Story Maps: How To Write A GREAT Screenplay - Daniel Calvisi [FULL INTERVIEW]

Film Courage: How important is  story analysis for a screenwriter? Script Doctor, Writing Coach, and Author  Daniel Calvisi: I think it’s the main way to   learn screenwriting. I think it’s actually more  important than writing. Maybe that’s because I   worked as a reader on the job for studios  and production companies and I learned so   much on the job. I think forcing yourself to  take apart a script or a movie or a TV show   and do written analysis, forcing yourself to  write down an analysis of it for some reason   just gives you a better learning experience  than just if you watch a movie and say Oh,   okay I can see that it’s in four acts and there  was a big midpoint. If you force yourself to   analyze it on paper I think it really helps. Film Courage: How much do you think new   screenwriters realize this? Don’t they think  that it’s just an innate talent and I have   these amazing stories in my head? All of this  doesn’t matter. I need to get my story out.   Dan: Some people say just writing is the  best thing you can do, write, write, write,   write as many scripts as possible. Yes, that’s  great but you can’t write in a vacuum. You need   to get notes from friends and people who know  scripts in the industry, it’s absolutely key that   you get notes. I think “talent” is maybe a part  of it. I don’t know if we even call it talent,   it’s just a proclivity towards expressing  yourself with the written word and then can   you do it in screenplay format. Maybe there’s  a certain ability, there that’s kind of innate,   some people just can’t get it and some people  it comes second nature but the myth that great   writers are just born and they just type out their  first screenplay and it’s genius, I mean that’s a   total myth. It’s a lot of practice, it’s a lot  of work, it’s a lot of craft, it takes a while. Film Courage: What are the first  steps to analyzing a story?  Dan: For me, what I call the basic story map is  you want to define your foundational elements   to the narrative and that's things like your  protagonist their internal and external goals   the obstacles in the way of those goals your theme  you know which is what is it about why are you   telling this story there certain characters like  a shadow character antagonist ally those kind of   things and then how are you going to end it what  is going to be the ending of the story hopefully   you know ahead of time sometimes you don't but  hopefully you do and those once you've decided on   those elements that informs then how you're going  to beat out the story you know the plot of the   story but you need those foundational elements  to begin how much to encourage new writers to   analyze other stories not their own so they're  because maybe they think oh I just want to be   focused on my story that's all I care about but to  really dissect and reverse engineer someone else's   story that's a huge part of learning any kind of  writing especially screenwriting for movies and   film because it's so structure-based you want to  analyze good scripts and bad scripts I mean as a   reader I learn just as much from the bad scripts  as I did from the good ones because it shows you   what not to do and you just get a sense of like oh  that's not working on the page you know or here's   what it looks like when act one goes on too long  so yeah doing story analysis taking apart existing   movies existing TV shows it also helps to get a  kind of template show for yours like let's say   let's say you wanted to write a seral killer  thriller so maybe dissect s and the Silence   of the Lamb maybe something more recent and use  one of those as your basic structural template   on your first pass and then when you rewrite you  can change that up but it helps to just say okay   here's a structural template for me here's an  example of kind of what I would want to do so   you find a film or a show that has a similar tone  maybe it targets a similar audience and then it's   definitely similar genre and that will provide  kind of a initial road map for you do you take   notes when analyzing a story I don't really take  many notes as I'm reading it for the first time   I'm usually reading on my computer on a PDF and  I embed notes in the PDF for my clients and my   students and so the first pass I don't note that  much but then the second pass I will embed notes   in there you know I just insert notes into Adobe  and what I'd like to do is give them my impression   as a reader as I'm reading it so since I know  from being a pro reader I want them to know what   I'm thinking at that time what is the reader  thinking so like oh okay this moment on page   12 I don't understand it it's I'm confused and  then page 15 oh I see what you were going for   now but I want them to have both of those notes  so they know that even though on page they they   resolved it or maybe they had the payoff on page  12 the reader was confused you know so I want them   to have my you know quote live reactions as I  read through something and those notes will be   something emailed and also verbally gone over  with like a phone or an in-person session yeah   usually we have a follow-up Zoom call if they're  a coaching client we do weekly zooms and I just   share my screen with the PDF and we go over for  them Page by Page whereas as a reader in the past   when you in a prior interview we talked about  your prior time as a reader for Studio scripts   that was never something that would happen it was  only just a a pass or a recommend it yeah it was a   coverage report which was like three to five pages  and you do you kind of list the the major things   like length and author and who submitted it and  stuff and you have a little box score excellent   good fair poor with different elements then you  summarize it then you do one page of notes only   and then you give your recommendation whether it's  a pass consider or recommend how will thinking   like a script reader benefit a screenwriter  putting yourself in the position of the reader   I think is key you want to know that the reader is  going to be clear on what you're writing you can't   100% know on your first pass whether something is  going to be totally clear to the reader that's why   you want to have other people read it but you want  to think to yourself if this was a cold reader   who didn't know the story who didn't know me and  they were reading this for the first time is it   going to be clear the way it's flowing on the page  another thing like for example you don't want to   have super thick description paragraphs you know  like 12 lines of text in a description paragraph   because that basically pisses off the reader you  know they're like God there's so much Tex on the   page it's like black ink everywhere like they want  it to flow and they want it to you know basically   go faster so it doesn't take a lot more time to  read your script than it does another script so   I think reading scripts that's another reason  why you want to read in other other scripts is   you figure out what can be annoying to a reader  what can hamper the process you know that's why   I think anyone does this and I learned this when I  was a reader the first thing you do when you get a   script is you check how many pages it is you know  so if you're getting a movie script and it's like   135 Pages they're like oh man this reader they're  writing this writer they're writing too much they   really need an editor this you don't want to have  a script be that long unless it's like an epic and   then it's like well you should be a established  Pro or something like that you know scripts used   to be 120 Pages was the Target now they're more  kind of like 100 to 110 you know maybe like 105   is The Sweet Spot maybe go up to 115 but it's  those cues to the reader it's how long is it   how long is each Act you know how long does it  take before you have a really strong Catalyst   and the through line kicks in and the engine kicks  in you know and reading scripts will help you get   in that mindset so is it where you kind of have to  know the system and be quote part of the system in   order to figure out what the system wants or what  might even surpass what's some of the material out   there I'm just thinking of people that would be  like you know I don't really enjoy Hollywood I   don't want to be part of it so therefore I don't  want to have to think like a member of Hollywood   yeah no matter what budget level you're working  at whether it's indie or Studio people still need   to read that script and they need to understand  it and feel the tone and the flow and it needs to   be clear you're even if you're raising the funds  yourself and you're shooting it independently you   still need to give it to actors you still need to  give it to crew members if you want a really good   DP well they're going to have to read it too so it  has to be clear and make sense on the page it if   you want to do your own thing that's okay but just  remember that you still need to attract people to   your project okay so this reader quote unquote is  not a litmus test for Hollywood it's does another   human being understand what's happening with the  story yeah I think that's probably the best thing   to the best way to think about it and you don't  want to psych yourself out and think oh Hollywood   readers think this so I'm going to change this you  know you still want to follow your gut and tell   the story how you want to tell the story a story  map is my a very powerful tool that I developed   from being a reader and a writer and studying lots  of classic movies and television shows because I   have different story map templates for TV and for  film and basically it's a very powerful outline   that breaks down the foundational elements of  your story which I call the basic story map and   those are those basic really important things  your protagonist their external and internal   goal the theme the central dramatic question  to the story which is kind of like the main   engine the obstacles standing in their way and  you have to