. In Monsters Inc, the first time we see James P. Sullivan (Sully) he’s sleeping. Nothing could be more innocent than that. The writer’s are telling us that Sully is as innocent and likable as the little children he spends every night scaring into tears.
Those first moments are important. Use them knowingly and with care; from them springs your story!
I hope this helps. And good luck with your writing. I can’t wait to read the result!
Showing posts with label screenwriting tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label screenwriting tips. Show all posts
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
How do I make a character, who's kind of shy, show his emotions?
Writing really is the study of human beings and how they express
themselves. Every opportunity you can - EXAMINE (like a being from
another world) how the humans that surround you express the vast array
of emotions that color our daily lives.
You’re right, some people are withheld - the merest lift of an eyebrow says volumes about what's going on in their heads. Other are like fireworks displays - about everything; love, hate, happiness, boredom it all gets colored with some incredible display of emotion. The films that affect us the most are the films where the writer has created a VISUAL language that relays even the tiniest detail of a characters INNER landscape (emotional landscape) to us, the audience.
So, give some thought to the multitude of NON VERBAL bits of communication that are peppered throughout your day... your child opens it's arms wide for a hug when you come home; but doesn't SAY anything. Your boss merely crooks a finger in your direction and disappears into her office. You know you've been summoned. At a chai shop, a handsome fellow merely meets your eyes over the lip of his cup, which mostly hides his smile of acknowledgment.... you TELL ME what that means!!
Start cataloging in your mind the various ways people SHOW us every day what they're thinking... instead of using words. Do this for a month and you will be on your way to understanding one of the key elements of screenwriting. Show - don't TELL what the characters are thinking.
I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your screenplay . Let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
You’re right, some people are withheld - the merest lift of an eyebrow says volumes about what's going on in their heads. Other are like fireworks displays - about everything; love, hate, happiness, boredom it all gets colored with some incredible display of emotion. The films that affect us the most are the films where the writer has created a VISUAL language that relays even the tiniest detail of a characters INNER landscape (emotional landscape) to us, the audience.
So, give some thought to the multitude of NON VERBAL bits of communication that are peppered throughout your day... your child opens it's arms wide for a hug when you come home; but doesn't SAY anything. Your boss merely crooks a finger in your direction and disappears into her office. You know you've been summoned. At a chai shop, a handsome fellow merely meets your eyes over the lip of his cup, which mostly hides his smile of acknowledgment.... you TELL ME what that means!!
Start cataloging in your mind the various ways people SHOW us every day what they're thinking... instead of using words. Do this for a month and you will be on your way to understanding one of the key elements of screenwriting. Show - don't TELL what the characters are thinking.
I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your screenplay . Let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
I want to write something completely different; not the same old 3 ACT structure!
CHECK OUT MY NEW VIDEO SCRIPT TIPS http://www.youtube.com/user/janwri#p/u/0/sgImz-6h8tQ
That desire to create something different is going to serve you well in the writing process; hang on tight to that.
But first, let’s consider a couple of questions. WHO IS YOUR INTENDED AUDIENCE for this film? Are you thinking yours would be an ‘art house’ crowd? Maybe you’re planning an experimental film? Or are you hoping for a mainstream distribution deal? The closer your intended audience is to the mainstream, the more thoroughly your story should be grounded in the standard 3 act structure; beginning, middle and end (or resolution).
Next, let’s look at your bias against the 3 act structure. It IS true some really terrible movies have been created within the context of this format. But WOW, what about the really inventive films that have also adhered to it? Films like Shakespeare in Love, Being John Malkovich, Juno, The Fall, American Beauty are all firmly grounded in the 3 act structure too. What gives?
Many beginning screenwriters lay some really BAD MOVIES at the feet of the 3 act structure. But writing screenplays is a lot like writing sonnets (you know, Shakespeare - iambic pentameter) in that it’s a strict format that can produce some absolutely timeless writing… like Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day.” Or the really horrible piece I wrote my sophomore year in college. I had the format down pat, but Shakespeare would have rolled over in his grave.
Great sonnets, like great screenplays, challenge writers to search for a completely fresh aspect on a timeless theme - and then test their inventiveness in pouring their story idea into a ‘jug’ of specific proportions. The bad movies you’ve seen aren’t a result of the 3 act structure - but a result of the lack of skill or persistence on the part of the writer.
I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your screenplay - and let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
That desire to create something different is going to serve you well in the writing process; hang on tight to that.
