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Golden Bee posted:Screenwriting books are a great way to avoid reading screenplays, or writing screenplays. If you read 3-4, you can sidestep a writing career entirely. Haha. Very true. I have read so many of those damned things. All they do is feed anxiety and doubt, if you don't already have a product to apply their wisdom to. Great Horny Toads! fucked around with this message at 14:47 on May 1, 2013 |
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May 1, 2013 14:28
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Otcho posted:Hey guys, I like reading books on screenwriting when I'm not screenwriting. I normally read Syd Field's Screenwriting when I'm stuck. Everyone keeps saying that Robert McKee's Story is pretty good, but I don't see it.
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May 6, 2013 16:31
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I want to share a story about the hardest and fastest rule of screenwriting and writing in general: Finish what you start. So much easier said than done, isn't it? So much doubt and neurosis to wrestle with, so many ways to procrastinate. You're told over and over again to just keep writing, just keep plugging away, because that's the only way you'll be a better writer. They tell you to make outlines and index cards to avoid blocks, but mostly they tell you to just write. And sometimes, or even most times, you can't. Because something about what you're doing doesn't work. Maybe you don't know why, or in a different kind of hell, maybe you DO know why but you don't know how to fix the problem. That was my situation. I've been working on this screenplay for eighteen months. That's right: for almost two years this bitch has tortured me. When I write, I have the film playing in my head, and when I run up into a potential plot hole or problem, the film breaks, and I stop work to resolve it because that inner critic of mine won't shut the gently caress up and let me finish the goddamned fight. In this case the inner critic kept coming back to one core issue: My base concept was great, my characters were awesome, but the motivations driving each character's actions were convoluted to all hell, leading to long stretches of dialogue that had to explain "Okay, here's why X is doing this, and Y responds this way because of Z." I didn't know how to salvage this. Mostly I avoided the problem by going to the movies, listening to music, watching TV, playing video games, bullshitting with other goons, and anything that wasn't work-related, hoping that I'd have some sort of "Eureka!" moment and be able to start wailing on my keyboard again. When I was actively working on my story problem, I would write all sorts of backstory notes and outlines to try and make sense of my character's actions and decisions, and maybe find a simpler motivation for her that wouldn't need as much exposition. I'd make small gains as a result; half a page here, a few lines there. Mostly though there was a lot of rejiggering (a mortal sin, I know, mostly I was killing time and trying to scratch that itch to write), as well as solving lesser problems by creating new ones, all of them a result of this seemingly systemic failure of over-convolution. I can't tell you how I managed to put all that aside and go back on the attack, inner critic be damned. Well, I can, but it wouldn't be anything of use. Basically, when you spend two years playing certain scenes and beats of the story out in your head, when you spend all that time listening to music that reaches highs and evokes feelings that you know drat well your story could hit, when you've got friends and family who support you and genuinely look forward to anything you have to show them and you just feel embarrassed that this awesome story you have doesn't exist on paper, well, you get angry. Eventually you get angry enough and you force your way through. In my case I figured "Okay, I'll finish this, get it registered, show it around, and it won't be great or even good, but I'm friends with people who know what they're talking about and they can help me get it there." I crack my knuckles, and I go to it, writing, agonizing, forcing square pegs into round holes. I'm up to what I'm hoping are the last 30 pages of the script, I've got one of my characters delivering a monologue, and out of nowhere he drops the simplified motivation that I've been goddamn looking for this whole time. Like it LITERALLY just gets typed without my realizing it. I saw it on the screen, jumped out of my seat and did the Snoopy dance for a solid minute. Unable to suffer inconsistency, I go back for one final round of retrofits, for better or worse. I only end up shaving off about a page and a half. When I send out my work for critique I'm sure I'll get a lot of notes about the amount of expositional dialogue in this thing. Still, everything feels as breezy as it should, and I'm really proud of what I'm writing again. Mind you, I'm still not done. But I feel like the light's finally at the end of the tunnel and I'm confident I'll have this fucker wrapped up by tomorrow. Finish what you start, guys. It may not solve all your problems (and few people will recommend you solve them the way I did), but you never know; the answer may just be waiting for you to type it out.
