Robert McKee Story Seminar Notes (Part III

Transcription

1 Robert McKee Story Seminar Notes (Part III DAY III: THE PRINCIPLES OF STORY DESIGN (Continued) Note: For a full outline of the daily agenda of McKee s three-day seminar see: Turning points Two ways of doing them: action revelation comes from back story Flashback Simply a way of doing exposition should be dramatized should be a story in itself Narration (Voice Over) Best used as counterpoint narration -ie Woody Allen if you can take out the narration and your story still makes sense, then it s justified Coincidence No need to avoid, just handle well bring in early if possible can be an inciting incident Surprise If used should be followed by insight, rather than being used as a cheap trick

2 Holding interest: Curiosity Both emotional and intellectual Curiosity generates three possible relationships: 1) Mystery: teases the audience by hiding facts characters know more than the audiences; often uses red herrings 2) Suspense characters and the audience share the same knowledge 3) Dramatic irony audience ahead of character; facts hidden from characters Holes in Story Lose credibility However, there are ways of covering a logical problem: kick sand over it hold it up so people can see it; character can actually comment on it ie Terminator relay on narrative drive to gloss over it Text and Subtext Text: sensory surface of a work Subtext: inner life inexpressible subconscious thoughts If you write the scene about what the scene s about, you re in deep shit a.k.a.writing on the nose scene will die like a squashed dog actors act subtext Audiences go to movies for extended exposure to subtext

3 only momentarily available in real life Can write passionate dialogue, but must also have subtext subtext a universe of gliding monsters All characters have desires dramatic characters recognize this comic character is marked by blind obsession Character Not human beings; instead, works of art metaphors Characterization is the sum total of observable parts when well done creates an intriguing character, but this is not who the character is Choice under pressure reveals who a person is Must understand a character s real desire motivation should be understood as well, but audience may have a different interpretation If character is motivated do not mention it Have a sense of things, but no need to mention draws in audience s active participation In character, dimension means contradiction consistent and multiple contradictions make a dynamic and multidimensional character Different characters and contexts provoke different characteristics from a character Villains are deliberately flat, but not dull No one thinks they are bad; only act towards the positive Any dimensional characters will be returning do not make throw-away characters more dimensional than needed

4 Writing characters for screen Write with an awareness of actor don t overwrite action, for example. Put the ideal actor in your role Love your characters Finding characters: observe and note-take, but do not copy ask yourself what you would do in your character s position. The honest answer is always correct Dialogue dialogue is not conversation less is more; must be purposeful and compressed screen dialogue require immediate understanding long speeches are anti-ethical to the screen in real life no such thing as a monologue all of life is dialogue action and reaction even if only one character talking, specify reaction if you can avoid dialogue, then don t sue it dialogue is the regretful second choice used sparingly dialogue has real power relief to the visual Description be specifc, rather than general ie spike rather than big nail no generic verbs or nouns no adverbs use active verbs remove is and are -- both are static the screen is active, so use the most active verbs and concrete nouns possible

5 - use metaphor and simile sparingly---only it they can be realized literally we see and we hear : get rid of old-fashioned pull out all camera direction only use slugline if shot is absolutely necessary to telling the tale if possible, make shots in screen description, and drop in lines of white to break up longish descriptions Poetic expressive poetics of screenwriting image system subliminal category of images that repeats must be subliminal in order to have effect/impact audiences instinctively attaches connotative meaning to any denotative image writer can use both external and internal meaning of imagery external attached outside the film ( used by amateurs) internalized meaning created inside the film (Pro) Examples: Alien image system =rape Diabolique water= dread After Hours art=weapon image system does fall under the director s aegis, but writer can create it. Creative Process Step Outline one or two sentence outline per scene (one sheet of paper per Act or 3x5 cards) do for both plot and subplot pour out ideas, but chuck most find the story step by step simultaneously collecting info/inspiration/imagining/research about characters and world

6 don t let people read the step outline; pitch the story instead - pitch must hook, hold and pay off in 10 mins Treatment prose treatment of step-by-step moment-by-moment telling of what happens write it down! no dialogue in treatment Be thorough: take every scene and expand it moment by moment Screenplay dialogue finally appears if treatment is done thoroughly, this will be a joy this method will put emphasis on the story also the most effective way inside out method is tried, true and the best Casablanca Analysis (Random Notes) all life is ritualistic ie airport scene when Strasser arrives used to add subtext subplots: at least three 1) Ugarte 2) Refugee 3) Bulgarian wife logic is retroactive, so go back and fix if problems can always set-up to make event logical ritual of cocktail chat used to establish subtext of passion and longing

7 value charge at the beginning of a scene cannot be the same at the end of a scene happens consistently in Casabknca Pulling Apart a Scene use when scene not working or analyzing a movie identify who runs the scene ask what the character wants, their desire look at the subtext, the real desire what is the source of antagonism? then look at the antagonist s stated and unstated desire which values exist? pos or negative charge? break into beats action/reaction when behaviour changes: what is the character doing? identify with specific, gerund phrase break scene into beats look at the value charge at the end of the scene if unchanged then the scene doesn t work reexamine the beats see where the value did change Value progression in Casablanca begins in the negation of the negation begins in tyranny Rick says he doesn t care--self hate process of the film is to bring love back into his heart Casablanca is a myth myth mediates between the contradictions that make life unlivable -ie life and death

8 at climax, Rick choose both love and duty the lyrics to Time Goes By provide controlling idea love is permanent while world changes