But first, let’s consider a couple of questions. WHO IS YOUR INTENDED AUDIENCE for this film? Are you thinking yours would be an ‘art house’ crowd? Maybe you’re planning an experimental film? Or are you hoping for a mainstream distribution deal? The closer your intended audience is to the mainstream, the more thoroughly your story should be grounded in the standard 3 act structure; beginning, middle and end (or resolution).
Next, let’s look at your bias against the 3 act structure. It IS true some really terrible movies have been created within the context of this format. But WOW, what about the really inventive films that have also adhered to it? Films like Shakespeare in Love, Being John Malkovich, Juno, The Fall, American Beauty are all firmly grounded in the 3 act structure too. What gives?
Many beginning screenwriters lay some really BAD MOVIES at the feet of the 3 act structure. But writing screenplays is a lot like writing sonnets (you know, Shakespeare - iambic pentameter) in that it’s a strict format that can produce some absolutely timeless writing… like Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day.” Or the really horrible piece I wrote my sophomore year in college. I had the format down pat, but Shakespeare would have rolled over in his grave.
Great sonnets, like great screenplays, challenge writers to search for a completely fresh aspect on a timeless theme - and then test their inventiveness in pouring their story idea into a ‘jug’ of specific proportions. The bad movies you’ve seen aren’t a result of the 3 act structure - but a result of the lack of skill or persistence on the part of the writer.
I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your screenplay - and let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
You always hear more experienced writers saying you should 'write what you know'.... what does that mean?
Write what you know is probably the oldest piece of advice there is for aspiring writers. But just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s BAD… or necessarily good either. Here’s my take on what it means.
Writing what you know doesn’t mean that if you janitor at night to pay the bills while you learn the craft of writing that you only ever get to write movies about janitors. What I do believe ‘writing what you know’ refers to is what you 'know' emotionally.
Screenplays are driven by the ups and downs of the main characters quest. The ups and downs refer to both the storyline (or action) but also your heroine/hero’s emotions. And this is where many new writers come up short. They often side-step tackling the really BIG EMOTIONS. Oh sure, we see death scenes, sex scenes, pillage scenes, car chases & death from car chases - but what we don’t see is REAL, GENUINE heart-felt emotions that arise from these events.
Often, the new writer doesn’t show us the ‘FALLOUT’ from these events in our hero’s life. And yet, it’s exactly that exploration of emotional subtext that makes film REAL to us the audience. It’s that bond of shared emotional experience that connects us to the heroine/hero in the end. So, ‘write what you know’ means write from a place of emotional honesty. Either take the risk to write from your very own place of emotional experience. Or take the time to understand and EMPATHIZE with someone who has lived the experience you are going to write about.
LIVE it, (the emotion you’re writing about); FEEL it if you’re hoping to write it and ultimately convince an audience to believe it and then WRITE it. We all have a 6th sense concerning emotional honesty… discover yours, and write from that place for compelling screenplays. That’s my take on what the phrase - write what you know - is really advocating to new writers.
I hope this helps. And I wish you luck with your screenplay - let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
Writing what you know doesn’t mean that if you janitor at night to pay the bills while you learn the craft of writing that you only ever get to write movies about janitors. What I do believe ‘writing what you know’ refers to is what you 'know' emotionally.
Screenplays are driven by the ups and downs of the main characters quest. The ups and downs refer to both the storyline (or action) but also your heroine/hero’s emotions. And this is where many new writers come up short. They often side-step tackling the really BIG EMOTIONS. Oh sure, we see death scenes, sex scenes, pillage scenes, car chases & death from car chases - but what we don’t see is REAL, GENUINE heart-felt emotions that arise from these events.
Often, the new writer doesn’t show us the ‘FALLOUT’ from these events in our hero’s life. And yet, it’s exactly that exploration of emotional subtext that makes film REAL to us the audience. It’s that bond of shared emotional experience that connects us to the heroine/hero in the end. So, ‘write what you know’ means write from a place of emotional honesty. Either take the risk to write from your very own place of emotional experience. Or take the time to understand and EMPATHIZE with someone who has lived the experience you are going to write about.
LIVE it, (the emotion you’re writing about); FEEL it if you’re hoping to write it and ultimately convince an audience to believe it and then WRITE it. We all have a 6th sense concerning emotional honesty… discover yours, and write from that place for compelling screenplays. That’s my take on what the phrase - write what you know - is really advocating to new writers.
I hope this helps. And I wish you luck with your screenplay - let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Recently I particiapted in a 'cold reading' night and my script was critiqued by the resident judging panel.
The overall verdict was that I was a smart writer and the script had real promise but no heart. What does that mean?