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May 7, 2013 05:47
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18 months? Jeez, I'm getting antsy because I'm at the four month mark with my current one.DivisionPost posted:Unable to suffer inconsistency, I go back for one final round of retrofits, for better or worse. I only end up shaving off about a page and a half. When I send out my work for critique I'm sure I'll get a lot of notes about the amount of expositional dialogue in this thing. Still, everything feels as breezy as it should, and I'm really proud of what I'm writing again. Mind you, I'm still not done. But I feel like the light's finally at the end of the tunnel and I'm confident I'll have this fucker wrapped up by tomorrow. I know this one well. "There's issues with it but I feel like I did the best I could with it and gently caress it because I'm almost finished and it feels so good" Take two weeks away from it. You won't because I didn't when others told me the same thing. Time away should give you fresh eyes and you should be jumping at the bit to fix the big issues you notice. Or maybe you'll realize you took it as far as you can and move onto a new project. It happens. And don't get too precious with your story/characters. Some of my best work has come from deviating from the first thing I conjured up.
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May 7, 2013 13:52
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Call Me Charlie posted:I know this one well. Oh, that's what I did with my first draft; I'm on my third now, although technically you can call it draft 2.5 because I got 60 pages into my second draft, realized it wasn't working, detonated it, and started again. (It was that whole process, start to finish, that took me about 18 months, although 6 months for this current draft isn't much better.) Right now I feel like any changes I make runs the risk of accidentally hobbling myself, so rather than tell myself "this thing sucks," it's time for other people to tell me "this thing sucks" so I have a clearer picture of where to take draft 4. EDIT: Of course this runs counter to me being a tinkering jackass with the whole "convoluted backstory" situation, but at least the exposition problem is something I can live with for now. Partly because this is a recurring problem in my work and I want to learn how much of it my readers don't think they need to know or otherwise find clumsy, and partly because, well, guilty as charged, "gently caress it, I'm almost finished." DivisionPost fucked around with this message at 14:45 on May 7, 2013 |
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May 7, 2013 14:36
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Would it be possible to put links to the scripts people have posted and the screenwriting websites in the OP? I've just started reading this thread and I've found lots of useful information but I think I've missed a few already - plus it would be easier to read through the scripts other people have posted. On my own script, I've just finished the third draft - I'd like to make it leaner if I can so any comments would be appreciated. The script is called 'Pathologically In Love' Logline: Two stalkers help one another follow the objects of their obsessions. Will they find true happiness? http://www.mediafire.com/view/?h5e8a699fx884g8 edt: Or if anyone adds their script links after this post I'd be happy to read and review - all the ones I've tried to look at must have been deleted since originally posted as I couldn't open them. Silver Newt fucked around with this message at 11:02 on May 12, 2013 |
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May 12, 2013 10:37
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Silver Newt posted:On my own script, I've just finished the third draft - I'd like to make it leaner if I can so any comments would be appreciated. I don't know when or if I'll get to it but I like the logline enough to put it in my bin.
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May 12, 2013 15:01
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DivisionPost posted:I don't know when or if I'll get to it but I like the logline enough to put it in my bin. Thanks - is that a good length for a logline? I've never written one before so I didn't know if it should be longer or shorter or include any more about the plot/characters etc.
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May 12, 2013 16:15
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Let's say I have a really good idea for a TV show, good enough that even people who hate me think it's a good idea, but I have neither the talent nor the patience to write a treatment for it. Where can I go from there? Are there some cheap hacks out there (or on here) that, given a rough framework and a couple hundred bucks, will do a decent enough job on a treatment that I can push it?
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May 12, 2013 16:54
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Pudgygiant posted:Let's say I have a really good idea for a TV show, good enough that even people who hate me think it's a good idea, but I have neither the talent nor the patience to write a treatment for it. Where can I go from there? Are there some cheap hacks out there (or on here) that, given a rough framework and a couple hundred bucks, will do a decent enough job on a treatment that I can push it? Unless you've already got 5 hits under your belt and can get a great writer to write it for you, you're better off writing it yourself. Like every creative business, we've all got ideas.
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May 12, 2013 18:06
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Alternatively, bring in an equal writing partner and work side by side with them. Ideas are ten a penny. It's the execution that matters, and I can't see anyone putting in the effort for a few hundred bucks.
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May 12, 2013 18:19
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A gritty historic drama centered around two recent British immigrants to Boston at the start of the American Revolution. Game of Thrones meets The Patriot. Coming to HBO this fall. It practically writes itself. Boom.
