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Lecture 6:Lecture 6:How do I put my script together?How do I put my script together?

Professor Michael Green

Jules and Jim (1962) Written by Henri-Pierre Roché (novel) and François Truffaut & Jean Gruault (screenplay)

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• Emotion and the Foundation of Dramatic Characters

• Creating the Character

• Representing the Character

• Important Characters

• Writing Exercise #3 Ray (2004) Written by Taylor Hackford (story)

and James L. White (story and screenplay)

In this LessonIn this Lesson• Basic Three-part

Structure

• The Set-Up

• The Rising Action (Developing the Conflict), the Climax and the Resolution

• Writing Exercise #4 – Your Treatment Monster’s Ball (2001)

Written by Milo Addica & Will Rokos

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Basic Three-Part StructureBasic Three-Part Structure

Lesson 6: Part I

The Breakfast Club (1985) Written by John Hughes

StructureStructure• A script provides the structure for a story

that is only truly complete when the actors, production design, cinematography, music, editing, etc., all come together to create a finished project.

• The script on paper has to be as close to a facsimile of the finished film as it can be. The screenwriter must imagine how to bring all the elements together so that they make sense, build tension and move the audience.

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Structure (Continued)Structure (Continued)

• Your basic materials revolve around the protagonist’s and other characters’ individual wants and needs. They are what forces the character to take action and that leads to conflict. Obstacles and complications – the crises characters face – are tools to be used in conjunctions with reversals, reveals, and surprises to construct a plot that conveys your ideas and satisfies the audience.

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The Two-Part ProcessThe Two-Part Process• Plot structure is a two-part process. • First is the overall form the story takes.• Second is the actual plotting of the scenes,

the order and arrangement of specific events that creates specific meanings.

• The overall structure focuses on the relationship between beginnings and endings, on the development of conflicts in the middle, and how these parts hold all the elements of your story together.

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Basic FormBasic Form• The ultimate plot structure of the movie

depends on many things – genre, your point of view, your purpose for writing it.

• But even as we strive for originality, we must realize that good structure, whether in features or shorts, tends to follow basic rules.

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Basic Form (Continued)Basic Form (Continued)• The beginning of the film must set up a

dramatic problem that the audience understands.

• The middle builds the story’s rising action.• The rising action intensifies to the final

climax and resolution.• While this formula seems simple enough,

keeping the characters on track, the story moving ahead, and the audience from becoming bored, is very challenging.

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Structuring the Short FilmStructuring the Short Film

• Short films and features share similar structure but length dictates where the aspects of form should fall in the story.

• If a film runs under three minutes, you must set up the problem quickly, develop the conflict and then hit the pay-off climax with no time to waste.

• In a 10-20 minute short film, the structure tends to be a little more complex.

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Act StructureAct Structure

• Act I encompasses the setting up of the problem for the protagonist, and your inciting incident serves as an Act I climax.

• Act II develops the action and the conflict to a final crisis point.

• Act III builds from that final crisis to a main climax and resolution that resolves the story situation.

• In longer pieces, a strong midpoint often advances the action or conflict.

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Act Structure (Continued)Act Structure (Continued)• These key points are where you play

specific obstacles, complications, decisions, or choices – actions that further your storyline or theme.

12 Clear and Present Danger (1994)

Written by Tom Clancy (novel) and Donald Stewart and

Steven Zaillian and John Milius (screenplay)

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The Set-UpThe Set-Up

Lesson 6: Part II

Reality Bites (1994) Written by Helen Childress

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The Set-UpThe Set-Up

• The goal of the set-up is to orient the audience to the characters, backdrop, time frame, and mood of the film, as well as give them a clue as to the direction of the film and the theme, and present the conflict.

• While the feature might take 10-15 pages (or minutes) to establish all of this, the short film must establish it all right away.

The Set-Up (Continued)The Set-Up (Continued)• Many short films and scripts fail in

establishing the set-up because their writers spend too much time setting up all the elements of the story.

• The audience can learn other important information as the story progresses. In the set-up, the writer should concentrate on providing the main exposition and the inciting incident so that the audience understands the basis for the conflict.

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The Main ExpositionThe Main Exposition• The main exposition grounds the audience

in the basis for the story. Sometimes it is given in dialogue; sometimes it is shown in action; regardless the audience needs this information so that they can orient themselves to the plot and understand what is happening and what follows.

• Usually it takes a couple of scenes to present all this information – in a short film, the more economical, the better.

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ExampleExample• In Star Wars, the first few scenes are

packed with exposition. We learn that: – There is a galactic war being fought.– The Rebellion is in trouble, but that the Empire

has a weakness.– That Luke Skywalker is restless and craves

adventure.– That Luke’s father was a great warrior.– That something exists called the Force.

• We learn all of this before the inciting incident or the main action. 17

Example (Continued)Example (Continued)

18 Star Wars (1977)Written by George Lucas

Economy of FormEconomy of Form

• All of this exposition is focused on setting up the dramatic problem. In any screenplay – but especially a short one – every word, every line, must advance the action and reveal only what is necessary for us to understand the characters and the story. There is no time for incidental information. Other insights about characters can be revealed as the story advances.