First of all, congratulations are in order. #1 - You finished a script. #2 - You risked submitting it to a ‘cold read’. Wow, that’s fabulous.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a COLD READING is a gathering where a group of actors meet, are handed a script and within about 30 minutes start acting it out. Often, it’s just the opening act (or first 30 pages) of a feature script that’s read. And it’s one of the scariest rides on the planet and one of the most exhilarating! Hearing your words in an actors’ mouth is one of the BEST WAYS to gauge the effectiveness of your dialogue and pacing of your writing.
And as you found out, a cold reading can also reveal some of the weaknesses of your script that might have slipped by some of your other critiques. From the comments you received it sounds as if you were shanghaied by the LEFT side of your brain. As many of you know, who follow this screenwriting blog, I believe any really good story is a balancing act of RIGHT brain creativity and LEFT brain structure.
Really well-plotted thrillers and heist movies delight us with the mastery of the turns and twists of their plot. (LEFT BRAIN). But if they contain heart-wrenching scenes of loss or betrayal those deeply rooted emotional stories come from the RIGHT BRAIN. Right brain function is all about universality. (Jill Bolte Taylor’s fabulous, fabulous recorded TED talk - http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html ) gives a beautiful and passionate explanation of the relationship between the two brain hemispheres and creativity.
What’s probably missing in your piece is that moment (s) where the camera focuses on the protagonist and we get to SEE their pain/reaction/emotional response. We need emotional connection to the main character to actually care enough to plow through their story with them. EARLY on in your script give us an emotional LINK to your hero/heroine and then reinforce it several times throughout the story. Those emotional ties will keep us cheering your character on until the bitter or sweet finale of the film.
I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your rewrite. Let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
First of all, congratulations are in order. #1 - You finished a script. #2 - You risked submitting it to a ‘cold read’. Wow, that’s fabulous.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a COLD READING is a gathering where a group of actors meet, are handed a script and within about 30 minutes start acting it out. Often, it’s just the opening act (or first 30 pages) of a feature script that’s read. And it’s one of the scariest rides on the planet and one of the most exhilarating! Hearing your words in an actors’ mouth is one of the BEST WAYS to gauge the effectiveness of your dialogue and pacing of your writing.
And as you found out, a cold reading can also reveal some of the weaknesses of your script that might have slipped by some of your other critiques. From the comments you received it sounds as if you were shanghaied by the LEFT side of your brain. As many of you know, who follow this screenwriting blog, I believe any really good story is a balancing act of RIGHT brain creativity and LEFT brain structure.
Really well-plotted thrillers and heist movies delight us with the mastery of the turns and twists of their plot. (LEFT BRAIN). But if they contain heart-wrenching scenes of loss or betrayal those deeply rooted emotional stories come from the RIGHT BRAIN. Right brain function is all about universality. (Jill Bolte Taylor’s fabulous, fabulous recorded TED talk - http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html ) gives a beautiful and passionate explanation of the relationship between the two brain hemispheres and creativity.
What’s probably missing in your piece is that moment (s) where the camera focuses on the protagonist and we get to SEE their pain/reaction/emotional response. We need emotional connection to the main character to actually care enough to plow through their story with them. EARLY on in your script give us an emotional LINK to your hero/heroine and then reinforce it several times throughout the story. Those emotional ties will keep us cheering your character on until the bitter or sweet finale of the film.
I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your rewrite. Let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Your world is ALIVE with story possibilities!
WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR.... and another year of Screenwriting Tips from Wordsmythe.ca.
Let's start at the beginning for those just joining us.One of the most frequently asked questions at my public seminars is “Where do I get my story ideas?” as if there is some magical place or supermarket where more experienced writers find good story ideas on a shelf. Well, I have a secret for you…. the supermarket for stories is called LIFE.
I am honestly not being flip in my response - but challenging you to start looking around you at life itself. Your world is ALIVE with story possibilities…. you just need to train yourself to begin to see them. And that training begins with the actual writing.
Check out this link to see how one writer began to see the possibilities around her. http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html
As you struggle to harness the creative energy that compelled you to begin the process of writing - you change it and channel it to where you want it to go. You move from asking yourself what IF or HOW come….. to something far more concrete. You move to I DID, or they DID, or your hero did…. Something - which started a journey for the both of you. And now you just have to see it through to the end.
And as you write and make choices for your characters based on who you think they are - you grow as a person, as a craftsperson and as an imaginative being. You grow to trust the intuitive side of your brain (right) to come up with answers for where the road map side (left) says you have to turn next to keep the momentum of the story moving forward. And as you see more of your inner world of story - you begin to see more of the story possibilities for the outer world too. Each feeds the other, in turn.