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May 12, 2013 20:00
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DivisionPost posted:Oh, that's what I did with my first draft; I'm on my third now, although technically you can call it draft 2.5 because I got 60 pages into my second draft, realized it wasn't working, detonated it, and started again. (It was that whole process, start to finish, that took me about 18 months, although 6 months for this current draft isn't much better.) Right now I feel like any changes I make runs the risk of accidentally hobbling myself, so rather than tell myself "this thing sucks," it's time for other people to tell me "this thing sucks" so I have a clearer picture of where to take draft 4. Glad to hear that. I was afraid you spent 18 months on a first draft and did a second one where you barely changed anything (which was basically me except my total time was 2 months) Seems like you're on a good track. If you need another set of eyes, send me a PM. I've been trying to refine my note giving skills. (Silver Newt, I'm going to read yours) Pudgygiant posted:A gritty historic drama centered around two recent British immigrants to Boston at the start of the American Revolution. Game of Thrones meets The Patriot. Coming to HBO this fall. Psshh, I'm working with some guy on a comedy about Hitler and a time machine. I'd go into more detail but I signed a NDA so just trust me when I say it's gonna be a SMASH hit. Can't wait to get my 50% after we sell it. that scenario was from a real Craigslist posting
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May 12, 2013 21:04
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Otcho: There are definitely people here who'd write you a framework for a couple hundred bucks, myself included. Someone wants me to write for a book for their musical, and the only up-front work I did was giving them thoughtful facebook feedback. (Most of my work this month is coming to me, which is a welcome change). Golden Bee fucked around with this message at 03:52 on May 13, 2013 |
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May 12, 2013 21:28
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Hey screenwriting goons, maybe you can help me. I'm working on a different script and I like to put my loglines on top of the character page before I start writing out my treatments by hand. I like this idea that I'm working on, but I'm having a hard time coming with a good logline for it. Here's what I have so far: After meeting and falling for a deaf girl, an ad executive tries to make the relationship that he wants to have with her work. It needs a lot of work and I think that I can come up with something better. However I want a little feedback on it. Can it be better or is it good as is.
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Jul 11, 2013 02:07
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screenwritersblues posted:Hey screenwriting goons, maybe you can help me. I'm working on a different script and I like to put my loglines on top of the character page before I start writing out my treatments by hand. I'll take a whack at it. If the fact that she's deaf is the big inciting incident or whatever at the end of Act 1, write the log-line in such a way that it shows that as being the main conflict.. "blah blah ad exec meets girl blah blah... but she's deaf". "But she's deaf" isn't all that much more enticing than "He wants the relationship to work", but if that's the big conflict in your story, it should be presented as such.
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Jul 11, 2013 02:14
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screenwritersblues posted:Hey screenwriting goons, maybe you can help me. I'm working on a different script and I like to put my loglines on top of the character page before I start writing out my treatments by hand. I've read, and have practiced, approximately gently caress-all on this subject, so take this with some salt. I feel like a logline should tell me right off the bat that there's a story to be told; at best this feels like an anecdote. You have characters, you have a goal, but you have no conflict aside from a vague "He tries to make the relationship work." I mean, you've just described 90% of all twee indie romances; the girl being deaf is a neat twist, but like Victor Vermis said, there's not enough emphasis on that (or not enough, period). If I had to take a crack at it? (I can't read your mind so it's likely way off base, but I'm going to mask it anyway so you can remain untainted.) A media-savvy ad executive turns his life upside down courting a deaf woman. It's still a little vague but at least you get a better sense of conflict and change.
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Jul 11, 2013 02:44
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DivisionPost posted:I've read, and have practiced, approximately gently caress-all on this subject, so take this with some salt. I'm going to use this, mainly because of the fact that it works for what I'm going for. Thanks.
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Jul 11, 2013 03:47
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I have a question for you guys. I'm writing an R comedy feature (aiming for 90 - 100 pages) and I'm curious where you guys would aim to put these events. Here are a few bullet points: - Protagonist decides to move from North America to another continent to pursue a teaching job - Protagonist meets romantic interest - Protagonist discovers something shocking about romantic interest (let's say she's an assassin) Right now I'm thinking I should want him moving around (pg 10) for the inciting incident, meeting her a bit more than halfway through the first act (pg 20), and discovering the shocking detail as the first plot point (pg 30). I'm not one to hardcore map out each incident on a chart, as I like to just write scenes without length in mind and see where they go (and then edit back), but do those instincts seem right to you? I'm using The Hangover as a comparable, and it seems the night/blackout/wtfmorning transition hits around (pg 15). As for your question Division, I think there's a better logline out there for your script. Explain it to us: how does her being deaf (seemingly) impact his job as an ad executive? Right now you could make him a construction worker or a vice president and I don't see how her being deaf would impact his job position any differently.
