Download - Kelsey Mihachik’s Screenwriting Guide
KelseyMihachik’sScreenwritingGuidePIXARSTORYTELLING
• ChoosingtheIdeao Upsetthecharacterbytappingintoaweakness/fearo Theremustbeaprobleminprotagonist’slifeorworldo Character’sexistingflawmustbedirectlyrelatedtotheplot
• CreatingCharacters&Empathyo Whatisimportanttothem?o Wecaredeeplybecausetheycaredeeplyaboutsomethingo DefeatismisNEVERthecharacter’sflawo Thereisnosuchthingas“smallcharacters.”Maketheminteresting.
• Drama&Conflicto Conflict=obstaclesstandbetweenyourprotagonistandtheirgoalo Conflictexposes/changessomethingemotionalinthecharacter’scoreo Conflictposesthequestion:“Whichforcewillwin?”
• Structureo IncitingIncident=propelscharactertoacto 1stplotpoint=cementstheircommitmenttoquesto Midpointo 2ndplotpoint=strongblowtoprotagonisto 3rdplotpoint=Climax.Thisanswersthemaindramaticquestionofstory
• Antagonistso HavetheirOWNstoryandareasonfortheiractions.o Avaluesystemthatmakesthembelievetheiractionsarerighto Onebenevolent(bondingplot=thisonebecomesanally),andone
malicious.Ex.Buzz/Sid.o Friends,supportingcharacters,andeventheenvironmentcanbe
antagonists• DevelopingIdeas
o Avoidclichés.Pushstory/charactersintomoreinterestingandexcitingplaces.
o Subvertexpectations.Addtwiststocharacters/situations.Thesedestroyfamiliarityandboredom
o 2waystodevelop=PlottingandExploringUniverseo Imposecreativelimitations.Ex.MonstersInc.wasnevergoingtobeabout
destroyingcities/eatingchildren• Endings
o Mustmakesensewithoutbeingpredictable.o Willthemaincharacterexecutehisplan,orwillhefail?o Answerthequestionthattheaudiencehasalreadyforgotten.Endingrelates
toaseedyousubtlyplantatthebeginningofthefilm.o Resolutioncreatesarippleeffect,leavingabetterworldbehind.
• Themeo “Whatisinherentlyhumanaboutit?”o It’snotapartoftheplot.Rather,it’swhattheplotexpresses.
SAVETHECAT!
• Whatisit?o One-Line/Logline=fast&creative.o 1-2-3-4:Irony,Hook(ormentalpicture),Audience/Cost,KILLERTITLEo [email protected]
• Givemethesamething,onlydifferent!
o After“Whatisit?”askyourself:“Whatisitmostlike?”
o GenreTypes:1. MonsterintheHouse=primal2. GoldenFleece=goesontheroad,onlytodiscoverhimself3. OutoftheBottle=“IwishIhada___.”Curseaspectofwishing,
butsomethinginthemisworthsaving4. DudewithaProblem=ordinaryguy,extraordinarycircumstance5. RitesofPassage=everybody’sinonjokeexceptthehero6. BuddyLove=Buddiesthathateeachotherenduptwohalvesof
awhole7. Whydunit=Audienceunveilshumannature:“Arewereallythis
evil?”8. TheFoolTriumphant=furtherexaminationrevealshe’sthe
wisestamongus9. Institutionalized=“Who’scrazier:meorthem?”10. Superhero=extraordinaryguyinanordinaryworld
o Trueoriginalitycan’tbeginuntilyouknowwhatyou’rebreakingawayfrom
• Astoryaboutaguy,WHO…
o Loglinemusthave:adjectiveforhero,adjectiveforbadguy,andacompellinggoalweidentifywith
o The“WHO”makesthe“Whatisit?”workbettero Thispersonneedstogoonthisspecificjourney,butdoesn’tknowityeto Wewantheroeswho1.Offerthemostconflict,2.Havealongwaytogo(or
cangrowthemost),and3.Aredemographicallypleasingo Ahero’smotivationmustbeabasicone.Somethingrealandsimplethat
everyoneunderstands.o Mustbeaboutaguywecanrootfor.o Afterfindingtheperfecthero,gobacktoyourloglineandmakeitperfect!