really have that stuff before you   go to the beat sheet which is your signpost Beats  the markers in the story and for example I I give   them names like opening inciting incident strong  movement forward event and turn at the end of act   one and it's split into act one act 2 a Act 2 B  act act three with TV 1 hour TV is usually teaser   plus 4X or teaser plus 5x and then half hour TV  is usually teaser or cold open plus 3x and so I   break it down very specifically into page ranges  you don't have to hit a specific page point but it   should generally be in that in that range because  that is the industry standard and I learned this   from studying professional screenplays for  both film and TV and I saw what do the pros   do you know what is it that is bought and sold  what establishes a pro writer versus an amateur   and they do use this basic structure which I call  the story map how is the story map different from   everything else that's out there well I think  my categories and categorization is different   than other methods I think it's more specific I  think it's more based B on professional work and   successful work in both the movies and television  I think I've probably analyzed more films and TV   than a lot of authors of other books I mean I  don't know for sure but I know I've spent a lot   of time on my method and I developed a lot of it  while I was on the job working as a professional   reader for studios and production companies so  I know that it also has an industry standard   element to it and a professional element El to  it but as far as the the categorizations like   in my beat sheet I think I I go into more detail  in describing them so that there's more guidance   for the writer when someone asks you to give the  definition of story what is the answer you always   give oh wow compelling narrative with a beginning  middle and an end maybe is story still King I   think so yeah yeah I say that on my website right  story is yeah I think so I was just listening to   an interview with Steven Soderberg today and he  said for him his main litmus test is he has to   hear about the story or read a script and say  hell yeah he has to have the feeling that if   he were to direct this it's a hell yeah for him  so you know that story your concept your pitch   your log line it has to make people say oh wow I  really want to see that you know hell yeah that   sounds like a really good show or movie you think  we've gotten away from that because now we have   so many great visual effects and different things  we can add in that we've lost sight of that hell   yeah feeling I think in some ways I think the big  thing is that too many cliches are constantly put   on screen in film and TV especially TV because  there's so many shows there's so many streaming   networks and so I think they are hiring filmmakers  who maybe don't respect story as much don't have   as much experience with screenwriting and story  and their first move is to move something to the   nearest cliche you know like a an actor in in a t  scene saying this ends now ow you know it's like   how many times have you heard that line you know  but firsttime writers might write that that was   actually our next question so I like that in terms  of the dialogue that sounds very cliche what about   in terms of an actual story of you know whether  it's a romcom or a crime you know procedural what   is sort of cliche that we keep seeing over and  over again well I mean I think every gen has its   cliche elements or beats you know the romcom has  the meat cute and you know I feel like you know   I don't know if it's that I know it's coming or  just that they make it that much more obvious now   in movies and TV the meat cute it becomes more of  a thing because it's kind of a term that's entered   the parlance but it's hard to make it unique  and original that meat cute moment between the   two soon to be lovers so you know it's hard it's  it's if it was on the page and you're submitting   a script you would want to come up with a unique  way to do that not just another cliche way of you   know them bumping into each other on the street  or the one of them is an architect and they're   holding their model of the building and the other  guy the other person comes and smashes into them   and it smashes the whole thing and oh my gosh  you're a jerk you ran into me but we all know   in an hour and a half we're going to kissing you  know so it's some of it is cliche but then some of   it is necessary that we expect that in that type  of a in a romcom we expect yeah something someone   took someone's order at a coffee shop and then  they're fighting over it and then the next thing   you know they're running into each other later and  yeah yeah so there are there's genre tropes which   you want to have you just have to find a unique  way to fulfill those genre tropes you know horror   film now there're so many jump scares right and  every kind of new low-budget horror movie I see   there's the person in the mirror you know when  they they open the mirror and they get their   pills or whatever they close the mirror and then  there's a psycho behind them in the reflection   and yeah it's an effective jump scare you know  technique but there's Pro you can probably get   around it you probably don't quite need that exact  shot or somehow don't Telegraph it too much so the   audience doesn't know it's coming you know I mean  that's a challenge of a horror film is like how   do you scare people when we know the conventions  of horror movies and that's what's going to make   your script or your movie Stand Out and then in  action what would some of the the how do you make   your tropes not become cliche let's say for action  or drama well I you definitely still want to use   the story map beat sheet or you know find a beat  sheet sheet that works for you so you still going   to hit those signpost markers no matter what the  genre is but an action movie I mean I don't know   I you just got to find interesting ways for like  the first appearance of the villain for to create   tension and a ticking time clock it's great to  insert a ticking time clock at the midpoint or   maybe end of act two so find a unique way to have  basically a countdown to the ultimate consequences   you know so how do you create the stakes and the  consequences that's going to distinguish you as a   writer okay so some of that you need to have that  tension in there but then if if the if the hero   is kicking down the door and then two people are  bound and gagged and I mean that that's sort of   very conventional yeah right so maybe you can find  a more unique way around that I don't know sure   interesting where do most writers go wrong with  story well there's a lot of ways to go wrong in   the page with the screenplay for me I see a lot of  too dense description just too much description I   see a lot of explaining in description if you're  explaining what we're seeing it's not as good as   if you're just showing us what we're seeing on  the page so if you say you know Tom Cruz crosses   the street that's showing if you say Tom Cruz  thinks about whether to talk to cross the street   for a second then he sees a red car coming and he  decides he's going to run and try to beat the car   right you're explaining the motivations of the  character you don't want to do that I don't know   why it just doesn't work on the page show don't  tell is like the biggest rule Rule still applies   it doesn't matter how many years of film making  we have it just still applies so I see that a lot   I see just scripts that are dragged on too long  especially like the Final Act a lot of back and   forth I say a lot of just keep it simple keep it  simple stupid find the focus you know you don't   need so much plotting if we really care about  the character and their pursu their goal against   obstacles and all of that is compelling and  interesting and we're rooting for them you don't   need a 40 page act three with constant reversals  and tons of plotting happening which I think is   actually one of the problems with a lot of modern  films especially action movies they just go on and   on and on and they're repetitive you know like how  many car chases can you have in one film and we've   seen you know car chases for a hundred years you  know the recent Indiana Jones I think it had at   least one too many car chases it just if it feels  repetitive if it feels like you've already seen it   in that script before cut it and find another way  to advance the story do you think that's because   like a lot of these focus groups the people say  I love this car chase and then all right guys we   got to put more car chases in put two more in I  don't well I think a lot of it is now they must   be giving director's Final Cut more than they used  to I think because there's so many really long   films I mean there's so many two and a half hour  movies there's so many almost three-hour movies   and I don't know anyone who's like I want my movie  to be three hours you know but I think because   they're all of the companies streamers Studios  networks they're trying to hire those well-known   aour directors you know get a name director  because then they can get the budget and they   can get the cash ass and everything and that's  great they're talented but I think they're maybe   cow Towing too much to them and saying you just  deliver us the film you want to deliver because   2 hours and 43 minutes might be too long you know  for that story now I just W rewatched Boyhood and   I love it and I know some people said it's too  long but for me that worked but I get it it was   over many years that they did it so you could  see character changes but another thing that I   like that people is is voiceover narration of the  protagonist I know that's kind of a no no can you   explain why that is for me I feel like when I see  it it's covering up a lot of what could be just   shown not told information and what could just  be pure good storytelling it's usually because   they want to explain something and like I said you  want to show don't tell you don't want to explain   