Lecture 7:Lecture 7:Rules of EngagementRules of Engagement

Shortcuts (2005)Raymond Carver (Writings) Robert Altman (Screenplay)

Professor Daniel Cutrara

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• The Problem of Comedy

• Subgenres

• Negotiating Laughs

This LessonThis Lesson

• The Story Spectrum

• The Key Factors

• Assignments

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The Story SpectrumThe Story Spectrum

Lesson 7: Part I

““In an ideal world art and politics In an ideal world art and politics would never touch. In reality they can’t would never touch. In reality they can’t keep their hands off of each other. So keep their hands off of each other. So as in all things, politics lurks inside the as in all things, politics lurks inside the story triangle: the politics of taste, the story triangle: the politics of taste, the politics of festivals and awards, and, politics of festivals and awards, and, most important, the politics of artistic most important, the politics of artistic

versus commercial success.”versus commercial success.” - Robert - Robert MckeeMckee

Classical DesignClassical Design

• According to McKee: Classical Design means a story built around an active protagonist who struggles against primarily external forces of antagonism to pursue his or her desire, through continuous time, within a consistent and causally connected fictional reality, to a closed ending of absolute irreversible change.

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Classical Design- ArchplotClassical Design- Archplot• According to McKee:

– Causality– Closed Ending– Linear Time– External Conflict– Single Protagonist– Consistent Reality– Active Protagonist

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MinimalismMinimalism

• According to McKee: Miniplot and Multiplot are characterized by the following:– Open Ending – Internal Conflict – Multi-Protagonists– Passive Protagonists

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Anti-Structure (Antiplot)Anti-Structure (Antiplot)

• According to McKee: Antiplot is characterized by:– Coincidence– Non-linear Time – Inconsistent Realities

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After Hours (1985)Directed by Martin Scorsese, Written

by Joseph Minion.

Non-PlotNon-Plot

• According to McKee: non plot is characterized by:– Slice of life– No character arc – No significant climax

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Leaving Las Vegas (1995)John O’Brien (Novel) Mike Figgis Screenplay

The Key FactorsThe Key Factors

10Lesson 7: Part II

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Written by Michael Arndt

The Key Factors- 2The Key Factors- 2

• According to McKee: The key factors that determine where a story falls on the spectrum are:– Closed vs. Open Endings

– External vs. Internal Conflict – Single vs. Multiple Protagonists– Active vs. Passive Protagonists– Linear vs. Non-linear time– Coincidence vs. Causality– Change vs. Stasis

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Closed vs. Open EndingsClosed vs. Open Endings

• According to McKee:– Closed Ending - A Story Climax of absolute,

irreversible change that answers all questions raised by the telling and satisfies all audience emotion.

• Most Action/Adventure fall into this category

– Open Ending - A Story Climax that leaves a question or two unanswered and some emotion unfulfilled.

• No Country for Old Men

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External vs. Internal ConflictExternal vs. Internal Conflict

• External Conflict - Engaging with obstacles that are outside of the protagonist: peers, family, bureaucracy, co-workers, criminals, etc.– Indiana Jones, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

• Internal Conflict - Protagonist struggling with intellectual, emotional, moral and ethical dilemmas.– The Accidental Tourist

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Single vs. Multiple ProtagonistsSingle vs. Multiple Protagonists

• Single Protagonists - This is the norm for most Action/Adventure films. It can be split in Buddy Movies and Romantic Comedies.– Die Hard, Knocked Up

• Multiple Protagonists - Each protagonist has his or her storyline, they may or may not interconnect.

– The Hours, Go, Love Actually– Short Cuts (Most of Robert Altman’s films)

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Multiple ProtagonistsMultiple Protagonists

Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Short Cuts.

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Short CutsShort Cuts

• Notice how the opening sequence introduces the multiple protagonists and ties them together through location.

• The spraying for the medfly connects them all to Los Angeles, and they are all tied together in the third act by an earthquake.

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Active vs. Passive ProtagonistActive vs. Passive Protagonist

• Active Protagonist - This is the norm for the Classic Design. The “Hero” takes on the problem, overcoming obstacles to achieve the goal.

• Passive Protagonist - Appears to be inactive, but inwardly pursues goal.– Pelle the Conqueror

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Linear vs. Non-Linear TimeLinear vs. Non-Linear Time

• Linear Time - A story with or without flashbacks and arranged into a temporal order of events that the audience can follow. THIS IS THE NORM.

• Non-Linear Time - A story that either skips helter skelter through time or so blurs temporal continuity that the audience cannot sort out what happens before and after what is told.– Bad Timing

• First time viewers of Donnie Darko may have this experience.

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Causality vs. Coincidence - 1Causality vs. Coincidence - 1

• Causality - Drives a story in which motivated actions cause effects that in turn become the causes of yet other effects, thereby interlinking the various levels of conflict in a chain reaction of episodes to the Story Climax, expressing the interconnectedness of reality.

• THIS IS THE NORM

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Causality vs. Coincidence - 2Causality vs. Coincidence - 2

• Coincidence - Drives a fictional world in which unmotivated actions trigger events that do not cause further effects, and therefore fragment the story into divergent episodes and an open ending, expressing the disconnectedness of existence.

• Pause the lecture and watch the Clip from After Hours.

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After HoursAfter Hours

• The erratic driving of the cab driver appears unmotivated, disconnected from the needs of the passenger and the traffic.

• The twenty dollar bill accidentally blows out

and will appear in a papier mache sculpture later punctuating the randomness of life.

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Consistent vs. Consistent vs. Inconsistent RealitiesInconsistent Realities

• Consistent Realities – Fictional settings that establish modes of interaction between characters and their world that are kept consistently throughout the telling to create meaning.

• Whether Action or Fantasy in an archplot the rules of the world are never broken.

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Inconsistent RealitiesInconsistent Realities

• Inconsistent Realities - Settings that mix modes of interaction so that the story’s episodes jump inconsistently from one “reality” to another to create a sense of absurdity.– Monty Python and the Holy Grail

– Wayne’s World

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Change vs. StasisChange vs. Stasis

• Change - Can occur within the character, and in the resolution of a story problem, e.g. the world is saved from nuclear destruction.

• Stasis - Virtually no change in either character or plot. This is non-plot, one of the rarest forms. For it to be successful change must occur in the audience.– Leaving Las Vegas, Naked 24

The PoliticsThe Politics• Classic Design -

Archplot is the most commercial.

• Whether you are writing for film or television mastery of the archplot is for all practical purposes essential.

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The Godfather (1972)Mario Puzo (Novel)

Mario Puzo (Screenplay)

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AssignmentsAssignments

Lesson 7: Part III

Shortcuts (2005)Raymond Carver (Writings) Robert Altman (Screenplay)

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• Watch Pulp Fiction (1994)• Pay attention to the structure, and what you

think makes it an engaging film.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary (stories)

Quentin Tarantino (Screenplay)

Screening AssignmentScreening Assignment

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E-Board Post #1E-Board Post #1

• Revised Outline– List any changes from your previous

treatment that you would like to implement as you move forward in the script.

End of Lecture 7End of Lecture 7

Next Lecture:

Departing from the 3 Act Structure

After Hours (1985)Written by Joseph Minion