The second most frequent question that I hear is, “What makes a good story?” And again, not intending any kind of humor at all - I answer, YOU make a good story. Anything at all can BE a story ! But it is the choices the writer makes in telling the story that give it depth, and humanity and emotion. You, the writer, will determine how much of your own passion and wit and personality you will RISK pouring into your characters and their lives. The more you risk, the greater your chances for outstanding success. Great stories are not created by writers who are afraid to venture into the darkest corners of their (or their characters) psyches. You can’t expect your audience to FEEL big emotions if you aren’t willing to feel them as you WRITE.
As an exercise, watch a movie or read a book that makes you uncomfortable emotionally; not just antsy - but really uncomfortable. Once you’ve finished watching the film all the way through…. Ask yourself why you were so uncomfortable. Try to imagine how the writer felt as she/ he created the scenes that made you squirm the most.
We tell stories for any number of reasons, but the best stories MOVE people to FEEL things. The best stories seduce the viewer / or reader into identifying completely with the world of the main character - their hopes, their dreams and their calamities. You can’t create that unless you LIVE IT as you write.
Check out these LINKS to my own 'story' that I wrote and started shooting right on my own kitchen table over Christmas. There has never been a better time to be a screenwriting. Just start writing now!! AND ENJOY....
The School of Practical Wizardry on You Tube: my tiny mini-series
Chapter ONE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbNz_T7bR38
Chapter TWO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jM4CnLSafA
Chapter THREE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEkAoooUZU0
See you in 2 weeks for more screenwriting advice. And I hope this helps you make the leap to writing!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I read this all the time: a screenwriter should SHOW not TELL a story - but what does it really mean?
Next to 'write what you know' SHOW don't TELL is one of the oldest pieces of advice in screenwriting; and rightly so! A Screenplay is the text basis for what will become a visual final product. It's that eventual translation to film that makes screenwriting so tricky and yet so interesting too. IF it were only going to remain as words - it would be a novel or short story.
So the first thing you need to do is figure out what your character is feeling in every single scene that you write. And then you need to figure out an action - that is true to your character - that SHOWS or demonstrates or telegraphs that feeling. This can sometimes be hard! Let's try one simple, basic emotion as an example and see what happens.
Anger is one of our most basic human emotions, but everyone presents or displays their anger in different ways. One character might blow up, lose their cool, or even clobber someone in anger. This is very straightforward mechanism for SHOWING a character's anger response in a situation.
Now, what if instead of blowing up when provoked to anger - you create a character that cries as a response. How does that change our understanding of WHO your character is? Does it make your character more childlike in our eyes; or more female perhaps? Does it change our understanding of the quality or depth of their anger?
Are you starting to get the picture as a writer. The basic emotion your character feels in every scene is conveyed to the audience through an action. That is how we read what is going on inside your characters heart & mind. You can radically influence our perception of your character by choosing an action different than what's expected or normal as a response.
And then, to add to the mix.... an actor will read the part you've written and add their own interpretation to it. Perhaps the actor decides that the character then gets the SHAKES after a really tumultuous experience and that will color our perception of the character's inner emotions too. It certainly adds a new dimension to what we've written and expands the VISUAL language of the character on film.
I hope this helps. I wish you luck with your writing.... and would love to read your work when you've finished a draft.
So the first thing you need to do is figure out what your character is feeling in every single scene that you write. And then you need to figure out an action - that is true to your character - that SHOWS or demonstrates or telegraphs that feeling. This can sometimes be hard! Let's try one simple, basic emotion as an example and see what happens.
Anger is one of our most basic human emotions, but everyone presents or displays their anger in different ways. One character might blow up, lose their cool, or even clobber someone in anger. This is very straightforward mechanism for SHOWING a character's anger response in a situation.
Now, what if instead of blowing up when provoked to anger - you create a character that cries as a response. How does that change our understanding of WHO your character is? Does it make your character more childlike in our eyes; or more female perhaps? Does it change our understanding of the quality or depth of their anger?
Are you starting to get the picture as a writer. The basic emotion your character feels in every scene is conveyed to the audience through an action. That is how we read what is going on inside your characters heart & mind. You can radically influence our perception of your character by choosing an action different than what's expected or normal as a response.
And then, to add to the mix.... an actor will read the part you've written and add their own interpretation to it. Perhaps the actor decides that the character then gets the SHAKES after a really tumultuous experience and that will color our perception of the character's inner emotions too. It certainly adds a new dimension to what we've written and expands the VISUAL language of the character on film.
I hope this helps. I wish you luck with your writing.... and would love to read your work when you've finished a draft.
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