Archive for July, 2009

“Theme? We Don’t Need No Stinking Theme…” (or Why Even Mel Brooks’ Films Have Themes)

A film takes viewers on a journey through a story and into the world of ideas, connecting us on a deeper level to our own lives.  Regardless of genre, a great movie “speaks” to us and creates an emotional impact through plot, character and conflict that revolves around the exploration of a theme.

Almost all films have a theme – some simple (Star Wars), some complex (Schindler’s List), and some just ‘tacked-on’ (Transformers) with little to no role in serving the story.  Even Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, which is a concept or premise-driven film (the concept being a parody of Westerns), incorporates somewhat of a theme (the issue of tolerance).

Theme answers the question, “What is this story really about?” (or, in other words, “What’s the purpose of this story?”)

Little Miss Sunshine:  What it means to be a winner or loser in life.
American Beauty: What it means to live a full and authentic life.
The Cider House Rules: Finding one’s place in the world.

As writers, the more we can understand about our own lives, the better we can create stories that resonate.  A great script begins with a writer who is clear about the theme he wants to explore and finds ways to express those ideas in the story through scenes, characters, dialogue, conflict, and images.

Hope is the theme of the film The Shawshank Redemption.  Writer Frank Darabont deftly weaves this theme throughout the script with scenes that reflect hope: the building of the prison library, Andy Dufresne locking himself in the warden’s office and playing operatic music over the loud speaker for the prisoners to hear, and Andy arranging for a group of prisoners to enjoy cold beers while working on the rooftop.  Darabont also expresses the theme through images and dialogue, such as in the final scene of the film:

RED (V.O.)
I hope I can make it across the border.
I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.
I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
(beat)
I hope.

At the other end of the theme idea spectrum is the film Unforgiven, which focuses on the hopelessness of the human condition, exploring the issue of violence.  Screenwriter David Webb Peoples chooses elements that best serve the theme, revealing why people may desire violence (as retribution for a horrendous crime against a powerless victim who is denied justice), but ultimately illustrating that violence only begets more violence and makes matters worse: Davey and Quick Mike’s murders do not provide any satisfaction for Deliliah or change the fact that she is maimed, Sheriff Little Bill uses violence to keep the peace in the town (and is eventually killed), the Schofield Kid romanticizes the notion of violence but becomes physically ill when he witnesses the real thing.  Every character in the film, save for the Schofield Kid, is worse off at the end of the story then when it began.  At the beginning of the film the protagonist William Munny is a reformed and redeemed gunslinger (who can no longer even shoot straight), a tea-totaler, and a responsible father.  By the end of the story, Munny is a falling-down drunk alcoholic and mass murderer who shoots with deadly accuracy; no longer redeemed, he is far from being ‘forgiven’.

Why And How To Outline

Successful screenwriters understand the power and necessity of creating an outline prior to writing “Fade In”.  New writers often overlook this critical step in the screenwriting process believing the “story will take them where it’s meant to go” or the characters “will reveal themselves and their dilemmas” once they begin writing.

Can a writer create a successful screenplay without outlining first?  Of course, it can be done.  But not many do it – and I don’t recommend it.  It benefits you, and more importantly your script, if you know the story’s final destination before writing page one.  An outline will help you create a strong structure and keep you on-course while writing the first draft.  That doesn’t mean that your outline is engraved in stone – ideas usually continue to develop well into the writing process, resulting in the addition of scenes, characters, and subplots that didn’t exist in the original outline.

Most screenwriting software programs offer outlining options – Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft, Movie Outline, and Contour among them – but for a basic, down-and-dirty outline, word processing software (such as MS Word) will do.

Outlines vary in length from two pages to more than 50 (most average between six to twelve pages.)  The outline is a mapping tool to guide you, so include as much or as little detail as you need to create the first draft.  Click on the “Twins” movie icon to view a sample screenplay outline.

Adaptation Sales: “Girl Soldier” (“Stolen Angels”)

Stolen Angels

Genre: Drama

Author: Kathy Cook

Screenwriter: Stephanie Pinola, Karen Croner

Logline: In 1996 in a Uganda boarding school, a band of armed rebels abduct young girls to turn them into soldiers and sex slaves. A teacher, Sister Caroline, crusades for assistance to rescue the girls and other children in rebel captivity.

The Four Types of Dramatic Conflict

CONFLICT IS THE BASIS FOR DRAMA
Audiences don’t flock to see a film where all the character’s play nice and live their lives free of obstacles.  Good drama shows characters in confrontation, in dynamic relationships that emphasize their differences and force them to transform.