so if you have to explain something in your story  well then you might need to change it because it's   not clear enough to the reader and you don't want  to use voice over as just too much of a crutch to   fill in story problems it can work but I see a  lot of newer writers using it when they really   don't need to I think how does a writer give  story meaning it probably comes down to theme   and making us root for the main character for the  protagonist or care for the characters in general   theme is absolutely crucial that you define that  theme as early on as possible in your foundational   elements it's the why are you writing this why  is it relevant why is it urgent what is this   story about what is it communicating so if that is  something that is compelling and pure and relevant   to our times and you're showing it not telling  us and you're not preaching a message but you're   just showing drama that explores that theme then  I think you have a really good chance of giving   your story meaning do we always have to like the  main character we don't always have to but that's   probably a good example if we don't like the main  character if they're an anti-hero there needs to   be some meaning to the story there needs to be a  reason for it to exist you know or there's other   characters that we really care about you know like  in Breaking Bad Walt just keeps getting worse and   worse he's turning into this monster but we do  care about the surrounding characters too you know   I think you've said to create surprising stories  how does a writer do this that's kind of the magic   sauce is how can you hit that signpost be in the  correct page range and yet still surprise us still   pull the rug out from under us I mean it's kind of  writing writing should surprise you as The Story   Goes On you know good writing should surprise  you should not be predictable so I mean I think   just the trick is ask yourself could the reader  see this coming you know is this predictable and   then that's why you want to show it to friends  you show it to three friends and every one of   them says okay I kind of saw that midpoint coming  you know that twist where the house burns down and   you're like okay well I need to hide the buildup  to the house burning down you know or maybe the   house doesn't burn down maybe there's some other  disaster that happens at the midpoint but that's   kind of good writing is you have to figure out  how to surprise the reader and is that something   that's it's almost like chemistry between two  people you can't really Define why it happens   but it happens it's magic is that is that the  part of the writing process that it's not really   definable not teachable in some sense pretty much  I mean that I think that's kind of maybe the the   number one thing is you can't teach someone how to  come up with surprising compelling story elements   you know plot points Beats you can't that can't  really be taught I think it just has to be in   your nature that maybe it's that you have to have  that intention because a lot of new writers their   intention is just to write something that's  commercial and that can sell and so they're   like oh I'm just going to write something like X  TV show or x movie but as you go on and you get   better and better you realize I need to surprise  that reader and yeah I mean I could I push my   writers and my students to you know when I saw  this coming come up with a more surprising beat   there and sometimes it takes two or three passes  before they do but I I do see them making that   progress but there are those writers that it just  kind of never clicks for them you know they're   they're trying to string together cliches rather  than they don't have that fire in them to tell   a unique story well I like what you said earlier  about pouring it into this mold and I think that's   a great analogy but if we broke it down again to  dating It's Kind like oh I've got this great gal   you can you she's wonderful we'll you know we'll  set up this meeting and the chemistry isn't there   and you can go on all these dates and it's not  there but then you run into the right one and   it is and you can't explain why that is so you can  make yourself ready same thing with the story you   can you can figure out all these things I I mean  there's the in indefinable X Factor what makes a   story a character a scene compelling and amazing  and exciting there is an X Factor that can't be   taught you know but I can teach you techniques  that are going to get you further and further   toward writing something really compelling I can  also the first step is writer comes to me and I   say give me three log lines for three separate  Concepts three separate ideas so maybe one movie   and two series and I'll tell them what jumps out  at me and I'll ask them a bunch of questions you   know like maybe I have a I have a writer who he  just has this dream he wants to write like a big   police procedural story or like a Navy Seals  action thing but his other ideas are better so   we've been working on these other ideas you know  like he has something set in the tech world and   cuz he works in the tech world and he lives in the  Bay Area and he knows that so much better but he's   never been a Navy SEAL he's never been a cop and  so you know every now and then I say well okay   we're working on this script we've been working on  this a long time what about your next one hit me   with some more log lines and his other his ideas  that aren't Act and cliche the ones that are about   people and family and interesting settings and  culture he's also Asian and so I said work Asian   culture into your stories as well you know and  I kind of had to push him in that direction it   wasn't natural for him but then when he started  to do it it really jumped out and I said you know   maybe you should explore that idea and that turned  out to be a good thing that's a great story yeah   almost as if you know people like the concept of  something or the idea of something like a career   but maybe they're not totally suited for it I  don't know if it's the same with story I think   it's the same with the topic they Cho topic and  genre they choose so like I've had Writers come   to me and like they love Sci-Fi movies and they  really want to write a sci-fi movie but they   might not be the best person to write a sci-fi  movie they may end up writing a story about their   family and when they grew up but that'll take a  while it'll take at least you know a few weeks   or a month of talking with them and having Zoom  sessions and just asking them like why do you   want to tell this story like you have this star  wars-esque space romp why do you want to tell it   and if they don't have a good answer you know if  it's just h i just like those movies well that's   not a good enough answer to spend so much time  hundreds of hours on something and then risk the   rejection when you submit it and have to rewrite  it for for many drafts you know it's a lot of work   and there is a lot of rejection involved and you  have to be able to put up with that and so why do   that why commit that time and effort and toil to  a story that you don't really care about how is   story Maps different from other methods that  are out there say like save the cat save the   cat I have a lot of problems with I think it did a  really good job at the time it came out of making   beat sheets and dramatic elements in a screenplay  more accessible to newer writers but I don't agree   with a lot of Blake Snider's categorizations I  think that his method the original Blake Snyder   beat sheet was designed for his genre which is  family comedy commercial family comedies or high   concept High concept comedies like he used Mis  Congeniality as one of his pure examples in the   book and it was a great example and it's it's good  screenwriting it's a high concept fun movie but it   does I don't think his method applies to every  genre whereas I think my story map is General   enough that it can apply to any genre and in  my books I do break down movies of all genres   and then now with TV TV shows of all genres with  save the cat the beat sheet specifically there   are Beats in there that I just don't think are  Beats okay so it opens with opening image well   an opening image isn't a beat it's just that  first description first thing you're looking at   when you start a script and so he was saying that  opening image is so important that we're going to   put it in this 10B beat sheet well I can tell  you from being being a reader you forget about   the first thing the first description on page one  by the time you're halfway down page one okay the   thing that you're looking for is is what is this  compelling story what is the drama what who is   the main character and what's going to suck me in  and if you can do it with an opening image that's   great but that's very rare and I don't think you  as a writer should kill yourself trying to think   of an opening image it's better to say the first  beat is your opening it's that page 1 to 10 and   specifically right off the bat one to five is  really key it's how are you starting off this   story you know what's the first thing we see like  in Breaking Bad it has that great flashforward   opening you know and there is an opening image in  there in the original pilot script for Breaking   Bad I think it was pair of pants flying through  the air in the desert and then the the RV like   hits the pair of pants and keeps keeps shooting  down the road and so now we're following the RV   and then we meet Walt but see the fact that I  can't remember what that opening image is is   kind of a testament to it didn't really matter  because it was a great story and that was a   great sequence so that's an example the next one  either two or three in the Blake SN Beach sheet   is called theme stated and he says you want to  show something or have a line of dialogue that   shows the audience or reader what is the theme of  this story well the problem is that most writers   now are making it a line of dialogue in which  a character directly States