Archive for the ‘Genre’ Category

Genre: 15 Elements of Action-Adventure Scripts (Part II)

Here are two examples of classic action-adventure writing – from the films Alien a Sci-Fi Action-Adventure, and Lethal Weapon, an Action-Adventure Comedy. Each screenplay incorporates some of the 15 elements outlined in the previous post – note the snappy dialogue in Lethal Weapon and how both screenplays utilize active and vertical writing.

From ALIEN by Walter Hill and David Giler:

INT. MESS

The entire crew is seated.
Hungrily swallowing huge portions of artificial food.
The cat eats from a dish on the table.

KANE
First thing I’m going to do when we get back is eat some decent food.

PARKER
I’ve had worse than this, but I’ve had better too, if you know what I mean.

LAMBERT
Christ, you’re pounding down this stuff like there’s no tomorrow.

PARKER
I mean I like it.

KANE
No kidding.

PARKER
Yeah. It grows on you.

KANE
It should. You know what they make this stuff out of…

PARKER
I know what they make it out of. So what. It’s food now. You’re eating it.

Suddenly Kane grimaces.

RIPLEY
What’s wrong?

Kane’s voice strains.

LAMBERT
What’s the matter?

KANE
I don’t know… I’m getting cramps.

The others stare at him in alarm.
Suddenly he makes a loud groaning noise.
Clutches the edge of the table with his hands.
Knuckles whitening.

ASH
Breathe deeply.

Kane screams.

KANE
Oh God, it hurts so bad. It hurts. It hurts.

BRETT
What is it? What hurts?

Kane’s face screws into a mask of agony.
He falls back into his chair.

KANE
Ohmygooaaaahh.

A red stain.
Then a smear of blood blossoms on his chest.
The fabric of his shirt is ripped apart.
A small head the size of a man’s fist pushes out.
The crew shouts in panic.
Leap back from the table.
The cat spits, bolts away.

The tiny head lunges forward.
Comes spurting out of Kane’s chest trailing a thick body.
Splatters fluids and blood in its wake.
Lands in the middle of the dishes and food.
Wriggles away while the crew scatters.
Then the Alien being disappears from sight.

Kane lies slumped in his chair.
Very dead.
A huge hole in his chest.
The dishes are scattered.
Food covered with blood.

LAMBERT
No, no, no, no, no.

BRETT
What was that? What the Christ was that?

From LETHAL WEAPON by Shane Black

MURTAUGH’S POV – THROUGH THE WINDOW

Enough cocaine to service the third tier at Yankee Stadium.
A BLONDE, BIKINI-CLAD WONDER sits on the couch, happily snorting.
She sees Murtaugh and waves hilariously.
Makes come-hither gestures.
Murtaugh scowls, turns to Riggs.

RIGGS
I’m thinking probable cause.

MURTAUGH
Jesus. Maybe I should call for backup.

RIGGS
What am I, chopped liver?

Murtaugh looks at him. Sighs.

MURTAUGH
No killing.

RIGGS
No killing.

He grins cheesily. Riggs and Murtaugh approach the frosted glass door. They draw their guns.

MURTAUGH
Nice and easy.

RIGGS
Nice and easy.

Murtaugh takes a deep breath. Kicks open the door.

MURTAUGH
Police. Hold it right there.

INT. SOLARIUM

The rich guy does not hold it right there.
In fact, he has already snatched up the SHOTGUN.
He triggers a BLAST, BLOWS OUT GLASS next to Murtaugh.
Murtaugh dives, rolls, comes up in a combat crouch.
BAM — The rich guy takes it in the shoulder. Spins around.
The gun clatters to the ground.
Riggs and Murtaugh approach, guns drawn.
The rich guy writhes on the ground, clutching his shoulder.

MURTAUGH
See how easy that was? Boom. Still alive. Now we take the gun away …
(he does)
… And we question him. Know why we can question him? Because I got him in the shoulder. I didn’t blow him up or jump off a building with him.

RIGGS
No fair, the building guy lived.

MURTAUGH
Whatever. The point is, no killing.

RIGGS
No killing.

MURTAUGH
Right. Piece of cake. I’m very happy. Read the man his rights, I’ll be over here being happy.