• BEATITOUT
o OpeningImage=setstone/moodo ThemeStated=aquestionorstatementposed(notbymaincharacter)that
getsatthemeo Set-Up=introduceeverycharacterinAPlot.Show“6thingsthatneed
fixing,”forcallbacks/runninggagso Debate=ShouldIstayorshouldIgo?What’smychoice?Stayhere?Asksa
questionofsomekind.o BreakIntoTwo=Herocannotbetricked/luredintoActII.Hemakesthe
decisiontogo.
o BStory=Carriesthetheme,alsocalled,“thelovestory.”It’stheupside-downofcharactersinActI.Atime-outfromtheAStory.
o FunandGames=thepromiseofthepremise.Weseewhattheideaisabout!(thisiswherebuddiesin“buddylove”dothemostclashing.ie:Stepbrothers)
o Midpoint=thethresholdbetweentwomoviehalves.Funandgamesareover,theherogetsafalsevictory.It’sneverasgoodasitseemstobeatthemidpoint.
o BadGuysCloseIn=forcesagainstherotightentheirgrip.o AllisLost=Falsedefeat,oraplacewherementorsgotodie.It’sneveras
badasitseemstobeattheAllisLost.o DarkNight=Howdoesyourcharacterfeelaboutit?o BreakIntoThree=theAandBstoriesintertwine,andanideatosolvethe
problememerges.o Finale=creationofanewworldo FinalImage=proofthattheworldhaschanged
• BuildingthePerfectBeast
o 40indexcards,denotingeachsceneo 9-10perrowo Revisit“6thingsthatneedfixing”inActIIItofillo Colorcodeforthemes(orAvs.BStories)o Thereisaneedforsomethingdefinitetohappenoneachcard.Ensure
conflict&emotionalchangeo EMAILwww.mikecheda.comwherehewillanalyzescreenplayfor$500
• Checklistbeforestarting:
1. Greatidea:completewithtitle&logline2. Genrehomework3. PerfectHero4. BeatSheet&Board
• ScreenplayPhysics/Tricks
o SavetheCat–Herodoessomethingtomakeuslikehim/wanthimtowin.Whenyouhaveananti-hero,maketheantagonistworse.
o PopeinthePool–buryingthebackstoryinasceneo DoubleMumboJumbo–onlyONEpieceofmagicinamoviewillbebelievedo LayingPipe–don’tputtoomanystorypointsbeforegettingtothereason
whypeoplewanttowatcho BlackVet–Simpleisbetter,oneconceptatatimeo Watchoutfortheglacier–Dangerhastobepresentdanger…notslowo CovenantoftheArc–allcharacterschange,exceptorthebadguyso KeepthePressOut–Magicstaysrealwhenit’sonlybetweenaudienceand
characters
• What’sWrong…o …Withmycharacter?
1. Ishero’sgoalclearlystatedinthesetup?2. Docluesofwhattodonextcometoyourhero,ordoesheSEEK
THEMOUT?
3. Isyourheroactive?4. Doestheherotellothercharacterswhattodo?Peoplearound
theheroshouldbelookingtoHIMfortheanswers.o …Ingeneral?
1. TalkingthePlot=gooddialoguesaysmoreinSUBTEXTthanitdoesonthesurface.
2. Makethebadguybadder=theheroandbadguyshouldbelightanddarksidesofthesameperson
3. Turn,Turn,Turn=plotshouldspinandintensify,notjustmoveforward.
4. Emotions=Scriptshouldbeacolorwheel,notjustone-note5. Makecharactersspeakdifferently.6. ALimp/Eyepatch=Giveunmemorablecharacterssomethingto
berememberedeasierwith7. Isitprimal?=storymustbegroundedinsomethingthat
everyoneunderstands.ContactingPeople(inorderyoushouldtry):
A. InpersonB. PhonecallC. QueryLetterD. Email
**”IsthereanyoneelseyoucouldrecommendIcontactaboutmycareer?”
THEBLAKESNYDERBEATSHEET
PROJECTTITLE:GENRE:DATE:
1. OpeningImage(1)
2. ThemeStated(5)
3. Set–Up(1–10)
4. Catalyst(12)
5. Debate(12-25)
6. BreakIntoTwo(25)
7. BStory(30)
8. FunandGames(30–55)
9. Midpoint(55)
10. BadGuysCloseIn(55–75)
11. AllisLost(75)
12. DarkNightoftheSoul(75–85)
13. BreakIntoThree(85)
14. Finale(85–110)
15. FinalImage(110)
MAKINGAGOODSCRIPTGREAT
• GatheringIdeaso Don’tforceyourselftomakeuppartofthestorythatisn’tcleartoyouo ATreatmenthasalogline,amarketinghook,anda1-3pagesynopsiso Themoretimeyouspendplanningascript,thefasterit’swritten
• Structure
o ACTI:Setup,catalyst,raisingofthecentralquestion(materialistic,not“themessage”)
o Motivation.Whyisthecharacterdoingthis?o ACTII:
o Lovestory,practiceandpreparation.o Maybeatickingclock.o IncludesaMIDPOINTwhichchangesthedirectionoftheActwhile
maintainingoverallgoal.o Charactersdothings,andthingshappenasaresultoftheseactions.