the theme okay like   the second Wonder Woman movie there's that opening  sequence where the Young Wonder Woman as a girl is   going through this this like trial obstacle course  thing it's a race and she's trying to win and she   takes a detour because of factors that happen  on the race and then when she's almost winning   or maybe she wins I I don't remember her mother  Robin Wright grabs her and says you cheated you   you don't cheat in life Diana and that was stating  the theme and I think that that writer was like oh   we have to have themes stated on page three of  this screenplay and minute five of the movie but   that's not a beat that's just telling the audience  and a telling not showing because a lot of writers   unfortunately aren't going to show it in a really  active compelling surprising way that's not a beat   that advances the story necessarily now if you  can combine it with something that advances the   story that would be great but you don't always  need it in that position so I tell my writers   express your theme through the actions through  the Beats you know through the drama of the story   it should be clear to us what this is about you  know it doesn't have to be right away that you can   settle into that as you go on through the pilot  or the script so but it should be clear eventually   that this is what this story is about this is what  it's exploring but to say it directly to State it   I think is too on the nose whereas Sid field his  teachings resonated with you yeah yeah I mean he   was the original and I mean I don't remember if  he said show don't tell in his book then but he   probably expressed that you know this is a visual  medium and so you want to show us something rather   than explaining everything in dialogue just to  just to play Devil's Advocate do you think that   at the time Sid field wrote his book and and then  the time that Blake Schneider wrote his book that   just the audiences were receiving content in a  different mindset I don't know I mean Pro I will   say probably movies were Tighter and shorter  when Blake Snyder put out his first book you   know if you look at films from like the 70s and  early 80s which I think Sid Field's book came out   in like 80 or 81 they are looser in storytelling  they're slower and they last longer so you know   the act one of a movie in the 70s might be more  like 40 45 minutes but by the time you get to   the '90s it's almost always 30 minutes around 30  minutes you know and there are a lot of classic   movies that also have that structure like Sunset  Boulevard which I break down in my book that's one   of the reasons I was blown away by it because I  watched it for the first time as an adult and it's   like exactly 100 minutes it's exactly in modern  structure in story map structure so I thought   that was really cool I know a lot of people say  they've seen the save save the ca isation of   movies over time that they they're just like okay  that's that's theme stated and that's dark KN of   the soul and you can just go down the go down the  list I don't I think that's probably a little bit   true that Hollywood maybe follows it a little bit  too much but that's true I think that's true of   cliche storytelling in general you know there's a  way to hit this Blake Snider Beach sheet in great   surprising compelling ways like we've talked  about just as there are in my beat sheet for   story Maps you know what is a story map a story  map is my very powerful tool that I developed   from being a reader and a writer and studying lots  of classic movies and television shows because I   have different story map templates for TV and for  film and basically it's a very powerful outline   that breaks down the foundational elements of your  story which I call the basic story map and those   are those basic really important things things  your protagonist their external and internal   goal the theme the central dramatic question to  the story which is kind of like the main engine   the obstacles standing in their way and you  have to really have that stuff before you go   to the beat sheet which is your signpost Beats  the markers in the story and for example I I   give them names like opening inciting incident  strong movement forward event and turn at the   end of act one and it's split into act one act  2 a Act 2 B act act three with TV 1 hour TV is   usually teaser plus 4X or teaser plus 5x and then  half hour TV is usually teaser or cold open plus   3x and so I break it down very specifically into  page ranges you don't have to hit a specific page   point but it should generally be in that in that  that range because that is the industry standard   and I learned this from studying professional  screenplays for both film and TV and I saw what   do the pros do you know what is it that is bought  and sold what establishes a pro writer versus   an amateur and they do use this basic structure  which I call the story map how is the story map   different from everything else that's out there  well I think my categories and categorization is   different than other methods I think it's more  specific I think it's more based on professional   work and successful work in both the movies and  television I think I've probably analyzed more   films and TV than a lot of authors of other books  I mean I don't know for sure but I know I've spent   a lot of time on my method and I developed a  lot of it while I was on the job working as   a professional reader for studios and production  companies so I know that it also has an industry   standard element to it and a professional element  to it but as far as the the categorizations like   in my beat sheet I think I I go into more detail  in describing them so that there's more guidance   for the writer do you have a story map that you  can show us from a popular movie in your book   yeah my original book story Maps which is how to  how to write a great screenplay it's about movies   about features there's a lot of great movies that  I break down in here As Good As It Gets is a is   one that I really like it's a romantic dramedy  there's a lot of Comedy there's a lot of drama and   it pretty much follows the story map really well  it's a little bit longer of a film but I believe   the First Act is definitely around 30 30 minutes  you know which is pretty standard even with longer   films the First Act tends to be about half an  hour it's just kind of the way storytelling   has evolved on screen but I just think it's a  great example of Storytelling for film really   compelling protagonist he's got a lot of quirks  and misbehaviors you know he's his main one is   OCD he's obsessive and he has this germaphobia and  that's getting in the way of his any relationship   whether it's his friendship with his neighbor with  his gay neighbor and or his possible relationship   with his waitress Helen Hunt and so he's been  pushing people away this whole time but his   true goal is to let people in you know to actually  develop healthy relationships is there any way you   could take us a little bit through the story map  for As Good As It Gets I know there's a lot lot   of moments might be too long sure yeah there's a  lot of Great Moments Let me refresh myself with my   book here I love the opening it establishes Jack  Nicholson as just this really cantankerous guy and   it kind of shows us everything about him a woman  a neighbor comes to his door or he walks out his   door and there's a neighbor who says it's tulip  season it's such a it's such a wonderful day going   outside and and she sees him and just glowers at  him like she knows this guy just puts the kibosh   on any fun and then Melvin UD doll Jack Nicholson  finds his neighbor's dog sniffing around and he   doesn't like dogs you know he's a germaphobe and  everything and he picks up the dog and he stuffs   him down the trash shoot and it turns out so then  his neighbor comes out which is GRE caner looking   for this dog and he lies and says he hasn't seen a  dog you know so it's just such such a great way of   just showing what a jerk this guy is you know then  he goes back into his apartment and we see all the   OCD rituals you know he's washing his hands with  scalding hot water and soap and he he turns the   lock he has a bunch of locks on his door he turns  them a certain number of times and ways he has   all these rituals and those are going to tie in  in the end because when he finally achieves his   Arc and he gets Helen huntt to love him and he is  selfless with his neighbor and he's a good friend   to his neighbor he realizes he didn't lock the  door so it's a visual device that he's gotten over   some of these problem you know these problems and  obsessions that he had so they do it in a showing   not telling way when did you begin studying  Netflix TV shows a few years ago definitely   when I was was coming out developing my book on  TV story Maps TV drama the structure of the 1hour   television pilot where I broke down the structure  of one hour pilots from a lot of different   networks and streamers and stuff and I definitely  wanted to have some Netflix shows in there and in   that first book I broke down house of cards which  was like the seminal big that was their first big   show that they produced and distributed so  that was a big Benchmark for them and now   I mean they've had hundreds of shows since then  of course but but yeah it's fascinating and and   writers always ask me about that and they're like  Netflix has a thousand shows how can I get mine   in there you know which is a normal question you  know but it is extremely competitive and the thing   is everybody wants to get on Netflix even the  established filmmakers and established TV people   and for a while I don't know if they're still  doing it Netflix was overpaying the market for   everybody they were paying anyone more than other  companies were giving them it's actually kind of   in their in their company rules is if you're an  employee of Netflix and you can prove that someone   who does your same job at another company gets  more money than you they will raise your salary   up to that level at least that's