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Jul 11, 2013 04:39
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Mike Works posted:I have a question for you guys. I'm writing an R comedy feature (aiming for 90 - 100 pages) and I'm curious where you guys would aim to put these events. Here are a few bullet points: Is there a reason why we need to see him move? Your story's about an North American expatriate who gets involved with a complicated woman. Why is his reason for moving pertinent to the reader/audience? I'm not saying it isn't, mind, I'm just saying that it's something you should probably ask yourself before you decide to include it. The less setup you have to include, the faster you get to your hook. quote:As for your question Division... Not my question, but good advice for both myself and screenwritersblues anyway. quote:I think there's a better logline out there for your script. Explain it to us: how does her being deaf (seemingly) impact his job as an ad executive? Right now you could make him a construction worker or a vice president and I don't see how her being deaf would impact his job position any differently. Yeah, definitely listen to this man. I'm glad you think so highly of the logline I came up with, but you can and should do better. DivisionPost fucked around with this message at 05:23 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 05:20
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DivisionPost posted:Is there a reason why we need to see him move? Your story's about an North American expatriate who gets involved with a complicated woman. Why is his reason for moving pertinent to the reader/audience? Yeah, deciding to move and leaving the country isn't the inciting incident -- meeting and falling for this woman is. (Assuming that it's the story of their relationship, and not the story of his trip to Europe.)
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Jul 11, 2013 05:44
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DivisionPost posted:Is there a reason why we need to see him move? Your story's about an North American expatriate who gets involved with a complicated woman. Why is his reason for moving pertinent to the reader/audience? Hope that helps. quote:Not my question, but good advice for both myself and screenwritersblues anyway. And Max: Save your gold for Maureen's workshops!
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Jul 11, 2013 06:37
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Mike Works: I think you might need to spend some time thinking about your basic premise. Is it East Meets West or Help, My Dream Girl Is An Assassin? If it's the former, then you can spend the entire first act in the US and explore the new world in the first half of act 2 (although you still want to introduce the girl). If it's the latter, then you could even start in Asia and have the girl's appearance be the inciting incident. Either way, pick one story and stick with it.
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Jul 11, 2013 06:50
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Mike Works posted:And Max: Save your gold for Maureen's workshops! HOLY poo poo WHO ARE YOU HOW DID YOU FIND ME Oh, hi Mike
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Jul 11, 2013 07:01
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Mike Works posted:I'm using The Hangover as a comparable, and it seems the night/blackout/wtfmorning transition hits around (pg 15). Sorry for the double post, but I was curious about this and ended up tracking down the script of The Hangover. The blackout occurs on page 13 -- but note that the movie opens with a two-page in medias res flash-forward, and even once we return to the present, the guys are on their way to Vegas before we've even hit the end of page 5. Edit: Of course, that leads to a movie where all the drama stems from what happens in Vegas. We don't care about the guys' home lives (except for maybe Stu, but only because he's coupled with a shrewish caricature); we care about learning what happened while they were partying. You can take time to build up the contrast of the guy's unhappy life in his home country, but then that has to be the central conflict of the story. Having his love interest turn out to be an assassin could sustain its own movie, and as a subplot it'll overpower a more subtle and nuanced main plot. So I guess what I'm trying to say is listen to this guy: Fire Safety Doug posted:I think you might need to spend some time thinking about your basic premise. Is it East Meets West or Help, My Dream Girl Is An Assassin? If it's the former, then you can spend the entire first act in the US and explore the new world in the first half of act 2 (although you still want to introduce the girl). If it's the latter, then you could even start in Asia and have the girl's appearance be the inciting incident. Either way, pick one story and stick with it. emgeejay fucked around with this message at 08:17 on Jul 11, 2013 |
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Jul 11, 2013 08:11
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Mike Works posted:More info: the protagonist is a guy in his mid 30's who's stuck in life, wants to be ambitious, but is going nowhere. Still lives with his parents. He decides to take this job overseas hoping that it'll kickstart his life and ambition. It's in this new country that he meets the unique girl this girl who has strengths where his weaknesses are, and vice versa. The script contrasts the guy's established North American family live, job, and ideals with her own (Asian) perspective on those same themes. That's why I want to establish his bleak way of life before he moves (and I'm thinking he'll be moving back home in the third act, possibly with her). Try asking yourself where the story lies: is it a romance with an assassin, or is it a coming of age/emancipation story? If it's a romance, the former life in the US seems irrelevant; if it's coming of age, the assassin thing might even be a good mid point. But I could be way off-base here, as I can't possibly know what's in your head.