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The Inciting IncidentThe Inciting Incident• For most shorts, the set-up is complete once

the inciting incident starts the story’s forward motion in earnest.

• The inciting incident is a catalyst that forces the conflict into the open and demands the hero respond and take action. This action puts the hero on the path towards his goal.

• In Star Wars, several moments could be inciting incidents, but the true incident is probably when Luke’s family is killed.

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The Off-screen Inciting IncidentThe Off-screen Inciting Incident• The inciting incident need not always be

shown on-screen. Especially in a short film, where economy of length is crucial, the inciting incident may have happened before the beginning of the movie and the audience infers it from action and dialogue.

• In Black Button, the inciting incident – the character’s death – not only happens before the start of the movie, but the way that this is structured creates the movie’s mystery.

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What to Set-up?What to Set-up?• What to set-up depends on your unique

story. But whatever it is, it has to be set-up in a way that resonates throughout the rest of the story and pays off at the end. Never arbitrarily include story elements that don’t have a purpose.

• As the old writer’s adage goes, if a gun is introduced somewhere in the first act, it must be used in the third act.

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Set-up and PayoffSet-up and Payoff• How do the elements set-up early in Star

Wars pay off?– The galactic war introduced pays off in a

climactic space battle.– The Empire’s weakness pays off when the

Death Star is destroyed.– Luke Skywalker’s craving for adventure pays off

ironically when he realizes the costs of war.– That something exists called the Force pays off

when Luke learns to use it to defeat the enemy.

RevisionRevision• It’s impossible to foresee how everything will

connect in the first draft. This is where multiple revisions come in. As you write, you go back and forth, refashioning your beginning so that everything throughout the screenplay ties together. The final story should seem natural - even inevitable - to the audience, even though the writer knows it was the result of painstaking craft.

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The Rising Action – The Rising Action – Developing the ConflictDeveloping the Conflict

Lesson 6: Part III

The Wild Bunch (1967) Written by Roy N. Sickner (story) and Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah (story and screenplay)

The Rising ActionThe Rising Action• Once the set-up is complete, the main

action begins. In dramatic terms, this is called the rising action.

• The protagonist has expressed his want, the goal is clear, and generally the conflict has been set up.

• The ensuing action is what the protagonist does to achieve her goal, the conflict she meets (as well as the support), and how this action affects her along the way.

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TensionTension• By definition, the rising action requires an

escalation of tension in the plot. The writer structures that escalation by having a variety of increasing conflicts confront the protagonist. This keeps the story building and provides new developments to help flesh out the characters and the plot. If conflict doesn’t build, the audience loses interest in the story. If the conflict isn’t varied, the story will feel repetitive.

The PlanThe Plan• Once the problem has surfaced, the hero

usually formulates a plan of action and starts implementing it.

• Often the character’s actions give us an indication of the plan, but sometimes a simple declaration through dialogue of the character’s intentions gives the audience enough information.

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The Nature of the PlanThe Nature of the Plan• Protagonist’s plans may be conscious or

unconscious, carefully thought out or spontaneous.

• The plan also allows the audience to see how the protagonist initially grasps the conflict and anticipates the results.

• As the story progresses, the gap between the anticipated results and reality produces story surprise and leads to greater struggle.

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ObstaclesObstacles• If the protagonist hasn’t already encountered

a true obstacle in the inciting incident, the rising action is where these obstacles come.

• An obstacle is the clearest form of conflict. It opposes the protagonist as she attempts to achieve her goals in the story.

• When obstacles are properly conceived and presented, they should force the major characters to make decisions and thus produce dramatic action.

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Types of ObstaclesTypes of Obstacles• Traditionally, obstacles are man, society,

nature and the character him or herself. Let’s consider four specific areas:

• The Antagonist

• Physical Obstructions

• Inner Obstacles

• Mystic Forces

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The AntagonistThe Antagonist• The clearest obstacle is the antagonist –

the character who opposes the protagonist, and holds opposing goals.

• Though not necessarily evil, this character personifies the protagonist’s difficulties.

• Frequently, the antagonist initiates the inciting incident.

• The antagonist represents a real break for the protagonist – at last our hero will fight.

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The Antagonist (Continued)The Antagonist (Continued)• Though a film can exist with only an inner

problem or physical barrier as the main conflict for the hero, a specific protagonist lends power and clarity to the dramatic structure. The opposition of these characters clearly defines the conflict for the audience.

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The Antagonist (Continued)The Antagonist (Continued)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Written by Gene Roddenberry (characters) and Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards and Samuel A.

Peeples (story) and Jack B. Sowards and Nicholas Meyer (screenplay)

Physical ObstructionsPhysical Obstructions

• Physical obstructions are anything that physically prevents the hero from reaching or moving closer to his goal. They can range from deserts, rivers and mountains to dead-end alleys and and dead car batteries.