Thisbuildsmomentum.Responsesworkbestwhenthey’revisual/dramatic.
o Acomplicationisthebeginningofanewsubplot.Itdoesn’tpayoffimmediately,butitkeepsthestorymovingwithanewtwist.Ex.DonkeydiscoversFionaisanogre,too.
o Keepprotagonist’sgoaloutofreach.Makeitseemlikehe’llneverachieveit.
o ACTIII:Urgencyandtension,withabigfinish
• Subplotso Plotsaretheactionstory,whatthefilmisabouto Subplotsareusuallytherelationshipstory,whatthefilmisreallyabouto “DoIneedthesubplot?Doeseachsubplothaveclearstructure?”
• Voiceoverso Pullusintocharacters’attitudesandphilosophyo Couldbeunreliable,getsinthewayofourexperienceofthefilm
• Flashbackso Chieflyinformational,neverreallydramatic
• HowScenesFunction:
1. AdvanceStory2. RevealCharacter3. Exploreatheme4. BuildanImage
o Scenesdrawenergyfromactiono “HaveIstructuredeach,individualscenetohavedirection?A
senseofgoingsomewhere?Apointtomake?”
• Foreshadowing=makealist:o IseverythingI’vepaidoffforeshadowed?o IseverythingI’veforeshadowedpaidoff?
• Images
o “CanImakeanyofmyscenesmorecinematicallyinteresting?”o “CanIrendermythemetoanystrongimagery/visuals?”
• Charactersmustthink,act,andfeel.
o Constructtransformationalarco Whatskillsandcharacteristicswillyourcharacterneedtoachieve
goal?o SeveralcharacterscannotperformthesameFUNCTION:
i. Protagonistii. Antagonistiii. Loveinterestiv. Catalystcharacterv. Confidantvi. Comicreliefvii. Contrastingviii. Balance–makessurethemeisrepresentedix. “Voiceof”
3ElementsforCommercialSuccess:
1. ScriptStructure2. Creativity3. StrongMarketability
HOWTOWRITEAMOVIEIN21DAYSPreparing
• Take8MINUTEStojotdowneverythingyouknowsofaraboutyourmovie• Workoutlogline• Whatdoestheherowant?Whatdoesheneed?• “Inoneword,mymovieisabout________.”• Writeoutthe9-MinuteMovie
1,3,10,30,45,60,75,90,1201. Setmood/tone2. Centralquestion3. Whatisthestory4. Eventoccursthatmovesherointonewterritory5. Initialgrowthofhero6. Heroisinbigtrouble,hemakesdeepercommitment7. Allislost,butthiseventgivesheronewhope8. Resolutionofproblemstarts9. Audiencesatisfactionscene
WritingSchedule• Days1–7:Writearandomfirstdraft.
a. Day1:10pages10pages,ortwohours.Whichevercomesfirst.
b. Day2:30pagesc. Day3:45pagesd. Day4:60pagese. Day5:75pagesf. Day6:90pagesg. Day7:120pages
• Day8:Rest.• Day9:Readfirstdraft.
• DidItellthestoryIwantedto?• Isittruetomyoriginalfeeling?• Doyouknowwhatit’sabout?• Canyouidentifywithcharacters?• IsthemovieaboutwhatIthoughtitwasabout?
• Days10–17:Rewritethedraft.a) Day10:RewriteActItopg.10b) Day11:RewriteActItopg.30c) Day12:RewriteActIItopg.45d) Day13:RewriteActIItopg.60e) Day14:RewriteActIItopg.75f) Day15:RewriteActIItopg.90g) Day16:RewriteActIIItopg.100h) Day17:RewriteActIIItopg.120
• Days18–21:TweakandPolisha. Day18:TweakActIb. Day19:TweakActIIc. Day20:TweakActIIId. Day21:Closing
• DoIbelievethestory?• WheredoIloseinterest?