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Jul 11, 2013 08:19
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What do you do when a screenplay's too short? I'm still in progress on one so this may not be a problem, but it's a concern with how spare it is- it's a horror/thriller kind of thing so I'd worry about adding too much (I arguably spend too long setting up the characters already). And it's already too long for a short film so it's sort of a Dark Star situation. I may have to wait to deal with this when I actually finish, but has anyone run into this problem?
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Jul 29, 2013 04:04
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Just stretch all the words out.
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Jul 29, 2013 05:53
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I'm rushing to try to get a script done for a contest (stupid, I know, but I want to do it) - If I get lucky, I should have just enough time to finish, implement the notes I've been taking while writing and dry run the dialogue. The question is...what category should I submit my script under? It's a movie for tweens and up but there's also a boatload of disturbing imagery, some implied violence, brief nudity and the tiniest amount of naughty language (1 goddamn, 1 drat and 1 hell) - I'm afraid that the Family/Animated judges won't get it at all. And I guess there's also some fantasy elements but it's more like Bridge To Terabithia/Wizard Of Oz than the Lord Of The Rings. quote:Action/Adventure - Films with strong action scenes, exotic locales, stories of adventure. Maxwell Lord posted:What do you do when a screenplay's too short? I'm still in progress on one so this may not be a problem, but it's a concern with how spare it is- it's a horror/thriller kind of thing so I'd worry about adding too much (I arguably spend too long setting up the characters already). And it's already too long for a short film so it's sort of a Dark Star situation. Type. Walter Hill style. Haiku, motherfucker. He thinks about it. Brief description. Hits the enter key alot. Call Me Charlie fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 07:10
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Maxwell Lord posted:What do you do when a screenplay's too short? I'm still in progress on one so this may not be a problem, but it's a concern with how spare it is- it's a horror/thriller kind of thing so I'd worry about adding too much (I arguably spend too long setting up the characters already). And it's already too long for a short film so it's sort of a Dark Star situation. This is a common problem for me as well. I've noticed that (at least for me) a too short screenplay typically suggests structural issues. And while over dependence on structure is (rightly) frowned upon, doing some sort of structural analysis can help identify trouble spots. My system involves dividing 90-100 (the number of pages I typically shoot for) by the number of acts in the script. This will be the average length of each act*. Go through your script and count the number of pages in each of your acts.** You'll find that some acts go above the average, and others fall short. It's the latter you will want to focus on beefing up. *The acts need not (and probably should not) be equal in length. **The added bonus is that this exercise can also help you figure out where your act breaks are. Again, it's not a cure-all, but I have seen improvements this way.
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Jul 29, 2013 18:40
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That was the most intense bout of writing I've ever done. I condensed writing the final 7 pages of my script (for a total of exactly 90 pages), editing and multiple revisions down to a 19 hour session. And I beat the deadline by a minute and ten seconds. Now my voice is gone (always read your script out loud) and I'm exhausted. I don't know if anything will come out it but it feels good to actually achieve a goal, even if it was a self-imposed one. Here's my logline. I stink at them and didn't even know I needed one until I went to submit my entry. Hopefully it isn't too terrible. quote:A troubled kid is transported to another world after he decides to swear off sleep.
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Aug 1, 2013 08:21
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The logline works. It's always been the most difficult part for me. You're golden now. And personally, I never read my own scripts (out loud) thankfully I always have someone around who will (know some actors or people who think they're actors). Because I always end up missing small things like grammatical errors simply because I know what I wrote. But that's just me. Well, that's just how the hell it goes I guess.
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Aug 25, 2013 00:32
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How would I deal with a bi-lingual script? A character of mine can speak English and Spanish. So would it be something like this? DIEGO Yeah, absolutely. (in Spanish) If you gently caress me over, I'll kill you.
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Aug 25, 2013 14:59
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The Worst Muslim posted:How would I deal with a bi-lingual script? A character of mine can speak English and Spanish. It would depend if there's a slight pause during the dialogue there. Which I'm going to guess there is. I'd just give it it's own line. Such as. DIEGO (In Spanish) If you gently caress me over, I'll kill you. Well, that's just how the hell it goes I guess.