• A good obstacle forced the protagonist to take action, either to confront the obstacle straight on or to take a different tack.

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Physical Obstructions Physical Obstructions (Continued)(Continued)

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Cast Away (2000) Written by William Broyles, Jr.

Inner ObstaclesInner Obstacles• Inner obstacles are intellectual, emotional,

or psychological problems the protagonist must overcome before being able to achieve her goal.

• Some inner obstacles might include fear, pride or jealousy. Others might include class snobbery, racism, or mental illness.

• These inner obstacles are often connected to what the character needs and oppose what the character wants.

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Inner Obstacles (Continued)Inner Obstacles (Continued)

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Boys Don’t Cry (1999)Written by Kimberly Peirce & Andy Bienen

Mystic ForcesMystic Forces• Mystic forces were once seen as a way of

describing appearances in theater of gods and goddesses who controlled the fates of man from above.

• Today we use this category for obstacles coming from the paranormal and supernatural worlds because these can’t be fully defined under the other headings.

• These might include ghosts, demons and cosmic entities.

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Mystic Forces (Continued)Mystic Forces (Continued)

40The Grudge (2004)

Written by Takashi Shimizu (story) and Stephen Susco (screenplay)

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CrisisCrisis• Each time a protagonist confronts an

obstacle, he encounters a crisis, or definite point of conflict in the action.

• The action may be an attempt to reach a goal or capture a stake, but because there is an obstruction, the hero cannot prevail – at least for the moment.

• Because the outcome remains uncertain, the viewer should be uncertain whether or not the protagonist will prevail, and be drawn deeper into the story.

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CrisisCrisis• Dramatizing a crisis and how the characters

respond to it helps define them as well as demonstrate their commitment to their goals.

• Crises involve a combination of physical, verbal, emotional, and intellectual activity on the part of one or more of the characters.

• Crises build crises, and these escalate and intensify the action until the climax is reached. Crises should put the outcome of the climax in doubt.

ComplicationsComplications• Complications are factors that enter the

world of the story and make things tougher for the protagonist. The strongest complications cause a change in the action.

• Complications differ from obstacles in that they don’t pose an immediate threat to the protagonist achieving his goal, but they can make it more difficult to attain by temporarily diverting him. A great complication can become an obstacle later in the story.

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Complications (Continued)Complications (Continued)• They work best when they’re

unexpected, and add tension because we know they’re taking the hero away from his real concern.

• Typically, complications arise in the form of character, circumstance, event, mistake, misunderstanding or discovery.

• In short film, plot is usually more developed around obstacles than complications because of time.

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The MidpointThe Midpoint

• The period of rising action – Act II – can be the longest segment of the film and consequently it is liable to drag.

• A strong midpoint can make this section easier to manage and keep it moving by focusing the action on the first half at whatever happens at this point.

• At the midpoint, something significant happens that affects the protagonist.

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The Midpoint (Continued)The Midpoint (Continued)

• He might confront an obstacle he can’t get around or encounter a complication that turns the action in a new direction.

• Whatever happens at the midpoint must have dire consequences, and these consequences will drive the action toward the main climax in the second half.

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The Main CrisisThe Main Crisis• In order to reach the climax, the conflict

must intensify and increase, causing the action to rise for the last time. The struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist comes out into the open. Now there must be a definite solution to the problem that will sort itself out in the climax of the film.

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The ClimaxThe Climax

• The climax is the highest, most exciting point in the drama. Here the conflict must finally be resolved, one way or another.

• The climax involves a discovery or realization for the characters, or at least the audience.

• In film, the best climax is visual and emotional, not internal. In other words, the audience must see the climax unfold.

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The ResolutionThe Resolution• At the end of the film is the resolution

or falling action.• This final part of the structure realigns

the screenplay’s world as a result of the climax, fixing the fates of the characters involved in the struggle.

• The best resolution bestows a final insight or revelation to the story, which puts everything into context by elucidating the theme.

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AssignmentsAssignments

Lesson 6: Part IV

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Written by Danilo Bach (story) and Daniel Petrie, Jr. (story and screenplay)

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E-Board Post #1E-Board Post #1• Watch the short film from the lesson,

Powder Keg, and analyze the set-up. What kind of exposition does the film provide about the situation? What is the inciting incident? Who are the main characters and what are their goals? Refer back to the lecture and the book to help you identify these concepts within the film.

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E-Board Post #2E-Board Post #2

• Once you have analyzed the set-up of Powder Keg, analyze the rising action. What are the obstacles and complications faced by the protagonist(s)? Does the story have a midpoint? Finally, identify the climax and resolution.

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Writing ExerciseWriting Exercise• For this lesson, you need to finish writing

you treatment. It will be due before the beginning of lesson 8. See the syllabus for what the treatment consists of and check out the sample treatment as well.

• You have already fleshed out a basic scenario and main character; now you need to write a page of prose outlining your story in act structure. It should include the basic concepts we have hit on so far.

End of Lecture 6End of Lecture 6

Next Lecture: How do I Move My Story?