the way they  started Reed Hastings put in that rule when they   first started but content-wise I mean they're a  huge Studio they're a huge Factory they do every   genre imaginable so it's an exciting place their  financials are crazy everybody's kind of like we   don't know how they fund so much stuff billions  and billions of dollars of content but somehow   they do it and so they're a big dog definitely  what have you learned about the structure of   Netflix TV shows well they distinguish themselves  from definitely the major networks the broadcast   networks in that they target audiences and topics  more succinctly you know they're focused more on   a niche that's kind of first off you know your  broadcast networks like your ABC NBC CBS and   even a lot of your basic cable channels they're  going for a broad audience I mean it's right in   there in the title they want basically everyone  they want every generation of the family to watch   their show so they're not that risky they're not  that edgy they're not cutting edge with style and   tone and film making but Netflix decided they were  going to be edgy and be more adult and more mature   and I mean in some cases just more R-rated and  they came out with House of Cards and it was more   like a movie it looked cinematic and it had nudity  and bad language and violence and it was heavily   serialized so I think they came out and they  wanted to distinguish themselves differently from   other broadcast networks at the time there weren't  that many streamers at the time now there are of   course but I think the number one thing that  they do is they're targeting niches in a global   audience so they know for example that in Brazil  Brazil loves cop shows or something so they're   targeting they want to find a cop show that maybe  has a a female detective and some other element   that they know is big in Brazil because they have  all these analytics so they develop that that   little niche show they go out to creatives and say  do you have anything for this audience and they're   targeting it specifically for that audience and  they definitely want a global audience because   they want to sell subscriptions to their service  all over the world so those are a few of the ways   that that they distinguish themselves and there  are some they don't necessarily use a different   act structure like a one-hour drama on Netflix  uses the basic same teaser plus 4X teaser plus   5x that other streamers and other networks use  for drama you know that I've broken down in my   book same with half an hour although half an  hour shows now they either call them 30 minute   dramas or drama they are more experimental some  of them are only 21 minutes some of them are over   30 minutes and there's really kind of no rules  really with those the majority do a cold open   plus 3 a but there is a lot of experimentation  which is exciting is there anything different   you will find with the characters of a Netflix TV  show that maybe other streamers don't have other   networks don't have I mean I would say probably  they're more edgy and dark a lot of the Netflix   material is dark even if it's entertaining and  even if it's targeted at younger audience you   know a show like Wednesday is darker than  something that's on like the CW channel you   know a lot of their High School shows Sabrina the  Teenage Witch or other ones that I don't even know   about they're more edgy they're more mature and  maybe that's why they're successful is they're not   dumbing it down for kids they're not thinking oh  only kids are watching this so I'm going to make   this material less complicated or serious or edgy  you know they definitely have that thing where   they're not afraid to go dark what is one of your  favorite Netflix Pilots so definitely stranger   things it's one of their most popular shows ever  huge audience and they put a lot of money into   it and they really Market it because they know  people love it all around the world and it has   a really great pilot it has a really compelling  crazy opening where there's like a monster and   so you know I don't you don't see the Monster I  think but you see its effects and stuff so you   know you're in this fantasy monster type of story  where kind of anything goes then you meet these   kids and you feel kind of the 80s spielbergian  type of family Nostalgia feeling kind of reminds   you of like Goonies or ET you know so they have  that Nostalgia element that's the style they   even show in their in the pitch deck that they  used which you can find online they have stills   from a lot of like 70s and 80s movies like ET and  Close Encounters of Third Kind and so they were   definitely going for that right off the bat but  they have parallel stories so they have the kids   who are looking for their friend who disappeared  and then they have 11 the girl with the powers   who's escaped from the laboratory so those are  parallel stories until the very end when they meet   and that's kind of the Cliffhanger like what's  going to happen now that they've met you know   and will the boys know that she has some kind of  special powers and I don't know if she maybe she   doesn't even show her special powers in the pilot  I don't quite remember but you know that something   is amazing with her she escaped from this secret  Institute so it has a really good ending you also   bring in adult characters when know a writer and  the sheriff so you have a good cast of characters   different ages different Generations different  tones to their dialogue and it's a lot of fun   yeah that's what I was wondering is forgive me  I don't know that much about the show but that   because there's multi-generations and it has this  Nostalgia element to it is that why it's had such   such a broad appeal I think it I think it was a  big reason it broke out to begin with and the same   with Cobra Kai which is also a Netflix show you  know people of my age remember seeing the Karate   Kid when we were kids in the 80s you know and then  kids today will follow the younger kids in the   show and they like all the action and kicking  and fights and everything like that so yeah I   think Nostalgia is a huge thing you definitely see  that a lot with shows on the air on all different   networks you're also seeing now movies that  are about pop culture trends like Barbie and   like there's a movie about the Beanie Babies you  know and so people are like oh I remember when   I played with Barbie or gi. Joe I remember when  I had a beanie baby so that can be a huge thing   even if you don't have ownership of an IP kind of  the general Niche or millu that you are recalling   could still have an nostalgic element you know  let's say you are writing something about an 80s   rock band and it's not specifically about you know  Foreigner or de leopard or Guns and Roses but you   kind of you fictionalize we know that's kind of  the world that it is right well that's Nostalgia   people remember hearing those songs on the radio  so that could be a good little window into the   world that you could bring in and Nostalgia could  help find an audience for that yeah and I don't   know if this is true for other Generations but it  seems like younger people now they like music from   a few Generations ago because the people there's  the debate when was the best film and music well   it was you know whatever and it's not current  and so some of that is like you know I don't   know if that's true for other Generations that  they liked maybe 20 years prior content but yeah   I think you know I think about that a lot I'm  actually writing a pilot I have a pilot that's   set in the hair metal era in 1991 in LA and so  I think about Nostalgia a lot and I think about   older trends when I was a kid we romanticized  the 60s right I remember my older brother even   saying I wish I wish I was born 10 years earlier  so I could have been like a teenager in the 60s   I could have seen the doors and Le Zeppelin and  The Who and all this stuff and that was the music   he listened to he didn't listen to that much  modern music even though there was great stuff   happening at that time but so we romanticized the  60s My Generation now I think they're Roman they   definitely romanticized the 80s but now they're  getting to the 90s and it's an era that they were   they were maybe really little kids or they weren't  even born yet and so they're having their own   ideas about it and they're seeing kind of elevated  you know examples of it in film and TV you know   that maybe weren't quite accurate to the time  but they're being made into kind of caricatures   and stuff and the music and the movies they're  discovering for the first time you know you have   a like call it needle drops now so it shows like  Euphoria and stranger things they're actually   writing about what songs they have in each episode  and some of them break out you know what are the   keys to making audiences binge watch a Netflix  series well Netflix from the get-go was heavily   serialized so they are not afraid to do a lot of  plotting they're not afraid to have Cliffhangers   but they're not too reliant on big Cliffhangers  because they know you're just going to go to the   next episode so it's not like you're going to be  waiting for a week you know but they one thing   they do is they don't bother to recap the previous  episode because you're binging and they know you   just watched it I have seen a few shows lately on  other other streaming services like Max and Hulu   and stuff and they do not just the previously on  but they'll kind of back up the story in the next   episode they'll start with like a minute or so  showing the ending of the previous episode and I'm   like why are you doing that because we're binging  it you know this is a streaming service so that's   one they don't worry about but I think they use  they go for high Concepts you know they get they   go for ideas that are pretty crazy and edgy and  they like I said they target areas of the world   and markets you know very Niche oriented targeting  they use their analysis to know what audiences are   interested in so maybe