Genre: 15 Elements of Action-Adventure Scripts

Action-adventure scripts seem to always be in demand. They’re big business for Hollywood – making up the industries main tentpole films each year. Let’s look at some of the essential elements of the genre:

1. The “Big Idea” Premise
Action–adventure films are most often high-concept with a main storyline that involves the hero saving the world from destruction. More frequently action-adventure films have franchise/series potential.

2. The Hero is an “Average Guy” or “Larger than Life” Character
The Average Guy hero (John McClain in Die Hard, Neo in The Matrix) is an unwilling participant who gets himself into a predicament and is forced to take action. The “Larger than Life” hero (such as Batman) is already prepared to fight and save the day and doesn’t usually require any convincing to take action. Sometimes the Action-Adventure hero is an “anti-hero” character (such as Danny Ocean in Ocean’s 11.)

3. High Stakes
The stakes for the hero are often extremely high: the destruction of earth by an asteroid (Armageddon), the death of innocent hostages held in a skyscraper (Die Hard), the annihilation of entire planets by a space-station super-weapon (Star Wars)

4. Plot-Driven
Action-adventure films are plot-driven. The events that make up the story’s plot consist of the hero’s efforts to thwart the villain’s plan.

5. Present a “Good vs. Evil” Theme
The theme of action-adventure stories is basically “good vs. evil”. This theme is often narrowed and personalized based on the hero’s emotional stakes (for instance, Lethal Weapon’s narrowed theme focuses on the importance of family.) The hero almost always reflects and upholds the current morals of society.

6. A Title that Reflects The Action and Content of the Story
A vibrant title that evokes the action, adventure, and premise of the story is a key component to the genre. (Iron Man, Terminator, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart, Die Hard, Armageddon)

7. The Villain Has a Masterful Plan
The villain’s plan provides the catalyst for the hero’s adventure. The villain’s plan sets up the hero’s goal (which is to stop the villain’s plan.)

8. The Villain Is More Powerful than the Hero
Creating a villain that is more powerful than the hero forces the protagonist to transform. In action-adventure films where the protagonist is a “Larger than Life” character, the hero often has a weakness the villain can exploit (such as kryptonite against Superman.)

9. The Hero and The Villain Do Battle to the “Death”
Though the obligatory scene (the final battle between the protagonist and the antagonist) does not always involve the literal “death” of the villain, the hero always triumphs in some way – even if the hero dies in the battle.

10. Contain Plenty of Action Sequences
The core of an action-adventure film is of course, action: violence, car chases, gun battles, fistfights, explosions, martial arts, and foot pursuits. The average action-adventure film contains nine action sequences that put the hero in physical jeopardy.

11. Big Set Piece(s)
A set piece is a memorable scene that stands alone. In an action-adventure film the big set piece (or set pieces) is an organic extension of the action sequences, such as the train wreck in The Fugitive, the plane crash landing on the Vegas Strip in Con Air, and the famous car chase in the film Bullitt.

12. Snappy Dialogue
Most action-adventure films contain snappy dialogue, especially in stories where the hero has a buddy or ally or mentor to spar with. Another common dialogue element is the hero’s payback line delivered to the bad guy. (“Do you feel lucky? Well, do you punk?”)

13. A Ticking Clock Scenario
Many action-adventure films use a ticking-clock scenario, which creates urgency, heightens tension and increases suspense. Examples include the ticking bomb in Die Hard, the amount of time available to pull off the heist in Ocean’s 11, the countdown to the asteroid striking Earth in Armageddon, and the deadline for getting a prisoner on a train in 3:10 to Yuma

14. Incorporates Mythical Story Structure
Campbell’s hero’s journey is often, though not always, used as the foundation for action-adventure films. Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings are a few examples to study.

15. Vertical, Active Writing
Vertical writing creates an immediate, active experience for the reader. Action expressed in few words moves faster. The action-adventure writer leaves plenty of white-space on the page by breaking long sentences or important moments of action into short phrases and presenting them as separate lines of description (instead of paragraphs.) Action scripts use tight writing full of sound elements (BOOM, CRASH, BANG) and active verbs – and avoid adjectives, which stall action.

YOUR TURN: What additional elements are essential to the action-adventure genre?

STAY-TUNED: In the next post we will examine two classic action-adventure scenes.

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