CONFLICT MUST HAVE MEANING
If the conflict only consists of a problem that needs to be solved, the story will be flat and the audience will lose interest.  The audience needs to know what the conflict means to the characters – how does it affect their actions, their relationships and most importantly, what are the consequences.  Showing how a character responds and copes with the conflict helps the audience connect and engage with the story.  If the conflict has no affect on the characters, the story will stay stuck on a superficial level.  Good dramatic conflict pushes characters to express human qualities that reveal a deeper understanding of the story, ourselves and the world around us.

FOUR TYPES OF DRAMATIC CONFLICT
Good screenwriting weaves more than one type of conflict through the story.

INNER CONFLICT
Inner conflict occurs when a character struggles with himself (such as Johnny Cash in Walk The Line).  The struggle could be anything from a lack of self-confidence to addictive and self-destructive behavior.  Inner conflict is tricky to express on screen because… well, it’s inner.  The conflict is within the character.  For the audience to understand the inner conflict the character must reveal it.  The inner conflict must be projected outward onto something else – visually, or via voice-over, or through the character expressing his feelings to another character.

RELATIONAL CONFLICT
The most predominant type of conflict is relational, often the battle between the mutually exclusive goals of the protagonist and antagonist, though this also occurs between “buddies” and “couples”.  Examples include, Harry and Sally (When Harry Met Sally), William Munny and Little Bill (Unforgiven), Chigurh and Moss (No Country for Old Men), and Dillinger and Purvis (Public Enemies).

SOCIETAL CONFLICT
Societal conflict occurs between a person and a group and is usually present in films about corruption, justice, or oppression.  Films with societal conflict often incorporate scenes or subplots involving personal conflict.  Erin Brockovich, Hotel Rwanda, Star Wars.

SITUATIONAL CONFLICT
Situational conflict occurs when a character is in conflict with a specific situation – a woman trapped in a burning building, a man hiding in a married woman’s closet when her husband arrives home, a group of stranded adventurers trying to find a way off a deserted island.  In films containing situational conflict, the main conflict is still usually relational.  Audiences need a personal connection to stay engaged.  The Poseidon Adventure, Night at the Museum, Aliens, Castaway, World Trade Center.

Adaptation Sales: “Agincourt”

Genre: Drama War

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Screenwriter: Michael Hirst

Logline: In 1415, Nicholas Hook, a humble archer, fights the French alongside Henry V in one of the bloodiest battles in European history.

Adaptation Sales: “Three Nights In August”

Three Nights In August

Genre: Sports Drama

Author: Buzz Bissinger

Screenwriter: none attached

Logline: In 2003, St. Louis Cardinals skipper Tony LaRussa takes his team through a series against the Chicago cubs.

Adaptation Sales: “Moneyball”

Genre: Sports Drama

Author: Michael Lewis

Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin

Logline: The Oakland A’s use a sophisticated computer analysis system to piece together a team that regularly contends for the World Series despite possessing a payroll dramatically lower than their big-market rivals.

Using Scene Cards as a Mapping Tool

Scene cards are a great way to visualize your script before writing it.  Many screenwriters swear by this technique.  It’s pretty much an outline – but on index cards.

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF SCENE CARDS
Scene cards are an organizational tool to guide you in creating the best possible scenes and storyline for your screenplay.  To get the most use out of your scene cards they should answer the following questions:

* Does the scene location work for the story?

* Does the scene have action?

* Does the scene have conflict?

* Does the scene advance the dramatic arc of the story?

* Does the scene fit into a sequence?

* Does the scene include the necessary characters?

Placed together on The Board, your scene cards will also help you:

* Quickly pinpoint, and “see”, where your major elements are “falling” in your screenplay.

* Determine where more scenes are required and less are needed (is Act II too “light” with scenes and Act III too “heavy”?)

* See where storylines are intercepting, character arcs are “hitting”, and the effectiveness of your setup and payoff placement.

WHAT’S INCLUDED ON THE SCENE CARDS

* The scene slugline (INT. CAFÉ – DAY)

* Characters who appear in the scene

* The significant event or action that occurs in the scene

* The basic conflicts of the scene (who is in conflict, what does that person want at the beginning of the scene, what is the outcome at the end of the scene.)