that's the the thing is  they know if they're giving an audience something   that they know they want in Sri Lanka or whatever  they know they're going to binge it you know I   don't know does that touch on that yeah but we had  neelon ratings and so it's interesting how somehow   this seems like they they really have the viewer  dialed in more so than yeah they have a lot more   analytics than they did back in the neelen days  and also they thinking about the whole world you   know before it was North America it was you know  friends is going to attract 18 million people on   a Thursday night and the main demo is 18 to 35  you know for example and maybe more women watch   it than men maybe it's like 60 40% or something  like that but now they know like in Indonesia   these are the genres that they watch in this  region and this is however many minutes they   watch before they tune out and go go somewhere  else now they know what audiences are watching in   other countries down to the region and they know  the gender and the ethnicity and the age and where   they live and they have all these analytics for  what topics and what genres they watch and they   know how long of the episode they watch before  they stop and tune out they know if they come   back to it to finish the episode or they know if  they never come back to it and then what do they   go to next so maybe they're just maybe they're  just sampling that comedy but they bailed out on   that comedy two minutes in decided they didn't  like it and they went to extraction the movie   with Chris Hemsworth so now they're like oh okay  they're more interested in action movies and they   watched all of extraction and then they watched  Wednesday so they just they have so much data   that it's just a lot more targeted these days  are there any don'ts when it comes to writing a   series for Netflix I would say just try to not  make it feel like a broadcast series probably   avoid procedurals I would say procedurals are  you know the case of the week type of shows   they're mostly on broadcast networks there are  a few on streamers like Pokerface I guess is a   pretty big hit and that's kind of a Columbo type  of mystery thing where there's a different story   every week a different case every week but Netflix  isn't really doing those so you probably want to   avoid procedurals and it probably does need to be  more edgy or dark or high concept than your genre   audience normally would be on a broadcast networks  so a cop show on ABC is probably too broad and too   safe for Netflix they want something more edgy  they want more of a cultural element maybe a   setting that we haven't seen before so really  drill down on something specific you know be   specific okay so maybe then like an informant  and he's not normally part of the force but   they're going to pay him to infiltrate this world  because they know that person knew that world or   something and so yeah maybe like Naros was a big  hit for them there had probably compare like Naros   versus Miami Vice you know true I'm sure Naros is  a lot more intense and there's going to be more   violence and sex and it's just going to kind of  be more mature it's going to have a bigger budget   it's going to look more cinematic than you know a  cop show on ABC I think you said previously that   you were hoping a writer would do something new  with the superhero format has anything changed   in the last few years you know I feel like there  were more experimental movies with superheroes   a while back you know maybe 10 years ago than  there are today probably because they're there's   so much money and there's so much budget thrown  into so much superhero material maybe you know   lower budget filmmakers not exploring that genre  as much but they're definitely saying there's   audience fatigue with superhero movies and shows  you know and we'll see how that plays out I know   the studios and and streamers are worried about  that you know well I mean it would take such a   budget though to pull that off except for maybe  the Greatest American Hero the TV show I mean that   was that's different you know but most of this  is just going to be over the top special effects   and and just well I think there's room there for  someone to tell a really compelling human drama   with someone who has you know quote superpowers  and maybe does something heroic I think there is   room for a unique Storyteller to tackle that genre  and just turn it on its head are you still bored   by some of the superhero action films of today  yeah definitely I'm getting more bored by them   actually and I have been although I used to be  a huge Marvel fan I mean I'm still a Marvel fan   I still actually collect Comics I collect more DC  Comics than Marvel U I'm a Batman fan but I think   they're put Marvel's putting out too much stuff  and I'm some of it I'm not even bothering to see   in the theater I'm definitely not bothering to see  streaming shows I used to watch every one of them   and there's already been a few that I haven't  really watched which is just they're just not   compelling me and I see a lot of the same tropes  and you know recycled through various movies and   especially the action I mean there's only so many  ways you can shoot and Stage you know Kung Fu   fight or something or a battle with two people who  can fly it's getting a bit stale I think but that   doesn't mean they can't turn it around it doesn't  mean they can't do something fresh in the same   way they did with like when Black Panther came  out I mean that was very fresh it had a cultural   perspective that they hadn't had before that and  there's always the opportunity to bring something   new into that world so is it really boiling down  to story it's lacking in story I think so story I   do think there is a visual element that could  could be played with they actually I've seen   people online criticize Marvel's color palette in  their movies they say DC movies have better color   grading they just pop better visually and I never  really thought that but it might be a part of it   you know they might want to play a little bit more  with visuals with genre tropes sometimes they want   to take a character and kind of put them into a  genre that you wouldn't normally think of there   was a Marvel show I think it was it that one with  the werewolf and there was like a black they shot   it like a black and white kind of old horror movie  and it kind of came and went maybe it didn't click   but when they can do experimentation with that  I think that's good I also think that they're   relying too much on Comedy I mean believe it or  not I want to take my superheroes more serious   iously like I don't want every one of them to  be cracking jokes and for us to be making fun of   them you know I know it may sound silly but like  Thor is a serious character to me you know I don't   want it constantly the whole movie they're making  fun of Thor I just think there's there's too many   jokes and and they're falling flat a little bit  what do you want from superhero movies as a fan   and what do you want from superhero movies as an  analyst well as a fan I think we all want to see   characters that we loved in the comic books come  to life but the thing is fans usually want to see   them come to life how they Envision them you know  like if there's a change of a race or a gender you   know they say that's not the Captain Marvel I grew  up with you know but story-wise I do think really   good writing is huge a good story is huge and a  director who can bring that story to life life is   huge I think they need to take their world very  seriously in a lot of instances they do need to   change less from the comic book Miss Marvel was  a good example of that I was a big fan of kamla   Khan who's the she's a Pakistani teenager who  lives in Jersey City and when she came out in the   comic books it was very fresh they hadn't had many  superheroes of color they hadn't had many teenage   girl superheroes and certainly not a Pakistani  Muslim in America and so and a lot of people were   up in arms like this isn't my superhero I grew  up with but I started reading the comics and they   were really great and I really was rooting for  her and I really liked seeing that culture and I   but she had a very specific backstory with how she  got her powers and they made the Disney Plus show   and they changed that and they changed her powers  because they were kind of close to Reed Richards A   Fantastic Four like she can grow big and she can  stretch her Limbs and stuff so they thought that   would be too close this is what I've heard then  it' be too close to a Fantastic Four movie when   they do that so they changed it too much they  also made I think they kind of had a too much   of an emphasis on a political point in history  that they were tying in and they brought into   her backstory and they made it an element behind  her powers and so in that instance I felt they   changed too much from the comic book and I felt  like it diluted the story and the story elements   that made it so fun and so compelling for me you  know but I mean maybe maybe it gathered a whole   new audience of other people who weren't you know  middle-aged gen xers still reading comic books   don't write for the lowest common denominator  write for your intelligence write something that   you would want to see write something that is  smart that you would think was smart and clever   and compelling a lot of new writers are like oh  I'm just going to write one of these Hollywood   movies you know these commercial Hollywood movies  they're so dumb and they have car chases and they   have you know they don't adhere to physics and  they're throwing a sex scene and some violence   and that'll make a great script right well that's  not going to impress the readers in the business   who read hundreds of scripts you know all the  time avoid the cliches avoid the tropes do it   your own way and try to make your story stand  out because it's not like something else it's   Unique but at the same time make sure it it ticks  off certain timings or or like you said before   