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Aug 26, 2013 01:47
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The Worst Muslim posted:How would I deal with a bi-lingual script? A character of mine can speak English and Spanish. If there is going to be a lot of Spanish in the dialogue, you can make a note at the beginning of the script saying something like, "Dialogue in italics is in Spanish." Then write the Spanish dialogue in italics. This way the flow of reading the line isn't interrupted if there is going to be a lot of switching.
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Sep 18, 2013 02:16
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I don't have a source, so feel free to call bullshit. Just to append to the "how to present dialogue in a different language" discussion, I remember John August mentioning his graphic design background in a podcast, and how that influenced him to bend or break the occasional stylistic rule in order to capture a certain mood -- including changing up fonts. I had one scene in the entire script where my main character starts speaking fluent Mandarin Chinese to her boyfriend's shock. I used the romanized translations, put them in italics, left them untranslated to the reader, and just to add to that extra kick of "wait, what?" I set the font of the dialogue to Helvetica or Arial -- something that stood out without necessarily showing off. It looked like this:  If you like this, there's a few things to keep in mind: 1.) None of the friends I showed this to seemed overly distracted by it, but they didn't necessarily point it out either, so I'm assuming the reaction was "whatever," which works for me. However, my friends are not industry professionals. I have no idea how this would play if a reader got his/her hands on it; if you find yourself in a similar situation, you should be absolutely sure this is the way you want to go before locking it in. 2.) I literally just ran phrases through Google Translate, hoping it was at least passable. 3.) Even if they were, certain phonetic inflections are apparently not supported by Final Draft 8, so the Mandarin Chinese you see in the above example is FURTHER butchered from a computer translation. So there are drawbacks and unforseen consequences to this choice, particularly if you're a perfectionist, your character speaks fluent Chinese, and you don't know anyone who does in real life.
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Sep 18, 2013 22:42
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I hit a milestone! Deleted my tenth partial screenplay today! Someone please take me out back and shoot me. Edit: Q: I'm setting up a contract point between two inmates, one being released. This goes back to believability for people who know about prison. Do i need to establish that the one remaining in prison had added the other to his contacts? (this is necessary in the prison system to make or receive calls) or is this minutia? PS if anyone has research questions about prison, specifically private prison, I am glad to help. ButtWolf fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Sep 29, 2013 |
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Sep 28, 2013 21:52
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I've noticed everyone universally agrees not to start a story with a flashback. What about starting a story in the middle? Just one scene that sets a tone of where the movie is going to end up. Example: Guy is being chased by terribly bad men, who corner him in an alley. They menacingly approach and he slowly wets his pants. Then cut to the start of the movie. Is this basically the same thing as a flashback? I have two different openings for the project I am working on. One starts off like that example. Another one is just a page and a half of this guys life sequentially getting worse the older he gets. I'd hate to seem contrary, but it seems to me that each story has a way of being told, and the execution is going to be more important than the method of delivery. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang starts with a flashback, and it certainly works well for it. So tell me why I am an unsophisticated lout who doesn't understand the mechanics of what I am trying to create.  I really just want perspective. Am I just being stubborn? I think what I am working on will be very marketable. A sweet, funny story. I just don't feel I should get hung up on worrying about it being perceived as trite, when in the long run, it can help make for a better, more organic story. I guess I don't really worry about how I am getting there, just trying to get there in the most engaging manner possible. (Sorry, I ramble. You should see my first drafts)
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Oct 3, 2013 04:16
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From what the Scriptnotes podcast seems to get, the page 2 "Flashback: Two months ago" thing is way, way overused.
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Oct 3, 2013 07:05
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| # ? May 10, 2024 09:24 |
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Sataere posted:I've noticed everyone universally agrees not to start a story with a flashback. What about starting a story in the middle? Just one scene that sets a tone of where the movie is going to end up. The thing with starting with flashbacks is you're trying to get people invested in a character through an event in the past instead of the present. It generally works if you do stuff like Spielberg and reveal the backstorywound in the first scene. What you are talking about is actually a trick often used in biopics: You start with the second act turning point (i.e. the protagonist's worst possible moment) and then have the movie be one huge flashback to the life story. It's actually quite common. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind does this, for example, by starting with Clem and Joel's second encounter. (okay, added difficulty with that movie is that it's actually tricking you into believing it's the chronological start, but that's a different story) The important part is the decision which moment to start the movie with. Generally speaking, if this is a three act hero's journey, you're best off taking the 2nd act turning point because that's what's usually done. But then again do whatever you want. Rules are meant to be broken, yaddayadda.
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Oct 3, 2013 15:19
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