Personally, I also like to note the the intended emotional impact the scene has on the audience (fear, curiosity, laughter) and the major elements (Inciting Incident, Climax, MidPoint, etc.) on the cards where those specific events occur.

Some writers choose to color-code their scene cards denoting everything from story points that convey theme, represent character arcs and B and C story lines, and highlight recurring symbols.

Include whichever elements will make it easier for you to visualize and write your script.

If you want to try this method, here’s what you need to do:

1. Get yourself a bunch of index cards, push-pins, some narrow masking tape, markers, and an extra large corkboard.

2. Hang your corkboard on the wall and use the masking tape to divide the corkboard into four equal rows.  The four rows are: (1) Act I, (2) First Half of Act II, (3) Second Half of Act II, (4) Act III.

3. Use the index cards to write out each scene of your script, using as much or as little information listed above to suit your specific writing needs. (Some software programs, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter, have a built-in scene card function you can use to create your index cards).

4. Place the index cards in the appropriate place on the corkboard.

5. Stand back and take in your masterpiece!

Adaptation Sales: Untitled (“You Are A Miserable Excuse For A Hero”)

You Are A Miserable Excuse For A Hero

Genre: Comedy

Author: Bob Powers

Screenwriter: D.V. DeVincentis

Logline: A thirty-something part-time actor/full-time waiter suddenly becomes caught up in a kidnapping after a blind date goes awry.

Genre and Expectations

Genre (noun); a loose set of criteria for a category of composition.

All successful scripts evoke an emotional response from the reader.  Your screenplay’s genre helps inform a potential reader what to expect emotionally and structurally.  Genre, then, creates a set of expectations and it’s your job as the writer to know what those expectations are and deliver them in a familiar but unique way.  Successful genre writing is not about clichés and formulaic choices – it is about understanding what makes a particular genre satisfying to the viewer.

If you’re writing a thriller, your script will have specific thriller elements: a fast pace, plenty of action, a resourceful hero, a villain-driven plot, suspense, red herrings, twists and cliffhangers.  The reader expects to experience visceral thrills, tension, shock, fear, curiosity and surprise.

The most effective way to understand genre and expectations is to study genre in action.  Select 10 films/scripts in the same genre as your current screenplay to view or read.  Note the patterns between the films: specific elements, structure, and your emotional responses.  Now compare the list with the elements in your own screenplay.  Are you hitting all the expectations of your genre?

If your story mixes genres: comedy-drama (Juno), action/adventure-comedy (Beverly Hills Cop), science fiction-horror (Alien) – try to stay with the tone of the dominant genre to ensure your script is focused.

Here is a (by-no-means exhaustive) list of genres and subgenres:

COMEDY
High Concept, Romantic (Rom-Com), Screwball, Farce, Black Comedy, Parody, Satire, Teen, Mockumentary.
When Harry Met Sally, The 40 Year Old Virgin, This is Spinal Tap, Thank You For Smoking, Blazing Saddles

ANIMATION
Ratatouille, The Lion King, Toy Story

MUSICAL
Chicago, Fame, Evita

THRILLER
Crime, Psychological, Supernatural, Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Political, Spy, “Erotic”
Body Heat, JFK, Three Days of the Condor

CRIME
Detective, Gangster, Film Noir, Serial Killer, Heist, Murder Mystery, Who-Done-It, Caper, Revenge, Courtroom, Newspaper, Prison.
Chinatown, L.A. Confidential, Road to Perdition, Sin City

HORROR
Supernatural, Uncanny, Slasher, Psychological, Ghost, Monster, Vampire, Zombie.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Saw, I Am Legend, The Birds, Jaws, Rosemary’s Baby

ACTION/ ADVENTURE
Swashbuckler, Disaster, Survival, Chase, High Adventure, Epic.
Terminator, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Armageddon, Die Hard, Braveheart

SCIENCE FICTION (SCI-FI)
Star Trek, Star Wars, Matrix

FANTASY
Lord of the Rings, Narnia

DRAMA
Million Dollar Baby, Crash, Revolutionary Road

WESTERN
Unforgiven, Open Range, 3:10 to Yuma

LOVE STORY
Romantic Love, Buddy Love.
Love Story, The English Patient, Rain Man

COMING OF AGE
Stand By Me, Rambow, Girl Interrupted

WAR / ANTI-WAR
Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan

BIO-PIC
Ray, What’s Love Got To Do With It, Ali, Raging Bull

DOCU-DRAMA
Ed Wood, Hollywoodland, Quiz Show, Dead Man Walking

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