fits into a mold it can't just be a free-for-all  yeah I think structurally you you want to at least   learn the industry standard form first before you  experiment with it and you do want to be aware of   it you know like I said you don't want to write  a 150 page screenplay when today scripts are Max   120 Pages you know and most of them are less so  you do want to know the form you do want to know   that usually act one is around 30 pages you do  want to know that usually act two the end of act   two is going to be in the 80 to 90 page range and  it's usually going to involve the main character   really hitting bottom and kind of the conflict  spiking more than ever and then there's a turn   in the story there's something shocking maybe  opens a Gateway they go through that Gateway   and that gets them into act three which is new  dramatic territory and the stakes are raised   and there's a ticking time time clock and we're  on the edge of our seats wondering what's going   to happen in that Climax and if they're going to  achieve their goal that may sound like a lot of of   you know strictures and too generic of guidelines  but there's actually a million things you could do   within those guidelines and they're done all the  time by great movies and great TV shows all genres   all types of tones and themes subject matter  I like that so yeah so there's structure but   within that structure within each little part you  have freedom yeah and it's your job as a writer   to execute something that does feel fresh that  is surprising to that reader but ideally you do   stay within those structural parameters you know  you don't have to adhere to it exactly you know   if you feel like your act two ends on page 72 and  not page 90 that's okay you know I mean ultimately   it's do we want to turn the page do we want to  keep reading do we want to keep watching this   show you know keep me entertained what is on the-  noose Dialogue on the- noose dialogue is dialogue   that is generic it is describing something that we  could easily see that is clear in the scene it's   explaining something it's just kind of like lazy  dialogue that doesn't show that character's voice   is there ever a time when it's okay to write on  the nose dialogue every now and then you may have   a complicated sequence that you want to help the  reader check in and kind of Orient themselves so   you might have a character say something you know  why did you bring you know I told you to bring the   red car why did you bring the blue car you know so  then that reminds the reader that oh they switched   cars back there remember that you know so you  might want to plant something that is a bit on the   nose it you know I don't feel like a writer should  feel the pressure to write you know Soren esque   dialogue for every single character every single  character doesn't have have to have incredibly   stylized dialogue the show succession does somehow  they get away with that every character is clever   and makes Incredible quips just off the top of  their head and every character has really genius   put Downs of other people but somehow it works  on that show but it doesn't work in most scripts   where you don't want your characters to talk the  same you definitely don't want them to have the   same style of dialogue it can it be done almost  if it's kind of like making fun of itself like   kind of a self reverential dialogue or or almost  trying I don't even know what the word would be   but just certain things that are just I wouldn't  say campy but you're trying to almost make it a   joke and so it's over the top on the nose dialogue  because it's sort of like a joke on itself I mean   you could there's you know there's playing with  the genre or winking to the audience that you   might want to do yeah it really I mean it really  depends on the material sure what if you had said   earlier that the characters should sound separate  from each other what if a writer is getting the   note that all of their characters are sounding the  same but they think no these are all individuals   I've gotten that note too it's tough cuz because  when you read your own work they seem distinctive   but to other people sometimes they don't you can  it might help to write down backstories for your   characters it helps to read it aloud it helps  to have a reading with friends I do readings   over Zoom now so it's really easy to do and just  to hear it spoken out loud I think does really   help but I think the main thing is to know your  character's goals and their wants in general and   then also in that particular scene so then that  will inform how they speak you know if they if   they want this out of that other character they  would talk in this way you know because they're   trying to maybe sway the other character ideally  the audience is in on that too it knows their   wants that was something that David mammo always  said he said the only thing an actor needs to know   is what they want in the scene and ideally the  audience knows that too doesn't always have to be   I mean maybe you want to surprise us Breaking Bad  and better call Sol vce Gilligan and the writers   on those shows they do a really interesting style  of Discovery where at the end of each scene comes   kind of like the reason why the scene existed like  it's that moment of Discovery that we didn't see   coming and that that's truly the thing that  advances the story before that there's just   really compelling character work you know and  compelling dialogue but at the end of the scene   we realize oh that's what that's what he meant  when he said that earlier and that's what they   were going for and oh I didn't see that coming  there's some kind of Discovery you know that's how   Walt is going to get out of this trap you'll see  it if you watch especially better Calla there's   always that kind of of discovery that they build  up to in a scene and it it's really great work   how does a character's internal and external  goal factor into their dialogue it's very key   for their dialogue it's very important the in the  external goal is their action goal their physical   goal that they need to achieve kind of like the  a story goal maybe it's the most obvious or most   visual goal and then the internal like it says  it's going to be more emotional it might be the   love interest it might be their family or it might  be just kind of a a secondary active goal but it's   not as important as the as the external unless  later they flip and maybe the internal becomes   more important than the external if you know  your character is external and internal goal   I think it's really going to help you write  your dialogue because then you're writing their   dialogue to show what they want and to get them  actively toward their goal you know we're ENT I   mean we're essentially selfish people so when we  speak it's because we're trying to get somewhere   we're trying to get something you know so it  really helps to know their goals what are your   thoughts on monologues and screenplays don't make  them too long I mean I think maybe one or two long   dialogue passages are okay but for especially  for new writers you don't want to have super   super long dialogue blocks and too many monologues  just saw Oppenheimer and Christopher Nolan has a   lot of expositional and explanatory dialogue but  it makes sense because they're all scientists and   they're going back and forth about all of these  scientific topics and they're just giving detail   after detail and it's you you are okay with it  more because visually he's a stunning director   you know the big screen experience is important  to him and I saw it in the theater and it is   interesting to watch but on the page I'm guessing  there's just it would just be so much long long   long Dialogue on the- nose dialogue scenes with  so much Exposition and I'd be like oh my god   when are they going to stop talking about fision  versus Fusion you you know so a newer writer who   doesn't have that track record who isn't known  for something like Aaron sorin might be known   for monologues but you're not so you really want  to keep the dialogue as tight as possible maybe   with you know a few flourishes every now and then  maybe you do have a key monologue once or twice   in your script that ideally it captures theme  it explores the theme what your stories about   I didn't see Ty West's X but I've heard on Twitter  I've seen people just raving about think her name   was M goth her her ending sort of monologue and  they just said fantastic hav't seen that either   yeah but I mean that's tricky to end a movie  on a monologue and have it work that is tough I   actually have a client now he has a very specific  line he wants to end his whole feature screenplay   with and I don't think it works because I think  it's too on the nose and it's him making a point   it feels like the writer is making a point and I  said it pulls me out you know and we're supposed   to feel good for this character they have achieved  their goal they have come into themselves and they   are more confident now and we're happy for that  Arc and then he has this last line in which it's   really negative he's like calling out someone  and basically you know saying screw you and   he likes it I don't like it I think it's too  negative because it's a it's mainly a comedy   the script so you know it's a tough endings are  tough there's a film called Barbarian also that   was another lowbudget horror film and I don't  think they really had a strong ending it just   evolved into kind of fighting you know just  physical blocking and I think it would have   been great if they had worked in the script  maybe a little bit longer and worked on that   ending what confuses a new screenwriter the most  I think it's voice on the page it is selecting a   word choice that captures tone and style and devel  developing their original voice on the page it's   a big thing it is not totally quantifiable I  mean you it's you can't really teach someone   their voice it's literally which words do you  choose in a description paragraph to capture   the moment and I think new writers don't quite  get how important tone is how important it is   to capture the style and tone of a moment of an  individual scene or even just a second of screen   time they should think as if they're watching  that movie or TV show at that moment moment   what would the what would the audience feel in  that moment and then try and recreate that with   words on the page it might apply to paragraph  breaks it might punctuation might help wh Space   versus text everything adds up to creating the  tone of that particular scene and the pace and   the style and you can't fully teach that but I  can give them enough notes and even like edits   and I can say here's how you might rewrite this  description maybe if you were use a word that's a   little bit stronger here this one seems a little  flat I can push them in that direction and then   hopefully they'll they'll get into the groove and  feel their voice on the page and it'll get to be   second secondhand do you ever have a writer think  that they have a distinct voice but it turns out   they're really emulating their favorite author  or screenwriter it happens it happens s like   I've had writers write like really staccato short  description lines and it's kind of just like too   much you know it's too choppy so you know the  opposite of that is those big thick description   paragraphs you don't want those either but you do  want kind of a balance between you know smaller   description paragraph maybe just one line of  description maybe a big one you know use wh   space It should flow you don't want too long  of monologues in your dialogue it is hard to   quantify but the page a a good comedy page feels  different and maybe even looks different than a   good biopic page you know what are the biggest  mistakes you see made over and over again in screenplays I would say not capturing tone  the tone of the scene in both description and   dialogue having characters not have distinctive  voices in their dialogue too long pacings too   slow on the- nose dialogue not getting us into  the story as fast as possible because when that   reader starts your script from the get-go they  want to know what the story is is what what is   the concept what is the engine what am I watching  and it doesn't mean you have to launch the engine   at the bottom of page one of course you can let  it play out and take some time and surprise us   but just know that you can't have 30 pages of  just setup before you even introduce any of the   main engines or main story elements you know we're  looking for what makes this unique and what is the   journey we're going to follow can you explain what  engine means an engine is a character pursuing a   goal against obstacles and it's preceded usually  by a catalyst so they're thrown into a situation   in which they're now pursuing a goal and there  are antagonistic forces against them it usually   your goals internal and external those are both  engines so will the hero defeat the villain that's   your external engine you know they're they're  fighting to catch the villain and the villain   is fighting against them or there's other factors  in the way obstacles and then external will they   reunite with their spouse okay so that's more of  an emotional maybe romantic engine but it's still   an engine they want to win back their spouse and  there are obstacles in between you know so you   can call that an engine what's driving the story  with a TV series I like to define the compelling   crisis which is like the core of the drama it's  the core problem that that show is showcasing and   it's usually an engine it's will this character  achieve this you know against these obstacles   it's kind of a mini log line if you will so you  want to know what that core Crux problem is you   probably want one in in a in a pilot you want an  A and A B story definitely you might have a c in   a d you probably don't want to have you know also  an EF GH J story you don't want to have too many   engines going unless it's a a multi character  piece like White Lotus like the White Lotus but   even there I think you really only have four  separate engines four separate camps you know   with the different characters I think in season  two maybe they added there were more characters   there was more going on but that's a specific  type of story it's an ensemble piece it's a   multi character and those are tougher to write  but that is a route you could go can we Define   what tone is can we give Give an example tone  in screenplays is really word choice to create   the feeling of a scene and it's hard to quantify  because there's you know a billion words you could   use to capture a certain scene and that's really  the Special Sauce that the writer brings what   words punctuation black versus white space on the  page are they going to use to capture that tone   but if you think of I mean so something like get  out which has a creepy scary tone that's probably   going to look different on the page than you know  as good as it gets and it's hard it it depends on   the example of course but I'm always trying to  help my writers with the tone on the page just   saying you know if this is horror are should we be  scared right now should we not and sometimes with   newer writers it's hard to tell you know they're  using different they're using kind of maybe more   matter OFA words when I when I I'll say well maybe  use stronger words maybe cut this sentence off   with a dash and so what's coming next will feel  more abrupt and maybe we picture in on our head   different you know I've always have the projector  going in my head I'm always picturing the scenes   you know playing on the screen as anyone does when  they're reading a screen play they should be you   know you're picturing the movie or the TV show  that's playing out so you want them to picture   it as much as close as possible to your version  of the movie you know that's impossible to do and   that's why you don't want to direct on the page  you don't want to use directorial terms you know   pan left and closeup extreme closeup you don't  want to write like the director like write camera   references because really you can't you can't  explain how a scene looks or how a shot looks   you know you couldn't really if I explained a shot  of a desert it doesn't mean you would think of it   exactly like it appeared in Lawrence of Arabia you  know we would have different thoughts about what   that desert shot looked like so you don't want  to try that much go that far to over-explain but   word choice is really really important and  tone and feeling Spielberg always said when   he's listening to a pitch he says what is the  audience feeling now you know so I want to know   how it would feel if I was the audience member  of this script I'm reading so if I'm reading a   script let's say for the swingers and I don't  really know the movie versus The Hangover the   two tones are definitely going even though there's  like a similarity with some of it not totally but   there's going to be an obvious difference in this  tone if it really works going to feel a different   there should be yeah yeah I mean those are both  comedies so maybe those are a little close but um the Coen if you look at Coen Brothers scripts  No Country for Old Men has some really interesting   kind of literary text they use a lot of kind of  more lofty language in their descriptions than   you would normally use in a script and they use  a lot of description more than I think probably   a new unestablished writer should use but if you  get a chance to read No Country for Old Men that's   really interesting Whiplash by Damien Chazelle  that has some really interesting tonal choices   yeah it's all about the words that you choose  that's writing can you tell the difference between   a screenplay where the goal is just to sell it  versus the goal is to tell a compelling story   I think so usually the one that they're only  writing because they want to sell it you just   don't feel passion for the story it's usually  flatter it's just written flatter there might   be elements thrown in that come out of nowhere  they're not motivated I mean motivation is huge   and I feel like it gets more and more important  for me the more scripts I read more books I read   and the more movies I watch the more motivated  actions are in a script just the better I don't   know why but film is a visual medium and you want  to see if your character does something or they   come upon something we kind of want setup for it  we want to have something be motivated we want   know we want to know why or how they got to this  point and a lot of beginner screenplays it's too   random it's not necessarily motivated I hear a lot  of screenwriters tell me but this happened to me   in real life this just random thing happened to me  in real life that happens right well movies and TV   shows aren't random dramatic visual storytelling  is not random as an audience we do want to see   why something happens we want to see the setup  of it you know breadcrumbs leading up to the   reveal setups before payoffs lighting the bomb  before the bomb goes off so motivation and setup   are very key they're left out of a lot of modern  work I think too much I find that I'm too confused   when I watch especially a lot of newer films they  throw you into the story too fast we're entering   the story too late and we have to catch up and put  together what's going on who are these people is   that their job where are they you know you don't  want to start off with your audience confused you   know they can be interested and compelled to  find out more but if they're confused and they   just don't know what the hell's going on that's  not a good place to be anywhere in the script.

Channel: Film Courage

Views: 10,535

Keywords: screenwriting, screenwriting tips, story, screenwriting 101, screenwriting help, screenwriters, story maps, how to write a movie, how to write a netflix show, movies, daniel calvisi, filmcourage, film courage

Id: pHBHjlb4y84

Length: 94min 33sec (5673 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 29 2024